npr--2020-12-08--What Changes Minds About Masks? In This Small Town, It Was A Child's Death

What Changes Minds About Masks ?
In This Small Town , It Was A Child 's Death In August , local officials in Washington , Mo.
, a small city an hour west of St. Louis , voted against requiring residents to wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
On Nov. 23 , with COVID-19 cases surging and the local hospital overflowing , the City Council brought a mask order back for another vote .
As protesters marched outside , Councilman Nick Obermark , an electrician , was the sole member of the nonpartisan council to change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass .
One of his many reasons ?
He has a child the same age as Washington Middle School student Peyton Baumgarth , 13 , who on Halloween became the youngest person in Missouri to die of COVID complications .
`` That hit pretty hard , '' Obermark said later .
Though the councilman does n't like wearing a mask , he said it 's worth it to prevent even one or two people from getting COVID-19 .
Washington became the latest community to flip its stance on masks and other restrictions while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America enters a dark winter without national directives to curb the pandemic , numerous cities , counties and states must decide : enact more restrictions now or leave people to their own will ?
Some in this tight-knit city of 14,000 have discovered that the answer — and the key to changing hearts and minds — lies in how close and real the danger seems .
After a spate of nursing home fatalities early on in Franklin County , where Washington is located , two months in the summer passed without a death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus as a big-city problem and rejected preventive measures .
Families attended weddings with hundreds of guests .
Downtown merchants held `` Thirsty Thursday , '' with participants mingling over drinks .
Even as officials at the city 's hospital urged COVID-19 restrictions , 356 people signed a letter to the local paper vowing their opposition to being `` forced to cover our mouths in public . ''
Republican Missouri Gov .
Mike Parson has declined to enact a statewide mask mandate .
Franklin County Presiding County Commissioner Tim Brinker posted on Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No mandates , low case counts , low to no hospitalizations .
Logic !
Keep hands clean , and if you do n't have the space , cover your face .
We love Freedom and respect human life .
Come to Franklin County and raise your children in God 's Country !
# COVID . ''
Embracing freedom and tradition is as expected here as following deer hunting season or attending the Washington Town & Country Fair .
The city 's downtown , within view of the swirling brown Missouri River , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quaint shops .
TheMissouri Meerschaum Co. still produces corn cob pipes on Front Street .
Its motto : `` Over 150 Years & Still Smokin ' . ''
In the months before the election , yards sprouted signs for President Donald Trump , who has downplayed the threat of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic .
But the virus crept closer in September when 74-year-old Ralph Struckhoff died of the disease .
The Missourian newspaper published a story describing him as a healthy man who had just done a day of construction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ill. `` Please wear a mask in memory of Ralph , '' his widow , Jayne Struckhoff , wrote in a letter to the editor .
`` If this virus can take Ralph , it can take down anyone . ''
Some locals began asking : What would it take for this town to change ?
University of Missouri health communication assistant professor Yerina Ranjit said many factors influence health decisions .
For instance , she said , people usually follow health advice if they believe an illness is serious and that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's true with COVID as well , '' she said .
Older people are more likely to wear masks and social distance .
But others might not wear masks if they think the virus would n't make them very ill .
Symbolic threats , or things that people feel threaten their values , can also affect behavior .
In a survey of U.S. adults yet to be published , Ranjit and her colleagues studied media viewing and found that the kind of information people are exposed to makes a real difference .
Regardless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox News viewers were more likely to think the pandemic threatens the American way of life , which made them less likely to wear masks .
They were `` buying into the idea that masks are against our identity , '' she said .
On the other hand , people watching MSNBC felt more afraid of the virus , which caused them to wear masks .
But in November , Mayor Sandy Lucy noticed that attitudes were evolving .
That 's when residents heard about Peyton , the middle-schooler , who declined rapidly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hospital , his mother told KMOV .
According to his obituary , he was known for his love of Pokémon Go , flag football and the St. Louis Blues .
`` Suddenly there was a death of a 13-year-old , '' Lucy said , `` and you think , maybe this virus is more vicious than I give it credit for being . ''
Peyton 's mother , Stephanie Franek , pleaded in a TV interview : `` Wear a mask when you 're in public , wash your hands and know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cases skyrocketed .
Between the first and second mask votes , the total COVID count in Franklin County , with a population around 104,000 , climbed from 728 to 4,594 , and deaths rose from 19 to 75 .
In the week ending Nov. 23 , 25 % of COVID tests returned positive results .
Mercy Hospital Washington was running out of space .
Hospital President Eric Eoloff tied rising hospitalizations and deaths to the absence of safety measures .
`` As a hospital administrator , I knew we would be on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wear the masks and not social distancing , '' he said .
In a surprise move on Nov. 19 , the Franklin County Board of Commissioners enacted a mandatory mask order .
Presiding Commissioner Brinker told The Missourian that he had spoken to local doctors and the St. Louis regional pandemic task force , and the numbers `` speak for themselves . ''
Brinker did not respond to requests for comment for this story .
Although the order already applied to the city , the Washington City Council went further and approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Unlike the county order , which expires Dec. 20 , the city 's mandate will stay in force based on metrics related to the new COVID case rate , hospital admissions and deaths .
Dozens of protesters wielded flags and signs against mandatory masking outside City Hall the evening of the vote .
Ali and Duncan Whittington came with their 4-year-old daughter .
`` I 'm here because I feel my freedom is being violated , '' Ali Whittington said .
Councilman Obermark later said that he had lost a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was n't one thing , '' he said .
`` It was several things that made me change my mind . ''
The high positivity rate , the lack of capacity at the hospital .
Knowing healthy people whom COVID `` knocked down '' for days .
His wife having to quarantine .
And Peyton 's death .
He said he knows masks are n't a cure-all , but they could help reduce the spread until vaccines arrive .
`` We tried nothing and it is n't working , '' he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
KHN ( Kaiser Health News ) is a nonprofit news service covering health issues .
It is an editorially independent program of KFF ( Kaiser Family Foundation ) that is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente .

What Changes Minds About Masks? In This Small Town, It Was A Child's Death
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sara Shipley Hiles/KHN Sara Shipley Hiles/KHN
In August, local officials in Washington, Mo., a small city an hour west of St. Louis, voted against requiring residents to wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
On Nov. 23, with COVID-19 cases surging and the local hospital overflowing, the City Council brought a mask order back for another vote. As protesters marched outside, Councilman Nick Obermark, an electrician, was the sole member of the nonpartisan council to change his vote, causing the mandate to pass.
One of his many reasons? He has a child the same age as Washington Middle School student Peyton Baumgarth, 13, who on Halloween became the youngest person in Missouri to die of COVID-19 complications.
"That hit pretty hard," Obermark said later. Though the councilman doesn't like wearing a mask, he said it's worth it to prevent even one or two people from getting COVID-19.
Washington became the latest community to flip its stance on masks and other restrictions while the coronavirus ravages the country.
As America enters a dark winter without national directives to curb the pandemic, numerous cities, counties and states must decide: enact more restrictions now or leave people to their own will? Some in this tight-knit city of 14,000 have discovered that the answer — and the key to changing hearts and minds — lies in how close and real the danger seems.
After a spate of nursing home fatalities early on in Franklin County, where Washington is located, two months in the summer passed without a death from COVID-19. Some residents saw the virus as a big-city problem and rejected preventive measures.
Families attended weddings with hundreds of guests. Downtown merchants held "Thirsty Thursday" with participants mingling over drinks. Even as officials at the city's hospital urged COVID-19 restrictions, 356 people signed a letter to the local paper vowing their opposition to being "forced to cover our mouths in public."
Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has declined to enact a statewide mask mandate. Franklin County Presiding County Commissioner Tim Brinker posted on Twitter July 29: "Franklin County MO. No mandates, low case counts, low to no hospitalizations. Logic! Keep hands clean, and if you don't have the space, cover your face. We love Freedom and respect human life. Come to Franklin County and raise your children in God's Country! #COVID."
Embracing freedom and tradition is as expected here as following deer hunting season or attending the Washington Town & Country Fair. The city's downtown, within view of the swirling brown Missouri River, is lined with historic red-brick buildings and quaint shops. The Missouri Meerschaum Co. still produces corncob pipes on Front Street. Its motto: "Over 150 Years & Still Smokin'."
In the months before the election, yards sprouted signs for President Trump, who has downplayed the threat of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
But the virus crept closer in September when 74-year-old Ralph Struckhoff died of the disease. The Missourian newspaper published a story describing him as a healthy man who had just done a day of construction work at his church before he fell ill. "Please wear a mask in memory of Ralph," his widow, Jayne Struckhoff, wrote in a letter to the editor. "If this virus can take Ralph, it can take down anyone."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sara Shipley Hiles/KHN Sara Shipley Hiles/KHN
Some locals began asking: What would it take for this town to change? University of Missouri health communication assistant professor Yerina Ranjit said many factors influence health decisions. For instance, she said, people usually follow health advice if they believe an illness is serious and that they are susceptible to it.
"That's true with COVID as well," she said. Older people are more likely to wear masks and social distance. But others might not wear masks if they think the virus wouldn't make them very ill.
Symbolic threats, or things that people feel threaten their values, can also affect behavior. In a survey of U.S. adults yet to be published, Ranjit and her colleagues studied media viewing and found that the kind of information people are exposed to makes a real difference.
Regardless of political affiliation, they found, Fox News viewers were more likely to think the pandemic threatens the American way of life, which made them less likely to wear masks. They were "buying into the idea that masks are against our identity," she said. On the other hand, people watching MSNBC felt more afraid of the virus, which caused them to wear masks.
But in November, Mayor Sandy Lucy noticed that attitudes were evolving. That's when residents heard about Peyton, the middle-schooler, who declined rapidly and died days after being admitted to the hospital, his mother told KMOV. According to his obituary, he was known for his love of Pokémon Go, flag football and the St. Louis Blues.
"Suddenly there was a death of a 13-year-old," Lucy said, "and you think, maybe this virus is more vicious than I give it credit for being."
Peyton's mother, Stephanie Franek, pleaded in a TV interview: "Wear a mask when you're in public, wash your hands and know that COVID is real."
Meanwhile, cases skyrocketed. Between the first and second mask votes, the total COVID-19 count in Franklin County, with a population around 104,000, climbed from 728 to 4,594, and deaths rose from 19 to 75. In the week ending Nov. 23, 25% of coronavirus tests returned positive results.
Mercy Hospital Washington was running out of space. Hospital President Eric Eoloff tied rising hospitalizations and deaths to the absence of safety measures. "As a hospital administrator, I knew we would be on the receiving end of the choices not to wear the masks and not social distancing," he said.
In a surprise move on Nov. 19, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners enacted a mandatory mask order. Presiding Commissioner Brinker told The Missourian that he had spoken to local doctors and the St. Louis regional pandemic task force, and the numbers "speak for themselves." Brinker did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
Although the order already applied to the city, the Washington City Council went further and approved its own mask rule four days later. Unlike the county order, which expires Dec. 20, the city's mandate will stay in force based on metrics related to the new COVID-19 case rate, hospital admissions and deaths.
Dozens of protesters wielded flags and signs against mandatory masking outside City Hall the evening of the vote. Ali and Duncan Whittington came with their 4-year-old daughter. "I'm here because I feel my freedom is being violated," Ali Whittington said.
Councilman Obermark later said that he had lost a lot of sleep over his decision. "It wasn't one thing," he said. "It was several things that made me change my mind."
The high positivity rate, the lack of capacity at the hospital. Knowing healthy people whom COVID-19 "knocked down" for days. His wife having to quarantine. And Peyton's death.
He said he knows masks aren't a cure-all, but they could help reduce the spread until vaccines arrive.
"We tried nothing and it isn't working," he said, "so we have to try something."
KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) that is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.


