npr--2020-04-22--'The Peak Of This Mountain Is Like A Mirage': Pandemic Leaves Asylum Seekers Stranded

'The Peak Of This Mountain Is Like A Mirage ' : Pandemic Leaves Asylum Seekers Stranded April 2020 was a month Mohammad had yearned for .
It was when he was set to fly to the U.S. with his wife and son to start a new life .
The Afghan had spent years painstakingly proving he was eligible for a special visa through his work as an interpreter with the U.S. Marine Corps in Afghanistan , and that he posed no danger to the American homeland .
`` It took almost five years , '' he says with a sigh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He asks that NPR not use his full name because of threats from the Taliban against him .
With the help of volunteer American lawyers , he navigated voluminous bureaucracy , gathering glowing testimony from the Marines for whom he worked in 2011 , when he was still a teenager .
He 's now in his late 20s .
By November last year , the U.S. visa was finally in his passport .
It was valid until April 15 , 2020 .
The International Organization for Migration , which helps with resettlement costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family for April 6 .
`` I was feeling very excited , I was very , very happy , '' he tells NPR .
`` We are really tired of war in Afghanistan . ''
Then , a few days before they were to leave , Mohammad received an email from the IOM telling him his flight had been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic .
And just like that , his long-anticipated plan evaporated .
As coronavirus fears swelled and the world 's skies emptied of planes , resettlements were suspended and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the world have found themselves stranded .
`` We 're heartbroken , '' says his lawyer , Brian Biglin , who works in cooperation with the International Refugee Assistance Project , based in New York City .
The pandemic has , he says , `` had a particularly heartbreaking impact on refugees — in the sense that it 's cut off their ability to travel , and thus trapped them in precarious situations . ''
Cases like Mohammad 's are especially disappointing for asylum applicants and their supporters because such opportunities are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people fleeing war zones has grown , the number being resettled permanently in safer countries has dwindled .
Starting in 2009 , Afghans and Iraqis who worked with the U.S. were able to apply for the Special Immigrant Visa program , recognizing their work and the risk from militants who target people who help Americans .
The program in Iraq ended in 2014 .
In Afghanistan , the number of SIVs granted annually fluctuates , after a steep drop two years ago .
Because of budget constraints , there would have been no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 had there not been a bipartisan push by U.S. senators .
In the end , 2,347 SIVs were issued last year to Afghans , many of whom brought their families .
As of October , more than 8,000 SIV applicants were still waiting .
A State Department official tells NPR , `` We are committed to supporting those who have helped U.S. military and other government personnel perform their duties , '' and that a replacement visa may be issued for people whose visas expire during the pandemic .
Ordinary refugees , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have less chance than ever of being resettled in the U.S. , which has taken in fewer under President Trump .
Between 2011 and 2015 , the U.S. took in about 50,000 refugees a year .
In the last fiscal year , after a steady decline , the number dropped to 21,159 .
In Lebanon , which hosts nearly 2 million refugees , just 8,400 were resettled last year in third countries by the UNHCR .
Now the COVID-19 pandemic is delaying new resettlements .
One Syrian refugee in Lebanon tells NPR that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should have had coveted seats this spring on a flight to France , where they 'd been granted asylum .
`` There was urgency behind our request for asylum , '' he says .
NPR is not using his name because he does not have residency in Lebanon and is vulnerable to deportation .
His wife has breast cancer , and getting treatment in Lebanon can be challenging for refugees .
`` France is supposed to be one of the best countries in terms of healthcare , '' he says .
He dreams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` For every human in this life , '' he says , `` children are the most important things .
That their kids learn . ''
After Lebanon 's airport closed several weeks ago as a measure against the coronavirus and the UNHCR told him his travel was postponed indefinitely , he felt deeply frustrated .
`` Someone comes to the end of the road and is surprised to find he 's actually still at the beginning of the road , '' he says .
His application had taken a year and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his relatives and ask them to lend back the furniture he 'd given them as he packed up , and beg his landlord to extend his stay , although he was unsure if he could pay the rent .
`` The peak of this mountain is like a mirage , '' he says .
`` You think you 've gotten to the top and it 's all a mirage . ''
The UNHCR said in a statement that the suspension of resettlement for refugees due to COVID-19 travel issues is temporary , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as is essential .
Meanwhile , Mohammad 's situation in Afghanistan has become even more precarious .
The country has a fragile healthcare system and borders Iran , where COVID-19 infection has been widespread — and from where more than 100,000 Afghans have returned in recent weeks .
`` We are not going outside , we are staying in home to be safe , because of this global threat , '' Mohammad says .
`` And I wish — I hope — everything will get good and the suspended flights will restart .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ visas .
Last week , a pair of bipartisan senators urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf to extend SIVs and other visas for refugees approved for resettlement in the U.S. Biglin , Mohammad 's lawyer , says the best-case scenario would see his client travel at the end of the year .

'The Peak Of This Mountain Is Like A Mirage': Pandemic Leaves Asylum Seekers Stranded
Enlarge this image toggle caption Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images
April 2020 was a month Mohammad had yearned for. It was when he was set to fly to the U.S. with his wife and son to start a new life.
The Afghan had spent years painstakingly proving he was eligible for a special visa through his work as an interpreter with the U.S. Marine Corps in Afghanistan, and that he posed no danger to the American homeland.
"It took almost five years," he says with a sigh, speaking by phone from Afghanistan. He asks that NPR not use his full name because of threats from the Taliban against him.
With the help of volunteer American lawyers, he navigated voluminous bureaucracy, gathering glowing testimony from the Marines for whom he worked in 2011, when he was still a teenager. He's now in his late 20s.
By November last year, the U.S. visa was finally in his passport. It was valid until April 15, 2020. The International Organization for Migration, which helps with resettlement costs, booked flights for Mohammad and his family for April 6.
"I was feeling very excited, I was very, very happy," he tells NPR. "We are really tired of war in Afghanistan."
Then, a few days before they were to leave, Mohammad received an email from the IOM telling him his flight had been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. And just like that, his long-anticipated plan evaporated.
As coronavirus fears swelled and the world's skies emptied of planes, resettlements were suspended and postponed, and Mohammad and other refugees around the world have found themselves stranded.
"We're heartbroken," says his lawyer, Brian Biglin, who works in cooperation with the International Refugee Assistance Project, based in New York City. The pandemic has, he says, "had a particularly heartbreaking impact on refugees — in the sense that it's cut off their ability to travel, and thus trapped them in precarious situations."
Cases like Mohammad's are especially disappointing for asylum applicants and their supporters because such opportunities are increasingly rare. While the number of people fleeing war zones has grown, the number being resettled permanently in safer countries has dwindled.
National Afghans, New To The U.S., Go From War Zone To COVID-19 Hot Zone Afghans, New To The U.S., Go From War Zone To COVID-19 Hot Zone Listen · 3:19 3:19
Starting in 2009, Afghans and Iraqis who worked with the U.S. were able to apply for the Special Immigrant Visa program, recognizing their work and the risk from militants who target people who help Americans. The program in Iraq ended in 2014. In Afghanistan, the number of SIVs granted annually fluctuates, after a steep drop two years ago.
Because of budget constraints, there would have been no new Afghan SIVs allocated for fiscal year 2019 had there not been a bipartisan push by U.S. senators. In the end, 2,347 SIVs were issued last year to Afghans, many of whom brought their families.
As of October, more than 8,000 SIV applicants were still waiting.
A State Department official tells NPR, "We are committed to supporting those who have helped U.S. military and other government personnel perform their duties," and that a replacement visa may be issued for people whose visas expire during the pandemic.
Ordinary refugees, ineligible for programs like the SIV, have less chance than ever of being resettled in the U.S., which has taken in fewer under President Trump. Between 2011 and 2015, the U.S. took in about 50,000 refugees a year. In the last fiscal year, after a steady decline, the number dropped to 21,159.
In Lebanon, which hosts nearly 2 million refugees, just 8,400 were resettled last year in third countries by the UNHCR. Now the COVID-19 pandemic is delaying new resettlements.
One Syrian refugee in Lebanon tells NPR that he, his wife and five children should have had coveted seats this spring on a flight to France, where they'd been granted asylum.
"There was urgency behind our request for asylum," he says. NPR is not using his name because he does not have residency in Lebanon and is vulnerable to deportation.
His wife has breast cancer, and getting treatment in Lebanon can be challenging for refugees. "France is supposed to be one of the best countries in terms of healthcare," he says.
He dreams of his children getting a proper education. "For every human in this life," he says, "children are the most important things. That their kids learn."
After Lebanon's airport closed several weeks ago as a measure against the coronavirus and the UNHCR told him his travel was postponed indefinitely, he felt deeply frustrated. "Someone comes to the end of the road and is surprised to find he's actually still at the beginning of the road," he says.
His application had taken a year and eight months. He had to call his relatives and ask them to lend back the furniture he'd given them as he packed up, and beg his landlord to extend his stay, although he was unsure if he could pay the rent.
"The peak of this mountain is like a mirage," he says. "You think you've gotten to the top and it's all a mirage."
The UNHCR said in a statement that the suspension of resettlement for refugees due to COVID-19 travel issues is temporary, and will remain in place only as long as is essential.
Meanwhile, Mohammad's situation in Afghanistan has become even more precarious. The country has a fragile healthcare system and borders Iran, where COVID-19 infection has been widespread — and from where more than 100,000 Afghans have returned in recent weeks.
"We are not going outside, we are staying in home to be safe, because of this global threat," Mohammad says. "And I wish — I hope — everything will get good and the suspended flights will restart."
But everything depends on getting new visas. Last week, a pair of bipartisan senators urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf to extend SIVs and other visas for refugees approved for resettlement in the U.S.
Biglin, Mohammad's lawyer, says the best-case scenario would see his client travel at the end of the year.


npr--2020-04-22--Federal Appeals Court Okays Arkansas' Abortion Ban During Coronavirus Pandemic

A federal appeals court says Arkansas can suspend abortions during the coronavirus pandemic .
As non-essential medical procedures are put on hold to help preserve medical supplies like surgical masks and hospital gowns , Republican officials in several states including Arkansas have tried to suspend abortions .
Abortion rights opponents argue the procedure should be treated as non-essential .
Reproductive rights groups have accused Republican officials of using the crisis for political purposes .
They 've successfully persuaded courts to block or scale back pandemic-related abortion bans in most states , including Ohio and Alabama .
Advocates point to statements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ procedure is time-sensitive and should n't be delayed .
But now , in a reversal of a lower-court decision , the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit says Arkansas can suspend abortions during the pandemic .
In the opinion , a federal judge writes that while medication abortions using pills may continue under the state 's policy , surgical abortions that are not immediately medically necessary are prohibited .
Patients also have been turned away for the procedure in states including Texas , where abortion rights advocates have been engaged in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state 's governor and attorney general .
In the aftermath of the ban in Texas , Planned Parenthood has reported a more than seven-fold increase in patients traveling to clinics in nearby states for abortions .

