npr--2020-02-14--Real Orgasms And Transcendent Pleasure: How Women Are Reigniting Desire

Real Orgasms And Transcendent Pleasure : How Women Are Reigniting Desire How can more women allow themselves to experience sexual pleasure ?
That 's one of the central questions in The Pleasure Gap : American Women and the Unfinished Sexual Revolution , a book published this month by public health researcher and journalist Katherine Rowland .
Rowland explores why American women are n't happy with their sex lives — and what they can do about it .
A landmark study from 1999 found that over 40 % of women surveyed experienced sexual dysfunction — the inability to feel satisfied by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the researchers , was the lasting psychological effects of sexual trauma .
The Pleasure Gap highlights how desire and the mind are linked for women .
`` Pleasure is inextricable from our social status , compressed and constrained by financial factors , by safety factors , by objectification , '' she says .
We need to remove these barriers , she says , to experience sex with the `` full freedom , expression , range and truth that we 're endowed with . ''
Rowland argues that it is possible for women to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She talked to NPR about why fake orgasms are a cause for alarm , how much sex couples should have per week and `` sexological bodywork . ''
This interview has been edited for length and clarity .
You take issue with some of the research that tries to quantify sexual frequency and the idea that once a week may be the `` optimal '' amount .
So how much sex should we be having ?
Our national obsession with sexual frequency and the terrifying specter of dead bedrooms overrides the fundamental importance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volume of sex that 's more or less good .
For whatever reason , researchers have embraced this idea that we should be having sex once a week — that it 's enough to sustain relationships and that it keeps depression , heart disease and obesity at bay .
But none of that research looks at how participants actually feel about that sex — other than feeling good that they can check the box for having done it .
You interviewed more than 120 women for this book .
Many in heterosexual , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an act of drudgery and that they often did whatever it took to get the job done .
This felt sad to me .
I found myself feeling beaten down by the near ubiquity of stories of faking it in that context .
We tend to treat faking it as such a jokey matter .
When the media reports on studies that try and capture the percentage of women who fake orgasm during sex , it tends to be from a male perspective saying `` ouch '' — focusing more on the bruising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women are lying to them as opposed to concerns surrounding the fact that women are n't feeling good .
That women are feigning their pleasure in order to hasten that experience along — I think we need to treat that with real alarm .
We need to ask : What 's going on in that women are engaging in spectacle as opposed to actually allowing themselves to feel sensation ?
Your book explores how some women have a low desire for sex .
How does this happen ?
Among the women who I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was heavily associated with the idea that sex should revolve around penetration as the main course , with maybe a polite prelude of a foreplay , rather than thinking about sex as a broader universe of intimacy .
It 's the combination of a larger culture that privileges male sexuality over women 's , a culture that does n't teach women that pleasure belongs to them .
A lack of anatomical self-knowledge .
And feelings of sort of persistent danger and women being often censored and censured for expressing their desire .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ female orgasm is mysterious and elusive , which is how the media has sometimes described it .
What would be a more accurate way to understand the female orgasm ?
It 's more like riding a bicycle .
You learn how to do it .
And what we see is that as women become more versed with what their body can do , orgasm becomes more readily achievable .
The female orgasm tends to get wrapped up in these fuzzy terms like `` elusive '' and `` hazy '' and `` mysterious '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what actually feels good .
But if they were encouraged to self-pleasure and explore in real , sincere ways by themselves and with their partners , I think they would find that there is a world of pleasurable sensation available to them .
In your book , you say that the goal is for women to have a `` profound sexual experience . ''
What do you mean by that ?
It can mean a number of things , and I do n't think it necessarily has to be a sexual encounter in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sex .
The women who I spoke to describe it to me as feelings of transcendence , of approaching sex not just as a way for getting off or feeling good , but as a portal into a deeper state of self-knowledge .
They often use the word `` spiritual '' — the alignment of self , sensation and possibility .
Pleasure so deep it felt like a homecoming , like they had been restored to themselves , to the depths of their potential .
How can women regain control over their sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be to stop absorbing [ unscientific ] outside knowledge .
There is such a rash of faulty information out there as a result of our lack of sound science and solid education .
We 've seen this proliferation of experts pandering to the lowest common denominator .
Online , you 'll find doctors who promise that by injecting more blood into the vagina , it will give it a face-lift that will bolster orgasmic potential .
Or self-proclaimed `` sexperts '' who put on female ejaculation retreats .
Those kinds of offerings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and validated interventions .
The second thing is to get to know your body .
I think the most powerful intervention that I documented in my book was the realm of sexological bodywork .
What is that ?
It 's a somatic approach to sexual healing that can — but does not necessarily — include genital touch .
There 's a profound opportunity there for ethical violations , especially because it 's not a regulated practice .
But for some of the women who I spoke to , they 've said that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bodies .
Sexological bodywork practitioners facilitate your self-knowledge of your body , pleasure , comfort , boundaries , feelings of confidence and being able to articulate `` no . ''
For example , `` No , I do n't want you to touch me here '' and `` I do n't want you to look at me here . ''
This helps women ask why they feel this way — and get to a point where they can say `` yes . ''
For women in a relationship with a man , how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Men can — and should — play a central role in helping women fully engage with their desires and sensations .
They can do this by being compassionate and nonjudgmental listeners .
By creating an erotic atmosphere in which men and women 's needs command equal importance , and by encouraging interactions that depart from the wearied script of male arousal and release .
Just as society tends to overly complicate female sexuality , we oversimplify men 's , and they also benefit from shifting dynamics around .
Any ideas of how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of couples , and one shared a story that made a deep impression .
They 're both middle-aged and both are experiential sexuality educators , so in many respects they 're versed in subjects like male privilege and the ways female satisfaction gets short shrift .
But all the same , these issues were showing up in their intimate life .
At the woman 's request , they decided to make sex just about her — so that it flowed from her interest and followed the course of her arousal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ care how he took care of himself , but she did n't want to be a part of it .
They came to call these sessions `` The Experiment . ''
To their mutual surprise , it lasted for a whole year .
As they recounted this experience , the woman thanked her partner for his generosity , and he immediately and firmly responded , `` No , it was my pleasure . ''
They both felt they had benefited from the woman 's sexual growth and the shared opportunity to expand their @ @ @

