npr--2020-09-29--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak Yesterday the world marked a tragic milestone : 1 million deaths from COVID-19 .
That 's according to a tally maintained by Johns Hopkins University .
And public health experts believe the actual toll – the recorded deaths plus the unrecorded deaths – is much higher .
While the number of cases has slowed in many countries that were hit hard early on by coronavirus , the number of new cases continues to increase .
Since early July , new daily cases averaged over 200,000 worldwide .
Explore the chart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new and total cases since January .
At over 6 million cases , the United States leads the world 's COVID-19 crisis .
In late spring and early summer , new COVID-19 cases were largely driven by cases in the Americas .
While the U.S. has consistently had the most new daily cases of coronavirus in the region , Brazil 's new daily cases increased rapidly between May and August .
However , in September , several countries that had previously flattened their curve saw a resurgence in cases , including Spain and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts have risen swiftly since June , without signs of slowing down .
Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time .
The first chart compares each continent to each other , while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region .
To compare country outbreaks , the chart below graphs trend lines for average new daily cases and deaths against each country 's totals to date .
This type of visualization highlights a state 's daily growth or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In countries like Israel , which is seeing a second wave of case growth after an initial wave in April , the line forms a V-shape , as the initially bent curve spikes upwards again .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on March 30 , @ @

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Editor's note: This page is no longer being updated.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.
Loading...
Loading...
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.
Loading...
Loading...
This story was originally published on March 30, 2020.


npr--2020-09-29--When Young People Get COVID-19, Infections Soon Rise Among Older Adults

When Young People Get COVID-19 , Infections Soon Rise Among Older Adults Young adults are driving coronavirus infections in the U.S. , and are likely spreading the virus to older , more vulnerable populations , according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic , older adults were more likely to get infected , but when researchers analyzed cases from June to August , they found that people in their 20s accounted for the largest share of confirmed cases compared to other age groups .
And public health experts say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This group is going to continue to transmit a lot of virus , '' says Mike Osterholm , director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota .
The CDC report confirmed what many public health experts have long warned : Infections in young adults lead to infections in older people who are much more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID-19 than people in their 20s and 30s .
In Southern states over the summer , rising infections in young adults preceded increases in COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among people over the age of 60 .
`` They are mobile , they have contact with those who are older , and we 're going to see that spillover occur more and more as we get into the fall , '' Osterholm says .
The spread among young adults is partly a reflection of how states reopened at the end of the spring , says Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo , chair of the department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California , San Francisco .
`` We asked older people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at risk , and we opened the economies and asked younger people to go out and work , '' Bibbins-Domingo says .
`` We also know it was summer time , people wanted to be out and socializing again , '' she adds .
Young people are more likely to hang out in groups , go to bars and restaurants — all the behavior that keeps this virus circulating .
U.S. cases dropped off significantly at the end of the summer , but many communities with colleges and universities are now seeing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to campus .
North Dakota has the highest rate of new cases per capita in the country , with many cases concentrated around colleges and universities .
And last week , Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers declared a public health emergency because of `` near-exponential growth '' of cases , much of it linked to a steep rise in 18- to 24-year-olds getting infected .
`` We were heading in a good direction , but that changed in early September , '' says Katarina Grande , who oversees the data team at the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Wis. , and Dane County , Wis. Cases in her county more than tripled during the first half of this month , compared to the end of August .
Most of those new infections are tied to the University of Wisconsin-Madison .
Grande says her agency is now tracking an increase in cases in the broader community , which could be an early sign that the campus outbreak is seeding new infections throughout the area .
In California , people under 35-years-old made up half of all new cases by late July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease epidemiologist and former director of the University of California 's HIV/AIDS Research Program .
`` That did decline somewhat over time , but still remains fairly high , '' Lemp says .
Lemp , who has tracked this trend for months , says infections were already popping up around universities in the summer because students were in session or living near campus .
The question plaguing campuses and college towns is what to do about it .
`` We know it 's not effective to yell at college students and tell them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decisions to gather and have parties , '' says Grande .
`` But that 's the population that we 're seeing transmission occur in . ''
As more students returned this month , many colleges and universities adopted new measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus and test students to head off outbreaks .
Public health experts generally agree that shaming young adults is not the best strategy for getting them to follow COVID guidelines .
In the San Francisco Bay area , one local public health department has tapped a group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media to act as COVID `` influencers , '' in hopes of reaching a younger , more receptive audience .
`` These young people are our football stars , they are makeup artists , they 're on YouTube , they 're fashionistas , '' says Ryyn Schumacher , a program manager at Contra Costa Health Services , which recently launched the new COVID-19 Youth Ambassador Program .
Schumacher says the idea to target this demographic came directly from looking at county data that showed one out of every four people testing positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 .
`` We do n't spoon feed the message to our young people , '' Schumacher says of the social media initiative .
`` It 's up to them to craft their messages .
We ask how are you protecting your grandma from COVID ?
And they may want to talk about their grandma and how she makes the best menudo . ''
Schumacher says they hope to expand the pilot program and build a relatable outreach campaign that resonates with tens of thousands of young adults .
`` It talks about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brand and the message then becomes a lot more authentic and genuine , '' Schumacher says .

When Young People Get COVID-19, Infections Soon Rise Among Older Adults
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Conroy/AP Michael Conroy/AP
Young adults are driving coronavirus infections in the U.S. and are likely spreading the virus to older, more vulnerable populations, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults were more likely to get infected, but when researchers analyzed cases from June to August, they found that people in their 20s accounted for the largest share of confirmed cases compared to other age groups. And public health experts say this is a worrying trend.
"This group is going to continue to transmit a lot of virus," says Mike Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
The CDC report confirmed what many public health experts have long warned: Infections in young adults lead to infections in older people who are much more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID-19 than people in their 20s and 30s.
In Southern states over the summer, rising infections among young adults preceded increases in COVID-19 — by four to 15 days — among people over the age of 60.
"They are mobile, they have contact with those who are older, and we're going to see that spillover occur more and more as we get into the fall," Osterholm says.
The spread among young adults is partly a reflection of how states reopened at the end of the spring, says Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, chair of the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco.
"We asked older people to stay at home because they were more at risk, and we opened the economies and asked younger people to go out and work," Bibbins-Domingo says. "We also know it was summertime, people wanted to be out and socializing again," she adds.
Young people are more likely to hang out in groups, go to bars and restaurants — behavior that keeps this virus circulating.
U.S. cases dropped off significantly at the end of the summer, but many communities with colleges and universities are now seeing a rebound in infections as students return to campus.
North Dakota has the highest rate of new cases per capita in the country, with many cases concentrated around colleges and universities.
And last week, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers declared a public health emergency because of "near-exponential growth" of cases, much of it linked to a steep rise in 18- to 24-year-olds getting infected.
"We were heading in a good direction, but that changed in early September," says Katarina Grande, who oversees the data team at the public health department for the city of Madison, Wis., and Dane County, Wis.
Cases in her county more than tripled during the first half of this month, compared to the end of August. Most of those new infections are tied to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Grande says her agency is now tracking an increase in cases in the broader community, which could be an early sign that the campus outbreak is seeding new infections throughout the area.
In California, people under 35 years old made up half of all new cases by late July, says George Lemp, an infectious disease epidemiologist and former director of the University of California's HIV/AIDS Research Program.
"That did decline somewhat over time, but still remains fairly high," Lemp says.
Lemp, who has tracked this trend for months, says infections were already popping up around universities in the summer because students were in session or living near campus.
The question plaguing campuses and college towns is what to do about it.
"We know it's not effective to yell at college students and tell them what their behavior should look like, the decisions to gather and have parties," says Grande. "But that's the population that we're seeing transmission occur in."
As more students returned this month, many colleges and universities adopted new measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and test students to head off outbreaks.
Public health experts generally agree that shaming young adults is not the best strategy for getting them to follow COVID-19 guidelines.
In the San Francisco Bay area, one local public health department has tapped a group of young adults who are popular on social media to act as COVID-19 "influencers," in hopes of reaching a younger, more receptive audience.
"These young people are our football stars, they are makeup artists, they're on YouTube, they're fashionistas," says Ryyn Schumacher, a program manager at Contra Costa Health Services, which recently launched the new COVID-19 Youth Ambassador Program.
Schumacher says the idea to target this demographic came directly from looking at county data that showed 1 out of every 4 people testing positive was between the ages of 14 and 24.
"We don't spoon-feed the message to our young people," Schumacher says of the social media initiative. "It's up to them to craft their messages. We ask how are you protecting your grandma from COVID? And they may want to talk about their grandma and how she makes the best menudo."
Schumacher says they hope to expand the pilot program and build a relatable outreach campaign that resonates with tens of thousands of young adults.
"It talks about their voice, their story, their brand and the message then becomes a lot more authentic and genuine," Schumacher says.


