npr--2020-12-22--'Already Behind': Diversifying The Legal Profession Starts Before The LSAT

'Already Behind ' : Diversifying The Legal Profession Starts Before The LSAT When Ingrid Lopez Martinez received DACA status during her senior year of high school , it transformed her perception of the law .
Instead of seeing it as a system used to limit her immigrant family 's potential , she for the first time saw the law `` as a transformative tool for justice . ''
This first-generation college graduate , who moved to the United States from El Salvador at age 4 , now aspires to become a lawyer so that she can `` pay it forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She soon learned , though , that getting into law school can be particularly complicated for many minority applicants — from the expense of test prep courses to the cost of actually applying to schools .
There are other knowledge gaps , too .
Many first generation college grads applying to law school do n't know the ins and outs of the application process .
They have no personal connections to people who can help guide them through the process and may not know , for instance , the disadvantage of applying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cycle .
A number of groups are focusing on `` the pipeline '' to law school as a way to diversify the legal profession overall .
A 2015 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the law was the least racially diverse profession in the country , and it remains among the top .
That 's not all .
As of 2020 , the American Bar Association reported that 86 % of all lawyers were non-Hispanic whites .
To put that in context , while African Americans make up 13.4 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up only 5 % of all lawyers .
And amazingly , that percentage has not budged in 10 years .
Just applying to law school , prospective students shell out thousands Applying to law school is expensive .
Taking the competitive law school admission test , known as the LSAT , just once costs $ 200 .
The Law School Admissions Council , or LSAC , then charges students an additional $ 195 to aggregate application materials and $ 45 for each time they apply to a new school .
LSAC only waives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in `` extreme need . ''
The fees continue to mount .
Each school has its own fee for applying .
While these are more easily waived , they can range from $ 15 to $ 100 per school .
Collectively , with the average applicant applying to six schools , fees can add up to $ 1,000 or more .
And this number does not even include paying for an LSAT prep course , which most applicants routinely rely on to up their scores .
The average LSAT prep course costs between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expensive , they can significantly improve LSAT scores .
For example , the Princeton Review 's `` LSAT 165+ '' essentially guarantees an improvement of at least seven points .
It costs $ 1,700 .
Bottom line : Though courses like these are a critical piece of success , they are financially out of reach for many minority students .
While some organizations offer free LSAT prep courses online , there is often a hitch .
Khan Academy , for example , does not have live programming and does not guarantee an increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ score on the LSAT varies vastly by race .
Research by Aaron Taylor , Executive Director of AccessLex , a center for legal education excellence , shows that the average score for white and Asian test takers is 153 , while the average for Black test takers is 142 and for Latinos is 146 .
On a test where scores range between 120 and 180 , an 11-point score differential between white and Black test takers is incredibly consequential .
Driven in part by that stark disparity , 49 % of Black law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single law school .
DACA student Lopez Martinez , for instance , tried taking the LSAT while she was in college but did so without guidance and realized that she was essentially flying blind .
She saw friends studying for the LSAT , knew she wanted to be a lawyer , and figured she too should take the test .
But without mentorship throughout the process and with only test-prep books , and no LSAT course , Lopez Martinez did not do well enough on the test to even bother applying to any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tout rolling admissions , the entering class of many law schools is mostly determined before the application deadline even passes .
Law schools begin accepting applications between August and October and do not stop accepting applications until between February and June .
Minority applicants likely do not share the same mentorship and networking relationships that more privileged applicants rely on to learn the importance of applying early .
They may not know that as space in the entering class shrinks , competition increases , and admission offers diminish as time goes by .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of Black applicants and 36 % of Latino applicants applied in March or later — compared to only 29 % of white applicants , according to AccessLex director Taylor .
While the Internet is full of tips and tricks for applying to law school , a lot of the most useful resources are just out of reach for those who can not afford them .
AccessLex does provide an extensive directory of diversity pipeline programs , and the programs on its list do tremendous work .
But applicants still need to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each online .
One Southern California-based organization , the Legal Education Access Pipeline , or LEAP , began last year with a cohort of 31 LEAP fellows made up of individuals underrepresented in the legal field .
LEAP offers a free LSAT prep program , curriculum , and a mentoring program where students are paired with a law school and an attorney mentor .
LEAP founder Cindy Lopez , a retired California Deputy Attorney General explains that she `` would not do a diversity pipeline program without LSAT .
It 's just too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree .
Lopez Martinez , the DACA student from El Salvador , who essentially flamed out after she took the LSAT in college without any prep course , fared a lot better later when she got help from LEAP and its prep course .
She improved her score nearly 10 points , making her eligible for a whole new tier of law schools .
Andaiye McAndrew , a black DACA recipient from Belize , was initially drawn to LEAP because the program offered an expensive and reputable LSAT course cost-free .
But , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kept her in the program .
As a first-generation college student who , before LEAP , had not known a single lawyer , the mentorship from lawyers has been critical .
While LEAP founder Lopez sees the LSAT and applying too late in the cycle as two key barriers to law school admission , she also emphasizes that these problems go back to inequities in education .
She explains that those with privilege , `` grow up talking about college , possibly talking about law school .
SAT and college prep is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that is existent for these fellows . ''
And , she adds that , `` if they 've gone to under-resourced high schools , they 're already behind the eight ball when they go to college . ''
The systemic nature of this problem sparked the Playing Field Project , a new pipeline initiative just founded by two recent law school graduates .
During this summer 's resurgence of Black Lives Matter protests , the implications of privilege on law school admissions weighed heavily on Alexei Segall and Akina Newbraugh , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May and who also both just started as associates at a big law firm .
The pair decided to create a new nonprofit , The Playing Field Project , to , quite literally , level the law school admissions playing field by providing low-income minority students with LSAT tutoring services , law school application assistance , and other services .
They plan to launch with their first set of participants entering the 2021 admission cycle .
Unlike LEAP , which caters to a small but growing cohort of individuals in southern California , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national in scope .
`` We 're not reinventing the wheel ... We 're not trying to create an LSAT program .
We 're not trying to be the ones reviewing essays .
We just want to provide those resources to students , '' Newbraugh says .
In short , they are trying to aggregate services and subsidize the admission and prep course fees as a potential game-changer for low-income and minority applicants .
Where should the pipeline start ?
The dean of admissions at Georgetown Law School , Andrew Cornblatt , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an earlier access point : high school .
After learning during a panel that law students first start thinking about law school in high school , Cornblatt began Georgetown Law 's Early Outreach Initiative .
It started with the idea that large segments of the population are not having conversations about law school when `` these ideas and these ambitions form , '' he says .
Now he has identified 1,000 high school seniors at under-resourced high schools across 10 cities and has laid plans to have 300 lawyer-mentors who have volunteered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Both the Playing Field Project and LEAP are looking to law firms , and in particular big law firms , for funding .
They see firms as key donors who have a stake in a more diverse applicant pool .
It is in their interest because `` law firms need more diverse lawyers to make their clients happy , '' says Playing Field Project co-founder Newbraugh .
Starting next month , for instance , Intel will only hire law firms where the U.S. partners are at least 21 % women and at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Wall Street Journal , similar steps are being taken at other large companies including Microsoft , Uber and Novartis .
`` Every lawyer I talked to about this , every major law firm , has said the same thing to me .
'What can we do ?
How can we get more diverse associates and partners ? '
'' says Georgetown 's Cornblatt .
Their clients are `` looking around the table , '' and saying , `` What gives ? ''

