npr--2020-02-22--South Sudan Forges Unity Government, Renewing Fragile Hope For Peace

Hope has resurfaced in South Sudan , where two rival leaders shared a landmark gesture Saturday after years of bitter fighting .
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir swore in opposition leader Riek Machar as vice president , renewing a tenuous coalition that they have tried and abandoned before — but that , if successful , may offer an end to a conflict that has killed some 400,000 people and displaced millions more .
`` This action signifies the end to the war .
Peace has come , and it has come to stay , '' Kiir said at a ceremony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Reuters .
`` My brother Dr. Machar and I are now partners in the peace agreement . ''
Machar , too , promised the South Sudanese people that their newly minted unity government `` will work collectively to end your long suffering . ''
Three other vice presidents were sworn in at the event — though none was as important as Machar , whose personal , political and ethnic acrimony with Kiir helped fuel a brutally violent civil war in the young country for the better part of a decade .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Kiir and Machar served as the country 's president and deputy , respectively , but they fell out with each other just two years later when Kiir fired Machar for alleged disloyalty .
Fighting erupted in late 2013 between the factions led by Kiir , who belongs to the majority Dinka ethnic group , and by Machar , who identifies as Nuer .
And though the two men have made occasional attempts at rapprochement — including a similar deal that brought Machar back in as vice president in 2016 — those agreements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bay for long .
The most recent peace deal was reached in 2018 .
A few months later , Pope Francis invited the pair of bitter rivals to the Vatican , where he stunned them both by kissing their shoes in a dramatic plea for lasting peace .
Despite the scene — which left Kiir says left him shocked and trembling — they repeatedly delayed their deadline for the coalition 's formation .
It was only on Thursday that the two men announced that they would formally proceed with the arrangement after reaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's foreign minister , Awut Deng Acuil , lauded the deal in a tweet as turning point .
She described it as a crucial way to `` end the suffering of our people , silence the guns and return peace to our country . ''
Amid the messages of hope , however , the desolation left of the long war remains .
The same day that Kiir and Machar announced their unity government , the United Nations said that that some 6.5 million people — a majority of the country 's population — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer because of the violence and the corruption of the South Sudanese government .
`` Today in South Sudan , civilians are deliberately starved , systematically surveilled and silenced , arbitrarily arrested and detained and denied meaningful access to justice , '' the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said in a report released Thursday , emphasizing that `` redress for these violations and related crimes is a precondition for sustainable peace and security . ''

South Sudan Forges Unity Government, Renewing Fragile Hope For Peace
Enlarge this image toggle caption Stringer/AP Stringer/AP
Hope has resurfaced in South Sudan, where two rival leaders shared a landmark gesture Saturday after years of bitter fighting. South Sudanese President Salva Kiir swore in opposition leader Riek Machar as vice president, renewing a tenuous coalition that they have tried and abandoned before — but that, if successful, may offer an end to a conflict that has killed some 400,000 people and displaced millions more.
"This action signifies the end to the war. Peace has come, and it has come to stay," Kiir said at a ceremony attended by journalists and ministers Saturday, according to Reuters. "My brother Dr. Machar and I are now partners in the peace agreement."
Machar, too, promised the South Sudanese people that their newly minted unity government "will work collectively to end your long suffering."
Three other vice presidents were sworn in at the event — though none was as important as Machar, whose personal, political and ethnic acrimony with Kiir helped fuel a brutally violent civil war in the young country for the better part of a decade.
After South Sudan won independence in 2011, Kiir and Machar served as the country's president and deputy, respectively, but they fell out with each other just two years later when Kiir fired Machar for alleged disloyalty. Fighting erupted in late 2013 between the factions led by Kiir, who belongs to the majority Dinka ethnic group, and by Machar, who identifies as Nuer.
And though the two men have made occasional attempts at rapprochement — including a similar deal that brought Machar back in as vice president in 2016 — those agreements never managed to hold the violence at bay for long.
The most recent peace deal was reached in 2018. A few months later, Pope Francis invited the pair of bitter rivals to the Vatican, where he stunned them both by kissing their shoes in a dramatic plea for lasting peace.
YouTube
Despite the scene — which left Kiir says left him shocked and trembling — they repeatedly delayed their deadline for the coalition's formation. It was only on Thursday that the two men announced that they would formally proceed with the arrangement after reaching a few final compromises.
South Sudan's foreign minister, Awut Deng Acuil, lauded the deal in a tweet as turning point. She described it as a crucial way to "end the suffering of our people, silence the guns and return peace to our country."
Amid the messages of hope, however, the desolation left of the long war remains. The same day that Kiir and Machar announced their unity government, the United Nations said that that some 6.5 million people — a majority of the country's population — face the possibility of starvation this coming summer because of the violence and the corruption of the South Sudanese government.
"Today in South Sudan, civilians are deliberately starved, systematically surveilled and silenced, arbitrarily arrested and detained and denied meaningful access to justice," the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said in a report released Thursday, emphasizing that "redress for these violations and related crimes is a precondition for sustainable peace and security."


npr--2020-02-22--Coronavirus Cases Triple In South Korea; WHO Keeps Eye On Africa, Iran

Coronavirus Cases Triple In South Korea ; WHO Keeps Eye On Africa , Iran The number of new coronavirus cases nearly tripled in South Korea on Saturday , the fourth consecutive day that tally has seen a major spike .
Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the total number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 433 — less than 24 hours after the sum stood at 156 .
As of Tuesday , the number of confirmed cases was just 31 .
Many of the new patients Saturday were located in or near Daegu , South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people linked with a Christian sect known as the Shincheonji Church of Jesus have shown symptoms of respiratory illness .
The church , which has about 150,000 adherents , says it has shared with authorities the names of members who may have been exposed to the virus , and it is encouraging them to enter quarantine .
Meanwhile , in the nearby city of Gumi , Samsung said it is shutting down a mobile device factory after confirming a case of the coronavirus at the facility .
The Korean electronics giant said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the weekend .
`` The company has placed colleagues who came in contact with the infected employee in self-quarantine and taken steps to have them tested for possible infection , '' the company said in a statement released Saturday .
Two patients in South Korea have died from the disease now known as COVID-19 , while at least 18 have recovered and been released from care .
Thousands more are still undergoing testing for the respiratory disease .
All told , there have been more than 77,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have ended in a patient 's death .
The vast majority of those cases so far have been reported in mainland China , where the outbreak has its roots in the city of Wuhan — though the number of new confirmed cases there reportedly has been declining recently .
But the virus has not stopped at the Chinese border , Japan has seen recent leaps in cases of its own .
And health officials are anxiously watching the numbers swell in countries even farther afield .
`` The increasing signs of transmission outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have for containing this virus is narrowing , '' Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , the director-general of the World Health Organization , told a news conference Saturday .
Of particular concern , he said , are `` the number of cases with no clear epidemiological link , such as travel history to China or contact with a confirmed case . ''
He described as especially worrisome the disease 's spread in Iran , where health officials have confirmed at least 28 cases , 10 of which were reported in the past day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ kits to Iran .
And though just one confirmed case has been reported in Africa — in Egypt , specifically — Tedros warned that because of the robust trading relationship between China and some countries on the continent , health officials should be preparing for its arrival before long .
`` Our biggest concern continues to be the potential for COVID-19 to spread in countries with weak health systems , '' he said .
`` We know a little bit more about this virus and the disease it causes .
We know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mild disease and will recover , but the other 20 % of patients have severe or critical disease , ranging from shortness of breath to septic shock and multi-organ failure , '' said Tedros .
`` These patients require intensive care , using equipment such as respiratory support machines that are , as you know , in short supply in many African countries . ''

Coronavirus Cases Spike In South Korea; WHO Keeps Eye On Africa, Iran, Italy
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
Updated at 12:23 p.m. ET, Feb. 25
The number of new coronavirus cases in South Korea had a major spike over the weekend.
By Sunday, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the total number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 556.
As of Tuesday, the number of confirmed cases was just 31.
Many of the new patients were located in or near Daegu, South Korea's fourth-largest city, where dozens of people linked with a Christian sect known as the Shincheonji Church of Jesus have shown symptoms of respiratory illness. The church, which has about 150,000 adherents, says it has shared with authorities the names of members who may have been exposed to the virus, and it is encouraging them to enter quarantine.
Meanwhile, in the nearby city of Gumi, Samsung said it is shutting down a mobile device factory after confirming a case of the coronavirus at the facility. The Korean electronics giant said it is shuttering the factory at least through the weekend.
"The company has placed colleagues who came in contact with the infected employee in self-quarantine and taken steps to have them tested for possible infection," the company said in a statement released Saturday.
At least four patients in South Korea have died from the disease now known as COVID-19, while at least 18 have recovered and been released from care. Thousands more are still undergoing testing for the respiratory disease.
A few of the cases include South Korean nationals who recently traveled to Israel and the West Bank, NPR's Daniel Estrin reports. Officials in those areas have asked anyone who came in contact with the tourists to quarantine themselves for two weeks.
Also, Israel is refusing entry to foreign visitors who have been in Thailand, Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Macau in the last 14 days.
All told, there have been nearly 79,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus worldwide, more than 2,400 of which have ended in a patient's death. The vast majority of those cases so far have been reported in mainland China, where the outbreak has its roots in the city of Wuhan — though the number of new confirmed cases there reportedly has been declining recently.
But the virus has not stopped at the Chinese border, Japan has seen recent leaps in cases of its own. And health officials are anxiously watching the numbers swell in countries even farther afield.
In Europe, the virus has spread in Italy, which now reports 229 cases and 6 fatalities. Austria, Croatia and Switzerland have also reported their first cases.
"The increasing signs of transmission outside China show that the window of opportunity we have for containing this virus is narrowing," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, told a news conference Saturday.
Of particular concern, he said, are "the number of cases with no clear epidemiological link, such as travel history to China or contact with a confirmed case." He described as especially worrisome the disease's spread in Iran, where there are 61 cases as of Tuesday and 12 fatalities.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images
He said that WHO has sent testing kits to Iran. And though just one confirmed case has been reported in Africa — in Egypt, specifically — Tedros warned that because of the robust trading relationship between China and some countries on the continent, health officials should be preparing for its arrival before long.
"Our biggest concern continues to be the potential for COVID-19 to spread in countries with weak health systems," he said.
"We know a little bit more about this virus and the disease it causes. We know that more than 80% of patients have mild disease and will recover, but the other 20% of patients have severe or critical disease, ranging from shortness of breath to septic shock and multi-organ failure," said Tedros.
"These patients require intensive care, using equipment such as respiratory support machines that are, as you know, in short supply in many African countries."