npr--2020-09-29--6 Questions Ahead Of The 1st Trump-Biden Presidential Debate

President Trump and Democrat Joe Biden square off in the first of three general-election presidential debates Tuesday night .
The debate is high stakes and carries risks for both candidates .
Here are six questions ahead of the debate , to be moderated by Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace beginning at 9 p.m .
ET and held at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland .
Presidents up for reelection often struggle in their first debates .
It happened to Barack Obama , both Bushes , Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter .
Some recovered ; some did n't .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they spend four years in office being deferred to and agreed with , '' said Alan Schroeder , author of Presidential Debates : Fifty Years of High-Risk TV .
`` It 's difficult for staff to challenge a sitting president directly , so by the time they get up on the debate stage , they 're not used to being spoken to forcefully and directly and being criticized .
They 're also by definition out of practice . ''
Trump , of course , defies the odds , breaks the rules and seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't matter .
An NBC report this month indicated that Trump did n't appear to be taking debate prep seriously or holding mock sessions at all .
But another from the Washington Post on Friday shows Trump is preparing blistering , personal attacks against Biden .
How Trump holds up in a serious , 90-minute debate after being president for almost four years with a record to defend — and not being the outsider throwing rocks — is a real wild card .
2 .
Does Biden come across competently ?
It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been trying to paint Biden as incompetent , over the hill and not all there .
But there 's tremendous risk in this approach for Trump , because he and his allies have considerably lowered the bar for Biden .
`` The people who just want to get rid of Trump will be satisfied if Biden shows up , if he does n't collapse in the middle of the debate , and whatever he says , even if it 's erroneous or a gaffe — like 200 million [ who have died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismiss that , and people will just give him a pass , '' said Mary Frances Berry , a historian at the University of Pennsylvania .
`` He has to be what he called Obama — he has to be clean and articulate , but does n't even need to be articulate , just clean . ''
It has been more than a year since the first Democratic primary debate , when people were asking this same question .
Let 's face it : Biden is 77 and would be 78 at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president .
He 's not the same debater and public speaker he was a decade ago .
But while he had some spotty primary debates , he had good ones too .
And certainly , Biden has come across competently in his public appearances during the general election campaign , including importantly his Democratic National Convention speech and a recent CNN town hall .
3 .
Can Trump and Biden control their tempers and tone ?
There 's a high likelihood this will become a very aggressive debate with Biden trying to indict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what Trump will pull out .
Both have a tendency to come off as angry , and sometimes a debate is more about tone than substance because it indicates control and likeability .
That might not matter at all with two candidates as well known as both of these candidates , but losing their cool can play into negative narratives of both .
`` Trump is Trump , '' Schroeder said .
`` There 's never a great deal of variation in how he presents himself , whether it 's White House press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so what he is is what he is .
I do n't think he 'll modulate his performance in any way for the debate . ''
Schroeder added , though , that it will be interesting to see whether Trump and Biden can control their tempers and whether either takes the ample bait that the other will lay out for him .
4 .
How does Trump defend his record ?
From the coronavirus pandemic and race relations to replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Supreme Court and Trump 's tax returns , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump certainly has his back against the wall and needs to defend his record and expand his appeal to the middle of the electorate .
So far , Trump continues to be down in the polls , averaging just 43 % nationally .
He received 46 % in 2016 and lost the popular vote by 3 million votes .
It 's possible with how the Electoral College votes are allocated that Trump wins again but loses the popular vote by even more , but from Team Trump 's perspective , that 's not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Part of why he has n't been able to expand his appeal is because independents and suburban voters , both groups he won last time , have disagreed with him on most issues since he took office .
And they overwhelmingly disapprove of the job he 's doing handling the coronavirus pandemic .
So how does Trump address the substance of those concerns that voters have about his management , aside from calling it the `` China Virus '' and simply claiming he 's done a great job ?
5 .
How does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs to make Biden an unacceptable choice rather than letting this election continue to be a referendum on him .
One way Trump is likely to try to do that — and pivot from his own record — is to go after Biden 's son , Hunter .
Who knows what 's up Trump 's sleeve ?
Remember , this is the same person who brought to a debate women who accused Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct and tried to seat them in Hillary Clinton 's line of view .
How Biden responds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact is this : Biden has the issues on his side .
His issue positions on most things line up far more with the middle of the electorate than Trump 's positions , so Biden might try to sidestep and stay focused on issues important to the country .
But Trump has a unique way of controlling events .
Whether Biden can wrest some control could be key .
6 .
How does the moderator control the stage ?
Speaking of control , there 's probably no one better suited to moderate this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chris Wallace .
Wallace is incisive , a tough questioner and prepared , as evidenced by his interview with Trump in July .
Debates can go very far south when a moderator is n't in control .
How and how much will he fact-check both candidates , Trump in particular , given that he can be so combative and is fine with running with things that are n't true ?
How will Trump respond to Wallace pushing back ?
`` Trump has to watch out for Wallace pouncing on him , '' Berry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump is off balance , he may lose support with people who are on the fence . ''
And how does Biden respond if he 's pushed too ?
Biden 's ability to give-and-take will go to the question of his competence as well , but Biden spent half a century steeped in policy , unlike Trump .