'Already Behind': Diversifying The Legal Profession Starts Before The LSAT
Enlarge this image toggle caption Carrie Sommer/Courtesy of Cindy Lopez Carrie Sommer/Courtesy of Cindy Lopez
When Ingrid Lopez Martinez received DACA status during her senior year of high school, it transformed her perception of the law. Instead of seeing it as a system used to limit her immigrant family's potential, she for the first time saw the law "as a transformative tool for justice."
This first-generation college graduate, who moved to the United States from El Salvador at age 4, now aspires to become a lawyer so that she can "pay it forward" and advocate for the undocumented community.
She soon learned, though, that getting into law school can be particularly complicated for many minority applicants — from the expense of test prep courses to the cost of actually applying to schools. There are other knowledge gaps, too. Many first generation college grads applying to law school don't know the ins and outs of the application process. They have no personal connections to people who can help guide them through the process and may not know, for instance, the disadvantage of applying to law school late in the application cycle.
A number of groups are focusing on "the pipeline" to law school as a way to diversify the legal profession overall.
A 2015 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the law was the least racially diverse profession in the country, and it remains among the top.
That's not all. As of 2020, the American Bar Association reported that 86% of all lawyers were non-Hispanic whites. To put that in context, while African Americans make up 13.4% of the U.S. population, they make up only 5% of all lawyers. And amazingly, that percentage has not budged in 10 years.
Just applying to law school, prospective students shell out thousands
Applying to law school is expensive. Taking the competitive law school admission test, known as the LSAT, just once costs $200. The Law School Admissions Council, or LSAC, then charges students an additional $195 to aggregate application materials and $45 for each time they apply to a new school. LSAC only waives fees for those who prove they are in "extreme need."
The fees continue to mount. Each school has its own fee for applying. While these are more easily waived, they can range from $15 to $100 per school.
Collectively, with the average applicant applying to six schools, fees can add up to $1,000 or more. And this number does not even include paying for an LSAT prep course, which most applicants routinely rely on to up their scores.
The average LSAT prep course costs between $600 and $1,800. Although expensive, they can significantly improve LSAT scores. For example, the Princeton Review's "LSAT 165+" essentially guarantees an improvement of at least seven points. It costs $1,700.
Bottom line: Though courses like these are a critical piece of success, they are financially out of reach for many minority students. While some organizations offer free LSAT prep courses online, there is often a hitch. Khan Academy, for example, does not have live programming and does not guarantee an increase in the LSAT score.
The average score on the LSAT varies vastly by race. Research by Aaron Taylor, Executive Director of AccessLex, a center for legal education excellence, shows that the average score for white and Asian test takers is 153, while the average for Black test takers is 142 and for Latinos is 146.
On a test where scores range between 120 and 180, an 11-point score differential between white and Black test takers is incredibly consequential. Driven in part by that stark disparity, 49% of Black law school applicants were not admitted to a single law school.
DACA student Lopez Martinez, for instance, tried taking the LSAT while she was in college but did so without guidance and realized that she was essentially flying blind. She saw friends studying for the LSAT, knew she wanted to be a lawyer, and figured she too should take the test.
But without mentorship throughout the process and with only test-prep books, and no LSAT course, Lopez Martinez did not do well enough on the test to even bother applying to any law schools.
The illusion of admissions deadlines
While most law schools tout rolling admissions, the entering class of many law schools is mostly determined before the application deadline even passes. Law schools begin accepting applications between August and October and do not stop accepting applications until between February and June.
Minority applicants likely do not share the same mentorship and networking relationships that more privileged applicants rely on to learn the importance of applying early. They may not know that as space in the entering class shrinks, competition increases, and admission offers diminish as time goes by.
During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 43% of Black applicants and 36% of Latino applicants applied in March or later — compared to only 29% of white applicants, according to AccessLex director Taylor.
Pipeline programs
While the Internet is full of tips and tricks for applying to law school, a lot of the most useful resources are just out of reach for those who cannot afford them.
AccessLex does provide an extensive directory of diversity pipeline programs, and the programs on its list do tremendous work. But applicants still need to know they exist and then must apply to each online.
One Southern California-based organization, the Legal Education Access Pipeline, or LEAP, began last year with a cohort of 31 LEAP fellows made up of individuals underrepresented in the legal field. LEAP offers a free LSAT prep program, curriculum, and a mentoring program where students are paired with a law school and an attorney mentor.
LEAP founder Cindy Lopez, a retired California Deputy Attorney General explains that she "would not do a diversity pipeline program without LSAT. It's just too important." Her fellows seem to agree.
Lopez Martinez, the DACA student from El Salvador, who essentially flamed out after she took the LSAT in college without any prep course, fared a lot better later when she got help from LEAP and its prep course. She improved her score nearly 10 points, making her eligible for a whole new tier of law schools.
Andaiye McAndrew, a black DACA recipient from Belize, was initially drawn to LEAP because the program offered an expensive and reputable LSAT course cost-free. But, she adds, that is not what kept her in the program. As a first-generation college student who, before LEAP, had not known a single lawyer, the mentorship from lawyers has been critical.
While LEAP founder Lopez sees the LSAT and applying too late in the cycle as two key barriers to law school admission, she also emphasizes that these problems go back to inequities in education. She explains that those with privilege, "grow up talking about college, possibly talking about law school. SAT and college prep is a given at the dinner table ... None of that is existent for these fellows." And, she adds that, "if they've gone to under-resourced high schools, they're already behind the eight ball when they go to college."
The systemic nature of this problem sparked the Playing Field Project, a new pipeline initiative just founded by two recent law school graduates.
Assessing the "playing field"
During this summer's resurgence of Black Lives Matter protests, the implications of privilege on law school admissions weighed heavily on Alexei Segall and Akina Newbraugh, who both graduated from top-tier law schools in May and who also both just started as associates at a big law firm.
The pair decided to create a new nonprofit, The Playing Field Project, to, quite literally, level the law school admissions playing field by providing low-income minority students with LSAT tutoring services, law school application assistance, and other services. They plan to launch with their first set of participants entering the 2021 admission cycle.
Consider This from NPR Student Debt Is Weighing Americans Down. Here's How Biden May Address It Student Debt Is Weighing Americans Down. Here's How Biden May Address It Listen · 12:38 12:38
Unlike LEAP, which caters to a small but growing cohort of individuals in southern California, the Playing Field Project aims to be national in scope.
"We're not reinventing the wheel ...We're not trying to create an LSAT program. We're not trying to be the ones reviewing essays. We just want to provide those resources to students," Newbraugh says. In short, they are trying to aggregate services and subsidize the admission and prep course fees as a potential game-changer for low-income and minority applicants.
Where should the pipeline start?
The dean of admissions at Georgetown Law School, Andrew Cornblatt, is trying to help build the pipeline at an earlier access point: high school.
After learning during a panel that law students first start thinking about law school in high school, Cornblatt began Georgetown Law's Early Outreach Initiative. It started with the idea that large segments of the population are not having conversations about law school when "these ideas and these ambitions form," he says.
Now he has identified 1,000 high school seniors at under-resourced high schools across 10 cities and has laid plans to have 300 lawyer-mentors who have volunteered to help guide them through their college years.
Law firms as important financial stakeholders
Both the Playing Field Project and LEAP are looking to law firms, and in particular big law firms, for funding. They see firms as key donors who have a stake in a more diverse applicant pool.
It is in their interest because "law firms need more diverse lawyers to make their clients happy," says Playing Field Project co-founder Newbraugh.
Starting next month, for instance, Intel will only hire law firms where the U.S. partners are at least 21% women and at least 10% underrepresented minorities. According to the Wall Street Journal, similar steps are being taken at other large companies including Microsoft, Uber and Novartis.
"Every lawyer I talked to about this, every major law firm, has said the same thing to me. 'What can we do? How can we get more diverse associates and partners?'" says Georgetown's Cornblatt . Their clients are "looking around the table," and saying, "What gives?"


npr--2020-12-22--Navalny Reportedly Dupes Agent Into Revealing Details Of Poisoning