Real Orgasms And Transcendent Pleasure: How Women Are Reigniting Desire
Enlarge this image Hanna Barczyk for NPR Hanna Barczyk for NPR
How can more women allow themselves to experience sexual pleasure?
That's one of the central questions in The Pleasure Gap: American Women and the Unfinished Sexual Revolution, a book published this month by public health researcher and journalist Katherine Rowland.
Rowland explores why American women aren't happy with their sex lives — and what they can do about it. A landmark study from 1999 found that over 40% of women surveyed experienced sexual dysfunction — the inability to feel satisfied by sex. A contributing factor, noted the researchers, was the lasting psychological effects of sexual trauma.
The Pleasure Gap American Women & the Unfinished Sexual Revolution by Katherine Rowland Hardcover, 285 pages | purchase close overlay Buy Featured Book Your purchase helps support NPR programming. How?
The Pleasure Gap highlights how desire and the mind are linked for women. "Pleasure is inextricable from our social status, compressed and constrained by financial factors, by safety factors, by objectification," she says. We need to remove these barriers, she says, to experience sex with the "full freedom, expression, range and truth that we're endowed with."
Rowland argues that it is possible for women to take charge and reignite their libidos. She talked to NPR about why fake orgasms are a cause for alarm, how much sex couples should have per week and "sexological bodywork."
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
You take issue with some of the research that tries to quantify sexual frequency and the idea that once a week may be the "optimal" amount. So how much sex should we be having?
Our national obsession with sexual frequency and the terrifying specter of dead bedrooms overrides the fundamental importance of sexual quality. There is no volume of sex that's more or less good.
For whatever reason, researchers have embraced this idea that we should be having sex once a week — that it's enough to sustain relationships and that it keeps depression, heart disease and obesity at bay.
But none of that research looks at how participants actually feel about that sex — other than feeling good that they can check the box for having done it.
You interviewed more than 120 women for this book. Many in heterosexual, long-term relationships told you that sex was an act of drudgery and that they often did whatever it took to get the job done. This felt sad to me.
I found myself feeling beaten down by the near ubiquity of stories of faking it in that context.
We tend to treat faking it as such a jokey matter. When the media reports on studies that try and capture the percentage of women who fake orgasm during sex, it tends to be from a male perspective saying "ouch" — focusing more on the bruising of men's feelings that occurs when women are lying to them as opposed to concerns surrounding the fact that women aren't feeling good.
That women are feigning their pleasure in order to hasten that experience along — I think we need to treat that with real alarm. We need to ask: What's going on in that women are engaging in spectacle as opposed to actually allowing themselves to feel sensation?
Your book explores how some women have a low desire for sex. How does this happen?
Among the women who I spoke to, the persistent low desire was heavily associated with the idea that sex should revolve around penetration as the main course, with maybe a polite prelude of a foreplay, rather than thinking about sex as a broader universe of intimacy.
It's the combination of a larger culture that privileges male sexuality over women's, a culture that doesn't teach women that pleasure belongs to them. A lack of anatomical self-knowledge. And feelings of sort of persistent danger and women being often censored and censured for expressing their desire.
You push back against the idea that the female orgasm is mysterious and elusive, which is how the media has sometimes described it. What would be a more accurate way to understand the female orgasm?
It's more like riding a bicycle. You learn how to do it. And what we see is that as women become more versed with what their body can do, orgasm becomes more readily achievable.
The female orgasm tends to get wrapped up in these fuzzy terms like "elusive" and "hazy" and "mysterious" because women aren't encouraged to explore what actually feels good. But if they were encouraged to self-pleasure and explore in real, sincere ways by themselves and with their partners, I think they would find that there is a world of pleasurable sensation available to them.
In your book, you say that the goal is for women to have a "profound sexual experience." What do you mean by that?
It can mean a number of things, and I don't think it necessarily has to be a sexual encounter in terms of our often narrow understanding of sex. The women who I spoke to describe it to me as feelings of transcendence, of approaching sex not just as a way for getting off or feeling good, but as a portal into a deeper state of self-knowledge.
They often use the word "spiritual" — the alignment of self, sensation and possibility. Pleasure so deep it felt like a homecoming, like they had been restored to themselves, to the depths of their potential.
How can women regain control over their sex lives?
The first thing to do would be to stop absorbing [unscientific] outside knowledge. There is such a rash of faulty information out there as a result of our lack of sound science and solid education. We've seen this proliferation of experts pandering to the lowest common denominator.
Online, you'll find doctors who promise that by injecting more blood into the vagina, it will give it a face-lift that will bolster orgasmic potential. Or self-proclaimed "sexperts" who put on female ejaculation retreats. Those kinds of offerings often exist side by side with credentialed and validated interventions.
The second thing is to get to know your body. I think the most powerful intervention that I documented in my book was the realm of sexological bodywork.
What is that?
It's a somatic approach to sexual healing that can — but does not necessarily — include genital touch. There's a profound opportunity there for ethical violations, especially because it's not a regulated practice. But for some of the women who I spoke to, they've said that this was the missing link in understanding their bodies.
Sexological bodywork practitioners facilitate your self-knowledge of your body, pleasure, comfort, boundaries, feelings of confidence and being able to articulate "no." For example, "No, I don't want you to touch me here" and "I don't want you to look at me here." This helps women ask why they feel this way — and get to a point where they can say "yes."
For women in a relationship with a man, how can male partners do more to help?
Men can — and should — play a central role in helping women fully engage with their desires and sensations.
They can do this by being compassionate and nonjudgmental listeners. By creating an erotic atmosphere in which men and women's needs command equal importance, and by encouraging interactions that depart from the wearied script of male arousal and release. Just as society tends to overly complicate female sexuality, we oversimplify men's, and they also benefit from shifting dynamics around.
Any ideas of how to do that?
I spoke with a number of couples, and one shared a story that made a deep impression.
They're both middle-aged and both are experiential sexuality educators, so in many respects they're versed in subjects like male privilege and the ways female satisfaction gets short shrift. But all the same, these issues were showing up in their intimate life.
At the woman's request, they decided to make sex just about her — so that it flowed from her interest and followed the course of her arousal. She told him, she didn't care how he took care of himself, but she didn't want to be a part of it.
They came to call these sessions "The Experiment." To their mutual surprise, it lasted for a whole year. As they recounted this experience, the woman thanked her partner for his generosity, and he immediately and firmly responded, "No, it was my pleasure." They both felt they had benefited from the woman's sexual growth and the shared opportunity to expand their erotic vocabulary.


npr--2020-02-14--Canadian Pipeline Protest Forces Closure Of Major Rail Link

An indigenous-led anti-pipeline protest has shut down a vital cross-continent rail line in Canada , disrupting freight and passenger service and costing millions of dollars in lost revenue , officials say .
The Mohawks of Tyendinaga are protesting the 416-mile , $ 4.68 billion ( 6.2 billion Canadian dollars ) Coastal GasLink pipeline running from northern British Columbia to a natural gas facility near Kitimat , British Columbia .
They 've used snowplows , barrels and wooden barricades to block the tracks , forcing Canadian National Railway to temporarily close the line .
Protests in Ontario have also taken place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The pipeline passes through the traditional territory of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation near Houston , British Columbia , in the Canadian west .
The blockades went up last week after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police tried to enforce a court order demanding that construction workers be allowed access to the land .
Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and their supporters refused to move .
In a series of confrontations at various protester camps , the RCMP arrested more than two dozen people .
`` They came in with armed forces to remove peaceful people that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right time for the right reasons , '' Na'Mok , one of the chiefs , told NPR .
`` We 're protecting the land , the air , the water , our rights and title as hereditary chiefs , and we 're exercising our jurisdiction . ''
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , who is traveling in Africa , waded into the dispute on Wednesday , calling for both sides to work toward a quick resolution .
`` We recognize the important democratic right — and will always defend it — of peaceful protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference in Senegal .
`` But we are also a country of the rule of law , and we need to make sure those laws are respected . ''
In a letter to indigenous leaders , Trudeau said his government `` has been clear that there is no more important relationship to me and to Canada than the one with Indigenous peoples . ''
Canada 's transport minister , Marc Garneau , has called the rail blockade `` illegal '' and `` dangerous . ''
Some 42,000 people who use the now-closed Montreal-Toronto-Ottawa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to find other means of travel , according to The Globe and Mail .
Canadian National Railway , which owns the tracks , said Thursday that it had been `` forced to initiate a disciplined and progressive shutdown '' of its freight service in Eastern Canada .
The Via Rail passenger service said it would park all its trains until further notice , canceling service on more than 150 trains , the Globe and Mail reports .
The Alberta wheat and barley commissions said the rail disruptions had the potential to cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing difficult harvest conditions , according to CTV News .
`` Delays will result in farmers being unable to deliver their grain , meaning they ca n't be paid at least until service resumes , '' Dave Bishop , chair of the barley commission , said according to CTV .
`` We are still recovering from the harvest from hell and need reliable grain movement in order to get back on track . ''
Russ Girling , the CEO of Calgary-based TC Energy , the same company in charge of the long-delayed Keystone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` extremely disappointed '' that police had to be called in to enforce the court order in support of Coastal GasLink .
`` [ But ] we will continue our efforts to attempt to engage with the hereditary chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en and Unist'ot'en in search of a peaceful long-term resolution that benefits all of the people in that community , '' Girling said .

