npr--2020-03-26--Don't Dash For Cash: Authorities Say There's No Need To Empty The ATM

Do n't Dash For Cash : Authorities Say There 's No Need To Empty The ATM Toilet tissue is n't the only paper product that Americans are hoarding these days .
Paper money is also in high demand .
Banks are seeing more cash withdrawals as nervous customers try to protect themselves from the uncertainty of the coronavirus clampdown .
There are reports — especially from wealthy neighborhoods — of people pulling tens of thousands of dollars out of their bank accounts .
Demand was so high that one bank branch in Midtown Manhattan temporarily ran out of $ 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The bank was quickly resupplied the following day .
While stocking your pantry with pasta and canned goods may provide some measure of security , officials say there are risks to keeping too much cash on hand .
`` Forget the mattress .
Forget hoarding cash .
Your money is the safest at the bank , '' said Jelena McWilliams , chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. , which safeguards bank accounts .
McWilliams understands the anxiety that the coronavirus provokes .
She 'll confess to making her own panicked grocery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bank regulator says there 's no need for customers to empty the ATM .
`` Just as it is not necessarily rational to hoard toilet paper , it is also not rational to hoard cash , '' McWilliams said .
Some banks have limited hours or even closed branches out of concern for their workers ' health .
But ATMs are still operating and getting frequent cash deliveries from armored trucks .
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin noted this week that armored truck drivers and others who work in financial services are considered essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Because that infrastructure is still functioning , financial advisers say the race to grab cash is misguided .
`` This is not a natural disaster like a hurricane or an earthquake where the electricity is out , '' said Greg McBride , chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com .
`` This is the opposite in many ways , in that , if you 're holed up at home , having a pile of cash is n't going to do you a whole lot of good . ''
McBride said homebound customers are better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so they can pay their mortgage and credit card bills online .
It also relieves any worry about loss or theft .
Before the coronavirus hit , Americans were steadily moving away from cash and increasingly relying on credit cards , debit cards and new forms of digital payment .
`` Even person-to-person payments , that 's increasingly done through apps like Venmo or Zelle and not by reaching into your pocketbook , pulling out some green stuff and handing it to your colleague , '' McBride said .
Of course , millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and may have to rely on cash .
Some have suggested that handling paper money may increase your chances of getting or passing on the coronavirus , although there 's little scientific consensus on that .
In some cases , people 's rush to pull money out of the bank has been stoked by scam artists .
The FDIC warned a California gold dealer last week to stop advertising its products with the false claim that consumer bank accounts could be seized in a time of crisis .
`` That is absolutely false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's patently false .
And frankly it 's criminal in my opinion . ''
The nation 's banks came into this crisis in strong financial shape .
Even if a bank were to fail , deposits are insured up to $ 250,000 per account .
`` Nobody has ever lost any money guaranteed that 's been protected by federal deposit insurance , '' McBride said .
`` I think that 's a point worth underscoring to consumers that are unsettled enough by the events going on from a health standpoint . ''

Don't Dash For Cash: Authorities Say There's No Need To Empty The ATM
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mario Tama/Getty Images Mario Tama/Getty Images
Toilet tissue isn't the only paper product that Americans are hoarding these days. Paper money is also in high demand.
Banks are seeing more cash withdrawals as nervous customers try to protect themselves from the uncertainty of the coronavirus clampdown.
There are reports — especially from wealthy neighborhoods — of people pulling tens of thousands of dollars out of their bank accounts. Demand was so high that one bank branch in Midtown Manhattan temporarily ran out of $100 bills, The New York Times reported. The bank was quickly resupplied the following day.
While stocking your pantry with pasta and canned goods may provide some measure of security, officials say there are risks to keeping too much cash on hand.
"Forget the mattress. Forget hoarding cash. Your money is the safest at the bank," said Jelena McWilliams, chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which safeguards bank accounts.
McWilliams understands the anxiety that the coronavirus provokes. She'll confess to making her own panicked grocery run to Costco. But the federal bank regulator says there's no need for customers to empty the ATM.
"Just as it is not necessarily rational to hoard toilet paper, it is also not rational to hoard cash," McWilliams said.
Some banks have limited hours or even closed branches out of concern for their workers' health. But ATMs are still operating and getting frequent cash deliveries from armored trucks. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin noted this week that armored truck drivers and others who work in financial services are considered essential parts of the nation's critical infrastructure.
Because that infrastructure is still functioning, financial advisers say the race to grab cash is misguided.
"This is not a natural disaster like a hurricane or an earthquake where the electricity is out," said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com. "This is the opposite in many ways, in that, if you're holed up at home, having a pile of cash isn't going to do you a whole lot of good."
McBride said homebound customers are better off leaving their money in the bank so they can pay their mortgage and credit card bills online. It also relieves any worry about loss or theft.
Before the coronavirus hit, Americans were steadily moving away from cash and increasingly relying on credit cards, debit cards and new forms of digital payment.
"Even person-to-person payments, that's increasingly done through apps like Venmo or Zelle and not by reaching into your pocketbook, pulling out some green stuff and handing it to your colleague," McBride said.
Of course, millions of Americans don't have bank accounts and may have to rely on cash. Some have suggested that handling paper money may increase your chances of getting or passing on the coronavirus, although there's little scientific consensus on that.
In some cases, people's rush to pull money out of the bank has been stoked by scam artists. The FDIC warned a California gold dealer last week to stop advertising its products with the false claim that consumer bank accounts could be seized in a time of crisis.
"That is absolutely false," McWilliams said. "It's patently false. And frankly it's criminal in my opinion."
The nation's banks came into this crisis in strong financial shape. Even if a bank were to fail, deposits are insured up to $250,000 per depositor per institution.
"Nobody has ever lost any money guaranteed that's been protected by federal deposit insurance," McBride said. "I think that's a point worth underscoring to consumers that are unsettled enough by the events going on from a health standpoint."


npr--2020-03-26--Trump's New Chief Of Staff Not Yet Fully On The Job Amid Coronavirus Crisis

Trump 's New Chief Of Staff Not Yet Fully On The Job Amid Coronavirus Crisis The coronavirus crisis was gaining steam when President Trump announced via tweet on a Friday night that he was replacing his acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney with North Carolina congressman and frequent confidante Mark Meadows .
Nearly three weeks later , Meadows is still transitioning into his new job and has n't yet resigned from Congress .
He may have been inside the room at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday for White House negotiations with senators on the $ 2 trillion coronavirus rescue package @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in his old job .
`` I 'm still a member of Congress , '' Meadows told a reporter as he left the room .
`` Mick Mulvaney is still the acting chief , officially . ''
It 's a precarious time for the White House to be between chiefs of staff , given that Trump is grappling with a public health crisis that threatens millions of Americans , testing his presidency just ahead of the November presidential election .
And complicating matters , both Meadows and Mulvaney have briefly each been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the virus .
Meadows has n't voted on any bills since Trump named him chief of staff , including a previous multi-billion dollar coronavirus package .
An aide says Meadows plans to resign from Congress around the end of March .
The constitution prohibits someone from serving in Congress and the executive branch at the same time .
But Meadows has been at the White House , in and out of meetings .
And Mulvaney is there , too .
Over the course of this lengthy transition , the number of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few hundred to more than 60,000 .
And Trump has gone from endorsing a `` 15 Days To Slow The Spread '' campaign to questioning whether his administration 's response to the coronavirus epidemic is causing too much economic damage .
In a traditional White House , these sorts of decisions would be guided by a chief of staff , but there 's little indication that is happening now .
Trump has burned through chiefs of staff at a record pace in his three years in office .
The first , Reince @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tame the competing power centers Trump set up , was fired in the summer of 2017 .
He was replaced by John Kelly , who attempted to bring a general 's discipline to the chaotic Trump White House .
But Kelly made political missteps and his efforts at control wore on Trump , who over time found ways to undermine Kelly 's authority .
Mulvaney , who replaced Kelly on an interim basis , lasted more than a year but never got the `` acting '' removed from his title .
He took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump '' approach , but eventually Trump soured on him too .
It 's not clear yet how Meadows intends to run the White House , a notoriously difficult job even without a global pandemic .
People who know Meadows say he may be better positioned to succeed than Trump 's first three chiefs of staff .
`` Mark has a really good grasp of who the president is , how the president operates , '' said Jay Sekulow , one of Trump 's personal attorneys , who worked with Meadows on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being named chief of staff , Meadows was advising Trump .
They talked on the phone all the time .
And Sekulow says Trump trusts him .
`` I feel that he will avoid any of the problem areas and that he will not interfere with the president 's operating style , which is important , '' Sekulow said .
Trump and Meadows are close now , but they got off to something of a rocky start .
Meadows did n't endorse him in 2016 , though his wife Debbie campaigned for Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he riffs about Meadows in speeches .
`` His wife I actually like better than him , to be honest , '' Trump said at a victory rally of sorts in the East Room of the White House after his impeachment acquittal .
`` He does n't know that I know that he did n't actually support me right from the beginning , but she did .
And on my worst day — right ?
— on my worst day , my worst — I wo n't tell you why it was my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those good days — she got on a bus , got many other buses and women all over North Carolina , and they toured North Carolina . ''
Debbie Meadows was part of a group of women who campaigned for Trump in 2016 right after lewd comments he made on a hot mic ahead of an Access Hollywood interview became public — footage that nearly destroyed Trump 's candidacy .
Just a couple of months into Trump 's presidency , Meadows — and the House Freedom Caucus he led — handed Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act .
`` I am still a 'no ' at this time , '' Meadows told reporters in March 2017 .
`` I am desperately trying to get to yes .
And I think the president knows that .
I told him that personally . ''
Without Meadows and his fellow hard-liners , the bill had to be pulled without a vote , to avoid an embarrassing defeat .
The House eventually passed a bill that Meadows helped negotiate , but it failed in the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party 's leaders was familiar territory by that point .
In 2015 , he used an obscure House procedure , known as a `` motion to vacate the chair , '' to send a signal to then-House Speaker John Boehner that he wanted him gone .
Georgia Congressman Jody Hice , who considers Meadows a friend , says a lot of people urged him not to do it , including members of the Freedom Caucus .
`` But Mark knew that was in the rules and he said it 's in the rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hice .
`` Of course , the rest is history .
That really put him on the map in terms of people understanding that he knew the rules , knew how to play and he had the courage to step up when things needed to be done . ''
Meadows ' motion did n't go anywhere .
That kind of move could have ended his political career .
Instead , it was Boehner who announced his retirement two months later .
House GOP whip Steve Scalise , who was part of Boehner 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has nothing but praise for Meadows .
`` You know , Mark 's been in these positions where he 'll call the president with a recommendation or an idea , and the president sometimes might take it and sometimes might not , but then they 're able to move forward after that , '' Scalise said , adding that he thinks Trump wants advisers who can be honest with him .
Meadows is also known for having strong relationships with Democrats .
He was close with the late Maryland Democrat and Oversight Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he spoke at the congressman 's funeral .
While Cummings was alive , Meadows came to his defense when Trump went after him on Twitter and trashed the city of Baltimore as a `` disgusting , rat and rodent infested mess . ''
California Democrat Ro Khanna said he figures there are at least 20 Democrats Meadows could call up at any time , which could prove useful if more bipartisan talks are needed on coronavirus aid .
Khanna worked with Meadows on a bipartisan war powers resolution that Trump ultimately vetoed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is willing to stand up to Trump .
`` My hope is , Mark Meadows is a person of stature and substance and he 's not going to be a 'yes-man ' , '' said Khanna .
`` I think he is somebody who will have the ability to share a candid perspective with the president .
I know he has . ''
But another Democratic congressman who has worked well with Meadows , Gerry Connolly from Virginia , thinks the dynamic could change when Meadows is an aide rather than an outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` How do you now undertake this new role that requires very different skills and a very different role for you , if you do your job ? ''
Connolly said .
`` The country kind of depends on it , and that 's an open question . ''