Updated at 6:50 a.m .
ET Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny says he has uncovered details of his own poisoning by duping one of the Kremlin agents involved into revealing how it was done .
The research group Bellingcat revealed details Monday of a 45-minute phone call between Navalny , who posed as an agent for Russia 's National Security Council , and the alleged Kremlin agent , Konstantin Kudryavtsev .
Navalny coaxed details of the attack from Kudryavtsev , who said the nerve agent Novichok was applied to the politician 's underwear .
Kudryavtsev was one of the agents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dispatched to poison and ultimately assassinate Navalny while he visited the Russian city of Tomsk in August , according to a joint investigation by the research group Bellingcat , CNN , Russian media outlet The Insider , and German weekly Der Spiegel .
The plan failed when Navalny survived the attack .
A report released last week by the joint investigation broke down how agents tracked Navalny for several months and followed him to Tomsk .
A video from Bellingcat translated the call between Navalny and Kudryavtsev .
A second video from Navalny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 million times , further broke down the communications between the two .
The authenticity of the call in the videos has yet to be independently verified .
Navalny says he used phone numbers from the Bellingcat investigation to contact Kudryavtsev , disguising his own number as coming from a landline within the Federal Security Service , or FSB , the main successor organization to the Cold War KGB spy agency .
In August , after falling ill while aboard a plane en route from Tomsk to Moscow , Navalny was evacuated to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kudryavtsev said during the call that had it not been for the pilot 's emergency stop so that Navalny could receive medical attention , Navalny would probably be dead .
If the call is authentic , Kudryavtsev also implicated the local Omsk transport police .
He said he was sent to the Siberian city following the plane 's emergency stop .
Omsk officers handed the group of Russian agents Navalny 's belongings where they then removed traces of the poison , so that no one from Navalny 's camp could take the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vladimir Putin has denied Navalny was poisoned and says had the FSB been behind the attack , Navalny would be dead .
He did say , however , that the FSB is right to follow the opposition politician , claiming Navalny poses a threat to national security .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on Tuesday that Putin was too busy to watch the video released by Navalny .
Peskov said Navalny is showing signs of paranoia and megalomania .
Russia 's foreign ministry has condemned sanctions slapped on Moscow by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's poisoning .
Russia is denying entry to a number of EU officials in retaliation .
Following publication of the call 's recording , Russia 's Federal Security Service called it `` a provocation '' that could n't have been made without the help of foreign spies .

Navalny Reportedly Dupes Agent Into Revealing Details Of Poisoning
Enlarge this image toggle caption Navalny instagram account/AP Navalny instagram account/AP
Updated at 1:15 p.m. ET
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny says he has uncovered details of his own poisoning by duping one of the Kremlin agents involved into revealing how it was done.
The research group Bellingcat revealed details Monday of a 45-minute phone call between Navalny, who posed as an agent for Russia's National Security Council, and the alleged Kremlin agent, Konstantin Kudryavtsev. Navalny coaxed details of the attack from Kudryavtsev, who said the nerve agent Novichok was applied to the politician's underwear.
Kudryavtsev was one of the agents who was part of an elite team dispatched to poison and ultimately assassinate Navalny while he visited the Russian city of Tomsk in August, according to a joint investigation by the research group Bellingcat, CNN, Russian media outlet The Insider and German weekly Der Spiegel.
The plan failed when Navalny survived the attack.
A report released last week by the joint investigation broke down how agents tracked Navalny for several months and followed him to Tomsk.
Bellingcat via YouTube
A video from Bellingcat translated the call between Navalny and Kudryavtsev. A second video from Navalny's YouTube channel, viewed more than 11 million times, further broke down the communications between the two. The authenticity of the call in the videos has yet to be independently verified.
Navalny says he used phone numbers from the Bellingcat investigation to contact Kudryavtsev, disguising his own number as coming from a landline within the Federal Security Service, or FSB, the main successor organization to the Cold War KGB spy agency.
In August, after falling ill while aboard a plane en route from Tomsk to Moscow, Navalny was evacuated to Germany, where he is still recovering. Kudryavtsev said during the call that had it not been for the pilot's emergency stop so that Navalny could receive medical attention, Navalny would probably be dead.
If the call is authentic, Kudryavtsev also implicated the local Omsk transport police. He said he was sent to the Siberian city following the plane's emergency stop. Omsk officers handed the group of Russian agents Navalny's belongings where they then removed traces of the poison, so that no one from Navalny's camp could take the clothes and get them tested.
Aric Toler of Bellingcat told NPR's Michele Keleman that it's easy to buy or otherwise access phone data, flight records and other information in Russia, which the journalists say they used to establish the identity of the FSB agents who were trailing Navalny.
Toler said he hopes that this kind of reporting will make such operations harder.
"These are guys who can no longer work and travel around because their faces are all over Russian media right now," Toler said. "And there's memes all over, right? If you go to Russian Facebook and Twitter, you know, these guys' faces are now just memes."
President Vladimir Putin has denied Navalny was poisoned and says had the FSB been behind the attack, Navalny would be dead. He did say, however, that the FSB is right to follow the opposition politician, claiming Navalny poses a threat to national security.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on Tuesday that Putin was too busy to watch the video released by Navalny.
Peskov said Navalny is showing signs of paranoia and megalomania.
Russia's foreign ministry has condemned sanctions slapped on Moscow by the European Union in response to Navalny's poisoning. Russia is denying entry to a number of EU officials in retaliation.
Following publication of the call's recording, the FSB called it "a provocation" that couldn't have been made without the help of foreign spies.
A State Department spokesperson dismissed the Kremlin's denial of involvement in the apparent assassination attempt on the Russian opposition figure.
"There is no plausible explanation for Mr. Navalny's poisoning other than Russian government involvement and responsibility," the spokesperson said.
NPR's Moscow correspondent Lucian Kim and State Department correspondent Michele Kelemen contributed to this report.


npr--2020-12-21--More Than 70 West Point Cadets Accused Of Cheating In Academic Scandal

More Than 70 West Point Cadets Accused Of Cheating In Academic Scandal Dozens of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point were caught cheating on a calculus final exam in May after they all made the same errors on the test , according to officials .
Instructors at the Army 's premier training ground for officers revealed the academic scandal on Monday , saying it 's the worst they 've seen since the 1970s .
So far , 59 cadets out of a suspected 73 have admitted to taking part in the scam in which the students `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Lt. Col. Chris Ophardt , a West Point spokesman told NPR .
The test was administered remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Four cadets have resigned and another eight , who say they 're innocent of any wrongdoing , will face a full hearing led by seniors at the academy .
The cases against two others initially implicated in the scheme have been dismissed for lack of evidence .
Cadets who commit to the rigorous military academy agree to abide by a strict honor code that holds them up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tuition and a $ 10,000 annual stipend to every student , in addition to the opportunity to become some of the nation 's top military leaders .
The code is just a dozen words long : `` A cadet will not lie , cheat , steal , or tolerate those who do . ''
Ophardt acknowledged the cadets — all but one of whom are first-years — fell short of living up to those words during this period of remote learning and other challenges brought on by the pandemic .
Still , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and character development program remains strong . ''
He added : `` The Honors process is working as expected and there have been no exceptions to policy for any of these cases .
Cadets are being held accountable for breaking the code . ''
Nearly all of those who admitted guilt have been allowed to remain at the academy on the condition that they complete a rehabilitation program that includes meeting with a mentor and after-hours classes about the honor system and the importance of being a better leader , Ophardt said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the remainder of their time at the academy .
The opportunity for rehabilitation is relatively new at West Point ; previously , cadets would be expelled after violating the rules .
In 2015 , Ophardt explained , the academy made changes to the honor code allowing for second chances .
But Tim Bakken , a 20-year professor of law at West Point , said the incident is not a run-of-the-mill offense that should be met with a slap on the wrist .
He called the incident a `` national security issue , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civilian leaders when it comes to military decisions with life-or-death stakes .
`` A cheating scandal at a military academy is critical because it indicates a culture that needs correcting , '' Bakken said .
While most of the cadets who owned up to their misconduct `` are trying to do the right thing , '' in some cases , he said , others `` might be in a situation where taking a shortcut is an acceptable way . ''
The biggest cheating scandal at the campus took place in 1976 , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electrical engineering exam .
In that instance , all of the men resigned or were expelled .