npr--2020-12-08--California's Ancient Redwoods Face New Challenge From Wildfires And Warming Climate

California 's Ancient Redwoods Face New Challenge From Wildfires And Warming Climate After this year 's historic wildfires , California 's oldest state park — Big Basin Redwoods — looks more like a logging village than an iconic hiking and camping mecca .
There 's a near constant buzz of chainsaws .
Rumblings from trucks and logging skidders fill the air as crews busily cut charred , fallen trees and chop down `` hazard trees '' rangers worry will topple on to the park 's roadways .
It 's estimated the wildfire , awkwardly named the CZU Lightning Complex Fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Basin 's more than 18,000 acres , scorching its 4,400 acres of ancient redwoods and obliterating most of the park 's infrastructure for camping and recreation .
`` All of the historic structures in the park , totally destroyed , save one residence , '' Joanne Kerbavaz says .
The California state park senior environmental scientist is standing in ashes and bits of charred beams .
This is where a log-cabin-like visitors center and museum once stood , built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the New Deal .
`` It 's truly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the generations of people who grew up coming here and enjoying this , '' she says .
Big Basin — and big swaths of California — are still recovering from historic wildfires that ravaged the state this year , displacing tens of thousands of people and wildlife , burning more than 4 million acres and killing at least 33 people .
They also ripped across groves of giant , coastal , old-growth redwoods here in the Santa Cruz Mountains .
And while these trees are incredibly resilient , there 's concern that even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid the mounting impacts of climate change .
These ancient trees are among the oldest and tallest on earth .
Some are 1,000 to 2,000 years old .
Redwoods capture more carbon dioxide than any other tree , and provide critical habitat for birds and scores of other species .
Many of Big Basin 's old growth will be just fine , Kerbavaz says .
`` A lot of the constituents of this forest are very much able to deal with fire . ''
Wildfire , of course , is a vital , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away underbrush and built-up fuel helps replenish forest nutrients and opens paths to new growth .
Redwoods have evolved to adapt .
Their tall crowns capture moisture from fog , mist and low clouds , called fog drip , that helps them survive drought and infernos .
Water from fog , studies show , can be more important to redwoods than winter rainfall .
But now , Kerbavaz and other scientists who study the trees worry the redwoods will face new challenges rebounding in hotter , drier conditions than they 're used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` As the climates changes , [ redwoods ] could be restricted to just areas that really meet their needs , '' Kerbavaz says , while walking near Opal Creek in Big Basin 's historic core .
That would be `` areas that get summer fog , that helps give them extra water , and also helps mediate the moisture loss from the temperature . ''
It 's estimated the state 's recent five-year drought killed more than 120 million trees across wide swaths of California 's forests .
Redwoods , experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conifer forests .
Scientists are now tracking how California 's redwoods are being affected by a warming climate , especially fog patterns past and present .
`` It 's the fire climate feedback that 's really driving this '' The trees here at Big Basin are hardly the only ones at possible risk .
`` I 'm concerned that we 're seeing much more of the forest impacted by these issues , '' says Greg Asner , who runs the Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science at Arizona State University .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's really driving this . ''
Asner has studied and mapped California 's forests for more than two decades , flying airplanes with cutting-edge technology to track just how much water is in trees ' canopies , and other key markers of environmental change .
He worries that more catastrophic wildfires , combined with warmer temperatures and the potential for ever decreased fog and rain , may be altering the playing field for California 's forests .
`` These issues are recurring so frequently , '' he says , `` that the system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebound or recovery that we all ... in Biology 101 learned about in high school . ''
Four years of devastating , historic wildfires , Asner says , should be a loud alarm bell for the region .
To save more of the forests , he says California must dramatically expand targeted forest thinning and intentional burning .
`` It 's kind of like sacrificing something for the greater good , '' he says .
`` Without that , it 's just all reactive , it 's all putting out fire . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , across its vast forests and in the wake of a deadly pandemic , remains a huge financial , logistical and political challenge .
One silver lining , the fire this time affords forest experts a great chance to study and map how this ancient and complex ecosystem bounces back .
`` This is the kind of event we would n't wish on the park , '' Big Basin 's Kerbavaz says .
But `` hopefully we 're going to learn more about these trees , this forest , and how to maintain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We walk across forest ground blackened to a crunchy charcoal , up to what 's called a `` fairy ring '' — a circle of towering old-growth redwoods with an opening in the middle where an even larger tree , call it a parent tree , once stood .
We gaze at trees blackened far up their towering trunks .
Yet just a few months since the fire , Kerbavaz points to signs of new life .
`` That looks like at least 200 feet up , there are green sprouts coming out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tree there , '' she says .
Elsewhere are other hopeful signposts of endurance and resurgence .
At the base of a cluster of near-dead tanoak trees , 4 feet high green offshoots are jutting skyward .
Huckleberry and manzanita bushes are sprouting .
Big Basin will recover , she says , but the park will be different .
`` We only have about 5 % of the old-growth trees that we had at the time of the Gold Rush '' in the mid-19th century , she says .
That makes it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the good of the larger landscape .
`` You can lose a few icons and still keep the forest . ''
Not long after the latest big fire , the 30-year veteran of the state parks went to one of her favorite spots in the woods for a little inspiration in a tough year .
In a grove of old growth that had survived the blaze , she says she just stood and took in the quiet .
And she watched the sunlight come through those giant trees .

