npr--2020-09-18--Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Champion Of Gender Equality, Dies At 87

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , the demure firebrand who in her 80s became a legal , cultural and feminist icon , died Friday .
The Supreme Court announced her death , saying the cause was complications from metastatic cancer of the pancreas .
The court , in a statement , said Ginsburg died at her home in Washington , D.C. , surrounded by family .
She was 87 .
`` Our nation has lost a justice of historic stature , '' Chief Justice John Roberts said .
`` We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague .
Today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her , a tireless and resolute champion of justice . ''
Architect of the legal fight for women 's rights in the 1970s , Ginsburg subsequently served 27 years on the nation 's highest court , becoming its most prominent member .
Her death will inevitably set in motion what promises to be a nasty and tumultuous political battle over who will succeed her , and it thrusts the Supreme Court vacancy into the spotlight of the presidential campaign .
Just days before her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ginsburg dictated this statement to her granddaughter Clara Spera : `` My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed . ''
She knew what was to come .
Ginsburg 's death will have profound consequences for the court and the country .
Inside the court , not only is the leader of the liberal wing gone , but with the court about to open a new term , the chief justice no longer holds the controlling vote in closely contested cases .
Though Roberts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , he has split from fellow conservatives in a few important ones this year , casting his vote with liberals , for instance , to protect at least temporarily the so-called DREAMers from deportation by the Trump administration , to uphold a major abortion precedent and to uphold bans on large church gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic .
But with Ginsburg gone , there is no clear court majority for those outcomes .
Indeed , a week after the upcoming presidential election , the court is for the third time scheduled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Affordable Care Act , known as Obamacare .
In 2012 , the high court upheld the law in a 5-4 ruling , with Roberts casting the deciding vote and writing the opinion for the majority .
But this time the outcome may well be different .
That 's because Ginsburg 's death gives Republicans the chance to tighten their grip on the court with another appointment by President Trump so conservatives would have 6-3 majority .
And that would mean that even a defection on the right would leave conservatives with enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and many others .
At the center of the battle to achieve that will be Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
In 2016 , he took a step unprecedented in modern times : He refused for nearly a year to allow any consideration of President Barack Obama 's Supreme Court nominee .
Back then , McConnell 's justification was the upcoming presidential election , which he said would allow voters a chance to weigh in on what kind of justice they wanted .
But now , with the tables turned , McConnell has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same course .
Instead he will try immediately to push through a Trump nominee so as to ensure a conservative justice to fill Ginsburg 's liberal shoes , even if Trump were to lose his reelection bid .
Asked what he would do in circumstances such as these , McConnell said : `` Oh , we 'd fill it . ''
So what happens in the coming weeks will be bare-knuckle politics , writ large , on the stage of a presidential election .
It will be a fight Ginsburg had hoped to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortly before his death that she hoped to serve as long as he did — until age 90 .
`` My dream is that I will stay on the court as long as he did , '' she said in an interview in 2019 .
She did n't quite make it .
But Ruth Bader Ginsburg was nonetheless a historic figure .
She changed the way the world is for American women .
For more than a decade , until her first judicial appointment in 1980 , she led the fight in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began her legal crusade , women were treated , by law , differently from men .
Hundreds of state and federal laws restricted what women could do , barring them from jobs , rights and even from jury service .
By the time she donned judicial robes , however , Ginsburg had worked a revolution .
That was never more evident than in 1996 when , as a relatively new Supreme Court justice , Ginsburg wrote the court 's 7-1 opinion declaring that the Virginia Military Institute could no longer remain an all-male @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most women — indeed most men — would not want to meet the rigorous demands of VMI .
But the state , she said , could not exclude women who could meet those demands .
`` Reliance on overbroad generalizations ... estimates about the way most men or most women are , will not suffice to deny opportunity to women whose talent and capacity place them outside the average description , '' Ginsburg wrote .
She was an unlikely pioneer , a diminutive and shy woman , whose soft voice and large glasses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as one colleague put it , was `` tough as nails . ''
By the time she was in her 80s , she had become something of a rock star to women of all ages .
She was the subject of a hit documentary , a biopic , an operetta , merchandise galore featuring her `` Notorious RBG '' moniker , a Time magazine cover and regular Saturday Night Live sketches .
On one occasion in 2016 , Ginsburg got herself into trouble and later publicly apologized for disparaging remarks she made about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most part Ginsburg enjoyed her fame and maintained a sense of humor about herself .
Asked about the fact that she had apparently fallen asleep during the 2015 State of the Union address , Ginsburg did not take the Fifth , admitting that although she had vowed not to drink at dinner with the other justices before the speech , the wine had just been too good to resist .
The result , she said , was that she was perhaps not an entirely `` sober judge '' and kept nodding off .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to public schools , where she excelled as a student — and as a baton twirler .
By all accounts , it was her mother who was the driving force in her young life , but Celia Bader died of cancer the day before the future justice would graduate from high school .
Then 17 , Ruth Bader went on to Cornell University on a full scholarship , where she met Martin ( aka `` Marty '' ) Ginsburg .
`` What made Marty so overwhelmingly attractive to me was that he cared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
After her graduation , they were married and went off to Fort Sill , Okla. , for his military service .
There Mrs. Ginsburg , despite scoring high on the civil service exam , could only get a job as a typist , and when she became pregnant , she lost even that job .
Two years later , the couple returned to the East Coast to attend Harvard Law School .
She was one of only nine women in a class of more than 500 and found the dean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a place that `` should go to a man . ''
At Harvard , she was the academic star , not her husband .
The couple were busy juggling schedules and their toddler when Marty Ginsburg was diagnosed with testicular cancer .
Surgeries and aggressive radiation followed .
`` So that left Ruth with a 3-year-old child , a fairly sick husband , the law review , classes to attend and feeding me , '' Marty Ginsburg said in a 1993 interview with NPR .
The experience also taught the future justice that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year of her husband 's illness , he was only able to eat late at night ; after that he would dictate his senior class paper to her .
At about 2 a.m. , he would go back to sleep , Ruth Bader Ginsburg recalled in an NPR interview .
`` Then I 'd take out the books and start reading what I needed to be prepared for classes the next day . ''
Marty Ginsburg survived , graduated and got a job in New York ; his wife , a year behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where she graduated at the top of her law school class .
Despite her academic achievements , the doors to law firms were closed to women , and though recommended for a Supreme Court clerkship , she was n't even interviewed .
It was bad enough that she was a woman , she recalled later , but she was also a mother , and male judges worried she would be diverted by her `` familial obligations . ''
A mentor , law professor Gerald Gunther , finally got her a clerkship in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if she could n't do the work , he would provide someone who could .
That was `` the carrot , '' Ginsburg would say later .
`` The stick '' was that Gunther , who regularly fed his best students to Palmieri , told the judge that if he did n't take Ginsburg , Gunther would never send him a clerk again .
The Ginsburg clerkship apparently was a success ; Palmieri kept her not for the usual one year , but two , from 1959-61 .
Ginsburg 's next path @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it does n't fit the narrative .
She learned Swedish so she could work with Anders Bruzelius , a Swedish civil procedure scholar .
Through the Columbia University School of Law Project on International Procedure , Ginsburg and Bruzelius co-authored a book .
In 1963 , Ginsburg finally landed a teaching job at Rutgers Law School , where she at one point hid her second pregnancy by wearing her mother-in-law 's clothes .
The ruse worked ; her contract was renewed before her baby was born .
While at Rutgers , she began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first big case was a challenge to a law that barred a Colorado man named Charles Moritz from taking a tax deduction for the care of his 89-year-old mother .
The IRS said the deduction , by statute , could only be claimed by women , or widowed or divorced men .
But Moritz had never married .
The tax court concluded that the Internal Revenue Code was immune to constitutional challenge , a notion that tax lawyer Marty Ginsburg viewed as `` preposterous . ''
The two Ginsburgs took on the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she from the constitutional perspective .
According to Marty Ginsburg , for his wife , this was the `` mother brief . ''
She had to think through all the issues and how to fix the inequity .
The solution was to ask the court not to invalidate the statute but to apply it equally to both sexes .
She won in the lower courts .
`` Amazingly , '' he recalled in a 1993 NPR interview , the government petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court , stating that the decision `` cast a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of federal statutes , and it attached a list of those statutes , which it compiled with Defense Department computers .
Those laws , Marty Ginsburg added , `` were the statutes that my wife then litigated ... to overturn over the next decade . ''
In 1971 , she would write her first Supreme Court brief in the case of Reed v. Reed .
Ruth Bader Ginsburg represented Sally Reed , who thought she should be the executor of her son 's estate instead of her ex-husband .
The constitutional issue was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over women as executors of estates .
The answer from the all-male Supreme Court : no .
It was the first time the court had struck down a state law because it discriminated based on gender .
And that was just the beginning .
By then Ginsburg was earning quite a reputation .
She would become the first female tenured professor at Columbia Law School , and she would found the Women 's Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union .
As the chief architect of the battle for women 's legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was characteristically cautious , precise and single-mindedly aimed at one goal : winning .
Knowing that she had to persuade male , establishment-oriented judges , she often picked male plaintiffs , and she liked Social Security cases because they illustrated how discrimination against women can harm men .
For example , in Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld , she represented a man whose wife , the principal breadwinner , died in childbirth .
The husband sought survivor 's benefits to care for his child , but under the then-existing Social Security law , only widows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such benefits .
`` This absolute exclusion , based on gender per se , operates to the disadvantage of female workers , their surviving spouses , and their children , '' Ginsburg told the justices at oral argument .
The Supreme Court would ultimately agree , as it did in five of the six cases she argued .
Over the ensuing years , Ginsburg would file dozens of briefs seeking to persuade the courts that the 14th Amendment guarantee of equal protection applies not just to racial and ethnic minorities , but to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with NPR , she explained the legal theory that she eventually sold to the Supreme Court .
`` The words of the 14th Amendment 's equal protection clause — 'nor shall any state deny to any person the equal protection of the laws . '
Well that word , 'any person , ' covers women as well as men .
And the Supreme Court woke up to that reality in 1971 , '' Ginsburg said .
During these pioneering years , Ginsburg would often work through the night as she had during law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she had two children , and she later liked to tell a story about the lesson she learned when her son , in grade school , seemed to have a proclivity for getting into trouble .
The scrapes were hardly major , and Ginsburg grew exasperated by demands from school administrators that she come in to discuss her son 's alleged misbehavior .
Finally , there came a day when she had had enough .
`` I had stayed up all night the night before , and I said to the principal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alternate calls . '
`` After that , she found , the calls were few and far between .
It seemed , she said , that most infractions were not worth calling a busy husband about .
In 1980 , President Jimmy Carter named Ginsburg to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit .
Over the next 13 years , she would amass a record as something of a centrist liberal , and in 1993 , President Bill Clinton nominated her to the Supreme Court , the second woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not first on his list .
For months , Clinton flirted with other potential nominees , and some women 's rights activists withheld their active support because they were worried about Ginsburg 's views on abortion .
She had been publicly critical of the legal reasoning in Roe v. Wade .
But in the background , Marty Ginsburg was lobbying hard for his wife .
And finally Ruth Ginsburg was invited for a meeting with the president .
As one White House official put it afterward , Clinton `` fell for her — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So did the Senate .
She was confirmed by a 96-3 vote .
Once on the court , Ginsburg was an example of a woman who defied stereotypes .
Though she looked tiny and frail , she rode horses well into her 70s and even went parasailing .
At home , it was her husband who was the chef , indeed a master chef , while the justice cheerfully acknowledged she was an awful cook .
Though a liberal , she and the court 's conservative icon , Antonin Scalia , who died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends .
Indeed , an opera called Scalia/Ginsburg is based on their legal disagreements , and their affection for each other .
Over the years , as Ginsburg 's place on the court grew in seniority , so did her role .
In 2006 , as the court veered right after the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor , Ginsburg dissented more often and more assertively , her most passionate dissents coming in women 's rights cases .
Dissenting in Ledbetter v. Goodyear in 2007 , she called on Congress to pass legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drastically limited back pay available for victims of employment discrimination .
The resulting legislation was the first bill passed in 2009 after Obama took office .
In 2014 , she dissented fiercely from the court 's decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby , a decision that allowed some for-profit companies to refuse , on religious grounds , to comply with a federal mandate to cover birth control in health care plans .
Such an exemption , she said , would `` deny legions of women who do not hold their employers ' beliefs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Where , she asked , `` is the stopping point ? ''
Suppose it offends an employer 's religious belief `` to pay the minimum wage '' or `` to accord women equal pay ? ''
And in 2013 , when the court struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act , contending that times had changed and the law was no longer needed , Ginsburg dissented .
She said that throwing out the provision `` when it has worked and is continuing to work ... is like throwing away your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not getting wet . ''
She viewed her dissents as a chance to persuade a future court .
`` Some of my favorite opinions are dissenting opinions , '' Ginsburg told NPR .
`` I will not live to see what becomes of them , but I remain hopeful . ''
And yet , Ginsburg still managed some unexpected victories by winning over one or two of the conservative justices in important cases .
In 2015 , for example , she authored the court 's decision upholding independent redistricting commissions established by voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the partisanship in drawing legislative district lines .
Ginsburg always kept a backbreaking schedule of public appearances both at home and abroad , even after five bouts with cancer : colon cancer in 1999 , pancreatic cancer 10 years later , lung cancer in 2018 , and then pancreatic cancer again in 2019 and liver lesions in 2020 .
During that time , she endured chemotherapy , radiation , and in the last years of her life , terrible pain from shingles that never went away completely .
All who knew her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three weeks after major cancer surgery , she surprised everyone when she showed up for the State of the Union address .
Shortly after that , she was back on the bench ; it was her husband , Marty , who told her she could do it , even when she thought she could not , she told NPR .
A year later her psychological toughness was on full display when her beloved husband of 56 years was mortally ill. As she packed up his things at the hospital before taking him home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had written to her .
`` My Dearest Ruth , '' it began , `` You are the only person I have ever loved , '' setting aside children and family .
`` I have admired and loved you almost since the day we first met at Cornell .
...
The time has come for me to ... take leave of life because the loss of quality simply overwhelms .
I hope you will support where I come out , but I understand you may not .
I will not love you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , Marty Ginsburg died at home .
The next day , his wife , the justice , was on the bench , reading an important opinion she had authored for the court .
She was there , she said , because `` Marty would have wanted it . ''
Years later , she would read the letter aloud in an NPR interview , and at the end , choke down the tears .
In the years after Marty 's death , she would persevere without him , maintaining a jam-packed schedule when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working on opinions .
Some liberals criticicized her for not retiring while Obama was president , but she was at the top of her game , enjoyed her work enormously and feared that Republicans might not confirm a successor .
She was an avid consumer of opera , literature and modern art .
But in the end , it was her work , she said , that sustained her .
`` I do think that I was born under a very bright star , '' she said in an NPR interview .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I get out of law school .
I have top grades .
No law firm in the city of New York will hire me .
I end up teaching ; it gave me time to devote to the movement for evening out the rights of women and men . ''
And it was that legal crusade for women 's rights that ultimately led to her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court .
To the end of her tenure , she remained a special kind of feminist , both decorous and dogged .

