npr--2020-07-11--A Powerful Chief And Unexpected Splits: 6 Takeaways From The Supreme Court Term

A Powerful Chief And Unexpected Splits : 6 Takeaways From The Supreme Court Term A momentous Supreme Court term is over .
The last strokes of the pen were devoted to repudiating President Trump 's claim that he is categorically immune from state grand jury and congressional subpoenas .
But the term also featured just about every flashpoint in American law — including abortion , religion , immigration and much more .
Here are six takeaways : 1 .
John Roberts may be the most powerful chief justice since the 1930s .
He is the first justice since then to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief justice .
That means that when he is in the majority , he has the important power to assign who will write an opinion , and that choice may well determine whether the decision is written broadly or narrowly .
This term , Roberts was in the majority an astounding 97 % of the time ; he assigned the opinion in all but two cases .
2 .
Probably the most historic opinions he wrote were those rejecting President Trump 's claim that he is categorically immune from state grand jury and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But in an election year , Roberts also wrote a variety of decisions that for now will likely keep the court out of the political maelstrom .
His signature immigration decision prevented Trump from immediately getting rid of the program that offers protections for people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children , known as `` DREAMers . ''
But it left ample room for conservative actions down the road .
Roberts also cast the deciding vote in a major abortion case that preserved the status quo , for now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court to chip away at abortion rights in the future .
And he likely wrote the court 's unsigned opinion , dismissing as moot the first major gun rights case heard by the court in a decade .
That too leaves room for gun rights proponents to come back attacking gun regulations in the future .
3 .
Religion is the one area where social conservative won consistent victories this term .
In three separate decisions , the court made clear that the high wall of separation between church and state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 20th century , is now a relic of the past .
It has been replaced by a heavy emphasis on the free exercise of religion and an accommodation between church and state .
Roberts wrote the court 's 5-to-4 decision gutting provisions is most state constitutions than have long barred using taxpayer funds for religious schools .
In another case , the court ruled that under the Constitution , lay teachers at parochial schools may not be protected by the nation 's fair employment laws .
And in a third case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Care Act , employers with religious or moral objections may opt out of providing free birth control coverage in their employee insurance plans .
4 .
While conservatives have a clear five-justice majority , they ca n't seem to work together .
Perhaps for reasons of either ego or frustration , conservatives wrote way more separate concurring and dissenting opinions — a total of 60 — compared to the liberals , who wrote far fewer concurring opinions and almost always dissented as a group .
The liberals seem to know they are playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fifth vote to prevail , they do n't go off on their own in a way that could diminish their impact .
The four most conservative justices write many more separate opinions and are much more long-winded — their separate opinions total 734 pages .
When you drill down to the 20 cases that were decided by 5-to-4 or 6-to-3 votes , the numbers are even starker .
Conservatives wrote 14 of 17 concurring opinions , meaning that they signed on to the outcome of the ruling but not on to all — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind it .
And they wrote eight of the nine solo dissents and eight of the 11 solo concurrences , writing for themselves alone .
The only time Chief Justice Roberts wrote a concurring opinion for himself alone was in the abortion case , presenting a Louisiana law identical a Texas law struck down four years ago .
Roberts , who dissented from the Texas decision , nonetheless cast the deciding fifth vote to invalidate the same law from Louisiana , citing the duty to adhere to precedent .
But he did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in fact seemed to invite future cases that could undermine abortion rights .
5 .
Of the two Trump appointees to the court , Neil Gorsuch has been at once the most predictable and unpredictable this term .
Predictable because in most cases he has turned out to be every bit as conservative as his political supporters hoped , and liberal detractors feared .
But in two major majority opinions that he wrote , he completely defied early predictions .
The most headline-grabbing was his decision for a six-justice majority declaring that LGBTQ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barring employment discrimination based on sex .
In another decision , on Thursday , he delivered to Native Americans their first major Supreme Court victory in many decades .
Writing for himself and the court 's four liberals , Gorsuch declared that much of eastern Oklahoma , including the state 's second largest city of Tulsa , falls within Indian lands belonging to the Creek Nation .
Gorsuch 's decision invoked the mistreatment and broken promises inflicted on Native American tribes over the course of U.S. history , and concluded that the land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Creek Nation because Congress never revoked the treaties under which the land was designated as , in the words of the opinion , `` Indian Country . ''
To hold otherwise , wrote Gorsuch , would `` elevate the most brazen and longstanding injustices ... rewarding wrong and failing those in the right . ''
Although the decision could have major consequences , state and tribal officials immediately said that they could reach an amicable compromise to resolve those issues .
That said , the fact is that the court 's ruling has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in negotiations that they have not had before .
6 .
Headline cases buried other personal court news .
On June 21 , Chief Justice Roberts fell while walking at a Maryland country club near his home , hitting his head hard enough to require stitches and an overnight stay in the hospital .
The court did not disclose the incident when it occurred , but confirmed it on July 7 , after the Washington Post first reported the incident .
Court press officer Kathy Arberg said in a statement , `` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on June 21 for an injury to his forehead sustained in a fall while walking for exercise near his home .
The injury required sutures , and out of an abundance of caution , he stayed in the hospital overnight and was discharged the next morning . ''
Arberg said doctors had had ruled out a seizure ( he suffered a seizure in 1993 and another one in 2007 ) .
She said doctors believe the fall last month `` was likely due to light-headedness caused by dehydration . ''
On a different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative activist and wife of Justice Clarence Thomas , wrote to protest an overhead banner on Main Street in the tiny town of Clifton , Va. , population 300 .
The banner reads , `` Welcome to Clifton , where Black Lives Matter . ''
Thomas is white ; her husband is the Supreme Court 's only black justice .
`` BLM is a bit of a dangerous Trojan Horse and they are catching well-meaning people into the dangerous posturing that can invite mob rule and property looting , '' Ginni Thomas wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Let 's not be tricked into joining cause with radical extremists seeking to foment a cultural revolution because they hate America . ''