Trump's New Chief Of Staff Not Yet Fully On The Job Amid Coronavirus Crisis
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP
The coronavirus crisis was gaining steam when President Trump announced via tweet on a Friday night that he was replacing his acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, with North Carolina congressman and frequent confidante Mark Meadows.
Nearly three weeks later, Meadows is still transitioning into his new job and hasn't yet resigned from Congress.
He may have been inside the room at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday for White House negotiations with senators on the $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package — but he still had one foot back in his old job.
"I'm still a member of Congress," Meadows told a reporter as he left the room. "Mick Mulvaney is still the acting chief, officially."
It's a precarious time for the White House to be between chiefs of staff, given that Trump is grappling with a public health crisis that threatens millions of Americans, testing his presidency just ahead of the November presidential election.
And complicating matters, both Meadows and Mulvaney have briefly each been in self quarantine due to possible exposure to the virus.
Meadows hasn't voted on any bills since Trump named him chief of staff, including a previous multibillion-dollar coronavirus package. An aide says Meadows plans to resign from Congress around the end of March.
The constitution prohibits someone from serving in Congress and the executive branch at the same time. But Meadows has been at the White House, in and out of meetings. And Mulvaney is there, too.
Over the course of this lengthy transition, the number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. has ballooned from a few hundred to more than 60,000. And Trump has gone from endorsing a "15 Days To Slow The Spread" campaign to questioning whether his administration's response to the coronavirus epidemic is causing too much economic damage. In a traditional White House, these sorts of decisions would be guided by a chief of staff, but there's little indication that is happening now.
Trump has burned through chiefs of staff at a record pace in his three years in office. The first, Reince Priebus, who was never able to tame the competing power centers Trump set up, was fired in the summer of 2017. He was replaced by John Kelly, who attempted to bring a general's discipline to the chaotic Trump White House. But Kelly made political missteps and his efforts at control wore on Trump, who over time found ways to undermine Kelly's authority. Mulvaney, who replaced Kelly on an interim basis, lasted more than a year but never got the "acting" removed from his title. He took more of a "let Trump be Trump" approach, but eventually Trump soured on him too.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Difficult job at a difficult time
It's not clear yet how Meadows intends to run the White House, a notoriously difficult job even without a global pandemic. People who know Meadows say he may be better positioned to succeed than Trump's first three chiefs of staff.
"Mark has a really good grasp of who the president is, how the president operates," said Jay Sekulow, one of Trump's personal attorneys, who worked with Meadows on the president's impeachment defense. Long before being named chief of staff, Meadows was advising Trump. They talked on the phone all the time. And Sekulow says Trump trusts him.
"I feel that he will avoid any of the problem areas and that he will not interfere with the president's operating style, which is important," Sekulow said.
Trump and Meadows are close now, but they got off to something of a rocky start. Meadows didn't endorse him in 2016, though his wife Debbie campaigned for Trump — something Trump brings up regularly as he riffs about Meadows in speeches.
"His wife I actually like better than him, to be honest," Trump said at a victory rally of sorts in the East Room of the White House after his impeachment acquittal. "He doesn't know that I know that he didn't actually support me right from the beginning, but she did. And on my worst day — right? — on my worst day, my worst — I won't tell you why it was my worst, but it was not one of those good days — she got on a bus, got many other buses and women all over North Carolina, and they toured North Carolina."
Debbie Meadows was part of a group of women who campaigned for Trump in 2016 right after lewd comments he made on a hot mic ahead of an Access Hollywood interview became public — footage that nearly destroyed Trump's candidacy.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
Rocky start with ACA bill
Just a couple of months into Trump's presidency, Meadows — and the House Freedom Caucus he led — handed Trump an early defeat on his first try at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act.
"I am still a 'no' at this time," Meadows told reporters in March 2017. "I am desperately trying to get to yes. And I think the president knows that. I told him that personally."
Without Meadows and his fellow hard-liners, the bill had to be pulled without a vote, to avoid an embarrassing defeat. The House eventually passed a bill that Meadows helped negotiate, but it failed in the Senate.
For Meadows, clashing with his party's leaders was familiar territory by that point. In 2015, he used an obscure House procedure, known as a "motion to vacate the chair," to send a signal to then-House Speaker John Boehner that he wanted him gone.
Georgia Congressman Jody Hice, who considers Meadows a friend, says a lot of people urged him not to do it, including members of the Freedom Caucus.
"But Mark knew that was in the rules and he said it's in the rules for times like this," said Hice. "Of course, the rest is history. That really put him on the map in terms of people understanding that he knew the rules, knew how to play and he had the courage to step up when things needed to be done."
Meadows' motion didn't go anywhere. That kind of move could have ended his political career. Instead, it was Boehner who announced his retirement two months later. House GOP whip Steve Scalise, who was part of Boehner's leadership team at the time, now has nothing but praise for Meadows.
"You know, Mark's been in these positions where he'll call the president with a recommendation or an idea, and the president sometimes might take it and sometimes might not, but then they're able to move forward after that," Scalise said, adding that he thinks Trump wants advisers who can be honest with him.
Meadows is also known for having strong relationships with Democrats. He was close with the late Maryland Democrat and Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, tearing up as he spoke at the congressman's funeral. While Cummings was alive, Meadows came to his defense when Trump went after him on Twitter and trashed the city of Baltimore as a "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess."
Enlarge this image toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Not a 'yes-man'
California Democrat Ro Khanna said he figures there are at least 20 Democrats Meadows could call up at any time, which could prove useful if more bipartisan talks are needed on coronavirus aid. Khanna worked with Meadows on a bipartisan war powers resolution that Trump ultimately vetoed, which Khanna takes as a sign Meadows is willing to stand up to Trump.
"My hope is, Mark Meadows is a person of stature and substance and he's not going to be a 'yes-man'," said Khanna. "I think he is somebody who will have the ability to share a candid perspective with the president. I know he has."
But another Democratic congressman who has worked well with Meadows, Gerry Connolly from Virginia, thinks the dynamic could change when Meadows is an aide rather than an outside confidante and cable TV defender of Trump.
"How do you now undertake this new role that requires very different skills and a very different role for you, if you do your job?" Connolly said. "The country kind of depends on it, and that's an open question."


npr--2020-03-26--U.S. Officials Believe Ex-FBI Agent Who Disappeared In Iran In 2007 Is Dead