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Champion Of Gender Equality, Dies At 87
Enlarge this image toggle caption Shuran Huang/NPR Shuran Huang/NPR
Follow NPR's coverage of Ginsburg's death and the political aftermath here.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the demure firebrand who in her 80s became a legal, cultural and feminist icon, died Friday. The Supreme Court announced her death, saying the cause was complications from metastatic cancer of the pancreas.
The court, in a statement, said Ginsburg died at her home in Washington, D.C., surrounded by family. She was 87.
"Our nation has lost a justice of historic stature," Chief Justice John Roberts said. "We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her, a tireless and resolute champion of justice."
Architect of the legal fight for women's rights in the 1970s, Ginsburg subsequently served 27 years on the nation's highest court, becoming its most prominent member. Her death will inevitably set in motion what promises to be a nasty and tumultuous political battle over who will succeed her, and it thrusts the Supreme Court vacancy into the spotlight of the presidential campaign.
Just days before her death, as her strength waned, Ginsburg dictated this statement to her granddaughter Clara Spera: "My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed."
She knew what was to come. Ginsburg's death will have profound consequences for the court and the country. Inside the court, not only is the leader of the liberal wing gone, but with the court about to open a new term, the chief justice no longer holds the controlling vote in closely contested cases.
Though Roberts has a consistently conservative record in most cases, he has split from fellow conservatives in a few important ones this year, casting his vote with liberals, for instance, to protect at least temporarily the so-called DREAMers from deportation by the Trump administration, to uphold a major abortion precedent and to uphold bans on large church gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic. But with Ginsburg gone, there is no clear court majority for those outcomes.
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Upcoming political battle
Indeed, a week after the upcoming presidential election, the court is for the third time scheduled to hear a challenge brought by Republicans to the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. In 2012, the high court upheld the law in a 5-4 ruling, with Roberts casting the deciding vote and writing the opinion for the majority. But this time the outcome may well be different.
That's because Ginsburg's death gives Republicans the chance to tighten their grip on the court with another appointment by President Trump so conservatives would have 6-3 majority. And that would mean that even a defection on the right would leave conservatives with enough votes to prevail in the Obamacare case and many others.
At the center of the battle to achieve that will be Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. In 2016, he took a step unprecedented in modern times: He refused for nearly a year to allow any consideration of President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee.
Back then, McConnell's justification was the upcoming presidential election, which he said would allow voters a chance to weigh in on what kind of justice they wanted. But now, with the tables turned, McConnell has made clear he will not follow the same course. Instead he will try immediately to push through a Trump nominee so as to ensure a conservative justice to fill Ginsburg's liberal shoes, even if Trump were to lose his reelection bid. Asked what he would do in circumstances such as these, McConnell said: "Oh, we'd fill it."
So what happens in the coming weeks will be bare-knuckle politics, writ large, on the stage of a presidential election. It will be a fight Ginsburg had hoped to avoid, telling Justice John Paul Stevens shortly before his death that she hoped to serve as long as he did — until age 90.
"My dream is that I will stay on the court as long as he did," she said in an interview in 2019.
"Tough as nails"
Hide caption Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a 1977 portrait. Previous Next Bettmann/Corbis
Hide caption President Bill Clinton announces Ginsburg as his nominee to the Supreme Court during a news conference in Washington, D.C., in June 1993. Ginsburg replaced retired Justice Byron White and became the nation's second female justice. Previous Next Doug Mills/AP
Hide caption Ginsburg joins other prominent Jewish-Americans for a photograph while standing in a maze on Ellis Island in New York in 1996 as part of a project by Frederic Brenner. Previous Next Adam Nadel/AP
Hide caption Ginsburg acknowledges applause at the 45th commencement at Brandeis University, where she received an honorary law degree in May 1996. Previous Next C.J. Gunther/AP
Hide caption John Roberts (center) with the rest of the court after becoming chief justice on Oct. 3, 2005. The other justices pictured are Ginsburg (from left), David Souter, Antonin Scalia, John Paul Stevens, Roberts, Sandra Day O'Connor, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Stephen Breyer. Previous Next Getty Images
Hide caption Ginsburg speaks during the annual meeting of the American Society of International Law in Washington in 2005. Previous Next Haraz Ghanbari/AP
Hide caption Ginsburg hugs President Barack Obama as he arrives to deliver his State of the Union speech on Capitol Hill on Feb. 12, 2013. Previous Next Jason Reed/Reuters /Landov
Hide caption Ginsburg talks with filmmaker David Grubin about his PBS series, The Jewish Americans, in 2008. Previous Next Kevin Wolf/AP
Hide caption Ginsburg and her husband, Marty, listen to Justice Stephen Breyer speak at Columbia Law School in 2003. Previous Next Ed Bailey/AP 1 of 9 i View slideshow
She didn't quite make it. But Ruth Bader Ginsburg was nonetheless a historic figure. She changed the way the world is for American women. For more than a decade, until her first judicial appointment in 1980, she led the fight in the courts for gender equality. When she began her legal crusade, women were treated, by law, differently from men. Hundreds of state and federal laws restricted what women could do, barring them from jobs, rights and even from jury service. By the time she donned judicial robes, however, Ginsburg had worked a revolution.
That was never more evident than in 1996 when, as a relatively new Supreme Court justice, Ginsburg wrote the court's 7-1 opinion declaring that the Virginia Military Institute could no longer remain an all-male institution. True, Ginsburg said, most women — indeed most men — would not want to meet the rigorous demands of VMI. But the state, she said, could not exclude women who could meet those demands.
"Reliance on overbroad generalizations ... estimates about the way most men or most women are, will not suffice to deny opportunity to women whose talent and capacity place them outside the average description," Ginsburg wrote.
She was an unlikely pioneer, a diminutive and shy woman, whose soft voice and large glasses hid an intellect and attitude that, as one colleague put it, was "tough as nails."
By the time she was in her 80s, she had become something of a rock star to women of all ages. She was the subject of a hit documentary, a biopic, an operetta, merchandise galore featuring her "Notorious RBG" moniker, a Time magazine cover and regular Saturday Night Live sketches.
On one occasion in 2016, Ginsburg got herself into trouble and later publicly apologized for disparaging remarks she made about then-presidential candidate Trump.
But for the most part Ginsburg enjoyed her fame and maintained a sense of humor about herself.
Asked about the fact that she had apparently fallen asleep during the 2015 State of the Union address, Ginsburg did not take the Fifth, admitting that although she had vowed not to drink at dinner with the other justices before the speech, the wine had just been too good to resist. The result, she said, was that she was perhaps not an entirely "sober judge" and kept nodding off.
The road to law
Born in Brooklyn, Ruth Bader went to public schools, where she excelled as a student — and as a baton twirler. By all accounts, it was her mother who was the driving force in her young life, but Celia Bader died of cancer the day before the future justice would graduate from high school.
Then 17, Ruth Bader went on to Cornell University on a full scholarship, where she met Martin (aka "Marty") Ginsburg. "What made Marty so overwhelmingly attractive to me was that he cared that I had a brain," she said.
After her graduation, they were married and went off to Fort Sill, Okla., for his military service. There Mrs. Ginsburg, despite scoring high on the civil service exam, could only get a job as a typist, and when she became pregnant, she lost even that job.
Two years later, the couple returned to the East Coast to attend Harvard Law School. She was one of only nine women in a class of more than 500 and found the dean asking her why she was taking up a place that "should go to a man."
At Harvard, she was the academic star, not her husband. The couple were busy juggling schedules and their toddler when Marty Ginsburg was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Surgeries and aggressive radiation followed.
"So that left Ruth with a 3-year-old child, a fairly sick husband, the law review, classes to attend and feeding me," Marty Ginsburg said in a 1993 interview with NPR.
The experience also taught the future justice that sleep was a luxury. During the year of her husband's illness, he was only able to eat late at night; after that he would dictate his senior class paper to her. At about 2 a.m., he would go back to sleep, Ruth Bader Ginsburg recalled in an NPR interview. "Then I'd take out the books and start reading what I needed to be prepared for classes the next day."
Marty Ginsburg survived, graduated and got a job in New York; his wife, a year behind him in school, transferred to Columbia, where she graduated at the top of her law school class. Despite her academic achievements, the doors to law firms were closed to women, and though recommended for a Supreme Court clerkship, she wasn't even interviewed.
It was bad enough that she was a woman, she recalled later, but she was also a mother, and male judges worried she would be diverted by her "familial obligations."
A mentor, law professor Gerald Gunther, finally got her a clerkship in New York by promising Judge Edmund Palmieri that if she couldn't do the work, he would provide someone who could. That was "the carrot," Ginsburg would say later. "The stick" was that Gunther, who regularly fed his best students to Palmieri, told the judge that if he didn't take Ginsburg, Gunther would never send him a clerk again. The Ginsburg clerkship apparently was a success; Palmieri kept her not for the usual one year, but two, from 1959-61.