6 Questions Ahead Of The 1st Trump-Biden Presidential Debate
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump and Democrat Joe Biden square off in the first of three general-election presidential debates Tuesday night.
The debate is high stakes and carries risks for both candidates.
Here are six questions ahead of the debate, to be moderated by Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace beginning at 9 p.m. ET and held at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
1. Can Trump avoid the sitting-president first-debate slump?
Presidents up for reelection often struggle in their first debates. It happened to Barack Obama, both Bushes, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. Some recovered; some didn't.
"What happens with an incumbent president is they spend four years in office being deferred to and agreed with," said Alan Schroeder, author of Presidential Debates: Fifty Years of High-Risk TV. "It's difficult for staff to challenge a sitting president directly, so by the time they get up on the debate stage, they're not used to being spoken to forcefully and directly and being criticized. They're also by definition out of practice."
Trump, of course, defies the odds, breaks the rules and seems constantly embattled, so maybe it won't matter. An NBC report this month indicated that Trump didn't appear to be taking debate prep seriously or holding mock sessions at all. But another from the Washington Post on Friday shows Trump is preparing blistering, personal attacks against Biden.
How Trump holds up in a serious, 90-minute debate after being president for almost four years with a record to defend — and not being the outsider throwing rocks — is a real wild card.
2. Does Biden come across competently?
It's no secret that Trump and his campaign have been trying to paint Biden as incompetent, over the hill and not all there. But there's tremendous risk in this approach for Trump, because he and his allies have considerably lowered the bar for Biden.
"The people who just want to get rid of Trump will be satisfied if Biden shows up, if he doesn't collapse in the middle of the debate, and whatever he says, even if it's erroneous or a gaffe — like 200 million [who have died from the coronavirus] — they'll dismiss that, and people will just give him a pass," said Mary Frances Berry, a historian at the University of Pennsylvania. "He has to be what he called Obama — he has to be clean and articulate, but doesn't even need to be articulate, just clean."
It has been more than a year since the first Democratic primary debate, when people were asking this same question. Let's face it: Biden is 77 and would be 78 at the time he would be sworn in as president. He's not the same debater and public speaker he was a decade ago. But while he had some spotty primary debates, he had good ones too. And certainly, Biden has come across competently in his public appearances during the general election campaign, including importantly his Democratic National Convention speech and a recent CNN town hall.
3. Can Trump and Biden control their tempers and tone?
There's a high likelihood this will become a very aggressive debate with Biden trying to indict Trump's record, and who knows what Trump will pull out.
Both have a tendency to come off as angry, and sometimes a debate is more about tone than substance because it indicates control and likeability. That might not matter at all with two candidates as well known as both of these candidates, but losing their cool can play into negative narratives of both.
"Trump is Trump," Schroeder said. "There's never a great deal of variation in how he presents himself, whether it's White House press conferences, debates or a rally, so what he is is what he is. I don't think he'll modulate his performance in any way for the debate."
Schroeder added, though, that it will be interesting to see whether Trump and Biden can control their tempers and whether either takes the ample bait that the other will lay out for him.
4. How does Trump defend his record?
From the coronavirus pandemic and race relations to replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Supreme Court and Trump's tax returns, these 90 minutes might fly by. Trump certainly has his back against the wall and needs to defend his record and expand his appeal to the middle of the electorate.
So far, Trump continues to be down in the polls, averaging just 43% nationally. He received 46% in 2016 and lost the popular vote by 3 million votes. It's possible with how the Electoral College votes are allocated that Trump wins again but loses the popular vote by even more, but from Team Trump's perspective, that's not a great place to start from.
Part of why he hasn't been able to expand his appeal is because independents and suburban voters, both groups he won last time, have disagreed with him on most issues since he took office. And they overwhelmingly disapprove of the job he's doing handling the coronavirus pandemic. So how does Trump address the substance of those concerns that voters have about his management, aside from calling it the "China Virus" and simply claiming he's done a great job?
5. How does Biden respond to personal attacks?
Trump needs to make Biden an unacceptable choice rather than letting this election continue to be a referendum on him. One way Trump is likely to try to do that — and pivot from his own record — is to go after Biden's son, Hunter.
Who knows what's up Trump's sleeve? Remember, this is the same person who brought to a debate women who accused Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct and tried to seat them in Hillary Clinton's line of view. How Biden responds is going to be important. The fact is this: Biden has the issues on his side. His issue positions on most things line up far more with the middle of the electorate than Trump's positions, so Biden might try to sidestep and stay focused on issues important to the country.
But Trump has a unique way of controlling events. Whether Biden can wrest some control could be key.
6. How does the moderator control the stage?
Speaking of control, there's probably no one better suited to moderate this particular debate than Fox News Sunday's Wallace. Wallace is incisive, a tough questioner and prepared, as evidenced by his interview with Trump in July.
Debates can go very far south when a moderator isn't in control. How and how much will he fact-check both candidates, Trump in particular, given that he can be so combative and is fine with running with things that aren't true? How will Trump respond to Wallace pushing back?
"Trump has to watch out for Wallace pouncing on him," Berry said. "If that happens and Trump is off balance, he may lose support with people who are on the fence."
And how does Biden respond if he's pushed too? Biden's ability to give-and-take will go to the question of his competence as well, but Biden spent half a century steeped in policy, unlike Trump.


npr--2020-09-29--A Military 1st: A Supercarrier Is Named After An African American Sailor

