npr--2020-12-17--California Activates 'Mass Fatality' Program As State Sets New Virus Records

Confirmed coronavirus infections and virus-related deaths are soaring in California , the nation 's most populous state , setting new records as hospitals struggle to keep up with the onslaught of cases .
It has prompted the state to activate its `` mass fatality '' program , which coordinates mutual aid across several governmental agencies .
On Thursday , California reported 52,281 new daily confirmed coronavirus cases and 379 new virus-related deaths , according to state data .
This brings the state 's total number of cases to more than 1.7 million , with 21,860 deaths since the pandemic began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grave in Southern California , where no intensive care unit beds are available .
According to The Los Angeles Times , which is compiling its own coronavirus tally for the state , the number of Californians hospitalized due to the disease has broken records for 18 consecutive days .
The number of people in ICUs because of COVID-19 continues to set records as well , the newspaper said , with 14 straight days of increases .
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Thursday that his 9-year-old daughter has tested positive and is `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter 's test result , he said , he and his wife , who have tested negative , will quarantine .
On Tuesday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom struck an optimistic tone after the first tranche of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines began arriving in the state .
The governor said that in addition to the 327,600 doses that arrived this week , Pfizer will distribute another 393,900 doses next week .
`` I 've said often there is light at the tunnel , but we 're still in the tunnel , '' Newsom said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the midst of the most challenging surge since the beginning of the pandemic .
`` We will come out of it stronger than ever .
I just want to come out of it healthier than ever .
I want you to be there to experience the resurgence , this recovery , California 's comeback , '' he said .
According to the California Office of Emergency Services , or OES , a mass fatality is an incident in which more deaths take place in a period of time than can be handled by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom said the state has 60 refrigerated units , each 53 feet long , available if needed .
He also said that 5,000 body bags were distributed to some of the hardest-hit counties , including Los Angeles , San Diego and Inyo counties .
The spike in new infections , which began in October , is being largely blamed on Californians ignoring safety protocols and socializing with others , according to The Associated Press .
Mark Pazin , the state 's OES chief , told Sacramento-based NBC affiliate KCRA that the purpose of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death tolls do n't overwhelm localities .
`` I know it sounds morbid , but it 's got to be said , that we have the body bags , that we have the proper refrigeration units , that the capacity has not outstripped the local morgue or funeral home , '' Pazin said .
`` Words sometimes ca n't explain what we 're facing , but suffice it to say , everyone is stepping up to the plate here in the state of California , '' he added .
Much of California remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state that have less than 15 % ICU availability .
The orders , which went into effect on Dec. 5 , will continue for at least three weeks .
Afterward , counties will be eligible to sunset the stay-at-home order if `` ICU capacity projected four weeks out reaches 15 percent , '' according to the governor 's office .
The coronavirus is putting a strain on Americans and the nation 's hospital systems across the county .
On Wednesday , the U.S. reported its highest number of single-day fatalities since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ succumbing to virus-related complications .

California Activates 'Mass Fatality' Program As State Sets New Virus Records
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jae C. Hong/AP Jae C. Hong/AP
Updated at 9:12 p.m. ET
Confirmed coronavirus infections and virus-related deaths are soaring in California, the nation's most populous state, setting new records as hospitals struggle to keep up with the onslaught of cases.
It has prompted the state to activate its "mass fatality" program, which coordinates mutual aid across several governmental agencies.
On Thursday, California reported 52,281 new daily confirmed coronavirus cases and 379 new virus-related deaths, according to state data. This brings the state's total number of cases to more than 1.7 million, with 21,860 deaths since the pandemic began.
The impact on hospitals is particularly grave in Southern California, where no intensive care unit beds are available.
According to The Los Angeles Times, which is compiling its own coronavirus tally for the state, the number of Californians hospitalized due to the disease has broken records for 18 consecutive days.
The number of people in ICUs because of COVID-19 continues to set records as well, the newspaper said, with 14 straight days of increases.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Thursday that his 9-year-old daughter has tested positive and is "doing fine." Because of his daughter's test result, he said, he and his wife, who have tested negative, will quarantine.
On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom struck an optimistic tone after the first tranche of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines began arriving in the state.
The governor said that in addition to the 327,600 doses that arrived this week, Pfizer will distribute another 393,900 doses next week.
"I've said often there is light at the tunnel, but we're still in the tunnel," Newsom said, adding that the state is in the midst of the most challenging surge since the beginning of the pandemic.
"We will come out of it stronger than ever. I just want to come out of it healthier than ever. I want you to be there to experience the resurgence, this recovery, California's comeback," he said.
Enlarge this image toggle caption California Office of Emergency Services/AP California Office of Emergency Services/AP
According to the California Office of Emergency Services, or OES, a mass fatality is an incident in which more deaths take place in a period of time than can be handled by local coroner or medical emergency personnel.
Newsom said the state has 60 refrigerated units, each 53 feet long, available if needed. He also said that 5,000 body bags were distributed to some of the hardest-hit counties, including Los Angeles, San Diego and Inyo counties.
The spike in new infections, which began in October, is being largely blamed on Californians ignoring safety protocols and socializing with others, according to The Associated Press.
Mark Pazin, the state's OES chief, told Sacramento-based NBC affiliate KCRA that the purpose of the program is to ensure the spiking death tolls don't overwhelm localities.
"I know it sounds morbid, but it's got to be said, that we have the body bags, that we have the proper refrigeration units, that the capacity has not outstripped the local morgue or funeral home," Pazin said.
"Words sometimes can't explain what we're facing, but suffice it to say, everyone is stepping up to the plate here in the state of California," he added.
Much of California remains under stay-at-home orders triggered by regions in the state that have less than 15% ICU availability.
The orders, which went into effect on Dec. 5, will continue for at least three weeks. Afterward, counties will be eligible to sunset the stay-at-home order if "ICU capacity projected four weeks out reaches 15 percent," according to the governor's office.
The coronavirus is putting a strain on Americans and the nation's hospital systems across the county. On Wednesday, the U.S. reported its highest number of single-day fatalities since the pandemic began, with more than 3,600 succumbing to virus-related complications.


npr--2020-12-17--Atlantic City Is Offering Bidders The Chance To Blow Up A Former Trump Casino

Atlantic City Is Offering Bidders The Chance To Blow Up A Former Trump Casino For about six years , the ghost of the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino has haunted the boardwalk in Atlantic City , N.J. , its lingering vastness vacant of life .
But not for long : The skyline highlight-cum-eyesore is scheduled for demolition late next month , and the city is offering you the opportunity to bring it down with your own bare hands — sort of .
`` We are selling the experience to push the button to implode Trump Plaza , '' says Bodnar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the city has hired to collect bids for the building 's planned implosion on Jan. 29 — just nine days after President Trump 's term come to a close .
`` This will be done remotely and can be done anywhere in the world as well as close to the Plaza as we can safely get you there ! ''
the auctioneer exults .
City officials say that proceeds from the auction will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City , a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing services for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Some of Atlantic City 's iconic moments happened there , but on his way out , Donald Trump openly mocked Atlantic City , saying he made a lot of money and then got out , '' Mayor Marty Small told The Associated Press .
`` I wanted to use the demolition of this place to raise money for charity . ''
The Trump Plaza , one of three major properties in the city once owned by the president , formally folded after a final spasm of layoffs in 2014 .
But by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of his stake in the casino .
He retained just 10 % of Trump Entertainment Resorts , the casino 's parent company , as part of a deal after the company declared bankruptcy in 2009 .
( It would file for Chapter 11 protection again in 2014 . )
The casino is now owned by billionaire businessman Carl Icahn .
While Trump 's other major Atlantic City properties — the Taj Mahal and the Trump Marina — have revived with changes in name and ownership , the Trump Plaza has languished in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decade .
Earlier this year , witnesses filmed as high winds tore off pieces of the crumbling facade and sent them tumbling to the ground from great heights .
Demolition work began on the casino earlier this year after Icahn and city officials reached an agreement to have the structure finally torn down .
Now , Mayor Small hopes the right to finish it off will draw bids in excess of $ 1 million .
We 'll find out soon : The AP reports that auctioneers will solicit offers through Jan. 19 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ auction 10 days later .