npr--2020-02-22--One Group Whose Political Leanings May Be Changing: Indian Americans Who Are Hindu

One Group Whose Political Leanings May Be Changing : Indian Americans Who Are Hindu Indian Americans generally vote with Democrats and identify with other immigrant groups , but the stirrings of Hindu nationalism may be shifting that alignment .
President Trump leaves this weekend for India , where he 's set to get a warm welcome from the Indian prime minister , Narendra Modi .
The visit is likely to be followed closely by Indian Americans , especially those who consider themselves Hindu .
Many American Hindus are big supporters of Prime Minister Modi , in part , because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's NPR 's Tom Gjelten .
TOM GJELTEN , BYLINE : Indian Americans , about half of whom are Hindus , are the second-largest immigrant group in the U.S. after Mexicans .
In 2016 , fewer than 20 % of Indian Americans supported Donald Trump , but Republicans think they can get a bigger share this year .
One reason - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a big Trump fan .
GJELTEN : Modi and Trump bonded at a big Indian American rally last fall in Houston .
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a better friend as president than President Donald Trump .
That I can tell you .
GJELTEN : With Trump now set to visit Modi in India , that friendship will get even more attention .
Trump has made no criticism of Modi 's drive to give Hindus a favored place in India , for example , by promoting a citizenship law that treats Hindu and Muslim refugees differently .
Democrats and some progressive Indian Americans have criticized Modi over that campaign , but more conservative American Hindus endorse it .
RAKHI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly emotional topics for Hindu Americans .
GJELTEN : Rakhi Israni ( ph ) runs an education tutoring firm in California and serves on the board of the Hindu American Political Action Committee .
ISRANI : And the stance that a lot of the liberal left within the Democratic Party is taking , I think they may just serve to push more Hindu Americans away from the party .
GJELTEN : Among those who think there is a Hindu American drift toward Republicans is A.D. Amar , a management professor at Seton Hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Trump movement , but his focus is on Trump 's economic policies , ones he says can resonate with Indian Americans .
A D AMAR : Most Indians , as you know , are highly educated .
They are also relatively quite well-off , and they want low taxes , and they want people to be responsible for their own lives .
GJELTEN : In his speech in Houston , President Trump took care to distinguish between successful Indian immigrants and those coming into the country illegally .
But Karthick Ramakrishnan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the University of California , says many Indian Americans still identify with other minority groups , especially at a time of rising white nationalism .
KARTHICK RAMAKRISHNAN : Not only are they immigrants , but also , they are brown-skinned , often in minority religions and discriminated in society in various ways .
So , yes , people could try to drive a wedge between Indian Americans and other immigrant communities , but the reality of racial discrimination in the United States makes it more difficult .
GJELTEN : Ramakrishnan thinks Indian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus mostly on such traditional policy issues as access to health care , ones that incline them more toward the Democrats .
RAMAKRISHNAN : My hunch is that there 's probably some movement towards President Trump but still overwhelming support for the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates as opposed to President Trump .
GJELTEN : A final point - by census estimates , there may be 400,000 more Indian Americans in the U.S. now than there were four years ago .
Tom Gjelten , NPR News .

One Group Whose Political Leanings May Be Changing: Indian Americans Who Are Hindu
Indian Americans generally vote with Democrats and identify with other immigrant groups, but the stirrings of Hindu nationalism may be shifting that alignment.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
President Trump leaves this weekend for India, where he's set to get a warm welcome from the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi. The visit is likely to be followed closely by Indian Americans, especially those who consider themselves Hindu. Many American Hindus are big supporters of Prime Minister Modi, in part, because of his embrace of Hindu nationalism. Here's NPR's Tom Gjelten.
TOM GJELTEN, BYLINE: Indian Americans, about half of whom are Hindus, are the second-largest immigrant group in the U.S. after Mexicans. In 2016, fewer than 20% of Indian Americans supported Donald Trump, but Republicans think they can get a bigger share this year. One reason - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a big Trump fan.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI: A great American president, Mr. Donald Trump.
GJELTEN: Modi and Trump bonded at a big Indian American rally last fall in Houston.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I can tell you you have never had a better friend as president than President Donald Trump. That I can tell you.
GJELTEN: With Trump now set to visit Modi in India, that friendship will get even more attention. Trump has made no criticism of Modi's drive to give Hindus a favored place in India, for example, by promoting a citizenship law that treats Hindu and Muslim refugees differently. Democrats and some progressive Indian Americans have criticized Modi over that campaign, but more conservative American Hindus endorse it.
RAKHI ISRANI: I mean, these are highly emotional topics for Hindu Americans.
GJELTEN: Rakhi Israni (ph) runs an education tutoring firm in California and serves on the board of the Hindu American Political Action Committee.
ISRANI: And the stance that a lot of the liberal left within the Democratic Party is taking, I think they may just serve to push more Hindu Americans away from the party.
GJELTEN: Among those who think there is a Hindu American drift toward Republicans is A.D. Amar, a management professor at Seton Hall University. He leads the Indian Americans for Trump movement, but his focus is on Trump's economic policies, ones he says can resonate with Indian Americans.
A D AMAR: Most Indians, as you know, are highly educated. They are also relatively quite well-off, and they want low taxes, and they want people to be responsible for their own lives.
GJELTEN: In his speech in Houston, President Trump took care to distinguish between successful Indian immigrants and those coming into the country illegally. But Karthick Ramakrishnan, who directs the Asian American Voters Survey at the University of California, says many Indian Americans still identify with other minority groups, especially at a time of rising white nationalism.
KARTHICK RAMAKRISHNAN: Not only are they immigrants, but also, they are brown-skinned, often in minority religions and discriminated in society in various ways. So, yes, people could try to drive a wedge between Indian Americans and other immigrant communities, but the reality of racial discrimination in the United States makes it more difficult.
GJELTEN: Ramakrishnan thinks Indian American voters, including American Hindus, focus mostly on such traditional policy issues as access to health care, ones that incline them more toward the Democrats.
RAMAKRISHNAN: My hunch is that there's probably some movement towards President Trump but still overwhelming support for the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates as opposed to President Trump.
GJELTEN: A final point - by census estimates, there may be 400,000 more Indian Americans in the U.S. now than there were four years ago. Tom Gjelten, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF NK-67'S "CONSISTENCY")
Copyright © 2020 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.


npr--2020-02-22--What COVID-19 Cases Look Like In South Korea

What COVID-19 Cases Look Like In South Korea China has the most coronavirus cases in the world , and now South Korea is second .
Today , it recorded its biggest daily increase so far .
There are 433 cases .
Around half of those are tied to one church group , which authorities are now investigating as they try to prevent more infections .
NPR 's Anthony Kuhn joins us from Seoul .
Anthony , thanks so much for being with us .
SIMON : What 's going on with this outbreak ?
KUHN : Well , the epicenter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is South Korea 's fourth-largest city .
The streets there are pretty much deserted .
The government has told 2.5 million residents there to stay at home , and they 're doing it .
Meanwhile , Daegu 's hospitals are hard-pressed for medical equipment , doctors and drugs .
And so the central government is sending them .
Then there 's a county hospital outside Daegu , which has about a quarter of the country 's cases .
And South Korea saw its third fatality from the virus today , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provinces .
And it 's about the fourth day in a row that cases have doubled .
And that has people here very jittery .
SIMON : And , Anthony , please tell us about this church that seems to be at the center of the outbreak .
It 's considered controversial .
KUHN : Yes , it 's called the Shincheonji Church of Jesus .
Shincheonji means new heaven and earth , and it was founded in the 1980s by a charismatic pastor named Lee Man-hee .
And his followers believe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call this a religious movement .
Critics call it a cult .
It has a reputation for proselytizing very aggressively , handing out flyers on the street and , according to other churches , infiltrating their congregations and poaching their members .
And the members of Shincheonji reportedly ignore this virus because they see it as a trick of the devil to obstruct them from spreading their religion .
So dozens of the church have been shut down around the country , and about some 1,200 members have reported that they have symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church members have been self-quarantined .
SIMON : Are authorities making any progress in understanding how the virus has spread ?
KUHN : Well , what they 're trying to do is track down everyone who went - got into contact with this church or hospital and isolating them before they can spread the virus further .
And that requires a lot of detective work going through surveillance camera tape , going through credit card transaction records .
This church reportedly has members in China .
They 're trying to see if any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also exploring links between the two big nodes of the virus , the church and the hospital .
For example , church members attended the church founder 's brother 's funeral at the hospital , but no explicit links have been established yet .
SIMON : Anthony , does the South Korean government seem to have a hold on the situation ?
KUHN : Well , that 's what everyone is concerned about .
The South Korean government and the World Health Organization say that despite this explosion in case numbers , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are now shifting their tactics from trying to prevent the virus from entering the country to prevent it from spreading among different communities .
The concern , the fear is that the government ca n't track down all the spreaders .
These numbers are just going to continue to explode .
Daegu and Seoul have been fairly empty and quiet , but the country is not really going into lockdown the way China has .
But the fear is that if they do n't get a grip , then more draconian measures will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony Kuhn speaking to us from Seoul .
Thanks so much .