Federal Appeals Court OKs Arkansas' Abortion Ban During Coronavirus Pandemic
A federal appeals court says Arkansas can suspend abortions during the coronavirus pandemic.
As nonessential medical procedures are put on hold to help preserve medical supplies such as surgical masks and hospital gowns, Republican officials in several states including Arkansas have tried to suspend abortions. Abortion rights opponents argue that the procedure should be treated as nonessential.
Reproductive rights groups have accused Republican officials of using the crisis for political purposes. They've successfully persuaded courts to block or scale back pandemic-related abortion bans in most states, including Ohio and Alabama. Advocates point to statements from major medical groups who say the procedure is time-sensitive and shouldn't be delayed.
But now, in a reversal of a lower-court decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit says Arkansas can suspend abortions during the pandemic. In the opinion, a federal judge writes that while medication abortions using pills may continue under the state's policy, surgical abortions that are not immediately medically necessary are prohibited.
Patients also have been turned away for the procedure in states including Texas, where abortion rights advocates have been engaged in multiple rounds of legal wrangling with the state's governor and attorney general. In the aftermath of the ban in Texas, Planned Parenthood has reported a more than sevenfold increase in patients traveling to clinics in nearby states for abortions.


npr--2020-04-22--Fox News Executive Tries To Rein In Stars As They Cheer On Anti-Lockdown Rallies

Fox News Executive Tries To Rein In Stars As They Cheer On Anti-Lockdown Rallies Fox News personalities have been cheerleading protesters across the U.S. gathering in defiance of state lockdown orders .
This week , the situation became so extreme that a top executive at the network tried to rein in his stars .
Fox News President Jay Wallace sent a directive Monday urging Fox anchors to take time on the air to remind protesters to practice social distancing , according to a senior executive at Fox .
The executive said Wallace issued it at the behest of Fox CEO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be interviewed for this story .
Public health officials say the coronavirus can spread easily when people are packed in tight quarters — including at these protests .
Fox hosts have hailed the protesters for standing up for liberty and fundamental American rights , yet have rarely noted the risks involved in those very demonstrations .
The hosts have , for the most part , been anchoring their shows from the safety of their own home studios .
Shortly after Wallace 's guidance went out Monday , Fox host Harris Faulkner interrupted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not opposing safety measures .
Faulkner noted that the footage on the air at that very moment reflected demonstrators clustered closely together , sharing phones and cameras and failing to wear masks .
Few major media outlets have been so resolutely devoted to President Trump 's fortunes as Fox News Channel .
The crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has proved a test of that loyalty .
And with few exceptions , Fox has passed with flying colors — in the sense that its most prominent figures have bolstered the president , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and at times seemingly self-defeating , approach to the crisis .
Trump 's actions stand in contrast to many governors who have acted decisively to close businesses and schools to slow the spread of the virus .
They generally have gotten higher marks than the president in polls on the pandemic .
Trump has called on Americans to `` liberate '' their states from such governors in his drive to reopen U.S. businesses , despite warnings from public health advocates .
And Fox News stars have responded on air .
`` They want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They want to keep us from our churches and synagogues .
They want to make sure we do n't go back to work , '' said Fox host Jeanine Pirro , a Trump ally .
`` They 're protesting in Kentucky , Ohio , North Carolina and Virginia , '' said Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade .
`` And as more states go online and get their rights back , that is going to fuel , I believe , other states to go , 'Wait a second — this is getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you arbitrarily shutting down my places of worship , my ability to access the Second Amendment and my right to assembly in some cases ? ''
said weekend host Pete Hegseth , whom Trump had considered for a Cabinet post .
`` [ It ] feels un-American to a lot of people . ''
His co-host , Jillian Mele , noted that Americans who know people who have died from the disease may feel differently .
The liberal watchdog group Media Matters found that Fox News had devoted more than six hours over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite the fact that they have drawn relatively small crowds .
Columbia University media scholar Nicole Hemmer , who wrote the book Messengers of the Right , said the rallies draw upon many sources of inspiration .
Gun-rights and property-rights activists have gathered , in addition to people frustrated over the weeks of seclusion .
There have also been displays of racially charged and anti-Semitic sentiment .
`` What Fox does is it takes this very small phenomenon and not only amplifies it , but gives it a particular political meaning , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that there are upcoming rallies — much like we saw back in the day of the Tea Party — as a way of not just throwing light on what 's happening , amplifying these protests , but also encouraging them as well . ''
She noted that Trump himself feeds off Fox by citing interviews and claims made on its programs .
In defending their coverage , Fox News officials have pointed to earlier moments when hosts alluded to the importance of people 's security and taking safety measures at public protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For weeks , Trump touted the possible anti-coronavirus benefits of hydroxychloroquine , a drug used to treat malaria and lupus .
He was following the lead of Fox News hosts and guests such as Dr. Mehmet Oz , who championed the drug too .
But initial anecdotes of successes yielded to shortages for lupus patients and widespread doubts among public health officials about its usefulness , as Fox 's Laura Ingraham learned to her chagrin in an interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being treated by the Veterans Health Administration found `` more deaths , no benefit , '' in the words of the Associated Press .
According to CNN , Fox News buried that development on its website in a story that quickly disappeared .
A Fox News spokeswoman noted that Oz returned Wednesday morning , to Fox & Friends , and addressed the new VA study , which has not yet been peer-reviewed .
Other researchers say that what Fox News does on the air has real-life consequences for its audience .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' says Harvard University graduate student Aakaash Rao , who studies how messages in the media affect public health outcomes .
`` If [ viewers ] hear suggestions from the anchors , then they 'll take their suggestions into account , whether those suggestions are about hand-washing or social distancing or , you know , attending public gatherings . ''
Rao is part of a team of researchers that makes that case in a pointed way .
In a working paper posted online this week , the researchers concluded that viewers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have contracted COVID-19 and to have died from it than viewers of his colleague Tucker Carlson .
Hannity , one of the president 's strongest allies , consistently downplayed the risk of the coronavirus until late February , when he started to present it more seriously .
Carlson put a spotlight on those perils far earlier .
The study relies on overlaying granular geographic television ratings data , county-by-county COVID-19 infection rates and a survey of more than 1,000 Americans 55 years old and above .
( More than half of Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
The study , overseen by economics professors at the University of Chicago and the University of Zurich , has not yet been peer-reviewed .
`` The selective cherry-picked clips of Sean Hannity 's coverage used in this study are not only reckless and irresponsible , but down right factually wrong , '' Fox News said in a statement released through a spokeswoman .
She pointed to specific instances earlier this year in which Hannity had expressed concern about the virus .
Indeed , even before Wallace 's directive on Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns for the safety of protesters .
But Fox programs became much more consistent about it afterward .
Even so , prime-time hosts have continued to defend the protesters from criticism , including Carlson , who had sounded the alarm about the pandemic early .
`` When politicians arrest people who disagree with them , what sort of moment is that ? ''
Carlson asked Monday night .
And Fox was back in the fold .