California's Ancient Redwoods Face New Challenge From Wildfires And Warming Climate
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Westervelt/NPR Eric Westervelt/NPR
After this year's historic wildfires, California's oldest state park — Big Basin Redwoods — looks more like a logging village than an iconic hiking and camping mecca.
There's a near constant buzz of chainsaws. Rumblings from trucks and logging skidders fill the air as crews busily cut charred, fallen trees and chop down "hazard trees" rangers worry will topple on to the park's roadways.
It's estimated the wildfire, awkwardly named the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, burned through 97% of Big Basin's more than 18,000 acres, scorching its 4,400 acres of ancient redwoods and obliterating most of the park's infrastructure for camping and recreation.
"All of the historic structures in the park, totally destroyed, save one residence," Joanne Kerbavaz says. The California state park senior environmental scientist is standing in ashes and bits of charred beams. This is where a log-cabin-like visitors center and museum once stood, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the New Deal.
"It's truly tragic from the perspective of all of the generations of people who grew up coming here and enjoying this," she says.
Big Basin — and big swaths of California — are still recovering from historic wildfires that ravaged the state this year, displacing tens of thousands of people and wildlife, burning more than 4 million acres and killing at least 33 people. They also ripped across groves of giant, coastal, old-growth redwoods here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. And while these trees are incredibly resilient, there's concern that even they may find it harder to rebound amid the mounting impacts of climate change.
toggle caption Eric Westervelt/NPR
Capturing fog drip to adapt to fire
These ancient trees are among the oldest and tallest on earth. Some are 1,000 to 2,000 years old. Redwoods capture more carbon dioxide than any other tree, and provide critical habitat for birds and scores of other species. Many of Big Basin's old growth will be just fine, Kerbavaz says. "A lot of the constituents of this forest are very much able to deal with fire."
Wildfire, of course, is a vital, natural part of forest regeneration. Burning away underbrush and built-up fuel helps replenish forest nutrients and opens paths to new growth. Redwoods have evolved to adapt. Their tall crowns capture moisture from fog, mist and low clouds, called fog drip, that helps them survive drought and infernos. Water from fog, studies show, can be more important to redwoods than winter rainfall.
But now, Kerbavaz and other scientists who study the trees worry the redwoods will face new challenges rebounding in hotter, drier conditions than they're used to, and with radically changing weather patterns.
"As the climates changes, [redwoods] could be restricted to just areas that really meet their needs," Kerbavaz says, while walking near Opal Creek in Big Basin's historic core. That would be "areas that get summer fog, that helps give them extra water, and also helps mediate the moisture loss from the temperature."
It's estimated the state's recent five-year drought killed more than 120 million trees across wide swaths of California's forests. Redwoods, experts say, survived better than many mixed conifer forests. Scientists are now tracking how California's redwoods are being affected by a warming climate, especially fog patterns past and present.
toggle caption Eric Westervelt/NPR
"It's the fire climate feedback that's really driving this"
The trees here at Big Basin are hardly the only ones at possible risk.
"I'm concerned that we're seeing much more of the forest impacted by these issues," says Greg Asner, who runs the Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science at Arizona State University. "It's the fire climate feedback that's really driving this."
Asner has studied and mapped California's forests for more than two decades, flying airplanes with cutting-edge technology to track just how much water is in trees' canopies, and other key markers of environmental change.
He worries that more catastrophic wildfires, combined with warmer temperatures and the potential for ever decreased fog and rain, may be altering the playing field for California's forests.
"These issues are recurring so frequently," he says, "that the system cannot go through some sort of rebound or recovery that we all ... in Biology 101 learned about in high school."
Four years of devastating, historic wildfires, Asner says, should be a loud alarm bell for the region. To save more of the forests, he says California must dramatically expand targeted forest thinning and intentional burning.
"It's kind of like sacrificing something for the greater good," he says. "Without that, it's just all reactive, it's all putting out fire."
But how California does that at scale, across its vast forests and in the wake of a deadly pandemic, remains a huge financial, logistical and political challenge.
One silver lining, the fire this time affords forest experts a great chance to study and map how this ancient and complex ecosystem bounces back.
toggle caption Eric Westervelt/NPR
Hopeful signs of endurance
"This is the kind of event we wouldn't wish on the park," Big Basin's Kerbavaz says. But "hopefully we're going to learn more about these trees, this forest, and how to maintain it well into the future."
We walk across forest ground blackened to a crunchy charcoal, up to what's called a "fairy ring" — a circle of towering old-growth redwoods with an opening in the middle where an even larger tree, call it a parent tree, once stood.
We gaze at trees blackened far up their towering trunks. Yet just a few months since the fire, Kerbavaz points to signs of new life.
"That looks like at least 200 feet up, there are green sprouts coming out of the stems on the side of the tree there," she says.
Elsewhere are other hopeful signposts of endurance and resurgence. At the base of a cluster of near-dead tanoak trees, 4 feet high green offshoots are jutting skyward. Huckleberry and manzanita bushes are sprouting.
Big Basin will recover, she says, but the park will be different.
"We only have about 5% of the old-growth trees that we had at the time of the Gold Rush" in the mid-19th century, she says. That makes it all the more important to protect them for the good of the larger landscape. "You can lose a few icons and still keep the forest."
Not long after the latest big fire, the 30-year veteran of the state parks went to one of her favorite spots in the woods for a little inspiration in a tough year. In a grove of old growth that had survived the blaze, she says she just stood and took in the quiet. And she watched the sunlight come through those giant trees.


npr--2020-12-08--Hardly Any 1918 Flu Memorials Exist. Will We Remember COVID-19 Differently?

Hardly Any 1918 Flu Memorials Exist .
Will We Remember COVID-19 Differently ?
As the number of deaths related to COVID-19 surpasses a quarter-million in the U.S. , artists are embarking on ambitious projects to remember the coronavirus pandemic 's victims .
A parking lot outside the Queens Museum in New York City was transformed into a loving salute to health care workers this summer when artist Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada painted his 20,000-square-foot mural of a doctor wearing a mask .
Thousands of American flags were planted on the National Mall this September as the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the installation in Washington , D.C. , hoped that the flags could symbolize the increasingly unfathomable scale of loss that the coronavirus pandemic has caused .
And in Philadelphia , dozens gathered near the Schuylkill River on a chilly October weekend for a series of video projections that promoted collective healing and mourning .
The event , organized with the help of local artists , included a number of messages superimposed on a surgical mask , like `` It did n't have to be this way '' and `` Memorialize the missing among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone , but their existence has inspired artists to start thinking about what comes next .
And for many organizers , envisioning a permanent monument to victims and first responders must happen soon , to avoid risking a loss of momentum or political support .
`` The time is now , '' said Paul Farber , director of the nonprofit Monument Lab , which studies the role of public art in civic engagement and collective memory .
`` Because we are both mourning our losses and fighting for our lives , it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commemoration . ''
Traditional monuments have for centuries commemorated important political leaders and war veterans ; rarely do governments dedicate memorials to victims of a disease .
Despite 50 million people worldwide dying from an influenza virus a century ago , for instance , the 1918 flu pandemic is barely remembered in statues and stone .
Of the few examples that exist , many were only recently unveiled : a 2018 graveyard bench in Vermont and a 2019 garden plaque in New Zealand 's capital .
Some historians have suggested that the lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the disease , which in turn may have contributed to a lack of preparedness for the coronavirus pandemic .
There is one disease calamity , however , that has been widely memorialized in recent generations in the U.S. : the global HIV/AIDS epidemic .
There are several memorials around the country to victims of the virus ; New York City even has two official commemorations situated only a few blocks away from each other in Manhattan .
But perhaps the most recognizable of them all is the AIDS Memorial Quilt , initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and covering a space larger than a football field , with 1,920 panels representing the dead .
Artists are already taking inspiration from that generation of activism .
Like a spiritual successor to the AIDS Memorial Quilt , an online memorial project for Asian and Pacific American communities impacted by COVID-19 and the rise in racist violence during the pandemic has taken a collaborative approach .
Artists in partnership with New York University are working on A/P/A Voices by collecting oral histories and digital artifacts , including artworks and videos , for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this difficult era .
But creating a physical monument in the U.S. , where bureaucratic red tape and funding can keep projects in the planning stages for years , will likely take more time .
Even the temporary memorials that have appeared across the country required considerable effort .
It took months for Farber and his collaborators to organize the video projection series in Philadelphia , called Cleanse .
`` It was about being aware that we were all holding loss , '' he explained .
`` And we realized that any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to deal with the catastrophic losses of life to both the pandemic and systemic racism . ''
In New York City , Councilmember Mark Levine floated the idea of transforming Hart Island , the site of mass burials for victims of COVID-19 and the many diseases before it , into such a memorial .
That suggestion eventually became a bill , which is now sitting in committee before it can receive a vote from the New York City Council .
`` Typically , America meticulously chronicles the lives of those that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I guess because of the scale of this pandemic — and that it 's not a one-day event but an ongoing disaster — we have done very little of that . ''
And given the manifold ways that the coronavirus pandemic has upended life for Americans — and the way that COVID-19 has become politicized — public monument experts say it 's unlikely that a single monument will be able to address the totality of the disaster .
`` We will need all the techniques we can muster to mark how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been , '' said Farber , who envisions future memorials standing in front of city halls and hospitals across the country .
`` Having official recognition that more than 250,000 Americans have died is important . ''
Other countries have already begun their own efforts to memorialize victims and health care workers .
London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced in late November that his city would build a memorial garden to commemorate the thousands of lives lost to the pandemic in the British capital .
Planned for the city 's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blossoming trees , one for each of the city 's boroughs .
Uruguay has made even more progress .
The architecture firm Gómez Platero is leading a $ 1.5 million project to create a monument to the victims of COVID-19 — the world 's first large-scale memorial to those lost in a pandemic — on the shores of Montevideo , under the direction of Uruguay 's president , Luis Lacalle Pou .
The monument will take the form of a massive circular structure that is nearly 130 feet in diameter .
The circular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 300 visitors at a time and contain an open void at its center , which will look down toward the rolling ocean .
According to Gómez Platero , such monuments mark our shared cultural and emotional milestones .
`` By creating a memorial capable of activating senses and memories in this way , '' the firm said in a statement , `` we can remind our visitors — as pandemics do — that we as human beings are subordinate to nature and not the other way around . ''