What COVID-19 Cases Look Like In South Korea
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
China has the most coronavirus cases in the world, and now South Korea is second. Today, it recorded its biggest daily increase so far. There are 433 cases. Around half of those are tied to one church group, which authorities are now investigating as they try to prevent more infections. NPR's Anthony Kuhn joins us from Seoul. Anthony, thanks so much for being with us.
ANTHONY KUHN, BYLINE: Sure, Scott.
SIMON: What's going on with this outbreak?
KUHN: Well, the epicenter of the outbreak is now Daegu, which is South Korea's fourth-largest city. The streets there are pretty much deserted. The government has told 2.5 million residents there to stay at home, and they're doing it. Meanwhile, Daegu's hospitals are hard-pressed for medical equipment, doctors and drugs. And so the central government is sending them. Then there's a county hospital outside Daegu, which has about a quarter of the country's cases. And South Korea saw its third fatality from the virus today, which has continued to spread to other cities and provinces. And it's about the fourth day in a row that cases have doubled. And that has people here very jittery.
SIMON: And, Anthony, please tell us about this church that seems to be at the center of the outbreak. It's considered controversial.
KUHN: Yes, it's called the Shincheonji Church of Jesus. Shincheonji means new heaven and earth, and it was founded in the 1980s by a charismatic pastor named Lee Man-hee. And his followers believe that he is the messiah. Some people call this a religious movement. Critics call it a cult. It has a reputation for proselytizing very aggressively, handing out flyers on the street and, according to other churches, infiltrating their congregations and poaching their members. And the members of Shincheonji reportedly ignore this virus because they see it as a trick of the devil to obstruct them from spreading their religion. So dozens of the church have been shut down around the country, and about some 1,200 members have reported that they have symptoms of the virus. And so 9,300 church members have been self-quarantined.
SIMON: Are authorities making any progress in understanding how the virus has spread?
KUHN: Well, what they're trying to do is track down everyone who went - got into contact with this church or hospital and isolating them before they can spread the virus further. And that requires a lot of detective work going through surveillance camera tape, going through credit card transaction records. This church reportedly has members in China. They're trying to see if any transmission occurred there. And they're also exploring links between the two big nodes of the virus, the church and the hospital. For example, church members attended the church founder's brother's funeral at the hospital, but no explicit links have been established yet.
SIMON: Anthony, does the South Korean government seem to have a hold on the situation?
KUHN: Well, that's what everyone is concerned about. The South Korean government and the World Health Organization say that despite this explosion in case numbers, the total number is still manageable. Authorities are now shifting their tactics from trying to prevent the virus from entering the country to prevent it from spreading among different communities. The concern, the fear is that the government can't track down all the spreaders. These numbers are just going to continue to explode. Daegu and Seoul have been fairly empty and quiet, but the country is not really going into lockdown the way China has. But the fear is that if they don't get a grip, then more draconian measures will be needed.
SIMON: NPR's Anthony Kuhn speaking to us from Seoul. Thanks so much.
KUHN: You're welcome, Scott.
Copyright © 2020 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.


npr--2020-02-22--Nevada Caucuses Bring Focus To A More Diverse Electorate

The Democratic presidential primary hits a new phase on Saturday in Nevada — a state with a more diverse electorate .
Campaigns are reaching out to Latino voters to turn out .
Democrats in Nevada are heading to caucus sites across the state to pick the candidate they want to run against President Trump in November .
This year , there is early caucus voting in the state .
And the Democrats already claim the turnout is on a track to surpass the numbers of the 2016 contests .
Roughly 75,000 people have already cast ballots .
NPR 's national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mara , what an unexpected pleasure .
MARA LIASSON , BYLINE : Yes , what an unexpected pleasure .
Hi , Scott .
SIMON : Thanks so much for being with us .
SIMON : Any indications that the number of voters who already caucused are signaling enthusiasm for any candidate in particular ?
LIASSON : Well , that is hard to tell .
The polls have shown that Bernie Sanders has a pretty clear lead in Nevada .
But what 's always tricky about drawing any conclusions from early voting is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already - would have caucused anyway ?
Or are these additional new people who are coming out over and above the number that would come out on Saturday ?
We do n't know .
Sometimes , early voting just banks your vote early , does n't increase the total overall .
there 's certainly been a lot of effort to get voters to turn out .
There are indications that a lot of the people who are casting their ballots early are new voters , but we really wo n't know the answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counted .
SIMON : So many people have noted Nevada has a much more diverse population than Iowa and New Hampshire .
What issues do voters there care about , according to surveys ?
LIASSON : Well , the No .
1 , 2 , and 3 issue is beating Donald Trump .
That 's true of Democrats all over the country .
But health care coverage has been the other big issue here because the Culinary Workers Union , one of the most powerful political organizations in the state , has health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on strike and negotiated and gave up wage hikes and bargained for .
And what they 're worried about , some of them , are that Bernie Sanders ' plan , which is mandatory `` Medicare for All '' - in other words , no more private health insurance - everyone automatically , whether they want it or not , goes on Medicare .
And they 're concerned that that would do away with their what they call culinary health care .
The other candidates also want Medicare for All , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's voluntary .
If you want to sign up for Medicare under their plans , you choose the public option , and you get it .
So that 's been the big debate here .
And , of course , Bernie Sanders traditionally has enjoyed very high support among union members , but his supporters have been extremely aggressive .
Some of the union officials say they have been - gone over the line .
They 've gotten death threats from Sanders supporters around this issue of health care .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beating Donald Trump , health care coverage is the big one .
SIMON : In the half minute we have left , Nevada 's a caucus state , like Iowa .
Any concerns about the technology they 're using to register the results of the caucus ?
LIASSON : Absolutely , there are concerns .
But they are not using the same app that was used in Iowa .
They say they have backup systems .
And they say they have staffers on hand to field calls if precincts choose to phone in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to call in the results , and nobody was answering the phone .
SIMON : NPR 's national political correspondent Mara Liasson , always a pleasure .
Thanks so much .

Nevada Caucuses Bring Focus To A More Diverse Electorate
The Democratic presidential primary hits a new phase on Saturday in Nevada — a state with a more diverse electorate. Campaigns are reaching out to Latino voters to turn out.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Democrats in Nevada are heading to caucus sites across the state to pick the candidate they want to run against President Trump in November. This year, there is early caucus voting in the state. And the Democrats already claim the turnout is on a track to surpass the numbers of the 2016 contests. Roughly 75,000 people have already cast ballots. NPR's national political correspondent Mara Liasson joins us. Mara, what an unexpected pleasure.
MARA LIASSON, BYLINE: Yes, what an unexpected pleasure. Hi, Scott.
SIMON: Thanks so much for being with us.
LIASSON: (Laughter).
SIMON: Any indications that the number of voters who already caucused are signaling enthusiasm for any candidate in particular?
LIASSON: Well, that is hard to tell. The polls have shown that Bernie Sanders has a pretty clear lead in Nevada. But what's always tricky about drawing any conclusions from early voting is that, are these people voters who would already - would have caucused anyway? Or are these additional new people who are coming out over and above the number that would come out on Saturday? We don't know. Sometimes, early voting just banks your vote early, doesn't increase the total overall. there's certainly been a lot of effort to get voters to turn out. There are indications that a lot of the people who are casting their ballots early are new voters, but we really won't know the answer to that until after the votes are counted.
SIMON: So many people have noted Nevada has a much more diverse population than Iowa and New Hampshire. What issues do voters there care about, according to surveys?
LIASSON: Well, the No. 1, 2, and 3 issue is beating Donald Trump. That's true of Democrats all over the country. But health care coverage has been the other big issue here because the Culinary Workers Union, one of the most powerful political organizations in the state, has health care that they got after they went on strike and negotiated and gave up wage hikes and bargained for. And what they're worried about, some of them, are that Bernie Sanders' plan, which is mandatory "Medicare for All" - in other words, no more private health insurance - everyone automatically, whether they want it or not, goes on Medicare. And they're concerned that that would do away with their what they call culinary health care.
The other candidates also want Medicare for All, but it's Medicare for all who want it. It's voluntary. If you want to sign up for Medicare under their plans, you choose the public option, and you get it. So that's been the big debate here. And, of course, Bernie Sanders traditionally has enjoyed very high support among union members, but his supporters have been extremely aggressive. Some of the union officials say they have been - gone over the line. They've gotten death threats from Sanders supporters around this issue of health care. But I would say that's - beyond beating Donald Trump, health care coverage is the big one.
SIMON: In the half minute we have left, Nevada's a caucus state, like Iowa. Any concerns about the technology they're using to register the results of the caucus?
LIASSON: Absolutely, there are concerns. But they are not using the same app that was used in Iowa. They say they have backup systems. And they say they have staffers on hand to field calls if precincts choose to phone in. Remember in Iowa, people tried to call in the results, and nobody was answering the phone.
SIMON: NPR's national political correspondent Mara Liasson, always a pleasure. Thanks so much.
LIASSON: Thank you.
Copyright © 2020 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.