More Than 70 West Point Cadets Accused Of Cheating In Academic Scandal
Enlarge this image toggle caption Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 9:33 p.m., Dec. 28, 2020
Seventy-three suspected cheaters, one critical mistake.
Dozens of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point were caught cheating on a calculus final exam in May after they all made the same errors on the test, according to officials.
Instructors at the Army's premier training ground for officers revealed the academic scandal on Monday, saying it's the worst they've seen since the 1970s.
So far, 59 cadets out of a suspected 73 have admitted to taking part in the scam in which the students "shared answers and made the same mistakes," Lt. Col. Chris Ophardt, a West Point spokesman told NPR.
The test was administered remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Four cadets have resigned and another eight, who say they're innocent of any wrongdoing, will face a full hearing led by seniors at the academy. The cases against two others initially implicated in the scheme have been dismissed for lack of evidence.
Cadets who commit to the rigorous military academy agree to abide by a strict honor code that holds them up to a high standard in exchange for free tuition and a $10,000 annual stipend to every student, in addition to the opportunity to become some of the nation's top military leaders.
The code is just a dozen words long: "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do."
Ophardt acknowledged the cadets — all but one of whom are first-years — fell short of living up to those words during this period of remote learning and other challenges brought on by the pandemic. Still, he maintains the "West Point honor code and character development program remains strong."
He added: "The Honors process is working as expected and there have been no exceptions to policy for any of these cases. Cadets are being held accountable for breaking the code."
Nearly all of those who admitted guilt have been allowed to remain at the academy on the condition that they complete a rehabilitation program that includes meeting with a mentor and after-hours classes about the honor system and the importance of being a better leader, Ophardt said. Students will also be on probation for the remainder of their time at the academy.
The opportunity for rehabilitation is relatively new at West Point; previously, cadets would be expelled after violating the rules. In 2015, Ophardt explained, the academy made changes to the honor code allowing for second chances.
But Tim Bakken, a 20-year professor of law at West Point, said the incident is not a run-of-the-mill offense that should be met with a slap on the wrist.
He called the incident a "national security issue," because senior officers must be truthful to civilian leaders when it comes to military decisions with life-or-death stakes.
"A cheating scandal at a military academy is critical because it indicates a culture that needs correcting," Bakken said.
While most of the cadets who owned up to their misconduct "are trying to do the right thing," in some cases, he said, others "might be in a situation where taking a shortcut is an acceptable way."
The biggest cheating scandal at the campus took place in 1976, when 153 cadets cheated on an electrical engineering exam.


npr--2020-12-21--Congress Passes $900 Billion Coronavirus Relief Bill, Ending Months-Long Stalemate

The Senate acted swiftly Monday night , in a 91-7 vote , to approve more than $ 900 billion for coronavirus assistance , shortly after the House of Representatives passed the package .
The aid comes after months of partisan sniping over what elements should be in a relief measure that virtually all lawmakers on Capitol Hill argued was long overdue .
The measure now heads to President Trump 's desk .
In order to avoid a shutdown , since federal agencies would have run out of money at midnight Monday , a 7-day stop-gap spending bill was also approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief and annual funding bills .
The 5,593 page legislation extends economic assistance as millions of Americans struggle to make ends meet as cases of COVID-19 are surging across the country .
It includes another round of direct stimulus checks — this time for $ 600 per adult who are in certain income thresholds , and the same amount for children .
It provides an extension of enhanced unemployment insurance benefits for up to $ 300 per week and lengthens the maximum number of weeks .
The package includes $ 25 billion in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evictions that was scheduled to expire at the end of January .
To address the increasing number of those with food insecurity , $ 13 billion was added to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program .
To help small businesses worried about closing their doors , the legislation has another roughly $ 300 billion for the popular Paycheck Protection Program and expands the kinds of businesses who can qualify for forgivable loans and grants .
Live venues that have been shuttered during the pandemic were eligible for $ 15 billion in grants .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two vaccines recently authorized by the FDA , the bill provided $ 68 billion to support vaccine distribution and COVID-19 testing costs .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , who was the lead negotiator for congressional Democrats defended the package , which was half of what she had been holding out for over several months , saying `` we want to do more . ''
She pledged that the compromise represented `` a first step '' and more would be coming after President-elect Joe Biden took office .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger package for months and said , `` with a new President-elect of their own party , everything changed .
Democrats suddenly came around to our position that we should find consensus , make law where we agree , and get urgent help out the door . ''
Although the overall contours of the bill came together last week , rank and file lawmakers waited for days as the top four leaders — Pelosi , McConnell , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy , R-Calif. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Particularly , they worked on a compromise on a last-minute sticking point over language Republicans wanted to add to limit the Federal Reserve and Treasury Department 's lending authority .
Both sides praised the themselves for working across the aisle to get something done , but action came just days before the holiday break — one Congress had scheduled to take more than a week earlier .
President Trump was absent from the talks , leaving negotiations largely to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin .
New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer , one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centrists that crafted a proposal that was ultimately used as the framework for the deal proclaimed , `` this is as close to a Christmas miracle as you can find in a normally polarized Washington . ''
The scramble to assemble the final $ 2.3 trillion package frustrated many members who complained that they did n't have enough time to read the massive bill before voting on it .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted `` this is n't governance .
It 's hostage-taking . ''
Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee similarly vented on Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire bill and said in his 10 years in Congress he 's never had to sift through a bill this long .
He said because only the small group of leaders drafted it , the majority of members were still learning about its contents .
Leaders paired the relief bill with the annual $ 1.4 trillion spending bill , which included measures that had been negotiated over months by the House and Senate Appropriations panels .
Members of those committees did note that agreement on many items like pay raises for members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veterans and a deal on border security measures .
But the deal also represented the last train moving through the lame duck session of Congress .
So riding along were some significant policy bills that had bipartisan support , such as legislation to address surprise medical billing , a measure creating Smithsonian museums for American Women 's History and American Latinos , and a water projects bill .