Canadian Pipeline Protest Forces Closure Of Major Rail Link
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg via Getty Images
An indigenous-led anti-pipeline protest has shut down a vital cross-continent rail line in Canada, disrupting freight and passenger service and costing millions of dollars in lost revenue, officials say.
The Mohawks of Tyendinaga are protesting the 416-mile, $4.68 billion (6.2 billion Canadian dollars) Coastal GasLink pipeline running from northern British Columbia to a natural gas facility near Kitimat, British Columbia. They've used snowplows, barrels and wooden barricades to block the tracks, forcing Canadian National Railway to temporarily close the line.
Protests in Ontario have also taken place in support of the indigenous chiefs.
The pipeline passes through the traditional territory of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation near Houston, British Columbia, in the Canadian west.
The blockades went up last week after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police tried to enforce a court order demanding that construction workers be allowed access to the land. Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and their supporters refused to move. In a series of confrontations at various protester camps, the RCMP arrested more than two dozen people.
"They came in with armed forces to remove peaceful people that are doing the right thing at the right time for the right reasons," Na'Mok, one of the chiefs, told NPR. "We're protecting the land, the air, the water, our rights and title as hereditary chiefs, and we're exercising our jurisdiction."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is traveling in Africa, waded into the dispute on Wednesday, calling for both sides to work toward a quick resolution.
"We recognize the important democratic right — and will always defend it — of peaceful protest," Trudeau said during a news conference in Senegal. "But we are also a country of the rule of law, and we need to make sure those laws are respected."
In a letter to indigenous leaders, Trudeau said his government "has been clear that there is no more important relationship to me and to Canada than the one with Indigenous peoples."
Canada's transport minister, Marc Garneau, has called the rail blockade "illegal" and "dangerous."
Some 42,000 people who use the now-closed Montreal-Toronto-Ottawa triangle line's passenger service will be forced to find other means of travel, according to The Globe and Mail.
Canadian National Railway, which owns the tracks, said Thursday that it had been "forced to initiate a disciplined and progressive shutdown" of its freight service in Eastern Canada. The Via Rail passenger service said it would park all its trains until further notice, canceling service on more than 150 trains, the Globe and Mail reports.
The Alberta wheat and barley commissions said the rail disruptions had the potential to cause economic distress to farmers, who are facing difficult harvest conditions, according to CTV News.
"Delays will result in farmers being unable to deliver their grain, meaning they can't be paid at least until service resumes," Dave Bishop, chair of the barley commission, said according to CTV. "We are still recovering from the harvest from hell and need reliable grain movement in order to get back on track."
Russ Girling, the CEO of Calgary-based TC Energy, the same company in charge of the long-delayed Keystone XL oil pipeline project, said he was "extremely disappointed" that police had to be called in to enforce the court order in support of Coastal GasLink.
"[But] we will continue our efforts to attempt to engage with the hereditary chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en and Unist'ot'en in search of a peaceful long-term resolution that benefits all of the people in that community," Girling said.


npr--2020-02-16--1,100 Former DOJ Employees Call On Barr To Resign After Intervening In Stone Case

1,100 Former DOJ Employees Call On Barr To Resign After Intervening In Stone Case More than 1,100 former Department of Justice officials are calling on Attorney General William Barr to resign after his department lowered the prison sentence recommendation for Roger Stone , a longtime ally of President Trump , in a move that 's led to accusations of political interference .
In a letter released Sunday , the former DOJ officials , who have worked across Republican and Democratic administrations , wrote that Barr 's intervention in the Stone case has tarnished the department 's reputation .
`` Such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fair administration of justice , '' the former officials wrote .
`` In this nation , we are all equal before the law .
A person should not be given special treatment in a criminal prosecution because they are a close political ally of the President .
Governments that use the enormous power of law enforcement to punish their enemies and reward their allies are not constitutional republics ; they are autocracies . ''
On Monday , the U.S. Attorney 's Office in Washington had recommended a prison sentence of up to nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges including making false statements to Congress and witness tampering .
On Twitter , Trump said the sentencing recommendation amounted to `` a horrible and very unfair situation . ''
But then on Tuesday , the Justice Department intervened , ordering a new sentencing memo and calling for lighter punishment .
A senior DOJ official told NPR that officials were `` shocked '' at the original recommendation .
Four line prosecutors then quit the case .
The next day , Trump congratulated Barr on Twitter `` for taking charge '' of the Stone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's among the former DOJ officials who signed the letter , Barr 's behavior shatters a cardinal norm that has been in place for decades : that the Justice Department 's prosecutorial decisions should not be influenced by the White House .
Zebrak told NPR that Barr 's move `` sent shockwaves through the former DOJ alumni . ''
She added : `` We are all watching in a really rapid and terrifying way the undermining of the department and the diminishment of the rule of law .
We have to sort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can . ''
A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice declined to comment .
Stone is set to be sentenced on Thursday .
It will ultimately be up to U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson , who presiding over Stone 's trial , to hand down his punishment .
Barr has denied discussing with Trump the decision to intervene in the Stone case .
In an interview Thursday with ABC News , Barr took the exceedingly rare step of criticizing Trump as a sitting member of the president 's cabinet .
Barr said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeting , '' since the president 's commentary makes it `` impossible '' to do his job .
Justice Department officials did inform the White House about the interview before it aired , a person familiar with the matter told NPR .
Yet the hundreds of former DOJ officials admonished Barr for the appearance of carrying out a political favor for Trump .
`` Mr. Barr 's actions in doing the President 's personal bidding unfortunately speak louder than his words , '' the letter says .
The letter also asks current Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen as violating their oath of office , much like the `` heroic '' four prosecutors who withdrew from the Stone case .
Current DOJ staff , according to the former department officials , should `` be prepared to report future abuses '' to the Inspector General , the Office of Professional Responsibility and Congress .
`` We likewise call on the other branches of government to protect from retaliation those employees who uphold their oaths in the face of unlawful directives , '' the letter says .
`` The rule of law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing less . ''
The letter was organized by the nonprofit legal organization Protect Democracy , which in the past said that Trump 's conduct described in the Mueller report would be sufficient for felony charges for obstruction of justice .
Barr is scheduled to testify in front of the Democratic-controlled House Judiciary Committee on March 31 .

1,100 Former DOJ Employees Call On Barr To Resign After Intervening In Stone Case
Enlarge this image toggle caption Susan Walsh/AP Susan Walsh/AP
More than 1,100 former Department of Justice officials are calling on Attorney General William Barr to resign after his department lowered the prison sentence recommendation for Roger Stone, a longtime ally of President Trump, in a move that's led to accusations of political interference.
In a letter released Sunday, the former DOJ officials, who have worked across Republican and Democratic administrations, wrote that Barr's intervention in the Stone case has tarnished the department's reputation.
"Such behavior is a grave threat to the fair administration of justice," the former officials wrote. "In this nation, we are all equal before the law. A person should not be given special treatment in a criminal prosecution because they are a close political ally of the President. Governments that use the enormous power of law enforcement to punish their enemies and reward their allies are not constitutional republics; they are autocracies."
On Monday, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington had recommended a prison sentence of up to nine years for Stone's 2019 conviction on charges including making false statements to Congress and witness tampering.
On Twitter, Trump said the sentencing recommendation amounted to "a horrible and very unfair situation."
But then on Tuesday, the Justice Department intervened, ordering a new sentencing memo and calling for lighter punishment. A senior DOJ official told NPR that officials were "shocked" at the original recommendation.
Four line prosecutors then quit the case.
The next day, Trump congratulated Barr on Twitter "for taking charge" of the Stone case.
To Julie Zebrak, who's among the former DOJ officials who signed the letter, Barr's behavior shatters a cardinal norm that has been in place for decades: that the Justice Department's prosecutorial decisions should not be influenced by the White House.
Zebrak told NPR that Barr's move "sent shockwaves through the former DOJ alumni."
She added: "We are all watching in a really rapid and terrifying way the undermining of the department and the diminishment of the rule of law. We have to sort of speak up and speak out when we can."
A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice declined to comment.
Stone is set to be sentenced on Thursday. It will ultimately be up to U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who presiding over Stone's trial, to hand down his punishment.
Barr has denied discussing with Trump the decision to intervene in the Stone case. In an interview Thursday with ABC News, Barr took the exceedingly rare step of criticizing Trump as a sitting member of the president's cabinet. Barr said he would like Trump to "stop tweeting," since the president's commentary makes it "impossible" to do his job.
Justice Department officials did inform the White House about the interview before it aired, a person familiar with the matter told NPR.
Yet the hundreds of former DOJ officials admonished Barr for the appearance of carrying out a political favor for Trump.
"Mr. Barr's actions in doing the President's personal bidding unfortunately speak louder than his words," the letter says.
The letter also asks current Justice Department officials to push back against actions seen as violating their oath of office, much like the "heroic" four prosecutors who withdrew from the Stone case.
Current DOJ staff, according to the former department officials, should "be prepared to report future abuses" to the Inspector General, the Office of Professional Responsibility and Congress.
"We likewise call on the other branches of government to protect from retaliation those employees who uphold their oaths in the face of unlawful directives," the letter says. "The rule of law and the survival of our Republic demand nothing less."
The letter was organized by the nonprofit legal organization Protect Democracy, which in the past said that Trump's conduct described in the Mueller report would be sufficient for felony charges for obstruction of justice.
Barr is scheduled to testify in front of the Democratic-controlled House Judiciary Committee on March 31.
NPR's Ryan Lucas contributed to this report.