U.S. Officials Believe Ex-FBI Agent Who Disappeared In Iran In 2007 Is Dead Updated at 4:50 a.m .
ET Robert Levinson , a retired FBI agent who disappeared in 2007 while on an unauthorized mission in Iran for the CIA , is now presumed dead , White House officials and his family said Wednesday .
`` We recently received information from U.S. officials that has led both them and us to conclude that our wonderful husband and father died while in Iranian custody , '' his family announced in a post on the group `` Help Bob Levinson '' on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when or how he died , only that it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic . ''
The family blamed the `` cruel , heartless actions of the Iranian regime `` for his death and said they had no idea when or if his body would be returned , calling that uncertainty `` the very definition of cruelty . ''
A spokesman for Iran 's mission to the United Nations , Alireza Miryousefi , said in a tweet , `` Iran has always maintained that its officials have no knowledge of Mr. Levinson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not in Iranian custody .
Those facts have not changed . ''
National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien , in a statement issued Wednesday evening , said that `` the investigation is ongoing '' but that the U.S. believes Levinson `` may have passed away some time ago . ''
In a tweet , Richard Grenell , the acting director of national intelligence , said he mourns for the Levinsons .
However , President Trump himself seemed less certain of Levinson 's death .
`` It 's not looking great , but I wo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
`` They have n't told us that he 's dead , but a lot of people are thinking that that 's the case , '' the president said .
Levinson disappeared on Iran 's Persian Gulf island of Kish in March 2007 while working for a group of CIA analysts on an investigation that had not been officially approved by the agency .
Levinson had retired from the FBI and was working as a private investigator .
In a 2016 interview that aired on NPR 's Morning Edition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Kish to meet with an American who had fled Iran in 1980 .
`` My dad was working as a contractor for the CIA at the time , '' Levinson said .
`` And as far as we can tell that my dad checked out of the hotel .
And according to the other man , he was approached by Iranian security forces .
So a couple weeks after that , he went missing . ''
`` The Iranian state-run Press TV reported that he was , quote , 'in the hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Levinson said .
`` So we 've been focused on that ever since . ''
The last images of Levinson taken by his unidentified captors were released in 2011 .
Late last year , amid tense relations with Tehran , the Trump administration offered $ 20 million , on top of the $ 5 million previously offered by the FBI , for information about Levinson .
At the time , Iran , in a filing to the United Nations , said : `` According to the last statement of Tehran 's Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing case in the Public Prosecution and Revolutionary Court of Tehran . ''
Iran later said the `` ongoing case '' was an investigation into his disappearance .
The Levinson family thanked FBI Director Chris Wray , CIA Director Gina Haspel , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and O'Brien for their efforts .
However , the family also called out those they said were responsible for what happened , `` including those in the U.S. government who for many years repeatedly left him behind . ''
The statement said the family would `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking justice for Levinson , `` and the Iranian regime must know we will not be going away . ''

U.S. Officials Believe Ex-FBI Agent Who Disappeared In Iran In 2007 Is Dead
Enlarge this image toggle caption Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
Updated at 4:50 a.m. ET
Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent who disappeared in 2007 while on an unauthorized mission in Iran for the CIA, is now presumed dead, White House officials and his family said Wednesday.
"We recently received information from U.S. officials that has led both them and us to conclude that our wonderful husband and father died while in Iranian custody," his family announced in a post on the group "Help Bob Levinson" on Facebook. "We don't know when or how he died, only that it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic."
The family blamed the "cruel, heartless actions of the Iranian regime " for his death and said they had no idea when or if his body would be returned, calling that uncertainty "the very definition of cruelty."
A spokesman for Iran's mission to the United Nations, Alireza Miryousefi, said in a tweet, "Iran has always maintained that its officials have no knowledge of Mr. Levinson's whereabouts, and that he is not in Iranian custody. Those facts have not changed."
National security adviser Robert O'Brien, in a statement issued Wednesday evening, said that "the investigation is ongoing" but that the U.S. believes Levinson "may have passed away some time ago."
In a tweet, Richard Grenell, the acting director of national intelligence, said he mourns for the Levinsons.
However, President Trump seemed less certain of Levinson's death. "It's not looking great, but I won't accept that he's dead," he said.
"They haven't told us that he's dead, but a lot of people are thinking that that's the case," the president said.
Levinson disappeared on Iran's Persian Gulf island of Kish in March 2007 while working for a group of CIA analysts on an investigation that had not been officially approved by the agency. Levinson had retired from the FBI and was working as a private investigator.
In a 2016 interview that aired on NPR's Morning Edition, Daniel Levinson said his father had traveled to Kish to meet with an American who had fled Iran in 1980.
"My dad was working as a contractor for the CIA at the time," Levinson said. "And as far as we can tell that my dad checked out of the hotel. And according to the other man, he was approached by Iranian security forces. So a couple weeks after that, he went missing."
"The Iranian state-run Press TV reported that he was, quote, 'in the hands of Iranian security forces,' " Levinson said. "So we've been focused on that ever since."
The last images of Levinson taken by his unidentified captors were released in 2011.
Late last year, amid tense relations with Tehran, the Trump administration offered $20 million, on top of the $5 million previously offered by the FBI, for information about Levinson.
At the time, Iran, in a filing to the United Nations, said: "According to the last statement of Tehran's Justice Department, Mr. Robert Alan Levinson has an ongoing case in the Public Prosecution and Revolutionary Court of Tehran." Iran later said the "ongoing case" was an investigation into his disappearance.
The Levinson family thanked FBI Director Christopher Wray, CIA Director Gina Haspel, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and O'Brien for their efforts.
However, the family also called out those they said were responsible for what happened, "including those in the U.S. government who for many years repeatedly left him behind."
The statement said the family would "spend the rest of our lives" seeking justice for Levinson, "and the Iranian regime must know we will not be going away."


npr--2020-03-26--Unemployment Claims Expected To Shatter Records

Updated at 7:25 a.m .
ET More than 3 million Americans are expected to have filed for unemployment benefits last week as the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the country , economic forecasters say .
That number would be well above the levels seen during the darkest days of the Great Recession , and the worst is n't over yet , they say .
The crisis has cut a giant swath through the energy , travel , transportation , hotel and restaurant sectors , with large and small companies suddenly forced to furlough employees .
States that depend heavily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida , as well as oil-and-gas towns like Midland , Texas , will be especially hard hit , but the damage will be felt almost everywhere , according to a Brookings Institution report .
The hotel industry alone has lost as many as 1 million jobs this month , the American Hotel and Lodging Association says .
`` It is a huge shock and we are trying to cope with it and keep it under control , '' says James Bullard , president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis .
Earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit 30 % .
But he tempered those remarks Wednesday , saying he expected the number to fall again quickly .
The job losses have n't been reflected in data released so far by the federal government , but the weekly report by the Labor Department on employment claims Thursday morning is expected to show an unprecedented surge in people seeking benefits .
The Economic Policy Institute estimated 3.4 million people filed for first-time claims during the week ending March 21 .
That compares with an average of 225,000 a week during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is nearly five times the number of initial claims recorded during the peak of the Great Recession .
In the week that ended March 28 , 2009 , about 665,000 new claims were filed .
That was second only to the week that ended Oct. 2 , 1982 , when 695,000 first-time claims were filed .
The Labor Department 's records go back to 1967 .
`` This will dwarf every other week in history , '' the EPI report says .
The loss of that many jobs would push unemployment to 5.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2o15 — but it 's likely to climb even further .
Goldman Sachs has predicted that the jobless rate could approach 13 % during the next few months .
`` If the number of new claims is as high as predicted and if it remains high in coming weeks , unemployment will skyrocket , '' according to a report from the Joint Economic Committee of Congress .
The collapse of the job market has been unprecedented in size and speed .
Adam Hill of Worcester , Mass.
, worked until recently as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizes trade shows .
`` A couple of weeks before this happened , we had a [ company ] meeting where we heard about how we did the previous year , and revenue was up .
Everyone was pretty excited for the next year , '' he says .
`` Then all of a sudden , this show canceled , and then another one and then another one .
And within two weeks , I think , 155 shows had canceled .
No shows , no money , '' he says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when we got laid off . ''
Hill says he expects to be called back to work when the economy recovers , but no one is sure when that will be .
In the meantime , the Senate has approved a $ 2 trillion economic relief package that broadly expands unemployment benefits , extending them to gig workers and freelancers .
It includes more generous benefits and extend eligibility for benefits by 13 weeks .
A House vote is expected by Friday .