Atlantic City Is Offering Bidders The Chance To Blow Up A Former Trump Casino
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Makela/Getty Images Mark Makela/Getty Images
For about six years, the ghost of the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino has haunted the boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J., its lingering vastness vacant of life.
But not for long: The skyline highlight-cum-eyesore is scheduled for demolition late next month, and the city is offering you the opportunity to bring it down with your own bare hands — sort of.
"We are selling the experience to push the button to implode Trump Plaza," says Bodnar's Auction, an independent auction house that the city has hired to collect bids for the building's planned implosion on Jan. 29 — just nine days after President Trump's term come to a close.
"This will be done remotely and can be done anywhere in the world as well as close to the Plaza as we can safely get you there!" the auctioneer exults.
City officials say that proceeds from the auction will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing services for the city's young children and teens.
YouTube
"Some of Atlantic City's iconic moments happened there, but on his way out, Donald Trump openly mocked Atlantic City, saying he made a lot of money and then got out," Mayor Marty Small told The Associated Press. "I wanted to use the demolition of this place to raise money for charity."
The Trump Plaza, one of three major properties in the city once owned by the president, formally folded after a final spasm of layoffs in 2014. But by then, Trump had already shuffled off most of his stake in the casino. He retained just 10% of Trump Entertainment Resorts, the casino's parent company, as part of a deal after the company declared bankruptcy in 2009. (It would file for Chapter 11 protection again in 2014.)
The casino is now owned by billionaire businessman Carl Icahn. While Trump's other major Atlantic City properties — the Taj Mahal and the Trump Marina — have revived with changes in name and ownership, the Trump Plaza has languished in disrepair for the better part of a decade.
Earlier this year, witnesses filmed as high winds tore off pieces of the crumbling facade and sent them tumbling to the ground from great heights. Demolition work began on the casino earlier this year after Icahn and city officials reached an agreement to have the structure finally torn down.
Now, Mayor Small hopes the right to finish it off will draw bids in excess of $1 million. We'll find out soon: The AP reports that auctioneers will solicit offers through Jan. 19 and assemble the highest bidders for a live auction 10 days later.


npr--2020-12-17--The Secret To Success? Having A Big Sister

The Secret To Success ?
Having A Big Sister Full disclosure : As someone who grew up the big sister to a brother , I have a bit of a stake in the subject of this article .
It 's a new study that suggests big sisters can make a powerful difference for their younger siblings .
But there 's no such personal angle for the authors of the study : economists Pamela Jakiela and Owen Ozier of Williams College in Massachusetts .
`` No !
I 'm an only child , '' Jakiela says with a chuckle .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Rather , she says , they were prompted to do the study after reading that many parents in Kenya give daughters a huge amount of responsibility when they 're still very young .
`` By age 6 to 8 , older sisters are spending as much as half of their free time looking after younger children , '' Jakieka says .
And that 's much less common for older brothers .
Anthropologists have been documenting this difference for decades .
But Jakiela says there 's not a lot of economic or health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young big sister-babysitters have on the toddlers for whom they 're caring .
`` And so we thought that it would be interesting to compare young children who have an older sister as compared to an older brother , '' she says .
Jakiela and Ozier studied around 700 toddlers in a rural part of western Kenya to check how well they were doing on measures of early vocabulary and fine motor skills .
Their finding , released in a working paper through the think tank Center for Global Development : On average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did better .
How much better ?
Well , Jakiela notes that researchers have long known that one factor in a child 's development is how much education their mother has .
And she found that for these toddlers having a big sister `` translates into about the same difference we see when we compare young children whose mothers finished secondary school to those whose mothers only finished primary school . ''
What are the big sisters doing that 's so helpful ?
Jakiela and Ozier tried to answer that by coming up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stimulate toddlers .
For instance , Jakiela says , `` having someone reading you stories , singing to you , practicing writing letters or counting with you , or doing physical play activities . ''
Then they checked how often someone was doing these things for the toddlers — and who was doing it .
They found that across all the families the mothers engaged the toddlers this way about the same amount .
But older sisters were far more likely to do so than older brothers .
In fact , older sisters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than any other family member .
The result was that if toddlers happened to have an older sister , overall they were getting a substantial boost in stimulation .
Whereas the toddlers typically were engaged in five stimulating activities over a three-day period , when there was an older sister , `` we see more than a 10 % increase , '' Jakiela says .
Jakiela cautions that this does n't prove the extra stimulation is the reason the kids with older sisters performed better on those measures of early development .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a plausible explanation .
That possibility is bolstered by other recent studies .
Take one done in rural Pakistan by economist Javaeria Qureshi of University of Illinois at Chicago .
Qureshi compared girls who lived far away from girls ' schools with girls who lived close by — and were therefore far more likely to attend .
She found a substantial benefit to younger brothers of the girls .
It appears the older sisters were helping boys with their homework .
And the more educated the girls were , the more the younger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an additional year of schooling completed by the oldest sister translates to [ the equivalent of getting an ] additional fifth of a schooling year for the younger brother , '' Qureshi says .
`` It 's really a testament to this important role that older sisters play in raising their younger siblings across most of the developing world . ''
As heartening as this might seem , however , Jakiela , the co-author of the Kenya study , says it 's important to consider the potential downside .
`` Seen through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says , `` it 's a charming story of everybody loving their older sister .
But this uneven burden of care work has real costs for older girls . ''
For instance , it often means they have less time for their own schoolwork and play .
In fact , a growing number of researchers are investigating this effect .
Marcella Alsan , an economist and public health expert at Harvard University , analyzed schooling data on more than 120,000 adolescents in 38 low- and middle- income countries .
She and her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ younger sibling in the household was sick , the older girls appeared more likely than the older boys to miss school so they could take care of the sick sibling .
Specifically when it came to attendance among these big sisters and big brothers , `` the gender gap increased to almost 8 percentage points if there had been one illness episode , '' Alsan says .
`` It increased further if there were two or more illness episodes . ''
But Alsan has also found that this points to a way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , looking at children in Turkey , she found that a vaccination campaign for toddlers had a positive spillover effect on their older sisters .
`` This did free up girls to attain more education , '' Alsan says .
In other words , improving the health of toddlers — so they do n't need to be cared for as much — may also be a way to help older girls .
The larger point of all these findings , the researchers say , is that policymakers need to be a lot more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this unacknowledged work that so many older girls in poorer countries are doing .
And to look for solutions .