Hardly Any 1918 Flu Memorials Exist. Will We Remember COVID-19 Differently?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ian Brodie/Gómez Platero Ian Brodie/Gómez Platero
As the number of deaths related to COVID-19 surpasses a quarter-million in the U.S., artists are embarking on ambitious projects to remember the coronavirus pandemic's victims.
A parking lot outside the Queens Museum in New York City was transformed into a loving salute to health care workers this summer when artist Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada painted his 20,000-square-foot mural of a doctor wearing a mask.
Thousands of American flags were planted on the National Mall this September as the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. surpassed 200,000 cases. Volunteers who organized the installation in Washington, D.C., hoped that the flags could symbolize the increasingly unfathomable scale of loss that the coronavirus pandemic has caused.
toggle caption Win McNamee/Getty Images
And in Philadelphia, dozens gathered near the Schuylkill River on a chilly October weekend for a series of video projections that promoted collective healing and mourning. The event, organized with the help of local artists, included a number of messages superimposed on a surgical mask, like "It didn't have to be this way" and "Memorialize the missing among us." Those temporary memorials are gone, but their existence has inspired artists to start thinking about what comes next. And for many organizers, envisioning a permanent monument to victims and first responders must happen soon, to avoid risking a loss of momentum or political support.
"The time is now," said Paul Farber, director of the nonprofit Monument Lab, which studies the role of public art in civic engagement and collective memory. "Because we are both mourning our losses and fighting for our lives, it's important that we have urgent forms of commemoration."
Traditional monuments have for centuries commemorated important political leaders and war veterans; rarely do governments dedicate memorials to victims of a disease. Despite 50 million people worldwide dying from an influenza virus a century ago, for instance, the 1918 flu pandemic is barely remembered in statues and stone.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Wilson Ring/AP Wilson Ring/AP
Of the few examples that exist, many were only recently unveiled: a 2018 graveyard bench in Vermont and a 2019 garden plaque in New Zealand's capital. Some historians have suggested that the lack of memorials contributed to a mass amnesia around the disease, which in turn may have contributed to a lack of preparedness for the coronavirus pandemic.
There is one disease calamity, however, that has been widely memorialized in recent generations in the U.S.: the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. There are several memorials around the country to victims of the virus; New York City even has two official commemorations situated only a few blocks away from each other in Manhattan.
But perhaps the most recognizable of them all is the AIDS Memorial Quilt, initially displayed on the National Mall in 1987 and covering a space larger than a football field, with 1,920 panels representing the dead. Artists are already taking inspiration from that generation of activism.
toggle caption Joyce Naltchayan/AFP via Getty Images
toggle caption Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images
Like a spiritual successor to the AIDS Memorial Quilt, an online memorial project for Asian and Pacific American communities impacted by COVID-19 and the rise in racist violence during the pandemic has taken a collaborative approach. Artists in partnership with New York University are working on A/P/A Voices by collecting oral histories and digital artifacts, including artworks and videos, for an archive that hopes to preserve public memory of this difficult era.
But creating a physical monument in the U.S., where bureaucratic red tape and funding can keep projects in the planning stages for years, will likely take more time. Even the temporary memorials that have appeared across the country required considerable effort. It took months for Farber and his collaborators to organize the video projection series in Philadelphia, called Cleanse.
"It was about being aware that we were all holding loss," he explained. "And we realized that any effort to build a site of memory had to deal with the catastrophic losses of life to both the pandemic and systemic racism."
In New York City, Councilmember Mark Levine floated the idea of transforming Hart Island, the site of mass burials for victims of COVID-19 and the many diseases before it, into such a memorial. That suggestion eventually became a bill, which is now sitting in committee before it can receive a vote from the New York City Council.
"Typically, America meticulously chronicles the lives of those that we have lost," Levine told NPR. "I guess because of the scale of this pandemic — and that it's not a one-day event but an ongoing disaster — we have done very little of that."
And given the manifold ways that the coronavirus pandemic has upended life for Americans — and the way that COVID-19 has become politicized — public monument experts say it's unlikely that a single monument will be able to address the totality of the disaster.
"We will need all the techniques we can muster to mark how profound the catastrophic loss of life has been," said Farber, who envisions future memorials standing in front of city halls and hospitals across the country. "Having official recognition that more than 250,000 Americans have died is important."
Other countries have already begun their own efforts to memorialize victims and health care workers. London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced in late November that his city would build a memorial garden to commemorate the thousands of lives lost to the pandemic in the British capital. Planned for the city's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the site will consist of 33 blossoming trees, one for each of the city's boroughs.
Uruguay has made even more progress. The architecture firm Gómez Platero is leading a $1.5 million project to create a monument to the victims of COVID-19 — the world's first large-scale memorial to those lost in a pandemic — on the shores of Montevideo, under the direction of Uruguay's president, Luis Lacalle Pou.
toggle caption Gómez Platero
The monument will take the form of a massive circular structure that is nearly 130 feet in diameter. The circular platform is expected to welcome up to 300 visitors at a time and contain an open void at its center, which will look down toward the rolling ocean.
According to Gómez Platero, such monuments mark our shared cultural and emotional milestones. "By creating a memorial capable of activating senses and memories in this way," the firm said in a statement, "we can remind our visitors — as pandemics do — that we as human beings are subordinate to nature and not the other way around."


npr--2020-12-08--With Fall Graduation Off, But Football Still On, Students Question College Priorities

With Fall Graduation Off , But Football Still On , Students Question College Priorities Jayme Henderson says her college 's decision to cancel fall graduation over coronavirus concerns felt like `` a slap in the face . ''
Henderson , a graduating senior at the University of Missouri in Columbia , remembers thinking about the campus activities that had n't been cancelled : Football was still on , with fans still able to attend games in-person , and there were even some in-person classes .
To make matters worse , the email cancelling fall commencement arrived the same day as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game day crowds .
`` I would n't be upset if it was all or nothing , '' Henderson says .
`` It seems like the university is picking and choosing what events are important to have , which does n't really seem fair . ''
As coronavirus case numbers continue to increase across the nation , many colleges have canceled in-person fall graduation ceremonies , which are usually held in December .
Official announcements often cite health concerns .
But several students told NPR that these cancellations came while other in-person activities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to confusion and frustration among graduating seniors .
`` I completely understand safety first , '' Henderson says , `` but it just seems like it 's possible . ''
`` The one thing that we all came here to do '' Across the country , students have started petitions in hopes of getting their institutions to reconsider hosting in-person graduation ceremonies .
The petitions offer suggestions on how graduations could still be held safely .
For instance : limiting the number of guests each student can bring and assigning sections for each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the large , in-person events that are still on .
The University of Missouri petition , which Henderson helped organize , notes , `` It is difficult for students to accept that Mizzou is able to hold football games with 20,000 guests but refuse to provide us with a socially distanced commencement alternative to do the one thing that we all came here to do : celebrate our achievement of graduating . ''
University of Missouri spokesperson Christian Basi tells NPR that the school canceled December graduation because it could n't guarantee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from all 50 states and foreign countries to see commencement ceremonies .
We do n't have the resources to screen everyone . ''
He says the university decided not to hold a commencement ceremony in the football stadium because winters in Missouri are unpredictable , and it would n't be fair to ask families to plan for that .
`` Football plays in any kind of weather .
... And fans can decide if they want to come and brave the weather or not , '' he explains .
The university is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire class of 2020 when it is safe to do so , Basi says .
A Florida State University petition suggests a venue change : `` All 2020 football season , FSU has been hosting limited-capacity games .
Less than 3,000 students will be graduating from Florida State University in December 2020 .
Doak Campbell Stadium can hold 79,560 occupants .
This is more than enough space to safely host a commencement ceremony for our graduates . ''
Florida State has not announced plans for a spring 2021 commencement .
University spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-person ceremony came after a directive from the Florida Board of Governors and the State University System.. '' In addition , with FSU moving entirely to remote classes after the Thanksgiving break , having students and family members return to Tallahassee in December poses further health and logistical challenges , '' Farnum-Patronis says .
`` It 's for the community of people behind me '' For many students , earning a degree and walking across the stage is n't only an accomplishment for themselves but also for their families .
`` My main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are a lot of first-generation graduates , and this is like a moment of a lifetime for them , '' he says .
`` Hosting football games , but taking this moment away from students seems so crazy . ''
Feacher is a child of immigrants himself .
`` I 'm not walking across the stage to prove a point or even for myself .
It 's for the community of people behind me , '' he says .
`` I think that 's a shared sentiment for a lot of students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Students like Camilla Williams , also a graduating senior at Florida State .
She says her graduation means the world to her parents , who are originally from Jamaica .
`` My parents did n't get to go to college .
They did n't get to experience everything that I 'm experiencing , '' Williams explains .
`` They worked really hard to make sure my sister and I could go to college to get a good education .
This is really for them . ''
Williams says she was disappointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but she has come to terms with the fact that she will not be able to walk across the stage to celebrate this major milestone .
`` The importance of donning the cap and gown '' Some in-person graduations have taken place during the pandemic .
In August , Benedict College , a small historically black college in Columbia , S.C. , hosted a graduation ceremony in its football stadium .
Benedict usually has about 250 to 300 graduates a year , but only 180 students were able to return for the August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to do this for our students .
They deserved this , '' explains Roslyn Clark Artis , president of Benedict College .
Graduates stayed 6 feet apart and wore masks , and while families were not invited , the ceremony was live streamed on various platforms for loved ones to watch .
`` We wanted to make it really special for the students , '' Artis says , `` so as the students were leaving , the music started and the firework show began .
That was a happy surprise for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host fall commencements — instead , the school invites fall graduates to the spring ceremony , which it plans to do again this year .
Artis says she would recommend a socially distanced ceremony to other universities and colleges .
`` The importance of donning the cap and gown and marching across the stage to receive a diploma , can not be understated . ''
But she acknowledges it 's harder to pull off at larger institutions , with thousands of graduating students .
Fall graduations can also be tougher to accomplish in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are offering make-up ceremonies tentatively scheduled for the spring .
Baylor University has pushed in-person fall graduation to May 2021 , and Baylor University senior Kennedy Kinnard says she 'll be there .
`` This is major to me , '' she says , `` so I 'm definitely going to come back . ''
As a Black student , Kinnard says Baylor was n't always the friendliest place , so graduation feels like a double accomplishment .
For other students , coming back six months later is n't so appealing .
Jayme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` I think by then the moment would have passed . ''
Adedayo Akala is an intern on the NPR Business Desk .