Congress Passes $900 Billion Coronavirus Relief Bill, Ending Months-Long Stalemate
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jacquelyn Martin/AP Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Updated Tuesday at 11:40 a.m. ET
The Senate acted swiftly Monday night, in a 92-6 vote, to approve more than $900 billion for coronavirus assistance, shortly after the House of Representatives passed the package. The aid comes after months of partisan sniping over what elements should be in a relief measure that virtually all lawmakers on Capitol Hill argued was long overdue.
The measure now heads to President Trump's desk. In order to avoid a shutdown, since federal agencies would have run out of money at midnight Monday, a seven-day stop-gap spending bill was also approved to allow time to process the combined relief and annual funding bills.
The 5,593-page legislation extends economic assistance as millions of Americans struggle to make ends meet as cases of COVID-19 surge across the country. It includes another round of direct stimulus checks — this time $600 per adult who are in certain income thresholds and the same amount for children. It provides an extension of enhanced unemployment insurance benefits for up to $300 per week and lengthens the maximum number of weeks. The package includes $25 billion in rental assistance and extends a ban on evictions that was scheduled to expire at the end of December. To address the increasing number of those with food insecurity, $13 billion was added to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
To help small businesses worried about closing their doors, the legislation has another roughly $300 billion for the popular Paycheck Protection Program and expands the kinds of businesses that can qualify for forgivable loans and grants. Live venues that have been shuttered during the pandemic were eligible for $15 billion in grants.
As hospitals continued vaccinating priority groups with the two vaccines recently authorized by the FDA, the bill provided $68 billion to support vaccine distribution and COVID-19 testing costs.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who was the lead negotiator for congressional Democrats, defended the package, which was half of what she had been holding out for over several months, but said, "We want to do more." She pledged that the compromise represented "a first step" and more would be coming after President-elect Joe Biden took office.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., criticized Democrats for insisting on a larger package for months and said, "With a new President-elect of their own party, everything changed. Democrats suddenly came around to our position that we should find consensus, make law where we agree, and get urgent help out the door."
Although the overall contours of the bill came together last week, rank-and-file lawmakers waited for days as the top four leaders — Pelosi, McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. — spent days closing out issues. In particular, they worked on a compromise on a last-minute sticking point over language that Republicans wanted to add to limit the Federal Reserve and Treasury Department's lending authority.
This is as close to a Christmas miracle as you can find in a normally polarized Washington.
Both sides praised the themselves for working across the aisle to get something done, but action came just days before the holiday break — one Congress had scheduled to take more than a week earlier. President Trump was absent from the talks, leaving negotiations largely to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer, one of the members of the bipartisan group of centrists that crafted a proposal that was ultimately used as the framework for the deal, proclaimed, "This is as close to a Christmas miracle as you can find in a normally polarized Washington."
The scramble to assemble the final $2.3 trillion package frustrated many members who complained that they didn't have enough time to read the massive bill before voting on it. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, "This isn't governance. It's hostage-taking."
Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee similarly vented on Twitter that it would be impossible to read the entire bill and said that in his 10 years in Congress, he has never had to sift through a bill this long. He said because only the small group of leaders drafted it, the majority of members were still learning about its contents.
Leaders paired the relief bill with the annual $1.4 trillion spending bill, which included measures that had been negotiated over months by the House and Senate Appropriations panels. Members of those committees did note that agreement on many items like pay raises for members of the military, increased money for veterans and a deal on border security measures.
But the deal also represented the last train moving through the lame-duck session of Congress. So riding along were some significant policy bills that had bipartisan support, such as legislation to address surprise medical billing, create Smithsonian museums for American Women's History and for American Latinos, and support a water projects bill.


npr--2020-12-23--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak Explore the chart below to find a country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January .
In late spring and early summer , new COVID-19 cases were largely driven by cases in the Americas .
While the U.S. has consistently had the most new daily cases of coronavirus in the region , Brazil 's new daily cases increased rapidly between May and August .
However , in September , several countries that had previously flattened their curve saw a resurgence in cases , including Spain and France .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swiftly since June .
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 .
To compare country outbreaks , the chart below graphs trend lines for average new daily cases and deaths against each country 's totals to date .
This type of visualization highlights a state 's daily growth or decline relative to the overall size of its outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In countries like Israel , which is seeing a second wave of case growth after an initial wave in April , the line forms a V-shape , as the initially bent curve spikes upwards again .
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--2020-12-23--Coronavirus Is Surging: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Is Surging : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 18 million people in the U.S. have had confirmed coronavirus infections and more than 310,000 have died of COVID-19 .
Tens of thousands of new cases are reported daily nationwide .
In the graphics below , explore the trends in your state .
View the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , curve charts , a table of state-by-state trends over four weeks , or a map of total cases and deaths .
The map above shows the risk of infection in each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capita .
The consortium of researchers and public health experts who developed these risk levels advises states in the red category to issue stay-home orders .
They advise orange states to consider stay-home orders , along with increased testing and contact tracing .
Yellow states need to keep up social distancing and mask usage , and all states should continue testing and contact tracing .
To compare state outbreaks , the chart above graphs trend lines for average new daily cases and deaths against each state 's totals to date .
This type @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growth or decline relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In New York , the curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
New cases fell from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 900 a day most of the summer , before starting to rise in the fall .
Explore the map above to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country for both new confirmed cases and reported deaths from COVID-19 .
New York was the original epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. As of mid October , California , Florida and Texas surpass New York for total cases to date , though New York still has the highest death total .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
To show trends , the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state , week over week for the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of red have growing outbreaks ; those in shades of green , are declining .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
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 and or update their methodologies .
For example , in early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's daily numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reconcile the historical data .
On June 25 , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
On Sept. 2 , Massachusetts changed its methodology for counting probable cases , which lowered its overall case and death numbers .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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--2020-12-23--U.S. Reaches Deal With Pfizer For 100 Million More Vaccine Doses

U.S .
Reaches Deal With Pfizer For 100 Million More Vaccine Doses The Trump administration says it has reached a deal with Pfizer to buy an additional 100 million doses of the company 's COVID-19 vaccine , effectively doubling the federal government 's supply from Pfizer .
The pharmaceutical giant is to deliver 70 million doses by June 30 , 2021 , and complete the rest of the order by the end of the following month , according to a statement released Wednesday morning by the Department of Health and Human Services .
Pfizer said the U.S. government has agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional doses of its vaccine , which was developed jointly with BioNTech .
`` Securing more doses from Pfizer and BioNTech for delivery in the second quarter of 2021 further expands our supply of doses across the Operation Warp Speed portfolio , '' HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement .
`` This new federal purchase can give Americans even more confidence that we will have enough supply to vaccinate every American who wants it by June 2021 . ''
Earlier this month , the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. , kicking off a massive vaccination campaign .
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has since authorized the use of a COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna .
`` The additional doses ordered today provide for a seamless transition from the first 100 million doses contracted earlier this year , '' HHS said , adding that the agreement includes the option to buy 400 million more vaccine doses .

U.S. Reaches Deal With Pfizer For 100 Million More Vaccine Doses
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP
Updated at 9:30 a.m. ET
The Trump administration says it has reached a deal with Pfizer to buy an additional 100 million doses of the company's COVID-19 vaccine, effectively doubling the federal government's supply from Pfizer.
The pharmaceutical giant is to deliver 70 million doses by June 30, 2021, and complete the rest of the order by the end of the following month, according to a statement released Wednesday morning by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Pfizer said the government has agreed to pay $1.95 billion for the additional doses of its vaccine, which was developed jointly with BioNTech. That's the same amount the U.S. agreed to pay for the first 100 million doses in a deal announced this summer.
"Securing more doses from Pfizer and BioNTech for delivery in the second quarter of 2021 further expands our supply of doses across the Operation Warp Speed portfolio," HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. "This new federal purchase can give Americans even more confidence that we will have enough supply to vaccinate every American who wants it by June 2021."
Earlier this month, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first to get the greenlight for widespread use in the U.S., kicking off a massive vaccination campaign. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has since authorized the use of a COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna.
"The additional doses ordered today provide for a seamless transition from the first 100 million doses contracted earlier this year," HHS said, adding that the agreement includes the option to buy 400 million more vaccine doses.
This is the second time the U.S. has moved to increase its vaccine supply in the past two weeks. On Dec. 11, the U.S. said it will buy 100 million more doses from Moderna, which will now supply a total of 200 million doses for $3.2 billion.
Together, the two companies have committed to supply 400 million doses — enough to immunize 200 million people, as both companies' vaccines require two doses. The U.S. population is about 330 million.
A major challenge for both companies is meeting the staggering demand for vaccines against a pandemic that has killed more than 1.7 million people globally.
The Trump administration recently suggested that Pfizer was having production challenges in delivering its orders, a criticism that the company pushed back against.
Moderna "doesn't have a track record of mass production," as NPR's Sydney Lupkin reported, and is expected to rely on outsourcing some production to contract manufacturers.


npr--2020-12-23--We All Know Smoke Is Bad For Your Health. It Could Be Worse Than You Think