Ginsburg's next path is rarely talked about, mainly because it doesn't fit the narrative. She learned Swedish so she could work with Anders Bruzelius, a Swedish civil procedure scholar. Through the Columbia University School of Law Project on International Procedure, Ginsburg and Bruzelius co-authored a book.
In 1963, Ginsburg finally landed a teaching job at Rutgers Law School, where she at one point hid her second pregnancy by wearing her mother-in-law's clothes. The ruse worked; her contract was renewed before her baby was born.
While at Rutgers, she began her work fighting gender discrimination.
The "mother brief"
Her first big case was a challenge to a law that barred a Colorado man named Charles Moritz from taking a tax deduction for the care of his 89-year-old mother. The IRS said the deduction, by statute, could only be claimed by women, or widowed or divorced men. But Moritz had never married.
The tax court concluded that the Internal Revenue Code was immune to constitutional challenge, a notion that tax lawyer Marty Ginsburg viewed as "preposterous." The two Ginsburgs took on the case — he from the tax perspective, she from the constitutional one.
According to Marty Ginsburg, for his wife, this was the "mother brief." She had to think through all the issues and how to fix the inequity. The solution was to ask the court not to invalidate the statute but to apply it equally to both sexes. She won in the lower courts.
"Amazingly," he recalled in a 1993 NPR interview, the government petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court, stating that the decision "cast a cloud of unconstitutionality" over literally hundreds of federal statutes, and it attached a list of those statutes, which it compiled with Defense Department computers.
Those laws, Marty Ginsburg added, "were the statutes that my wife then litigated ... to overturn over the next decade."
In 1971, she would write her first Supreme Court brief in the case of Reed v. Reed. Ruth Bader Ginsburg represented Sally Reed, who thought she should be the executor of her son's estate instead of her ex-husband.
The constitutional issue was whether a state could automatically prefer men over women as executors of estates. The answer from the all-male Supreme Court: no.
It was the first time the court had struck down a state law because it discriminated based on gender.
And that was just the beginning.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
By then Ginsburg was earning quite a reputation. She would become the first female tenured professor at Columbia Law School, and she would found the Women's Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union.
As the chief architect of the battle for women's legal rights, Ginsburg devised a strategy that was characteristically cautious, precise and single-mindedly aimed at one goal: winning.
Knowing that she had to persuade male, establishment-oriented judges, she often picked male plaintiffs, and she liked Social Security cases because they illustrated how discrimination against women can harm men. For example, in Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld, she represented a man whose wife, the principal breadwinner, died in childbirth. The husband sought survivor's benefits to care for his child, but under the then-existing Social Security law, only widows, not widowers, were entitled to such benefits.
"This absolute exclusion, based on gender per se, operates to the disadvantage of female workers, their surviving spouses, and their children," Ginsburg told the justices at oral argument. The Supreme Court would ultimately agree, as it did in five of the six cases she argued.
Over the years, Ginsburg would file dozens of briefs seeking to persuade the courts that the 14th Amendment guarantee of equal protection applies not just to racial and ethnic minorities but to women as well.
In an interview with NPR, she explained the legal theory that she eventually sold to the Supreme Court.
"The words of the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause — 'nor shall any state deny to any person the equal protection of the laws.' Well that word, 'any person,' covers women as well as men. And the Supreme Court woke up to that reality in 1971," Ginsburg said.
During these pioneering years, Ginsburg would often work through the night as she had during law school. But by this time, she had two children, and she later liked to tell a story about the lesson she learned when her son, in grade school, seemed to have a proclivity for getting into trouble.
The scrapes were hardly major, and Ginsburg grew exasperated by demands from school administrators that she come in to discuss her son's alleged misbehavior. Finally, there came a day when she had had enough. "I had stayed up all night the night before, and I said to the principal, 'This child has two parents. Please alternate calls.' "
After that, she found, the calls were few and far between. It seemed, she said, that most infractions were not worth calling a busy husband about.
The Supreme Court's second woman
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter named Ginsburg to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Over the next 13 years, she would amass a record as something of a centrist liberal, and in 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated her to the Supreme Court, the second woman appointed to the position.
She was not first on his list. For months, Clinton flirted with other potential nominees, and some women's rights activists withheld their active support because they were worried about Ginsburg's views on abortion. She had been publicly critical of the legal reasoning in Roe v. Wade.
But in the background, Marty Ginsburg was lobbying hard for his wife. And finally Ruth Ginsburg was invited for a meeting with the president. As one White House official put it afterward, Clinton "fell for her — hook, line and sinker." So did the Senate. She was confirmed by a 96-3 vote.
Once on the court, Ginsburg was an example of a woman who defied stereotypes. Though she looked tiny and frail, she rode horses well into her 70s and even went parasailing. At home, it was her husband who was the chef, indeed a master chef, while the justice cheerfully acknowledged she was an awful cook.
Though a liberal, she and the court's conservative icon, Antonin Scalia, who died in 2016, were the closest of friends. Indeed, an opera called Scalia/Ginsburg is based on their legal disagreements, and their affection for each other.
toggle caption Susan Walsh/AP
Over the years, as Ginsburg's place on the court grew in seniority, so did her role. In 2006, as the court veered right after the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Ginsburg dissented more often and more assertively, her most passionate dissents coming in women's rights cases.
Dissenting in Ledbetter v. Goodyear in 2007, she called on Congress to pass legislation that would override a court decision that drastically limited back pay available for victims of employment discrimination. The resulting legislation was the first bill passed in 2009 after Obama took office.
In 2014, she dissented fiercely in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, a decision that allowed some for-profit companies to refuse, on religious grounds, to comply with a federal mandate to cover birth control in health care plans. Such an exemption, she said, would "deny legions of women who do not hold their employers' beliefs, access to contraceptive coverage."
Where, she asked, "is the stopping point?" Suppose it offends an employer's religious belief "to pay the minimum wage" or "to accord women equal pay?"
And in 2013, when the court struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, contending that times had changed and the law was no longer needed, Ginsburg dissented. She said that throwing out the provision "when it has worked and is continuing to work ... is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet."
She viewed her dissents as a chance to persuade a future court.
"Some of my favorite opinions are dissenting opinions," Ginsburg told NPR. "I will not live to see what becomes of them, but I remain hopeful."
And yet, Ginsburg still managed some unexpected victories by winning over one or two of the conservative justices in important cases. In 2015, for example, she authored the court's decision upholding independent redistricting commissions established by voter referenda as a way of removing some of the partisanship in drawing legislative district lines.
Ginsburg always kept a backbreaking schedule of public appearances both at home and abroad, even after five bouts with cancer: colon cancer in 1999, pancreatic cancer 10 years later, lung cancer in 2018, and then pancreatic cancer again in 2019 and liver lesions in 2020. During that time, she endured chemotherapy, radiation and, in the last years of her life, terrible pain from shingles that never went away completely. All who knew her admired her grit. In 2009, three weeks after major cancer surgery, she surprised everyone when she showed up for the State of the Union address.
Shortly after that, she was back on the bench; it was her husband, Marty, who told her she could do it, even when she thought she could not, she told NPR.
A year later her psychological toughness was on full display when her beloved husband of 56 years was mortally ill. As she packed up his things at the hospital before taking him home to die, she found a note he had written to her. "My Dearest Ruth," it began, "You are the only person I have ever loved," setting aside children and family. "I have admired and loved you almost since the day we first met at Cornell. ... The time has come for me to ... take leave of life because the loss of quality simply overwhelms. I hope you will support where I come out, but I understand you may not. I will not love you a jot less."
Shortly after that, Marty Ginsburg died at home. The next day, his wife, the justice, was on the bench, reading an important opinion she had authored for the court. She was there, she said, because "Marty would have wanted it."
Years later, she would read the letter aloud in an NPR interview, and at the end, choke down the tears.
In the years after Marty's death, she would persevere without him, maintaining a jam-packed schedule when she was not on the bench or working on opinions.
Some liberals criticized her for not retiring while Obama was president, but she was at the top of her game, enjoyed her work enormously and feared that Republicans might not confirm a successor. She was an avid consumer of opera, literature and modern art. But in the end, it was her work, she said, that sustained her.
"I do think that I was born under a very bright star," she said in an NPR interview. "Because if you think about my life, I get out of law school. I have top grades. No law firm in the city of New York will hire me. I end up teaching; it gave me time to devote to the movement for evening out the rights of women and men."
And it was that legal crusade for women's rights that ultimately led to her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court.
To the end of her tenure, she remained a special kind of feminist, both decorous and dogged.