With Fall Graduation Off, But Football Still On, Students Question College Priorities
Enlarge this image toggle caption AJ Shorter/Benedict College AJ Shorter/Benedict College
Jayme Henderson says her college's decision to cancel fall graduation over coronavirus concerns felt like "a slap in the face."
Henderson, a graduating senior at the University of Missouri in Columbia, remembers thinking about the campus activities that hadn't been cancelled: Football was still on, with fans still able to attend games in-person, and there were even some in-person classes. To make matters worse, the email cancelling fall commencement arrived the same day as another email detailing parking restrictions for big game day crowds.
"I wouldn't be upset if it was all or nothing," Henderson says. "It seems like the university is picking and choosing what events are important to have, which doesn't really seem fair."
As coronavirus case numbers continue to increase across the nation, many colleges have canceled in-person fall graduation ceremonies, which are usually held in December. Official announcements often cite health concerns. But several students told NPR that these cancellations came while other in-person activities were allowed to take place, leading to confusion and frustration among graduating seniors.
"I completely understand safety first," Henderson says, "but it just seems like it's possible."
"The one thing that we all came here to do"
Across the country, students have started petitions in hopes of getting their institutions to reconsider hosting in-person graduation ceremonies. The petitions offer suggestions on how graduations could still be held safely. For instance: limiting the number of guests each student can bring and assigning sections for each family. Many petitions also call attention to the large, in-person events that are still on.
The University of Missouri petition, which Henderson helped organize, notes, "It is difficult for students to accept that Mizzou is able to hold football games with 20,000 guests but refuse to provide us with a socially distanced commencement alternative to do the one thing that we all came here to do: celebrate our achievement of graduating."
University of Missouri spokesperson Christian Basi tells NPR that the school canceled December graduation because it couldn't guarantee safety. "We have individuals come from all 50 states and foreign countries to see commencement ceremonies. We don't have the resources to screen everyone."
He says the university decided not to hold a commencement ceremony in the football stadium because winters in Missouri are unpredictable, and it wouldn't be fair to ask families to plan for that. "Football plays in any kind of weather. ... And fans can decide if they want to come and brave the weather or not," he explains. The university is still committed to holding an in-person graduation for the entire class of 2020 when it is safe to do so, Basi says.
A Florida State University petition suggests a venue change: "All 2020 football season, FSU has been hosting limited-capacity games. Less than 3,000 students will be graduating from Florida State University in December 2020. Doak Campbell Stadium can hold 79,560 occupants. This is more than enough space to safely host a commencement ceremony for our graduates."
Florida State has not announced plans for a spring 2021 commencement. University spokesperson Amy Farnum-Patronis says the cancellation of the in-person ceremony came after a directive from the Florida Board of Governors and the State University System..
"In addition, with FSU moving entirely to remote classes after the Thanksgiving break, having students and family members return to Tallahassee in December poses further health and logistical challenges," Farnum-Patronis says.
"It's for the community of people behind me"
For many students, earning a degree and walking across the stage isn't only an accomplishment for themselves but also for their families.
Graduating senior Miles Feacher helped organize the Florida State petition.
"My main motivation for creating a petition was because there are a lot of first-generation graduates, and this is like a moment of a lifetime for them," he says. "Hosting football games, but taking this moment away from students seems so crazy."
Feacher is a child of immigrants himself.
"I'm not walking across the stage to prove a point or even for myself. It's for the community of people behind me," he says. "I think that's a shared sentiment for a lot of students, especially students of color and immigrants."
Students like Camilla Williams, also a graduating senior at Florida State. She says her graduation means the world to her parents, who are originally from Jamaica.
"My parents didn't get to go to college. They didn't get to experience everything that I'm experiencing," Williams explains. "They worked really hard to make sure my sister and I could go to college to get a good education. This is really for them."
Williams says she was disappointed when Florida State cancelled in-person graduation, but she has come to terms with the fact that she will not be able to walk across the stage to celebrate this major milestone.
"The importance of donning the cap and gown"
Some in-person graduations have taken place during the pandemic. In August, Benedict College, a small historically black college in Columbia, S.C., hosted a graduation ceremony in its football stadium. Benedict usually has about 250 to 300 graduates a year, but only 180 students were able to return for the August ceremony.
"It was important for us to do this for our students. They deserved this," explains Roslyn Clark Artis, president of Benedict College.
Graduates stayed 6 feet apart and wore masks, and while families were not invited, the ceremony was live streamed on various platforms for loved ones to watch.
"We wanted to make it really special for the students," Artis says, "so as the students were leaving, the music started and the firework show began. That was a happy surprise for the kids."
Benedict College doesn't host fall commencements — instead, the school invites fall graduates to the spring ceremony, which it plans to do again this year.
Artis says she would recommend a socially distanced ceremony to other universities and colleges.
"The importance of donning the cap and gown and marching across the stage to receive a diploma, cannot be understated."
But she acknowledges it's harder to pull off at larger institutions, with thousands of graduating students.
Fall graduations can also be tougher to accomplish in colder climates.
Instead, many colleges are offering make-up ceremonies tentatively scheduled for the spring.
Baylor University has pushed in-person fall graduation to May 2021, and Baylor University senior Kennedy Kinnard says she'll be there. "This is major to me," she says, "so I'm definitely going to come back."
As a Black student, Kinnard says Baylor wasn't always the friendliest place, so graduation feels like a double accomplishment.
For other students, coming back six months later isn't so appealing.
Jayme Henderson at the University of Missouri says, "I think by then the moment would have passed."
Adedayo Akala is an intern on the NPR Business Desk.


npr--2020-12-08--Baltimore's New Progressive Mayor Is Ready To Tackle The City's Biggest Problems

Baltimore 's New Progressive Mayor Is Ready To Tackle The City 's Biggest Problems Baltimore 's newest mayor , Brandon Scott , represents a changing of the guard in Baltimore politics , but the 36-year-old progressive Democrat inherits divides that existed long before the pandemic began .
Scott , the city 's youngest mayor in more than a century , campaigned on a platform of building racial equity , professionalizing city government and treating the city 's homicide rate — one of the highest in the nation — as a public health crisis .
`` Baltimore , like every major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` But what Baltimore is getting ready to have now is leadership that will not shy away from those problems as someone who has lived and grown up through them . ''
Scott grew up in Park Heights , a once-robust neighborhood that declined after white flight occurred in the late 20th century .
There , he witnessed firsthand the violence that plagues Baltimore , seeing his first shooting before his 10th birthday , as well as the disinvestment that predominantly Black neighborhoods still face .
He attended schools with no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tolerance policies tear apart families .
In 2011 , at the age of 27 , Scott was elected to the city council and spent the next decade passing racial equity , public safety and government transparency legislation .
He 's called for supervised injection sites and drastic reform to the Baltimore Police Department .
He became president of the Baltimore City Council in 2019 , after ex-mayor Catherine Pugh resigned amid her self-dealing children 's book scheme scandal .
Scott 's win represents a changing of the guard , said Roger Hartley , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the University of Baltimore .
`` A sweep of progressive , generally younger city council members have been replacing an old guard in the city , who were tied to an old style of Democratic politics that was linked to networks and industry , '' Hartley said .
`` But they had never really captured the mayorship . ''
And in recent years , several Baltimore mayors automatically ascended to the office after their predecessors resigned , some amid corruption scandals .
Scott campaigned in the wake of such a scandal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the deep-blue city 's primary — including former mayor Sheila Dixon , who left office in 2010 after a corruption scandal of her own .
Scott , on the other hand , `` can claim that he has full support of the voters that elected him and that this was n't just a person who got appointed , '' Hartley said .
He also campaigned on an unprecedented platform of curbing mayoral power .
Baltimore has what political scientists call a strong mayor system : the office controls the city 's powerful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distribute state and federal funds .
Scott has supported legislation to reduce the amount of city council votes needed for a veto override and give councilmembers the ability to move money around the budget , among others .
His plan to combat gun violence , which he has long conceptualized as a public health crisis , involves studying the flow of guns into the city and and implementing a group violence reduction strategy to target the `` small group of people committing violence against another small group of people . ''
It also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` That means looking at how we deal with substance abuse , trauma , housing opportunity , especially for those that we know are living in the neighborhoods where the violence is , '' Scott said .
In Baltimore , that 's crucial : the city became the American pioneer for urban segregation policies and practices , when the city passed the first residential racial zoning law in U.S. history in 1910 .
`` Baltimore never really wrestled with the demons of segregation , '' said Lawrence Brown , a visiting sociology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The legacy of redlining remains painfully present throughout the city today .
When Scott steps into the mayor 's office , he inherits deep-rooted health , educational and economic gaps in disinvested Black neighborhoods , Brown said .
The pandemic , which has predominantly killed Black Americans and has shuttered job sites throughout the city , is widening these gaps even further .
Leana Wen , Baltimore 's former health commissioner and visiting professor at George Washington University , said leaders must redouble their efforts to reduce these disparities , especially as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a lot of work done over the medium and long term while we recognize that racism and racial inequity are public health issues , '' Wen said .
Scott said he will be unafraid to impose stricter pandemic restrictions in majority-Black Baltimore on things like indoor dining and retail than Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan .
The progressive is also adamant that he 's not a savior .
`` Am I going to wipe away hundreds of years of inequity in Baltimore ?
No , '' Scott said .
`` But someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put the bricks at the foundation of a better city . ''