Fox News Executive Tries To Rein In Stars As They Cheer On Anti-Lockdown Rallies
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gene J. Puskar/AP Gene J. Puskar/AP
Updated at 4:41 p.m. ET
Fox News personalities have been cheerleading protesters across the U.S. gathering in defiance of state lockdown orders. This week, the situation became so extreme that a top executive at the network tried to rein in his stars.
Fox News President Jay Wallace sent a directive Monday urging Fox anchors to take time on the air to remind protesters to practice social distancing, according to a senior executive at Fox. The executive said Wallace issued it at the behest of Fox CEO Suzanne Scott. Wallace and Scott declined to be interviewed for this story.
Public health officials say the coronavirus can spread easily when people are packed in tight quarters — including at these protests. Fox hosts have hailed the protesters for standing up for liberty and fundamental American rights, yet have rarely noted the risks involved in those very demonstrations. The hosts have, for the most part, been anchoring their shows from the safety of their own home studios.
Shortly after Wallace's guidance went out Monday, Fox host Harris Faulkner interrupted a guest who said the protesters were not opposing safety measures. Faulkner noted that the footage on the air at that very moment reflected demonstrators clustered closely together, sharing phones and cameras and failing to wear masks.
Few major media outlets have been so resolutely devoted to President Trump's fortunes as Fox News Channel. The crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has proved a test of that loyalty. And with few exceptions, Fox has passed with flying colors — in the sense that its most prominent figures have bolstered the president, even when he has taken a lurching, and at times seemingly self-defeating, approach to the crisis.
Trump's actions stand in contrast to many governors who have acted decisively to close businesses and schools to slow the spread of the virus. They generally have gotten higher marks than the president in polls on the pandemic.
Trump has called on Americans to "liberate" their states from such governors in his drive to reopen U.S. businesses, despite warnings from public health advocates. And Fox News stars have responded on air.
"They want to keep us locked in our homes. They want to keep us from our churches and synagogues. They want to make sure we don't go back to work," said Fox host Jeanine Pirro, a Trump ally.
"They're protesting in Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia," said Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade. "And as more states go online and get their rights back, that is going to fuel, I believe, other states to go, 'Wait a second — this is getting ridiculous!' "
"Why are you arbitrarily shutting down my places of worship, my ability to access the Second Amendment and my right to assembly in some cases?" said weekend host Pete Hegseth, whom Trump had considered for a Cabinet post. "[It] feels un-American to a lot of people." His co-host, Jillian Mele, noted that Americans who know people who have died from the disease may feel differently.
The liberal watchdog group Media Matters found that Fox News had devoted more than six hours over the past week to the protests, despite the fact that they have drawn relatively small crowds.
Columbia University media scholar Nicole Hemmer, who wrote the book Messengers of the Right, said the rallies draw upon many sources of inspiration. Gun-rights and property-rights activists have gathered, in addition to people frustrated over the weeks of seclusion. There have also been displays of racially charged and anti-Semitic sentiment.
"What Fox does is it takes this very small phenomenon and not only amplifies it, but gives it a particular political meaning," Hemmer says. "It lets people know that there are upcoming rallies — much like we saw back in the day of the Tea Party — as a way of not just throwing light on what's happening, amplifying these protests, but also encouraging them as well."
She noted that Trump himself feeds off Fox by citing interviews and claims made on its programs. In defending their coverage, Fox News officials have pointed to earlier moments when hosts alluded to the importance of people's security and taking safety measures at public protests, observations often made in passing.
For weeks, Trump touted the possible anti-coronavirus benefits of hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat malaria and lupus. He was following the lead of Fox News hosts and guests such as Dr. Mehmet Oz, who championed the drug too.
But initial anecdotes of successes yielded to shortages for lupus patients and widespread doubts among public health officials about its usefulness, as Fox's Laura Ingraham learned to her chagrin in an interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
A new analysis of patients being treated by the Veterans Health Administration found "more deaths, no benefit," in the words of the Associated Press. According to CNN, Fox News buried that development on its website in a story that quickly disappeared. A Fox News spokeswoman noted that Oz returned Wednesday morning, to Fox & Friends, and addressed the new VA study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed.
Other researchers say that what Fox News does on the air has real-life consequences for its audience.
"The media can have significant effects on behavior," says Harvard University graduate student Aakaash Rao, who studies how messages in the media affect public health outcomes. "If [viewers] hear suggestions from the anchors, then they'll take their suggestions into account, whether those suggestions are about hand-washing or social distancing or, you know, attending public gatherings."
Rao is part of a team of researchers that makes that case in a pointed way. In a working paper posted online this week, the researchers concluded that viewers of Fox's Sean Hannity were more likely to have contracted COVID-19 and to have died from it than viewers of his colleague Tucker Carlson. Hannity, one of the president's strongest allies, consistently downplayed the risk of the coronavirus until late February, when he started to present it more seriously. Carlson put a spotlight on those perils far earlier.
The study relies on overlaying granular geographic television ratings data, county-by-county COVID-19 infection rates and a survey of more than 1,000 Americans 55 years old and above. (More than half of Fox News' viewers are over age 65.) The study, overseen by economics professors at the University of Chicago and the University of Zurich, has not yet been peer-reviewed.
"The selective cherry-picked clips of Sean Hannity's coverage used in this study are not only reckless and irresponsible, but down right factually wrong," Fox News said in a statement released through a spokeswoman. She pointed to specific instances earlier this year in which Hannity had expressed concern about the virus.
Indeed, even before Wallace's directive on Monday, Fox News hosts would obliquely allude to concerns for the safety of protesters. But Fox programs became much more consistent about it afterward.
Even so, prime-time hosts have continued to defend the protesters from criticism, including Carlson, who had sounded the alarm about the pandemic early.
"When politicians arrest people who disagree with them, what sort of moment is that?" Carlson asked Monday night.
And Fox was back in the fold.


npr--2020-04-22--House Democrats Slam Brakes On Plan To Allow Remote Voting, Hearings During Pandemic

House Democrats Slam Brakes On Plan To Allow Remote Voting , Hearings During Pandemic In the face of Republican opposition , House Democrats have backed off plans to consider unprecedented rule changes to allow members to vote and hold hearings remotely during the coronavirus pandemic .
The House Rules Committee released a nine-page resolution with plans to send the measure to the House floor for approval Thursday .
The House was already slated to meet Thursday to consider a nearly $ 500 billion coronavirus response bill .
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democratic House leaders Wednesday morning she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan .
Pelosi , D-Calif. , said after a call with House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy they would task a bipartisan group to study the idea , a Democratic leadership aide told NPR .
`` The House will no longer consider remote voting by proxy this week , '' the aide said .
Earlier , Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern , D-Mass.
, said proxy voting and remote hearings could address potential lockdown concerns later this year as a result of a second surge in coronavirus cases .
`` We can not risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this virus .
We need to act , '' McGovern , D-Mass.
, said in a statement .
Now , Pelosi and McCarthy are moving forward instead with the bipartisan task force , which will include McCarthy , McGovern , House Rules ranking member Tom Cole , R-Okla. , and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer , D-Md .
It will also include House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren , D-Calif. , and its ranking member , Rodney Davis , R-Ill. Last month , the rules panel issued a report on remote voting options @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting , but the low-tech version of proxy voting appeared to have growing support .
The rules plan outlined by Democrats would let designated members cast votes on behalf of their colleagues who are unable to travel to Washington , D.C. , during the pandemic .
It would also let House committees hold hearings and markups remotely via a technology platform of their choosing .
Past attempts to push through remote voting options have faced fierce opposition .
Several years after 9/11 , the House finally approved a lower threshold of floor quorums @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be present — during national emergencies .
House Republican Whip Steve Scalise on Tuesday had urged his party to vote yes on the coronavirus spending bill , but no on remote voting because of concerns it was being rushed .
`` The Speaker is choosing to capitalize on the crisis and jam through a rules change that could have serious constitutional and institutional repercussions , '' according to a statement issued by Scalise 's office .

House Democrats Slam Brakes On Plan To Allow Remote Voting, Hearings During Pandemic
Enlarge this image toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/AP
In the face of Republican opposition, House Democrats have backed off plans to consider unprecedented rule changes to allow members to vote and hold hearings remotely during the coronavirus pandemic.
The House Rules Committee released a nine-page resolution with plans to send the measure to the House floor for approval Thursday. The House was already slated to meet Thursday to consider a nearly $500 billion coronavirus response bill.
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democratic House leaders Wednesday morning she was pulling the plug on the remote voting plan.
Pelosi, D-Calif., said after a call with House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy they would task a bipartisan group to study the idea, a Democratic leadership aide told NPR.
"The House will no longer consider remote voting by proxy this week," the aide said.
Earlier, Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said proxy voting and remote hearings could address potential lockdown concerns later this year as a result of a second surge in coronavirus cases.
"We cannot risk Congress grinding to a halt because of this virus. We need to act," McGovern, D-Mass., said in a statement.
Now, Pelosi and McCarthy are moving forward instead with the bipartisan task force, which will include McCarthy, McGovern, House Rules ranking member Tom Cole, R-Okla., and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. It will also include House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and its ranking member, Rodney Davis, R-Ill.
Last month, the rules panel issued a report on remote voting options. Pelosi had raised concerns for remote voting, but the low-tech version of proxy voting appeared to have growing support.
The rules plan outlined by Democrats would let designated members cast votes on behalf of their colleagues who are unable to travel to Washington, D.C., during the pandemic. It would also let House committees hold hearings and markups remotely via a technology platform of their choosing.
Past attempts to push through remote voting options have faced fierce opposition. Several years after 9/11, the House finally approved a lower threshold of floor quorums — a required number of members needed to be present — during national emergencies.
House Republican Whip Steve Scalise on Tuesday had urged his party to vote yes on the coronavirus spending bill, but no on remote voting because of concerns it was being rushed.
"The Speaker is choosing to capitalize on the crisis and jam through a rules change that could have serious constitutional and institutional repercussions," according to a statement issued by Scalise's office.


npr--2020-04-22--Why The World Is Still Pumping So Much Oil Even As Demand Drops Away