npr--2020-02-16--Pneumonia Forces Early End To Elton John Concert On His Farewell Tour

Pneumonia Forces Early End To Elton John Concert On His Farewell Tour Elton John had to end a concert in Auckland , New Zealand , early on Sunday after losing his voice .
He revealed on Instagram that he had been diagnosed with `` walking pneumonia , '' a less severe form of pneumonia .
`` I want to thank everyone who attended tonight 's gig in Auckland , '' he wrote .
`` I was diagnosed with walking pneumonia earlier today , but I was determined to give you the best show humanly possible .
I played and sang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could sing no more .
I 'm disappointed , deeply upset and sorry .
I gave it all I had .
Thank-you so much for your extraordinary support and all the love you showed me during tonight 's performance .
I am eternally grateful .
Love , Elton . ''
Video from fans in the audience showed John rising from the piano with outstretched arms and a disappointed look on his face .
He briefly appears to shed a few tears before being led off stage .
He warned the audience in advance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pneumonia this morning , '' John said , according to a review from the New Zealand Herald .
`` My voice is shot but I did n't want to miss this . ''
Despite his illness , John managed to soldier through nearly two hours of music , performing 15 of a 25-song playlist , according to the Herald 's count .
`` Walking pneumonia '' is a term for pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae , an `` atypical '' bacteria that often causes mild respiratory infections .
Symptoms include tiredness , sore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says .
Symptoms often appear over one to three weeks and most people recover without antibiotics , according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine .
Nearly three years ago , John had to cancel a run of shows in Las Vegas after contracting a bacterial infection .
He spent two nights in intensive care followed by an extended stay in a hospital in April 2017 .
John , 72 , is in the midst of his three-year farewell tour dubbed `` Farewell Yellow Brick Road .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from touring in early 2018 , saying he wanted to spend more time with his family .
`` It all changed with having children , '' John told NPR in October .
`` Ten years ago ...
I had nothing planned for the rest of my life except making music and touring , and then we had two fabulous little boys .
... And as much as I love playing , I want to be with my boys now .
This is the new part of my life . ''
Tickets are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New Zealand this week , with no decision yet on whether they will proceed as scheduled .

Pneumonia Forces Early End To Elton John Concert On His Farewell Tour
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kevin Winter/Getty Images Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Elton John had to end a concert in Auckland, New Zealand, early on Sunday after losing his voice.
He revealed on Instagram that he had been diagnosed with "walking pneumonia," a less severe form of pneumonia.
"I want to thank everyone who attended tonight's gig in Auckland," he wrote. "I was diagnosed with walking pneumonia earlier today, but I was determined to give you the best show humanly possible. I played and sang my heart out, until my voice could sing no more. I'm disappointed, deeply upset and sorry. I gave it all I had. Thank-you so much for your extraordinary support and all the love you showed me during tonight's performance. I am eternally grateful. Love, Elton."
Video from fans in the audience showed John rising from the piano with outstretched arms and a disappointed look on his face. He briefly appears to shed a few tears before being led off stage.
He warned the audience in advance: "I was diagnosed with walking pneumonia this morning," John said, according to a review from the New Zealand Herald. "My voice is shot but I didn't want to miss this."
Despite his illness, John managed to soldier through nearly two hours of music, performing 15 of a 25-song playlist, according to the Herald's count.
"Walking pneumonia" is a term for pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, an "atypical" bacteria that often causes mild respiratory infections. Symptoms include tiredness, sore throat, fever and cough, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Symptoms often appear over one to three weeks and most people recover without antibiotics, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Nearly three years ago, John had to cancel a run of shows in Las Vegas after contracting a bacterial infection. He spent two nights in intensive care followed by an extended stay in a hospital in April 2017.
John, 72, is in the midst of his three-year farewell tour dubbed "Farewell Yellow Brick Road."
He announced his intention to retire from touring in early 2018, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.
"It all changed with having children," John told NPR in October. "Ten years ago ... I had nothing planned for the rest of my life except making music and touring, and then we had two fabulous little boys. ... And as much as I love playing, I want to be with my boys now. This is the new part of my life."
Tickets are still available for two more Elton John concerts in New Zealand this week, with no decision yet on whether they will proceed as scheduled.


npr--2020-02-16--44 Americans On The Diamond Princess Cruise Ship Diagnosed With Coronavirus

44 Americans On The Diamond Princess Cruise Ship Diagnosed With Coronavirus Another 70 cases of the coronavirus infection have been confirmed aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship , currently quarantined in Japan , according to Japanese health officials .
This brings the total number of cases aboard the vessel as of Sunday to 355 , the largest confirmed cluster outside mainland China .
People with confirmed infections have been taken to hospitals in Japan .
After the ship 's two weeks of quarantine at sea , officials from various countries , including Canada , Italy , Hong Kong and South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extracting their citizens from the vessel .
The Diamond Princess is reported to have around 3,700 passengers and crew members .
About half the passengers are from Japan , according to Reuters .
Approximately 400 U.S. citizens are aboard the Diamond Princess .
According to Anthony Fauci , director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , 44 Americans on the cruise ship have been infected , though not all are sick .
The U.S. State Department has organized a charter flight to evacuate Americans as early as Sunday evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showing symptoms of infection with the virus will be allowed to return to the U.S. , where they will face two weeks of quarantine at military bases in California and Texas .
Americans who are sick will stay in Japan to be treated .
Those who are not infected are not required to board the U.S. chartered flight , but the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo has recommended that U.S. citizens get off the ship as soon as possible and take the chartered flight home .
`` We 're excited and relieved [ to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Montgomery , a passenger on the Diamond Princess , told NPR .
`` The fact that we 're going back to the United States to have a quarantine , we feel there 's a much better situation . ''
Montgomery is accompanied by his wife , Carol , who is also a U.S. citizen .
He told NPR that they both `` feel fine '' and are prepared to remain in quarantine after returning to the United States .
`` We understand why through an abundance of caution that an additional testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 're not bringing it back to the States , '' Montgomery told NPR .
The Diamond Princess , owned by Carnival Corp. , went into quarantine on Feb. 3 , after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus two weeks ago .
The ship is currently being held in the Japanese port of Yokohama near Tokyo .
Originally , Japan said that the quarantine would be over on Feb. 19 , but as more and more cases aboard the ship have been confirmed , local officials now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the COVID-19 virus will be released .
On Sunday , Japan reported six new cases of the coronavirus outside the Diamond Princess cluster .
This brings Japan 's total number of in-land infections to 59 , according to NHK , Japan 's public broadcaster .
In Hong Kong , the resumption of academic classes has been pushed back another month , while municipal workers will work from home for at least another week .
Classes were first suspended in January , when officials decided to extend the Lunar New Year holiday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been pushed back several times .
According to Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung , classes are now scheduled to resume on March 16 .
Meanwhile , another cruise ship , the MS Westerdam , reported its first coronavirus case on Sunday — an 83-year-old American woman who had been a passenger .
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail told reporters on Sunday that the passenger tested positive for the coronavirus twice after landing in Kuala Lumpur , the country 's capital .
The ship was thought to be free of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on Friday , after being turned away from five other ports in Japan , Taiwan , Guam , the Philippines and Thailand .
Passengers were screened by Cambodian health officials before they were allowed to disembark .
Now , authorities fear that other released passengers might also be infected , further spreading the virus .
Malaysian officials said the country will not allow any more passengers from the MS Westerdam to enter the country and has barred cruise ships that come from or make contact with any Chinese ports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Ministry , 145 passengers aboard the MS Westerdam flew to Malaysia after the ship docked in Cambodia .
The 83-year-old American woman and her husband , who is also an American citizen , were the only passengers to arrive in Malaysia who exhibited symptoms .
The woman is currently in stable condition and is being treated in a hospital isolation ward , according to Malaysian health officials .
Her husband , who is 85 years old , has tested negative for the virus but is still being monitored for changes in condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , showed 68,500 cases of COVID-19 and 1,665 deaths , mostly in Hubei province , according to China 's National Health Commission .
Last week , the U.S. Embassy in China confirmed the first American coronavirus casualty , a 60-year-old who died at a hospital in Wuhan , China .
There are currently 15 cases of people with the COVID-19 virus in the United States , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
A World Health Organization delegation is currently in China to help investigate the country 's coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Sunday .
According to another tweet by Tedros , an advance team for the delegation left for China on Feb. 9 .
The team is led by Bruce Aylward , a Canadian epidemiologist and emergencies expert .