Baltimore's New Progressive Mayor Is Ready To Tackle The City's Biggest Problems
Enlarge this image toggle caption Emily Sullivan/WYPR Emily Sullivan/WYPR
Baltimore's newest mayor, Brandon Scott, represents a changing of the guard in Baltimore politics, but the 36-year-old progressive Democrat inherits divides that existed long before the pandemic began.
Scott, the city's youngest mayor in more than a century, campaigned on a platform of building racial equity, professionalizing city government and treating the city's homicide rate — one of the highest in the nation — as a public health crisis.
"Baltimore, like every major city, has problems." Scott said. "But what Baltimore is getting ready to have now is leadership that will not shy away from those problems as someone who has lived and grown up through them."
Scott grew up in Park Heights, a once-robust neighborhood that declined after white flight occurred in the late 20th century. There, he witnessed firsthand the violence that plagues Baltimore, seeing his first shooting before his 10th birthday, as well as the disinvestment that predominantly Black neighborhoods still face. He attended schools with no heat or air conditioning and watched zero tolerance policies tear apart families.
In 2011, at the age of 27, Scott was elected to the city council and spent the next decade passing racial equity, public safety and government transparency legislation. He's called for supervised injection sites and drastic reform to the Baltimore Police Department. He became president of the Baltimore City Council in 2019, after ex-mayor Catherine Pugh resigned amid her self-dealing children's book scheme scandal.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Emily Sullivan/WYPR Emily Sullivan/WYPR
Scott's win represents a changing of the guard, said Roger Hartley, dean of the College of Public Affairs at the University of Baltimore.
"A sweep of progressive, generally younger city council members have been replacing an old guard in the city, who were tied to an old style of Democratic politics that was linked to networks and industry," Hartley said. "But they had never really captured the mayorship."
And in recent years, several Baltimore mayors automatically ascended to the office after their predecessors resigned, some amid corruption scandals.
Scott campaigned in the wake of such a scandal, narrowly beating longtime fixtures of Baltimore politics in the deep-blue city's primary — including former mayor Sheila Dixon, who left office in 2010 after a corruption scandal of her own.
Scott, on the other hand, "can claim that he has full support of the voters that elected him and that this wasn't just a person who got appointed," Hartley said.
He also campaigned on an unprecedented platform of curbing mayoral power. Baltimore has what political scientists call a strong mayor system: the office controls the city's powerful spending board and has total power to distribute state and federal funds. Scott has supported legislation to reduce the amount of city council votes needed for a veto override and give councilmembers the ability to move money around the budget, among others.
His plan to combat gun violence, which he has long conceptualized as a public health crisis, involves studying the flow of guns into the city and and implementing a group violence reduction strategy to target the "small group of people committing violence against another small group of people."
It also requires bolstering social services, Scott said.
"That means looking at how we deal with substance abuse, trauma, housing opportunity, especially for those that we know are living in the neighborhoods where the violence is," Scott said.
In Baltimore, that's crucial: the city became the American pioneer for urban segregation policies and practices, when the city passed the first residential racial zoning law in U.S. history in 1910.
"Baltimore never really wrestled with the demons of segregation," said Lawrence Brown, a visiting sociology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The legacy of redlining remains painfully present throughout the city today. When Scott steps into the mayor's office, he inherits deep-rooted health, educational and economic gaps in disinvested Black neighborhoods, Brown said.
The pandemic, which has predominantly killed Black Americans and has shuttered job sites throughout the city, is widening these gaps even further.
Leana Wen, Baltimore's former health commissioner and visiting professor at George Washington University, said leaders must redouble their efforts to reduce these disparities, especially as the pandemic worsens.
"There needs to be a lot of work done over the medium and long term while we recognize that racism and racial inequity are public health issues," Wen said.
Scott said he will be unafraid to impose stricter pandemic restrictions in majority-Black Baltimore on things like indoor dining and retail than Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.
The progressive is also adamant that he's not a savior.
"Am I going to wipe away hundreds of years of inequity in Baltimore? No," Scott said. "But someone has to be the person willing to put the bricks at the foundation of a better city."


npr--2020-12-08--Biden's Victory Cemented As States Reach Deadline For Certifying Vote Tallies

Updated at 8:22 a.m .
ET It may come and go without much fanfare , but on Tuesday , the U.S. will pass a key deadline cementing President-elect Joe Biden 's victory as the forty-sixth president .
The day , Dec. 8 , is known as the `` safe harbor '' deadline for states to certify their results , to compel Congress to accept those results .
Most Americans see Election Day as the end of the long political season aimed at choosing new federal leadership , but it 's really only the beginning .
On Nov. 3 , voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to represent them , not for the Presidential candidates themselves .
Those electors then meet and cast votes , which are counted and finalized by Congress .
`` The Electoral College is pretty complicated because it 's a process , '' said Rob Alexander , a political science professor at Ohio Northern University , and the author of a book on the Electoral College .
`` It 's not one thing , it 's not one event . ''
Court losses have continued to pile up for President Trump , and experts have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presidential election results as a disinformation campaign .
Tuesday 's deadline further limits what Trump 's allies in Congress can do in terms of contesting the results .
The process is continuing but what 's been clear for a month , is still clear : Joe Biden will be the next president .
The Tuesday deadline was put in place by a piece of 130-year old legislation widely criticized as `` almost unintelligible . ''
The Electoral Count Act of 1887 came as a reaction to the presidential election of 1876 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popular vote , but ultimately lose the presidency to Republican Rutherford B. Hayes due to contested election results coming from three Southern states under the control of Reconstruction governments .
Congress had no rules in place to deal with such a scenario , so it created an ad-hoc commission to decide the presidency , and then passed the ECA afterward to avoid similar situations in the future .
The legislation is `` extraordinarily complex '' and `` far from the model of statutory drafting '' according to an analysis by the National Task @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does create a clearer timeline for when states need to have their election results finalized .
Electoral College electors are scheduled to meet in states across the country on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December ( Dec. 14 this year ) to cast their votes .
And if a state has finalized its results six days before then , according to the ECA , then those results qualify for `` safe harbor '' status — meaning Congress must treat them as the `` conclusive '' results , even if , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sends in a competing set of results .
Every state except Wisconsin appears to have met the deadline , according to the Associated Press .
Wisconsin 's 10 electoral votes are still expected to be cast for Biden on Monday , after he won the state by just over 20,000 votes .
`` If a state can conclude its process of appointing electors by that [ safe harbor deadline ] then Congress is bound by federal law to accept the slate of electors that is arrived upon by that date , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election Law program at William and Mary .
Both Green and Alexander , of Ohio Northern , said they expect a few `` faithless electors '' to vote on Dec. 14 for a different candidate than voters chose , but nowhere near enough to affect the underlying result .
A majority of states have some sort of state law that either removes , penalizes , or cancels the votes of such errant electors , and the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of such rules earlier this year .
Trump allies in Congress may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Electoral vote counting on Jan. 6 , but a Biden presidency at this point is virtually certain .
Despite Trump 's insistence that there was a widespread cheating scheme and therefore the results need to be overturned , no evidence to support that theory has come to light , Green noted .
`` We saw in the instance of the courts that the answer was 'no , ' barring credible evidence , '' Green said .
`` And I have no reason to believe that the institution of Congress will not follow that @ @ @ @