3.3 Million File Unemployment Claims, Shattering Records
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Kelly/Reuters Andrew Kelly/Reuters
Updated at 10:51 a.m. ET
A record 3.28 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the country. The Labor Department's report for the week ended March 21 was one of the first official indicators of how many people have suddenly been forced out of work nationally.
In the prior report, for the week ended March 14, initial claims totaled 282,000.
"This marks the highest level of seasonally adjusted initial claims in the history of the seasonally adjusted series," the department said of the latest figure. "The previous high was 695,000 in October of 1982." The Labor Department's records go back to 1967.
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Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, appearing on NBC's Today Show, said what businesses and analysts already know: "We may well be in a recession."
"This is a unique situation," Powell added. "People are being asked to close their business, to stay home from work, and to not engage in certain economic activity, and so they are pulling back. At a certain point, we will get the virus under control and confidence will return."
The staggering jobless claims figure was well above the levels seen during the darkest days of the Great Recession, and the worst isn't over yet, economic forecasters say.
The crisis has cut a giant swath through the energy, travel, transportation, hotel and restaurant sectors, with large and small companies suddenly forced to furlough employees.
States that depend heavily on tourism, such as Nevada and Florida, as well as oil-and-gas towns like Midland, Texas, will be especially hard hit, but the damage will be felt almost everywhere, according to a Brookings Institution report.
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The hotel industry alone has lost as many as 1 million jobs this month, the American Hotel and Lodging Association says.
"It is a huge shock and we are trying to cope with it and keep it under control," says James Bullard, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Earlier this week, he said unemployment would hit 30%. But he tempered those remarks Wednesday, saying he expected the number to fall again quickly.
New claims filed last week were nearly five times the number recorded during the peak of the Great Recession. In the week that ended March 28, 2009, about 665,000 new claims were filed. That was second only to the week that ended Oct. 2, 1982, when 695,000 first-time claims were filed.
"Most historical comparisons of this scale are inadequate," said Daniel Zhao, an economist with Glassdoor. "The coronavirus outbreak is economically akin to a major hurricane occurring in every state around the country for weeks on end."
The loss of that many jobs is expected to push unemployment to 5.5% — a level it last reached in 2o15 — but it's likely to climb even further. Goldman Sachs has predicted that the jobless rate could approach 13% during the next few months.
"If the number of new claims is as high as predicted and if it remains high in coming weeks, unemployment will skyrocket," the Joint Economic Committee of Congress said in a report ahead of Thursday's data.
The collapse of the job market has been unprecedented in size and speed.
Adam Hill of Worcester, Mass., worked until recently as a graphic designer at a company that organizes trade shows.
"A couple of weeks before this happened, we had a [company] meeting where we heard about how we did the previous year, and revenue was up. Everyone was pretty excited for the next year," he says.
"Then all of a sudden, this show canceled, and then another one and then another one. And within two weeks, I think, 155 shows had canceled. No shows, no money," he says. "I guess I wasn't too surprised when we got laid off."
Hill says he expects to be called back to work when the economy recovers, but no one is sure when that will be.
In the meantime, the Senate has approved a $2 trillion economic relief package that broadly expands unemployment benefits, extending them to gig workers and freelancers. It includes more generous benefits and extend eligibility for benefits by 13 weeks. A House vote is expected by Friday.
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npr--2020-03-25--Commercial Fishermen Struggle To Survive In The Face Of Coronavirus

Commercial Fishermen Struggle To Survive In The Face Of Coronavirus Commercial fishermen in the U.S. who have already faced challenges in recent years to make it in an increasingly globalized and regulated industry , are now struggling to find customers during the coronavirus crisis .
`` This is totally unprecedented .
This is the biggest crisis to hit the fishing industry ever , no question about that , '' Noah Oppenheim , executive director of The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen 's Associations told NPR in a phone interview .
The federation is a trade association representing commercial fishermen along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seafood industry leaders , processors and fishermen sent a letter to House and Senate leaders requesting $ 4 billion in aid for the industry .
The closings of restaurants due to the coronavirus pandemic has hit commercial fishermen particularly hard .
An estimated 50 % to 60 % of wild seafood caught in the U.S. is exported , Oppenheim says .
Those international markets have dried up .
Of the seafood that 's not exported , he says around 80 % of that is sold to restaurants .
`` Both of those sectors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the moment , so we 're going to have to make up for approximately 90 % of our markets ... through either new supply pipelines or new sets of customers . ''
Jerid Rold , a fishermen in Moss Landing , Calif. , tells NPR , he 's been out of work for a month , since South Korea stopped taking imports of hagfish .
Further damaging profits , Dungeness crab prices on the West Coast have fallen from up to $ 7 a pound to $ 2 , Oppenheim says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are no buyers purchasing products at the harbor there .
You ca n't move the Dungeness crab out of the Humboldt bay , '' Oppenheim says .
`` It 's actually extraordinary how similar these impacts are playing out across the country .
They are palpable , they are profound and they are severe . ''
On the North Atlantic coast , Sam Rosen , a 30-year-old lobsterman based in Vinalhaven , Maine , says he and others are `` selling lobster for amounts they should n't be sold for . ''
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pound , compared to a usual $ 10 a pound this time of year , Rosen says .
`` It 's definitely a shock to the system , '' Rosen says .
`` This is uncharted territory right now .
I do n't think anyone thought it was going to be as bad as it 's getting . ''
If aid is n't provided to fishermen soon , `` I think we could see hundreds to thousands of fishermen leave the industry nationwide , '' Oppenheim says .

Commercial Fishermen Struggle To Survive In The Face Of Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gregory Bull/AP Gregory Bull/AP
Commercial fishermen in the U.S. who have already faced challenges in recent years to make it in an increasingly globalized and regulated industry, are now struggling to find customers during the coronavirus crisis.
"This is totally unprecedented. This is the biggest crisis to hit the fishing industry ever, no question about that," Noah Oppenheim, executive director of The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations told NPR in a phone interview. The federation is a trade association representing commercial fishermen along the West Coast.
On Tuesday, seafood industry leaders, processors and fishermen sent a letter to House and Senate leaders requesting $4 billion in aid for the industry.
The closings of restaurants due to the coronavirus pandemic has hit commercial fishermen particularly hard.
An estimated 50% to 60% of wild seafood caught in the U.S. is exported, Oppenheim says. Those international markets have dried up. Of the seafood that's not exported, he says around 80% of that is sold to restaurants.
"Both of those sectors of the seafood economy are largely nonfunctional at the moment, so we're going to have to make up for approximately 90% of our markets ... through either new supply pipelines or new sets of customers."
Jerid Rold, a fishermen in Moss Landing, Calif., tells NPR, he's been out of work for a month, since South Korea stopped taking imports of hagfish. Further damaging profits, Dungeness crab prices on the West Coast have fallen from up to $7 a pound to $2, Oppenheim says.
In Eureka, Calif., "there are no buyers purchasing products at the harbor there. You can't move the Dungeness crab out of the Humboldt bay," Oppenheim says. "It's actually extraordinary how similar these impacts are playing out across the country. They are palpable, they are profound and they are severe."
On the North Atlantic coast, Sam Rosen, a 30-year-old lobsterman based in Vinalhaven, Maine, says he and others are "selling lobster for amounts they shouldn't be sold for."
That's been close to $2.50 a pound, compared to a usual $10 a pound this time of year, Rosen says.
"It's definitely a shock to the system," Rosen says. "This is uncharted territory right now. I don't think anyone thought it was going to be as bad as it's getting."
If aid isn't provided to fishermen soon, "I think we could see hundreds to thousands of fishermen leave the industry nationwide," Oppenheim says.


npr--2020-03-25--Defense Secretary Esper Says Military Has 'Limited Capacity' To Provide Hospital Beds

Defense Secretary Esper Says Military Has 'Limited Capacity ' To Provide Hospital Beds Despite urgent pleas from governors and mayors across the country , Defense Secretary Mark Esper cautioned on Wednesday that the U.S. military is not positioned to deploy nearly enough medical resources to address the scale of the coronavirus outbreak .
And warning that the pandemic will `` inevitably '' alter the global strategic balance , he said the virus can not be allowed to overtake national security as the Pentagon 's top priority .
Esper 's remarks come amid growing calls for military assistance from state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to desperately needed ventilators .
With the number of confirmed cases at 65,000 and rising , it 's a crisis that President Trump now refers to as a `` war '' with an `` invisible enemy . ''
But in an interview with NPR 's Steve Inskeep , the defense secretary said that while the military may have `` a lot of capability , [ it is ] not as much , I think , as many people think when it comes to medical capacity . ''
`` What we have great capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like that , when it comes to supporting civilian authorities , '' Esper said .
`` But in terms of hospitals , we have a limited capacity , maybe a few thousand beds ... at most . ''
That estimate would appear to fall far short of the nearly 90,000 hospital beds that could be needed in New York alone , according to projections from the state 's governor , Andrew Cuomo .
`` The president says it 's a war , '' Cuomo said on Tuesday .
`` Well , act like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms of the military 's role in the response , Esper has sought to temper expectations .
Addressing reporters on Monday , Esper said he has spoken with `` seven , eight , nine , 10 governors '' and that each has requested military field hospitals .
`` We clearly ca n't meet everybody 's needs with what we have in our inventory , '' Esper said .
In his interview with the NPR , Esper said the military wants `` to put everything on the table we can to support the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' So far , however , there have been few simple solutions .
To help meet the demand for beds , the Army said this week it was preparing to deploy field hospitals to both New York and Washington state .
Each hospital can accommodate an additional 248 beds , but as Esper noted , these hospitals are `` geared toward treating trauma patients ... not in terms of supporting persons with infectious diseases . ''
The announcement followed plans by the Navy to send two hospital ships , the USNS Comfort and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Los Angeles respectively .
Each ship can accommodate an extra 1,000 beds , according to the Navy .
Neither ship will treat COVID-19 patients , according to a U.S. defense official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter .
Instead , they 'll help each city handle seriously ill patients other than those with the disease .
Supporting the military 's mission are nearly 10,000 members of the National Guard deployed to all 50 states , four U.S. territories and the District of Columbia , according to Esper .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ can also deploy , he said , but many of them are reservists who may already be responding to the crisis in their local communities .
`` We 're very conscious as we deploy both the assets and the people that we 're not taking somebody from a civilian hospital working with COVID-19 patients in one part of the country to another part of the country to deal with the same problem , '' said Esper .
`` We do n't want to be robbing Peter to pay Paul . ''
Responding to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cities and states with what Esper described as his top two priorities : protecting service members and safeguarding the military 's mission capabilities .
Esper said if he can do that , he can fulfill what he called priority number three : `` provide full support to the whole of government . ''
`` We have to take care of our service members .
That 's our most important resource , our most valuable asset , are our people , '' said Esper .
`` And so I got to take care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also enables them , freezes them up to conduct that third mission and that is supporting the American people here at home as we deal with the with the coronavirus . ''
Esper said the military has recorded 227 cases of the coronavirus within its ranks so far .
To help control that number , the secretary signed an order on Wednesday freezing the movements of all U.S. troops abroad for 60 days .
Esper said protecting service members and keeping the Pentagon 's focus on national security is particularly important at this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all but certain to alter the global security landscape .
`` I think things will change as a result of this pandemic , '' Esper said .
`` Countries will behave and act and prepare differently .
You could see changes in societies , economies , in the governance of a country , and that 's inevitably going to happen .
So it 's important for all of us to understand what that may look like and and how it may change the strategic environment . ''
His remarks echoed comments by Gen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joint Chiefs of Staff , who on Tuesday similarly warned about what coronavirus could mean for international security .
`` This is affecting different countries differently , and it depends on the level of rigor and the robustness of medical facilities , capacity inside each country , '' said Milley .
`` It could , in some cases , lead to social breakdowns .
It could lead to political chaos in certain countries .
We have to be attuned to that . ''