44 Americans On The Diamond Princess Cruise Ship Diagnosed With Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jae C. Hong/AP Jae C. Hong/AP
Another 70 cases of the coronavirus infection have been confirmed aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, currently quarantined in Japan, according to Japanese health officials.
This brings the total number of cases aboard the vessel as of Sunday to 355, the largest confirmed cluster outside mainland China. People with confirmed infections have been taken to hospitals in Japan.
After the ship's two weeks of quarantine at sea, officials from various countries, including Canada, Italy, Hong Kong and South Korea, are in the process of extracting their citizens from the vessel. The Diamond Princess is reported to have around 3,700 passengers and crew members. About half the passengers are from Japan, according to Reuters.
Approximately 400 U.S. citizens are aboard the Diamond Princess. According to Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 44 Americans on the cruise ship have been infected, though not all are sick.
The U.S. State Department has organized a charter flight to evacuate Americans as early as Sunday evening. Only those who are not currently showing symptoms of infection with the virus will be allowed to return to the U.S., where they will face two weeks of quarantine at military bases in California and Texas.
Americans who are sick will stay in Japan to be treated. Those who are not infected are not required to board the U.S. chartered flight, but the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo has recommended that U.S. citizens get off the ship as soon as possible and take the chartered flight home.
"We're excited and relieved [to return to the U.S.]," John Montgomery, a passenger on the Diamond Princess, told NPR. "The fact that we're going back to the United States to have a quarantine, we feel there's a much better situation."
Montgomery is accompanied by his wife, Carol, who is also a U.S. citizen. He told NPR that they both "feel fine" and are prepared to remain in quarantine after returning to the United States.
"We understand why through an abundance of caution that an additional testing and evaluation and quarantine would guarantee that we're not bringing it back to the States," Montgomery told NPR.
The Diamond Princess, owned by Carnival Corp., went into quarantine on Feb. 3, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus two weeks ago.
The ship is currently being held in the Japanese port of Yokohama near Tokyo. Originally, Japan said that the quarantine would be over on Feb. 19, but as more and more cases aboard the ship have been confirmed, local officials now say that only people who test negative for the COVID-19 virus will be released.
On Sunday, Japan reported six new cases of the coronavirus outside the Diamond Princess cluster. This brings Japan's total number of in-land infections to 59, according to NHK, Japan's public broadcaster.
In Hong Kong, the resumption of academic classes has been pushed back another month, while municipal workers will work from home for at least another week. Classes were first suspended in January, when officials decided to extend the Lunar New Year holiday. Since then, the return date has been pushed back several times. According to Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, classes are now scheduled to resume on March 16.
Meanwhile, another cruise ship, the MS Westerdam, reported its first coronavirus case on Sunday — an 83-year-old American woman who had been a passenger. Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail told reporters on Sunday that the passenger tested positive for the coronavirus twice after landing in Kuala Lumpur, the country's capital.
The ship was thought to be free of the virus when it docked in the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on Friday, after being turned away from five other ports in Japan, Taiwan, Guam, the Philippines and Thailand. Passengers were screened by Cambodian health officials before they were allowed to disembark. Now, authorities fear that other released passengers might also be infected, further spreading the virus.
Malaysian officials said the country will not allow any more passengers from the MS Westerdam to enter the country and has barred cruise ships that come from or make contact with any Chinese ports from docking.
According to the Malaysian Health Ministry, 145 passengers aboard the MS Westerdam flew to Malaysia after the ship docked in Cambodia. The 83-year-old American woman and her husband, who is also an American citizen, were the only passengers to arrive in Malaysia who exhibited symptoms.
The woman is currently in stable condition and is being treated in a hospital isolation ward, according to Malaysian health officials. Her husband, who is 85 years old, has tested negative for the virus but is still being monitored for changes in condition.
Figures from China, released on Sunday, showed 68,500 cases of COVID-19 and 1,665 deaths, mostly in Hubei province, according to China's National Health Commission.
Last week, the U.S. Embassy in China confirmed the first American coronavirus casualty, a 60-year-old who died at a hospital in Wuhan, China. There are currently 15 cases of people with the COVID-19 virus in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A World Health Organization delegation is currently in China to help investigate the country's coronavirus epidemic, according to a tweet posted by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Sunday.
According to another tweet by Tedros, an advance team for the delegation left for China on Feb. 9. The team is led by Bruce Aylward, a Canadian epidemiologist and emergencies expert.
NPR's Joe Palca contributed to this report.


npr--2020-02-16--Officials: Mississippi Flooding Remains 'Precarious,' And Can 'Turn At Any Moment'

Officials : Mississippi Flooding Remains 'Precarious , ' And Can 'Turn At Any Moment' Forecasters in Mississippi are bracing for what could be one of the most devastating floods in the state 's history , as days of heavy downpours stoke fears that a river in the state capital of Jackson will continue to swell beyond its banks and threaten the homes of thousands of people .
Flooding has already began to ripple across parts of Jackson and surrounding areas , and state and federal officials are working to contain the severity of the flooding in the face of additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mississippi Gov .
Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency Saturday , and officials have been releasing water from a local reservoir , which was approaching capacity , in order to reduce downstream flooding and allow residents more time to seek shelter .
Torrential rain has given way to sunny conditions and clear skies in central Mississippi , but Reeves warned residents in low-lying areas not to assume the flooding risk has passed .
`` Do not let that lull you into a false sense of hope , '' Reeves said at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The flooding has not receded , '' he said .
While officials saw hope in water levels rising slower than expected in the past 24 hours , there remains a real possibility of flooding suddenly worsening .
Emergency officials are keeping their eyes on the forecast later this week of several inches of rain between Tuesday and Thursday , which could make flooding more acute .
`` This is a precarious situation that can turn at any moment , '' Reeves said .
`` It will be days before we 're out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recede . ''
On Sunday morning , the Pearl River stood at 36.5 feet , and forecasters say it is expected to climb to a peak of 37.5 feet .
If current prediction models hold , the river in Jackson will crest some time Monday morning .
Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for parts of Jackson and the northern suburb of Ridgeland , with law enforcement going door to door to enforce the evacuation in some areas .
All told , about 1,000 homes are expected to be impacted by flooding , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` If you 're in an affected area , you do need to make preparations now during daylight hours and evacuate , '' said Mississippi Emergency Management Agency director Greg Michel .
Officials have set up emergency shelters for residents displaced from the flooding .
Authorities said it appeared as if most residents were heeding the orders to seek higher ground .
In addition to releasing water from the local reservoir to control flooding , officials have distributed nearly 146,000 sandbags throughout central Mississippi and barricades have been installed along interstates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four assisted evacuations of residents who were stranded due to the flooding .
No injuries or deaths have been reported .
Reeves said residents in flooded communities should stay away from their homes until state officials lift the evacuation orders .
`` It will probably take three to four days before we see significant declines , '' Reeves said , adding that officials expect several inches of rain between midday Tuesday and Wednesday evening .
The expected inundation could be the worst flooding in Jackson since 1983 , when the Pearl River rose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was set in 1979 , which saw the river crest at 43.28 feet , according to the National Weather Service .
`` This will be the third-highest the Pearl River has ever been in Mississippi , '' Reeves said .