We All Know Smoke Is Bad For Your Health .
It Could Be Worse Than You Think It 's no secret that inhaling smoke is bad for your lungs .
But now , scientists are suggesting smoke may also carry and spread infectious diseases .
The theory , published in Science Magazine , is based on research that found wildfire smoke is teeming with thousands of species of microorganisms .
Some of these microorganisms , including bacteria and fungal spores , are known to cause disease .
Until now , it 's been widely accepted that the greatest risk to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particles from burning wood and other materials .
Some of those particles are small enough to be inhaled into the lungs , triggering allergic reactions in some people or exacerbating lung diseases , like asthma in others .
The new research posits that when a wildfire burns plant or animal matter and disturbs soils , it exposes thousands of species of bacteria and fungi that otherwise might not easily become airborne .
You might think the high heat from fire would kill these organisms , but one study cited in the articlevfound that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scientists say the organisms latch onto smoke particulates , allowing them to travel thousands of miles across continents .
The possibility that smoke-transported microbes may be contributing to infections in human populations has yet to be studied .
But it should be , the authors of the article argue .
In some locations , growing rates of fungal diseases have coincided with increasing wildfire smoke — what the authors of the article call `` compelling overlaps . ''
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) also warns that firefighters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fever , an infection caused by inhaling a fungus found in soil .
`` I think that the connections have n't been made in the past because it 's a very new idea to think of smoke as having a living component , '' says Leda Kobziar , co-author of the article and associate professor of wildland fire science at the University of Idaho .
Kobziar hopes that doctors and scientists will devote more research to whether prolonged smoke exposure can cause infections and if the spread of disease can be predicted from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles , is `` intrigued '' by the theory but somewhat skeptical that the microorganisms in smoke would actually cause infections .
Many bacteria and fungi do n't cause lung infections , says Chen , but it 's certainly possible that a significant dose could exacerbate symptoms in someone with a pre-existing lung condition .
`` I always thought it was the particulates in smoke that were causing these issues , '' says Chen , `` but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinking could it be the microorganisms that are also causing exacerbations ? ''
Whether the microbes in smoke actually cause infection or simply aggravate underlying respiratory issues , the article raises a new health threat that is `` certainly alarming , '' says Kelsey Jack , an associate professor of environmental and development economics at the University of California , Santa Barbara and co-chair of the climate group at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab ( J-PAL ) .
This is especially true for lower-income populations , Jack says , because people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the environment .
If smoke is affecting the air quality in a certain area , the people who work outside , or who have to commute by foot or bike , will inhale more smoke than those who commute by car to their office jobs .
Additionally , air pollution tends to be worse in developing countries — meaning those populations have a lower baseline for respiratory health .
Pneumonia is the number one cause of death in children under five years old , and respiratory disease and infections are a leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poorer nations .
Jack says it would also be helpful to study whether smoke from other common sources in developing countries — like indoor cooking fires or stubble burning , when farmers set their fields on fire after harvest season to clear them — contain as many infectious microbes as wildfires .
And if so , whether it 's contributing to disease in those populations .
`` To the extent that this is a missing piece of understanding the relationship between an emission source and a health impact , it is very , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But until more research is done , Chen says the best thing people can do is just follow existing recommendations when air quality is poor — including staying indoors , keeping windows and doors closed , using HEPA filters and running air conditioning .
`` Really , we just want people to scrub the air , '' says Chen .
According to the article , further study is especially relevant as climate change will likely make smoky skies a `` seasonal norm rather than a rare event '' in places around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be living with smoke , we would just encourage people to take precautions , '' says Kobziar .

We All Know Smoke Is Bad For Your Health. It Could Be Worse Than You Think
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images
It's no secret that inhaling smoke is bad for your lungs. But now, scientists are suggesting smoke may also carry and spread infectious diseases.
The theory, published in Science Magazine, is based on research that found wildfire smoke is teeming with thousands of species of microorganisms. Some of these microorganisms, including bacteria and fungal spores, are known to cause disease.
Until now, it's been widely accepted that the greatest risk to human health from smoke are the tiny particles from burning wood and other materials. Some of those particles are small enough to be inhaled into the lungs, triggering allergic reactions in some people or exacerbating lung diseases such as asthma in others.
The new research posits that when a wildfire burns plant or animal matter and disturbs soils, it exposes thousands of species of bacteria and fungi that otherwise might not easily become airborne. You might think the high heat from fire would kill these organisms, but one study cited in the article found that some bacteria even multiply post-fire. Scientists say the organisms latch onto smoke particulates, allowing them to travel thousands of miles across continents.
The possibility that smoke-transported microbes may be contributing to infections in human populations has yet to be studied. But it should be, the authors of the article argue. In some locations, growing rates of fungal diseases have coincided with increasing wildfire smoke — what the authors of the article call "compelling overlaps." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also warns that firefighters are at higher risk of contracting valley fever, an infection caused by inhaling a fungus found in soil.
"I think that the connections haven't been made in the past because it's a very new idea to think of smoke as having a living component," says Leda Kobziar, co-author of the article and associate professor of wildland fire science at the University of Idaho.
Kobziar hopes that doctors and scientists will devote more research to whether prolonged smoke exposure can cause infections and whether the spread of disease can be predicted from smoke patterns.
Dr. Peter Chen, director of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, is "intrigued" by the theory but somewhat skeptical that the microorganisms in smoke would actually cause infections. Many bacteria and fungi don't cause lung infections, says Chen, but it's certainly possible that a significant dose could exacerbate symptoms in someone with a preexisting lung condition.
"I always thought it was the particulates in smoke that were causing these issues," says Chen, "but when I read this, I started thinking could it be the microorganisms that are also causing exacerbations?"
Whether the microbes in smoke actually cause infection or simply aggravate underlying respiratory issues, the article raises a new health threat that is "certainly alarming," says Kelsey Jack, an associate professor of environmental and development economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara and co-chair of the climate group at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab.
This is especially true for lower-income populations, Jack says, because people with fewer means are often more exposed to the environment. If smoke is affecting the air quality in a certain area, the people who work outside, or who have to commute by foot or bike, will inhale more smoke than those who commute by car to their office jobs.
Additionally, air pollution tends to be worse in developing countries — meaning those populations have a lower baseline for respiratory health. Pneumonia is the No. 1 cause of death in children under 5 years old, and respiratory disease and infections are a leading cause of death among aging adults in poorer nations.
Jack says it would also be helpful to study whether smoke from other common sources in developing countries — such as indoor cooking fires or stubble burning, when farmers set their fields on fire after harvest season to clear them — contain as many infectious microbes as wildfires. And if so, whether it's contributing to disease in those populations.
"To the extent that this is a missing piece of understanding the relationship between an emission source and a health impact, it is very, very valuable," says Jack.
But until more research is done, Chen says the best thing people can do is just follow existing recommendations when air quality is poor — including staying indoors, keeping windows and doors closed, using HEPA filters and running air conditioning.
"Really, we just want people to scrub the air," says Chen.
According to the article, further study is especially relevant as climate change will likely make smoky skies a "seasonal norm rather than a rare event" in places around the world.
"Given the fact that we will be living with smoke, we would just encourage people to take precautions," says Kobziar.


npr--2020-12-23--Congress Gets COVID-19 Vaccine, But Members Fight Over Who Should Have Priority