A Military 1st : A Supercarrier Is Named After An African American Sailor Military names can echo down through the ages , a fact underlined by the current fight in Washington , D.C. , between President Trump and Congress , which has voted to strip the names of Confederate generals from several Southern Army bases .
The president has vowed that wo n't happen , but the battle might not be resolved before election day .
The Navy , meanwhile , has quietly charted a new course .
A supercarrier now on the drawing boards will be christened the USS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be named for an enlisted sailor , and the first to be named after an African American .
Most supercarriers are named for U.S. presidents — the USS John F. Kennedy .
USS Ronald Reagan .
USS Abraham Lincoln .
Henry Kissinger called them `` 100,000 tons of diplomacy '' and that power has long been reflected in the Navy 's conventions for naming them .
Doris Miller , who went by `` Dorie '' in the Navy , was one of the first American heroes of World War II .
During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his battleship , the USS West Virginia , was sinking , the powerfully-built Miller , who was the ship 's boxing champion , helped move his dying captain to better cover , then jumped behind a machine gun and shot at Japanese planes until his ammunition was gone .
As a Black sailor in 1941 , he was n't supposed to even fire a gun .
This means that when he reached for that weapon , he was taking on two enemies : The Japanese fliers and the pervasive discrimination in his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which the Navy discriminated against African Americans was that they limited them to certain types of jobs , or what we call 'ratings ' in the Navy , '' said Regina Akers , a historian with the Naval History and Heritage Command .
`` So , for African Americans , many were messmen or stewards .
Dorie Miller was a messman , which meant that he basically took care of an officer , laid out his clothes , shined his shoes and served meals . ''
'He should be recognized and honored' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time , and since , has been on Miller firing the anti-aircraft gun , which he was n't even trained to do .
In fact , it 's a moment Hollywood briefly portrayed in several movies about the attack .
But Akers said what Miller did afterward is just as important : he began pulling injured sailors out of the burning , oil-covered water of the harbor , and was one of the last men to leave his ship as it sank , and continued getting sailors to safety after that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose actions during the attack stood out mentioned a Black sailor .
But it did n't bother to name Miller , a 22-year-old sharecropper 's son from Waco , Texas .
`` It made two lines in the newspapers , '' said Frank Bolden , who was a war correspondent for the Pittsburgh Courier , one of the leading Black newspapers of the day .
He spoke in an interview with the Freedom Forum before his death in 2003 .
`` The Courier thought he should be recognized and honored .
We sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive editor to the naval department .
They said we do n't know the name of the messman .
There are so many of them . ''
The paper , though , was n't about to give up , Bolden said .
The Black press knew that by getting this unnamed sailor proper recognition , it could undermine a stereotype that African Americans were n't any good in combat .
`` The publisher of the paper said , keep after it , '' Bolden said .
`` We spent $ 7,000 working to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And we made Dorie Miller a hero . ''
This was a pivotal moment , said Akers , the Navy historian .
`` And so the African American community just swells up with pride , '' she said .
`` But at the same time , they 're mad at the Navy for not having formally shared what Dorie Miller did . ''
Black leaders at the time were already pressuring President Franklin D. Roosevelt for more opportunities for African Americans in the booming war industry and in the military .
Roosevelt barely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point .
Miller was awarded a letter of commendation , but the Black press campaigned for a medal .
And Admiral Chester Nimitz , the commander of the Pacific fleet , wanted to take the bold step of upgrading that commendation to the Navy Cross , then the third-highest honor for heroism .
Nimitz understood the value of a diverse force made up of sailors who felt they were being treated fairly .
`` So in Nimitz 's mind the award would be good for the Navy and contradict the institutional racism that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Akers said .
Roosevelt , eager to keep the nation united behind the war effort , agreed .
Suddenly , Miller was in the spotlight .
`` Miller I mean , in just like the flip of a switch , becomes a celebrity , '' Akers said .
`` He becomes one of the first heroes , period , of the war , but certainly one of the first African American heroes of the war .
He was on recruitment posters .
His image was everywhere . ''
Miller had a low-key personality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expanded opportunity in the Navy , he was hardly a radical .
But because of what he had done at Pearl Harbor , suddenly the Black newspapers like the Courier had a powerful weapon they had been looking for , said Baylor University history professor Michael Parrish , co-author of `` Doris Miller , Pearl Harbor and The Birth of the Civil Rights Movement . ''
`` He was a catalyst that gave them a lot of strength very early in the war .
And they were determined to promote him publicly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in war after war , African Americans had fought for their country , hoping their service would be rewarded with more rights , only to have their hopes dashed .
Until Miller stepped behind that gun .
`` Things came together at Pearl Harbor for Doris Miller and for the civil rights movement , probably to maximum effect , '' Parrish said .
`` So World War II was really the turning point in that long struggle . ''
Even before Miller formally received the medal , the effects of what he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , began to have an effect .
The Navy started training Black sailors for jobs like gunner 's mate , radioman and radar operator .
Later it began commissioning Black officers .
After the war , in 1948 , President Harry S. Truman ordered the military desegregated , a major milestone for the nation .
All of that , Parrish said , can be traced to Miller .
This was n't lost on Black America , even as the changes Miller helped spur were just gaining momentum .
There were songs , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Langston Hughes wrote : '' When Dorie Miller took gun in hand Another renowned Black poet , Gwendolyn Brooks , was at once oblique and ferocious in `` Negro Hero /To Suggest Dorie Miller . ''
`` In a Southern city , a white man said , Indeed I 'd rather be dead .
Indeed , I 'd rather be shot in the head Or ridden to waste on the back of a flood Than saved by the drop of a black man 's blood .
Naturally , the important thing is I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a part of their Democracy Even if I had to kick their law into their teeth In order to do that for them ... '' Baylor University history professor Parrish has a personal connection to the story .
His own father was a sailor aboard another ship at Pearl Harbor , just a few hundred yards from Miller during the attack .
Parrish says he got a startling lesson when he asked what his father knew about Miller 's exploits .
`` He looked at me and he shook his head and said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time , ' `` Parrish said .
`` White and Black military personnel lived in two separate worlds .
That 's because white people and Black people , along with other people of color on the homefront , lived in two separate worlds . ''
'Simply seemed like the right thing to do' The decision to name the new supercarrier for Miller was made by Thomas Modly , who was acting Secretary of the Navy until April .
`` I think it was probably long overdue , '' Modly said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of retired Black admirals he had met to recommend a name .
He asked them to try to find an African American enlisted sailor , if possible .
`` And someone from World War II , because that was a point at which the country was really united , '' he said .
`` And African Americans who served , were still in a lot of places growing up under Jim Crow .
And so it required a lot of bravery and patriotism . ''
The retired admirals consulted with an historian , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they came back to me within five days and said it has to be Doris Miller .
And the story of Doris Miller is is is an incredible one , so they did n't need to convince me . ''
It simply seemed like the right thing to do given the U.S. Navy 's diversity , he said , especially compared to the Navies of other nations .
`` The Navy is made up of every single element of our population , it 's probably the most diverse representation of the country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they come from every part of the country , every skin color , every ethnicity . ''
Miller did n't live to see the lasting effects of his heroics .
He went back to sea in the Pacific and in 1943 , his ship was torpedoed and sank .
Miller was among the hundreds of sailors who died .
His body was never found .
His name , though , still graces schools , roads , and community centers around the country .
And the Navy , which at first would n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give it equal footing with the names of Presidents .
Akers , the Navy historian said , in addition to everything else , Miller was a good role model for sailors , a history lesson in trying to do the right thing .
`` Despite the fact that he was denied certain basic constitutional rights because of the racism in our society at the time , Dorie did n't let that deter him , '' she said .
`` It did n't lessen his patriotism , his love for country , his determination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his very best , and that says a lot .
That says a lot . ''