npr--2020-02-22--Porpoises On The Brink Of Extinction Face Daunting Odds For Survival

Porpoises On The Brink Of Extinction Face Daunting Odds For Survival Efforts to save the few surviving vaquita porpoises in the Gulf of California are being hampered by illegal fishing nets , poaching and drug cartels .
A marine mammal is on the verge of extinction in Mexico 's Gulf of California .
Conservationists have been trying to save the vaquita porpoise for years , but that work has been complicated by illegal nets and even drug cartels .
From Arizona Public Media in Tucson , Ariana Brocious reports .
ARIANA BROCIOUS , BYLINE : Seafood restaurants and colorful mosaics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Fishing is a mainstay of this small northern Mexico town .
La Vaquita restaurant is just a couple blocks over .
A framed photo of the little porpoise that could be the town 's mascot hangs in the office of Ramon Franco Diaz ( ph ) , head of a local fisherman co-operative representing about 570 families .
RAMON FRANCO DIAZ : ( Through interpreter ) That animal , as you must know , only lives here in this area , and it 's ours .
It belongs to us Mexicans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's population has been declining as fishermen inadvertently catch them while pursuing fish and shrimp .
But Diaz says many local fishermen treasure the animal .
When it rises above the water with its characteristic black-rimmed eyes , he says ... DIAZ : ( Through interpreter ) It 's as if it was smiling with you .
So real fishermen do n't want to harm them .
It 's the opposite .
BROCIOUS : In the last few decades , Mexico has established a vaquita refuge and backed research into the species .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has plummeted to around just a dozen or less as poaching for another endangered fish , called the totoaba , has ramped up .
Fishermen use large gill nets to trap the totoaba , which also kill vaquita .
In 2015 , Mexico 's then-president banned gill nets in the vaquita 's habitat , increased enforcement against poaching and started paying fishermen not to work so the species could recover .
DIAZ : ( Through interpreter ) So we came to an agreement that we would leave the sea so that the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
BROCIOUS : But Diaz says enforcement was insufficient , and the problem got worse .
He says he 's filed numerous complaints with the government to no avail .
Then , a year ago , the payments to fishermen stopped .
DIAZ : ( Through interpreter ) So now we have a serious problem because we do n't have a fishing practice that is permitted and we also do n't have any compensation .
BROCIOUS : Last September , Diaz announced his fishermen had no option but to return to the sea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 2018 U.S. ban on Mexican seafood caught with gill nets has only made life harder for legal fishermen .
BARBARA TAYLOR : Mexico missed an opportunity to be a world leader in shifting a fishery over from gill nets to alternative gear .
BROCIOUS : Barbara Taylor is a marine conservation biologist with the U.S. government who has studied the vaquita for 30 years .
She says the gill net ban was n't very effective because some fishermen , hurting financially , were tempted into the illegal totoaba trade .
TAYLOR : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the fishermen needed to be able to make a living .
And so developing alternative fishing methods were really the only way for vaquitas to survive .
BROCIOUS : Luis Albanel ( ph ) Mendoza is working on it .
In his San Felipe office , he pulls a large , thin strand of net from a milk crate .
LUIS ALBANEZ MENDOZA : This is the weight .
These go to the bottom .
BROCIOUS : He 's a member of Pesca ABC , a small nonprofit group of fishermen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alternative drift nets like this one , called a suripera .
ALBANEZ MENDOZA : It 's vaquita-safe .
This work with the current , only with the current .
BROCIOUS : But Mendoza says using these nets can be nearly impossible because of the sheer number of illegal gill nets under the waves .
He says even though it 's cheaper , it will be hard to convince fishermen to use it .
ALBANEZ MENDOZA : They do n't want to fish because it 's very effective , you know , the gill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment , you have problems to get money .
BROCIOUS : Vaquita researcher Barbara Taylor says Mexico needs to support legal fishing if alternative nets prove less profitable and crack down on poaching in the vaquita 's prime habitat .
She still has hope for the species , but there are fewer vaquita every year .
Totoaba poaching is rampant because the fish 's swim bladder is highly prized in China as a medicinal food .
JP GEOFFROY : Because it 's a lot of money .
It 's more money than drugs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about $ 20,000 , $ 25,000 for one swim bladder .
BROCIOUS : J.P. Geoffroy leads the conservation group Sea Shepherd 's vaquita protection efforts .
He says that money has attracted international drug cartels , and during high season , there can be dozens of boats fishing illegally inside the vaquita refuge .
For the last five years , Sea Shepherd has been working with some local fishermen to collect gill nets , trying to give the species a fighting chance to recover .
BROCIOUS : In port in San Felipe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ huge bags of fishing gear they 've pulled from the ocean .
GEOFFROY : All these bags contain all the illegal nets that we removed from the refuge of the vaquita .
BROCIOUS : Not all locals support Sea Shepherd 's work .
Recently , suspected poachers fired shots at a Sea Shepherd vessel in the vaquita refuge .
Despite that tension , Geoffroy says they support local fishermen who just want to do their job .
GEOFFROY : We are just trying to work with them and explain to them to at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the critical area .
BROCIOUS : Geoffroy says if they can just protect the remaining vaquita , the species can recover , but for now observers say there 's little evidence that current efforts to stop poaching will be enough .
For NPR News , I 'm Ariana Brocious .

Porpoises On The Brink Of Extinction Face Daunting Odds For Survival
Efforts to save the few surviving vaquita porpoises in the Gulf of California are being hampered by illegal fishing nets, poaching and drug cartels.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
A marine mammal is on the verge of extinction in Mexico's Gulf of California. Conservationists have been trying to save the vaquita porpoise for years, but that work has been complicated by illegal nets and even drug cartels. From Arizona Public Media in Tucson, Ariana Brocious reports.
(SOUNDBITE OF SEAGULLS CALLING)
ARIANA BROCIOUS, BYLINE: Seafood restaurants and colorful mosaics line the boardwalk in downtown San Felipe. Fishing is a mainstay of this small northern Mexico town. La Vaquita restaurant is just a couple blocks over. A framed photo of the little porpoise that could be the town's mascot hangs in the office of Ramon Franco Diaz (ph), head of a local fisherman co-operative representing about 570 families.
RAMON FRANCO DIAZ: (Through interpreter) That animal, as you must know, only lives here in this area, and it's ours. It belongs to us Mexicans.
BROCIOUS: For decades, the vaquita's population has been declining as fishermen inadvertently catch them while pursuing fish and shrimp. But Diaz says many local fishermen treasure the animal. When it rises above the water with its characteristic black-rimmed eyes, he says...
DIAZ: (Through interpreter) It's as if it was smiling with you. So real fishermen don't want to harm them. It's the opposite.
BROCIOUS: In the last few decades, Mexico has established a vaquita refuge and backed research into the species. But lately, the number of vaquita has plummeted to around just a dozen or less as poaching for another endangered fish, called the totoaba, has ramped up. Fishermen use large gill nets to trap the totoaba, which also kill vaquita. In 2015, Mexico's then-president banned gill nets in the vaquita's habitat, increased enforcement against poaching and started paying fishermen not to work so the species could recover.
DIAZ: (Through interpreter) So we came to an agreement that we would leave the sea so that the federal government could clean up the illegal boats.
BROCIOUS: But Diaz says enforcement was insufficient, and the problem got worse. He says he's filed numerous complaints with the government to no avail. Then, a year ago, the payments to fishermen stopped.
DIAZ: (Through interpreter) So now we have a serious problem because we don't have a fishing practice that is permitted and we also don't have any compensation.
BROCIOUS: Last September, Diaz announced his fishermen had no option but to return to the sea to support their families. He says a 2018 U.S. ban on Mexican seafood caught with gill nets has only made life harder for legal fishermen.
BARBARA TAYLOR: Mexico missed an opportunity to be a world leader in shifting a fishery over from gill nets to alternative gear.
BROCIOUS: Barbara Taylor is a marine conservation biologist with the U.S. government who has studied the vaquita for 30 years. She says the gill net ban wasn't very effective because some fishermen, hurting financially, were tempted into the illegal totoaba trade.
TAYLOR: Vaquitas and gill nets are completely incompatible, and the fishermen needed to be able to make a living. And so developing alternative fishing methods were really the only way for vaquitas to survive.
BROCIOUS: Luis Albanel (ph) Mendoza is working on it. In his San Felipe office, he pulls a large, thin strand of net from a milk crate.
LUIS ALBANEZ MENDOZA: This is the weight. These go to the bottom.
BROCIOUS: He's a member of Pesca ABC, a small nonprofit group of fishermen working with the Mexican government to test alternative drift nets like this one, called a suripera.
ALBANEZ MENDOZA: It's vaquita-safe. This work with the current, only with the current.
BROCIOUS: But Mendoza says using these nets can be nearly impossible because of the sheer number of illegal gill nets under the waves. He says even though it's cheaper, it will be hard to convince fishermen to use it.
ALBANEZ MENDOZA: They don't want to fish because it's very effective, you know, the gill nets. And with this kind of equipment, you have problems to get money.
BROCIOUS: Vaquita researcher Barbara Taylor says Mexico needs to support legal fishing if alternative nets prove less profitable and crack down on poaching in the vaquita's prime habitat. She still has hope for the species, but there are fewer vaquita every year. Totoaba poaching is rampant because the fish's swim bladder is highly prized in China as a medicinal food.
JP GEOFFROY: Because it's a lot of money. It's more money than drugs. I mean, we're talking about $20,000, $25,000 for one swim bladder.
BROCIOUS: J.P. Geoffroy leads the conservation group Sea Shepherd's vaquita protection efforts. He says that money has attracted international drug cartels, and during high season, there can be dozens of boats fishing illegally inside the vaquita refuge. For the last five years, Sea Shepherd has been working with some local fishermen to collect gill nets, trying to give the species a fighting chance to recover.
(SOUNDBITE OF MACHINERY HUMMING)
BROCIOUS: In port in San Felipe, crew members use a hook to move huge bags of fishing gear they've pulled from the ocean.
GEOFFROY: All these bags contain all the illegal nets that we removed from the refuge of the vaquita.
BROCIOUS: Not all locals support Sea Shepherd's work. Recently, suspected poachers fired shots at a Sea Shepherd vessel in the vaquita refuge. Despite that tension, Geoffroy says they support local fishermen who just want to do their job.
GEOFFROY: We are just trying to work with them and explain to them to at least respect the small rectangle that is the critical area.
BROCIOUS: Geoffroy says if they can just protect the remaining vaquita, the species can recover, but for now observers say there's little evidence that current efforts to stop poaching will be enough. For NPR News, I'm Ariana Brocious.
Copyright © 2020 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.