Congress Gets COVID-19 Vaccine , But Members Fight Over Who Should Have Priority Top leaders and rank-and-file members of Congress are taking part in the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations , a move that could accelerate plans for Congress to return to business as usual .
But not all lawmakers agree on who should get priority as millions of Americans in high-risk groups still await their turn .
The Capitol 's attending physician , Brian Monahan , alerted its more than 500 lawmakers this month that they 're now eligible to get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine under continuity-of-government requirements .
House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitch McConnell , top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy were among those with first dibs .
Other members soon followed suit , saying it could inspire public confidence in the vaccine .
`` Our job is to make sure the vaccine is n't politicized the way masks were politicized , '' Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. , said in a Twitter exchange after getting her vaccine .
McConnell , who was treated for polio as a child , repeatedly cites public opinion polls showing reticence among the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the importance of getting inoculated .
`` It took decades to develop the polio vaccine .
This vaccine was developed in under a year , a modern medical miracle , and we need to take the vaccine , '' McConnell said in an interview on Fox News .
The efforts could also stem the flow of coronavirus cases linked to Congress , where more than 270 individuals — including 50 lawmakers — have become infected during the pandemic .
Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney , Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown , North Carolina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Karen Bass were among the first wave of members to get the vaccine .
`` When public health officials say it 's your turn to get a vaccine , roll up your sleeves — I 'll be doing the same when my turn arrives , '' Sen. Chuck Grassley , R-Iowa , who was infected with the coronavirus this year , said on the Senate floor on Monday .
`` Getting immunized is the only way we 'll beat the virus and get back to the normal way of American life .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ work of Congress , from floor activity to committee hearings .
Lawmakers `` will be provided with a specific number of COVID19 vaccine doses to meet long-standing requirements for continuity of government operations , '' Monahan , the Capitol 's attending physician , wrote in a Dec. 17 note to members .
COVID-19 vaccine divides members on who should get it now While members such as Ocasio-Cortez have said getting the vaccine will encourage others to follow suit , they 've faced criticism from a smaller minority of colleagues such as Sen. Rand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask mandates .
Paul , who was infected with the coronavirus early on during the pandemic , says younger members should n't take part now , while those who have had COVID-19 should be `` last in line . ''
`` I think it would be unconscionable for somebody who 's had it to get in front of somebody who has n't had it to take a vaccine , '' Paul told a Capitol Hill pool reporter on Monday .
`` I think it 's unconscionable for [ Ocasio-Cortez ] ... to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you got 85-year-old people in nursing homes who have n't gotten it . ''
Paul later tweeted his attack of Ocasio-Cortez , triggering a heated exchange .
Ocasio-Cortez responded that `` maybe if the GOP had n't spent so much time undermining public faith '' in science and mask usage for COVID-19 , she would n't have to weigh in on potential misinformation .
For his part , Brown also used his turn to get the vaccine to say it sends a `` bipartisan message '' that the vaccine is safe and critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine is n't a partisan issue — it 's patriotic , '' Brown said in a statement .
Still , other members disagree .
And that includes Rep. Ilhan Omar , D-Minn. , a member of the `` Squad '' with Ocasio-Cortez and two other House Democrats .
Omar lost her father to COVID-19 this year .
`` We are not more important then frontline workers , teachers etc .
who are making sacrifices everyday , '' Omar tweeted .
`` Which is why I wo n't take it .
People who need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Full stop . ''
Others are taking their opposition to getting the vaccine further , saying they do n't trust it .
`` I 'm more concerned about the safety of the vaccine than I am the side effects of the disease , '' Rep. Ken Buck , R-Colo. , told Fox Business .
This , as many of his GOP colleagues laud the vaccine , including McCarthy , who tie its success to President Trump .
Trump `` kept his promise ! ''
McCarthy said on Twitter after his vaccine shot .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new mission : develop a plan for workers and other support staff for Congress to get the new vaccine as well .
The top Republican of the House Administration Committee , which oversees such efforts , is urging Pelosi and the panel 's Democratic chair , Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California , to create a plan soon .
`` As an essential branch of government , it is vital that our institution returns to full functionality and that our Members and essential staff are provided a transparent vaccination plan to not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the health and safety of our committed workforce , '' Davis said in a Dec. 14 letter to Pelosi and Lofgren .
This year , Davis and McCarthy joined forces to urge Pelosi to implement a widespread testing program .
An on-site rapid-testing center was finally installed at the Capitol in November , several months into the pandemic , after Pelosi and McConnell turned down offers from the administration for testing capacity .
The administration had offered only 1,000 tests — a drop in the bucket for the large Capitol complex .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't go ahead of front-line workers at a time when tests were sparse for the public .
Meanwhile , Democratic and Republican aides have declined to detail a future vaccine plan for the larger Capitol complex , saying those details remain to be determined .
However , this month 's passage of a massive government funding bill that includes coronavirus relief designates $ 5 million for the attending physician 's office to combat COVID-19 .
That includes testing and potentially could support future expansion of vaccine efforts .
Davis tells leaders that now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ redo its approach to COVID-19 and respond quickly with vaccines for the larger Capitol complex .
But that remains a challenge , because that includes a legislative branch workforce of about 20,000 .
`` I encourage you to take strong , decisive action in working with our institutional partners to create , communicate , and implement a vaccination distribution plan for the House 's essential workers and Members , '' Davis said .

Congress Gets COVID-19 Vaccine, But Members Fight Over Who Should Have Priority
Enlarge this image toggle caption Anna Moneymaker/AP Anna Moneymaker/AP
Top leaders and rank-and-file members of Congress are taking part in the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations, a move that could accelerate plans for Congress to return to business as usual. But not all lawmakers agree on who should get priority as millions of Americans in high-risk groups still await their turn.
The Capitol's attending physician, Brian Monahan, alerted its more than 500 lawmakers this month that they're now eligible to get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine under continuity-of-government requirements.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy were among those with first dibs. Other members soon followed suit, saying it could inspire public confidence in the vaccine.
"Our job is to make sure the vaccine isn't politicized the way masks were politicized," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in a Twitter exchange after getting her vaccine.
McConnell, who was treated for polio as a child, repeatedly cites public opinion polls showing reticence among the public about the vaccine, and he emphasizes the importance of getting inoculated.
"It took decades to develop the polio vaccine. This vaccine was developed in under a year, a modern medical miracle, and we need to take the vaccine," McConnell said in an interview on Fox News.
The efforts could also stem the flow of coronavirus cases linked to Congress, where more than 270 individuals — including 50 lawmakers — have become infected during the pandemic.
Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, North Carolina Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx and California Democratic Rep. Karen Bass were among the first wave of members to get the vaccine.
"When public health officials say it's your turn to get a vaccine, roll up your sleeves — I'll be doing the same when my turn arrives," Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who was infected with the coronavirus this year, said on the Senate floor on Monday. "Getting immunized is the only way we'll beat the virus and get back to the normal way of American life."
The pandemic has also disrupted the work of Congress, from floor activity to committee hearings.
Lawmakers "will be provided with a specific number of COVID19 vaccine doses to meet long-standing requirements for continuity of government operations," Monahan, the Capitol's attending physician, wrote in a Dec. 17 note to members.
COVID-19 vaccine divides members on who should get it now
While members such as Ocasio-Cortez have said getting the vaccine will encourage others to follow suit, they've faced criticism from a smaller minority of colleagues such as Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a critic of mask mandates.
Paul, who was infected with the coronavirus early on during the pandemic, says younger members shouldn't take part now, while those who have had COVID-19 should be "last in line."
"I think it would be unconscionable for somebody who's had it to get in front of somebody who hasn't had it to take a vaccine," Paul told a Capitol Hill pool reporter on Monday. "I think it's unconscionable for [Ocasio-Cortez] ... to be smiling gleefully and getting the vaccine when you got 85-year-old people in nursing homes who haven't gotten it."
Paul later tweeted his attack of Ocasio-Cortez, triggering a heated exchange.
Ocasio-Cortez responded that "maybe if the GOP hadn't spent so much time undermining public faith" in science and mask usage for COVID-19, she wouldn't have to weigh in on potential misinformation.
For his part, Brown also used his turn to get the vaccine to say it sends a "bipartisan message" that the vaccine is safe and critical for protecting others.
"Getting this vaccine isn't a partisan issue — it's patriotic," Brown said in a statement.
Still, other members disagree. And that includes Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., a member of the "Squad" with Ocasio-Cortez and two other House Democrats.
Omar lost her father to COVID-19 this year.
"We are not more important then [sic] frontline workers, teachers etc. who are making sacrifices everyday," Omar tweeted. "Which is why I won't take it. People who need it most, should get it. Full stop."
Others are taking their opposition to getting the vaccine further, saying they don't trust it.
"I'm more concerned about the safety of the vaccine than I am the side effects of the disease," Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., told Fox Business.
This, as many of his GOP colleagues laud the vaccine, including McCarthy, who tie its success to President Trump.
Trump "kept his promise!" McCarthy said on Twitter after his vaccine shot.
Vaccines for Capitol Hill workers
Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., has a new mission: develop a plan for workers and other support staff for Congress to get the new vaccine as well.
The top Republican of the House Administration Committee, which oversees such efforts, is urging Pelosi and the panel's Democratic chair, Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, to create a plan soon.
"As an essential branch of government, it is vital that our institution returns to full functionality and that our Members and essential staff are provided a transparent vaccination plan to not only ensure the continuity of operations, but the health and safety of our committed workforce," Davis said in a Dec. 14 letter to Pelosi and Lofgren.
This year, Davis and McCarthy joined forces to urge Pelosi to implement a widespread testing program. An on-site rapid-testing center was finally installed at the Capitol in November, several months into the pandemic, after Pelosi and McConnell turned down offers from the administration for testing capacity. The administration had offered only 1,000 tests — a drop in the bucket for the large Capitol complex. And Pelosi and McConnell said that members shouldn't go ahead of front-line workers at a time when tests were sparse for the public.
Meanwhile, Democratic and Republican aides have declined to detail a future vaccine plan for the larger Capitol complex, saying those details remain to be determined.
However, this month's passage of a massive government funding bill that includes coronavirus relief designates $5 million for the attending physician's office to combat COVID-19. That includes testing and potentially could support future expansion of vaccine efforts.
Davis tells leaders that now is an opportunity for the House to redo its approach to COVID-19 and respond quickly with vaccines for the larger Capitol complex. But that remains a challenge, because that includes a legislative branch workforce of about 20,000.
"I encourage you to take strong, decisive action in working with our institutional partners to create, communicate, and implement a vaccination distribution plan for the House's essential workers and Members," Davis said.