npr--2020-09-18--President Of Guatemala Tests Positive For COVID-19

Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei said Friday he 's tested positive for the coronavirus .
Giammattei made the announcement to Sonora , a local radio station .
He said he feels well , is showing typical symptoms of high fever and body aches and has been treated at the Centro Medico Militar , one of the hospitals designated to treat COVID-19 patients in Guatemala City .
In a live appearance on the Guatemalan government website , Giammettei said he 's following his doctor 's recommendations , `` resting and isolating myself from all public activity , '' though he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Giammettei said he 's asked his entire cabinet to be tested and to work remotely .
The Central American country closed its borders with Belize , Honduras , El Salvador and Mexico as well as its international airports on March 16 .
Giammettei 's announcement came on the same day that Guatemala reopened its borders , the International Aurora Airport in the capital , and Mundo Maya International Airport in the northern part of the country .
The Ministry of Health announced new travel protocols , asking that everyone older than 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 negative test result taken at most 72 hours before arrival .
The ministry is also making face masks , social distancing and hand sanitizing mandatory at the ports of entry .
If a foreign traveler presents suspect symptoms upon arrival , the traveler will be denied entry ; a local traveler will be isolated .
The small country with a population of less than 20 million has 84,344 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3,076 deaths , according to the Guatemalan Ministry of Health .
Giammettei was elected president last year .
He is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heads with President Trump over immigration .
Giammettei joins the ranks of other world leaders who have tested positive for coronavirus , such as Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil and Boris Johnson of the U.K. '' I ask for your prayers , '' said Giammettei on his live remarks .
The 64-year-old president has multiple sclerosis and walks with the help of a cane .

President Of Guatemala Tests Positive For COVID-19
Enlarge this image toggle caption Moises Castillo/AP Moises Castillo/AP
Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei said Friday he's tested positive for the coronavirus. Giammattei made the announcement to Sonora, a local radio station.
He said he feels well, is showing typical symptoms of high fever and body aches and has been treated at the Centro Medico Militar, one of the hospitals designated to treat COVID-19 patients in Guatemala City.
In a live appearance on the Guatemalan government website, Giammettei said he's following his doctor's recommendations, "resting and isolating myself from all public activity," though he said, "your government continues to work."
Giammettei said he's asked his entire cabinet to be tested and to work remotely.
The Central American country closed its borders with Belize, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico as well as its international airports on March 16.
Giammettei's announcement came on the same day that Guatemala reopened its borders, the International Aurora Airport in the capital, and Mundo Maya International Airport in the northern part of the country.
The Ministry of Health announced new travel protocols, asking that everyone older than 10 seeking to enter the country present a COVID-19 negative test result taken at most 72 hours before arrival.
The ministry is also making face masks, social distancing and hand sanitizing mandatory at the ports of entry. If a foreign traveler presents suspect symptoms upon arrival, the traveler will be denied entry; a local traveler will be isolated.
The small country with a population of less than 20 million has 84,344 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3,076 deaths, according to the Guatemalan Ministry of Health.
Giammettei was elected president last year. He is a former prisons chief who has butted heads with President Trump over immigration.
Giammettei joins the ranks of other world leaders who have tested positive for coronavirus, such as Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil and Boris Johnson of the U.K.
"I ask for your prayers," said Giammettei on his live remarks. The 64-year-old president has multiple sclerosis and walks with the help of a cane.


npr--2020-09-18--Coronavirus FAQ: I See People Wearing Disposable Coveralls On Planes. Good Idea?

Each week , we answer `` frequently asked questions '' about life during the coronavirus crisis .
If you have a question you 'd like us to consider for a future post , email us at goatsandsoda @ npr.org with the subject line : `` Weekly Coronavirus Questions . ''
OK , so I 'd planned a flight to visit my grandkids last week because with cold weather and the flu season looming in the U.S. , it seemed like late summer/early fall might be a good window of opportunity to travel .
Of course I wore a mask — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me she 'd flown wearing a pair of disposable painters ' coveralls — an ankle-length jumpsuit with full sleeves — over her clothes , then took them off and threw them away upon arrival .
I 've also seen photos of air travelers around the world wearing what appear to be disposable space suits .
That sounded like such a good idea — another layer could n't hurt .
So after I got dressed the morning of the flight , I put on a pair of disposable paper coveralls .
I felt as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into battle and was very happy to remove and toss that extra layer at my destination — a gesture that symbolically indicated at least one risky part of our trip was behind us .
But then I wondered — how much protection did I get ?
I put that question to Dr. Abraar Karan of Harvard Medical School .
Here 's what he said .
`` While fomites are thought to play some role , we do n't know to what extent they do , '' he began .
Let me interrupt to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' one of the many excellent potential Scrabble words that I 've learned during this pandemic .
A fomite is a nonliving object that has been contaminated with viral particles that could , in theory , be transferred to your hands if you touch it — virus that could infect you if you then bring your hands to your eyes , nose or mouth .
( Although if you wash your hands , that gets rid of the risk . )
Karan continued : `` This virus is likely spread primarily through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like Ebola , which are spread through a number of bodily fluids .
In theory , if someone sneezed directly onto your clothing , and you soon after touched that and transferred it to your mouth , it seems hypothetically plausible that transmission could occur .
But , this is an extremely rare and unlikely situation — I would n't focus on clothing as your primary means of protection . ''
Now , it 's true that your clothing could , theoretically , pick up viral particles because you 'd inadvertently had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a countertop , chair , handrail or the like .
There are a lot of such surfaces in airports .
Charlotte Baker , professor of epidemiology at Virginia Tech , says that 's why she makes it a practice after a flight to change her clothes when she gets to her ultimate destination .
After carefully changing into a fresh outfit , she puts the clothes she wore on the plane into a sealed plastic bag — to keep them separate from the rest of her stuff .
Wearing disposable coveralls would get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says — but adds that wear-and-toss clothing is n't so good from an environmental standpoint .
Karan and Baker both stress that whatever clothing you wear will never outweigh the protective benefits of face masks and frequent hand-sanitizing .
And that 's a growing concern about airborne transmission ( which masks can block ) — and the role it might play on planes .
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Protection looks at multiple cases of transmission on flights at a time when passengers did not commonly wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` This finding also concurs with transmission patterns observed for influenza virus and is generally in line with the mounting evidence that airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is a major yet underrecognized transmission route . ''
And sounds a cautionary note : `` [ L ] ong flights not only can lead to importation of COVID-19 cases but also can provide conditions for superspreader events . ''
So not only are masks critical , but you might want to keep a spare mask or two at the ready for a long journey , Baker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your mask or inadvertently touch the front of your mask a few times during the trip , say if you take it off to eat and drink .
Covering your eyes should also be a consideration , since the viral particles in the air can infect you through the eyes ( although not as easily as through the nostrils or mouth ) .
That brings us to lab goggles and plastic face shields .
Goggles provide a tighter seal than face shield ( although the shield does offer another layer of protection over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discourage you from fiddling with your mask , and contaminating it ) .
Then again , I found it challenging to read while staring through a piece of plastic .
Swimmer 's goggles would be super — but kind of weird-looking , perhaps ?
Then again , no one on my flight or in the airport said anything about my disposable coveralls !
As for plastic or latex gloves , which some travelers wear , the consensus is that they 're really not much help .
Any potential viral particles that would cling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cling to your gloves .
So you still should n't bring hands to your face , even if they 're gloved .
And there 's a risk of contaminating your hands when you remove potentially contaminated gloves .
Health workers , in contrast , might be deriving benefit from their routine use of gloves since they 're in a high risk situation and have protocols for glove removal and quick hand-washing afterward .
Meanwhile , another accessory might prove helpful during this pandemic — but for when you 're at home rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor of engineering at Virginia Tech , is a fan of blankets .
Not to wrap around yourself when you 're out and about but as a way to continue the summer practice of outdoor socializing from a safe distance .
Wrapping yourself in a blanket can let you keep up outdoor meetings in brisker weather !
( A fire pit might help , too . )
Or maybe , as the days get chillier , you 'll invite someone over for an outside get-together , says Marr .
( Outdoors is preferable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the air flow dilutes the virus and disrupts the flow of any viral particles into your mouth , nose or eyes . )
Then you 'll hand a blanket to your suitably masked guest to wrap around their shoulders for warmth .
If you do that , the recommendation is to wash that blanket and your own afterward — or keep them away from humans for 3 days — to make sure the fabric does n't transfer any stray viral particles from a wayward cough or sneeze or your conversation .
Or you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — bring your own blanket .