npr--2020-02-22--Tech Workers Take Action: A Look At Recent Labor Movements

Tech Workers Take Action : A Look At Recent Labor Movements Employees at Kickstarter have voted to unionize , but over the past year alone , there were over 100 worker movements at companies including Amazon , Google and Facebook that failed .
A group of researchers at University of California Berkeley is tracking the organizing and protesting .
Nataliya Nedzvetskaya is one of those researchers and joins us now from Berkeley .
Thanks so much for being with us .
NATALIYA NEDZVETSKAYA : Thanks for having me .
SIMON : How significant do you find this Kickstarter vote ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented in that it 's the first successful formal recognition of a union for these kind of more privileged class of tech workers .
SIMON : Well , what - why have those efforts failed in the past , and what 's changed now ?
Is it just the times ?
NEDZVETSKAYA : It 's interesting .
There have been a few really close calls .
Back in the early 2000s , there was a company called E-town ( ph ) that had a successful vote , but the company actually went bankrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took it as far as , you know , a vote with the National Labor Relations Board .
I think they ultimately did n't get enough votes .
SIMON : Well , I think there might be a lot of people listening to this conversation who do n't think of tech workers as being in the same category at all as factory workers or , for that matter , overworked teachers .
They 're high-paid , inside work - no heavy lifting , air conditioning .
What are some of the circumstances that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Yeah .
So what set this all off with Kickstarter was there 's this comic book that was , you know , on the fundraising platform .
It 's called `` Always Punch Nazis . ''
The news outlet Breitbart saw that this was on Kickstarter .
They got in touch with the company and basically said , you know , this is a violation of your company policy .
This promotes violence .
The company initially took it down .
A lot of workers were upset by this action because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alt-right .
Basically , the workers had one kind of moral take on the issue , and then company management had a very different one .
And I think it was this moment in the company when people realized , you know , we do n't have as much of a say in the decision-making as we would like to .
This is our - you know , our intellectual labor as employees .
We want a little bit more control over exactly what happens with that .
SIMON : Are the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to that ?
NEDZVETSKAYA : We have seen a fair amount of resistance , yeah .
Tech itself is really interesting because it started with this really kind of ideological , almost utopian vision .
You go back to the early days of tech , the people who were involved in this industry were n't doing it for the money .
They were doing it because they really just loved the technology and the promise of it .
And that 's kind of carried forward to today .
Google , up until a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phrase do n't be evil in their corporate handbook .
That 's since been removed .
But that kind of , you know , ideology lives on in tech .
In other countries - so in places like Germany and France , you actually have workers formally represented as part of the corporate board of directors , so there is precedent for workers having a greater say in how these corporations are run around the world .
The U.S. does n't have this kind of structure .
And in some ways , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to try to get a little bit more influence over company decision-making and just kind of a seat at the table , a voice in the room .
SIMON : Yeah .
So this is just Kickstarter .
Do you expect that union efforts at other companies will be emboldened by this and say , well , if they can do it at Kickstarter , we can do it here ?
NEDZVETSKAYA : I think that Kickstarter - you know , it 's a relatively small company , so organizing at Kickstarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know , Amazon , for instance .
But it 's certainly - it sets a precedent .
It shows this can be done .
It shows kind of a blueprint for how it can be done , actually .
I 'd be surprised if we did n't see more actions like this coming on .
SIMON : Nataliya Nedzvetskaya , who 's a researcher at University of California Berkeley , thank you so much for being with us .

Tech Workers Take Action: A Look At Recent Labor Movements
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Employees at Kickstarter have voted to unionize, but over the past year alone, there were over 100 worker movements at companies including Amazon, Google and Facebook that failed. A group of researchers at University of California Berkeley is tracking the organizing and protesting. Nataliya Nedzhvetskaya is one of those researchers and joins us now from Berkeley. Thanks so much for being with us.
NATALIYA NEDZHVETSKAYA: Thanks for having me.
SIMON: How significant do you find this Kickstarter vote?
NEDZHVETSKAYA: You know, it's unprecedented in that it's the first successful formal recognition of a union for these kind of more privileged class of tech workers.
SIMON: Well, what - why have those efforts failed in the past, and what's changed now? Is it just the times?
NEDZHVETSKAYA: It's interesting. There have been a few really close calls. Back in the early 2000s, there was a company called E-town (ph) that had a successful vote, but the company actually went bankrupt before then. Amazon technicians in 2014 took it as far as, you know, a vote with the National Labor Relations Board. I think they ultimately didn't get enough votes.
SIMON: Well, I think there might be a lot of people listening to this conversation who don't think of tech workers as being in the same category at all as factory workers or, for that matter, overworked teachers. They're high-paid, inside work - no heavy lifting, air conditioning. What are some of the circumstances that are leading them to unionize?
NEDZHVETSKAYA: Yeah. So what set this all off with Kickstarter was there's this comic book that was, you know, on the fundraising platform. It's called "Always Punch Nazis." The news outlet Breitbart saw that this was on Kickstarter. They got in touch with the company and basically said, you know, this is a violation of your company policy. This promotes violence. The company initially took it down. A lot of workers were upset by this action because they felt like it was acquiescing to the alt-right. Basically, the workers had one kind of moral take on the issue, and then company management had a very different one. And I think it was this moment in the company when people realized, you know, we don't have as much of a say in the decision-making as we would like to. This is our - you know, our intellectual labor as employees. We want a little bit more control over exactly what happens with that.
SIMON: Are the people who own and run high-tech companies resistant to that?
NEDZHVETSKAYA: We have seen a fair amount of resistance, yeah. Tech itself is really interesting because it started with this really kind of ideological, almost utopian vision. You go back to the early days of tech, the people who were involved in this industry weren't doing it for the money. They were doing it because they really just loved the technology and the promise of it. And that's kind of carried forward to today. Google, up until a couple of years ago, had the phrase don't be evil in their corporate handbook. That's since been removed. But that kind of, you know, ideology lives on in tech.
In other countries - so in places like Germany and France, you actually have workers formally represented as part of the corporate board of directors, so there is precedent for workers having a greater say in how these corporations are run around the world. The U.S. doesn't have this kind of structure. And in some ways, I see this unionization effort as a small way to try to get a little bit more influence over company decision-making and just kind of a seat at the table, a voice in the room.
SIMON: Yeah. So this is just Kickstarter. Do you expect that union efforts at other companies will be emboldened by this and say, well, if they can do it at Kickstarter, we can do it here?
NEDZHVETSKAYA: I think that Kickstarter - you know, it's a relatively small company, so organizing at Kickstarter is different than organizing at, you know, Amazon, for instance. But it's certainly - it sets a precedent. It shows this can be done. It shows kind of a blueprint for how it can be done, actually. I'd be surprised if we didn't see more actions like this coming on.
SIMON: Nataliya Nedzhvetskaya, who's a researcher at University of California Berkeley, thank you so much for being with us.
NEDZHVETSKAYA: Of course.
(SOUNDBITE OF KETTEL'S "QUICKPIG")
Copyright © 2020 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.


npr--2020-02-22--How COVID-19 Has Affected Medical Care For Non-Coronavirus Patients