Defense Secretary Esper Says Military Has 'Limited Capacity' To Provide Hospital Beds
Enlarge this image toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP Evan Vucci/AP
Despite urgent pleas from governors and mayors across the country, Defense Secretary Mark Esper cautioned on Wednesday that the U.S. military is not positioned to deploy nearly enough medical resources to address the scale of the coronavirus outbreak. And warning that the pandemic will "inevitably" alter the global strategic balance, he said the virus cannot be allowed to overtake national security as the Pentagon's top priority.
Esper's remarks come amid growing calls for military assistance from state and local officials for everything from extra beds to desperately needed ventilators. With the number of confirmed cases at 65,000 and rising, it's a crisis that President Trump now refers to as a "war" with an "invisible enemy."
But in an interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep, the defense secretary said that while the military may have "a lot of capability, [it is] not as much, I think, as many people think when it comes to medical capacity."
"What we have great capacity for is planning and logistics and things like that, when it comes to supporting civilian authorities," Esper said. "But in terms of hospitals, we have a limited capacity, maybe a few thousand beds ... at most."
That estimate would appear to fall far short of the nearly 90,000 hospital beds that could be needed in New York alone, according to projections from the state's governor, Andrew Cuomo. "The president says it's a war," Cuomo said on Tuesday. "Well, act like it's a war."
In terms of the military's role in the response, Esper has sought to temper expectations. Addressing reporters on Monday, Esper said he has spoken with "seven, eight, nine, 10 governors" and that each has requested military field hospitals. "We clearly can't meet everybody's needs with what we have in our inventory," Esper said.
In his interview with the NPR, Esper said the military wants "to put everything on the table we can to support the American people and help get beyond this." So far, however, there have been few simple solutions.
To help meet the demand for beds, the Army said this week it was preparing to deploy field hospitals to both New York and Washington state. Each hospital can accommodate an additional 248 beds, but as Esper noted, these hospitals are "geared toward treating trauma patients ... not in terms of supporting persons with infectious diseases."
The announcement followed plans by the Navy to send two hospital ships, the USNS Comfort and the USNS Mercy, to New York and Los Angeles respectively. Each ship can accommodate an extra 1,000 beds, according to the Navy. Neither ship will treat COVID-19 patients, according to a U.S. defense official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Instead, they'll help each city handle seriously ill patients other than those with the disease.
Supporting the military's mission are nearly 10,000 members of the National Guard deployed to all 50 states, four U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, according to Esper. The military has doctors and nurses it can also deploy, he said, but many of them are reservists who may already be responding to the crisis in their local communities.
"We're very conscious as we deploy both the assets and the people that we're not taking somebody from a civilian hospital working with COVID-19 patients in one part of the country to another part of the country to deal with the same problem," said Esper. "We don't want to be robbing Peter to pay Paul."
"The strategic environment"
Responding to the crisis has meant balancing the needs of cities and states with what Esper described as his top two priorities: protecting service members and safeguarding the military's mission capabilities. Esper said if he can do that, he can fulfill what he called priority number three: "provide full support to the whole of government."
"We have to take care of our service members. That's our most important resource, our most valuable asset, are our people," said Esper. "And so I got to take care of them first. But doing that also enables them, freezes them up to conduct that third mission and that is supporting the American people here at home as we deal with the with the coronavirus."
Esper said the military has recorded 227 cases of the coronavirus within its ranks so far. To help control that number, the secretary signed an order on Wednesday freezing the movements of all U.S. troops abroad for 60 days.
Esper said protecting service members and keeping the Pentagon's focus on national security is particularly important at this moment, given that the pandemic is all but certain to alter the global security landscape.
"I think things will change as a result of this pandemic," Esper said. "Countries will behave and act and prepare differently. You could see changes in societies, economies, in the governance of a country, and that's inevitably going to happen. So it's important for all of us to understand what that may look like and and how it may change the strategic environment."
His remarks echoed comments by Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who on Tuesday similarly warned about what coronavirus could mean for international security.
"This is affecting different countries differently, and it depends on the level of rigor and the robustness of medical facilities, capacity inside each country," said Milley. "It could, in some cases, lead to social breakdowns. It could lead to political chaos in certain countries. We have to be attuned to that."


npr--2020-03-25--50,000 Americans Stranded Abroad By Coronavirus Events, State Department Says

As countries close borders and flights are canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic , the State Department says as many as 50,000 Americans are seeking help to return home .
Peru has been particularly complicated , according to Ian Brownlee , who runs the State Department 's repatriation task force .
`` There were some ( COVID19 ) infections in the civil aviation authority and on the civilian side of the airport and they 're trying to run it on a bit of a shoestring from the military side of the airport . ''
The State Department is trying to fill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials have had an easier time dealing with Honduras , though there are still several thousand Americans there and 5,000 to 7,000 in Ecuador .
The U.S. has been urging Americans to return home on commercial flights when possible , if they are not ready to stay overseas an `` indefinite period of time . ''
Brownlee says the State Department is not getting early notices about border closures and airline cancellations , pointing out that at a major hub in Asia , Royal Thai Airlines shut down on `` very , very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's been talking to the Department of Defense about how it might assist Americans with military flights .
`` This is fairly complex contractual work and in as much as this is a truly unprecedented event , the State Department 's capacity to do this is being strained , '' he told reporters in a conference call .
Asked about COVID-19 cases of State Department personnel , Dr. William Walters of the department 's Bureau of Medical Services says he 's `` tracking '' 58 current cases overseas and 16 cases in five @ @ @

50,000 Americans Stranded Abroad By Coronavirus Events, State Department Says
Enlarge this image toggle caption Johan Ordonez/AFP via Getty Images Johan Ordonez/AFP via Getty Images
As countries close borders and flights are canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic, the State Department says as many as 50,000 Americans are seeking help to return home.
Peru has been particularly complicated, according to Ian Brownlee, who runs the State Department's repatriation task force. "There were some [COVID-19] infections in the civil aviation authority and on the civilian side of the airport, and they're trying to run it on a bit of a shoestring from the military side of the airport," he said.
The State Department is trying to fill the gap and keep flights going.
Officials have had an easier time dealing with Honduras, though there are still several thousand Americans there and 5,000 to 7,000 in Ecuador.
The U.S. has been urging Americans to return home on commercial flights when possible, if they are not ready to stay overseas an "indefinite period of time." Brownlee says the State Department is not getting early notices about border closures and airline cancellations, pointing out that at a major hub in Asia, Royal Thai Airlines, shut down on "very, very short notice."
Brownlee says he's been talking to the Department of Defense about how it might assist Americans with military flights. "This is fairly complex contractual work and as much as this is a truly unprecedented event, the State Department's capacity to do this is being strained," he told reporters in a conference call.
Asked about COVID-19 cases of State Department personnel, Dr. William Walters of the department's Bureau of Medical Services says he's "tracking" 58 current cases overseas and 16 cases in five U.S. cities.


npr--2020-03-25--Judge's Retirement Is Likely To Delay Trial Of Sept. 11 Defendants At Guantánamo

Judge 's Retirement Is Likely To Delay Trial Of Sept. 11 Defendants At Guantánamo There 's another setback in the long-delayed Sept. 11 case at the U.S. military court in Guantánamo Bay , Cuba : The judge overseeing the proceedings has announced his retirement just nine months after taking the job .
Judge W. Shane Cohen , a U.S. Air Force colonel who arrived at Guantánamo nine months ago , said on Wednesday that he is retiring from active duty military in July and his last day on the bench will be April 24 .
He said he is leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my family , '' and his departure makes it highly unlikely that the trial will begin as scheduled in January 2021 , a date many Guantánamo lawyers had already said was unrealistic .
Cohen 's announcement is the latest of many disruptions in the controversial and problematic case , which has cost U.S. taxpayers at least $ 6 billion since 2002 .
And it comes a month after another prominent Guantánamo legal figure effectively asked to quit : In February , James P. Harrington , the lead attorney for one of the five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks , requested Cohen remove him from the case , citing health issues and `` incompatibility '' with his client , Ramzi bin al-Shibh .
The case has basically been stuck in place for years , with attorneys continuing to argue about fundamental legal issues , such as whether the U.S. Constitution applies to military court proceedings .
Cohen was the third judge to preside over the case , and his retirement means a new judge must get up to speed on nearly a decade of legal filings before the case can continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's 40 remaining prisoners , including the five defendants , have been temporarily halted due to the widening coronavirus pandemic .
The U.S. Navy announced Tuesday that a sailor on Guantánamo 's 45-square-mile naval base had tested positive for COVID-19 .
That marked the first confirmed case of the virus among Guantánamo 's roughly 6,000 residents .