The Secret To Success? Having A Big Sister
Enlarge this image toggle caption Wendy Stone/Corbis via Getty Images Wendy Stone/Corbis via Getty Images
Full disclosure: As someone who grew up the big sister to a brother, I have a bit of a stake in the subject of this article. It's a new study that suggests big sisters can make a powerful difference for their younger siblings.
But there's no such personal angle for the authors of the study: economists Pamela Jakiela and Owen Ozier of Williams College in Massachusetts. "No! I'm an only child," Jakiela says with a chuckle. "And Owen is an older brother."
Rather, she says, they were prompted to do the study after reading that many parents in Kenya give daughters a huge amount of responsibility when they're still very young.
"By age 6 to 8, older sisters are spending as much as half of their free time looking after younger children," Jakieka says. And that's much less common for older brothers.
Anthropologists have been documenting this difference for decades. But Jakiela says there's not a lot of economic or health or educational research into what effect these young big sister-babysitters have on the toddlers for whom they're caring.
"And so we thought that it would be interesting to compare young children who have an older sister as compared to an older brother," she says.
Jakiela and Ozier studied around 700 toddlers in a rural part of western Kenya to check how well they were doing on measures of early vocabulary and fine motor skills. Their finding, released in a working paper through the think tank Center for Global Development: On average, the toddlers with an older sister did better.
How much better? Well, Jakiela notes that researchers have long known that one factor in a child's development is how much education their mother has. And she found that for these toddlers having a big sister "translates into about the same difference we see when we compare young children whose mothers finished secondary school to those whose mothers only finished primary school."
What are the big sisters doing that's so helpful?
Jakiela and Ozier tried to answer that by coming up with a list of activities that would stimulate toddlers. For instance, Jakiela says, "having someone reading you stories, singing to you, practicing writing letters or counting with you, or doing physical play activities."
Then they checked how often someone was doing these things for the toddlers — and who was doing it. They found that across all the families the mothers engaged the toddlers this way about the same amount. But older sisters were far more likely to do so than older brothers. In fact, older sisters engaged the toddlers in stimulating play more than any other family member.
The result was that if toddlers happened to have an older sister, overall they were getting a substantial boost in stimulation. Whereas the toddlers typically were engaged in five stimulating activities over a three-day period, when there was an older sister, "we see more than a 10% increase," Jakiela says.
Jakiela cautions that this doesn't prove the extra stimulation is the reason the kids with older sisters performed better on those measures of early development. But she says it certainly suggests it's a plausible explanation.
That possibility is bolstered by other recent studies. Take one done in rural Pakistan by economist Javaeria Qureshi of University of Illinois at Chicago.
Qureshi compared girls who lived far away from girls' schools with girls who lived close by — and were therefore far more likely to attend. She found a substantial benefit to younger brothers of the girls. It appears the older sisters were helping boys with their homework. And the more educated the girls were, the more the younger boys profited.
"I find that an additional year of schooling completed by the oldest sister translates to [the equivalent of getting an] additional fifth of a schooling year for the younger brother," Qureshi says. "It's really a testament to this important role that older sisters play in raising their younger siblings across most of the developing world."
As heartening as this might seem, however, Jakiela, the co-author of the Kenya study, says it's important to consider the potential downside.
"Seen through the lens of the younger child," she says, "it's a charming story of everybody loving their older sister. But this uneven burden of care work has real costs for older girls." For instance, it often means they have less time for their own schoolwork and play.
In fact, a growing number of researchers are investigating this effect. Marcella Alsan, an economist and public health expert at Harvard University, analyzed schooling data on more than 120,000 adolescents in 38 low- and middle- income countries. She and her collaborators found that during weeks when a younger sibling in the household was sick, the older girls appeared more likely than the older boys to miss school so they could take care of the sick sibling.
Specifically when it came to attendance among these big sisters and big brothers, "the gender gap increased to almost 8 percentage points if there had been one illness episode," Alsan says. "It increased further if there were two or more illness episodes."
But Alsan has also found that this points to a way to help girls. In a separate study, looking at children in Turkey, she found that a vaccination campaign for toddlers had a positive spillover effect on their older sisters.
"This did free up girls to attain more education," Alsan says.
In other words, improving the health of toddlers — so they don't need to be cared for as much — may also be a way to help older girls.
The larger point of all these findings, the researchers say, is that policymakers need to be a lot more mindful about the potential negative effects of this unacknowledged work that so many older girls in poorer countries are doing. And to look for solutions.


npr--2020-12-17--Without Resources, Vaccine Rollout Could 'Fall At The Last Hurdle,' Journalist Warns

Without Resources , Vaccine Rollout Could 'Fall At The Last Hurdle , ' Journalist Warns The fight against COVID-19 entered a new phase this week as American health care workers started getting vaccinated — the first in what will be a massive effort .
Science writer Ed Yong of The Atlantic says the coming months will usher in the most complicated immunization program the U.S. has ever attempted .
`` It 's going to be a slow process , and there are a lot of possible roadblocks in the way in terms of producing the vaccine , distributing it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Do n't think of the vaccine as a light switch — that the minute it starts going into people 's arms , normalcy resumes .
...
It 's going to take awhile for things to get under control . ''
Yong has been covering the pandemic since it began , writing about nearly every aspect , including how the virus is spread ; the long-haulers who have symptoms lasting for months ; and the mental health of the doctors and nurses caring for patients .
His latest article explains the science that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in record time — and the flawed thinking that has shaped misguided health policies .
Yong says that the U.S. vaccination program will depend upon a public health structure that has been severely overburdened and underfunded .
He notes that the amount of money Congress allocated for vaccine distribution was `` minuscule '' compared with the sum devoted to creating the vaccine .
`` I think there has been a certain amount of naïveté on the part of the government about what it actually takes to turn vaccines into vaccinations , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more funding into this particular area , it 's going to be a bit tragic , because we 're going to have vaccines , but we 're going to fall at the last hurdle . ''
Nevertheless , Yong is optimistic about 2021 : `` Both [ with ] a combination of an administration that 's taking things seriously and the rollout of the vaccines , I 'm hoping that that will restore some of the cherished rituals that we lost this year . ''
On whether or not a vaccinated person could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know .
And the reason we do n't know is that the clinical trials that assess the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine looked really only at their ability to prevent symptomatic disease .
So we know that they stop people from developing symptoms very , very effectively , much more effectively than anyone had dared hope for .
But we still do n't know whether they stop infected people from transmitting .
Now , two things there : If they do n't , that is bad news because it means it 's going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the level at which the virus struggles to find new hosts .
And it means that there 's a risk that vaccinated people lower their guard and could potentially spread the virus to others , which would be a pretty bad scenario .
That being said , I think it is reasonable to assume , based on how well these vaccines seem to prevent symptomatic disease , that they will have some effect , too , on reducing transmission .
So a lot of the people I spoke to are variously hopeful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an effect on transmission .
...
But we 'll just have to see when new data comes out .
But our expectation , I think , should be that they do have at least some effect on reducing transmission .
On whether new messenger RNA vaccine technology is at all a health concern I do n't think that they should [ be concerned ] .
There has been a long process of development for mRNA vaccines that go well beyond this year , and that 's partly why these vaccines could be made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty confident , looking at the clinical trials that have already been done for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines , that they did n't skimp on any of the necessary steps for testing things like safety and efficacy .
Things were quick , but corners do n't seem to have been cut .
And there 's nothing about the biology of these vaccines that 's concerning .
So these vaccines use mRNA , which is the genetic material of the virus .
They use a sliver of that genetic material and inject it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uses that material sort of as an instruction booklet to reconstruct a very small and noninfectious portion of the virus , a protein called a spike protein , which sits on its surface and which it uses to interact with our cells .
That little fragment of the spike is then used by the immune system to prepare adequate defenses in case the actual virus should make its way into us .
None of that really is cause for concern .
We 're not dealing with anything infectious .
We 're not dealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've said , this technology has been developed and refined for many years , and if anything , this year is the year in which mRNA vaccines have proved their worth — and that 's a really good thing .
That 's a really encouraging thing , not just because of COVID-19 .
These vaccines are designed to be customizable .
So most traditional vaccines have to be bespoke : Whenever you get a new pathogen , you have to design an entirely new vaccine to counter it .
And this `` one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very laborious and very time-consuming .
But mRNA vaccines should be very easy to tweak to whatever new virus emerges .
You just take that virus 's genetic material , slot it into these existing vaccines and you 're off to the races .
So the fact that they 're working this time , the fact that we have one [ vaccine ] approved — possibly two [ vaccines ] in the near future — means it sort of heralds an age where we should be able to develop vaccines against new emerging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever done in the past .
On how Congress did n't allocate enough money to study children and education in the pandemic I think that the disruptive and discordant policies are reflective of America 's very disparate attempts to deal with the virus and the fact that there was no single , coordinated and effective national strategy .
...
There are just the basic aspects of how the virus moves between children — to what extent children and schools , more generally , contribute to the spread of the pandemic — that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veteran experts in this space .
I think partly that stems from a lack of clear , coordinated , large-scale research efforts .
There simply was n't , certainly in this country , a study of the size and scope that would offer really solid answers to these questions .
A lot of the ones that were done were small and piecemeal .
I think that reflects our biases , as a society and biases among the research enterprise .
... We want drugs and vaccines , and a lot of biomedical researchers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — just a battle between a person and a virus that leads to perhaps death or recovery .
But a lot of social scientists think about long-term consequences .
They understand that if you take children out of school for a year , maybe longer , you 're really going to set them up for problems much further down in their lives and in their careers .
So it should have been obvious to everyone , even in March , that without a vaccine ready by the fall , we would need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And this was a major area of research that needed investment .
But when Congress awarded billions of research to the [ National Institutes of Health ] to study COVID , none of that went down to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development , which focuses on these kinds of issues .
That institute did do some studies , but it did n't benefit from that massive congressional bolus of money , and that 's a tragedy .
I think it reflects where our priorities lie and areas that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a severe case of COVID-19 depends on the health care workers , who are overburdened and burned out COVID-19 patients who end up in an ICU are some of the sickest patients that a lot of health care workers have ever treated .
They might have eight to 12 intravenous lines going into their heart and other blood vessels , pumping in pain meds , sedatives , all kinds of other things , none of which are specifically designed to treat COVID .
They 're just about keeping that patient alive .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to deal with a patient whose body is just crashing — that 's the thing that makes a difference .
...
This third surge , which is pummeling health care facilities across the country , is stretching nurses and doctors and respiratory therapists to the very limit .
And the more that happens , the less they are able to make use of all that knowledge that they 've learned over the year and the higher death rates are going to become .
And I worry that we 're still only just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening now .
On how the virus has exposed vast inequity in the U.S .
This disease has widened every possible inequity that it could find in this society , and it has found plenty .
Just in terms of preventing yourself from infection , a lot of people have been able to stay at home and work from home .
Many people had to do so-called essential work .
They had to go out and about , exposing themselves and their loved ones and colleagues because they earned low hourly wages that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And then a lot of Americans do n't have access to health care at all , or receive [ a ] poorer quality of health care .
A lot of people from Black , Latino and other minority groups have long received poorer quality , discriminatory health care , that has led to worse outcomes even before COVID-19 .
So it 's no surprise that a lot of these folks have also been disproportionately hit by this virus .
On what he expects from the Biden administration I 'm expecting good things .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to control the pandemic , which is almost an astonishing thing to say , but we 've not had that this year .
We 've had an administration that has been woefully negligent and that in some ways has actually just tried to let this thing rip through the community unchecked .
I expect the Biden administration to actually try to control it .
A lot of the measures they 've talked about in their plans — testing , supporting public health , all of these things — are things that experts have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , often in vain .
I 'm really , really glad to see a lot of seasoned experts on the task force in the administration .
Rochelle Walensky has been picked to lead the CDC .
She is a phenomenal scientist and a great communicator .
A lot of the people who 've been appointed to the COVID task force have a strong focus on health equity , and that 's really important .
We need people who can maintain a focus on the most vulnerable and the most hard-hit populations .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are more social scientists on the panel .
We know that issues of trust , of communication have been so vital and so missing this year , and we 're going to need that going forward in 2021 .
On the ongoing toll of the pandemic Obviously , the vaccine rollout is going to be a very complicated process with a lot of potential pitfalls .
And I think we need to remember that even if it goes really well , there will be a lot of lingering scars from this year that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The stresses upon the health care system , the numbers of health care workers who will leave or who will have burned out , the long-haulers who will still be struggling with symptoms , the widened inequities for communities of color , for women who dropped out of the job market , for people from poorer communities who were financially hit by the economic fallout of the pandemic .
All of these things will continue to be problems even as vaccination brings the pandemic to its endgame .
Amy Salit and Kayla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadcast .
Bridget Bentz , Molly Seavy-Nesper and Deborah Franklin adapted it for the Web .