A Powerful Chief And Unexpected Splits: 6 Takeaways From The Supreme Court Term
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images
A momentous Supreme Court term is over. The last strokes of the pen were devoted to repudiating President Trump's claim that he is categorically immune from state grand jury and congressional subpoenas.
But the term also featured just about every flashpoint in American law — including abortion, religion, immigration and much more.
Here are six takeaways:
1. John Roberts may be the most powerful chief justice since the 1930s. He is the first justice since then to be both the controlling vote and the chief justice. That means that when he is in the majority, he has the important power to assign who will write an opinion, and that choice may well determine whether the decision is written broadly or narrowly. This term, Roberts was in the majority an astounding 97% of the time; he assigned the opinion in all but two cases.
2. Probably the most historic opinions he wrote were those rejecting Trump's claim that he is categorically immune from state grand jury and congressional subpoenas for his pre-presidential financial records.
But in an election year, Roberts also wrote a variety of decisions that for now will likely keep the court out of the political maelstrom. His signature immigration decision prevented Trump from immediately getting rid of the program that offers protections for people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, known as "DREAMers." But it left ample room for conservative actions down the road.
Roberts also cast the deciding vote in a major abortion case that preserved the status quo, for now, but left plenty of leeway for the court to chip away at abortion rights in the future.
And he likely wrote the court's unsigned opinion, dismissing as moot the first major gun rights case heard by the court in a decade. That too leaves room for gun rights proponents to come back attacking gun regulations in the future.
3. Religion is the one area where social conservative won consistent victories this term. In three separate decisions, the court made clear that the high wall of separation between church and state, a doctrine that prevailed for much of the 20th century, is now a relic of the past. It has been replaced by a heavy emphasis on the free exercise of religion and an accommodation between church and state.
Roberts wrote the court's 5-to-4 decision gutting provisions in most state constitutions that have long barred using taxpayer funds for religious schools.
In another case, the court ruled that under the Constitution, lay teachers at parochial schools may not be protected by the nation's fair employment laws.
And in a third case, the court ruled that under the Affordable Care Act, employers with religious or moral objections may opt out of providing free birth control coverage in their employee insurance plans.
4. While conservatives have a clear five-justice majority, they can't seem to work together. Perhaps for reasons of either ego or frustration, conservatives wrote way more separate concurring and dissenting opinions — a total of 60 — compared to the liberals, who wrote far fewer concurring opinions and almost always dissented as a group.
The liberals seem to know they are playing defense. When they can get a fifth vote to prevail, they don't go off on their own in a way that could diminish their impact.
The four most conservative justices write many more separate opinions and are much more long-winded — their separate opinions total 734 pages.
When you drill down to the 20 cases that were decided by 5-to-4 or 6-to-3 votes, the numbers are even starker. Conservatives wrote 14 of 17 concurring opinions, meaning that they signed on to the outcome of the ruling but not on to all — or sometimes any — of the reasoning behind it. And they wrote eight of the nine solo dissents and eight of the 11 solo concurrences, writing for themselves alone.
The only time Chief Justice Roberts wrote a concurring opinion for himself alone was in the abortion case, presenting a Louisiana law identical a Texas law struck down four years ago.
Roberts, who dissented from the Texas decision, nonetheless cast the deciding fifth vote to invalidate the same law from Louisiana, citing the duty to adhere to precedent. But he did not join the liberals' reasoning, and in fact seemed to invite future cases that could undermine abortion rights.
5. Of the two Trump appointees to the court, Neil Gorsuch has been at once the most predictable and unpredictable this term. Predictable because in most cases he has turned out to be every bit as conservative as his political supporters hoped, and liberal detractors feared. But in two major majority opinions that he wrote, he completely defied early predictions.
The most headline-grabbing was his decision for a six-justice majority declaring that LGBTQ employees are protected by the 1964 law barring employment discrimination based on sex.
In another decision, on Thursday, he delivered to Native Americans their first major Supreme Court victory in many decades. Writing for himself and the court's four liberals, Gorsuch declared that much of eastern Oklahoma, including the state's second largest city of Tulsa, falls within Indian lands belonging to the Creek Nation.
Gorsuch's decision invoked the mistreatment and broken promises inflicted on Native American tribes over the course of U.S. history, and concluded that the land in eastern Oklahoma still belongs to the Creek Nation because Congress never revoked the treaties under which the land was designated as, in the words of the opinion, "Indian Country."
To hold otherwise, wrote Gorsuch, would "elevate the most brazen and longstanding injustices ... rewarding wrong and failing those in the right."
Although the decision could have major consequences, state and tribal officials immediately said that they could reach an amicable compromise to resolve those issues. That said, the fact is that the court's ruling has provided Native Americans the kind of leverage in negotiations that they have not had before.
6. Headline cases buried other personal court news. On June 21, Chief Justice Roberts fell while walking at a Maryland country club near his home, hitting his head hard enough to require stitches and an overnight stay in the hospital. The court did not disclose the incident when it occurred, but confirmed it on July 7, after the Washington Post first reported the incident.
Court press officer Kathy Arberg said in a statement, "The Chief Justice was treated at a hospital on June 21 for an injury to his forehead sustained in a fall while walking for exercise near his home. The injury required sutures, and out of an abundance of caution, he stayed in the hospital overnight and was discharged the next morning."
Arberg said doctors had had ruled out a seizure (he suffered a seizure in 1993 and another one in 2007). She said doctors believe the fall last month "was likely due to light-headedness caused by dehydration."
On a different note, Ginni Thomas, an outspoken conservative activist and wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, wrote to protest an overhead banner on Main Street in the tiny town of Clifton, Va., population 300. The banner reads, "Welcome to Clifton, where Black Lives Matter."
Thomas is white; her husband is the Supreme Court's only black justice. "BLM is a bit of a dangerous Trojan Horse and they are catching well-meaning people into the dangerous posturing that can invite mob rule and property looting," Ginni Thomas wrote, according to the Washington Post. "Let's not be tricked into joining cause with radical extremists seeking to foment a cultural revolution because they hate America."


npr--2020-07-11--Coronavirus FAQ: How Do I Protect Myself If The Coronavirus Can Linger In The Air?

Coronavirus FAQ : How Do I Protect Myself If The Coronavirus Can Linger In The Air ?
I 'm hearing a lot of talk about the coronavirus spreading through aerosols — is wearing a mask in a grocery store enough protection ?
What else should I do to stay safe ?
Quick answer first : Going to the grocery store where you and everyone else is wearing a mask and keeping a distance from each other is still considered a low-risk activity .
Go get your summer strawberries !
For background , aerosols are tiny microdroplets containing the virus that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breathe , and can stay aloft and travel on air currents .
It 's still unclear how much of a role they play in spreading the virus , but recently more than 200 scientists wrote an open letter asking the World Health Organization to pay more attention to them .
The agency still maintains that the greater risk of spread appears to be from droplets — larger particles , also expelled when we talk or breathe , which settle more quickly and are less likely to accumulate in the air .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 9 saying that airborne transmission might be contributing to spread in crowded , poorly-ventilated indoor spaces such as gyms , choir practice rooms , and nightclubs .
But how much transmission aerosolized particles are responsible for , versus droplets and contaminated surfaces , they ca n't say for sure .
`` What we are calling for is more systematic research to be done in these types of settings , '' said Maria Van Kerkhove , technical lead for WHO 's health emergencies program , at a press conference July 10 .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line : it 's impossible to rule out that some amount of transmission may be caused by aerosols .
If you want to err on the side of caution , here 's what some infectious disease researchers say can help minimize the risks : Face away from people when you talk : When you 're talking face-to-face with someone , you 're in direct line of the plumes of breath that comes out of their mouths when they speak .
`` If there 's any scenario where I 'm face-to-face , with someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'm no longer inhaling that direct plume , '' says Seema Lakdawala , a flu transmission researcher at the University of Pittsburgh .
One tip that helps her is to not make direct eye contact with people .
It can be awkward , she acknowledges , but `` it 's not just about protecting myself , but also about protecting other people , '' since it 's possible to shed the virus without knowing you 're infected .
Wear your mask properly : Wear a layered cloth mask in public spaces , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a setting where you ca n't socially distance .
Make sure it covers your nose and mouth .
This will catch many of the droplets that come out when you breathe or speak , and prevent them from getting into the air .
Ideally , to take precautions against tiny , aerosolized microdroplets , `` we should be masking everyone with better masks , '' says Abraar Karan , a physician at Harvard Medical School .
But the N95 masks that effectively filter most aerosol particles are in short supply and uncomfortable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which have similar protection ( but make sure your mask is n't counterfeit ) .
Make the indoors more like the outdoors : `` You limit aerosol transmission by increasing ventilation and increasing air circulation — by opening a window , putting on a fan and just moving the air , '' says Lakdawala , who keeps several fans running at all times in her lab and office space .
Moving air disperses the particles in the air , and makes it less likely that someone will breathe in a concentrated cloud of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectious disease aerobiologist at the University of Maryland , and lead author on the open letter about aerosols , also recommends cleaning indoor air , through air filtration and ultraviolet sanitizing light .
`` You would n't drink water downstream from another town without treating it .
But we breathe air from other people without treating it , '' he says .
Limit the amount of time you 're in close contact with people : The public health rule of thumb for what counts as an exposure is close contact with an infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so uncrowded grocery stores where everyone is masked and moving represents a relatively low-risk situation , both Lakdawala and Milton agree .
Hopefully , you 're not standing in one aisle for very long , but you 're going to shop efficiently , says Lakdawala , `` So even if there are fine aerosols that are getting released by somebody who is infected , they 're getting diluted out as these people move in air currents . ''
Indoor bars , restaurants and other situations where people are staying in one place for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or singing loudly , make Milton more wary .
`` I do n't know how to drink a beer with a surgical mask on , '' he says , `` And I would n't go sing at choir practice , OK ? ''
Keep a buffer of personal space : This is n't just important for the spray of droplets , it may also help when it comes to tiny airborne particles.If you are planning to sit and talk to a friend , keeping a distance of at least 6 feet creates more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We have a happy hour in our neighborhood where everybody brings our chairs , and we sit on someone 's lawn , '' says Lakdawala .
`` Everyone is spatially distanced , and we bring our own drinks and talk . ''
Maintaining a distance from others means there 's more ventilation and space for air to pass between you , says Lakdawala .
Each precaution adds another layer of safety from aerosolized particles , says Milton .
`` Wearing a mask means you 're putting less virus droplets into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the air ] .
Keeping distances means there 's less of it near you .
And having good ventilation or air sanitation means what 's in the air is getting removed .
All of those things add up to giving you good protection . ''