Biden's Victory Cemented As States Reach Key Electoral College Deadline
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Minchillo/AP John Minchillo/AP
Updated at 1:45 p.m. ET
It may come and go without much fanfare, but on Tuesday, the U.S. will pass a key deadline cementing President-elect Joe Biden's victory as the 46th president.
The day, Dec. 8, is known as the "safe harbor" deadline for states to certify their results, compelling Congress to accept those results.
Most Americans see Election Day as the end of the long political season aimed at choosing new federal leadership, but it's really only the beginning.
On Nov. 3, voters actually voted for which Electoral College electors to represent them, not for the presidential candidates themselves. Those electors then meet and cast votes, which are counted and finalized by Congress.
"The Electoral College is pretty complicated because it's a process," said Rob Alexander, a political science professor at Ohio Northern University and the author of a book on the Electoral College. "It's not one thing, it's not one event."
Court losses have continued to pile up for President Trump, and experts have already written off his ongoing crusade against the presidential election results as a disinformation campaign. But it shows no sign of stopping.
Trump's campaign team released a statement Tuesday attempting to downplay the deadline.
"Despite the media trying desperately to proclaim that the fight is over, we will continue to champion election integrity until legal vote is counted fairly and accurately," said attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis.
But experts say Tuesday's deadline further limits what Trump's allies in Congress can do in terms of contesting the results.
"The best way to think of it is... as another nail in the coffin," tweeted Rick Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California, Irvine.
The process is continuing, and what has been clear for a month is still clear: Joe Biden will be the next president.
Poorly written legislation
The Tuesday deadline was put in place by a piece of 130-year-old legislation widely criticized as "almost unintelligible."
The Electoral Count Act of 1887 came as a reaction to the presidential election of 1876, which saw Democrat Samuel Tilden win the popular vote but ultimately lose the presidency to Republican Rutherford B. Hayes because of contested election results coming from three Southern states under the control of Reconstruction governments.
Congress had no rules in place to deal with such a scenario, so it created an ad hoc commission to decide the presidency and then passed the 1887 law afterward to avoid similar situations in the future.
The legislation is "extraordinarily complex" and "far from the model of statutory drafting," according to an analysis by the National Task Force on Election Crises, but it does create a clearer timeline for when states need to have their election results finalized.
Electoral College electors are scheduled to meet in states across the country on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December (Dec. 14 this year) to cast their votes.
And if a state has finalized its results six days before then, according to the ECA, then those results qualify for "safe harbor" status — meaning Congress must treat them as the "conclusive" results, even if, for example, a state's legislature sends in a competing set of results.
Every state except Wisconsin appears to have met the deadline, according to The Associated Press. Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes are still expected to be cast for Biden on Monday; he won the state by just over 20,000 votes.
Key Election Dates Dec. 8: States finish vote certification Dec. 14: Electors vote Jan. 6: Congress formalizes the outcome Jan. 20: Inauguration Day »Read a full timeline from Election Day to Inauguration Day.
"If a state can conclude its process of appointing electors by that [safe harbor deadline] then Congress is bound by federal law to accept the slate of electors that is arrived upon by that date," said Rebecca Green, the co-director of the Election Law program at William and Mary.
Both Green and Alexander, of Ohio Northern, said they expect a few "faithless electors" to vote on Dec. 14 for a different candidate than voters chose but nowhere near enough to affect the underlying result.
A majority of states have some sort of law that either removes, penalizes, or cancels the votes of such errant electors, and the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of such rules earlier this year.
Trump allies in Congress may still look to stir drama during the electoral vote counting on Jan. 6, but a Biden presidency at this point is virtually certain.
Despite Trump's insistence that there was a widespread cheating scheme and therefore the results need to be overturned, no evidence to support that theory has come to light, Green noted.
"We saw in the instance of the courts that the answer was 'no,' barring credible evidence," Green said. "And I have no reason to believe that the institution of Congress will not follow that similar path."


npr--2020-12-08--New Zealand Finds Intelligence Lapses Leading To Last Year's Mosque Attacks

New Zealand Finds Intelligence Lapses Leading To Last Year 's Mosque Attacks Brenton Tarrant , the man who carried out last year 's deadly assaults on two mosques in Christchurch , New Zealand , was able to amass an arsenal of weapons without alerting authorities , whose focus was on potential threats from Islamist terrorism rather than right-wing extremism , according to a new report .
It 's one of the findings outlined in a 792-page report released Tuesday by the Royal Commission , New Zealand 's highest level of inquiry .
It concludes that the country 's national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of time focusing on the potential threat of Islamic terrorists in the months leading up to the attack .
The commission also criticized lax gun laws , lackluster counter-terrorism efforts , `` fragile '' intelligence agencies , and ineffective leadership leading up to the attack .
But despite these findings , there was still `` no plausible way '' government officials could have detected Tarrant 's plan `` except by chance , '' according to the report .
Even at a young age Tarrant expressed racist views .
As an avid internet user @ @ @ @ @ @ @ childhood friends .
And , as an adult , he rarely made long-lasting relationships with people outside of his immediate family .
But , he was single-minded to the point of obsession and by January 2017 his mind was made up .
The Australian moved to New Zealand in August 2017 .
On Sept. 1 , just 15 days after arriving in New Zealand , he took the first steps to obtaining a firearms license .
From that point on , his primary focus in life was planning and preparing for the attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 15 , 2019 , Tarrant went on to commit the worst massacre in New Zealand 's history , opening fire on Muslim worshipers at Christchurch 's Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Center—killing 51 people and wounding dozens of others .
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said after the report was released that there were `` failings '' by the government leading up to the attacks .
`` For that I apologize , '' she said .
Tarrant , who was 28 at the time of the attack , has since been convicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 51 people , as well as the attempted murder of 40 others .
He is now serving a life sentence without parole .
The four-chapter report includes a deep-dive into Tarrant 's background and motivation , as well as what was and was n't done at the government level leading up to the attack .
New Zealand Security and Intelligence Service and the Government Communications and Security Bureau missed several red flags , the report says , which included Tarrant 's regular visits to far-right online forums and social media sites , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was no way those agencies could have had prior knowledge to Tarrant 's grand scheme , the Royal Commission said .
An email Tarrant sent to Parliament , several media outlets , and journalists was the only information directly referring to the impending attack .
That email was sent just eight minutes before Tarrant began his shooting rampage at the Al Noor mosque .
It was buried within a 74-page manifesto attached to the message .
By the time the message was read and police were notified , the attack had already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went on to live-stream his brutal assault on Facebook for 17 minutes before the video was pulled by the site .
The report also found that during the 18 months Tarrant was in New Zealand prior to the attack , he lived off an inheritance from his deceased father .
He trained for the attack by visiting a rifle club , working out , and taking steroids to bulk up .
He was frequently online in extreme right-wing discussion boards hosted by 4chan and 8chan , and regularly watched extremist videos on YouTube @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be due to the way the nation 's counter-terrorism agencies are set up , the report indicated .
`` Public sector agencies involved in the counter-terrorism effort are not set up to collect and aggregate information like medical and firearms licensing records , '' it said .
`` Looking back to 2014 , the intelligence and security agencies were in a fragile state .
A rebuilding exercise did not get underway until mid-2016 and was still unfinished when the terrorist attack took place in 2019 . ''
For members of New Zealand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work to be done .
Aliya Danzeisen , leader of the Islamic Women 's Council of New Zealand , said in an op-ed in The New Zealand Herald that she was unhappy with the report 's findings .
`` For the past two days , I have read the findings and conclusion with hope that the report would correct the damage and provide the answers we needed .
It has not , '' Danzeisen wrote .
`` My view is information is missing and justice to the affected has not yet been served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The government said it will take serious steps to address issues brought up by the Royal Commission .
Officials accepted all 44 recommendations in the report , including establishing a new national intelligence and security agency , and appointing a new minister to better coordinate the agency .
The country should will also move to strengthen laws on counter-terrorism , gun licensing , and hate crime reporting .
Tarrant was able to flout New Zealand 's gun laws .
Despite having no ties to New Zealand before moving to the country , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ license .
Following the attacks , the country quickly banned most semi-automatic and military-style firearms .
New Zealand also held a months-long amnesty and buyback program .