Coronavirus FAQ: I See People Wearing Disposable Coveralls On Planes. Good Idea?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP via Getty Images Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP via Getty Images
Each week, we answer "frequently asked questions" about life during the coronavirus crisis. If you have a question you'd like us to consider for a future post, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: "Weekly Coronavirus Questions."
OK, so I'd planned a flight to visit my grandkids last week because with cold weather and the flu season looming in the U.S., it seemed like late summer/early fall might be a good window of opportunity to travel.
I was nervous. Airports! Airplanes! Droplets! Aerosolized particles!
Of course I wore a mask — that's required. A friend told me she'd flown wearing a pair of disposable painters' coveralls — an ankle-length jumpsuit with full sleeves — over her clothes, then took them off and threw them away upon arrival. I've also seen photos of air travelers around the world wearing what appear to be disposable space suits.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Daniela Silver for NPR Daniela Silver for NPR
That sounded like such a good idea — another layer couldn't hurt. So after I got dressed the morning of the flight, I put on a pair of disposable paper coveralls. I felt as if I were suiting up to go into battle and was very happy to remove and toss that extra layer at my destination — a gesture that symbolically indicated at least one risky part of our trip was behind us.
But then I wondered — how much protection did I get?
Spoiler alert: Not much.
I put that question to Dr. Abraar Karan of Harvard Medical School. Here's what he said.
"While fomites are thought to play some role, we don't know to what extent they do," he began.
Let me interrupt to offer a definition of "fomite," one of the many excellent potential Scrabble words that I've learned during this pandemic. A fomite is a nonliving object that has been contaminated with viral particles that could, in theory, be transferred to your hands if you touch it — virus that could infect you if you then bring your hands to your eyes, nose or mouth. (Although if you wash your hands, that gets rid of the risk.)
Karan continued: "This virus is likely spread primarily through the air, as opposed to other viruses, like Ebola, which are spread through a number of bodily fluids. In theory, if someone sneezed directly onto your clothing, and you soon after touched that and transferred it to your mouth, it seems hypothetically plausible that transmission could occur. But, this is an extremely rare and unlikely situation — I wouldn't focus on clothing as your primary means of protection."
Now, it's true that your clothing could, theoretically, pick up viral particles because you'd inadvertently had contact with a high-touch surface, like a countertop, chair, handrail or the like. There are a lot of such surfaces in airports.
Charlotte Baker, professor of epidemiology at Virginia Tech, says that's why she makes it a practice after a flight to change her clothes when she gets to her ultimate destination. After carefully changing into a fresh outfit, she puts the clothes she wore on the plane into a sealed plastic bag — to keep them separate from the rest of her stuff.
Wearing disposable coveralls would get rid of the need to change, she says — but adds that wear-and-toss clothing isn't so good from an environmental standpoint.
Karan and Baker both stress that whatever clothing you wear will never outweigh the protective benefits of face masks and frequent hand-sanitizing. And that's a growing concern about airborne transmission (which masks can block) — and the role it might play on planes.
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Protection looks at multiple cases of transmission on flights at a time when passengers did not commonly wear face masks. The study notes: "This finding also concurs with transmission patterns observed for influenza virus and is generally in line with the mounting evidence that airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is a major yet underrecognized transmission route." And sounds a cautionary note: "[L]ong flights not only can lead to importation of COVID-19 cases but also can provide conditions for superspreader events."
So not only are masks critical, but you might want to keep a spare mask or two at the ready for a long journey, Baker suggests, in the event you drop your mask or inadvertently touch the front of your mask a few times during the trip, say if you take it off to eat and drink.
Covering your eyes should also be a consideration, since the viral particles in the air can infect you through the eyes (although not as easily as through the nostrils or mouth).
That brings us to lab goggles and plastic face shields. Goggles provide a tighter seal than face shield (although the shield does offer another layer of protection over the nose and mouth and would likely discourage you from fiddling with your mask, and contaminating it). Then again, I found it challenging to read while staring through a piece of plastic.
Swimmer's goggles would be super — but kind of weird-looking, perhaps? Then again, no one on my flight or in the airport said anything about my disposable coveralls!
As for plastic or latex gloves, which some travelers wear, the consensus is that they're really not much help. Any potential viral particles that would cling to your hands will, in fact, cling to your gloves. So you still shouldn't bring hands to your face, even if they're gloved. And there's a risk of contaminating your hands when you remove potentially contaminated gloves. Health workers, in contrast, might be deriving benefit from their routine use of gloves since they're in a high risk situation and have protocols for glove removal and quick hand-washing afterward.
Meanwhile, another accessory might prove helpful during this pandemic — but for when you're at home rather than traveling. Linsey Marr, a professor of engineering at Virginia Tech, is a fan of blankets. Not to wrap around yourself when you're out and about but as a way to continue the summer practice of outdoor socializing from a safe distance. Wrapping yourself in a blanket can let you keep up outdoor meetings in brisker weather! (A fire pit might help, too.)
Or maybe, as the days get chillier, you'll invite someone over for an outside get-together, says Marr. (Outdoors is preferable to indoors in terms of risk because the air flow dilutes the virus and disrupts the flow of any viral particles into your mouth, nose or eyes.) Then you'll hand a blanket to your suitably masked guest to wrap around their shoulders for warmth.
If you do that, the recommendation is to wash that blanket and your own afterward — or keep them away from humans for 3 days — to make sure the fabric doesn't transfer any stray viral particles from a wayward cough or sneeze or your conversation. Or you could make the get-together a BYOB affair — bring your own blanket.


npr--2020-09-18--Trump Administration Announces Nearly $13 Billion In Aid For Puerto Rico