Judge's Retirement Is Likely To Delay Trial Of Sept. 11 Defendants At Guantánamo
Enlarge this image toggle caption U.S. Navy via Reuters U.S. Navy via Reuters
There's another setback in the long-delayed Sept. 11 case at the U.S. military court in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba: The judge overseeing the proceedings has announced his retirement just nine months after taking the job.
Judge W. Shane Cohen, a U.S. Air Force colonel who arrived at Guantánamo nine months ago, said on Wednesday that he is retiring from active duty military in July and his last day on the bench will be April 24. He said he is leaving "based on the best interests of my family," and his departure makes it highly unlikely that the trial will begin as scheduled in January 2021, a date many Guantánamo lawyers had already said was unrealistic.
Cohen's announcement is the latest of many disruptions in the controversial and problematic case, which has cost U.S. taxpayers at least $6 billion since 2002. And it comes a month after another prominent Guantánamo legal figure effectively asked to quit: In February, James P. Harrington, the lead attorney for one of the five men charged in the Sept. 11 terror attacks, requested Cohen remove him from the case, citing health issues and "incompatibility" with his client, Ramzi bin al-Shibh.
The case has basically been stuck in place for years, with attorneys continuing to argue about fundamental legal issues, such as whether the U.S. Constitution applies to military court proceedings. Cohen was the third judge to preside over the case, and his retirement means a new judge must get up to speed on nearly a decade of legal filings before the case can continue.
Meanwhile, legal meetings for Guantánamo's 40 remaining prisoners, including the five defendants, have been temporarily halted because of the widening coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Navy announced Tuesday that a sailor on Guantánamo's 45-square-mile naval base had tested positive for COVID-19. That marked the first confirmed case of the virus among Guantánamo's about 6,000 residents.


npr--2020-03-25--In Surprise Move, Christchurch Shooting Suspect Pleads Guilty To 51 Counts Of Murder

In Surprise Move , Christchurch Shooting Suspect Pleads Guilty To 51 Counts Of Murder The suspect in the shooting deaths of 51 worshipers at two Christchurch , New Zealand , mosques has pleaded guilty to murder , attempted murder and terrorism charges in a surprise deal with prosecutors .
Brenton Tarrant , 29 , an Australian who espoused a white supremacist ideology , had been scheduled to go on trial in June .
Instead , Tarrant appeared in court via video link on Thursday local time and told the judge he would change his plea from not guilty to guilty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism .
He will remain in custody until his scheduled sentencing hearing on May 1 .
The abrupt change of plea comes one year after the deadliest massacre in New Zealand sent the country into grieving .
The violence prompted lawmakers to ban most semi-automatic weapons and the government held nationwide gun buyback programs .
The gunman reversing his plea means the trial , which lawyers expected to stretch on for six weeks , will no longer take place .
Jamal Green , a spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sites in which the gunman opened fire , said the plea was `` sudden and unexpected , '' but provided some degree of `` peace in the chaos , '' according to New Zealand 's public broadcaster .
Before Tarrant carried out the deadly attack , he uploaded a hate-filled post to the anonymous message board 8chan , which was criticized , including by the site 's creator , for not acting quickly enough to remove content aimed at inciting violence .
Tarrant 's bloody spree was livestreamed on Facebook for 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the guilty pleas give some relief to survivors and others affected by the massacre `` whose lives were shattered by what happened on March 15 . ''
`` These guilty pleas and conviction bring accountability for what happened and also save the families who lost loved ones , those who were injured , and other witnesses , the ordeal of a trial , '' Ardern said .
The development came as New Zealand and the rest of the world attempts to contain the spread of the novel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four-week lockdown with the hopes of decreasing the disease 's transmission .

In Surprise Move, Christchurch Shooting Suspect Pleads Guilty To 51 Counts Of Murder
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Baker/AP Mark Baker/AP
The suspect in the shooting deaths of 51 worshipers at two Christchurch, New Zealand, mosques has pleaded guilty to murder, attempted murder and terrorism charges in a surprise deal with prosecutors.
Brenton Tarrant, 29, an Australian who espoused a white supremacist ideology, had been scheduled to go on trial in June.
Instead, Tarrant appeared in court via video link on Thursday local time and told the judge he would change his plea from not guilty to guilty of 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism.
He will remain in custody until his scheduled sentencing hearing on May 1.
The abrupt change of plea comes one year after the deadliest massacre in New Zealand sent the country into grieving. The violence prompted lawmakers to ban most semi-automatic weapons and the government held nationwide gun buyback programs.
The gunman reversing his plea means the trial, which lawyers expected to stretch on for six weeks, will no longer take place.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Baker/AP Mark Baker/AP
Jamal Green, a spokesperson for the Al Noor mosque, one the sites in which the gunman opened fire, said the plea was "sudden and unexpected," but provided some degree of "peace in the chaos," according to New Zealand's public broadcaster.
Before Tarrant carried out the deadly attack, he uploaded a hate-filled post to the anonymous message board 8chan, which was criticized, including by the site's creator, for not acting quickly enough to remove content aimed at inciting violence. Tarrant's bloody spree was livestreamed on Facebook for 17 minutes before it was removed.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the guilty pleas give some relief to survivors and others affected by the massacre "whose lives were shattered by what happened on March 15."
"These guilty pleas and conviction bring accountability for what happened and also save the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured, and other witnesses, the ordeal of a trial," Ardern said.
The development came as New Zealand and the rest of the world attempts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The country is beginning a four-week lockdown with the hopes of decreasing the disease's transmission.


npr--2020-03-25--Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: A Doctor's Advice, N.Y. And Free Entertainment

On this broadcast of The National Conversation , NPR reporters answer your questions about the economy , free entertainment and @ @ @ @ @ in New York City .

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: A Doctor's Advice, N.Y. And Free Entertainment On this broadcast of The National Conversation, NPR reporters answer your questions about the economy, free entertainment and an update on the situation in New York City.


npr--2020-03-25--Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Coronavirus In The U.S.

What is the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 ?
The name comes from the crownlike spikes the virus has on its surface — `` corona '' is Latin for `` crown . ''
Common human coronaviruses cause mild to moderate upper respiratory symptoms , including the common cold , while more severe types can cause pneumonia and death .
This particular virus , officially known as SARS-CoV-2 , is only the third strain of coronavirus known to frequently cause severe symptoms in humans .
The other two strains cause Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome .
What are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 are fever , cough and shortness of breath .
Some people also experience fatigue , headaches and , less frequently , diarrhea .
Cases can range from mild to moderate to severe .
About 80 % of cases so far seem to be mild , according to the World Health Organization .
To prevent the coronavirus from spreading , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using a hand sanitizer if soap and water are n't available .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only if they 're sick or caring for someone who is .
What should I do if I think I 'm sick ?
If you think you 've been exposed to the coronavirus and develop symptoms , call your doctor .
Many state and local health departments have set up hotlines to answer questions , so that 's another good place to start .
It 's important that you do n't expose others .
Call your doctor before you go to the doctor 's office so your doctor can take necessary precautions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wash your hands as soon as you walk through the door .
Avoid sharing personal items such as dishes , cups and utensils .
Clean and disinfect `` high-touch '' surfaces like door handles and cellphones every day .
How does the coronavirus spread ?
The virus is thought to spread mainly between people who are in close proximity to one another : within about 6 feet .
It spreads primarily through respiratory droplets that are dispersed when an infected person coughs or sneezes .
Those droplets can land in the mouth or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that person .
Does the coronavirus spread through contact with surfaces ?
According to the CDC , it may be possible for people to become infected by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth , nose or possibly eyes .
But experts believe the virus spreads mostly through contact with other people .
How do I self-quarantine ?
And what does it mean ?
The CDC has a guide for caring for yourself at home if you have a suspected or confirmed case @ @ @

Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
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Note: This page was last updated on Feb. 1, 2023. It will no longer be updated. For current data on COVID cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Feb. 1, there have been more than 101 million confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. and more than 1 million people have died of COVID-19. In the graphics below, explore the trends in your state.
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The above charts show average new cases per 100,000 people for each state over the last 12 months.
Note: Actual cases may be substantially higher, since many who test positive with at-home tests don't report their cases.
For additional data about COVID-19 in the U.S, including cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
To show trends, the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state, week over week for the last 28 days. States marked in shades of red have growing outbreaks; those in shades of green, are declining.
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Methodology
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the World Health Organization; national, state and local government health departments; 1point3acres; and local media reports.
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies. This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds. There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department's website. Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships.
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases, process testing backlogs or update their methodologies. The JHU team maintains a list of such changes.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2020. Elena Renken was a co-author on that version. Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story. Carmel Wroth edited this story.


npr--2020-03-25--FACT CHECK: Testing Should Take Place Wherever There Are Cases, Despite Trump's View

FACT CHECK : Testing Should Take Place Wherever There Are Cases , Despite Trump 's View During a news conference Wednesday evening , President Trump said : `` We do n't have to test the entire state in the Middle West or wherever they may be .
We do n't have to test the entire state .
I think it 's ridiculous .
A lot of those states could go back [ to work ] right now , and they probably will . ''
He 's correct that the entire population of a state does not need to be tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states do have cases , and those small- and medium-sized outbreaks may be growing exponentially .
So there is a vital need to test aggressively wherever the disease is spreading .
That includes testing close contacts of those known to be ill , as well as broad testing in areas where the disease is spreading through the community and health officials are not sure of the source .
The president talks frequently about letting certain parts of the country get back to work .
But if that is allowed to happen when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those communities could well find themselves in the same situation as New York , Washington and parts of the San Francisco Bay Area , where the disease continues to spread .
As has already happened , a handful of cases can seem manageable at first , but if the disease spreads unconstrained , the disease will grow exponentially .
If each sick person gives it to an average of 2.5 others , after 10 cycles of spread , a single case can lead to 9,500 cases .
Social distancing can reduce that 2.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing is an essential and powerful tool , as well .