Without Resources, Vaccine Rollout Could 'Fall At The Last Hurdle,' Journalist Warns
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nathan Howard/Getty Images Nathan Howard/Getty Images
The fight against COVID-19 entered a new phase this week as American health care workers started getting vaccinated — the first in what will be a massive effort. Science writer Ed Yong of The Atlantic says the coming months will usher in the most complicated immunization program the U.S. has ever attempted.
"It's going to be a slow process, and there are a lot of possible roadblocks in the way in terms of producing the vaccine, distributing it, allocating it," Yong says. "Don't think of the vaccine as a light switch — that the minute it starts going into people's arms, normalcy resumes. ... It's going to take awhile for things to get under control."
Yong has been covering the pandemic since it began, writing about nearly every aspect, including how the virus is spread; the long-haulers who have symptoms lasting for months; and the mental health of the doctors and nurses caring for patients. His latest article explains the science that led to the development of COVID-19 vaccines in record time — and the flawed thinking that has shaped misguided health policies.
Don't think of the vaccine as a light switch — that the minute it starts going into people's arms, normalcy resumes. ... It's going to take awhile for things to get under control.
Yong says that the U.S. vaccination program will depend upon a public health structure that has been severely overburdened and underfunded. He notes that the amount of money Congress allocated for vaccine distribution was "minuscule" compared with the sum devoted to creating the vaccine.
"I think there has been a certain amount of naïveté on the part of the government about what it actually takes to turn vaccines into vaccinations," he says. "Unless we actually put more funding into this particular area, it's going to be a bit tragic, because we're going to have vaccines, but we're going to fall at the last hurdle."
Nevertheless, Yong is optimistic about 2021: "Both [with] a combination of an administration that's taking things seriously and the rollout of the vaccines, I'm hoping that that will restore some of the cherished rituals that we lost this year."
Interview Highlights
On whether or not a vaccinated person could still transmit the disease
We don't know. And the reason we don't know is that the clinical trials that assess the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine looked really only at their ability to prevent symptomatic disease.
So we know that they stop people from developing symptoms very, very effectively, much more effectively than anyone had dared hope for. But we still don't know whether they stop infected people from transmitting. Now, two things there: If they don't, that is bad news because it means it's going to be much harder to achieve herd immunity, the level at which the virus struggles to find new hosts. And it means that there's a risk that vaccinated people lower their guard and could potentially spread the virus to others, which would be a pretty bad scenario.
That being said, I think it is reasonable to assume, based on how well these vaccines seem to prevent symptomatic disease, that they will have some effect, too, on reducing transmission. So a lot of the people I spoke to are variously hopeful or pretty confident that they will have an effect on transmission. ... But we'll just have to see when new data comes out. But our expectation, I think, should be that they do have at least some effect on reducing transmission.
On whether new messenger RNA vaccine technology is at all a health concern
I don't think that they should [be concerned]. There has been a long process of development for mRNA vaccines that go well beyond this year, and that's partly why these vaccines could be made in such short order. I'm pretty confident, looking at the clinical trials that have already been done for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, that they didn't skimp on any of the necessary steps for testing things like safety and efficacy. Things were quick, but corners don't seem to have been cut.
And there's nothing about the biology of these vaccines that's concerning. So these vaccines use mRNA, which is the genetic material of the virus. They use a sliver of that genetic material and inject it into the body. The body then uses that material sort of as an instruction booklet to reconstruct a very small and noninfectious portion of the virus, a protein called a spike protein, which sits on its surface and which it uses to interact with our cells. That little fragment of the spike is then used by the immune system to prepare adequate defenses in case the actual virus should make its way into us.
None of that really is cause for concern. We're not dealing with anything infectious. We're not dealing with anything particularly dangerous. As I've said, this technology has been developed and refined for many years, and if anything, this year is the year in which mRNA vaccines have proved their worth — and that's a really good thing. That's a really encouraging thing, not just because of COVID-19. These vaccines are designed to be customizable. So most traditional vaccines have to be bespoke: Whenever you get a new pathogen, you have to design an entirely new vaccine to counter it. And this "one bug, one drug" approach is very laborious and very time-consuming. But mRNA vaccines should be very easy to tweak to whatever new virus emerges. You just take that virus's genetic material, slot it into these existing vaccines and you're off to the races. So the fact that they're working this time, the fact that we have one [vaccine] approved — possibly two [vaccines] in the near future — means it sort of heralds an age where we should be able to develop vaccines against new emerging diseases much more quickly than we have ever done in the past.
On how Congress didn't allocate enough money to study children and education in the pandemic
I think that the disruptive and discordant policies are reflective of America's very disparate attempts to deal with the virus and the fact that there was no single, coordinated and effective national strategy. ... There are just the basic aspects of how the virus moves between children — to what extent children and schools, more generally, contribute to the spread of the pandemic — that are still being argued over by very seasoned veteran experts in this space. I think partly that stems from a lack of clear, coordinated, large-scale research efforts.
There simply wasn't, certainly in this country, a study of the size and scope that would offer really solid answers to these questions. A lot of the ones that were done were small and piecemeal. I think that reflects our biases, as a society and biases among the research enterprise. ... We want drugs and vaccines, and a lot of biomedical researchers focus on sickness as an acute event — just a battle between a person and a virus that leads to perhaps death or recovery. But a lot of social scientists think about long-term consequences. They understand that if you take children out of school for a year, maybe longer, you're really going to set them up for problems much further down in their lives and in their careers. So it should have been obvious to everyone, even in March, that without a vaccine ready by the fall, we would need to face questions about whether schools would reopen. And this was a major area of research that needed investment. But when Congress awarded billions of research to the [National Institutes of Health] to study COVID, none of that went down to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which focuses on these kinds of issues. That institute did do some studies, but it didn't benefit from that massive congressional bolus of money, and that's a tragedy. I think it reflects where our priorities lie and areas that are being neglected.
On how surviving a severe case of COVID-19 depends on the health care workers, who are overburdened and burned out
COVID-19 patients who end up in an ICU are some of the sickest patients that a lot of health care workers have ever treated. They might have eight to 12 intravenous lines going into their heart and other blood vessels, pumping in pain meds, sedatives, all kinds of other things, none of which are specifically designed to treat COVID. They're just about keeping that patient alive. And so a lot of that savvy of how to deal with a patient whose body is just crashing — that's the thing that makes a difference. ...
This third surge, which is pummeling health care facilities across the country, is stretching nurses and doctors and respiratory therapists to the very limit. And the more that happens, the less they are able to make use of all that knowledge that they've learned over the year and the higher death rates are going to become. And I worry that we're still only just starting to see the tip of that happening now.
On how the virus has exposed vast inequity in the U.S.
This disease has widened every possible inequity that it could find in this society, and it has found plenty.
This disease has widened every possible inequity that it could find in this society, and it has found plenty. Just in terms of preventing yourself from infection, a lot of people have been able to stay at home and work from home. Many people had to do so-called essential work. They had to go out and about, exposing themselves and their loved ones and colleagues because they earned low hourly wages that they couldn't afford to skip.
And then a lot of Americans don't have access to health care at all, or receive [a] poorer quality of health care. A lot of people from Black, Latino and other minority groups have long received poorer quality, discriminatory health care, that has led to worse outcomes even before COVID-19. So it's no surprise that a lot of these folks have also been disproportionately hit by this virus.
On what he expects from the Biden administration
I'm expecting good things. I'm expecting them to actually try to control the pandemic, which is almost an astonishing thing to say, but we've not had that this year. We've had an administration that has been woefully negligent and that in some ways has actually just tried to let this thing rip through the community unchecked. I expect the Biden administration to actually try to control it.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images
A lot of the measures they've talked about in their plans — testing, supporting public health, all of these things — are things that experts have been calling for for the entire year, often in vain. I'm really, really glad to see a lot of seasoned experts on the task force in the administration. Rochelle Walensky has been picked to lead the CDC. She is a phenomenal scientist and a great communicator. A lot of the people who've been appointed to the COVID task force have a strong focus on health equity, and that's really important. We need people who can maintain a focus on the most vulnerable and the most hard-hit populations. What I would love to see more of are more social scientists on the panel. We know that issues of trust, of communication have been so vital and so missing this year, and we're going to need that going forward in 2021.
On the ongoing toll of the pandemic
Obviously, the vaccine rollout is going to be a very complicated process with a lot of potential pitfalls. And I think we need to remember that even if it goes really well, there will be a lot of lingering scars from this year that will take a long time to heal. The stresses upon the health care system, the numbers of health care workers who will leave or who will have burned out, the long-haulers who will still be struggling with symptoms, the widened inequities for communities of color, for women who dropped out of the job market, for people from poorer communities who were financially hit by the economic fallout of the pandemic. All of these things will continue to be problems even as vaccination brings the pandemic to its endgame.
Amy Salit and Kayla Lattimore produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Deborah Franklin adapted it for the Web.