Coronavirus FAQ: How Do I Protect Myself If The Coronavirus Can Linger In The Air?
Enlarge this image Malaka Gharib/ NPR Malaka Gharib/ NPR
I'm hearing a lot of talk about the coronavirus spreading through aerosols — is wearing a mask in a grocery store enough protection? What else should I do to stay safe?
Quick answer first: Going to the grocery store where you and everyone else is wearing a mask and keeping a distance from each other is still considered a low-risk activity. Go get your summer strawberries!
For background, aerosols are tiny microdroplets containing the virus that can be expelled when we talk or breathe and can stay aloft and travel on air currents. It's still unclear how much of a role they play in spreading the virus, but recently more than 200 scientists wrote an open letter asking the World Health Organization to pay more attention to them.
The agency still maintains that the greater risk of spread appears to be from droplets — larger particles, also expelled when we talk or breathe, which settle more quickly and are less likely to accumulate in the air. However, WHO released a new scientific brief on July 9 saying that airborne transmission might be contributing to spread in crowded, poorly-ventilated indoor spaces such as gyms, choir practice rooms and nightclubs. But how much transmission aerosolized particles are responsible for, versus droplets and contaminated surfaces, they can't say for sure.
"What we are calling for is more systematic research to be done in these types of settings," said Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for WHO's health emergencies program, at a press conference on Friday. In other words, stay tuned.
Bottom line: It's impossible to rule out that some amount of transmission may be caused by aerosols. If you want to err on the side of caution, here's what some infectious disease researchers say can help minimize the risks:
Face away from people when you talk: When you're talking face to face with someone, you're in direct line of the plumes of breath that come out of their mouths when they speak. "If there's any scenario where I'm face to face, with someone, I move my head off-center so I'm no longer inhaling that direct plume," says Seema Lakdawala, a flu transmission researcher at the University of Pittsburgh. One tip that helps her is to not make direct eye contact with people. It can be awkward, she acknowledges, but "it's not just about protecting myself, but also about protecting other people," since it's possible to shed the virus without knowing you're infected.
Wear your mask properly: Wear a layered cloth mask in public spaces, especially if you're indoors or in a setting where you can't socially distance. Make sure it covers your nose and mouth. This will catch many of the droplets that come out when you breathe or speak and prevent them from getting into the air. Ideally, to take precautions against tiny, aerosolized microdroplets, "we should be masking everyone with better masks," says Abraar Karan, a physician at Harvard Medical School. But the N95 masks that effectively filter most aerosol particles are in short supply and uncomfortable to wear. Karan suggests well-fitting KN95 masks which have similar protection (but make sure your mask isn't counterfeit).
Make the indoors more like the outdoors: "You limit aerosol transmission by increasing ventilation and increasing air circulation — by opening a window, putting on a fan and just moving the air," says Lakdawala, who keeps several fans running at all times in her lab and office space. Moving air disperses the particles in the air and makes it less likely that someone will breathe in a concentrated cloud of infectious virus. Donald Milton, an infectious disease aerobiologist at the University of Maryland and lead author on the open letter about aerosols, also recommends cleaning indoor air, through air filtration and ultraviolet sanitizing light. "You wouldn't drink water downstream from another town without treating it. But we breathe air from other people without treating it," he says.
Limit the amount of time you're in close contact with people: The public health rule of thumb for what counts as an exposure is close contact with an infected person for 15 minutes or more, so uncrowded grocery stores where everyone is masked and moving represents a relatively low-risk situation, both Lakdawala and Milton agree. Hopefully, you're not standing in one aisle for very long, but you're going to shop efficiently, says Lakdawala, "So even if there are fine aerosols that are getting released by somebody who is infected, they're getting diluted out as these people move in air currents." Indoor bars, restaurants and other situations where people are staying in one place for a period of time, and speaking or singing loudly, make Milton more wary. "I don't know how to drink a beer with a surgical mask on," he says. "And I wouldn't go sing at choir practice, OK?"
Keep a buffer of personal space: This isn't just important for the spray of droplets, it may also help when it comes to tiny airborne particles. If you are planning to sit and talk to a friend, keeping a distance of at least 6 feet creates more opportunities for airflow between you and others. "We have a happy hour in our neighborhood where everybody brings our chairs, and we sit on someone's lawn," says Lakdawala. "Everyone is spatially distanced, and we bring our own drinks and talk." Maintaining a distance from others means there's more ventilation and space for air to pass between you, says Lakdawala.
Each precaution adds another layer of safety from aerosolized particles, says Milton. "Wearing a mask means you're putting less virus droplets into the air, sucking less out [of the air]. Keeping distances means there's less of it near you. And having good ventilation or air sanitation means what's in the air is getting removed. All of those things add up to giving you good protection."


npr--2020-07-10--Strict Rules Apply, But Visitors Will Be Allowed Back In New York Nursing Homes

Strict Rules Apply , But Visitors Will Be Allowed Back In New York Nursing Homes After months of prohibiting in-person visits to relatives in nursing homes amid COVID-19 fears , New York says it will begin easing those restrictions for facilities that are certified as virus-free .
The change comes after the state — one of those hardest-hit by the virus — has seen thousands of deaths in nursing homes and long-term care facilities .
According to the revised rules issued Friday by the New York State Department of Health , visitors will be allowed if a nursing home or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases for 28 days .
However , even then , the rules are quite restrictive .
They dictate that only two visitors — at least one of whom must be at least 18 years old — are allowed per resident , and only 10 % of residents may receive visitors at the same time .
The visitors themselves must submit to temperature checks , wear a mask and remain socially distanced .
`` With the knowledge we now have about how COVID-19 came into nursing homes – mainly through asymptomatic staff and visitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is critical that as we resume visitations to these facilities we do it in a smart and cautious way to ensure the health and safety of residents and staff , '' State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said in a statement .
`` We will continue to closely monitor the situation in each facility , and make adjustments based on the facts and data moving forward , '' Zucker said .
`` I know how painful it has been for residents of these facilities to endure such a long period of time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and my hope is that this adjustment to the visitation policy will provide some comfort to everyone . ''
The new guidelines are unlikely to mean a flood of visitors into nursing homes – not only because of the limit on the number allowed to visit , but also because the rules are `` pretty intense , '' Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. told the Utica Observer-Dispatch .
`` There are a lot of things they have to do ( to let visitors in again ) .
It 's not as cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the residents would like .
I understand the severity of what we 're dealing with obviously , '' Picente said .
`` But finding a nursing home right now that 's had 28 days COVID-free is pretty difficult , almost impossible right now , especially given our numbers in our community , '' he said .
According to a New York Times analysis , more than 55,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have occurred in nursing homes and long-term care facilities , more than 6,000 of them in New York state .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the coronavirus in the U.S. occurred in such facilities , the Times reports .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo has come in for criticism over a state directive in March that transferred COVID-19 patients into long-term care facilities in an effort not to overwhelm the hospitals .
Cuomo has said that directive was in line with White House guidance .
The directive was later scrapped , but not before thousands of infected patients were transferred , according to The Associated Press .
Earlier this week , the New York State Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substantial link between the patient transfers and subsequent nursing home deaths .
The report concluded that the peak in nursing home deaths due to COVID-19 did not correlate with the admission of COVID-19 patients , but was closely associated with infections among nursing home employees – suggesting that staff members in the facilities were likely the main vector of the disease .