Officials: Mississippi Flooding Remains 'Precarious,' And Can 'Turn At Any Moment'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rogelio V. Solis/AP Rogelio V. Solis/AP
Forecasters in Mississippi are bracing for what could be one of the most devastating floods in the state's history, as days of heavy downpours stoke fears that a river in the state capital of Jackson will continue to swell beyond its banks and threaten the homes of thousands of people.
Flooding has already began to ripple across parts of Jackson and surrounding areas, and state and federal officials are working to contain the severity of the flooding in the face of additional rainfall expected in the days ahead.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency Saturday, and officials have been releasing water from a local reservoir, which was approaching capacity, in order to reduce downstream flooding and allow residents more time to seek shelter.
Torrential rain has given way to sunny conditions and clear skies in central Mississippi, but Reeves warned residents in low-lying areas not to assume the flooding risk has passed.
"Do not let that lull you into a false sense of hope," Reeves said at a press conference on Sunday morning. "The flooding has not receded," he said.
While officials saw hope in water levels rising slower than expected in the past 24 hours, there remains a real possibility of flooding suddenly worsening.
Emergency officials are keeping their eyes on the forecast later this week of several inches of rain between Tuesday and Thursday, which could make flooding more acute.
"This is a precarious situation that can turn at any moment," Reeves said. "It will be days before we're out of the woods and the water starts to recede."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rogelio V. Solis/AP Rogelio V. Solis/AP
On Sunday morning, the Pearl River stood at 36.5 feet, and forecasters say it is expected to climb to a peak of 37.5 feet.
If current prediction models hold, the river in Jackson will crest some time Monday morning.
Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for parts of Jackson and the northern suburb of Ridgeland, with law enforcement going door to door to enforce the evacuation in some areas.
All told, about 1,000 homes are expected to be impacted by flooding, affecting up to 3,000 people, Reeves said.
"If you're in an affected area, you do need to make preparations now during daylight hours and evacuate," said Mississippi Emergency Management Agency director Greg Michel.
Officials have set up emergency shelters for residents displaced from the flooding. Authorities said it appeared as if most residents were heeding the orders to seek higher ground.
In addition to releasing water from the local reservoir to control flooding, officials have distributed nearly 146,000 sandbags throughout central Mississippi and barricades have been installed along interstates under threat.
Emergency officials have conducted four assisted evacuations of residents who were stranded due to the flooding.
No injuries or deaths have been reported.
Reeves said residents in flooded communities should stay away from their homes until state officials lift the evacuation orders.
"It will probably take three to four days before we see significant declines," Reeves said, adding that officials expect several inches of rain between midday Tuesday and Wednesday evening.
The expected inundation could be the worst flooding in Jackson since 1983, when the Pearl River rose to 39.58 feet. The all-time record was set in 1979, which saw the river crest at 43.28 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
"This will be the third-highest the Pearl River has ever been in Mississippi," Reeves said.


npr--2020-02-16--Amid Climate And Housing Crises, Cities Struggle To Place Housing Near Transit

Amid Climate And Housing Crises , Cities Struggle To Place Housing Near Transit Redlands , Calif. , is known for its orange groves , its Victorian homes , and its small-town feel .
Sixty miles east of Los Angeles , the city is home to about 75,000 people .
But that number is expected to get a lot bigger .
`` Redlands is already changing , '' says Mayor Paul Foster , `` and this is just more of the future that 's coming . ''
He 's referring to a few sweeping changes coming to Redlands : an increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ train that will connect Redlands to the much-larger cities of San Bernardino and Los Angeles to the west .
The train uses zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell technology , which Foster says is good for the environment .
San Bernardino County already has some of the worst air quality in the nation .
`` The core intention of transit-oriented development is to reduce the carbon footprint , '' he says .
`` It 's to get people out of their vehicles and to walk . ''
To that end , he and the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which would exempt three `` transit villages '' around the city 's three upcoming rail stations from Redlands ' old slow-growth rules .
The new measure would lift current limitations on height and density within the transit villages , effectively allowing unlimited height apartment buildings and condos in a city where residential buildings are generally limited to two stories , or 35 feet .
The mayor has said he would eventually impose a new height limitation — about four stories — but that 's not part of the measure before voters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think that it will really change Redlands forever .
And we 'll never be able to get it back , '' says resident Lane Schneider .
Schneider worries that if passed , Measure G gives all future city councils authority to approve what are sometimes called `` stack-and-pack '' apartments of unlimited height .
According to Schneider , that would completely change the character and nature of the city .
`` One of the things that most people have said about Redlands over the years is it 's a city with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we pass Measure G , that will change , '' says Schneider .
Genevieve Giuliano , a professor of urban planning at the University of Southern California , says this debate over transit-oriented development changing the character of a small city is not new .
`` It 's very hard to change existing communities , especially when they 're affluent and people are very active politically , '' Giuliano says .
`` It 's a challenge . ''
Giuliano also says there 's also a limit to what transit-oriented development can do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades it 's been touted as the end-all solution to congestion , air pollution , and now , climate change .
`` None of those things were solved , or are going to be solved by transit-oriented development , '' she says .
Still , many small but growing cities around the country are trying to manage growth responsibly by placing housing near public transportation .
And , transit-oriented development does have an effect on greenhouse gas emissions .
A study of the Chicago metropolitan region by the Center for Neighborhood Technology found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of public transportation and outside of downtown had 43 % lower emissions than those not located by transit .
That number increased to 78 % lower emissions for households located downtown and near transit .
But Giuliano says that 's for a big city , and it may not translate to Redlands .
For example , she says , `` [ a ] transit-oriented development in Washington , D.C. , is something very different from a transit-oriented development in Redlands . ''
That 's why people question whether development of multi-story condos and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transportation hubs will actually get residents to leave their cars in smaller cities such as Redlands .
`` It really depends on the attractiveness of the transit system itself , '' Giuliano says .
`` How well can you get around on that transit system , that 's what 's really important . ''

Amid Climate And Housing Crises, Cities Struggle To Place Housing Near Transit
Enlarge this image toggle caption Benjamin Purper/KVCR Benjamin Purper/KVCR
Redlands, Calif., is known for its orange groves, its Victorian homes, and its small-town feel. Sixty miles east of Los Angeles, the city is home to about 75,000 people. But that number is expected to get a lot bigger.
"Redlands is already changing," says Mayor Paul Foster, "and this is just more of the future that's coming."
He's referring to a few sweeping changes coming to Redlands: an increased population and the arrival of a new train that will connect Redlands to the much-larger cities of San Bernardino and Los Angeles to the west.
The train uses zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell technology, which Foster says is good for the environment. San Bernardino County already has some of the worst air quality in the nation.
"The core intention of transit-oriented development is to reduce the carbon footprint," he says. "It's to get people out of their vehicles and to walk."
To that end, he and the city council have floated something called Measure G, which would exempt three "transit villages" around the city's three upcoming rail stations from Redlands' old slow-growth rules.
The new measure would lift current limitations on height and density within the transit villages, effectively allowing unlimited height apartment buildings and condos in a city where residential buildings are generally limited to two stories, or 35 feet.
The mayor has said he would eventually impose a new height limitation — about four stories — but that's not part of the measure before voters in state's March 3 primary.
"I think that it will really change Redlands forever. And we'll never be able to get it back," says resident Lane Schneider.
Schneider worries that if passed, Measure G gives all future city councils authority to approve what are sometimes called "stack-and-pack" apartments of unlimited height.
Enlarge this image toggle caption City of Redlands City of Redlands
According to Schneider, that would completely change the character and nature of the city.
"One of the things that most people have said about Redlands over the years is it's a city with a small-town atmosphere, and I think that if we pass Measure G, that will change," says Schneider.
Changing a city's character
Genevieve Giuliano, a professor of urban planning at the University of Southern California, says this debate over transit-oriented development changing the character of a small city is not new.
"It's very hard to change existing communities, especially when they're affluent and people are very active politically," Giuliano says. "It's a challenge."
Giuliano also says there's also a limit to what transit-oriented development can do. She says in the last several decades it's been touted as the end-all solution to congestion, air pollution, and now, climate change.
"None of those things were solved, or are going to be solved by transit-oriented development," she says.
National U.S. Cities Look To Mexico City's Bus System As Possible Model U.S. Cities Look To Mexico City's Bus System As Possible Model Listen · 3:32 3:32
Still, many small but growing cities around the country are trying to manage growth responsibly by placing housing near public transportation. And, transit-oriented development does have an effect on greenhouse gas emissions.
A study of the Chicago metropolitan region by the Center for Neighborhood Technology found that households living within a half mile of public transportation and outside of downtown had 43% lower emissions than those not located by transit. That number increased to 78% lower emissions for households located downtown and near transit.
But Giuliano says that's for a big city, and it may not translate to Redlands. For example, she says, "[a] transit-oriented development in Washington, D.C., is something very different from a transit-oriented development in Redlands."
That's why people question whether development of multi-story condos and apartments buildings near walkable shopping areas and transportation hubs will actually get residents to leave their cars in smaller cities such as Redlands.
"It really depends on the attractiveness of the transit system itself," Giuliano says. "How well can you get around on that transit system, that's what's really important."