FACT CHECK: Testing Should Take Place Wherever There Are Cases, Despite Trump's View
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Alex Brandon/AP
During a news conference Wednesday evening, President Trump said: "We don't have to test the entire state in the Middle West or wherever they may be. We don't have to test the entire state. I think it's ridiculous. A lot of those states could go back [to work] right now, and they probably will."
He's correct that the entire population of a state does not need to be tested right now. However, all 50 states do have cases, and those small- and medium-sized outbreaks may be growing exponentially.
So there is a vital need to test aggressively wherever the disease is spreading. That includes testing close contacts of those known to be ill, as well as broad testing in areas where the disease is spreading through the community and health officials are not sure of the source.
The president talks frequently about letting certain parts of the country get back to work. But if that is allowed to happen when the number of cases is still growing, those communities could well find themselves in the same situation as New York, Washington and parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, where the disease continues to spread.
As has already happened, a handful of cases can seem manageable at first, but if the disease spreads unconstrained, the disease will grow exponentially. If each sick person gives it to an average of 2.5 others, after 10 cycles of spread, a single case can lead to 9,500 cases.
Social distancing can reduce that 2.5 figure to slow the spread. But testing is an essential and powerful tool, as well.


npr--2020-04-16--Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Religion, Essential Workers And The Timeline

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions : Religion , Essential Workers And The Timeline On this broadcast of The National Conversation , @ @ @ @ @ questions about essential workers .
We 'll also take a look at the latest unemployment @ @ @ @ @ has affected religious practices , and consider when `` normal '' might return .

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Religion, Essential Workers And The Timeline
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images
On this broadcast of The National Conversation, an employment lawyer answers your questions about essential workers. We'll also take a look at the latest unemployment numbers and how the pandemic has affected religious practices, and consider when "normal" might return.


npr--2020-04-16--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak Since the new coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan , China , in December , the infectious respiratory disease COVID-19 has spread rapidly within China and to neighboring countries and beyond .
The first confirmed coronavirus cases outside China occurred on Jan. 20 , in Japan , Thailand and South Korea .
On Jan. 21 , the first case in the U.S. was identified in Washington state .
On Jan. 24 , the first two European cases were confirmed in France .
By Feb. 1 , eight European nations had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month later that count had risen to 24 countries with at least 2,200 cases , most of them in Italy .
On March 11 , Italy eclipsed 10,000 cases and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic — the first since H1N1 in 2009 .
That 's also when China , the original epicenter , began seeing drops in daily counts of new cases .
March also saw exponential spread of the virus throughout the U.S. , with all 50 states reporting cases by March 17 .
This particular virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third strain of coronavirus known to frequently cause severe symptoms in humans .
The other two strains cause Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on March 30 , 2020 .

Coronavirus world map: We've now passed the 600 million mark for infections
Editor's note: This page is no longer being updated. The last update was Sept. 5, 2022. For current data about COVID-19 cases and deaths around the world, Johns Hopkins University and Our World in Data are useful resources.
In late January 2020 only a few dozen COVID-19 infections had been identified outside of China. A year later, the world tallied its first 100 million cases. It took the globe just 7 more months to pass the 200 million mark— then another 5 months to hit 300 million, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Now the virus has spread to every corner of the globe and has been blamed for more than 6 million deaths.
The United States, India and Brazil in that order have had the most COVID cases and the three nations collectively account for almost half of all recorded infections so far in the pandemic.
Explore the chart below to find a country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January 2020.
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Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time. The first chart compares each continent to each other, while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region.
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This story was originally published on March 30, 2020.


npr--2020-04-16--Tracking The Pandemic: How Quickly Is The Coronavirus Spreading State By State?

Tracking The Pandemic : How Quickly Is The Coronavirus Spreading State By State ?
Since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the United States on January 21st , over a half million people in the U.S. have confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
In the last week , the U.S. became the nation with the most deaths globally , but there are early signs that the U.S. case and death rate may be leveling off , as the growth of new cases and deaths plateaus .
The pattern is n't consistent across the country , as new hotspots emerge and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your state 's case count is growing , click here .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
In response to mounting cases , state and federal authorities have emphasized a social distancing strategy , widely seen as the best available means to slow the spread of the virus .
Most states have put in place measures such as closing schools and nonessential businesses and ordering citizens to stay home as much as possible .
It 's not clear how long such measures need to be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Wuhan , the city in China where the virus originated , a strictly enforced lockdown and widespread testing has slowed the outbreak dramatically , enough to bring an end to the 76-day lockdown .
A large portion of U.S. cases are centered around New York City .
Since March 20 , New York State , Connecticut , and New Jersey have accounted for around 50 % of all U.S. cases .
As of April 9 , nearly 60 % of all deaths from COVID-19 have been in these three states .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a plateau , as seen below , it notched between 8,000 and 10,000 new cases each day between March 31 and April 12 .
To understand how one state 's outbreak compares to another , it 's helpful to look at not just the daily counts , but the rate of change day over day .
In the following chart , we display cases on a logarithmic scale , meaning that every axis line is ten times greater than the previous .
This type of scale emphasizes the rate of change .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state 's curve tends sharply upward , as New York 's does over the first 15 days past 100 cases .
Generally , this is evidence of unbridled community transmission of the disease .
As new cases slow , the curve bends towards horizontal , showing that the state 's outbreak may be leveling off .
This does n't mean cases have stopped growing , but the growth has slowed , which could signify that social distancing measures are having an effect .
In some areas , there are signs of hope .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ like California and Washington — also seem to be having success at suppressing it .
The outlook in Washington has improved to the point that the state has returned unused Army hospital beds it had received in preparation for a peak in cases .
Elsewhere , limited access to testing may make the number of cases look smaller than they really are .
As testing becomes more readily available , we are likely to see the number of confirmed cases continue to grow , even if not at the pace previously seen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from the CDC , WHO , national , state and local government health departments , and local media reports .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website.This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Stephanie Adeline , Alyson Hurt , Connie Hanzhang Jin , Ruth Talbot and Thomas Wilburn contributed to this story .


npr--2020-04-16--Mass. Governor Warns 'Don't Leave Anything Unsaid' With Loved Ones During Coronavirus

Mass .
Governor Warns 'Do n't Leave Anything Unsaid ' With Loved Ones During Coronavirus As global cases of coronavirus top 2 million , and people across the world lose loved ones to the virus without being given the chance for final farewells , Massachusetts Gov .
Charlie Baker said at a press conference Wednesday that instead of death toll numbers , he 's thinking more about those lost moments .
`` When you talk about where the numbers are going on this , what I 'm really thinking about is all those people who are n't going to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heartbreaking , isolated deaths early in the pandemic , increasingly people are finding the way to say last words virtually ; through a phone call , or video hookup .
Funeral homes are live-streaming services .
In-person gatherings to celebrate or mourn a passing have ground to a halt .
The absence of a familiar end-of-life ritual is `` one of the more brutal consequences , psychologically , of this whole thing , '' Baker said Wednesday .
The governor said his best friend lost his mother to COVID-19 , but that `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they never left anything unsaid . ''
Still , `` that did n't make the fact that it was an extraordinarily painful process for their family , to go through this loss of a critical ritual that people believe in and hold onto , that 's this chance to say goodbye , '' Baker said .
The governor got vulnerable , saying , `` My wife gives me a hard time all the time about the fact that Baker men never really say what they think about anything to anybody when it comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , `` even on these goofy phone calls I have with my dad , I try to say more because you just do n't know anymore what the future is going to hold . ''
`` And I really hope that people have the chance to make sure , that they do n't leave anything off the table , with respect to their loved ones , '' Baker said .
`` There are some big pieces of our emotional grieving process that have now been truncated or interrupted , '' Garrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NPR .
`` That has a much longer-term impact on our culture because without the ritual you do n't get a chance to move your grief into mourning as easily as when you do have rituals . ''
Colwell who leads the nonprofit Kitchen Table Conversations , which offers resources and education to people trying to complete their living wills , says since the coronavirus pandemic he 's been getting double his usual number of inquiries .
`` So far in this century this [ coronavirus ] has been the biggest conversation starter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversations , '' Colwell said .