Strict Rules Apply, But Visitors Will Be Allowed Back In New York Nursing Homes
Enlarge this image toggle caption Seth Wenig/AP Seth Wenig/AP
After months of prohibiting in-person visits to relatives in nursing homes amid COVID-19 fears, New York says it will begin easing those restrictions for facilities that are certified as virus-free.
The change comes after the state — one of those hardest-hit by the virus — has seen thousands of deaths in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
According to the revised rules issued Friday by the New York State Department of Health, visitors will be allowed if a nursing home or adult-care facility hasn't had any coronavirus cases for 28 days.
However, even then, the rules are quite restrictive.
They dictate that only two visitors — at least one of whom must be at least 18 years old — are allowed per resident, and only 10% of residents may receive visitors at the same time. The visitors themselves must submit to temperature checks, wear a mask and remain socially distanced.
"With the knowledge we now have about how COVID-19 came into nursing homes – mainly through asymptomatic staff and visitors through no fault of their own – it is critical that as we resume visitations to these facilities we do it in a smart and cautious way to ensure the health and safety of residents and staff," State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said in a statement.
"We will continue to closely monitor the situation in each facility, and make adjustments based on the facts and data moving forward," Zucker said. "I know how painful it has been for residents of these facilities to endure such a long period of time without seeing family and loved ones, and my hope is that this adjustment to the visitation policy will provide some comfort to everyone."
The new guidelines are unlikely to mean a flood of visitors into nursing homes – not only because of the limit on the number allowed to visit, but also because the rules are "pretty intense," Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. told the Utica Observer-Dispatch.
"There are a lot of things they have to do (to let visitors in again). It's not as cut and dry as probably the family members of the residents would like. I understand the severity of what we're dealing with obviously," Picente said.
"But finding a nursing home right now that's had 28 days COVID-free is pretty difficult, almost impossible right now, especially given our numbers in our community," he said.
According to a New York Times analysis, more than 55,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have occurred in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, more than 6,000 of them in New York state. Overall, 40% of all deaths from the coronavirus in the U.S. occurred in such facilities, the Times reports.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has come in for criticism over a state directive in March that transferred COVID-19 patients into long-term care facilities in an effort not to overwhelm the hospitals. Cuomo has said that directive was in line with White House guidance.
The directive was later scrapped, but not before thousands of infected patients were transferred, according to The Associated Press.
Earlier this week, the New York State Department of Health issued a report suggesting no substantial link between the patient transfers and subsequent nursing home deaths.
The report concluded that the peak in nursing home deaths due to COVID-19 did not correlate with the admission of COVID-19 patients, but was closely associated with infections among nursing home employees – suggesting that staff members in the facilities were likely the main vector of the disease.


npr--2020-07-11--Trump Wears Mask In Public For First Time During Walter Reed Visit

Trump Wears Mask In Public For First Time During Walter Reed Visit President Donald Trump on Saturday was photographed wearing a mask during a visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center , after months of refusing to don the medical expert-recommended face coverings meant to help slow the spread of the coronavirus .
`` I love masks in the appropriate locations , '' Trump said , speaking to reporters at the White House before his visit .
Trump 's usual reluctance to cover his mouth and nose in public has been a point of controversy during the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 continue to spike — particularly in Republican-led states .
Before taking off for Walter Reed , Trump said he 'd `` probably '' wear a mask .
`` I think when you 're in a hospital , especially in that particular setting , where you 're talking to a lot of soldiers and people that , in some cases , just got off the operating tables , I think it 's a great thing to wear a mask , '' the president told reporters .
`` I 've never been against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a time and a place . ''
Trump was at Walter Reed to visit wounded soldiers and medical professionals at the facility who specialize in coronavirus care .
The president had indicated earlier this week that he would likely wear a mask to the medical center to avoid the possibility of infecting soldiers .
`` You 're in a hospital setting , I think it 's a very appropriate thing , '' Trump said during a Thursday interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News .
`` I have no problem with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need one when you 're tested all the time , everybody around you is tested . ''
`` If I 'm with soldiers , people that — you know , I do n't want to spread anything . ''
Trump has briefly worn a mask before during a May visit to a Ford facility in Michigan , at the request of company chairman Bill Ford and out of view from media and photographers .
The topic of wearing face masks has become a politicized issue , despite their effectiveness in helping to slow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends individuals wear close-fitting cloth masks in public to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 from the mask-wearing individual to others .
The United States has recorded more than 3 million coronavirus infections and more than 130,000 Americans have died from the virus .
Recent research suggests that more widespread mask usage could help prevent between 17,742 and 28,030 deaths across the United States before Oct. 1 .
More than 20 states now require face masks to be worn in public .
But some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have declined to issue such orders statewide .

Trump Wears Mask In Public For First Time During Walter Reed Visit
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP
President Trump on Saturday was photographed wearing a mask during a visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, after months of refusing to don the medical expert-recommended face coverings meant to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
"I love masks in the appropriate locations," Trump said, speaking to reporters at the White House before his visit.
Trump's usual reluctance to cover his mouth and nose in public has been a point of controversy during the nation's coronavirus crisis, especially as cases of COVID-19 continue to spike — particularly in Republican-led states.
Before taking off for Walter Reed, Trump said he'd "probably" wear a mask.
"I think when you're in a hospital, especially in that particular setting, where you're talking to a lot of soldiers and people that, in some cases, just got off the operating tables, I think it's a great thing to wear a mask," the president told reporters. "I've never been against masks, but I do believe they have a time and a place."
Trump was at Walter Reed to visit wounded soldiers and medical professionals at the facility who specialize in coronavirus care.
The president had indicated earlier this week that he would likely wear a mask to the medical center to avoid the possibility of infecting soldiers.
"You're in a hospital setting, I think it's a very appropriate thing," Trump said during a Thursday interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News. "I have no problem with a mask. I don't think you need one when you're tested all the time, everybody around you is tested."
"If I'm with soldiers, people that — you know, I don't want to spread anything."
Trump had briefly worn a mask before, during a May visit to a Ford facility in Michigan, at the request of company chairman Bill Ford and out of view from media and photographers.
The topic of wearing face masks has become a politicized issue, despite their effectiveness in helping to slow the spread of the deadly virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends individuals wear close-fitting cloth masks in public to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 from the mask-wearing individual to others.
The United States has recorded more than 3 million coronavirus infections and more than 130,000 Americans have died from the virus.
Recent research suggests that more widespread mask usage could help prevent between 17,742 and 28,030 deaths across the United States before Oct. 1.
More than 20 states now require face masks to be worn in public. But some of the hardest-hit states, particularly Arizona and Florida, have declined to issue such orders statewide.


npr--2020-07-11--Thomas Chatterton Williams On Debate, Criticism And The Letter In 'Harper's Magazine'