Why The World Is Still Pumping So Much Oil Even As Demand Drops Away With the global economy in a pandemic-induced coma , the world just does n't need a lot of oil .
But oil is still flowing out of wells , and with nowhere else to go , it 's filling up the world 's storage tanks .
The oversupply is so intense that this week U.S. oil prices briefly went negative .
But why is that oil still flowing , anyway ?
Why do n't producers turn off the spigot when demand falls ?
The short answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not fast enough .
`` The crude markets move in slow motion , '' says Bernadette Johnson , the vice president of market intelligence for Enverus .
`` So what we 're seeing is almost a slow-motion train wreck . ''
Crude in a pipeline can take weeks to reach its destination , which means oil purchased in mid-March could still be in transit in mid-April .
This spring , the world completely transformed faster than some oil could finish that trip .
And that 's not the only source of delay .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it takes time for oil producers to start turning off existing wells .
Reducing output like that is known as `` shutting in '' production .
`` Shutting-in production is a very painful decision for an operator to make , '' Teodora Cowie , an analyst with Rystad Energy , writes .
`` Often the economics support running a well at a loss for a certain period of time rather than shutting down the project completely . ''
As long as prices are greater than zero ( an unusual disclaimer for these unusual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring in some money .
And oil companies have fixed costs they have to cover .
Even if they 're taking a loss overall , it may be better to keep a well running than to bring in no money .
They 're also looking ahead to the future , when demand and prices are eventually expected to rebound .
An oil well is not like a light switch you can flick on and off .
A well that has been shut down can be hard to turn back on .
Elizabeth Gerbel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company EAG , compares it to a bottle of soda .
If you put the cap back on and store it in the fridge for a while , it will never be as bubbly as when you first cracked it open .
Similarly , if you start pumping from a well , shut it down and try to get it running again , `` it is almost guaranteed you will have to invest more money in the well to get it to produce at the same level , '' she says .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil fields working against producers here .
It 's their legal contracts : They may have signed leases that require them to drill the land in question .
`` If you are forced to shut-in a lot , you technically can lose your lease to a competitor , '' Gerbel says .
`` And then you 're going to have to buy them back . ''
So even at very low oil prices — prices where oil producers clearly are unable to make a profit — they might opt to keep wells running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those wells in the future .
Eventually , very low prices make that untenable , and shut-ins do occur .
Rystad Energy estimates that nearly 2 million barrels per day have been shut in already , mostly in Canada .
And as the glut grows so intense that tanks , pipelines and ships run out of space , companies may be forced to shut in some wells that they would like to keep running , simply because there is nowhere they can immediately store their oil .
There 's another way that oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on new wells .
Drilling a new well is expensive .
Last month , the Dallas Fed Energy Survey reported that on average , U.S. firms need oil prices to be at least $ 49 per barrel to profitably drill a new well .
The U.S. benchmark oil price is currently at less than $ 14 a barrel .
So when prices drop , companies often move quite quickly to reduce drilling — well before they shut in existing production .
The number of active drilling rigs has dropped to less than 440 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; it was at 825 a year ago .
That means a drop in output , particularly for shale producers , which have to keep drilling new wells just to maintain existing production levels .
But Johnson , of Enverus , notes that new shale wells can also be drilled and brought online unusually quickly .
This means that while the shale industry — like the rest of the oil industry — is currently reeling , production could also come back quite quickly if demand returns .

Why The World Is Still Pumping So Much Oil Even As Demand Drops Away
Enlarge this image toggle caption Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images
With the global economy in a pandemic-induced coma, the world just doesn't need a lot of oil.
But oil is still flowing out of wells, and with nowhere else to go, it's filling up the world's storage tanks. The oversupply is so intense that this week U.S. oil prices briefly went negative.
But why is that oil still flowing, anyway? Why don't producers turn off the spigot when demand falls?
The short answer is that production is decreasing — just not fast enough.
"The crude markets move in slow motion," says Bernadette Johnson, the vice president of market intelligence for Enverus. "So what we're seeing is almost a slow-motion train wreck."
Crude in a pipeline can take weeks to reach its destination, which means oil purchased in mid-March could still be in transit in mid-April. This spring, the world completely transformed faster than some oil could finish that trip.
And that's not the only source of delay. When demand plummets and prices drop, it takes time for oil producers to start turning off existing wells. Reducing output like that is known as "shutting in" production.
"Shutting-in production is a very painful decision for an operator to make," Teodora Cowie, an analyst with Rystad Energy, writes. "Often the economics support running a well at a loss for a certain period of time rather than shutting down the project completely."
As long as prices are greater than zero (an unusual disclaimer for these unusual times), a well will still bring in some money. And oil companies have fixed costs they have to cover. Even if they're taking a loss overall, it may be better to keep a well running than to bring in no money.
They're also looking ahead to the future, when demand and prices are eventually expected to rebound. An oil well is not like a light switch you can flick on and off. A well that has been shut down can be hard to turn back on.
Elizabeth Gerbel, CEO of EAG Services, an oil and gas consulting company, compares it to a bottle of soda. If you put the cap back on and store it in the fridge for a while, it will never be as bubbly as when you first cracked it open.
Similarly, if you start pumping from a well, shut it down and try to get it running again, "it is almost guaranteed you will have to invest more money in the well to get it to produce at the same level," she says.
And it's not just the physics of oil fields working against producers here. It's their legal contracts: They may have signed leases that require them to drill the land in question. "If you are forced to shut-in a lot, you technically can lose your lease to a competitor," Gerbel says. "And then you're going to have to buy them back."
So even at very low oil prices — prices where oil producers clearly are unable to make a profit — they might opt to keep wells running now, to ensure they can operate those wells in the future.
Eventually, very low prices make that untenable, and shut-ins do occur. Rystad Energy estimates that nearly 2 million barrels per day have been shut in already, mostly in Canada.
And as the glut grows so intense that tanks, pipelines and ships run out of space, companies may be forced to shut in some wells that they would like to keep running, simply because there is nowhere they can immediately store their oil.
There's another way that oil companies are reducing output: cutting back on new wells.
Drilling a new well is expensive. Last month, the Dallas Fed Energy Survey reported that on average, U.S. firms need oil prices to be at least $49 per barrel to profitably drill a new well. The U.S. benchmark oil price is currently at less than $14 a barrel.
So when prices drop, companies often move quite quickly to reduce drilling — well before they shut in existing production.
The number of active drilling rigs has dropped to less than 440, according to data from Baker Hughes; it was at 825 a year ago.
That means a drop in output, particularly for shale producers, which have to keep drilling new wells just to maintain existing production levels.
But Johnson, of Enverus, notes that new shale wells can also be drilled and brought online unusually quickly. This means that while the shale industry — like the rest of the oil industry — is currently reeling, production could also come back quite quickly if demand returns.


npr--2020-04-22--This Earth Day Is Like No Other. Here's How To Grieve And Stay Engaged

This Earth Day Is Like No Other .
Here 's How To Grieve And Stay Engaged Instead of feeling gratitude and oneness with the planet this Earth Day , you may be feeling far darker emotions .
Not just because of our abnormal existence during a pandemic , but also from a fear that more disruptive events are on the horizon due to climate change .
For some , feelings of sadness about the state of the planet are n't new — they 're constant and at times debilitating .
This experience goes by many names , among them eco-anxiety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A movement has begun to help people face these feelings — and build resilience so they can stay engaged with the work of fighting the climate crisis .
We spoke to psychologists and climate activists about their approaches to processing climate grief — it turns out these tools are useful for dealing with any kind of wide scale upheaval , including life during a pandemic .
Here 's a road map .
Before you can process grief , you have to open up the protective shell many of us encase ourselves in , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies .
`` The resistance is understandable because the news is so catastrophic , '' Chalquist says .
`` The human mind is built such that it protects itself by defending itself against intolerable information , '' Chalquist says .
Such defenses may include burying yourself in distraction like `` surfing away from the bad news , '' says Chalquist .
Or you may scapegoat the messengers who share this news , or regress to a childlike state and expect someone else — scientists or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue .
Another classic : denying that the problem is happening or believing that a silver-bullet solution will save us all .
In the case of the climate crisis , these fantasies most often one involve new technology .
Chalquist says that not all defenses are bad , and for those entrenched in climate change work , it 's important to take breaks .
It is a problem , however , to use the defenses to block out our own feelings .
Part of facing the problem is getting comfortable with uncertainty , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-founders of The Good Grief Network , a nonprofit focusing on building `` personal resilience '' in the face of climate change .
Lewis-Reau and Schmidt developed a 10-Step program , modeled in part on Alcoholics Anonymous meetings , where people come together in-person and online to build community and their own capacity to deal with their climate grief .
One of the steps of their program , Schmidt says , is `` sitting with the paradox and the tension of uncertainty and realizing that we do n't know what the future holds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dwell on a bleak view of the future .
`` But the future is n't set and so for us to spend significant amounts of time in a future that has n't unfolded yet does us injustice in the present , '' Schmidt says .
Instead , she says , ask yourself : `` What can we do now to develop relationships and personal resilience so that if times get darker or as they get darker , we 're more prepared , more nimble for these changes that are occurring ? ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this resilience is helping them face the current pandemic .
They feel `` better able to cope with the experiences of COVID-19 and its impact '' after having gone through the program , Schmidt says .
Nearly all experts agree the next step is to let yourself feel the feelings that come up .
Chalquist says some people may question this , `` 'Just sitting in a room and talking about it is going to help ? '
Actually , yeah , '' he says .
Schmidt and Lewis-Reau agree , adding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past trauma , so they are better ready to deal with the worsening impacts of climate change .
For instance , if someone needed to evacuate due to a fire , processing that can free you from the `` extra weights that are tethering you from being [ a ] nimble actor . ''
This can be done individually or in a group — though right now , you 'd want to seek out an online meeting .
Schmidt and Lewis-Reau have practiced guiding others to get in touch with their own feelings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I 've seen this sort of feelings-resistance manifest , '' Lewis-Reau says , `` almost a sense of feelings illiteracy . ''
Connect with your body — and nature One way to help tap into your feelings is to connect to your physical body , say Schmidt and Lewis-Reau .
Lewis-Reau worries this may come off as too `` hippie '' sounding , but she says it 's essential for people to be in touch with their own bodies .
`` We live in this no pain , no gain , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of people have disconnected from their bodies to survive , '' she says .
To reignite that connection , dive into any form of exercise that you enjoy , like walking , running , yoga or swimming .
Lewis-Reau says she finds dancing to be particularly effective in connecting with her emotions .
Schmidt suggests meditation or relaxation practices like a body scan meditation .
`` Body movement is essential because our feelings tend to get locked up in our body causing tension , '' Schmidt says .
Exercising releases endorphins that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and `` these activities also keep us in the present moment . ''
Another way to tune in is to connect with nature , says environmental psychologist Renee Lertzman .
Getting out in nature is both calming and `` reminds me of why we 're doing this .
And I 'm just continually amazed by how incredible life is , '' she says .
This could happen on a one-on-one level , like through talking to a counselor .
Therapists report an uptick in clients with concerns about the environment and the changing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups to help them help clients .
This could also happen on a communal level , even online .
`` It can be just rounding up some friends who have the same fears and talking it through with them , '' psychologist Craig Chalquist explains .
The group can also take a more formal shape , through organizations like The Good Grief Network .
The feelings can feel isolating , so a space to share them is crucial for many .
For some , processing their anxiety and sadness can take the form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says processing grief together is not actually sad .
Instead , it allows people to open their hearts and feel more alive .
Like a funeral for a human who has passed away , people have gathered in places like Iceland and Switzerland to memorialize glaciers .
Though such gatherings are n't possible presently with social distancing guidelines , it 's something to consider organizing in the future .
Gain perspective — and courage — from the past Climate writer Mary Annaïse Heglar and Michigan State University professor Kyle Whyte point to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her family members survived slavery and the Jim Crow south .
`` Black people of the not-too-distant past trembled for every baby born into that world .
Sound familiar ? ''
she writes .
She draws inspiration from how her family faced their own existential threat in America : with courage .
`` I want you to understand how overwhelming , how insurmountable it must have felt , '' she writes .
`` You do n't fight something like that because you think you will win .
You fight it because you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than yourself , but everything that comes after you . ''
Kyle Whyte is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation , a tribe that was forced from their native land in the Great Lakes in the midwest to the Great Plains of Oklahoma today .
He sees parallels between that complete shift in environment with the changes occurring today .
`` What we 've really learned , '' Whyte says , is `` that it 's not just what you know about the environment , but it 's what you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community . ''
Whyte says a big part of this is having `` reverence for knowledge-holders in our communities , whether it 's elderly people , whether it 's people of diverse genders , whether it 's children . ''
Once people process some emotions ( and therapists say this work is ongoing ) , `` then they fairly quickly move from that phase into 'what can I do , ' '' says Chalquist .
That work , experts agree , is entirely up to the individual .
`` We 're really careful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schmidt of The Good Grief Network .
`` It 's actually really powerful if we can empower individuals to find their own unique action . ''
Schmidt and Lewis-Reau say that does n't have to be traditional activism — it could simply be to focus on what you 're good at , and plug in that way .
For writer Mary Annaïse Heglar , her action takes the form of writing essays .
The blog she started with the intention of processing her own climate grief is now cited in several mainstream publications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts recommend working in groups , even if that means , right now , coming together through video calls .
Other people make the battle feel more doable .
We 've all experienced that these past few months , as people across the world have come together to fight a largely invisible challenge .
Perhaps this pandemic will help shape how we address another often invisible and far more existential threat .
Confronting global warming `` requires a cultural shift , a paradigm shift , '' says LaUra Schmidt .
To make such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's absolutely essential that we have a community backing us . ''