npr--2020-12-23--DOJ Whistleblowers Call For Investigation Into Canceled Diversity Programs

Justice Department whistleblowers are calling on federal watchdogs and members of Congress to investigate what they call illegal and abusive government directives that waste money and chill `` diversity-related speech across the entire federal workforce . ''
NPR has obtained a letter by a lawyer for the whistleblowers , who report that diversity and inclusion programs they had planned for the Justice Department earlier this year were branded `` divisive propaganda '' and had to be canceled .
One such program was supposed to feature the former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia , Jessie Liu ; and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives , Regina Lombardo , to discuss the `` gender leadership gap '' at the Justice Department .
Another would have examined the issue of implicit bias in law enforcement .
`` The Diversity Directives signal to all that minorities are not welcome , their positions are not secure , and that discussing systemic injustice is inappropriate in the workplace or otherwise , '' wrote David Seide , a lawyer at the Government Accountability Project who is representing the current DOJ employees .
`` The directives were implemented to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationality , and gender during a time when such conversations have been most needed . ''
The controversy followed a September 2020 executive order where President Trump ordered federal agencies to submit diversity training programs to the Office of Personnel Management for prior approval .
The order said Trump was acting `` in order to promote economy and efficiency in Federal contracting , to promote unity in the Federal workforce , and to combat offensive and anti-American race and sex stereotyping and scapegoating . ''
The whistleblowers ' letter said Trump was reportedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critic of diversity and inclusion programs on Tucker Carlson 's program on Fox News .
The OPM rules have proved confusing and unworkable , leading many federal agencies and contractors to cancel all their programming .
Three civil rights groups have already sued over the Trump crackdown , arguing it violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments .
`` It seemed very politically driven , politically motivated around election time , '' one current Justice Department employee told NPR , on condition of anonymity because of fear of retaliation .
The employee added that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst . ''
A second Justice Department employee , also speaking anonymously for fear of retaliation , pointed out that the OPM , which must preapprove diversity programming , is supposed to be taking the lead in protecting the federal workforce in the coronavirus pandemic — a full-time responsibility these days .
The whistleblowers are asking for the administration of President-elect Joe Biden to immediately withdraw the Trump executive order and for congressional agencies with oversight over the Justice Department to investigate the issue .
The executive order and its aftermath are causing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and hurting morale among federal workers of color .
The Trump administration said contractors who fail to follow the directives could be barred from future contracts and federal employees could face `` adverse '' employment action .
The Justice Department previously declined to comment on how it is implementing the executive order but most diversity programs there appear to have been put on hold since Autumn .
The Biden campaign told NPR before the election that Biden `` stands firmly against discrimination of all kinds and his administration will tackle systemic racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our laws , policies , and institutions . ''

DOJ Whistleblowers Call For Investigation Into Canceled Diversity Programs
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ramin Talaie/Getty Images Ramin Talaie/Getty Images
Justice Department whistleblowers are calling on federal watchdogs and members of Congress to investigate what they call illegal and abusive government directives that waste money and chill "diversity-related speech across the entire federal workforce."
NPR has obtained a letter by a lawyer for the whistleblowers, who report that diversity and inclusion programs they had planned for the Justice Department earlier this year were branded "divisive propaganda" and had to be canceled.
One such program was supposed to feature the former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Jessie Liu; and the head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Regina Lombardo, to discuss the "gender leadership gap" at the Justice Department. Another would have examined the issue of implicit bias in law enforcement.
"The Diversity Directives signal to all that minorities are not welcome, their positions are not secure, and that discussing systemic injustice is inappropriate in the workplace or otherwise," wrote David Seide, a lawyer at the Government Accountability Project who is representing the current DOJ employees. "The directives were implemented to silence conversations surrounding issues of race, nationality, and gender during a time when such conversations have been most needed."
The controversy followed a September 2020 executive order in which President Trump ordered federal agencies to submit diversity training programs to the Office of Personnel Management for prior approval. The order said Trump was acting "to promote economy and efficiency in Federal contracting, to promote unity in the Federal workforce, and to combat offensive and anti-American race and sex stereotyping and scapegoating."
The whistleblowers' letter said Trump was reportedly inspired to take action after watching a critic of diversity and inclusion programs on Tucker Carlson's program on Fox News.
The OPM rules have proved confusing and unworkable, leading many federal agencies and contractors to cancel all their programming.
Three civil rights groups have already sued over the Trump crackdown, arguing it violates the First and 14th Amendments.
"It seemed very politically driven, politically motivated around election time," one current Justice Department employee told NPR, on condition of anonymity because of fear of retaliation.
The employee added that the episodes reflected "governance at its worst."
A second Justice Department employee, also speaking anonymously for fear of retaliation, pointed out that the OPM, which must preapprove diversity programming, is supposed to be taking the lead in protecting the federal workforce in the coronavirus pandemic — a full-time responsibility these days.
The whistleblowers are asking for the administration of President-elect Joe Biden to immediately withdraw the Trump executive order and for congressional agencies with oversight over the Justice Department to investigate the issue.
The executive order and its aftermath are causing real harm, both Justice Department employees said, and hurting morale among federal workers of color. The Trump administration said contractors who fail to follow the directives could be barred from future contracts and federal employees could face "adverse" employment action.
The Justice Department previously declined to comment on how it is implementing the executive order, but most diversity programs there appear to have been put on hold since autumn.
The Biden campaign told NPR before the election that Biden "stands firmly against discrimination of all kinds and his administration will tackle systemic racism and other forms of discrimination across all of our laws, policies, and institutions."