Thomas Chatterton Williams On Debate , Criticism And The Letter In 'Harper 's Magazine' Thomas Chatterton Williams , along with more than 150 prominent journalists , authors and writers , published a letter decrying what it called the `` intolerant climate that has set in on all sides '' of debate in Harper 's Magazine on Tuesday , fueling a heated controversy over free speech , privilege and the role of social media in public discourse .
`` The free exchange of information and ideas , the lifeblood of a liberal society is daily becoming more constricted , '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come to expect this on the radical right , censoriousness is also spreading more widely in our culture : an intolerance of opposing views , a vogue for public shaming and ostracism , and the tendency to dissolve complex policy issues in a blinding moral certainty . ''
The letter cites various harms it says have been caused by this state of affairs and concludes that `` the restriction of debate , whether by a repressive government or an intolerant society , invariably hurts those who lack power and makes everyone less capable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeat bad ideas is by exposure , argument , and persuasion , not by trying to silence or wish them away . ''
Williams , an author and columnist for Harper 's Magazine and a contributor to The New York Times Magazine , told NPR the letter was meant to defend everyone 's `` right to argue back and to take ideas , if they 're faulty , expose them to the light of day and counter them effectively . ''
The letter immediately faced backlash .
At least two signers distanced themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including signatures from certain writers , including J.K. Rowling — who has made comments seen as transphobic on Twitter — took away from the sentiment of the letter altogether .
A group of more than 160 writers , journalists , academics and others responded with a letter of their own in The Objective , which argued that the very problems the Harper 's Magazine letter lays out are not trends at all .
`` In reality , their argument alludes to but does not clearly lay out specific examples , and undermines the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uphold , '' the counter-letter read .
`` In truth , Black , brown , and LGBTQ+ people — particularly Black and trans people — can now critique elites publicly and hold them accountable socially ; this seems to be the letter 's greatest concern .
What 's perhaps even more grating to many of the signatories is that a critique of their long held views is persuasive . ''
Some people signed the counter-letter anonymously but included professional affiliations .
( At least four people purportedly associated with NPR signed the counter-letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Harper 's letter . )
Williams talked with NPR 's Michel Martin on All Things Considered about why he helped spearhead the crafting of the letter , what it was meant to accomplish and how it was received by the public .
On what motivated him to write the letter It was not one event in particular , it was a kind of mood or a climate that myself and several of the other drafters have been discussing for some time now and it was in late May , early June that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get together and write something and see if anybody would sign it .
On the criticism that some of the signers have been accused of transphobia and that their presence on the letter is seen as excusing their bigotry These are principles that anyone could sign and that everybody should actually be able to uphold .
And I think that part of what the letter is trying to do is trying to argue against the idea that you have to look around and Google every statement that anybody on the list has ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signing it .
The point is that that 's irrelevant .
On if he accomplished what he hoped to What I think we did is we moved the needle a little bit in some of these spaces .
Someone has to look around and say , `` Well actually , a lot of these people on the list I do still want to work with .
I do still want to make Netflix adaptations of some of their work .
I do still want them to make podcasts or report at The New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' And so I have to take into consideration their point of view too , not just these kind of whipped up mobs online that are faceless and that kind of I 'll never interact with but somehow are now penetrating the inner sanctums of the HR department .
I think we 've moved the needle a little bit in making people understand that there 's not actually nearly as much consensus on some of these impulses as it may sometimes seem if you spend too much time on Twitter .
Gemma Watters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and edited the audio version of this story .

Thomas Chatterton Williams On Debate, Criticism And The Letter In 'Harper's Magazine'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Thomas Chatterton Williams Thomas Chatterton Williams
Thomas Chatterton Williams, along with more than 150 prominent journalists, authors and writers, published a letter in Harper's Magazine on Tuesday, decrying what it called the "intolerant climate that has set in on all sides" of debate. The letter set off a heated controversy over free speech, privilege and the role of social media in public discourse.
"The free exchange of information and ideas,the lifeblood of a liberal society is daily becoming more constricted," the letter states. "While we have come to expect this on the radical right, censoriousness is also spreading more widely in our culture: an intolerance of opposing views, a vogue for public shaming and ostracism, and the tendency to dissolve complex policy issues in a blinding moral certainty."
The letter cites various harms it says have been caused by this state of affairs and concludes that "the restriction of debate, whether by a repressive government or an intolerant society, invariably hurts those who lack power and makes everyone less capable of democratic participation. The way to defeat bad ideas is by exposure, argument, and persuasion, not by trying to silence or wish them away."
Williams, an author and columnist for Harper's Magazine and a contributor to The New York Times Magazine, told NPR the letter was meant to defend everyone's "right to argue back and to take ideas, if they're faulty, expose them to the light of day and counter them effectively."
The letter immediately faced backlash. At least two signers distanced themselves from it. Some critics argued that including signatures from certain writers, including J.K. Rowling — who has made comments seen as transphobic on Twitter — took away from the sentiment of the letter altogether. A group of more than 160 writers, journalists, academics and others responded with a letter of their own in The Objective, which argued that the very problems the Harper's Magazine letter lays out are not trends at all.
"In reality, their argument alludes to but does not clearly lay out specific examples, and undermines the very cause they have appointed themselves to uphold," the counter-letter read. "In truth, Black, brown, and LGBTQ+ people — particularly Black and trans people — can now critique elites publicly and hold them accountable socially; this seems to be the letter's greatest concern. What's perhaps even more grating to many of the signatories is that a critique of their long held views is persuasive."
Some people signed the counter-letter anonymously but included professional affiliations. (At least three anonymous signers of the counter-letter listed NPR as their affiliation. One additional NPR staffer signed the counter-letter with his name. No current NPR News employees signed the Harper's letter.)
Williams talked with NPR's Michel Martin on All Things Considered about why he helped spearhead the crafting of the letter, what it was meant to accomplish and how it was received by the public.
Interview Highlights
On what motivated him to write the letter
It was not one event in particular, it was a kind of mood or a climate that myself and several of the other drafters have been discussing for some time now and it was in late May, early June that we began thinking that maybe we would get together and write something and see if anybody would sign it.
On the criticism that some of the signers have been accused of transphobia and that their presence on the letter is seen as excusing their bigotry
These are principles that anyone could sign and that everybody should actually be able to uphold. And I think that part of what the letter is trying to do is trying to argue against the idea that you have to look around and Google every statement that anybody on the list has ever said to know if you feel comfortable signing it. The point is that that's irrelevant.
On if he accomplished what he hoped to
What I think we did is we moved the needle a little bit in some of these spaces. Someone has to look around and say, "Well actually, a lot of these people on the list I do still want to work with. I do still want to make Netflix adaptations of some of their work. I do still want them to make podcasts or report at The New York Times or The New Yorker." And so I have to take into consideration their point of view too, not just these kind of whipped up mobs online that are faceless and that kind of I'll never interact with but somehow are now penetrating the inner sanctums of the HR department.
I think we've moved the needle a little bit in making people understand that there's not actually nearly as much consensus on some of these impulses as it may sometimes seem if you spend too much time on Twitter.
Gemma Watters, Janaya Williams and Tinbete Ermyas produced and edited the audio version of this story.


npr--2020-07-11--Masks And Mouse Ears: Disney World Reopens As Coronavirus Cases Climb In Florida

Masks And Mouse Ears : Disney World Reopens As Coronavirus Cases Climb In Florida Nearly four months after it closed over coronavirus concerns , Disney World is once again inviting guests to experience its Florida theme parks .
The reopening comes as Florida is experiencing a surge of new coronavirus cases , with more than 10,000 being reported on Saturday .
Both Magic Kingdom and Disney 's Animal Kingdom opened Saturday to the general public , following limited openings for annual-pass holders and employees .
The other two area parks — Epcot and Disney 's Hollywood Studios — are expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parkgoers can get into the `` happiest place on Earth , '' they 'll have to get used to a few changes .
`` From increased cleaning and disinfecting across our parks and resorts , to updated health and safety policies , we have reimagined the Disney experience so we can all enjoy the magic responsibly , '' Disney Parks Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pamela Hymel wrote in a company blog post .
Some of these changes start before people get into the parks .
Guests can no longer drive up to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make reservations , as part of an effort to limit the number of people in the park each day .
Disney is also requiring face masks for anyone above the age of 2 and is taking temperatures before people are allowed in .
Inside the parks , social distancing is being encouraged and enforced with markers on the ground .
Lines for rides are being spaced out .
Physical barriers , like plexiglass , have been put in place where distancing is not possible .
Wait times also appear down , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one to two hours down to five minutes .
Tom Corless runs WDW News Today , a fan site dedicated to both Disney 's Florida and California properties .
He told NPR earlier this week that measures put in place seemed to be working during park previews .
`` I do n't think people had a hard time keeping space from each other , '' Corless said .
He also noted that on many rides , guests were separated by a number of empty rows .
While photos on social media Saturday showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not everyone is convinced .
That also includes some 750 Disney performers who are not included in the phased reopening after Disney and the Actors ' Equity labor union representing the performers did not come to an agreement on COVID-19 testing .
As Fortune reports , the union requested regular testing for its members because they are often in close proximity during performances .
Disney declined , saying tests would reportedly provide a `` false sense of security '' and said it would instead emphasize distancing , masks and sanitation .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the company on Thursday .
Disney 's shows are not part of the reopening as a result .
Parades and evening firework shows also continue to be off in the hopes of preventing crowds .
While Disney World moves ahead with its reopening , those in California , home of Disneyland and Disney 's California Adventure , are watching .
Both parks were originally set to reopen on July 17 — the same day Disneyland will mark its 65th anniversary — but that date has been postponed .
A new date has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approvals from the state and local governments .