How COVID-19 Has Affected Medical Care For Non-Coronavirus Patients The coronavirus outbreak in China has pulled vital medical resources and personnel away from regular procedures .
This is causing complications for people who need treatment for other diseases .
An all-out effort to stop the COVID-19 virus is underway in its epicenter , the Chinese city of Wuhan .
Thousands of doctors have been diverted there .
New treatment centers have been built in weeks to house coronavirus patients .
But for those who struggle with other life-threatening health issues , medical care is still nearly impossible to come by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking to people whose lives are at risk from the outbreak but not because they have coronavirus .
EMILY FENG , BYLINE : Victor Yu , aged 47 , is not officially one of the more than 2,000 people killed by the coronavirus .
He died February 19 from complications related to renal carcinoma , a common type of kidney cancer , but his early death very likely is related to the coronavirus outbreak .
Here 's his niece .
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON : ( Through interpreter ) They kept delaying care .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately , his tumor would not have gotten so bad .
FENG : Yu 's niece , like many in the story , did not want to give her name because China has been censoring and even detaining those critical of its handling of the outbreak , but she described her uncle 's ordeal in detail to NPR over the phone .
He 'd been diagnosed in 2014 and needed constant hospital care .
But on January 25 , the hospital sent him back home .
They wanted his bed for coronavirus patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Even people like him in critical condition could n't get hospital care because every hospital is now geared towards treating the coronavirus .
FENG : Yu 's condition worsened .
He could n't keep food down .
He was in constant pain .
Doctors told him he needed surgery to remove a tumor , but no hospital had the capacity to do it .
Finally , on February 17 , more than three weeks after being forced out of the hospital , he got a call from community officials .
A hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : ( Through interpreter ) He finally did get the surgery , and it helped relieve a small part of his suffering .
FENG : But it was too late .
Yu died two days after his surgery .
He 's among the unknown numbers of people who have likely died prematurely because of how strained medical resources are in the outbreak epicenter .
One father NPR reached described being unable to schedule life-saving surgery for his child born with a rare genetic disease .
Another person said he 'd been unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a paralyzed diabetes patient , changed for weeks because of scarce medical staff .
A pair of parents described how they were stuck in Wuhan , still under strict quarantine rules , and could not transfer their daughter to a hospital equipped to treat her type of cancer .
China has sent more than 21,000 extra medical staff to Wuhan , where about half of the virus cases globally have been .
It 's built around 20 mass quarantine and treatment centers in the city , and it 's created thousands of additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reserved for coronavirus patients .
WANG BING : ( Through interpreter ) There are no hospital beds and no treatment options because there are no doctors and no medicine .
FENG : That 's Wang Bing ( ph ) , a Wuhan resident .
His 62-year-old mother Jiangxao Hu ( ph ) finished her last round of chemotherapy for a type of leukemia in January only to find out last week that she still had cancer .
WANG : ( Through interpreter ) She also needs blood transfusions , but there 's no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so tired of worrying about this .
FENG : Shortages of medical resources are not just happening in Wuhan or surrounding Hubei Province , where the outbreak has been the worst .
Outright discrimination is stymieing others from getting the care they need .
Miss Wang ( ph ) - no relation to Wang Bing - moved from Hubei Province to Shanghai last year with her mother .
They wanted better treatment for her mother 's cervical cancer , but now her mother 's first operation can not be scheduled because Shanghai hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak , especially natives of Hubei Province like Miss Wang 's mother .
MISS WANG : ( Through interpreter ) They should at least be treating critical cases first .
Coronavirus is only one illness .
Do people not get sick from other illnesses ?
FENG : Miss Wang is waiting and hoping that help comes before it 's too late , as it has for some in her native Hubei province .
Emily Feng , NPR News , Beijing .

How COVID-19 Has Affected Medical Care For Non-Coronavirus Patients
The coronavirus outbreak in China has pulled vital medical resources and personnel away from regular procedures. This is causing complications for people who need treatment for other diseases.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
An all-out effort to stop the COVID-19 virus is underway in its epicenter, the Chinese city of Wuhan. Thousands of doctors have been diverted there. New treatment centers have been built in weeks to house coronavirus patients. But for those who struggle with other life-threatening health issues, medical care is still nearly impossible to come by. NPR's Emily Feng has been talking to people whose lives are at risk from the outbreak but not because they have coronavirus.
EMILY FENG, BYLINE: Victor Yu, aged 47, is not officially one of the more than 2,000 people killed by the coronavirus. He died February 19 from complications related to renal carcinoma, a common type of kidney cancer, but his early death very likely is related to the coronavirus outbreak. Here's his niece.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Through interpreter) They kept delaying care. I think if he had gotten medical care immediately, his tumor would not have gotten so bad.
FENG: Yu's niece, like many in the story, did not want to give her name because China has been censoring and even detaining those critical of its handling of the outbreak, but she described her uncle's ordeal in detail to NPR over the phone. He'd been diagnosed in 2014 and needed constant hospital care. But on January 25, the hospital sent him back home. They wanted his bed for coronavirus patients.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Through interpreter) Even people like him in critical condition couldn't get hospital care because every hospital is now geared towards treating the coronavirus.
FENG: Yu's condition worsened. He couldn't keep food down. He was in constant pain. Doctors told him he needed surgery to remove a tumor, but no hospital had the capacity to do it. Finally, on February 17, more than three weeks after being forced out of the hospital, he got a call from community officials. A hospital bed had opened up.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Through interpreter) He finally did get the surgery, and it helped relieve a small part of his suffering.
FENG: But it was too late. Yu died two days after his surgery. He's among the unknown numbers of people who have likely died prematurely because of how strained medical resources are in the outbreak epicenter. One father NPR reached described being unable to schedule life-saving surgery for his child born with a rare genetic disease. Another person said he'd been unable to have the catheter of his father, a paralyzed diabetes patient, changed for weeks because of scarce medical staff. A pair of parents described how they were stuck in Wuhan, still under strict quarantine rules, and could not transfer their daughter to a hospital equipped to treat her type of cancer.
China has sent more than 21,000 extra medical staff to Wuhan, where about half of the virus cases globally have been. It's built around 20 mass quarantine and treatment centers in the city, and it's created thousands of additional hospital beds, but they're all reserved for coronavirus patients.
WANG BING: (Through interpreter) There are no hospital beds and no treatment options because there are no doctors and no medicine.
FENG: That's Wang Bing (ph), a Wuhan resident. His 62-year-old mother Jiangxao Hu (ph) finished her last round of chemotherapy for a type of leukemia in January only to find out last week that she still had cancer.
WANG: (Through interpreter) She also needs blood transfusions, but there's no one doing them now. I'm so tired of worrying about this.
FENG: Shortages of medical resources are not just happening in Wuhan or surrounding Hubei Province, where the outbreak has been the worst. Outright discrimination is stymieing others from getting the care they need. Miss Wang (ph) - no relation to Wang Bing - moved from Hubei Province to Shanghai last year with her mother. They wanted better treatment for her mother's cervical cancer, but now her mother's first operation cannot be scheduled because Shanghai hospitals say they're not treating outsiders during the outbreak, especially natives of Hubei Province like Miss Wang's mother.
MISS WANG: (Through interpreter) They should at least be treating critical cases first. Coronavirus is only one illness. Do people not get sick from other illnesses?
FENG: Miss Wang is waiting and hoping that help comes before it's too late, as it has for some in her native Hubei province. Emily Feng, NPR News, Beijing.
Copyright © 2020 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.