Trump Administration Announces Nearly $ 13 Billion In Aid For Puerto Rico Puerto Rico is being promised nearly $ 13 billion in federal disaster funding to repair its electrical and education infrastructure three years after Hurricane Maria 's devastation and six weeks before the presidential election .
The Federal Emergency Management Agency plans to award two separate grants to help rebuild Puerto Rico 's electrical grid system and educational facilities , the White House announced Friday .
`` Today 's grant announcements represent some of the largest awards in FEMA 's history for any single disaster recovery event and demonstrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help rebuild the territory and support the citizens of Puerto Rico and their recovery goals , '' the White House statement said .
Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm in September 2017 , killing at least 3,000 residents and essentially destroying an electrical system that was already unreliable .
Parts of the island remained without power for almost a year .
When asked why he had announced the plans 46 days before an election , and not in the aftermath of the devastating storm three years ago , President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 've been working on it for a long time . ''
The White House said $ 9.6 billion in federal funding will help the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority `` repair and replace thousands of miles of transmission and distribution lines , electrical substations , power generation systems [ and ] office buildings , '' and make other improvements to the grid .
An additional $ 2 billion grant to Puerto Rico 's Department of Education will go toward restoring school buildings and other educational facilities .
Officials in Puerto Rico have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Maria 's aftermath , including by allowing charter schools , despite backlash from teachers .
`` Our schools and our electrical system require priority attention , particularly after the natural events that Puerto Rico has experienced during the past three years , '' Puerto Rico Gov .
Wanda Vázquez said , adding that the funds will go toward services essential to the public .
Vázquez also said that the funding is thanks to the work of , and good relations with , the White House and Trump .
Congress originally allocated the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been held up as local and federal governments wrangled over how much repairs would cost and what kind of controls would be placed on spending .
In August 2019 , the Department of Housing and Urban Development placed restrictions on the flow of aid to Puerto Rico .
But it also announced the release of billions of dollars to certain states hit by natural disasters , drawing criticism for being stricter toward Puerto Rico than other jurisdictions .
The administration has cited concerns about alleged `` mismanagement and corruption '' in Puerto Rico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earlier this year , HUD released its hold on more than $ 8 billion in aid , which was supposed to reach the island in September 2019 .
Recovery efforts following hurricanes Maria and Irma have been slow in Puerto Rico , and the Trump administration has faced criticism over its response .
In 2018 , an internal FEMA report found that the agency failed to prepare properly for the previous year 's hurricane season and did not adequately support the affected regions .
Trump has disputed the number of hurricane-related deaths on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's response to Maria `` an incredible , unsung success . ''
On Friday , Democratic lawmakers raised questions about the timing of the funding announcement .
Both Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden are courting the Latino vote in Florida , a major swing state .
During a visit to Florida this week , Biden focused outreach efforts on the Puerto Rican community and announced a plan to assist with the island 's recovery from economic challenges as well as natural disasters .
Rep. Nydia Velázquez , D-N.Y. , pointed out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allocate necessary funds until just before the election .
`` While I certainly hope to see this money put to good use making Puerto Rico 's electrical system more resilient , these delays are unacceptable , and it is insulting to Puerto Ricans everywhere that the Administration is so blatantly playing politics with this aid , '' she said .
Rep. Raúl Grijalva , D-Ariz. , chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources , said in a statement that the delay in disaster aid for infrastructure rebuilding will have long-term economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talks about Puerto Rico like an unwanted colony full of people he thinks are dirty and not worth helping , '' Grijalva said .
`` It will take years for Puerto Rico to repair the unnecessary harm this president and his incompetent assistants have caused the Puerto Rican people , and they wo n't forget it . ''

Trump Administration Announces Nearly $13 Billion In Aid For Puerto Rico
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ramon Espinosa/AP Ramon Espinosa/AP
Puerto Rico is being promised nearly $13 billion in federal disaster funding to repair its electrical and education infrastructure three years after Hurricane Maria's devastation and six weeks before the presidential election.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency plans to award two separate grants to help rebuild Puerto Rico's electrical grid system and educational facilities, the White House announced Friday.
"Today's grant announcements represent some of the largest awards in FEMA's history for any single disaster recovery event and demonstrate the Federal Government's continuing commitment to help rebuild the territory and support the citizens of Puerto Rico and their recovery goals," the White House statement said.
Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm in September 2017, killing at least 3,000 residents and essentially destroying an electrical system that was already unreliable. Parts of the island remained without power for almost a year.
When asked why he had announced the plans 46 days before an election, and not in the aftermath of the devastating storm three years ago, President Trump blamed Democrats and said, "We've been working on it for a long time."
The White House said $9.6 billion in federal funding will help the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority "repair and replace thousands of miles of transmission and distribution lines, electrical substations, power generation systems [and] office buildings," and make other improvements to the grid.
An additional $2 billion grant to Puerto Rico's Department of Education will go toward restoring school buildings and other educational facilities. Officials in Puerto Rico have sought to overhaul the public school system in Maria's aftermath, including by allowing charter schools, despite backlash from teachers.
"Our schools and our electrical system require priority attention, particularly after the natural events that Puerto Rico has experienced during the past three years," Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez said, adding that the funds will go toward services essential to the public.
Vázquez also said that the funding is thanks to the work of, and good relations with, the White House and Trump.
Congress originally allocated the aid in 2018, but it has been held up as local and federal governments wrangled over how much repairs would cost and what kind of controls would be placed on spending.
In August 2019, the Department of Housing and Urban Development placed restrictions on the flow of aid to Puerto Rico. But it also announced the release of billions of dollars to certain states hit by natural disasters, drawing criticism for being stricter toward Puerto Rico than other jurisdictions.
The administration has cited concerns about alleged "mismanagement and corruption" in Puerto Rico as the reason for the holdup.
Earlier this year, HUD released its hold on more than $8 billion in aid, which was supposed to reach the island in September 2019.
Recovery efforts following hurricanes Maria and Irma have been slow in Puerto Rico, and the Trump administration has faced criticism over its response. In 2018, an internal FEMA report found that the agency failed to prepare properly for the previous year's hurricane season and did not adequately support the affected regions.
Trump has disputed the number of hurricane-related deaths on the island and called the federal government's response to Maria "an incredible, unsung success."
On Friday, Democratic lawmakers raised questions about the timing of the funding announcement. Both Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden are courting the Latino vote in Florida, a major swing state.
During a visit to Florida this week, Biden focused outreach efforts on the Puerto Rican community and announced a plan to assist with the island's recovery from economic challenges as well as natural disasters.
Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., pointed out in a statement that the Trump administration waited to allocate necessary funds until just before the election.
"While I certainly hope to see this money put to good use making Puerto Rico's electrical system more resilient, these delays are unacceptable, and it is insulting to Puerto Ricans everywhere that the Administration is so blatantly playing politics with this aid," she said.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, said in a statement that the delay in disaster aid for infrastructure rebuilding will have long-term economic and political consequences.
"President Trump talks about Puerto Rico like an unwanted colony full of people he thinks are dirty and not worth helping," Grijalva said. "It will take years for Puerto Rico to repair the unnecessary harm this president and his incompetent assistants have caused the Puerto Rican people, and they won't forget it."


npr--2020-09-18--So 2020: New Storm Forms, Named Alpha Because We've Run Out Of Letters

So 2020 : New Storm Forms , Named Alpha Because We 've Run Out Of Letters Hurricane season , like many other aspects of life , has reached peak 2020 .
When Tropical Storm Wilfred and Subtropical Storm Alpha formed on Friday , they became the 21st and 22nd named storms of the season .
Not long after them , weather forecasters spotted Tropical Storm Beta .
Put another way , this marks just the second time in history that forecasters have had to resort to the Greek alphabet because available storm names have been exhausted .
The World Meteorological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storm names , listed alphabetically from A to W ( there are no Q , U , X , Y or Z names because of availability ) .
There 's only been one other year – 2005 – that Greek names have been needed , where officials had to use a total of six Greek letters .
The Atlantic tropical storms have been named by National Hurricane Center since 1953 .
The names are now maintained by an international committee of the WMO .
`` Get out the Greek Alphabet for the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a late Friday morning advisory announcing Tropical Storm Wilfred had formed in the eastern Atlantic , roughly 630 miles off the coast of the Cape Verde .
In a tweet , the NHC crossed off the name Alpha since it 's now in use .
Subtropical Storm Alpha has formed off the coast of Portugal and is expected to be short-lived but bring heavy winds and rain to that country .
Another storm , currently named `` Tropical Depression Twenty-Two , '' is strengthening in the Gulf of Mexico .
It could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NHC is predicting that this system has the potential to strengthen to a tropical storm , and then a hurricane , in the coming days .
`` There is an increasing risk of heavy rainfall and flooding along the Texas coast from Sunday through at least the middle of next week , '' the NHC warned .
Storms that are particularly deadly or costly often have their storm names retired by the WMO so they 're never used again .
The rotating list of storm names is reused every six years .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not be the case with Greek-letter storms , because of their relative rarity .

So 2020: New Storm Forms, Named Alpha Because We've Run Out Of Letters
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of NOAA Courtesy of NOAA
Updated at 6:05 p.m. ET
Hurricane season, like many other aspects of life, has reached peak 2020.
When Tropical Storm Wilfred and Subtropical Storm Alpha formed on Friday, they became the 21st and 22nd named storms of the season. Not long after them, weather forecasters spotted Tropical Storm Beta.
Put another way, this marks just the second time in history that forecasters have had to resort to the Greek alphabet because available storm names have been exhausted.
The World Meteorological Organization has a list of 21 potential storm names, listed alphabetically from A to W (there are no Q, U, X, Y or Z names because of availability).
There's only been one other year — 2005 — that Greek names have been needed, where officials had to use a total of six Greek letters.
The Atlantic tropical storms have been named by National Hurricane Center since 1953. The names are now maintained by an international committee of the WMO.
"Get out the Greek Alphabet for the rest of 2020," the NHC proclaimed in a late Friday morning advisory announcing Tropical Storm Wilfred had formed in the eastern Atlantic, roughly 630 miles off the coast of the Cape Verde.
In a tweet, the NHC crossed off the name Alpha since it's now in use.
Subtropical Storm Alpha has formed off the coast of Portugal and is expected to be short-lived but bring heavy winds and rain to that country.
Another storm, currently named "Tropical Depression Twenty-Two," is strengthening in the Gulf of Mexico. It could become the next named storm. The NHC is predicting that this system has the potential to strengthen to a tropical storm, and then a hurricane, in the coming days.
"There is an increasing risk of heavy rainfall and flooding along the Texas coast from Sunday through at least the middle of next week,"the NHC warned.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of NOAA Courtesy of NOAA
Storms that are particularly deadly or costly often have their storm names retired by the WMO so they're never used again.
The rotating list of storm names is reused every six years. But this week, the WMO said that would not be the case with Greek-letter storms, because of their relative rarity.


npr--2020-09-18--Trump Now Claims 'Every American' Will Have Coronavirus Vaccine By April

Trump Now Claims 'Every American ' Will Have Coronavirus Vaccine By April President Trump on Friday said `` every American '' will have a vaccine for the coronavirus available by April , escalating already ambitious goals to fast-track a vaccine for the virus that has killed nearly 200,000 people in the United States .
He also promised more than 100 million doses available by the end of the year .
The most optimistic scenario included in a distribution plan that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Wednesday would put the number of available vaccine doses at 45 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Each person is expected to need two shots for protection against the coronavirus , so that would be enough for 22.5 million people .
During Friday 's briefing , Trump said that distribution of a vaccine will begin within 24 hours of its readiness .
`` I think distribution will go even quicker than most people think , '' he said .
The timeline for when a vaccine can reasonably be expected has been a point of contention within the federal government .
In Wednesday testimony to the Senate , CDC Director Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely would not be available for widespread distribution until next summer or fall .
Trump later that day re-upped his pledge that a vaccine could be ready as soon as October and said that Redfield , a 30-year veteran in the field of virology and infectious disease , had `` misunderstood '' and `` made a mistake '' in his assessment of a vaccine 's timing .
Operation Warp Speed , the federal government 's coronavirus vaccine initiative , has six different vaccines at various stages of clinical testing .
But challenges remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective and then authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and distributed .