It's Hard To Think About Climate Change During A Pandemic. Here's How To Stay Engaged
Enlarge this image Leonardo Santamaria for NPR Leonardo Santamaria for NPR
Updated Friday, 6:45 p.m. ET
This past Wednesday marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Instead of feeling gratitude and oneness with the planet you may have experienced darker emotions as we weather the pandemic: a fear that more disruptive events are on the horizon due to climate change.
For some, feelings of sadness about the state of the planet aren't new — they're constant and at times debilitating. This experience goes by many names, among them eco-anxiety, climate grief and climate despair.
A movement has begun to help people face these feelings — and build resilience so they can stay engaged with the work of fighting the climate crisis.
We spoke to psychologists and climate activists about their approaches to processing climate grief — it turns out these tools are useful for dealing with any kind of wide scale upheaval, including life during a pandemic. Here's a road map to facing your fears — and our planet's future.
Listen to Invisibilia This story was inspired by Invisibilia Season 6, Ep. 1, the story of an unlikely quest to tackle climate change by deciphering the language of animals. Listen here.
Observe your resistance
Before you can process grief, you have to open up the protective shell many of us encase ourselves in, says Craig Chalquist, a psychologist and professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies.
"The resistance is understandable because the news is so catastrophic," Chalquist says. "The human mind is built such that it protects itself by defending itself against intolerable information," Chalquist says.
Such defenses may include burying yourself in distraction like "surfing away from the bad news," says Chalquist. Or you may scapegoat the messengers who share this news, or regress to a childlike state and expect someone else — scientists or the government — to take care of the issue.
Another classic: denying that the problem is happening or believing that a silver-bullet solution will save us all. In the case of the climate crisis, these fantasies most often one involve new technology.
Chalquist says that not all defenses are bad, and for those entrenched in climate change work, it's important to take breaks. It is a problem, however, to use the defenses to block out our own feelings.
Accept uncertainty
Part of facing the problem is getting comfortable with uncertainty, say Aimee Lewis-Reau and LaUra Schmidt, co-founders of The Good Grief Network, a nonprofit focusing on building "personal resilience" in the face of climate change.
Lewis-Reau and Schmidt developed a 10-Step program, modeled in part on Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, where people come together in-person and online to build community and their own capacity to deal with their climate grief.
One of the steps of their program, Schmidt says, is "sitting with the paradox and the tension of uncertainty and realizing that we don't know what the future holds." She says it's easy to dwell on a bleak view of the future. "But the future isn't set and so for us to spend significant amounts of time in a future that hasn't unfolded yet does us injustice in the present," Schmidt says.
Instead, she says, ask yourself: "What can we do now to develop relationships and personal resilience so that if times get darker or as they get darker, we're more prepared, more nimble for these changes that are occurring?"
Schmidt says many Good Grief participants report this resilience is helping them face the current pandemic. They feel "better able to cope with the experiences of COVID-19 and its impact" after having gone through the program, Schmidt says.
Feel the emotions
Nearly all experts agree the next step is to let yourself feel the feelings that come up. Chalquist says some people may question this, "'Just sitting in a room and talking about it is going to help?' Actually, yeah," he says.
Schmidt and Lewis-Reau agree, adding that processing feelings also helps people work through past trauma, so they are better ready to deal with the worsening impacts of climate change. For instance, if someone needed to evacuate due to a fire, processing that can free you from the "extra weights that are tethering you from being [a] nimble actor."
This can be done individually or in a group — though right now, you'd want to seek out an online meeting.
Schmidt and Lewis-Reau have practiced guiding others to get in touch with their own feelings, which they say is not easy. "I've seen this sort of feelings-resistance manifest," Lewis-Reau says, "almost a sense of feelings illiteracy."
Connect with your body — and nature
One way to help tap into your feelings is to connect to your physical body, say Schmidt and Lewis-Reau.
Lewis-Reau worries this may come off as too "hippie" sounding, but she says it's essential for people to be in touch with their own bodies. "We live in this no pain, no gain, work at all costs culture until a lot of people have disconnected from their bodies to survive," she says.
To reignite that connection, dive into any form of exercise that you enjoy, like walking, running, yoga or swimming. Lewis-Reau says she finds dancing to be particularly effective in connecting with her emotions. Schmidt suggests meditation or relaxation practices like a body scan meditation.
"Body movement is essential because our feelings tend to get locked up in our body causing tension," Schmidt says. Exercising releases endorphins that help relieve stress, she says, and "these activities also keep us in the present moment."
Another way to tune in is to connect with nature, says environmental psychologist Renee Lertzman. Getting out in nature is both calming and "reminds me of why we're doing this. And I'm just continually amazed by how incredible life is," she says.
Connect with climate community
This could happen on a one-on-one level, like through talking to a counselor. Therapists report an uptick in clients with concerns about the environment and the changing climate. They even have guides and groups to help them help clients.
This could also happen on a communal level, even online. "It can be just rounding up some friends who have the same fears and talking it through with them," psychologist Craig Chalquist explains. The group can also take a more formal shape, through organizations like The Good Grief Network. The feelings can feel isolating, so a space to share them is crucial for many.
For some, processing their anxiety and sadness can take the form of group grief. Psychologist Francis Weller says processing grief together is not actually sad. Instead, it allows people to open their hearts and feel more alive. Like a funeral for a human who has passed away, people have gathered in places like Iceland and Switzerland to memorialize glaciers. Though such gatherings aren't possible presently with social distancing guidelines, it's something to consider organizing in the future.
Gain perspective — and courage — from the past
Climate writer Mary Annaïse Heglar and Michigan State University professor Kyle Whyte point to the past for inspiration.
Heglar writes that her family members survived slavery and the Jim Crow south. "Black people of the not-too-distant past trembled for every baby born into that world. Sound familiar?" she writes.
She draws inspiration from how her family faced their own existential threat in America: with courage.
"I want you to understand how overwhelming, how insurmountable it must have felt," she writes. "You don't fight something like that because you think you will win. You fight it because you have to. Because surrendering dooms so much more than yourself, but everything that comes after you."
Kyle Whyte is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, a tribe that was forced from their native land in the Great Lakes in the midwest to the Great Plains of Oklahoma today.
He sees parallels between that complete shift in environment with the changes occurring today.
"What we've really learned," Whyte says, is "that it's not just what you know about the environment, but it's what you know about how to keep a cohesive community."
Whyte says a big part of this is having "reverence for knowledge-holders in our communities, whether it's elderly people, whether it's people of diverse genders, whether it's children."
(Re)engage in the work
Once people process some emotions (and therapists say this work is ongoing), "then they fairly quickly move from that phase into 'what can I do,'" says Chalquist.
That work, experts agree, is entirely up to the individual.
"We're really careful not to prescribe action," says Schmidt of The Good Grief Network. "It's actually really powerful if we can empower individuals to find their own unique action."
Schmidt and Lewis-Reau say that doesn't have to be traditional activism — it could simply be to focus on what you're good at, and plug in that way.
For writer Mary Annaïse Heglar, her action takes the form of writing essays. The blog she started with the intention of processing her own climate grief is now cited in several mainstream publications.
Whatever form getting active takes, experts recommend working in groups, even if that means, right now, coming together through video calls. Other people make the battle feel more doable.
We've all experienced that these past few months, as people across the world have come together to fight a largely invisible challenge. Perhaps this pandemic will help shape how we address another often invisible and far more existential threat.
Confronting global warming "requires a cultural shift, a paradigm shift," says LaUra Schmidt. To make such a transition, she says, "it's absolutely essential that we have a community backing us."