Masks And Mouse Ears: Disney World Reopens As Coronavirus Cases Climb In Florida
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images
Nearly four months after it closed over coronavirus concerns, Disney World is once again inviting guests to experience its Florida theme parks.
The reopening comes as Florida is experiencing a surge of new coronavirus cases, with more than 10,000 being reported on Saturday.
Both Magic Kingdom and Disney's Animal Kingdom opened Saturday to the general public, following limited openings for annual-pass holders and employees. The other two area parks — Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios — are expected to open on Wednesday.
But before parkgoers can get into the "happiest place on Earth," they'll have to get used to a few changes.
"From increased cleaning and disinfecting across our parks and resorts, to updated health and safety policies, we have reimagined the Disney experience so we can all enjoy the magic responsibly," Disney Parks Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pamela Hymel wrote in a company blog post.
Some of these changes start before people get into the parks. Guests can no longer drive up to the parks for same-day entrance. They have to make reservations, as part of an effort to limit the number of people in the park each day. Disney is also requiring face masks for anyone above the age of 2 and is taking temperatures before people are allowed in.
Inside the parks, social distancing is being encouraged and enforced with markers on the ground. Lines for rides are being spaced out. Physical barriers, like plexiglass, have been put in place where distancing is not possible. Wait times also appear down, with rides that used to have queues of one to two hours down to five minutes.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images
Tom Corless runs WDW News Today, a fan site dedicated to both Disney's Florida and California properties. He told NPR earlier this week that measures put in place seemed to be working during park previews.
"I don't think people had a hard time keeping space from each other," Corless said.
He also noted that on many rides, guests were separated by a number of empty rows.
While photos on social media Saturday showed plenty of people going into the parks, not everyone is convinced.
That also includes some 750 Disney performers who are not included in the phased reopening after Disney and the Actors' Equity labor union representing the performers did not come to an agreement on COVID-19 testing.
As Fortune reports, the union requested regular testing for its members because they are often in close proximity during performances. Disney declined, saying tests would reportedly provide a "false sense of security" and said it would instead emphasize distancing, masks and sanitation. The union announced that it filed a grievance against the company on Thursday.
Disney's shows are not part of the reopening as a result. Parades and evening firework shows also continue to be off in the hopes of preventing crowds.
While Disney World moves ahead with its reopening, those in California, home of Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, are watching. Both parks were originally set to reopen on July 17 — the same day Disneyland will mark its 65th anniversary — but that date has been postponed. A new date has not been given but will depend on approvals from the state and local governments.


npr--2020-07-11--'Unprecedented, Historic Corruption': Romney Joins Critics Of Stone's Commutation

Democrats have had no shortage of descriptors for President Trump 's decision to commute Roger Stone 's prison sentence .
Since Trump granted clemency to his longtime confidant Friday night , Democratic lawmakers have described it as `` appalling , '' `` despicable , '' an abuse of power and a `` mockery of our democracy . ''
Yet some harsh words Saturday came from a voice within his own party as well .
`` An American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president , '' Sen. Mitt Romney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describing the move as `` unprecedented , historic corruption . ''
The comments come less than a day after Stone received his reprieve from the White House .
That call came down Friday night , when Trump abruptly relieved his close adviser of his 40-month prison sentence for lying to Congress , obstructing its investigation and witness tampering .
A jury last fall found that Stone supplied lawmakers with false statements during their probe into the 2016 presidential election , in an effort to cover up his outreach to WikiLeaks .
The group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of hacked Democratic emails .
In February , Stone received a lighter sentence than he could have gotten — but that did not satisfy the president , a longtime friend of the GOP political operative .
`` Roger Stone was targeted by an illegal Witch Hunt that never should have taken place , '' the president tweeted Saturday .
As of midday Saturday , Romney was the only prominent Republican to break with the president .
It 's not his first time doing so .
The senator has repeatedly clashed with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP vote for Trump 's conviction in his impeachment trial .
Other Republicans either have expressed their firm support — as Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Jim Jordan have — or have kept silent .
Democrats , however , have felt no such hesitation commenting on Stone 's commutation .
Among the dozens of Democrats to join the chorus of criticism were three high-profile members of the party : Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Vice President Joe Biden , the party 's presumptive presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again abused his power , releasing this commutation on a Friday night , hoping to yet again avoid scrutiny as he lays waste to the norms and the values that make our country a shining beacon to the rest of the world , '' the Biden campaign said in a statement released shortly after the commutation .
`` He will only be stopped when Americans make their voice heard at the ballot box this fall .
Enough . ''
Pelosi vowed that `` Congress will take action . ''
In a statement Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation `` to ensure that no President can pardon or commute the sentence of an individual who is engaged in a cover-up campaign to shield that President from criminal prosecution . ''
And in an opinion piece published in the Washington Post on Saturday evening , former special counsel Robert Mueller defends Stone 's conviction , writing , `` I feel compelled to respond both to broad claims that our investigation was illegitimate and our motives were improper , and to specific claims that Roger Stone was a victim of our office .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were a threat to America 's democracy .
He adds that when a witness lies `` it strikes at the core of the government 's efforts to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable . ''

'Unprecedented, Historic Corruption': Romney Joins Critics Of Stone's Commutation
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 9:20 p.m. ET
Democrats have had no shortage of descriptors for President Trump's decision to commute Roger Stone's prison sentence. Since Trump granted clemency to his longtime confidant Friday night, Democratic lawmakers have described it as "appalling," "despicable," an abuse of power and a "mockery of our democracy."
Yet some harsh words Saturday came from a voice within his own party as well.
"An American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president," Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, tweeted Saturday morning, describing the move as "unprecedented, historic corruption."
The comments come less than a day after Stone received his reprieve from the White House. That call came down Friday night, when Trump abruptly relieved his close adviser of his 40-month prison sentence for lying to Congress, obstructing its investigation and witness tampering.
A jury last fall found that Stone supplied lawmakers with false statements during their probe into the 2016 presidential election, in an effort to cover up his outreach to WikiLeaks. The group had obtained — and eventually released — thousands of hacked Democratic emails.
In February, Stone received a lighter sentence than he could have gotten — but that did not satisfy the president, a longtime friend of the GOP political operative.
"Roger Stone was targeted by an illegal Witch Hunt that never should have taken place," the president tweeted Saturday.
As of midday Saturday, Romney was the only prominent Republican to break with the president. It's not his first time doing so. The senator has repeatedly clashed with the president, and he delivered the lone GOP vote for Trump's conviction in his impeachment trial.
Other Republicans either have expressed their firm support — as Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Jim Jordan have — or have kept silent.
Democrats, however, have felt no such hesitation commenting on Stone's commutation. Among the dozens of Democrats to join the chorus of criticism were three high-profile members of the party: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Vice President Joe Biden, the party's presumptive presidential nominee.
"President Trump has once again abused his power, releasing this commutation on a Friday night, hoping to yet again avoid scrutiny as he lays waste to the norms and the values that make our country a shining beacon to the rest of the world," the Biden campaign said in a statement released shortly after the commutation.
"He will only be stopped when Americans make their voice heard at the ballot box this fall. Enough."
Pelosi vowed that "Congress will take action." In a statement Saturday, she called for the introduction of legislation "to ensure that no President can pardon or commute the sentence of an individual who is engaged in a cover-up campaign to shield that President from criminal prosecution."
And in an opinion piece published in The Washington Post on Saturday evening, former special counsel Robert Mueller defends Stone's conviction, writing, "I feel compelled to respond both to broad claims that our investigation was illegitimate and our motives were improper, and to specific claims that Roger Stone was a victim of our office."
Mueller says that Russia's actions were a threat to America's democracy. He adds that when a witness lies, "it strikes at the core of the government's efforts to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable."