Mass. Governor Warns 'Don't Leave Anything Unsaid' With Loved Ones During Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Gay/AP Eric Gay/AP
As global cases of coronavirus top 2 million, and people across the world lose loved ones to the virus without being given the chance for final farewells, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said at a press conference Wednesday that instead of death toll numbers, he's thinking more about those lost moments.
"When you talk about where the numbers are going on this, what I'm really thinking about is all those people who aren't going to have a chance to say goodbye. "
After heartbreaking, isolated deaths early in the pandemic, increasingly people are finding the way to say last words virtually; through a phone call, or video hookup. Funeral homes are live-streaming services. In-person gatherings to celebrate or mourn a passing have ground to a halt.
The absence of a familiar end-of-life ritual is "one of the more brutal consequences, psychologically, of this whole thing," Baker said Wednesday. The governor said his best friend lost his mother to COVID-19, but that "because they had a great relationship, they never left anything unsaid."
Still, "that didn't make the fact that it was an extraordinarily painful process for their family, to go through this loss of a critical ritual that people believe in and hold onto, that's this chance to say goodbye," Baker said.
The governor got vulnerable, saying, "My wife gives me a hard time all the time about the fact that Baker men never really say what they think about anything to anybody when it comes to personal things." But during the pandemic, "even on these goofy phone calls I have with my dad, I try to say more because you just don't know anymore what the future is going to hold."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Charles Krupa/AP Charles Krupa/AP
"And I really hope that people have the chance to make sure, that they don't leave anything off the table, with respect to their loved ones," Baker said.
"There are some big pieces of our emotional grieving process that have now been truncated or interrupted," Garrick Colwell, an end-of-life educator, told NPR. "That has a much longer-term impact on our culture because without the ritual you don't get a chance to move your grief into mourning as easily as when you do have rituals."
Colwell who leads the nonprofit Kitchen Table Conversations, which offers resources and education to people trying to complete their living wills, says since the coronavirus pandemic he's been getting double his usual number of inquiries.
"So far in this century this [coronavirus] has been the biggest conversation starter when it comes to end of life conversations," Colwell said.


npr--2020-04-16--Brazilian President Fires Health Minister After Clashes Over Coronavirus Distancing

Brazil 's President Jair Bolsonaro has fired his health minister as the country grapples with the biggest outbreak of the coronavirus in Latin America .
Bolsonaro said Luiz Henrique Mandetta was leaving by mutual consent , but his departure follows weeks of acrimony between the two men over how to respond to the crisis .
The sacking has heightened political friction in Brazil at a time when international experts warn the virus will surge in the region in coming weeks , and are appealing for governments dramatically to intensify measures to combat it .
COVID-19 has so far claimed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a charismatic doctor and politician , won widespread public support by advocating broad-based social isolation in line with recommendations from the World Health Organization and many other medical and scientific experts .
Bolsonaro has opposed across-the-board isolation measures imposed by Brazil 's state governors , arguing that they devastate the economy and endanger public health by destroying millions of jobs and businesses .
`` Life is priceless , but the economy and employment need to return to normality , '' said Bolsonaro , at a press conference on Thursday , after Mandetta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that does not mean acting too hastily , the president said .
According to the Brazilian media , Bolsonaro — a far right populist and avid admirer of Donald Trump – was increasingly irked by Mandetta 's popularity , which appears to have been reinforced by the minister 's performances at the many televised press conferences he has held in recent weeks .
A recent Datafolha poll gave Mandetta an approval rating of 76 % — well above the president 's 33 % .
Bolsonaro has for weeks publicly undermined his health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus as a `` little flu '' and going onto the streets to shake hands and pose for selfies with his supporters .
The retired 65-year-old army captain recently said he is unconcerned about the risk of infection because he is `` an athlete , '' and would only suffer mild symptoms .
Unlike Mandetta , the president is a keen advocate of the anti-malarial drug hydroxyhloroquine for treating COVID-19 patients .
Mandetta 's dismissal comes as health systems in parts of Brazil , particularly the north and northeast , are becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensive care beds , testing kits and ventilators .
Medical and scientific organizations in Brazil and abroad have accused Bolsonaro of being dangerously irresponsible in his response to the coronavirus crisis .
These accusations will likely intensify with Mandetta 's firing .
Brazilians in some urban areas greeted the news by angrily banging pots and pans at their windows and calling for Bolsonaro to go instead .
Mandetta is replaced by Nelson Teich , a leading Brazilian cancer specialist who advised Bolsonaro on health issues during his election campaign , but reportedly also @ @ @ @ @

Brazilian President Fires Health Minister After Clashes Over Coronavirus Distancing
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sergio Lima/AFP via Getty Images Sergio Lima/AFP via Getty Images
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has fired his health minister as the country grapples with the biggest outbreak of the coronavirus in Latin America.
Bolsonaro said Luiz Henrique Mandetta was leaving by mutual consent, but his departure follows weeks of acrimony between the two men over how to respond to the crisis.
The sacking has heightened political friction in Brazil at a time when international experts warn the virus will surge in the region in coming weeks, and are appealing for governments dramatically to intensify measures to combat it. COVID-19 has so far claimed more than 1,900 lives in Brazil.
Mandetta, a charismatic doctor and politician, won widespread public support by advocating broad-based social isolation in line with recommendations from the World Health Organization and many other medical and scientific experts.
Bolsonaro has opposed across-the-board isolation measures imposed by Brazil's state governors, arguing that they devastate the economy and endanger public health by destroying millions of jobs and businesses.
"Life is priceless, but the economy and employment need to return to normality," said Bolsonaro, at a press conference on Thursday, after Mandetta announced his dismissal on Twitter. However, that does not mean acting too hastily, the president said.
According to the Brazilian media, Bolsonaro — a far right populist and avid admirer of Donald Trump – was increasingly irked by Mandetta's popularity, which appears to have been reinforced by the minister's performances at the many televised press conferences he has held in recent weeks.
A recent Datafolha poll gave Mandetta an approval rating of 76% — well above the president's 33%.
Bolsonaro has for weeks publicly undermined his health ministry and state governors, by dismissing the coronavirus as a "little flu" and going onto the streets to shake hands and pose for selfies with his supporters.
The retired 65-year-old army captain recently said he is unconcerned about the risk of infection because he is "an athlete," and would only suffer mild symptoms. Unlike Mandetta, the president is a keen advocate of the anti-malarial drug hydroxyhloroquine for treating COVID-19 patients.
Mandetta's dismissal comes as health systems in parts of Brazil, particularly the north and northeast, are becoming overwhelmed by the outbreak and lack of intensive care beds, testing kits and ventilators.
Medical and scientific organizations in Brazil and abroad have accused Bolsonaro of being dangerously irresponsible in his response to the coronavirus crisis. These accusations will likely intensify with Mandetta's firing.
Brazilians in some urban areas greeted the news by angrily banging pots and pans at their windows and calling for Bolsonaro to go instead.
Mandetta is replaced by Nelson Teich, a leading Brazilian cancer specialist who advised Bolsonaro on health issues during his election campaign, but reportedly also supports social isolation measures.


npr--2020-04-16--First Florida Beach Reopening After Coronavirus Shutdown

Jacksonville , Fla. , Mayor Lenny Curry announced Thursday that parks and beaches in Duval County would reopen Friday with certain restrictions .
The mayor said restrictions would allow `` essential activities '' only , as defined in an executive order signed by Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis .
Those `` essential activities '' include walking , biking , hiking , fishing , running , swimming , taking care of pets and surfing , as long as they 're done within social distancing guidelines .
In a statement recorded and distributed on social media , Curry said , `` This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to normal life . ''
But he told residents , `` Please respect and follow these limitations .
Stay within the guidelines for your safety as well as the safety of your neighbors . ''
Beach hours will limited to morning and evening hours .
They 'll remain closed between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Duval is the first county to reopen its beaches since last month , when local governments in Florida began shutting them down during spring break .
Jacksonville kept its beaches open later than most , but closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has formed a task force to develop a plan for reopening Florida 's economy .
He says it will be working `` around the clock '' and should have a proposal ready `` very soon . ''

Jacksonville Mayor Announces 1st Florida Beach Reopening Since Coronavirus Shutdown
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sam Greenwood/Getty Images Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
Jacksonville, Fla., Mayor Lenny Curry announced Thursday that parks and beaches in Duval County would reopen Friday at 5 p.m. with certain restrictions. The mayor said restrictions would allow "essential activities" only, as defined in an executive order signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Those "essential activities" include walking, biking, hiking, fishing, running, swimming, taking care of pets and surfing, as long as they're done within social distancing guidelines. Sunbathing is still prohibited.
In a statement recorded and distributed on social media, Curry said, "This can be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life." But he told residents, "Please respect and follow these limitations. Stay within the guidelines for your safety as well as the safety of your neighbors."
Beach hours will be limited to morning and evening hours only. They'll remain closed between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Duval is the first county to reopen its beaches since last month, when local governments in Florida began shutting them down during spring break. Jacksonville kept its beaches open later than most, but closed them nearly a month ago.
DeSantis has formed a task force to develop a plan for reopening Florida's economy. He says it will be working "around the clock" and should have a proposal ready "very soon."