npr--2020-02-16--Fact-Checking 'Contagion' — In Wake Of Coronavirus, The 2011 Movie Is Trending

Fact-Checking 'Contagion ' — In Wake Of Coronavirus , The 2011 Movie Is Trending The current top-trending movie rentals and purchases were all released within the last few months with one notable exception : Contagion , the Gwyneth Paltrow-starring film from 2011 about a worldwide virus outbreak that starts in Hong Kong .
The thriller , in which — spoiler alert — Paltrow dies four days after contracting the virus but not before unleashing it around the world and causing millions of deaths , has been as high as No .
10 among films rented or bought on iTunes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ similarities between the movie plot and what 's happening now , '' wrote one user ) could be fueling the renewed interest .
Google searches with the film 's name have skyrocketed since early 2020 , when news of the novel coronavirus broke .
The movie indeed has some similarities to the current coronavirus outbreak .
Like the novel coronavirus , which causes the disease now called COVID-19 , the movie virus jumped from animals to people .
But there are also a lot of differences .
The imaginary Contagion disease kills over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ magnitude beyond the estimated 2 % or so death rate in the current outbreak .
Scott Burns , the screenwriter of Contagion , wrote in an email to NPR that the filmmakers wanted to tell the story of a `` plausible '' outbreak — `` not a Hollywood exaggeration . ''
`` We were trying to tell a story that was credible within the boundaries of scientific understanding , but also illuminate how our world might respond — that is why the poster of the movie says 'nothing spreads like fear , ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film is not a documentary , which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pointed out when the movie was released , it does have scientific content — sometimes accurate , sometimes not — about viral outbreaks .
So we asked some specialists in global health and infectious diseases to fact-check the movie 's science .
The movie saves the origin story of its virus for the last two minutes , when it shows a bulldozer razing trees where bats live to construct a pen for pigs .
Once the pigs are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drops a piece of banana that it 's eating , which a pig then consumes .
A virus carried by the bat mixes with a pig virus and mutates .
A chef preps a presumably infected pig , puts his hand in its mouth and then without having washed up goes on to shake hands with Paltrow 's character , transferring the virus to her .
Our experts think it 's a realistic story — so realistic that Rebecca Katz , director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film 's ending to the students in her class on emerging infectious diseases .
`` I show the last few minutes of Contagion to my class , to show the interconnectedness between animals , the environment and humans , '' Katz says .
`` If you cut down trees , it changes the behavior of bats .
The bats interact with swine , [ which are ] being raised for consumption , and humans then interact with infected swine as part of food preparations .
This is just one example of how an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humans , '' she adds .
Glenn Wortmann , head of infectious diseases at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington , D.C. , agrees : `` The film presents a plausible series of events '' based on what we know about how viruses can possibly jump from animals to humans .
When an outbreak is suspected in the movie , the CDC dispatches trained foot soldiers from the Epidemic Intelligence Service to outbreak areas to try to identify people with this new infectious disease , and it sets in motion disease control protocols @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a real organization , and the movie 's depiction of its staff earns praise for accuracy from the specialists we interviewed .
The public health officials in the film identify potential cases and clusters of people with similar symptoms , track where those people had traveled , trace people in contact with those infected individuals and isolate the sick and exposed .
`` This is very consistent with standard epidemiologic principles and practices , '' says Theresa Madaline , the health care epidemiologist at the Montefiore Health System in New York City , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sense of urgency '' in identifying and properly responding to any emerging pathogen .
`` What is accurate is the professionalism and devotion of staff in the EIS at CDC , '' says William Hanage , associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health .
`` These people are tireless , and I 'm truly honored that several of my former students went on to serve in EIS .
It 's also not an especially glamorous job , for all its importance , and Kate Winslet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Winslet 's epidemiologist character , who works for EIS , becomes ill in the field early in the outbreak and is treated at a mass infirmary where the number of patients has overwhelmed resources . )
How does a new virus spread ?
`` Fomite '' is not an often-heard vocabulary word , but it 's spoken in the movie — and it 's a critical term in the lingo of epidemiologists as they assess an outbreak 's potential to spread .
The term refers to an object that , if touched by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pathogens that the person is carrying and pass them on to a new individual .
The movie does a good job explaining what a fomite is , says Wortmann .
`` I think the movie highlighted various 'touch points ' which can serve as fomites , '' he says — for example , a touch screen for orders in a restaurant , which was touched by Paltrow 's server after handling Paltrow 's credit card , and an elementary school door touched by Paltrow 's son .
`` All those surfaces harbored viruses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whomever else touches that surface , '' says Wortmann , `` which highlights the need to wash one 's hands . ''
But the speed of transmission and some of the pathways shown were not fully accurate , notes epidemiologist Madaline .
For example , the film hints that on the day Paltrow contracts the virus , she visits a casino , blows on dice and touches a bowl of nuts , which become `` fomites '' that spread the virus to others .
Our experts say Paltrow would n't necessarily be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ becoming infected .
`` It would take some period of time — at least days — for her to shed the virus from her respiratory tract or saliva , '' says Madaline .
Before transmission can occur , says Amesh Adalja , senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and a volunteer spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America , a virus that has entered cells in the body needs to make so many copies of itself that it reaches a threshold that activates the immune system to initiate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus in China , he says , the period of time before transmission is possible is looking like five to six days .
Taking precautions against contracting a virus is critical for health care providers and lab workers .
Madaline notes that `` in some scenes , '' the health care workers in the movie `` wore personal protective equipment , which is what we normally do when caring for a patient who has a potentially transmissible disease . ''
But in other instances , that 's not the case .
A nun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wears only gloves and a mask as protective garb .
That 's also how Winslet 's epidemiologist character protects herself early in the movie , when she rushes to find an infected person she has ordered to get off a bus .
Wortmann notes that `` with a large outbreak , it would be difficult for all health care workers to [ completely ] maintain appropriate infection prevention measures , and I think the film recognizes those gaps . ''
The film shows some virus victims buried in mass graves .
Madaline says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak settings when the ability to promptly bury the deceased exceeds morgue and funeral home capabilities or when burial itself is a high-risk activity for disease transmission . ''
Indeed , during the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and during the current outbreak in Congo , burial practices have changed because the body of someone who dies of Ebola is highly contagious .
The way vaccine development was portrayed in the film was not terribly realistic , says Madaline .
The scientist testing vaccine candidates in primates in the film inoculates herself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says that physician Barry Marshall inoculated himself with Helicobacter pylori to prove it was the cause of gastric ulcers and won a Nobel Prize for his work in 2005 .
While this is true of Marshall , `` the same action for vaccine development would not be effective or safe , '' says Madaline .
`` Efficacy and safety of vaccines must be established in multiple people , not just one person . ''
At a couple of points in Contagion , epidemiologists in the film discuss what the virus ' `` R @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reproductive rate , is .
R refers to the average number of people infected by one sick person , and the R in Contagion climbs as the film progresses .
The very fact that the movie script mentions the R factor is a plus , say the specialists .
`` The current outbreak has hopefully helped people understand the concept of R a little better , '' says Hanage .
`` Folks should be able to understand that if people start trying to take precautions to avoid transmission , '' he says , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did for SARS , which is how it was defeated . ''
What worked ?
Hanage says hand hygiene , greater awareness of the risk of infection and making sure people took steps to avoid transmission to others if they did fall ill. Fran Kritz is a health policy reporter based in Washington , D.C .
Her work has appeared in The Washington Post and Kaiser Health News .
Find her on Twitter : @ fkritz .