npr--2020-07-11--As Kenya Keeps Schools Shut, Teen Pregnancies Are Rising

As Kenya Keeps Schools Shut , Teen Pregnancies Are Rising As Zuleika Yusuf Daffala walks across Kibera , one of the big informal settlements in Kenya 's capital , she greets dozens of kids on the streets .
Some are jumping rope , others chasing each other through the alley and another group is trying to make a tiny cooking pan out of an aluminum can .
Daffala , a 37-year-old community activist , broke the news this week to many of the neighborhood kids that the Kenyan government had decided that the country 's more than 12 million grade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to classrooms until January 2021 .
Not only that , but the government considers the 2020 school year `` lost , '' so all kids will remain in the same grade for another year .
`` They are still not believing it , '' she says .
`` When you go to school , you have a target .
So they have their plans already .
They are not taking it easy . ''
She says her son , a junior in high school , is resigned .
Like most Kenyans , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laptop , so he 's trying to keep up with whatever books he can get his hands on .
But mostly these days , he 's making bracelets with some beads his mother bought him .
Daffala says her kids are mostly OK .
But in Kibera , many parents live on the dollar or two they make from whatever work they can find every day .
So they can not stay home with their kids .
More and more , she says , she 's getting calls from parents in the neighborhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kenya has long had one of the highest underage pregnancy rates in the world .
But since early March , counties have reported thousands of cases .
Citing an increase in teenage pregnancies , President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered his National Crime Research Center to investigate .
`` Life has changed completely , '' Daffala says .
And chances are that many kids will never go back to school .
Kenyan children have been out of school since March .
But even as the coronavirus surges in the country , the government opened up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August , Kenya will open up its international airspace .
So there was hope that children could go back to school in September .
But on Tuesday , the government said schools are in no position to reopen , because many of them have more than 100 children per class .
At the announcement , government officials were flanked by teachers , who agreed with the plan .
`` With children crowding , it will be impossible to think of opening schools , '' Akello Misori , a leader for a big teachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parsitau , an education scholar at Kenya 's Egerton University , says she is `` conflicted '' about the government decision .
On the one hand , keeping kids out of school for that long will undoubtedly result in learning loss and will further marginalize vulnerable children .
On the other hand , schools in Kenya are in a `` horrible state , '' she says , and there is no way to guarantee students ' safety .
`` I would rather have children alive at home , '' she says , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected and dying and taking it back to their families . ''
All of this makes her angry , she says , because it points to a government that has failed to build more schools , hire more teachers and prioritize education .
`` All this to me goes back to corruption and the fact that the government has never really taken it seriously to invest in educational infrastructure , '' she says .
Back in Kibera , Jackline Bosibori , 17 , has been spending almost all her days in a tiny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the walls and roof are made of corrugated metal .
Bosibori was going to a boarding school but like all Kenyan students , she was sent home in March .
`` I was just idling here , '' she says .
`` I did n't have anything to do .
Sometimes , I was just here reading alone .
I do n't have anyone to be with ... so I decided to just be at my boyfriend 's place . ''
In late March , she found out she was pregnant .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ communicating with her .
In Kenya , anyone under 18 can not legally consent , so Bosibori was raped .
Her mom Annah Nyamoko , 35 , ca n't contain her tears when she talks about her daughter .
Nyamoko has six other daughters .
She says her husband left her because they never had a son .
She works sifting through trash to find recyclables , earning about $ 15 a week .
But somehow she had always cobbled together enough money to pay her 17-year-old 's school fees .
The dream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , become a lawyer because she loves a good argument , and then help the family out of poverty .
`` I 'm feeling very bad , '' her mom says .
`` I do n't know what I can do now . ''
Bosibori says she wants to give birth and go back to school .
`` If you do n't have [ a high school diploma ] here in Kenya , there is no work for you , '' Bosibori says .
But a 2015 survey of out-of-school teenage girls in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % ever return to school .
Bosibori does n't even want to think about that possibility , but huge questions hang over her : Who will watch her baby if she goes to school ?
Can her mom feed her siblings if she ca n't work because she has to care for the baby ?
How does she pay for school fees ?
Will she be shunned ?
As it is now , she says people on the streets already stigmatize her , telling her she 's a disappointment .
`` If I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' she says , `` I know my life would be miserable . ''

As Kenya Keeps Schools Shut, Teen Pregnancies Are Rising
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brian Inganga/AP Brian Inganga/AP
As Zuleika Yusuf Daffala walks across Kibera, one of the big informal settlements in Kenya's capital, she greets dozens of kids on the streets. Some are jumping rope, others chasing each other through the alley and another group is trying to make a tiny cooking pan out of an aluminum can.
Daffala, a 37-year-old community activist, broke the news this week to many of the neighborhood kids that the Kenyan government had decided that the country's more than 12 million grade school students would not be going back to classrooms until January 2021. Not only that, but the government considers the 2020 school year "lost," so all kids will remain in the same grade for another year.
"They are still not believing it," she says. "When you go to school, you have a target. So they have their plans already. They are not taking it easy."
She says her son, a junior in high school, is resigned. Like most Kenyans, he doesn't have a tablet or a laptop, so he's trying to keep up with whatever books he can get his hands on. But mostly these days, he's making bracelets with some beads his mother bought him.
Daffala says her kids are mostly OK. But in Kibera, many parents live on the dollar or two they make from whatever work they can find every day. So they cannot stay home with their kids.
More and more, she says, she's getting calls from parents in the neighborhood that their teenage daughters are pregnant.
Kenya has long had one of the highest underage pregnancy rates in the world. But since early March, counties have reported thousands of cases. Citing an increase in teenage pregnancies, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered his National Crime Research Center to investigate.
"Life has changed completely," Daffala says. And chances are that many kids will never go back to school.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brian Inganga/AP Brian Inganga/AP
"Children alive at home"
Kenyan children have been out of school since March. But even as the coronavirus surges in the country, the government opened up hotels and restaurants and, beginning in August, Kenya will open up its international airspace. So there was hope that children could go back to school in September.
But on Tuesday, the government said schools are in no position to reopen, because many of them have more than 100 children per class.
At the announcement, government officials were flanked by teachers, who agreed with the plan.
"With children crowding, it will be impossible to think of opening schools," Akello Misori, a leader for a big teachers' union, said.
But Damaris Parsitau, an education scholar at Kenya's Egerton University, says she is "conflicted" about the government decision. On the one hand, keeping kids out of school for that long will undoubtedly result in learning loss and will further marginalize vulnerable children. On the other hand, schools in Kenya are in a "horrible state," she says, and there is no way to guarantee students' safety.
"I would rather have children alive at home," she says, "than go to school and risk getting infected and dying and taking it back to their families."
All of this makes her angry, she says, because it points to a government that has failed to build more schools, hire more teachers and prioritize education.
"All this to me goes back to corruption and the fact that the government has never really taken it seriously to invest in educational infrastructure," she says.
Underage sex
Back in Kibera, Jackline Bosibori, 17, has been spending almost all her days in a tiny room. It has a dirt floor and the walls and roof are made of corrugated metal.
Bosibori was going to a boarding school but like all Kenyan students, she was sent home in March.
"I was just idling here," she says. "I didn't have anything to do. Sometimes, I was just here reading alone. I don't have anyone to be with ... so I decided to just be at my boyfriend's place."
In late March, she found out she was pregnant. Her boyfriend is 21 and has stopped communicating with her. In Kenya, anyone under 18 cannot legally consent, so Bosibori was raped.
Her mom Annah Nyamoko, 35, can't contain her tears when she talks about her daughter.
Nyamoko has six other daughters. She says her husband left her because they never had a son. She works sifting through trash to find recyclables, earning about $15 a week. But somehow she had always cobbled together enough money to pay her 17-year-old's school fees.
The dream was that Bosibori would go to college, become a lawyer because she loves a good argument, and then help the family out of poverty.
"I'm feeling very bad," her mom says. "I don't know what I can do now."
Bosibori says she wants to give birth and go back to school.
"If you don't have [a high school diploma] here in Kenya, there is no work for you," Bosibori says.
But a 2015 survey of out-of-school teenage girls in Kenya found that as few as 10% ever return to school.
Bosibori doesn't even want to think about that possibility, but huge questions hang over her: Who will watch her baby if she goes to school? Can her mom feed her siblings if she can't work because she has to care for the baby? How does she pay for school fees? Will she be shunned? As it is now, she says people on the streets already stigmatize her, telling her she's a disappointment.
"If I can't go back to school," she says, "I know my life would be miserable."


npr--2020-07-11--Tracking The Pandemic: Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State?