npr--2020-12-18--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--2020-12-18--Coronavirus Is Surging: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Is Surging : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 17 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--2020-12-18--Amazon Warehouse Workers In Alabama Plan Vote On 1st U.S Union

Amazon Warehouse Workers In Alabama Plan Vote On 1st U.S Union Amazon workers at an Alabama warehouse are getting closer to holding a vote on whether to form the first U.S. union at one of America 's largest employers — a groundbreaking possibility closely watched by the company 's ballooning workforce .
The Retail , Wholesale and Department Store Union is looking to represent hundreds of employees at an Amazon facility in Bessemer , Ala .
This week , federal labor authorities gave the green light for the workers to hold the election on whether to unionize .
The National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday to hash out how and when the unionization vote might take place .
The hearing will also address a dispute between the Bessemer workers and the company about the size of the potential bargaining unit .
Much of Amazon 's workforce in Europe is represented by unions , but the company has so far successfully fought off labor organizing efforts in the United States .
A unionization petition typically requires at least 30 % of the workers to sign paperwork saying they want a union .
Alabama workers ' petition said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon argues the Bessemer warehouse employs over 5,000 people , suggesting the petition did n't have enough support .
The labor board , however , `` is administratively satisfied that there is a sufficient showing of interest to continue processing the case , '' said Terry D. Combs , assistant to the regional director for the NLRB 's Atlanta region .
Amazon , known for its opposition to unionizing , said the petitioners did not represent `` the majority of our employees ' views '' and touted the facility 's average pay of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` long-term career growth . ''
The company has said that between March and mid-September , it employed almost 1.4 million front-line workers across Amazon and Whole Foods in the United States .
The last time Amazon workers came this close to joining a union was in 2014 , when a small group of maintenance and repair technicians at a Delaware warehouse held an election but ultimately voted against joining the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers .
The Alabama workers ' petition does not list specific grievances , but a union-backed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disciplining , firing and safety .
`` Nineteen workers have died at Amazon facilities .
We face outrageous work quotas that have left many with illnesses and lifetime injuries , '' the website says .
`` With a union contract , we can form a worker safety committee , and negotiate the highest safety standards and protocols for our workplace . ''
Amazon representatives argued the company offers `` some of the best jobs available everywhere we hire '' and that most of the workers at the Bessemer warehouse `` say they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work to their friends . ''
A union spokesperson declined to comment .
In Alabama , the RWDSU already represents workers in poultry , healthcare and other industries .
The union also was among most vocal critics of Amazon 's push for a second headquarters in the New York borough of Queens .
Editor 's note : Amazon is among NPR 's financial supporters .