A Military 1st: A Supercarrier Is Named After An African American Sailor
Enlarge this image toggle caption U.S. Navy/National Archives U.S. Navy/National Archives
Military names can echo down through the ages, a fact underlined by the current fight in Washington, D.C., between President Trump and Congress, which has voted to strip the names of Confederate generals from several Southern Army bases.
The president has vowed that won't happen, but the battle might not be resolved before Election Day.
The Navy, meanwhile, has quietly charted a new course. A supercarrier now on the drawing boards will be christened the USS Doris Miller.
It's the first supercarrier to be named for an enlisted sailor and the first to be named after an African American.
Most supercarriers are named for U.S. presidents — the USS John F. Kennedy. USS Ronald Reagan. USS Abraham Lincoln. Henry Kissinger called them "100,000 tons of diplomacy," and that power has long been reflected in the Navy's conventions for naming them.
Doris Miller, who went by "Dorie" in the Navy, was one of the first American heroes of World War II.
During the attack on Pearl Harbor, as his battleship, the USS West Virginia, was sinking, the powerfully built Miller, who was the ship's boxing champion, helped move his dying captain to better cover, then jumped behind a machine gun and shot at Japanese planes until his ammunition was gone.
As a Black sailor in 1941, he wasn't supposed to fire a gun even. This means that when he reached for that weapon, he was taking on two enemies: the Japanese flyers and the pervasive discrimination in his own country.
"One of the ways in which the Navy discriminated against African Americans was that they limited them to certain types of jobs, or what we call 'ratings' in the Navy," said Regina Akers, a historian with the Naval History and Heritage Command. "So, for African Americans, many were messmen or stewards. Dorie Miller was a messman, which meant that he basically took care of an officer, laid out his clothes, shined his shoes and served meals."
''He should be recognized and honored"
Akers said much of the attention at the time, and since, has been on Miller firing the anti-aircraft gun, which he wasn't even trained to do. In fact, it's a moment Hollywood briefly portrayed in several movies about the attack.
But Akers said what Miller did afterward is just as important: He began pulling injured sailors out of the burning, oil-covered water of the harbor, and was one of the last men to leave his ship as it sank, and continued getting sailors to safety afterward.
An official Navy commendation list of those whose actions during the attack stood out mentioned a Black sailor.
But it didn't bother to name Miller, a 22-year-old sharecropper's son from Waco, Texas.
"It made two lines in the newspapers," said Frank Bolden, who was a war correspondent for The Pittsburgh Courier, one of the leading Black newspapers of the day. He spoke in an interview with the Freedom Forum before his death in 2003.
"The Courier thought he should be recognized and honored. We sent not a reporter, we sent our executive editor to the naval department. They said we don't know the name of the messman. There are so many of them."
Enlarge this image toggle caption U.S. Navy/National Archives U.S. Navy/National Archives
A pivotal moment
The paper though wasn't about to give up, Bolden said. The Black press knew that by getting this unnamed sailor proper recognition, it could undermine a stereotype that African Americans weren't any good in combat.
"The publisher of the paper said, 'Keep after it,' " Bolden said. "We spent $7,000 working to find out who Dorie Miller was. And we made Dorie Miller a hero."
This was a pivotal moment, said Akers, the Navy historian.
"And so the African American community just swells up with pride," she said. "But at the same time, they're mad at the Navy for not having formally shared what Dorie Miller did."
Black leaders at the time were already pressuring President Franklin D. Roosevelt for more opportunities for African Americans in the booming war industry and in the military. Roosevelt barely averted a march on Washington at one point.
Miller was awarded a letter of commendation, but the Black press campaigned for a medal. And Adm. Chester Nimitz, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, wanted to take the bold step of upgrading that commendation to the Navy Cross, then the third-highest honor for heroism.
Nimitz understood the value of a diverse force made up of sailors who felt they were being treated fairly. "So in Nimitz's mind the award would be good for the Navy and contradict the institutional racism that the Navy was known for," Akers said.
Roosevelt, eager to keep the nation united behind the war effort, agreed.
Suddenly, Miller was in the spotlight.
"Miller I mean, in just like the flip of a switch, becomes a celebrity," Akers said. "He becomes one of the first heroes, period, of the war, but certainly one of the first African American heroes of the war. He was on recruitment posters. His image was everywhere."
Miller had a low-key personality, and while he backed the idea of expanded opportunity in the Navy, he was hardly a radical. But because of what he had done at Pearl Harbor, suddenly the Black newspapers such as the Courier had a powerful weapon they had been looking for, said Baylor University history professor Michael Parrish, co-author of Doris Miller, Pearl Harbor and The Birth of the Civil Rights Movement.
"He was a catalyst that gave them a lot of strength very early in the war. And they were determined to promote him publicly," Parrish said.
Parrish said that in war after war, African Americans had fought for their country, hoping their service would be rewarded with more rights, only to have their hopes dashed.
Until Miller stepped behind that gun.
"Things came together at Pearl Harbor for Doris Miller and for the civil rights movement, probably to maximum effect," Parrish said. "So World War II was really the turning point in that long struggle."
Even before Miller formally received the medal, the effects of what he had done, trumpeted by the Black newspapers, began to have an effect. The Navy started training Black sailors for jobs such as gunner's mate, radioman and radar operator. Later it began commissioning Black officers.
After the war, in 1948, President Harry S. Truman ordered the military desegregated, a major milestone for the nation. All of that, Parrish said, can be traced to Miller.
This wasn't lost on Black America, even as the changes Miller helped spur were just gaining momentum.
There were songs, and even poets were inspired. In 1943 Langston Hughes wrote:
"When Dorie Miller took gun in hand
Jim Crow started his last stand ..."
Another renowned Black poet, Gwendolyn Brooks, was at once oblique and ferocious in "Negro Hero /To Suggest Dorie Miller."
"In a Southern city, a white man said, Indeed I'd rather be dead.
Indeed, I'd rather be shot in the head
Or ridden to waste on the back of a flood
Than saved by the drop of a black man's blood.
Naturally, the important thing is I helped to save them.
Them and a part of their Democracy
Even if I had to kick their law into their teeth
In order to do that for them ..."
Baylor professor Parrish has a personal connection to the story. His father was a sailor aboard another ship at Pearl Harbor, just a few hundred yards from Miller during the attack. Parrish said he got a startling lesson when he asked what his father knew about Miller's exploits.
"He looked at me and he shook his head and said, 'I never heard of him at the time,' " Parrish said. "White and Black military personnel lived in two separate worlds. That's because white people and Black people, along with other people of color on the homefront, lived in two separate worlds."
toggle caption U.S. Navy/National Archives
"It was probably long overdue"
The decision to name the new supercarrier for Miller was made by Thomas Modly, who was acting secretary of the Navy until April.
"I think it was probably long overdue," Modly said. He said he asked a small group of retired Black admirals he had met to recommend a name. He asked them to try to find an African American enlisted sailor, if possible.
"And someone from World War II, because that was a point at which the country was really united," he said. "And African Americans who served were still in a lot of places growing up under Jim Crow. And so it required a lot of bravery and patriotism."
The retired admirals consulted with an historian, Modly said, "and literally, they came back to me within five days and said it has to be Doris Miller. And the story of Doris Miller is an incredible one, so they didn't need to convince me."
It simply seemed like the right thing to do given the U.S. Navy's diversity, he said, especially compared with the navies of other nations.
"The Navy is made up of every single element of our population; it's probably the most diverse representation of the country. We have about 340,000 active-duty sailors, and they come from every part of the country, every skin color, every ethnicity."
Miller didn't live to see the lasting effects of his heroics.
He went back to sea in the Pacific, and in 1943, his ship was torpedoed and sank. Miller was among the hundreds of sailors who died.
His body was never found. His name, though, still graces schools, roads and community centers around the country.
And the Navy, which at first wouldn't even share that name, will soon give it equal footing with the names of presidents.
Akers, the Navy historian, said Miller was a good role model for sailors, a history lesson in trying to do the right thing.
"Despite the fact that he was denied certain basic constitutional rights because of the racism in our society at the time, Dorie didn't let that deter him," she said. "It didn't lessen his patriotism, his love for country, his determination to serve and to give the Navy his very best, and that says a lot. That says a lot."