npr--2020-02-22--The Week In Politics: Nevada, Trump's Pardons And Commutations

The Week In Politics : Nevada , Trump 's Pardons And Commutations Michael Bloomberg got his chance onstage alongside other Democratic candidates for president this week and might regret it .
Nevada voters caucus today in a more diverse state .
NPR 's senior editor and correspondent Ron Elving joins us .
Ron , thanks for being with us .
RON ELVING , BYLINE : Good to be with you , Scott .
SIMON : Was Mike Bloomberg quite ready for his close-up ?
ELVING : More like not ready for primetime , Scott .
He seemed to be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that the other candidates would be coming after him with a baseball bat .
So he 's dropped a few points in the polls , and his favorable-to-unfavorable ratio went down a lot .
But it turns out having all the money in the world buys you time , among other things .
He is not included in the caucuses today in Nevada or next week in the primary in South Carolina .
And he does n't really face the music until Super Tuesday , March 3 , so we should n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this point .
SIMON : Senator Elizabeth Warren really wielded a saber and persuaded or maybe embarrassed the mayor into letting women who 'd signed nondisclosure agreements in his company speak freely , if they now choose , about their complaints .
Did her generally judged to be fabulous performance pick up her poll numbers ?
ELVING : Not the poll month numbers so much , although she did gain a little bit .
Much more important was the sudden infusion of cash .
Her campaign had been taking out a loan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She picked up a fast 5 million this week to keep her going past Nevada and South Carolina .
But one irony is that while she was the one who really cut up the mayor in that debate , the prime beneficiary may well have been Bernie Sanders .
SIMON : And today the Nevada caucuses - if Bernie Sanders wins - and he 's several points ahead in the polls - does it leave other candidates essentially inhaling his dust ?
ELVING : Well , eating his dust , perhaps , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bernie Sanders does well among Hispanic voters .
At least he did in Iowa , particularly in those caucuses .
And for the other candidates , you know , Biden is still - Joe Biden , that is - is still banking on a comeback a week from today in South Carolina .
Buttigieg - Pete Buttigieg , the mayor from South Bend , Ind.
, needs another close second like he had in New Hampshire and Iowa , where he basically tied , to revitalize his campaign .
And Amy Klobuchar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next debate this week .
SIMON : But if there is a strong Bernie Sanders performance , could he end up with a clear path to the nomination after tonight or at least a brokered convention ?
ELVING : That largely depends on Super Tuesday , when 14 states vote , including California and Texas .
That 's where candidate momentum from February comes up against the enormous force of Bloomberg 's money , what 's on track at this point to be half a billion dollars soon .
If Sanders stalls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delegates get distributed among multiple candidates , it 's possible that we get to Milwaukee in July for the convention with no candidate having a majority of the delegates .
And then it 's a question of how close anyone is to 50 % .
Sanders looks to be in the best position to be closest .
And then the question becomes whether the leader can consolidate enough votes or whether an alternative has to emerge , and we have n't had a situation like that since the 1950s .
But the size @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernie Sanders ' viability in November against President Trump do make it a possibility .
SIMON : President Trump - lots of pardons and commutations this week , including , Ron , our own beloved Illinois former governor - tried to sell a Senate seat and shake down a children 's hospital .
What do these pardons and commutations say about the president 's approach to office following impeachment ?
And is it some kind of big , fat signal flare ?
ELVING : Big , fat signal flare , indeed .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you were Roger Stone , and that 's the longtime associate of President Trump who was sentenced to three years , four months this week for lying to Congress , among other things , and two others who were persecuted - or prosecuted , I should say - in Robert Mueller 's investigation of Russian interference .
The president says they were persecuted .
And they are going to be able to perhaps rest a little easier seeing how willing the president is to pardon people who have been convicted of pretty serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he seemed to make the point .
He said , I am the chief law enforcement officer of the United States , did n't he ?
ELVING : And he has asserted a number of times that he has , in his mind , the right to get involved in anything the Justice Department is doing .
SIMON : NPR 's senior editor and correspondent Ron Elving , thanks so much .

The Week In Politics: Nevada, Trump's Pardons And Commutations
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Michael Bloomberg got his chance onstage alongside other Democratic candidates for president this week and might regret it. Nevada voters caucus today in a more diverse state. NPR's senior editor and correspondent Ron Elving joins us. Ron, thanks for being with us.
RON ELVING, BYLINE: Good to be with you, Scott.
SIMON: Was Mike Bloomberg quite ready for his close-up?
ELVING: More like not ready for primetime, Scott. He seemed to be the only person in America who didn't know that the other candidates would be coming after him with a baseball bat. So he's dropped a few points in the polls, and his favorable-to-unfavorable ratio went down a lot. But it turns out having all the money in the world buys you time, among other things. He is not included in the caucuses today in Nevada or next week in the primary in South Carolina. And he doesn't really face the music until Super Tuesday, March 3, so we shouldn't say Bloomberg's condition is terminal at this point.
SIMON: Senator Elizabeth Warren really wielded a saber and persuaded or maybe embarrassed the mayor into letting women who'd signed nondisclosure agreements in his company speak freely, if they now choose, about their complaints. Did her generally judged to be fabulous performance pick up her poll numbers?
ELVING: Not the poll month numbers so much, although she did gain a little bit. Much more important was the sudden infusion of cash. Her campaign had been taking out a loan to stay alive after Iowa and New Hampshire. She picked up a fast 5 million this week to keep her going past Nevada and South Carolina. But one irony is that while she was the one who really cut up the mayor in that debate, the prime beneficiary may well have been Bernie Sanders.
SIMON: And today the Nevada caucuses - if Bernie Sanders wins - and he's several points ahead in the polls - does it leave other candidates essentially inhaling his dust?
ELVING: Well, eating his dust, perhaps, but not quit buried in it yet. Bernie Sanders does well among Hispanic voters. At least he did in Iowa, particularly in those caucuses. And for the other candidates, you know, Biden is still - Joe Biden, that is - is still banking on a comeback a week from today in South Carolina. Buttigieg - Pete Buttigieg, the mayor from South Bend, Ind., needs another close second like he had in New Hampshire and Iowa, where he basically tied, to revitalize his campaign. And Amy Klobuchar could really use a great showing in the next debate this week.
SIMON: But if there is a strong Bernie Sanders performance, could he end up with a clear path to the nomination after tonight or at least a brokered convention?
ELVING: That largely depends on Super Tuesday, when 14 states vote, including California and Texas. That's where candidate momentum from February comes up against the enormous force of Bloomberg's money, what's on track at this point to be half a billion dollars soon. If Sanders stalls in some of these states and the delegates get distributed among multiple candidates, it's possible that we get to Milwaukee in July for the convention with no candidate having a majority of the delegates. And then it's a question of how close anyone is to 50%. Sanders looks to be in the best position to be closest. And then the question becomes whether the leader can consolidate enough votes or whether an alternative has to emerge, and we haven't had a situation like that since the 1950s. But the size of this field and the questions about Bernie Sanders' viability in November against President Trump do make it a possibility.
SIMON: President Trump - lots of pardons and commutations this week, including, Ron, our own beloved Illinois former governor - tried to sell a Senate seat and shake down a children's hospital. What do these pardons and commutations say about the president's approach to office following impeachment? And is it some kind of big, fat signal flare?
ELVING: Big, fat signal flare, indeed. It would be hard to miss that if you were Roger Stone, and that's the longtime associate of President Trump who was sentenced to three years, four months this week for lying to Congress, among other things, and two others who were persecuted - or prosecuted, I should say - in Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference. The president says they were persecuted. And they are going to be able to perhaps rest a little easier seeing how willing the president is to pardon people who have been convicted of pretty serious crimes.
SIMON: He - and he seemed to make the point. He said, I am the chief law enforcement officer of the United States, didn't he?
ELVING: And he has asserted a number of times that he has, in his mind, the right to get involved in anything the Justice Department is doing.
SIMON: NPR's senior editor and correspondent Ron Elving, thanks so much.
ELVING: Thank you, Scott.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
Copyright © 2020 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.


npr--2020-02-23--After The Nevada Caucuses, Bernie Sanders Is The Man To Beat

After The Nevada Caucuses , Bernie Sanders Is The Man To Beat The 2020 Democratic nomination is now Sen. Bernie Sanders ' to lose .
The independent from Vermont — who is running as a Democrat and often speaks about the ills not just of Republicans , but also of Democrats — handily won the Nevada Democratic caucuses .
And he did it by broadening his coalition beyond his base of young voters and progressives .
Sanders won the popular vote in Iowa , the New Hampshire primary , and now the Nevada caucuses .
The man who calls himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running as an outsider all his life is now the inside man .
More on Sanders and the other candidates in these six takeaways : One of the major question marks for Sanders coming into Nevada was whether he could win with more than just his core base that fueled his winning a quarter of the vote in Iowa and New Hampshire .
Well , on Saturday , he did that .
Sanders won not only with voters under 30 and people who identify as very liberal , but also with men , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters 45 to 64 and people with and without college degrees , according to polls conducted as voters entered caucus sites .
He also did well among black voters and moderates , finishing a close second to Joe Biden with both groups that are supposed to be the former vice president 's base .
`` In Nevada , '' Sanders said , `` we have just put together a multigenerational , multiracial coalition that is not only going to win in Nevada , it 's going to sweep this country . ''
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where Sanders has been polling second to Biden , and then it 's Super Tuesday , March 3 .
Sanders made a show of confidence Saturday by leaving Nevada and going to Texas , one of the biggest prizes on Super Tuesday .
He also traveled the day before to California , the largest state voting on March 3 .
That day is next Saturday , Feb. 29 , in South Carolina .
Biden finished a distant second in Nevada .
He said after Iowa and New Hampshire that once the electorate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better .
He won black voters in Nevada — but only narrowly over Sanders .
Biden and the rest of the field were walloped by Sanders among Latinos .
Still , Biden was confident he would recover .
`` We 're alive , we 're coming back , and we 're going to win ! ''
Biden declared .
But it 's Biden whose coalition is looking increasingly narrow , not Sanders .
South Carolina 's Democratic electorate was 61 % black in 2016 .
Biden predicted he would win there and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He had better win in South Carolina , or there does n't look like much of a path to Super Tuesday that includes him winning the nomination , especially with former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg looming .
Bloomberg threatens to siphon centrist votes from Biden on Super Tuesday .
Biden could have his hands full in South Carolina .
Not only is Sanders on his heels with African American voters , but wealthy venture capitalist Tom Steyer has spent more than $ 20 million on ads in that state , and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 .
The moderates gambled — and are losing — on opposing Medicare for All Former South Bend , Ind.
, Mayor Pete Buttigieg , who finished third in Nevada , said something Saturday that moderates should take note of .
It came immediately after accusing Sanders of believing in `` an inflexible ideological revolution that leaves out most Democrats , not to mention most Americans . ''
The problem with that is , while most Americans overall oppose Medicare for All , you know who likes it ?
Democrats .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far , ditching private health insurance for a government plan was backed by 57 % in Iowa , 58 % in New Hampshire and 62 % in Nevada .
That 's similar to the results from an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll from December that showed 64 % of Democrats supporting it .
Candidates like Buttigieg , Biden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota have tried to make their opposition to Medicare for All an electability argument .
But two-thirds of voters in the Nevada Democratic caucuses said it was more important to nominate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree with them on major issues , so it was unclear who that person should be .
Sanders , Biden and Buttigieg were all close on that question .
( Yes , Sanders supporters see him as the most electable ; many of them think he would have beaten Trump in 2016 , too . )
But when it came to those who said agreeing on major issues was most important , the winner was clear : Sanders .
He got 54 % of those voters .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren did n't come close in Nevada .
She 's struggling to find her lane between the progressives who find her second-best to Sanders and the white college graduates she 's battling for with Buttigieg .
But one thing that should n't go unnoticed is that she finished strong among those who made up their minds in the last few days .
Warren got about 20 % of them , about the same as Sanders and Buttigieg .
Warren did far worse with those who decided earlier .
What does that tell you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows Warren had a strong debate — and that she was hurt by early voting .
Because so many people voted early , before her strong performance against Bloomberg , it was nearly impossible for Warren to change enough minds to be a factor .
The lesson for Warren is likely to be that she can differentiate herself from Sanders in Tuesday 's South Carolina debate with a similar command posture .
She may have the money to continue on to Super Tuesday , but Warren and her team are going to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real path to the nomination , especially if she does n't have a strong finish in South Carolina .
5 .
Republicans were thrilled with the result — and lack of ( fast ) results President Trump was happy to continue trying to cause trouble in the Democratic race .
He called Sanders `` crazy '' and mocked other candidates , while also encouraging Sanders to not `` let them take it away from you '' — all with fewer than 280 characters .
Republicans are gleeful about the idea of being able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Trump 's campaign went after that idea — and the slow results of the caucuses .
`` Media reports of unstaffed caucus sites in Nevada just prove that the national Democrat Party is in chaos and incompetent , '' Brad Parscale , Trump 's campaign manager , said in a statement .
`` Even with that mess , there is no denying that Big Government Socialism dominated again as Bernie Sanders remained the leader of the leftist pack .
We are another day closer to Election Day and another day closer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign is happy to try to sow chaos and seeds of doubt in the Democratic primary — and there 's no easier way to do that than playing to preconceived suspicions about the Democratic Party held by many of Sanders ' supporters .
6 .
Caucuses may very well be doomed It can be frustrating to watch election results come in so slowly .
By midnight ET , just over a quarter of the vote had been released .
Given Sanders ' big lead in the entrance polls , networks and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for him with just a slim percentage of the vote in .
The party wanted to get it right and avoid the debacle in Iowa .
Election security experts say accuracy should not be sacrificed for speed as going slow and making sure all the quality controls have been completed are the most important things .
But it 's pretty clear that things go more quickly — without sacrificing accuracy — in primaries .
They also have fewer accessibility issues .
Increasingly , states have been moving toward primaries and leaving caucus systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before 2024 .