Amazon Warehouse Workers In Alabama Plan Vote On 1st U.S. Union
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bess Adler/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bess Adler/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Updated at 2 pm E.T.
Amazon workers at an Alabama warehouse are getting closer to holding a vote on whether to form the first U.S. union at one of America's largest employers — a groundbreaking possibility closely watched by the company's ballooning workforce.
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union is looking to represent hundreds of employees at an Amazon facility in Bessemer, Ala. This week, federal labor authorities gave the green light for the workers to hold the election on whether to unionize.
The company, the union, and the National Labor Relations Board need to sort out procedural issues and resolve lingering disputes before a vote can be scheduled. Much of Amazon's workforce in Europe is represented by unions, but the company has so far successfully fought off labor organizing efforts in the United States.
The NLRB on Friday began a hearing to hash out how and when the unionization vote might take place at the Alabama warehouse — a procedure expected to last days.
A major focus of Friday's hearing has been on the size of the potential bargaining unit, particularly whether hundreds of seasonal workers should get a vote in the election.
Amazon says the Bessemer warehouse employs more than 5,000 people, while the workers' petition previously said the union would represent 1,500 employees.
A unionization petition typically requires at least 30% of the workers to sign paperwork saying they want a union, and so the retailer was suggesting the petition may not have had enough support.
The labor board, however, "is administratively satisfied that there is a sufficient showing of interest to continue processing the case," said Terry D. Combs, assistant to the regional director for the NLRB's Atlanta region.
Amazon, known for its opposition to unionizing, said the petitioners did not represent "the majority of our employees' views" and touted the facility's average pay of $15.30 per hour, benefits and "long-term career growth."
The company has said that between March and mid-September, it employed almost 1.4 million front-line workers across Amazon and Whole Foods in the United States.
The last time Amazon workers came this close to joining a union was in 2014 when a small group of maintenance and repair technicians at a Delaware warehouse held an election but ultimately voted against joining the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
The Alabama workers' petition does not list specific grievances, but a union-backed website calls for changes to procedures for disciplining, firing and safety.
"Nineteen workers have died at Amazon facilities. We face outrageous work quotas that have left many with illnesses and lifetime injuries," the website says. "With a union contract, we can form a worker safety committee, and negotiate the highest safety standards and protocols for our workplace."
Amazon representatives argued the company offers "some of the best jobs available everywhere we hire" and that most of the workers at the Bessemer warehouse "say they would recommend Amazon as a good place to work to their friends."
A union spokesperson declined to comment. In Alabama, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union already represents workers in poultry, health care and other industries. The union also was among most vocal critics of Amazon's push for a second headquarters in the New York borough of Queens.
Editor's note: Amazon is among NPR's financial supporters.


npr--2020-12-18--'New York Times' Retracts Hit Podcast Series 'Caliphate' On ISIS Executioner

The New York Times has retracted the core of its hit 2018 podcast series Caliphate after an internal review found the paper failed to heed red flags indicating that the man it relied upon for its narrative about the allure of terrorism could not be trusted to tell the truth .
The newspaper has reassigned its star terrorism reporter , Rukmini Callimachi , who hosted the series .
Caliphate relayed the tale about the radicalization of a young Canadian who went to Syria , joined the Islamic State and became an executioner for the extremist group before escaping its hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man , Shehroze Chaudhry , of lying about those activities .
He currently faces criminal charges in a federal court in Ontario of perpetrating a terrorism hoax .
`` We fell in love with the fact that we had gotten a member of ISIS who would describe his life in the caliphate and would describe his crimes , '' New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet tells NPR in an interview on Thursday .
`` I think we were so in love with it that when when we saw evidence that maybe he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence that he was making some of it up , we did n't listen hard enough . ''
The highly produced series was announced to much fanfare in March 2018 at the South By Southwest Conference in Austin , Texas , as a worthy successor to the paper 's hit news podcast , The Daily .
`` 'Caliphate ' represents the modern New York Times , '' Sam Dolnick , an assistant managing editor , said in unveiling the project .
`` It 's ambitious , rigorous , hard-nosed reporting combined with first-rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audience to dangerous places they have never been , and we 're doing it with more transparency than we ever have before . ''
Caliphate made a huge splash for The Times , winning awards , acclaim , new listeners for its podcasts and new paying subscribers .
And it further propelled Callimachi into the journalistic stratosphere .
In vivid and visceral detail , Chaudhry , speaking under the pseudonym Abu Huzayfah , told Callimachi and her colleagues of the atrocities he witnessed in Syria and of his involvement in execution-style killings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its reporter focusing on terrorism , a notoriously difficult subject to cover .
`` He gave us a gift with the story , '' Callimachi told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. in May 2018 as Caliphate episodes were being released .
`` It 's an eye-opening account of his passage through the Islamic State . ''
On multiple occasions prior to the release of the podcast , Chaudhry had told Canadian news outlets that he had traveled to Syria in 2014 and joined ISIS .
But he had denied playing any role in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , he claimed he had conducted executions .
After Caliphate posted the episode in which Chaudhry described killing two civilians , an uproar ensued in Canada .
On the floor of Parliament in Ottawa , a leading opposition lawmaker , Candice Bergen , challenged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 's efforts to reintegrate former terrorists into society .
`` This guy is apparently in Toronto , '' Bergen said , referring to Chaudhry .
`` Canadians deserve more answers from their government .
Why is it not doing something about this despicable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chaudhry came forward and once again denied he had participated in any killings — that is , he denied what he had said , in his own words , on tape , to Callimachi and The New York Times .
Even so , in 2019 the podcast series was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and won a Peabody , one of the highest distinctions in broadcast journalism .
The Canadian media and a handful of critics in the U.S. , notably Erik Wemple of The Washington Post and Hassan Hassan of Newlines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's judgment and the accuracy of her reporting .
The Times resisted revisiting Chaudhry 's story until his arrest this fall , when Canadian officials charged him with lying about participating in terrorist activities .
It then published the findings into Chaudhry 's activities by its distinguished national security reporter , Mark Mazzetti , who cast significant doubt on the Canadian 's claims .
A separate internal review of Caliphate 's reporting process was led by senior investigative editor Dean Murphy .
He found that Callimachi and her editors repeatedly failed to push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Baquet tells NPR .
`` They came back and said , 'If you look at the guy 's story , there is not enough powerful evidence that he was who he claimed to be for us to justify that story , '' Baquet says .
In the interview with NPR lasting nearly an hour , Baquet says the Times did not have evidence Chaudhry had ever been to Syria .
Nor could it show he had joined ISIS , much less kill civilians for the group .
The man 's account proved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even when confronting some of them , the reporting and producing team sought ways to show his story could still turn out to be true .
Baquet says top editors long accustomed to editing complex written investigative pieces were deferential to an ambitious audio investigative team presenting a compelling narrative yarn .
He says he shares in that blame .
`` I thought we produced another , you know , 'Holy damn ! '
story , '' Baquet recalled .
`` I was really proud of it .
Another big story to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a noted terrorism correspondent , has won some of the most distinguished honors in foreign reporting and is a four-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize .
She joined The Times in 2014 after spending seven years covering Africa for The Associated Press .
Baquet says editors relied on Callimachi 's judgment to guide their own when it came to Caliphate .
`` She 's a powerful reporter who we imbued with a great deal of power and authority , '' he says .
`` She was regarded at that moment as , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporter as there was in the world .
And there 's no question that that was one of the driving forces of the story . ''
Baquet notes that Callimachi had broken many stories and says that Murphy had found there had been no dishonesty or attempt by the Caliphate team to deceive editors or readers .
As of Friday , Baquet is posting an `` Editor 's Note '' atop each element of Caliphate saying the series should never have been produced with Chaudhry as a central character .
The Times also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its standards for accuracy or fact-checking .
Baquet also acknowledges that Murphy 's review will yield additional corrections of Callimachi 's past work .
However , he says nothing rose to the level of the mistakes in judgment made in Caliphate .
When questions were first raised about the podcast , Callimachi dismissed criticism of the validity of her series by saying only her team had been able to get the truth from him .
`` We were able to get to him both before any other media had gotten to him , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gotten to him , '' she told the CBC in May 2018 , the day after the release of Chapter 5 , in which Chaudhry described stabbing a man in the heart repeatedly .
`` He would speak to us in this window of time when he essentially thought that he had slipped through the cracks . ''
This fall , as Canadian authorities were wrapping up an investigation on Chaudhry , Callimachi similarly championed her series .
On Twitter , she raised questions about the competence of Canadian intelligence officials in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piece to The Washington Post and others , saying the reporting proved to be true and that doubts about Chaudhry 's account were central to the podcast 's narrative .
Those doubts were acknowledged at the outset and surfaced most fundamentally in the sixth installment , in which Callimachi and her team confronted fundamental problems in Chaudhry 's timeline of his activities .
At the heart of the episode was an effort to figure out how the pieces of his story might fit together — if the Times was willing to shift the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that scenario as `` Occam 's razor , '' suggesting that it was the simplest resolution to their dilemma and therefore probably the right one .
Callimachi also relied on corroboration from her colleagues Eric Schmitt , Adam Goldman and others that U.S. and Canadian intelligence officials harbored a suspicion — in some cases even a belief — that Chaudhry might have joined ISIS .
But it was n't clear if those officials relied on hard evidence to verify Chaudhry 's story or his own past claims on social media .
In posting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrorism attacks , Callimachi has helped to cement her reputation as a leading source on terrorism .
Indeed she has frequently appeared on NPR and other networks as an analyst .
Colleagues consider her a fearless force of nature , chasing stories , sources and documents in far-flung places .
However , she also has detractors , even within her own newsroom .
Some editors and reporters on the Times ' foreign desk kept their distance , according to colleagues who spoke on condition they not be named due to the sensitivity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a scoop required a subsequent `` Editor 's Note '' and a full follow-up story to address doubts about the veracity of the documents she relied upon .
In another , the Times disclosed it had bought video footage that included terrorist propaganda .
Yet Baquet and Managing Editor Joseph Kahn , a former top international editor , stood behind her .
Dolnick , a scion of the Sulzberger family which has a controlling stake in the New York Times Co. , personally encouraged her role and took on oversight of the Caliphate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heroic figure of Caliphate , on a quest for truth , audio producer Andrew Mills , who helped to develop The Daily , emerged as a recurring character as well .
Baquet declines to say whether other Times journalists would receive reprimands or be reassigned as a result of the internal review .
He says he would work with Callimachi to determine a fresh assignment , praising her recent investigation on the police shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville , Ky. '' I do not see how Rukmini could go back to covering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stories of terrorism is getting knocked down in this way , '' Baquet says .
He says he will inform the judges of the Peabody Awards and others who bestowed recognition on Caliphate that the series was compromised .
And Baquet points to media columnist Ben Smith 's October look at the controversy as part of what he says is a push for transparency .
`` The New York Times has done tremendously ambitious journalism over the last few years .
All of it has held up to the greater scrutiny , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it wrong , I want people to understand we 're going to talk about it , '' he continues .
`` And what I 'm hoping is that by talking about it , people will understand that we want to win their trust .
And we want them to believe what we report . ''