Fact-Checking 'Contagion' — In Wake Of Coronavirus, The 2011 Movie Is Trending
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The current top-trending movie rentals and purchases were all released within the last few months with one notable exception: Contagion, the Gwyneth Paltrow-starring film from 2011 about a worldwide virus outbreak that starts in Hong Kong.
The thriller, in which — spoiler alert — Paltrow dies four days after contracting the virus but not before unleashing it around the world and causing millions of deaths, has been as high as No. 10 among films rented or bought on iTunes. Chatter on Twitter ("So many similarities between the movie plot and what's happening now," wrote one user) could be fueling the renewed interest. Google searches with the film's name have skyrocketed since early 2020, when news of the novel coronavirus broke.
The movie indeed has some similarities to the current coronavirus outbreak. Like the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease now called COVID-19, the movie virus jumped from animals to people. But there are also a lot of differences. The imaginary Contagion disease kills over 20% of those infected, a magnitude beyond the estimated 2% or so death rate in the current outbreak.
Scott Burns, the screenwriter of Contagion, wrote in an email to NPR that the filmmakers wanted to tell the story of a "plausible" outbreak — "not a Hollywood exaggeration."
"We were trying to tell a story that was credible within the boundaries of scientific understanding, but also illuminate how our world might respond — that is why the poster of the movie says 'nothing spreads like fear,' " he adds.
Even though the film is not a documentary, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pointed out when the movie was released, it does have scientific content — sometimes accurate, sometimes not — about viral outbreaks. So we asked some specialists in global health and infectious diseases to fact-check the movie's science.
Birth of an outbreak
The movie saves the origin story of its virus for the last two minutes, when it shows a bulldozer razing trees where bats live to construct a pen for pigs. Once the pigs are in place, a bat flies over and drops a piece of banana that it's eating, which a pig then consumes. A virus carried by the bat mixes with a pig virus and mutates. A chef preps a presumably infected pig, puts his hand in its mouth and then without having washed up goes on to shake hands with Paltrow's character, transferring the virus to her.
Our experts think it's a realistic story — so realistic that Rebecca Katz, director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University, says she often shows the film's ending to the students in her class on emerging infectious diseases.
"I show the last few minutes of Contagion to my class, to show the interconnectedness between animals, the environment and humans," Katz says.
"If you cut down trees, it changes the behavior of bats. The bats interact with swine, [which are] being raised for consumption, and humans then interact with infected swine as part of food preparations. This is just one example of how an emerging infectious disease can jump species into humans," she adds.
Glenn Wortmann, head of infectious diseases at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., agrees: "The film presents a plausible series of events" based on what we know about how viruses can possibly jump from animals to humans.
Finding infected people
When an outbreak is suspected in the movie, the CDC dispatches trained foot soldiers from the Epidemic Intelligence Service to outbreak areas to try to identify people with this new infectious disease, and it sets in motion disease control protocols to stem the outbreak. EIS is a real organization, and the movie's depiction of its staff earns praise for accuracy from the specialists we interviewed. The public health officials in the film identify potential cases and clusters of people with similar symptoms, track where those people had traveled, trace people in contact with those infected individuals and isolate the sick and exposed.
"This is very consistent with standard epidemiologic principles and practices," says Theresa Madaline, the health care epidemiologist at the Montefiore Health System in New York City, who notes that there is "always a sense of urgency" in identifying and properly responding to any emerging pathogen.
"What is accurate is the professionalism and devotion of staff in the EIS at CDC," says William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "These people are tireless, and I'm truly honored that several of my former students went on to serve in EIS. It's also not an especially glamorous job, for all its importance, and Kate Winslet's portrayal captures that." (Winslet's epidemiologist character, who works for EIS, becomes ill in the field early in the outbreak and is treated at a mass infirmary where the number of patients has overwhelmed resources.)
How does a new virus spread?
"Fomite" is not an often-heard vocabulary word, but it's spoken in the movie — and it's a critical term in the lingo of epidemiologists as they assess an outbreak's potential to spread.
The term refers to an object that, if touched by an infected person, can harbor the pathogens that the person is carrying and pass them on to a new individual. The movie does a good job explaining what a fomite is, says Wortmann.
"I think the movie highlighted various 'touch points' which can serve as fomites," he says — for example, a touch screen for orders in a restaurant, which was touched by Paltrow's server after handling Paltrow's credit card, and an elementary school door touched by Paltrow's son.
"All those surfaces harbored viruses, which can then be passed to whomever else touches that surface," says Wortmann, "which highlights the need to wash one's hands."
But the speed of transmission and some of the pathways shown were not fully accurate, notes epidemiologist Madaline. For example, the film hints that on the day Paltrow contracts the virus, she visits a casino, blows on dice and touches a bowl of nuts, which become "fomites" that spread the virus to others.
Our experts say Paltrow wouldn't necessarily be able to transmit the virus that quickly after becoming infected. "It would take some period of time — at least days — for her to shed the virus from her respiratory tract or saliva," says Madaline.
Before transmission can occur, says Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and a volunteer spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America, a virus that has entered cells in the body needs to make so many copies of itself that it reaches a threshold that activates the immune system to initiate coughing and sneezing.
For the novel coronavirus in China, he says, the period of time before transmission is possible is looking like five to six days.
Infection control for health workers
Taking precautions against contracting a virus is critical for health care providers and lab workers. Madaline notes that "in some scenes," the health care workers in the movie "wore personal protective equipment, which is what we normally do when caring for a patient who has a potentially transmissible disease."
But in other instances, that's not the case. A nun caring for patients at an airport infirmary wears only gloves and a mask as protective garb. That's also how Winslet's epidemiologist character protects herself early in the movie, when she rushes to find an infected person she has ordered to get off a bus.
Wortmann notes that "with a large outbreak, it would be difficult for all health care workers to [completely] maintain appropriate infection prevention measures, and I think the film recognizes those gaps."
Burial
The film shows some virus victims buried in mass graves. Madaline says such "graves could be used in outbreak settings when the ability to promptly bury the deceased exceeds morgue and funeral home capabilities or when burial itself is a high-risk activity for disease transmission." Indeed, during the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and during the current outbreak in Congo, burial practices have changed because the body of someone who dies of Ebola is highly contagious.
Vaccine development
The way vaccine development was portrayed in the film was not terribly realistic, says Madaline. The scientist testing vaccine candidates in primates in the film inoculates herself to prove the vaccine works — and says that physician Barry Marshall inoculated himself with Helicobacter pylori to prove it was the cause of gastric ulcers and won a Nobel Prize for his work in 2005.
While this is true of Marshall, "the same action for vaccine development would not be effective or safe," says Madaline. "Efficacy and safety of vaccines must be established in multiple people, not just one person."
Infection rate
At a couple of points in Contagion, epidemiologists in the film discuss what the virus' "R 0 " (pronounced R-naught), or reproductive rate, is. R 0 refers to the average number of people infected by one sick person, and the R 0 in Contagion climbs as the film progresses.
The very fact that the movie script mentions the R 0 factor is a plus, say the specialists. "The current outbreak has hopefully helped people understand the concept of R 0 a little better," says Hanage. "Folks should be able to understand that if people start trying to take precautions to avoid transmission," he says, "this number might decrease as it did for SARS, which is how it was defeated."
What worked? Hanage says hand hygiene, greater awareness of the risk of infection and making sure people took steps to avoid transmission to others if they did fall ill.
Fran Kritz is a health policy reporter based in Washington, D.C. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post and Kaiser Health News. Find her on Twitter: @fkritz.