npr--2020-09-29--Legal Fight Over Trump's Financial Records Grinds On Even As Tax Details Spill Out

Legal Fight Over Trump 's Financial Records Grinds On Even As Tax Details Spill Out Questions have long swirled about the state of President Trump 's finances .
The New York Times appears to have answered at least some of them with a revelatory report over the weekend that says , among other things , that the president paid just $ 750 in federal income tax in 2016 and 2017 .
The president leaned on a familiar refrain on Sunday to dismiss the Times ' investigation , calling it `` fake news . ''
Trump has long sought to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades of precedent by refusing to release his tax returns during the 2016 campaign .
That has helped make his financial records a target for congressional and criminal investigators alike .
The president is waging multiple court battles to shield his finances from scrutiny , including two cases involving subpoenas issued to his personal accounting firm , Mazars USA LLP .
The House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena to Mazars in April 2019 for eight years of financial documents related to Trump and his businesses .
The panel says it needs the materials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and conflict-of-interest laws .
Trump sued Mazars to try to prevent it from handing over the materials .
The president 's attorneys argued that the Democratic-led House committee did n't have a legitimate legislative need for the documents .
The case made it to the Supreme Court after Trump appealed losses at the district court and appeals court levels .
In July , the Supreme Court sent the case back to the lower courts with instructions to reconsider the matter , including separation of powers issues .
The case currently resides with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington , D.C .
The second case relates to a grand jury subpoena issued by the Manhattan district attorney , Cy Vance , as part of a criminal investigation .
From statements made in court papers , Vance 's office appears to be investigating possible insurance or financial fraud by Trump and his businesses .
The DA also appears to be looking into hush-money payments made to two women , adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal , who say they had affairs with Trump several years ago .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , arguing that as the sitting president he is immune from criminal investigation .
This case , too , wound its way through the lower courts all the way to the Supreme Court .
It ruled this summer against the president , rejecting his claims to be absolutely immune from a criminal subpoena issued to a third party , in this instance his accounting firm .
But the justices returned the matter to the lower courts to allow the president to raise other objections .
Trump issued new challenges to the subpoena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faith .
A district court ruled against him , but he appealed and the matter now sits with the federal appeals court in New York .
A three-judge panel held a hearing in the case last week , and the court appeared skeptical of Trump 's arguments .
What happens next ?
Both of these cases currently sit before federal appeals courts in Washington , D.C. , and New York .
Legal experts say the Times ' reporting is unlikely to have a major impact on either case , but it does n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some way .
`` It would not surprise me if the Vance team files some sort of notice asking to take a look at it , '' said Stuart Gerson , who led the Justice Department 's Criminal Division during the George H.W .
Bush administration and briefly served as acting attorney general .
`` He could file something with the court , and it certainly would be of a piece of what 's set forth in their brief . ''
Gerson noted that Vance has cited a number of media reports detailing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump or his businesses , and the latest report could be added to that list .
One thing appears clear : Neither case is likely to be resolved before the election .
The losing side is likely to appeal to the Supreme Court .
`` Do I think that there will be continued and protracted appeals in this case ?
Absolutely , '' Gerson said .
`` That 's the Trump strategy . ''
He also notes that the Vance investigation goes on and `` looms big and bold in the future for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''

Legal Fight Over Trump's Financial Records Grinds On Even As Tax Details Spill Out
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mandel Ngan /AFP via Getty Images Mandel Ngan /AFP via Getty Images
Questions have long swirled about the state of President Trump's finances.
The New York Times appears to have answered at least some of them with a revelatory report over the weekend that says, among other things, that the president paid just $750 in federal income tax in 2016 and 2017.
The president leaned on a familiar refrain on Sunday to dismiss the Times' investigation, calling it "fake news." Trump has long sought to keep his finances secret and even broke with decades of precedent by refusing to release his tax returns during the 2016 campaign.
That has helped make his financial records a target for congressional and criminal investigators alike. The president is waging multiple court battles to shield his finances from scrutiny, including two cases involving subpoenas issued to his personal accounting firm, Mazars USA LLP.
House Oversight subpoena
The House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena to Mazars in April 2019 for eight years of financial documents related to Trump and his businesses. The panel says it needs the materials to consider possible legislative changes regarding disclosure and conflict-of-interest laws.
Trump sued Mazars to try to prevent it from handing over the materials. The president's attorneys argued that the Democratic-led House committee didn't have a legitimate legislative need for the documents.
The case made it to the Supreme Court after Trump appealed losses at the district court and appeals court levels. In July, the Supreme Court sent the case back to the lower courts with instructions to reconsider the matter, including separation of powers issues.
The case currently resides with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C.
Manhattan DA subpoena
Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images
The second case relates to a grand jury subpoena issued by the Manhattan district attorney, Cy Vance, as part of a criminal investigation.
From statements made in court papers, Vance's office appears to be investigating possible insurance or financial fraud by Trump and his businesses. The DA also appears to be looking into hush-money payments made to two women, adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal, who say they had affairs with Trump several years ago.
Trump's attorneys fought this subpoena as well, arguing that as the sitting president he is immune from criminal investigation.
This case, too, wound its way through the lower courts all the way to the Supreme Court. It ruled this summer against the president, rejecting his claims to be absolutely immune from a criminal subpoena issued to a third party, in this instance his accounting firm.
But the justices returned the matter to the lower courts to allow the president to raise other objections. Trump issued new challenges to the subpoena, calling it overbroad and in bad faith. A district court ruled against him, but he appealed and the matter now sits with the federal appeals court in New York.
A three-judge panel held a hearing in the case last week, and the court appeared skeptical of Trump's arguments.
What happens next?
Both of these cases currently sit before federal appeals courts in Washington, D.C., and New York. Legal experts say the Times' reporting is unlikely to have a major impact on either case, but it doesn't mean it can't factor in in some way.
"It would not surprise me if the Vance team files some sort of notice asking to take a look at it," said Stuart Gerson, who led the Justice Department's Criminal Division during the George H.W. Bush administration and briefly served as acting attorney general. "He could file something with the court, and it certainly would be of a piece of what's set forth in their brief."
Gerson noted that Vance has cited a number of media reports detailing potential crimes and other alleged misconduct by Trump or his businesses, and the latest report could be added to that list.
One thing appears clear: Neither case is likely to be resolved before the election. The losing side is likely to appeal to the Supreme Court.
"Do I think that there will be continued and protracted appeals in this case? Absolutely," Gerson said. "That's the Trump strategy."
He also notes that the Vance investigation goes on and "looms big and bold in the future for Donald Trump, whenever his term ends."


npr--2020-09-29--Pandemic Threatens Long-Term Job Security After Hospitality Industry Layoffs