'New York Times' Retracts Core Of Hit Podcast Series 'Caliphate' On ISIS
Enlarge this image toggle caption Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Peabody Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Peabody
Updated at 9:33 p.m. ET
The New York Times has retracted the core of its hit 2018 podcast series Caliphate after an internal review found the paper failed to heed red flags indicating that the man it relied upon for its narrative about the allure of terrorism could not be trusted to tell the truth.
The newspaper has reassigned its star terrorism reporter, Rukmini Callimachi, who hosted the series.
Caliphate relayed the tale about the radicalization of a young Canadian who went to Syria, joined the Islamic State and became an executioner for the extremist group before escaping its hold.
Canadian authorities this fall accused the man, Shehroze Chaudhry, of lying about those activities. He currently faces criminal charges in a federal court in Ontario of perpetrating a terrorism hoax.
"We fell in love with the fact that we had gotten a member of ISIS who would describe his life in the caliphate and would describe his crimes," New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet tells NPR in an interview on Thursday. "I think we were so in love with it that when we saw evidence that maybe he was a fabulist, when we saw evidence that he was making some of it up, we didn't listen hard enough."
The highly produced series was announced to much fanfare in March 2018 at the South By Southwest Conference in Austin, Texas, as a worthy complement to the paper's hit news podcast, The Daily.
"Caliphate represents the modern New York Times," Sam Dolnick, an assistant managing editor, said in unveiling the project. "It's ambitious, rigorous, hard-nosed reporting combined with first-rate digital storytelling. We're taking our audience to dangerous places they have never been, and we're doing it with more transparency than we ever have before."
Caliphate made a huge splash for The Times, winning awards, acclaim, new listeners for its podcasts and new paying subscribers. And it further propelled Callimachi into the journalistic stratosphere. In vivid and visceral detail, Chaudhry, speaking under the pseudonym Abu Huzayfah, told Callimachi and her colleagues of the atrocities he witnessed in Syria and of his involvement in execution-style killings.
It was a coup for the newspaper and its reporter focusing on terrorism, a notoriously difficult subject to cover. "He gave us a gift with the story," Callimachi told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. in May 2018 as Caliphate episodes were being released. "It's an eye-opening account of his passage through the Islamic State."
The gift proved tainted.
Conflicting stories
On multiple occasions prior to the release of the podcast, Chaudhry had told Canadian news outlets that he had traveled to Syria in 2014 and joined ISIS. But he had denied playing any role in killings.
To Callimachi and the Times, however, he claimed he had conducted executions.
After Caliphate posted the episode in which Chaudhry described killing two civilians, an uproar ensued in Canada. On the floor of Parliament in Ottawa, a leading opposition lawmaker, Candice Bergen, challenged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's efforts to reintegrate former terrorists into society.
"This guy is apparently in Toronto," Bergen said, referring to Chaudhry. "Canadians deserve more answers from their government. Why is it not doing something about this despicable animal walking around the country?"
Chaudhry came forward and once again denied he had participated in any killings — that is, he denied what he had said, in his own words, on tape, to Callimachi and The New York Times. Even so, in 2019, the podcast series was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and won a Peabody, one of the highest distinctions in broadcast journalism.
The Canadian media and a handful of critics in the U.S., notably Erik Wemple of The Washington Post and Hassan Hassan of Newlines magazine, raised significant questions about Callimachi's judgment and the accuracy of her reporting.
Internal investigation
The Times resisted revisiting Chaudhry's story until his arrest this fall, when Canadian officials charged him with lying about participating in terrorist activities. It then published the findings into Chaudhry's activities by its distinguished national security reporter, Mark Mazzetti, who cast significant doubt on the Canadian's claims.
A separate internal review of Caliphate's reporting process was led by senior investigative editor Dean Murphy. He found that Callimachi and her editors repeatedly failed to push hard enough to verify Chaudhry's claims, Baquet tells NPR.
"They came back and said, 'If you look at the guy's story, there is not enough powerful evidence that he was who he claimed to be for us to justify that story,' " Baquet says.
In the interview with NPR lasting nearly an hour, Baquet says the Times did not have evidence Chaudhry had ever been to Syria. Nor could it show he had joined ISIS, much less killed civilians for the group. The man's account proved to be riddled with holes and contradictions. Even when confronting some of them, the reporting and producing team sought ways to show his story could still turn out to be true.
Baquet says top editors long accustomed to editing complex written investigative pieces were deferential to an ambitious audio investigative team presenting a compelling narrative yarn. He says he shares in that blame.
"I thought we produced another, you know, 'Holy damn!' story," Baquet recalled. "I was really proud of it. Another big story to embrace and applaud."
Callimachi, a noted terrorism correspondent, has won some of the most distinguished honors in foreign reporting and is a four-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She joined the Times in 2014 after spending seven years covering Africa for The Associated Press.
Baquet says editors relied on Callimachi's judgment to guide their own when it came to Caliphate.
"She's a powerful reporter who we imbued with a great deal of power and authority," he says. "She was regarded at that moment as, you know, as big a deal ISIS reporter as there was in the world. And there's no question that that was one of the driving forces of the story."
Baquet notes that Callimachi had broken many stories and says that Murphy had found there had been no dishonesty or attempt by the Caliphate team to deceive editors or readers.
As of Friday, Baquet is posting an editor's note atop each element of Caliphate saying the series should never have been produced with Chaudhry as a central character. The Times also writes that the series did not meet its standards for accuracy or fact-checking.
The Times did not remove the episodes from its site or feeds. Asked whether its actions constitute a retraction, Baquet pauses and says, "I guess for the parts that were about Chaudhry and his history and his background. Yeah, I think it is. Sure does."
Baquet also acknowledges that Murphy's review will yield additional corrections of Callimachi's past work. However, he says nothing rose to the level of the mistakes in judgment made in Caliphate.
Callimachi declined to speak to NPR for this story. Late Friday morning, she posted a statement to her Twitter account expressing pride in her past reporting on ISIS but apologized to listeners, calling the lapses "humbling."
"Thinking of the colleagues and the newsroom I let down is gutting," Callimachi wrote. "I caught the subject of our podcast lying about key aspects of his account and reported that. I also didn't catch other lies he told us, and I should have." She wrote that she committed to doing better in the future.
Callimachi defended narrative
When questions were first raised about the podcast, however, Callimachi dismissed criticism of the validity of her series by saying only her team had been able to get the truth from him.
"We were able to get to him both before any other media had gotten to him, but crucially, before law enforcement had gotten to him," she told the CBC in May 2018, the day after the release of Chapter 5, in which Chaudhry described stabbing a man in the heart repeatedly. "He would speak to us in this window of time when he essentially thought that he had slipped through the cracks."
This fall, as Canadian authorities were wrapping up an investigation on Chaudhry, Callimachi similarly championed her series. On Twitter, she raised questions about the competence of Canadian intelligence officials in the Chaudhry case. The Times defended her piece to The Washington Post and others, saying the reporting proved to be true and that doubts about Chaudhry's account were central to the podcast's narrative.
Those doubts were acknowledged at the outset and surfaced most fundamentally in the sixth installment, in which Callimachi and her team confronted fundamental problems in Chaudhry's timeline of his activities.
At the heart of the episode was an effort to figure out how the pieces of his story might fit together — if the Times was willing to shift the dates involved. One audio editor described that scenario as "Occam's razor," suggesting that it was the simplest resolution to their dilemma and therefore probably the right one.
Callimachi also relied on corroboration from her colleagues Eric Schmitt, Adam Goldman and others that U.S. and Canadian intelligence officials harbored a suspicion — in some cases even a belief — that Chaudhry might have joined ISIS. But it wasn't clear whether those officials relied on hard evidence to verify Chaudhry's story or his own past claims on social media.
In posting real-time analyses on social media about unfolding terrorism attacks, Callimachi has helped to cement her reputation as a leading source on terrorism. Indeed she has frequently appeared on NPR and other networks as an analyst. Many colleagues consider her a fearless force of nature, chasing stories, sources and documents in far-flung places.
However, she also has detractors, even within her own newsroom. Some editors and reporters on the Times' foreign desk kept their distance, according to colleagues who spoke on the condition they not be named due to the sensitivity of the topic. In one case, a scoop required a subsequent editor's note and a full follow-up story to address doubts about the veracity of the documents she relied upon. In another, the Times disclosed it had bought video footage that included terrorist propaganda.
Yet Baquet and Managing Editor Joseph Kahn, a former top international editor, stood behind her. Dolnick, a scion of the Sulzberger family, which has a controlling stake in the New York Times Co., personally encouraged her role and took on oversight of the Caliphate project. As Callimachi served as the heroic figure of Caliphate, on a quest for truth, audio producer Andy Mills, who helped to develop The Daily, emerged as a recurring character as well.
Baquet declines to say whether other Times journalists would receive reprimands or be reassigned as a result of the internal review.
He says he would work with Callimachi to determine a fresh assignment and praised her recent investigation on the police shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky.
"I do not see how Rukmini could go back to covering terrorism after one of the highest-profile stories of terrorism is getting knocked down in this way," Baquet says.
The Times says offered to return the Peabody Award and the awards' executive director accepted. The Overseas Press Club also rescinded its Lowell Thomas Award.
Baquet points to media columnist Ben Smith's October look at the controversy as part of what he says is a push for transparency.
"The New York Times has done tremendously ambitious journalism over the last few years. All of it has held up to the greater scrutiny," Baquet says.
"When we get it wrong, I want people to understand we're going to talk about it," he continues. "And what I'm hoping is that by talking about it, people will understand that we want to win their trust. And we want them to believe what we report."