npr--2020-04-23--Blamed For Coronavirus Outbreak, Muslims In India Come Under Attack

Blamed For Coronavirus Outbreak , Muslims In India Come Under Attack Cowering in the grass , a young Muslim man begs for his life .
He 's shaking .
His hands and face are bloody .
His attackers beat him and threaten to douse him with fuel and set him on fire .
They accuse him of intentionally trying to spread the coronavirus .
The victim , identified later by authorities and neighbors as 22-year-old Mehboob Ali , was on his way home from a Muslim missionary conference in central India , when he came under attack April 5 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ northwest edge of India 's capital .
Ali managed to escape , and was treated at a local hospital .
The assault , video of which has been shared widely in India on social media , is part of a wave of violence against Indian Muslims in recent weeks .
The country 's biggest religious minority , Muslims number nearly 200 million in Hindu-majority India , and have long faced abuse and violence , particularly under the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi .
The coronavirus crisis appears to have exacerbated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is affiliated with , Tablighi Jamaat , was criticized for holding another conference in New Delhi , which turned into one of India 's biggest coronavirus hot spots .
But even Muslims unaffiliated with the group say they have faced increased discrimination , harassment and attacks .
The violence has been fueled , victims and observers say , by right-wing Hindu nationalist TV channels , misinformation on social media and statements from ruling party politicians .
In early March , Tablighi Jamaat — an Islamic movement with tens of millions of followers worldwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headquarters , in violation of social distancing rules .
Authorities believe attendees caught COVID-19 there , and then returned home , spreading the virus across India .
While testing is not widespread , the Health Ministry has said about 30 % of India 's total COVID-19 cases have been traced to people who attended the event .
Tens of thousands of people who came in contact with them have been quarantined .
On April 16 , India charged one of the movement 's leaders , Muhammad Saad Kandhalvi , with culpable homicide .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 years in prison .
Kandhalvi remains in hiding , but his spokesman Musharraf Ali Khan issued a video statement urging followers to cooperate with police .
`` Turn yourself in if you 've spent time at any Jamaat events , '' he said .
`` Cooperate with police , who are trying to contact-trace you .
There 's no need to hide or misbehave . ''
His plea came amid reports of Jamaat members behaving badly .
At a quarantine facility in Delhi , they reportedly spat on doctors .
In neighboring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments and dropped their pants in front of female nurses .
A hospital in the same state reportedly removed female staffers from duty , after Jamaat members allegedly `` misbehaved '' with them .
Some such reports have turned out to be untrue .
But anger has nevertheless exploded across India .
`` These are dangerous people , these lockdown cheats ! ''
Arnab Goswami , a news anchor on India 's popular Republic TV , shouted in a March 31 broadcast .
`` They have compromised us all ! ''
One official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jamaat members should be shot .
Another , however , issued a warning .
`` Nobody should speak a word against Muslims , '' Karnataka 's chief minister , B.S .
Yediyurappa , told local TV .
`` If anyone blames the entire Muslim community for some isolated incident , I 'll take action against them . ''
On Sunday , after the Organization of Islamic Cooperation expressed `` deep concern '' over what it called `` Islamophobia within political and media circles '' in India , Modi tweeted a plea for `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not see race , religion , colour , caste , creed , language or borders before striking , '' the prime minister wrote .
`` We are in this together . ''
Various other religious events , including a Hindu chariot-pulling festival , have been held across India in violation of lockdown rules .
But none has garnered as much public outrage as Jamaat 's Delhi conference .
The # CoronaJihad hashtag is trending on Twitter in India , implying Muslims are using the virus as a form of Islamic `` holy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by videos purportedly showing Muslims spitting on food and sneezing .
`` The right wing has found all these old videos , and is circulating them to insinuate that Indian Muslims are knowingly spreading coronavirus and that it is equivalent to terrorist activity , '' explains Pratik Sinha , co-founder of AltNews , an Indian website that debunks fake news .
Sinha has been investigating such videos and says most of them are misleading .
For example , a video recorded in July 2018 — before the coronavirus outbreak — depicts Muslims licking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sect of Muslims called the Bohra Muslims , and they have this extreme practice where they believe no food should be wasted , '' Sinha told NPR .
`` So a bunch of young boys were licking all the plates and spoons after some event — and that went viral , claiming these are Muslims trying to spread coronavirus . ''
Muslim vendors have since been blocked from selling food , and beaten up .
A cancer hospital was forced to apologize after refusing to admit Muslims unless they undergo a coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bengaluru , Muslim volunteers came under attack with cricket bats when they distributed food to the poor .
A member of that volunteer group , Zia Nomani , told NPR that men approached him at a charity food drive and identified themselves as members of the RSS — the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — a Hindu group with close ties to India 's government .
They singled him out as a Muslim , because of his clothes .
`` They saw me wearing a [ Muslim style of ] kurta [ tunic ] , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be taught a lesson and all , and it 's time you leave from here , '' Nomani , 28 , recalls .
Another volunteer recorded the confrontation on his cellphone , and Nomani tweeted footage .
He left before the argument could turn violent .
At an April 9 briefing , Vikas Swarup , an Indian government official , denied there have been any retaliatory attacks against Muslims amid contact-tracing of Jamaat attendees .
`` I do not think this has anything to do with a particular community , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It has to do with contagion that has been spread as a result of an irresponsible gathering . ''
NPR producer Sushmita Pathak contributed to this report from Mumbai .

Blamed For Coronavirus Outbreak, Muslims In India Come Under Attack
Enlarge this image toggle caption Yawar Nazir/Getty Images Yawar Nazir/Getty Images
Cowering in the grass, a young Muslim man begs for his life.
He's shaking. His hands and face are bloody. His attackers beat him and threaten to douse him with fuel and set him on fire. They accuse him of intentionally trying to spread the coronavirus.
The man, identified later by authorities and neighbors as 22-year-old Mehboob Ali, was on his way home from a Muslim missionary conference in central India when he came under attack April 5 in his village of Harewali, on the northwest edge of India's capital. Ali managed to escape and was treated at a local hospital.
The assault, video of which has been shared widely in India on social media, is part of a wave of violence against Indian Muslims in recent weeks. The country's biggest religious minority, Muslims number nearly 200 million in Hindu-majority India. They have long faced abuse and violence, particularly under the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The coronavirus crisis appears to have exacerbated that. The Muslim missionary group Ali is affiliated with, Tablighi Jamaat, was criticized for holding another conference in New Delhi, which turned into one of India's biggest coronavirus hot spots. But even Muslims unaffiliated with the group say they have faced increased discrimination, harassment and attacks. The violence has been fueled, victims and observers say, by right-wing Hindu nationalist TV channels, misinformation on social media and statements from ruling party politicians.
In early March, Tablighi Jamaat — an Islamic movement with tens of millions of followers worldwide — held a conference at its Delhi headquarters in violation of social distancing rules. Authorities believe attendees caught COVID-19 there and then returned home, spreading the virus across India. While testing is not widespread, the Health Ministry has said about 30% of India's total COVID-19 cases have been traced to people who attended the event. Tens of thousands of people who came in contact with them have been quarantined.
On April 16, India charged one of the movement's leaders, Muhammad Saad Kandhalvi, with culpable homicide. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison. Kandhalvi remains in hiding, but his spokesman Musharraf Ali Khan issued a video statement urging followers to cooperate with police.
"Turn yourself in if you've spent time at any Jamaat events," he said. "Cooperate with police, who are trying to contact-trace you. There's no need to hide or misbehave."
His plea came amid reports of Jamaat members behaving badly. At a quarantine facility in Delhi, they reportedly spat on doctors. In neighboring Uttar Pradesh, they allegedly made inappropriate comments and dropped their pants in front of female nurses. A hospital in the same state reportedly removed female staffers from duty after Jamaat members allegedly "misbehaved" with them.
Some such reports have turned out to be untrue. But anger has nevertheless exploded across India.
"These are dangerous people, these lockdown cheats!" Arnab Goswami, a news anchor on India's popular Republic TV, shouted in a March 31 broadcast. "They have compromised us all!"
One official from Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party suggested that Jamaat members should be shot. Another, however, issued a warning.
"Nobody should speak a word against Muslims," Karnataka's chief minister, B.S. Yediyurappa, told local TV. "If anyone blames the entire Muslim community for some isolated incident, I'll take action against them."
On Sunday, after the Organization of Islamic Cooperation expressed "deep concern" over what it called "Islamophobia within political and media circles" in India, Modi tweeted a plea for "unity and brotherhood."
"COVID-19 does not see race, religion, colour, caste, creed, language or borders before striking," the prime minister wrote. "We are in this together."
Various other religious events, including a Hindu chariot-pulling festival, have been held across India in violation of lockdown rules. But none has garnered as much public outrage as Jamaat's Delhi conference.
The #CoronaJihad hashtag is trending on Twitter in India, implying Muslims are using the virus as a form of Islamic "holy war." It's often accompanied by videos purportedly showing Muslims spitting on food and sneezing.
"The right wing has found all these old videos and is circulating them to insinuate that Indian Muslims are knowingly spreading coronavirus and that it is equivalent to terrorist activity," explains Pratik Sinha, co-founder of AltNews, an Indian website that debunks fake news.
Sinha has been investigating such videos and says most of them are misleading.
For example, a video recorded in July 2018 — before the coronavirus outbreak — depicts Muslims licking plates and utensils.
"There's a sect of Muslims called the Bohra Muslims, and they have this extreme practice where they believe no food should be wasted," Sinha told NPR. "So a bunch of young boys were licking all the plates and spoons after some event — and that went viral, claiming these are Muslims trying to spread coronavirus."
Muslim vendors have since been blocked from selling food, and beaten up. A cancer hospital was forced to apologize after refusing to admit Muslims unless they undergo a coronavirus test. In the southern city of Bengaluru, Muslim volunteers came under attack with cricket bats when they distributed food to the poor.
A member of that volunteer group, Zia Nomani, told NPR that men approached him at a charity food drive and identified themselves as members of the RSS — the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — a Hindu group with close ties to India's government. They singled him out as a Muslim because of his clothes.
"They saw me wearing a [Muslim style of] kurta [tunic], and they started saying that we should be taught a lesson and all, and it's time you leave from here," Nomani, 28, recalls.
Another volunteer recorded the confrontation on his cellphone, and Nomani tweeted footage. He left before the argument could turn violent.
At an April 9 briefing, Vikas Swarup, an Indian government official, denied there have been any retaliatory attacks against Muslims amid contact tracing of Jamaat attendees.
"I do not think this has anything to do with a particular community," he told international reporters via video. "It has to do with contagion that has been spread as a result of an irresponsible gathering."
NPR producer Sushmita Pathak contributed to this report from Mumbai.