Trump Now Claims 'Every American' Will Have Coronavirus Vaccine By April
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images
President Trump on Friday said "every American" will have a vaccine for the coronavirus available by April, escalating already ambitious goals to fast-track a vaccine for the virus that has killed nearly 200,000 people in the United States.
He also promised more than 100 million doses available by the end of the year. The most optimistic scenario included in a distribution plan that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Wednesday would put the number of available vaccine doses at 45 million by the end of the year. Each person is expected to need two shots for protection against the coronavirus, so that would be enough for 22.5 million people.
During Friday's briefing, Trump said that distribution of a vaccine will begin within 24 hours of its readiness.
"I think distribution will go even quicker than most people think," he said.
The timeline for when a vaccine can reasonably be expected has been a point of contention within the federal government.
In Wednesday testimony to the Senate, CDC Director Robert Redfield said a vaccine against the coronavirus likely would not be available for widespread distribution until next summer or fall.
Trump later that day re-upped his pledge that a vaccine could be ready as soon as October and said that Redfield, a 30-year veteran in the field of virology and infectious disease, had "misunderstood" and "made a mistake" in his assessment of a vaccine's timing.
Operation Warp Speed, the federal government's coronavirus vaccine initiative, has six different vaccines at various stages of clinical testing. But challenges remain in getting the vaccines proved safe and effective and then authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and distributed.
Scott Hensley contributed to this report.


npr--2020-09-18--Experimental Medicines For COVID-19 Could Help Someday, But Home Runs Not Guaranteed

Experimental Medicines For COVID-19 Could Help Someday , But Home Runs Not Guaranteed If the coronavirus vaccines currently being tested do n't pan out , do n't expect new drugs to fill the gap any time soon .
Many drugs are in the works , and those that succeed could play a role in reducing symptoms and sometimes saving lives .
But , given the way drugs are developed , it 's unlikely that any single medicine will be anywhere as potent against the coronavirus as a successful vaccine .
So far , scientists have only identified one kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives : steroids .
A key study found that the steroid dexamethasone reduced death rates among people on ventilators from 41 % to 29 % .
That 's a substantial improvement , but still far short of a cure .
The other much-touted drug to treat COVID-19 is remdesivir .
The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for this drug even though it has not been shown to save lives .
It appears to shorten hospital stays .
There 's a lot more in the pipeline .
Some drugs try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control the body 's immune system so it does n't overreact to the infection .
Another approach is to prevent the virus from causing an infection .
This week drugmaker Eli Lilly & Co. said it is making progress on its virus-blocking approach .
Its experimental product is derived from a person who had successfully fought off infection .
`` We found the one antibody in their body that was most potent , '' says Dr. Dan Skovronsky , Lilly 's chief scientific officer .
`` We engineered it in our laboratories , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it in our factory and started testing in patients '' – all within a remarkably short six-month time span .
This proof-of concept study suggests that the strategy of blocking virus with antibodies holds promise .
Inmaculada `` Inma '' Hernandez , at the University of Pittsburgh school of pharmacy , is hopeful , but she doubts that these drugs will be a game-changer .
`` These drugs are so complex to produce , probably we will not have antibodies available for treating everybody who gets coronavirus , '' she says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expensive . ''
Antibodies as a class are among the highest-priced drugs .
And Derek Lowe , a drug developer and author of a blog about the pharmaceutical industry called In the Pipeline , notes that Lilly used hefty doses of these antibodies .
The most effective dose appeared to be 2.8 grams — that 's heavier than a penny .
Making enough to treat the tens of thousands of Americans who get sick every day would require `` truckloads of antibody , '' Lowe said .
Lilly executive Skovronsky says he 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be effective .
And he notes that , unlike other treatments involving antibodies , this one would require just a single dose , which would help extend supplies and reduce the cost per patient .
`` We 're confident that this will be an affordable drug for society — for governments , '' he says .
`` Of course , our expectation would be that governments would n't pass any expenses along to patients . ''
Lilly is not the only company trying this approach .
Regeneron has a cocktail of two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A related approach , called convalescent plasma , involves transfusing blood plasma that contains antibodies .
The antibody levels are much less concentrated in the serum than in the experimental drugs .
Blocking infection could be especially important if vaccines now in development prove to be ineffective .
Even if there is a mostly effective vaccine , some people are still likely to fall ill .
So , to minimize the effects of that , many drug companies are trying to develop drugs that will tamp down the body 's overreactive immune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inflammation .
This is what the steroids do , but the hunt continues for other options .
`` The problem is inflammation and the immune system are so just ridiculously complicated , that you have to be empirical , '' says drug researcher Lowe .
`` You have to say , 'Well , that looks like a good idea , let 's go find out if it 's real . '
And a lot of the times it 's not . ''
That exploration consumes time and money , and no single drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to control the runaway immune system .
Some drugs trying this approach have already failed , such as tocilizumab and sarilumab .
Others , including Lilly 's baricitinib , are still being tested .
A true `` cure '' for COVID-19 would be a drug , or drugs , that actually knock out the coronavirus itself .
There are a few actual cures for viral diseases , including hepatitis C. HIV , which causes AIDS , can also be kept in check for many years with a drug cocktail .
But this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and finding not just one but multiple drugs that work well together is no easy task .
`` If you wanted to do that for the coronavirus , you 'd still be looking at quite a few years , '' Lowe says .
Most efforts to find curative drugs for viruses have failed .
In fact , the reality in drug development is that most ideas that look great on paper actually fail somewhere along the way .
They are either too toxic , or they simply do n't work .
Dr. Vinay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of California San Francisco and frequent critic of the drug-approval process , says even when a medication does work , it is rarely revolutionary .
`` Most of our effect sizes are modest benefits , '' he says .
`` Five percent benefits .
Two percent benefits .
One percent benefits . ''
When those drugs are combined , the benefits can add up — sometimes to quite effective therapies .
But that takes years of trial and error .
Prasad uses a baseball analogy for how he thinks coronavirus drug development might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we 're going to get singles and doubles , '' he says .
`` We might not get the home run , and we might have to rely on the core things that we know control viral spread . ''
Masks and social distancing are , in the short run at least , more potent than pills .
Skovronsky at Lilly is n't discouraged , though .
He says a cure usually does n't require any medicine .
`` The truth is that for most people who get COVID-19 probably they cure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary task for drug developers is to find medicines effective for the 5 % to 10 % of people who get seriously ill. You can reach NPR Science Correspondent Richard Harris at rharris @ npr.org .