After The Nevada Caucuses, Bernie Sanders Is The Man To Beat
Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images
The 2020 Democratic nomination is now Sen. Bernie Sanders' to lose.
The independent from Vermont — who is running as a Democrat and often speaks about the ills not just of Republicans, but also of Democrats — handily won the Nevada Democratic caucuses.
And he did it by broadening his coalition beyond his base of young voters and progressives. Sanders won the popular vote in Iowa, the New Hampshire primary and now the Nevada caucuses. The man who calls himself a democratic socialist and has been seemingly running as an outsider all his life is now the inside man.
More on Sanders and the other candidates in these six takeaways:
1. Sanders expands his base.
One of the major question marks for Sanders coming into Nevada was whether he could win with more than just his core base, which fueled his winning a quarter of the vote in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Well, on Saturday, he did that.
Sanders won not only with voters under 30 and people who identify as very liberal, but also with men, women, Hispanics (overwhelmingly), voters 45 to 64 and people with and without college degrees, according to polls conducted as voters entered caucus sites. He also did well among black voters and moderates, finishing a close second to Joe Biden with both groups, which are supposed to be the former vice president's base.
"In Nevada," Sanders said, "we have just put together a multigenerational, multiracial coalition that is not only going to win in Nevada — it's going to sweep this country."
Now it's on to South Carolina, where Sanders has been polling second to Biden, and then it's Super Tuesday, March 3.
Sanders made a show of confidence Saturday by leaving Nevada and going to Texas, one of the biggest prizes on Super Tuesday. He also traveled the day before to California, the largest state voting on March 3.
2. Biden lives to fight another day.
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Locher/AP John Locher/AP
That day is next Saturday, Feb. 29, in South Carolina.
Biden finished a distant second in Nevada. He said after Iowa and New Hampshire that once the electorate became more diverse, he would do better. He won black voters in Nevada — but only narrowly over Sanders. Biden and the rest of the field were walloped by Sanders among Latinos.
Still, Biden was confident he would recover.
"We're alive, we're coming back and we're going to win!" Biden declared.
But it's Biden whose coalition is looking increasingly narrow, not Sanders'.
South Carolina's Democratic electorate was 61% black in 2016. Biden predicted he would win there and then propel into the Super Tuesday contests.
He had better win in South Carolina, or there doesn't look like much of a path to Super Tuesday that includes him winning the nomination, especially with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg looming. Bloomberg threatens to siphon centrist votes from Biden on Super Tuesday.
Biden could have his hands full in South Carolina.
Not only is Sanders on his heels with African American voters, but wealthy venture capitalist Tom Steyer has spent more than $20 million on ads in that state, and he is targeting black voters too.
3. The moderates gambled — and are losing — on opposing "Medicare for All."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP
Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who finished third in Nevada, said something Saturday that moderates should take note of.
It came immediately after accusing Sanders of believing in "an inflexible ideological revolution that leaves out most Democrats, not to mention most Americans."
He said:
I believe we can defeat [President] Trump and deliver for the American people by empowering the American people to make their own health care choices with 'Medicare for All Who Want It.' Senator Sanders believes in taking away that choice, removing people from having the option of a private plan and replacing it with a public plan, whether you want it or not.
The problem with that is, while most Americans overall oppose Medicare for All, you know who likes it? Democrats.
In the three states that have held Democratic contests so far, ditching private health insurance for a government plan was backed by 57% in Iowa, 58% in New Hampshire and 62% in Nevada. That's similar to the results from an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll from December that showed 64% of Democrats supporting it.
Candidates like Buttigieg, Biden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota have tried to make their opposition to Medicare for All an electability argument.
But two-thirds of voters in the Nevada Democratic caucuses said it was more important to nominate someone who could defeat President Trump than to agree with the nominee on major issues, so it was unclear who that person should be.
Sanders, Biden and Buttigieg were all close on that question. (Yes, Sanders supporters see him as the most electable; many of them think he would have beaten Trump in 2016 too.)
But when it came to those who said agreeing on major issues was most important, the winner was clear: Sanders. He got 54% of those voters. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was next, with just 12%.
4. Expect a forceful Warren at Tuesday's debate.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Elaine Thompson/AP Elaine Thompson/AP
Warren didn't come close in Nevada. She's struggling to find her lane between the progressives who find her second best to Sanders and the white college graduates she's battling for with Buttigieg.
But one thing that shouldn't go unnoticed is that she finished strong among those who made up their minds in the last few days.
Warren got about 20% of them, about the same as Sanders and Buttigieg. Warren did far worse with those who decided earlier.
What does that tell you? She and her surrogates believe that this shows Warren had a strong debate — and that she was hurt by early voting.
Because so many people voted early, before her strong performance against Bloomberg, it was nearly impossible for Warren to change enough minds to be a factor. The lesson for Warren is likely to be that she can differentiate herself from Sanders in Tuesday's South Carolina debate with a similar command posture.
She may have the money to continue on to Super Tuesday, but Warren and her team are going to have to seriously evaluate if there's a real path to the nomination, especially if she doesn't have a strong finish in South Carolina.
5. Republicans were thrilled with the result — and lack of (fast) results.
Trump was happy to continue trying to cause trouble in the Democratic race.
He called Sanders "crazy" and mocked other candidates, while also encouraging Sanders to not "let them take it away from you" — all with fewer than 280 characters.
Republicans are gleeful about the idea of being able to run against Sanders and "socialism." Trump's campaign went after that idea — and the slow results of the caucuses.
"Media reports of unstaffed caucus sites in Nevada just prove that the national Democrat Party is in chaos and incompetent," Brad Parscale, Trump's campaign manager, said in a statement. "Even with that mess, there is no denying that Big Government Socialism dominated again as Bernie Sanders remained the leader of the leftist pack. We are another day closer to Election Day and another day closer to re-electing President Trump."
The Trump campaign is happy to try to sow chaos and seeds of doubt in the Democratic primary — and there's no easier way to do that than by playing to preconceived suspicions about the Democratic Party held by many of Sanders' supporters.
6. Caucuses may very well be doomed.
It can be frustrating to watch election results come in so slowly. By midnight ET, just over a quarter of the vote had been released. Given Sanders' big lead in the entrance polls, networks and The Associated Press were able to call the race for him with just a slim percentage of the vote in.
The party wanted to get it right and avoid the debacle in Iowa. Election security experts say accuracy should not be sacrificed for speed as going slow and making sure all the quality controls have been completed are the most important things.
But it's pretty clear that things go more quickly — without sacrificing accuracy — in primaries. They also have fewer accessibility issues. Increasingly, states have been moving toward primaries and leaving caucus systems behind. Expect that to speed up before 2024.