Stephannia Swain , 52 , has had the same job for almost her entire adult life , cooking at the Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia .
`` We only have six cooks and we 're all lifers , '' she said .
With 30 years of experience , Swain was the most senior , but others in the kitchen had been part of the team for nearly two decades .
Seniority meant she had control over her schedule , something that helped her balance time with family .
Swain lives with her daughter in South Philly and helps to raise her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Otto .
Swain 's pay , $ 18.50 an hour , also helped provide for them .
Then in March , the Warwick closed the kitchen , and Swain was laid off .
A message left for the Warwick 's general manager requesting comment for this story and the company 's pandemic plans was not returned .
A return to the job market is not only scary to her at this point , it 's completely foreign .
`` I do n't even know what that 's like , having to actually go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get another job and fit in somewhere , '' Swain said .
`` Starting over , like that 's just so crazy . ''
COVID-19 's economic aftershocks have hit the hospitality industry especially hard .
Experts say it may not return to pre-pandemic strength until as late as 2023 .
That disruption presents both an immediate financial hardship , and a long-term one , as veteran employees face the prospect of losing financial stability and status accrued over decades of work .
`` To go somewhere new and start at minimum wage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to pay my bills then , '' said Swain , who has collected unemployment for six months and sometimes receives donated food from a neighbor .
Nationally , hotel occupancy is hovering at around 50 % , according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association .
In urban areas , business may be even slower — in the 20 % to 40 % range .
`` Virtually all business travel has halted .
...
Conventions have canceled for the year , or postponed .
Pretty much all we are seeing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Ed Grose , executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association .
Hotels tend to carry a lot of debt , and many are already behind on their loans , which could lead to foreclosures , and the possibility of some jobs never returning .
Almost a quarter of hotels are behind on loan payments , or delinquent , according to the analytics company Trepp .
Earlier in the pandemic , lobbyists for the industry pushed for a $ 150 billion bailout , saying their financial picture was worse than the Great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were able to access some of the business supports provided through the CARES Act but did not get all they wanted .
Unions criticized hotels for not using that money to preserve jobs .
With that aid expired , the industry has thrown its weight behind the Helping Open Properties Endeavor , or HOPE , Act , which would provide financial assistance to businesses falling behind on their commercial mortgages , pitched specifically as a lifeline to hotels .
It was introduced but has not moved out of the House Committee on Financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense during the downturn , even those in areas recovering more quickly have fewer employees , prioritizing managers over more numerous but lower-paid staff .
`` The folks that are bearing the brunt of this [ downturn ] are our front-line staff , our hourly employees , '' Grose said .
Nationally , around 4 out of every 10 hospitality jobs were lost due to the pandemic , according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics .
In August , that translated to 768,500 fewer workers employed in accommodations than the same month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been advocating for a protection that acknowledges the current financial straits facing management but offers solace in the future — seeking a guarantee that if their jobs eventually return , they 'll get first dibs at their old rates .
`` There 's a lot of middle-aged to older middle-aged Black workers who are the bulk of hotel workers [ in Philadelphia ] , and that 's a group of workers that find it difficult to find a job and face racial discrimination and age discrimination in hiring , '' said Dermot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ union Unite Here local in Philadelphia .
During the pandemic , that union has found itself nearly wiped out , at times 98 % unemployed .
Older workers face a steeper climb if they lose their jobs , with less time before retirement to make up lost wages , according to the Economic Policy Institute .
Black and Latino communities have also been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 , and supporters of `` right to return '' say it 's a way to keep workers in those communities from being doubly disadvantaged .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guaranteeing recall rights in Philadelphia as well as in Las Vegas .
Advocates have succeeded in cities including Los Angeles and Oakland , Calif. , but the idea has not been widely adopted .
Some union contracts contain the right of recall language , but some , such as the contract with Warwick Hotel workers , sunset six months after layoffs happened .
Others have extended recalls either voluntarily or under pressure from workers .
Seven of the 15 hotels in the Philadelphia region that are represented by Unite Here have done so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vanquish pandemic uncertainty .
`` Just not knowing is the hard part , '' said Lekesha Wheelings , who worked for 14 years in the kitchens at the Philadelphia Downtown Marriott , most recently as a food expeditor .
The hotel closed at the start of the pandemic and has not reopened .
The Philadelphia Downtown Marriott , which is not unionized , recently sent employees a letter saying they would be brought back as of Dec. 31 , but that it `` may also be necessary in the future to eliminate a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't know what this means , I 'm terrified , '' Wheelings said .
Marriott corporate management declined to comment on the operation of specific hotels but said in a statement from corporate spokesperson Lucy Slosser , `` Business levels have been profoundly impacted by the pandemic , and continue to determine hotel operational and staffing adjustments . ''
Earlier this month , Marriott announced it would lay off hundreds from its corporate headquarters due to the COVID-19 business slump .
With so much up in the air , Wheelings said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work soon , she 'll scramble to find another way to earn income — but that also means accepting that the career and financial stability she earned are gone .
`` It took me 14 years to get to $ 20 per hour , and it would probably be hard finding a job that starts at that level , '' she said .