npr--2020-04-23--Virus Researchers Cast Doubt On Theory Of Coronavirus Lab Accident

Virus researchers say that there is virtually no chance that the new coronavirus was released as result of a laboratory accident in China or anywhere else .
The assessment , made by over half-a-dozen scientists familiar with lab accidents and how research on coronaviruses is conducted , casts doubt on recent claims that a mistake may have unleashed the coronavirus on the world .
The accident theory has been prominently advanced by the Trump Administration in recent weeks .
Earlier this month , a set of State Department cables leaked to the Washington Post pointed to U.S. safety concerns at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus emerged .
Intelligence agencies are currently assessing the possibility of an accident , and last Wednesday , President Trump promised `` a very thorough examination '' of events .
`` I will tell you , more and more , we 're hearing the story , '' Trump said on April 15 of the theory that the virus came from labs in Wuhan .
But after corresponding with ten leading scientists who collect samples of viruses from animals in the wild , study virus genomes and understand how lab accidents can happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have required a remarkable series of coincidences and deviations from well-established experimental protocols .
`` All of the evidence points to this not being a laboratory accident , '' says Jonna Mazet , a professor of epidemiology at the University of California at Davis and director of a global project to watch for emerging viruses called PREDICT .
Rather , the experts interviewed by NPR all believe that the virus was transmitted between animals and humans in nature , as has happened in previous outbreaks — from Ebola to the Marburg virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SARS and MERS .
`` The real risk is in the wild in the way people interact with wildlife around the world , '' says Peter Daszak , president of EcoHealth Alliance in New York City , a group that researches the origins of pandemics .
`` That 's where we need to be focused if we want to really do something about preventing the next pandemic '' Many questions remain about how , exactly , the coronavirus known officially as SARS-CoV-2 began to spread in people .
Its closest genetic cousin so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Horseshoe bats .
Researchers believe SARS-CoV-2 likely made its way to people directly through bats or through an intermediate animal .
Early focus on the source of the outbreak in Wuhan was on a major seafood market that also sold wild animals , though conclusive evidence proving the market was the origin of the virus has yet to emerge .
Regardless , genetic analysis shows the virus began to spread sometime in the fall or winter of 2019 , says Robert Garry , a microbiologist at Tulane University .
Those same analyses refuted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genetically engineered in a laboratory .
Garry says the reason is simple — the virus infects people in a way that scientists had never seen before : `` The virus is just really too good at what it 's doing , '' he says .
`` No human using a computer could do this .
This is very clearly a natural process that occurred . ''
In addition , he says , there are no signs of human genetic modification in the virus 's code .
Although the exact route from nature to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the likely reservoir for the virus , says Simon Anthony , a researcher at Columbia University who specializes in emerging infectious diseases .
Bats are believed to be the carriers of two other coronavirus diseases that can infect people : SARS , which was first identified in Asia in 2003 , and MERS , which was first reported in the Middle East in 2012 .
Research by Anthony and Mazet has found that bats likely carry many thousands of other unique coronaviruses .
But the viruses wo n't always cause disease in people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first coincidence that would be needed for SARS-CoV-2 to come out of a laboratory : Scientists would have to find it in nature first .
`` Most of the viruses [ carried by bats ] actually probably do n't even have the capacity to infect humans , '' says Anthony .
So scientists collecting field samples would , in some sense , have to win the lottery to collect a coronavirus that happens to be highly transmissible in humans .
Even if researchers stumbled across the virus , they would be very unlikely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ samples , they take extraordinary precautions to avoid infecting themselves in the field , says Mazet .
Scientists working with wild bats wear N95 respirator masks , Tyvek suits , goggles and gloves .
Samples of bat blood , urine , saliva and feces are immediately plunged into nitrogen to freeze them on the spot , Mazet says .
Lowering the odds further still , when researchers begin to work in the lab to see what they 've collected , the samples they handle are n't actually infectious .
Mazet says they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that breaks apart the virus itself while preserving its genetic material for study .
`` We basically deactivate or kill the virus before we work with it to limit the possibility of accidents , '' she says .
`` And then we work inside biosafety cabinets even on top of that . ''
These protocols are used by scientists all over the world , including in China .
Mazet says that the staff at the Wuhan Institute of Virology , where much of the suspicion has been focused , has been trained by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program .
Scientists working there follow the rules , Mazet says .
Mazet says researchers at the Wuhan institute were so good , they actually helped to shape the protocols .
`` They were not only completing all of those trainings , but they were also weighing in and helping us to make those trainings very strong from a safety perspective , '' she says .
While they inactivate the sample they work on , researchers also keep a live sample on ice as a reference , Mazet says , but it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if scientists did try to revive the live sample to perhaps study its behavior , she adds , the process of isolating the virus and amplifying it after a stint in deep freeze rarely works .
`` It 's just so difficult , '' she says .
U.S. scientists do n't even bother trying , opting instead to use powerful computer tools to conduct research instead .
Now it is possible for viruses to escape from a laboratory by infecting a worker .
In the early 2000s , there were three documented cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a laboratory environment , according to Lim Poh Lian , a senior consultant at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases in Singapore .
But the circumstances surrounding those escapes were vastly different .
In the case of a 2003 incident in Singapore , a student became infected with SARS after his samples were cross-contaminated with live virus .
That virus was being grown in relatively large quantities in the lab for studies on the disease , and the student was not properly trained in safety procedures for the lab he was working in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lab accident is the cause of the current outbreak : `` While there is always some risk for lab accidents , risk is not reality , '' she wrote NPR in an e-mail .
`` The origin of COVID-19 is consistent with other natural zoonotic crossover events , without invoking lab accidents.
`` Rather than a laboratory misstep , researchers believe that this new coronavirus reached humans in the same way that other coronaviruses have : through `` zoonotic spillover '' or humans picking up pathogens from wildlife .
The CDC estimates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in people come from animals , including diseases caused by coronaviruses .
Globally , zoonotic diseases have been on the rise for decades .
Human interactions with animals have created a perfect storm for increased zoonotic spillover .
`` As we change the landscape to suit our purposes , we come more and more into contact with viruses and other pathogens that we do n't have much exposure to , '' says Dr. Brian Bird , associate director of the OneHealth Institute at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and a former CDC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We 're building roads through most regions of the world .
We 're incrementally destroying the large landscapes that animals have to live in , '' says Raina Plowright , professor of epidemiology at Montana State University and principal investigator of the Bat OneHealth research group .
`` Zoonotic transmission '' or `` zoonotic spillover '' generally happens three ways : through excretion ( feces that comes into contact with humans ) , slaughter ( meat consumed by humans ) and vector-borne ( an animal biting a human ) .
But even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then overcome barriers within the human body , defeating the immune system , to successfully replicate and transmit between humans themselves .
There is not enough genetic evidence to know how this particular `` zoonotic spillover '' took place , but it 's clear that natural spillovers happen in many countries , including China .
A small survey by the EcoHealth Alliance of rural villages in Yunnan province found that nearly 3 % of individuals surveyed had antibodies to coronaviruses similar to SARS which Daszak says strongly suggests they had been exposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposure in that region are quite high , due to a mixed landscape with both abundant wildlife and crops , which attracts wild animals into communities .
Daszak says he believes that 's just the tip of the iceberg .
`` We 're finding 1 to 7 million people exposed to these viruses every year in Southeast Asia , that 's the pathway .
It 's just so obvious to all of us working in the field , '' he says .
Despite the evidence , misinformation about the virus 's origins continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's worked on other outbreaks , the pattern is all too familiar : `` Every time we get a new virus emerging , we have people that say , 'This could have come from a lab , ' '' he says .
What 's unusual about this outbreak , he says , is that senior officials in both China and the U.S. have traded accusations that each nation is somehow responsible for the virus .
`` It 's a real shame that the conspiracy theories can get to the level they 've got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The political heat has strained the very scientific collaborations meant to detect these viruses as they emerge , warns Jonna Mazet .
The PREDICT system she runs relies on the voluntary cooperation of many countries , with researchers freely sharing data about viruses they 're spotting within their borders .
`` With this sort of blame game that 's going on , we put ourselves at much more risk . ''
Daszak says he believes the time for finger pointing is over : `` We have a bat virus in my neighborhood in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
`` Let 's get real about this . ''