npr--2020-12-18--Microsoft Says 40 Customers Hit By Ongoing Hack Of Government Agencies

Microsoft Says 40 Customers Hit By Ongoing Hack Of Government Agencies Microsoft President Brad Smith has called the ever-growing hacking campaign into a U.S. tech firm that was discovered this week `` a moment of reckoning . ''
`` This is not 'espionage as usual , ' even in the digital age .
Instead , it represents an act of recklessness that created a serious technological vulnerability for the United States and the world , '' he wrote in a blog post Thursday .
Smith said 40 of Microsoft 's customers were also hit by the breach because they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hackers .
At least 80 % of customers were in the U.S. , but the rest were in Canada , Mexico , Belgium , Spain , the U.K. , Israel and the United Arab Emirates .
He said he expects the number of victims to grow .
`` In effect , this is not just an attack on specific targets , but on the trust and reliability of the world 's critical infrastructure in order to advance one nation 's intelligence agency , '' Smith wrote .
So far , least six federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the suspected Russian hack into the IT company , Politico wrote Thursday .
The scope of the breach is still being uncovered , with the Energy Department and National Nuclear Security Administration the latest reported victims of the cyberattack .
SolarWinds provided IT management services to at least 17,000 customers that included private firms as well as the U.S. government .
The ongoing attack is believed to have started in March and went undetected for several months .
In his post , Smith stressed the broader implications of the breach : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successful espionage-based assault on both the confidential information of the U.S. Government and the tech tools used by firms to protect them . ''
The tech leader said the attack highlights how desperately the U.S. government and the private tech sector , as well as the global community , must join forces to respond to cyberattacks in an organized , coordinated fashion .

Microsoft Says 40 Customers Hit By Ongoing Hack Of Government Agencies
Enlarge this image toggle caption Altaf Qadri/AP Altaf Qadri/AP
Microsoft President Brad Smith has called the ever-growing hacking campaign into a U.S. tech firm that was discovered this week "a moment of reckoning."
"This is not 'espionage as usual,' even in the digital age. Instead, it represents an act of recklessness that created a serious technological vulnerability for the United States and the world," he wrote in a blog post Thursday.
Smith said 40 of Microsoft's customers were also hit by the breach because they had the SolarWinds software targeted by suspected Russian hackers. At least 80% of customers were in the U.S., but the rest were in Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Spain, the U.K., Israel and the United Arab Emirates. He said he expects the number of victims to grow.
"In effect, this is not just an attack on specific targets, but on the trust and reliability of the world's critical infrastructure in order to advance one nation's intelligence agency," Smith wrote.
So far, least six federal agencies are known to have been hit by the suspected Russian hack into the IT company, Politico wrote Thursday. The scope of the breach is still being uncovered, with the Energy Department and National Nuclear Security Administration the latest reported victims of the cyberattack.
SolarWinds provided IT management services to at least 17,000 customers that included private firms as well as the U.S. government. The ongoing attack is believed to have started in March and went undetected for several months.
In his post, Smith stressed the broader implications of the breach: "The attack unfortunately represents a broad and successful espionage-based assault on both the confidential information of the U.S. Government and the tech tools used by firms to protect them."
The tech leader said the attack highlights how desperately the U.S. government and the private tech sector, as well as the global community, must join forces to respond to cyberattacks in an organized, coordinated fashion.