Pandemic Threatens Long-Term Job Security After Hospitality Industry Layoffs
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kimberly Paynter/WHYY Kimberly Paynter/WHYY
Stephannia Swain, 52, has had the same job for almost her entire adult life, cooking at the Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia.
"We only have six cooks and we're all lifers," she said. With 30 years of experience, Swain was the most senior, but others in the kitchen had been part of the team for nearly two decades.
Seniority meant she had control over her schedule, something that helped her balance time with family. Swain lives with her daughter in South Philly and helps to raise her three grandchildren, Aaron, Melody and Otto. Swain's pay, $18.50 an hour, also helped provide for them.
Then in March, the Warwick closed the kitchen, and Swain was laid off. A message left for the Warwick's general manager requesting comment for this story and the company's pandemic plans was not returned.
A return to the job market is not only scary to her at this point, it's completely foreign.
"I don't even know what that's like, having to actually go fill out an application to try to get another job and fit in somewhere," Swain said. "Starting over, like that's just so crazy."
COVID-19's economic aftershocks have hit the hospitality industry especially hard. Experts say it may not return to pre-pandemic strength until as late as 2023. That disruption presents both an immediate financial hardship, and a long-term one, as veteran employees face the prospect of losing financial stability and status accrued over decades of work.
"To go somewhere new and start at minimum wage, like, I really wouldn't be able to pay my bills then," said Swain, who has collected unemployment for six months and sometimes receives donated food from a neighbor.
Nationally, hotel occupancy is hovering at around 50%, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association. In urban areas, business may be even slower — in the 20% to 40% range.
"Virtually all business travel has halted. ... Conventions have canceled for the year, or postponed. Pretty much all we are seeing in hotels are the leisure travelers," said Ed Grose, executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association.
Hotels tend to carry a lot of debt, and many are already behind on their loans, which could lead to foreclosures, and the possibility of some jobs never returning. Almost a quarter of hotels are behind on loan payments, or delinquent, according to the analytics company Trepp.
Earlier in the pandemic, lobbyists for the industry pushed for a $150 billion bailout, saying their financial picture was worse than the Great Recession and post-Sept. 11 combined. They were able to access some of the business supports provided through the CARES Act but did not get all they wanted. Unions criticized hotels for not using that money to preserve jobs.
With that aid expired, the industry has thrown its weight behind the Helping Open Properties Endeavor, or HOPE, Act, which would provide financial assistance to businesses falling behind on their commercial mortgages, pitched specifically as a lifeline to hotels. It was introduced but has not moved out of the House Committee on Financial Services.
For hotel margins to make sense during the downturn, even those in areas recovering more quickly have fewer employees, prioritizing managers over more numerous but lower-paid staff.
"The folks that are bearing the brunt of this [downturn] are our front-line staff, our hourly employees," Grose said. Nationally, around 4 out of every 10 hospitality jobs were lost due to the pandemic, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In August, that translated to 768,500 fewer workers employed in accommodations than the same month in 2019.
For older workers, a steeper road back
Industrywide, hotel workers have been advocating for a protection that acknowledges the current financial straits facing management but offers solace in the future — seeking a guarantee that if their jobs eventually return, they'll get first dibs at their old rates.
"There's a lot of middle-aged to older middle-aged Black workers who are the bulk of hotel workers [in Philadelphia], and that's a group of workers that find it difficult to find a job and face racial discrimination and age discrimination in hiring," said Dermot Delude-Dix, a research analyst with the union Unite Here local in Philadelphia. During the pandemic, that union has found itself nearly wiped out, at times 98% unemployed.
Older workers face a steeper climb if they lose their jobs, with less time before retirement to make up lost wages, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Black and Latino communities have also been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, and supporters of "right to return" say it's a way to keep workers in those communities from being doubly disadvantaged.
The union has pushed for a local law guaranteeing recall rights in Philadelphia as well as in Las Vegas. Advocates have succeeded in cities including Los Angeles and Oakland, Calif., but the idea has not been widely adopted. Some union contracts contain the right of recall language, but some, such as the contract with Warwick Hotel workers, sunset six months after layoffs happened. Others have extended recalls either voluntarily or under pressure from workers. Seven of the 15 hotels in the Philadelphia region that are represented by Unite Here have done so.
Even that guarantee does not fully vanquish pandemic uncertainty.
"Just not knowing is the hard part," said Lekesha Wheelings, who worked for 14 years in the kitchens at the Philadelphia Downtown Marriott, most recently as a food expeditor. The hotel closed at the start of the pandemic and has not reopened.
The Philadelphia Downtown Marriott, which is not unionized, recently sent employees a letter saying they would be brought back as of Dec. 31, but that it "may also be necessary in the future to eliminate a number of positions."
"I don't know what this means, I'm terrified," Wheelings said.
Marriott corporate management declined to comment on the operation of specific hotels but said in a statement from corporate spokesperson Lucy Slosser, "Business levels have been profoundly impacted by the pandemic, and continue to determine hotel operational and staffing adjustments." Earlier this month, Marriott announced it would lay off hundreds from its corporate headquarters due to the COVID-19 business slump.
With so much up in the air, Wheelings said that if she doesn't go back to work soon, she'll scramble to find another way to earn income — but that also means accepting that the career and financial stability she earned are gone.
"It took me 14 years to get to $20 per hour, and it would probably be hard finding a job that starts at that level," she said.


npr--2020-09-29--More Than 600,000 Child Cases Of COVID-19 Reported In U.S., But Severe Illness 'Rare'

More Than 600,000 Child Cases Of COVID-19 Reported In U.S. , But Severe Illness 'Rare' In a survey of data published on the health department websites of 49 states , New York City , the District of Columbia , Puerto Rico and Guam , a total of 624,890 child cases of COVID-19 were reported from the start of the pandemic through September 24 , or 10.5 % of all cases in states reporting infections according to age .
A smaller subset of states reported hospitalizations and mortality by age .
The data from those states indicate `` COVID-19-associated hospitalization and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the survey .
The survey was compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children 's Hospital Association .
In announcing the survey , published Tuesday , the organizations said `` [ s ] tate-level reports are the best publicly available data on child COVID-19 cases in the United States . ''
`` At this time , it appears that severe illness due to COVID-19 is rare among children , '' the survey 's authors conclude .
The age parameters for childhood differ widely among the states , from 0-14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not distinguish between the different age ranges .
The authors also said it is not possible to determine the number of children infected but not tested .
The survey found a 14 % increase in child cases in the two weeks ending September 24 , a total of 75,458 new cases .
Of 11 states that reported testing according to age , `` [ c ] hildren made up between 4 % -16.2 % of total state tests , and between 3.7 % -15.5 % of children tested were tested positive , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of children hospitalized because of COVID-19 and the number who died from the illness is small , according to the survey .
Twenty-five states and New York City reported hospitalizations by age .
`` Children were 0.5 % -3.7 % of total reported hospitalizations , and between 0.2 % -7.9 % of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in hospitalization , '' the authors wrote .
Forty-two states and New York City reported deaths by age .
Of those , 17 states reported no child deaths from COVID-19 , and the highest reported percentage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 0.26 % , in Tennessee .
Among all child cases of COVID-19 in this subset of states and New York City , the death rate was 0.16 % .

More Than 600,000 Child Cases Of COVID-19 Reported In U.S., But Severe Illness 'Rare'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Elaine Thompson/AP Elaine Thompson/AP
In a survey of data published on the health department websites of 49 states, New York City, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, a total of 624,890 child cases of COVID-19 were reported from the start of the pandemic through Sept. 24, or 10.5% of all cases in states reporting infections according to age.
A smaller subset of states reported hospitalizations and mortality by age. The data from those states indicate "COVID-19-associated hospitalization and death is uncommon in children," according to the survey.
The survey was compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association. In announcing the survey, published Tuesday, the organizations said state-level reports are "the best publicly available data on child COVID-19 cases in the United States."
"At this time, it appears that severe illness due to COVID-19 is rare among children," the survey's authors conclude.
The age parameters for childhood differ widely among the states, from 0-14 to 0-20. The survey's totals do not distinguish between the different age ranges. The authors also said it is not possible to determine the number of children infected but not tested.
The survey found a 14% increase in child cases in the two weeks ending Sept. 24, a total of 75,458 new cases.
Of 11 states that reported testing according to age, children made up "4%-16.2% of total state tests, and between 3.7%-15.5% of children tested were tested positive," the survey found.
The number of children hospitalized because of COVID-19 and the number who died from the illness are small, according to the survey.
Twenty-five states and New York City reported hospitalizations by age. "Children were 0.5%-3.7% of total reported hospitalizations, and between 0.2%-7.9% of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in hospitalization," the authors wrote.
Forty-two states and New York City reported deaths by age. Of those, 17 states reported no child deaths from COVID-19, and the highest reported percentage of child deaths among total deaths was 0.26%, in Tennessee. Among all child cases of COVID-19 in this subset of states and New York City, the death rate was 0.16%.