Tracking The Pandemic : Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State ?
More than 3 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 130,000 have died .
Though growth in new cases slowed in late spring , by mid-June new cases began to trend upward nationally .
In the graphics below , explore the trend in new cases in your state to see whether cases are rising , falling or staying level .
You can view the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , a curve chart and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case trends over the last three weeks .
Or to see states ' total cases and deaths on a map , click here .
The following chart displays states ' trends in new daily case counts , total cases , and per capita totals .
To compare state outbreaks , the trend lines for average new daily cases are graphed against each state 's total case count to date .
This highlights a state 's daily growth relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case counts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As cases slow , the curve levels or bends down .
In New York , site of the country 's largest outbreak , the state 's curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to fewer than 700 per day in late June .
Some states , such as Hawaii , have declined to just a dozen new cases per day , while others are growing .
Arizona , which had leveled off at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw a sudden sharp spike in new cases in June .
The coronavirus has hit some states much harder than others .
For much of the pandemic , a large share of U.S. cases have been centered around New York City .
As of early June , New York state , Connecticut and New Jersey accounted for about 30 % of total cases in the nation and 42 % of deaths , although new cases have been dropping in these three states .
Across the country , other large , populous states such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high totals as well .
Some smaller states have had a heavy burden of disease relative to their population size , such as Nebraska and Iowa , which have high case counts per capita , and Louisiana and Michigan which have a high death count per capita .
Explore the map below to see totals and per capita figures around the country .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
For more detail on your state , the table below shows the change in average new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over week .
States marked in shades of red are showing growth , those in shades of green , are showing declines .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
In early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's daily numbers until the JHU team was able to reconcile the historical data .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn contributed to and Carmel Wroth edited this story .

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


npr--2020-07-11--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

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

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


npr--2020-07-11--A Phoenix Nonprofit Opens Up A Hotel To Homeless Coronavirus Patients

Thomas Salts spent two weeks in a hotel in Arizona sleeping , watching TV and , most importantly , fighting COVID-19 .
`` I mean it was truly one of the worst bouts I 'd ever had dealing with any kind of thing , with the flu or anything , '' Salts told NPR 's Weekend Edition .
`` It was 10 times worse . ''
Circle the City , a Phoenix-based nonprofit , is helping Salts and other people without homes gain access to health care .
Since May , the group has been housing and treating people with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in downtown Phoenix .
`` I can tell you the hotel was just a hotel , but the people in it made it special , '' Salts said .
`` These people would come morning , noon , night and check on me .
Take my temperature .
Check my vitals .
The doctor would be there with his stethoscope , checking my lungs , making sure I do n't have to go to the hospital for a ventilator . ''
The spread of COVID-19 is particularly detrimental for people without homes because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , health care and the ability to isolate and quarantine if they do get sick .
In response , cities with large populations of people experiencing homelessness , including New York City , Los Angeles , New Orleans and San Francisco , have begun using vacant hotel rooms to provide care to some of the city 's most vulnerable .
`` I was completely by myself , '' Salts said .
`` So while I was in the room , a lot of times what I did is just watch the TV and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick .
But it was n't like I was quarantined and isolated because they checked on me all the time .
I mean , they were either at my door or on the phone , checking on me , seeing how I was feeling .
I mean they were just , just really really nice . ''
Salts said he received three meals a day — provided by the nonprofit Community Bridges Inc. , according to CNN — and extra snacks and drinks if he needed them .
`` They allowed me to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so I did from the grocery store .
And they kept it in their own personal refrigerator — my eggs and bacon and stuff like that — and they cooked my bacon for me .
They did , '' Salts said .
`` This is amazing , that 's what I mean , they 're really amazing people .
And they did above and beyond what any kind of role , like just a worker doing a job would be doing .
These people are genuine . ''
This comes at a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States — is facing a rise in coronavirus cases .
The state reported an average of 3,574 new cases every day this week and more than 65 % of the state 's cases are in Maricopa County , which encompasses Phoenix and the surrounding area .
For now , Salts is recovering back in a shelter awaiting his birthday .
He 's hoping to raise some money online to buy a car after his last one was totaled on the same day that he lost his job .
`` I 'm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
`` My birthday is coming up and I might not have been here so I 'm really , really happy for anything , everything , I have .
So I 'll just start looking for work again and , eventually , I 'll find something . ''
The audio version of this story was produced and edited by Andrew Craig and D. Parvaz .

A Phoenix Nonprofit Opens Up A Hotel To Homeless Coronavirus Patients
Enlarge this image toggle caption Thomas Salts Thomas Salts
Thomas Salts spent two weeks in a hotel in Arizona sleeping, watching TV and, most importantly, fighting COVID-19.
"I mean it was truly one of the worst bouts I'd ever had dealing with any kind of thing, with the flu or anything," Salts told NPR's Weekend Edition. "It was 10 times worse."
Circle the City, a Phoenix-based nonprofit, is helping Salts and other people without homes gain access to health care. Since May, the group has been housing and treating people with COVID-19 symptoms in the Phoenix Inn hotel in downtown Phoenix.
"I can tell you the hotel was just a hotel, but the people in it made it special," Salts said. "These people would come morning, noon, night and check on me. Take my temperature. Check my vitals. The doctor would be there with his stethoscope, checking my lungs, making sure I don't have to go to the hospital for a ventilator."
The spread of COVID-19 is particularly detrimental for people without homes because they often lack access to basic sanitation, health care and the ability to isolate and quarantine if they do get sick. In response, cities with large populations of people experiencing homelessness, including New York City, Los Angeles, New Orleans and San Francisco, have begun using vacant hotel rooms to provide care to some of the city's most vulnerable.
"I was completely by myself," Salts said. "So while I was in the room, a lot of times what I did is just watch the TV and lay in bed because I was so sick. But it wasn't like I was quarantined and isolated because they checked on me all the time. I mean, they were either at my door or on the phone, checking on me, seeing how I was feeling. I mean they were just, just really really nice."
Salts said he received three meals a day — provided by the nonprofit Community Bridges Inc., according to CNN — and extra snacks and drinks if he needed them.
"They allowed me to even order some food out. And so I did from the grocery store. And they kept it in their own personal refrigerator — my eggs and bacon and stuff like that — and they cooked my bacon for me. They did," Salts said. "This is amazing, that's what I mean, they're really amazing people. And they did above and beyond what any kind of role, like just a worker doing a job would be doing. These people are genuine."
This comes at a time in which Arizona — like much of the United States — is facing a rise in coronavirus cases. The state reported an average of 3,574 new cases every day this week and more than 65% of the state's cases are in Maricopa County, which encompasses Phoenix and the surrounding area.
For now, Salts is recovering back in a shelter awaiting his birthday. He's hoping to raise some money online to buy a car after his last one was totaled on the same day that he lost his job.
"I'm really happy to be alive," he said. "My birthday is coming up and I might not have been here so I'm really, really happy for anything, everything, I have. So I'll just start looking for work again and, eventually, I'll find something."
The audio version of this story was produced and edited by Andrew Craig and D. Parvaz.