Experimental Medicines For COVID-19 Could Help Someday, But Home Runs Not Guaranteed
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
If the coronavirus vaccines currently being tested don't pan out, don't expect new drugs to fill the gap any time soon.
Many drugs are in the works, and those that succeed could play a role in reducing symptoms and sometimes saving lives. But, given the way drugs are developed, it's unlikely that any single medicine will be anywhere as potent against the coronavirus as a successful vaccine.
So far, scientists have only identified one kind of drug that has been shown to save lives: steroids. A key study found that the steroid dexamethasone reduced death rates among people on ventilators from 41% to 29%. That's a substantial improvement, but still far short of a cure.
The other much-touted drug to treat COVID-19 is remdesivir. The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for this drug even though it has not been shown to save lives. It appears to shorten hospital stays.
There's a lot more in the pipeline. Some drugs try to destroy the virus. Others try to control the body's immune system so it doesn't overreact to the infection. Another approach is to prevent the virus from causing an infection.
This week drugmaker Eli Lilly & Co. said it is making progress on its virus-blocking approach. Its experimental product is derived from a person who had successfully fought off infection.
"We found the one antibody in their body that was most potent," says Dr. Dan Skovronsky, Lilly's chief scientific officer. "We engineered it in our laboratories, turned it into a medicine, made it in our factory and started testing in patients" – all within a remarkably short six-month time span.
This proof-of concept study suggests that the strategy of blocking virus with antibodies holds promise. Inmaculada "Inma" Hernandez, at the University of Pittsburgh school of pharmacy, is hopeful, but she doubts that these drugs will be a game-changer.
"These drugs are so complex to produce, probably we will not have antibodies available for treating everybody who gets coronavirus," she says. "They're probably going to be considerably expensive."
Antibodies as a class are among the highest-priced drugs. And Derek Lowe, a drug developer and author of a blog about the pharmaceutical industry called In the Pipeline, notes that Lilly used hefty doses of these antibodies. The most effective dose appeared to be 2.8 grams — that's heavier than a penny. Making enough to treat the tens of thousands of Americans who get sick every day would require "truckloads of antibody," Lowe said.
Lilly executive Skovronsky says he's hopeful a dose one-fourth of that amount will be effective. And he notes that, unlike other treatments involving antibodies, this one would require just a single dose, which would help extend supplies and reduce the cost per patient.
"We're confident that this will be an affordable drug for society — for governments," he says. "Of course, our expectation would be that governments wouldn't pass any expenses along to patients."
Lilly is not the only company trying this approach. Regeneron has a cocktail of two potent antibodies that it is now testing. A related approach, called convalescent plasma, involves transfusing blood plasma that contains antibodies. The antibody levels are much less concentrated in the serum than in the experimental drugs.
Blocking infection could be especially important if vaccines now in development prove to be ineffective. Even if there is a mostly effective vaccine, some people are still likely to fall ill. So, to minimize the effects of that, many drug companies are trying to develop drugs that will tamp down the body's overreactive immune system. That leads to potentially deadly inflammation. This is what the steroids do, but the hunt continues for other options.
"The problem is inflammation and the immune system are so just ridiculously complicated, that you have to be empirical," says drug researcher Lowe. "You have to say, 'Well, that looks like a good idea, let's go find out if it's real.' And a lot of the times it's not." That exploration consumes time and money, and no single drug is likely to do everything that's needed to control the runaway immune system.
Some drugs trying this approach have already failed, such as tocilizumab and sarilumab. Others, including Lilly's baricitinib, are still being tested.
A true "cure" for COVID-19 would be a drug, or drugs, that actually knock out the coronavirus itself. There are a few actual cures for viral diseases, including hepatitis C. HIV, which causes AIDS, can also be kept in check for many years with a drug cocktail. But this approach requires a combination of drugs, and finding not just one but multiple drugs that work well together is no easy task. "If you wanted to do that for the coronavirus, you'd still be looking at quite a few years," Lowe says.
Most efforts to find curative drugs for viruses have failed. In fact, the reality in drug development is that most ideas that look great on paper actually fail somewhere along the way. They are either too toxic, or they simply don't work.
Dr. Vinay Prasad, a cancer researcher at University of California San Francisco and frequent critic of the drug-approval process, says even when a medication does work, it is rarely revolutionary.
"Most of our effect sizes are modest benefits," he says. "Five percent benefits. Two percent benefits. One percent benefits."
When those drugs are combined, the benefits can add up — sometimes to quite effective therapies. But that takes years of trial and error. Prasad uses a baseball analogy for how he thinks coronavirus drug development might play out.
"It's possible that we're going to get singles and doubles," he says. "We might not get the home run, and we might have to rely on the core things that we know control viral spread."
Masks and social distancing are, in the short run at least, more potent than pills.
Skovronsky at Lilly isn't discouraged, though. He says a cure usually doesn't require any medicine.
"The truth is that for most people who get COVID-19 probably they cure themselves," he says. The primary task for drug developers is to find medicines effective for the 5% to 10% of people who get seriously ill.
You can reach NPR Science Correspondent Richard Harris at rharris@npr.org.


npr--2020-09-18--Here Are The 50 Books Nominated for 2020 National Book Awards

Here Are The 50 Books Nominated for 2020 National Book Awards Perhaps you 're an avid reader — or you 're just stuck at home and suddenly have more time to read .
Either way , if you 're looking for reading recommendations , why not start with one of the 50 works contending for a National Book Award ?
The National Book Foundation released its annual book award longlists over the past few days , ending with fiction on Friday , featuring work from seasoned and debut writers alike , as well as a collection of short stories from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are 10 nominees in each of five categories — fiction , nonfiction , poetry , translated literature and young people 's literature .
The finalists will be whittled from this list and announced Oct. 6 .
The winners , typically announced at a live ceremony in New York City , will be revealed in a virtual event on Nov. 18 .
At the ceremony , the National Book Foundation will also present American novelist Walter Mosley with a medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters .
The two debut fiction novel nominees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart , which was also named to the shortlist for the Booker Prize on Tuesday .
Also in the running are two short story collections — If I Had Two Wings by Randall Kenan , who died in August at age 57 , and The Secret Lives of Church Ladies , the debut collection from Deesha Philyaw .
In nonfiction , Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson is nominated for the prize with her book Caste : The Origins of Our Discontents .
Historian Jill Lepore is a repeat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then .
The 10 poets on this year 's poetry longlist are all first-time contenders for the National Book Awards , with work from two debut authors : Fantasia for the Man in Blue by Tommye Blount , and Borderland Apocrypha by Anthony Cody .
View the nominees for each of the five categories below .
• Randall Kenan , If I Had Two Wings • Michelle Bowdler , Is Rape a Crime ?
: A Memoir , an Investigation , and a Manifesto • Jill Lepore , If Then : How the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Payne and Tamara Payne , The Dead Are Arising : The Life of Malcolm X • Claudio Saunt , Unworthy Republic : The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory • Jonathan C. Slaght , Owls of the Eastern Ice : A Quest to Find and Save the World 's Largest Owl • Jerald Walker , How to Make a Slave and Other Essays • Isabel Wilkerson , Caste : The Origins of Our Discontents • Tommye Blount , Fantasia for the Man in Blue • Shokoofeh Azar , The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Persian by Anonymous .
• Linda Boström Knausgård , The Helios Disaster .
Translated from the Swedish by Rachel Willson-Broyles .
• Anja Kampmann , High as the Waters Rise .
Translated from the German by Anne Posten .
• Jonas Hassen Khemiri , The Family Clause .
Translated from the Swedish by Alice Menzies .
• Fernanda Melchor , Hurricane Season .
Translated from the Spanish by Sophie Hughes .
• Yu Miri , Tokyo Ueno Station .
Translated from the Japanese by Morgan Giles .
• Perumal Murugan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Tamil by N. Kalyan Raman • Cho Nam-Joo , Kim Jiyoung , Born 1982 .
Translated from the Korean by Jamie Chang .
• Pilar Quintana , The Bitch .
Translated from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman .
• Adania Shibli , Minor Detail .
Translated from the Arabic by Elisabeth Jaquette .
• Traci Chee , We Are Not Free • Evette Dionne , Lifting as We Climb : Black Women 's Battle for the Ballot Box • Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed , When Stars Are Scattered • John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moon : The People , Technology , and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity 's Greatest Adventure

Here Are The 50 Books Nominated for 2020 National Book Awards
Enlarge this image toggle caption Pornsawan Sangmanee / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm Pornsawan Sangmanee / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm
Perhaps you're an avid reader — or you're just stuck at home and suddenly have more time to read. Either way, if you're looking for reading recommendations, why not start with one of the 50 works contending for a National Book Award?
The National Book Foundation released its annual book award longlists over the past few days, ending with fiction on Friday, featuring work from seasoned and debut writers alike, as well as a collection of short stories from an author who died last month.
There are 10 nominees in each of five categories — fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature and young people's literature. The finalists will be whittled from this list and announced Oct. 6.
The winners, typically announced at a live ceremony in New York City, will be revealed in a virtual event on Nov. 18. At the ceremony, the National Book Foundation will also present American novelist Walter Mosley with a medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
The two debut fiction novel nominees are A Burning by Megha Majumdar, and Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, which was also named to the shortlist for the Booker Prize on Tuesday. Also in the running are two short story collections — If I Had Two Wings by Randall Kenan, who died in August at age 57, and The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, the debut collection from Deesha Philyaw.
In nonfiction, Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson is nominated for the prize with her book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Historian Jill Lepore is a repeat nominee, with her new book If Then.
The 10 poets on this year's poetry longlist are all first-time contenders for the National Book Awards, with work from two debut authors: Fantasia for the Man in Blue by Tommye Blount, and Borderland Apocrypha by Anthony Cody.
View the nominees for each of the five categories below.
Fiction
Nonfiction
Poetry
Translated Literature
Young People's Literature
Fiction
Rumaan Alam, Leave the World Behind
Christopher Beha, The Index of Self-Destructive Acts
Brit Bennett, The Vanishing Half
Randall Kenan, If I Had Two Wings
Megha Majumdar, A Burning
Lydia Millet, A Children's Bible
Deesha Philyaw, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
Vanessa Veselka, The Great Offshore Grounds
Charles Yu, Interior Chinatown
Nonfiction
Michelle Bowdler, Is Rape a Crime?: A Memoir, an Investigation, and a Manifesto
Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, The Undocumented Americans
Jill Lepore, If Then: How the Simulmatics Corporation Invented the Future
Les Payne and Tamara Payne, The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X
Claudio Saunt, Unworthy Republic: The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory
Jenn Shapland, My Autobiography of Carson McCullers
Jonathan C. Slaght, Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl
Jerald Walker, How to Make a Slave and Other Essays
Frank B. Wilderson III, Afropessimism
Isabel Wilkerson, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Poetry
Rick Barot, The Galleons
Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, A Treatise on Stars
Lillian-Yvonne Bertram, Travesty Generator
Tommye Blount, Fantasia for the Man in Blue
Victoria Chang, Obit
Don Mee Choi, DMZ Colony
Anthony Cody, Borderland Apocrypha
Eduardo C. Corral, Guillotine
Natalie Diaz, Postcolonial Love Poem
Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, The Age of Phillis
Translated Literature
Shokoofeh Azar, The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree. Translated from the Persian by Anonymous.
Linda Boström Knausgård, The Helios Disaster. Translated from the Swedish by Rachel Willson-Broyles.
Anja Kampmann, High as the Waters Rise. Translated from the German by Anne Posten.
Jonas Hassen Khemiri, The Family Clause. Translated from the Swedish by Alice Menzies.
Fernanda Melchor, Hurricane Season. Translated from the Spanish by Sophie Hughes.
Yu Miri, Tokyo Ueno Station. Translated from the Japanese by Morgan Giles.
Perumal Murugan, The Story of a Goat. Translated from the Tamil by N. Kalyan Raman
Cho Nam-Joo, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982. Translated from the Korean by Jamie Chang.
Pilar Quintana, The Bitch. Translated from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman.
Adania Shibli, Minor Detail. Translated from the Arabic by Elisabeth Jaquette.
Young People's Literature