Virus Researchers Cast Doubt On Theory Of Coronavirus Lab Accident
Enlarge this image toggle caption Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images
Virus researchers say there is virtually no chance that the new coronavirus was released as result of a laboratory accident in China or anywhere else.
The assessment, made by more than half-a-dozen scientists familiar with lab accidents and how research on coronaviruses is conducted, casts doubt on recent claims that a mistake may have unleashed the coronavirus on the world.
The accident theory has been advanced by the Trump administration in recent weeks. Earlier this month, a set of State Department cables leaked to The Washington Post pointed to U.S. safety concerns at labs in Wuhan, the city where the virus emerged. Intelligence agencies are currently assessing the possibility of an accident, and last Wednesday, President Trump promised "a very thorough examination" of events.
"I will tell you, more and more, we're hearing the story," Trump said on April 15 of the theory that the virus came from labs in Wuhan.
But after corresponding with 10 leading scientists who collect samples of viruses from animals in the wild, study virus genomes and understand how lab accidents can happen, NPR found that an accidental release would have required a remarkable series of coincidences and deviations from well-established experimental protocols.
"All of the evidence points to this not being a laboratory accident," says Jonna Mazet, a professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Davis and director of a global project to watch for emerging viruses called PREDICT.
Rather, the experts interviewed by NPR all believe that the virus was transmitted between animals and humans in nature, as has happened in previous outbreaks — from Ebola to the Marburg virus — and with other known coronaviruses such as SARS and MERS.
"The real risk is in the wild in the way people interact with wildlife around the world," says Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance in New York City, a group that researches the origins of pandemics. "That's where we need to be focused if we want to really do something about preventing the next pandemic."
An unlikely path
Many questions remain about how, exactly, the coronavirus known officially as SARS-CoV-2 began to spread in people. Its closest genetic cousin so far is another coronavirus found in Chinese horseshoe bats. Researchers believe SARS-CoV-2 likely made its way to people directly through bats or through an intermediate animal. Early focus on the source of the outbreak in Wuhan was on a major seafood market that also sold wild animals, though conclusive evidence proving the market was the origin of the virus has yet to emerge.
Regardless, genetic analysis shows the virus began to spread sometime in the fall or winter of 2019, says Robert Garry, a microbiologist at Tulane University. Those same analyses refuted an earlier theory that the virus was genetically engineered in a laboratory. Garry says the reason is simple — the virus infects people in a way that scientists had never seen before: "The virus is just really too good at what it's doing," he says. "No human using a computer could do this. This is very clearly a natural process that occurred." In addition, he says, there are no signs of human genetic modification in the virus's code.
Although the exact route from nature to people remains a mystery, bats are the likely reservoir for the virus, says Simon Anthony, a researcher at Columbia University who specializes in emerging infectious diseases. Bats are believed to be the carriers of two other coronavirus diseases that can infect people: SARS, which was first identified in Asia in 2003, and MERS, which was first reported in the Middle East in 2012.
toggle caption Hiro Komae/AP
Research by Anthony and Mazet has found that bats likely carry many thousands of other unique coronaviruses. But the viruses won't always cause disease in people, Anthony says.
That raises the first coincidence that would be needed for SARS-CoV-2 to come out of a laboratory: Scientists would have to find it in nature first. "Most of the viruses [carried by bats] actually probably don't even have the capacity to infect humans," says Anthony. So scientists collecting field samples would, in some sense, have to win the lottery to collect a coronavirus that happens to be highly transmissible in humans.
Even if researchers stumbled across the virus, they would be very unlikely to get infected. When researchers collect samples, they take extraordinary precautions to avoid infecting themselves in the field, says Mazet. Scientists working with wild bats wear N95 respirator masks, Tyvek suits, goggles and gloves. Samples of bat blood, urine, saliva and feces are immediately plunged into nitrogen to freeze them on the spot, Mazet says.
Lowering the odds further still, when researchers begin to work in the lab to see what they've collected, the samples they handle aren't actually infectious. Mazet says they are "inactivated," a chemical process that breaks apart the virus itself while preserving its genetic material for study.
"We basically deactivate or kill the virus before we work with it to limit the possibility of accidents," she says. "And then we work inside biosafety cabinets even on top of that."
These protocols are used by scientists all over the world, including in China. Mazet says that the staff at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where much of the suspicion has been focused, has been trained by U.S. scientists as part of the PREDICT program. Scientists working there follow the rules, Mazet says.
Mazet says researchers at the Wuhan institute were so good, they actually helped to shape the protocols. "They were not only completing all of those trainings, but they were also weighing in and helping us to make those trainings very strong from a safety perspective," she says.
While they inactivate the sample they work on, researchers also keep a live sample on ice as a reference, Mazet says, but it's almost never used for study. Even if scientists did try to revive the live sample to perhaps study its behavior, she adds, the process of isolating the virus and amplifying it after a stint in deep freeze rarely works. "It's just so difficult," she says. U.S. scientists don't even bother trying, opting instead to use powerful computer tools to conduct research instead.
Now it is possible for viruses to escape from a laboratory by infecting a worker. In the early 2000s, there were three documented cases of the original SARS virus escaping from a laboratory environment, according to Lim Poh Lian, a senior consultant at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases in Singapore. But the circumstances surrounding those escapes were vastly different.
In the case of a 2003 incident in Singapore, a student became infected with SARS after his samples of West Nile virus were cross-contaminated with live SARS virus. That virus was being grown in relatively large quantities in the lab for studies on the disease, and the student was not properly trained in safety procedures for the lab he was working in.
Lim says she does not believe a lab accident is the cause of the current outbreak: "While there is always some risk for lab accidents, risk is not reality," she told NPR in an email. "The origin of COVID-19 is consistent with other natural zoonotic crossover events, without invoking lab accidents. "
Natural spillover an "existential threat"
Rather than a laboratory misstep, researchers believe that this new coronavirus reached humans in the same way that other coronaviruses have: through "zoonotic spillover," or humans picking up pathogens from wildlife.
The CDC estimates that 6 out of 10 infectious diseases in people come from animals, including diseases caused by coronaviruses. Globally, zoonotic diseases have been on the rise for decades. Human interactions with animals have created a perfect storm for increased zoonotic spillover.
"As we change the landscape to suit our purposes, we come more and more into contact with viruses and other pathogens that we don't have much exposure to," says Dr. Brian Bird, associate director of the OneHealth Institute at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and a former CDC scientist.
"We're fragmenting habitats. We're building roads through most regions of the world. We're incrementally destroying the large landscapes that animals have to live in," says Raina Plowright, professor of epidemiology at Montana State University and principal investigator of the Bat OneHealth research group.
"Zoonotic transmission" or "zoonotic spillover" generally happens three ways: through excretion (feces that comes into contact with humans), slaughter (meat consumed by humans) and vector-borne (an animal biting a human). But even under these circumstances, the virus must then overcome barriers within the human body, defeating the immune system, to successfully replicate and transmit between humans themselves.
There is not enough genetic evidence to know how this particular "zoonotic spillover" took place, but it's clear that natural spillovers happen in many countries, including China. A small survey by the EcoHealth Alliance of rural villages in Yunnan province found that nearly 3% of individuals surveyed had antibodies to coronaviruses similar to SARS, which Daszak says strongly suggests they had been exposed to other coronaviruses. The risks of virus exposure in that region are quite high because of a mixed landscape with both abundant wildlife and crops, which attracts wild animals into communities.
toggle caption EcoHealth Alliance
Daszak says he believes that's just the tip of the iceberg.
"We're finding 1 to 7 million people exposed to these viruses every year in Southeast Asia; that's the pathway. It's just so obvious to all of us working in the field," he says.
No conspiracy theories
Despite the evidence, misinformation about the virus's origins continue to proliferate. For Daszak, who has worked on other outbreaks, the pattern is all too familiar: "Every time we get a new virus emerging, we have people that say, 'This could have come from a lab,' " he says.
What's unusual about this outbreak, he says, is that senior officials in both China and the U.S. have traded accusations that each nation is somehow responsible for the virus.
"It's a real shame that the conspiracy theories can get to the level they've got with policymakers," he says.
The political heat has strained the very scientific collaborations meant to detect these viruses as they emerge, warns Jonna Mazet. The PREDICT system she runs relies on the voluntary cooperation of many countries, with researchers freely sharing data about viruses they're spotting within their borders. "With this sort of blame game that's going on, we put ourselves at much more risk."
Daszak says the time for finger-pointing is over. "We have a bat virus in my neighborhood in New York killing people," he says. "Let's get real about this."