New Zealand Finds Intelligence Lapses Leading To Last Year's Mosque Attacks
Enlarge this image toggle caption Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
Brenton Tarrant, the man who carried out last year's deadly assaults on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, was able to amass an arsenal of weapons without alerting authorities, whose focus was on potential threats from Islamist terrorism rather than right-wing extremism, according to a new report.
It's one of the findings outlined in a 792-page report released Tuesday by the Royal Commission, New Zealand's highest level of inquiry. It concludes that the country's national security agencies spent an "inappropriate" amount of time focusing on the potential threat of Islamic terrorists in the months leading up to the attack.
The commission also criticized lax gun laws, lackluster counterterrorism efforts, "fragile" intelligence agencies and ineffective leadership leading up to the attack.
But despite these findings, there was still "no plausible way" government officials could have detected Tarrant's plan "except by chance," according to the report.
Even at a young age, Tarrant expressed racist views. As an avid Internet user and online gamer, he had few childhood friends. And, as an adult, he rarely made long-lasting relationships with people outside of his immediate family.
But, he was single-minded to the point of obsession, and by January 2017 his mind was made up.
The Australian moved to New Zealand in August 2017. On Sept. 1, just 15 days after arriving in New Zealand, he took the first steps to obtaining a firearms license. From that point on, his primary focus in life was planning and preparing for the attacks.
Nearly two years later, on March 15, 2019, Tarrant went on to commit the worst massacre in New Zealand's history, opening fire on Muslim worshipers at Christchurch's Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Center — killing 51 people and wounding dozens of others.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said after the report was released that there were "failings" by the government leading up to the attacks.
"For that I apologize," she said.
Tarrant, who was 28 at the time of the attack, has since been convicted of terrorism and for the murder of 51 people, as well as the attempted murder of 40 others. He is now serving a life sentence without parole.
Further findings
The four-chapter report includes a deep dive into Tarrant's background and motivation, as well as what was and wasn't done at the government level leading up to the attack.
New Zealand Security and Intelligence Service and the Government Communications and Security Bureau missed several red flags, the report says, which included Tarrant's regular visits to far-right online forums and social media sites, and a growing cache of weapons.
But there was no way those agencies could have had prior knowledge to Tarrant's grand scheme, the Royal Commission said.
An email Tarrant sent to Parliament, several media outlets and journalists was the only information directly referring to the impending attack. That email was sent just eight minutes before Tarrant began his shooting rampage at the Al Noor mosque. It was buried within a 74-page manifesto attached to the message. By the time the message was read and police were notified, the attack had already started, the inquiry found.
Tarrant went on to live-stream his brutal assault on Facebook for 17 minutes before the video was pulled by the site.
The report also found that during the 18 months Tarrant was in New Zealand prior to the attack, he lived off an inheritance from his deceased father. He trained for the attack by visiting a rifle club, working out and taking steroids to bulk up. He was frequently online in extreme right-wing discussion boards hosted by 4chan and 8chan, and regularly watched extremist videos on YouTube.
Next steps
Failure to scrutinize Tarrant's activity may be due to the way the nation's counterterrorism agencies are set up, the report indicated.
"Public sector agencies involved in the counter-terrorism effort are not set up to collect and aggregate information like medical and firearms licensing records," it said. "Looking back to 2014, the intelligence and security agencies were in a fragile state. A rebuilding exercise did not get underway until mid-2016 and was still unfinished when the terrorist attack took place in 2019."
For members of New Zealand's Muslim community, there is still work to be done.
Aliya Danzeisen, leader of the Islamic Women's Council of New Zealand, said in an op-ed in The New Zealand Herald that she was unhappy with the report's findings.
"For the past two days, I have read the findings and conclusion with hope that the report would correct the damage and provide the answers we needed. It has not," Danzeisen wrote. "My view is information is missing and justice to the affected has not yet been served. More must be done."
The government said it will take serious steps to address issues brought up by the Royal Commission. Officials accepted all 44 recommendations in the report, including establishing a new national intelligence and security agency, and appointing a new minister to better coordinate the agency.
The country will also move to strengthen laws on counterterrorism, gun licensing and hate-crime reporting.
Tarrant was able to flout New Zealand's gun laws. Despite having no ties to New Zealand before moving to the country, he was able to quickly access a gun license.
Following the attacks, the country quickly banned most semi-automatic and military-style firearms. New Zealand also held a months-long amnesty and buyback program.


npr--2020-12-07--Pilot Chuck Yeager Dies At 97, Had 'The Right Stuff' And Then Some

Pilot Chuck Yeager Dies At 97 , Had 'The Right Stuff ' And Then Some One of the world 's most famous aviators has died : Chuck Yeager — best known as the first to break the sound barrier — died at the age of 97 .
A message posted to his Twitter account says , `` Fr @ VictoriaYeage11 It is w/ profound sorrow , I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9pm ET .
An incredible life well lived , America 's greatest Pilot , & a legacy of strength , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forever . ''
Yeager started from humble beginnings in Myra , W.Va. , and many people did n't really learn about him until decades after he broke the sound barrier — all because of a book and popular 1983 movie called The Right Stuff .
He accomplished the feat in a Bell X-1 , a wild , high-flying rocket-propelled orange airplane that he nicknamed `` Glamorous Glennis , '' after his first wife who died in 1990 .
It was a dangerous quest — one that had killed other pilots in other planes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bucking horse as it approached the speed of sound — Mach 1 — about 700 miles per hour at altitude .
But Yeager was more than a pilot : In several test flights before breaking the sound barrier , he studied his machine , analyzing the way it handled as it went faster and faster .
He even lobbied to change one of the plane 's control surfaces so that it could safely exceed Mach 1 .
As popularized in The Right Stuff , Yeager broke the sound barrier on October 14 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California .
But there were no news broadcasts that day , no newspaper headlines .
The aviation feat was kept secret for months .
In 2011 , Yeager told NPR it never much mattered to him .
`` I was at the right place at the right time .
And duty enters into it .
It 's not , you know , you do n't do it for the — to get your damn picture on the front page of the newspaper .
You do it because it 's duty .
It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spotlight , and was always a bit gruff .
After his famous flight in the X-1 , he continued testing newer , faster and more dangerous aircraft .
The X-1A came along six years later and it flew at twice the speed of sound .
On December 12 , 1953 , Chuck Yeager set two more altitude and speed records in the X-1A : 74,700 feet and Mach 2.44 .
It 's what happened moments later that cemented his legacy as a top test pilot .
The X-1A began spinning viciously and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in about a minute .
His flight helmet even cracked the canopy , and a scratchy archive recording from the day preserves Yeager 's voice as he wrestles back control of the aircraft : `` Oh !
Huh !
I 'm down to 25,000 , '' he says calmly — if a little breathlessly .
`` Over Tehachapi .
I do n't know if I can get back to base or not . ''
Yeager would get back to base .
And in this 1985 NPR interview , he said it was really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure , because I 'd spun airplanes all my life and that 's exactly what I did .
I recovered the X-1A from inverted spin into a normal spin , popped it out of that and came on back and landed .
That 's what you 're taught to do . ''
It 's more than that , though .
Yeager was a rare aviator , someone who understood planes in ways that other pilots just do n't .
He ended up flying more than 360 different types of aircraft , and retired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general .
Bob van der Linden of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington says Yeager stood out .
`` He could give extremely detailed reports that the engineers found extremely useful .
It 's not just flying the airplane , it 's interpreting how the airplane is flying and understanding that .
And he understood that , just because he understood machines so well .
And was just such a superb pilot . ''
Yeager grew up in the mountains of West Virginia , an average student who never attended college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Army Air Corps where he did n't have the education credentials for flight training .
But once the U.S. entered World War II a few months later , he got his chance .
Van der Linden says Yeager became a fighter ace , shooting down five enemy aircraft in a single mission and four others on a different day .
Then he faced another challenge during a dogfight over France .
`` He got himself shot down and he escaped , '' van der Linden says .
`` And very few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only to escape .
He got back to England and normally they would ship people home after that .
And he persuaded the authorities to let him fly again and he did which was highly unusual . ''
In addition to his flying skills , Yeager also had `` better than perfect '' vision : 20-10 .
He reportedly could see enemy fighters from 50 miles away and end up fighting in four wars .
Today , the plane Yeager first broke the sound barrier in , the X-1 , hangs inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Norm Healey was visiting from Canada and reading about Yeager 's accomplishments .
`` I loved airplanes as a kid .
And Chuck Yeager was always sort of the cowboy of the airplane world .
At least that was my perspective when I was young .
As I 've grown older and now have kids and a family and a wife , I appreciate it much more now , his courage . ''
Yeager never considered himself to be courageous or a hero .
He said he was just doing his job .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` All through my career , I credit luck a lot with survival because of the kind of work we were doing . ''
Chuck Yeager spent the last years of his life doing what he truly loved : flying airplanes , speaking to aviation groups and fishing for golden trout in California 's Sierra Nevada mountains .
`` Gen. Yeager 's pioneering and innovative spirit advanced America 's abilities in the sky and set our nation 's dreams soaring into the jet age and the space age , '' NASA Administrator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday .
`` Chuck 's bravery and accomplishments are a testament to the enduring strength that made him a true American original , and NASA 's Aeronautics work owes much to his brilliant contributions to aerospace science . ''

Pilot Chuck Yeager Dies At 97, Had 'The Right Stuff' And Then Some
Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP
One of the world's most famous aviators has died: Chuck Yeager — best known as the first to break the sound barrier — died at the age of 97.
A message posted to his Twitter account says, "Fr @VictoriaYeage11 It is w/ profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9pm ET. An incredible life well lived, America's greatest Pilot, & a legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered forever."
Yeager started from humble beginnings in Myra, W.Va., and many people didn't really learn about him until decades after he broke the sound barrier — all because of a book and popular 1983 movie called The Right Stuff.
He accomplished the feat in a Bell X-1, a wild, high-flying rocket-propelled orange airplane that he nicknamed "Glamorous Glennis," after his first wife who died in 1990. It was a dangerous quest — one that had killed other pilots in other planes. And the X-1 buffeted like a bucking horse as it approached the speed of sound — Mach 1 — about 700 miles per hour at altitude.
But Yeager was more than a pilot: In several test flights before breaking the sound barrier, he studied his machine, analyzing the way it handled as it went faster and faster. He even lobbied to change one of the plane's control surfaces so that it could safely exceed Mach 1.
You don't do it ... to get your damn picture on the front page of the newspaper. You do it because it's duty. It's your job.
As popularized in The Right Stuff, Yeager broke the sound barrier on Oct. 14, 1947, at Edwards Air Force Base in California. But there were no news broadcasts that day, no newspaper headlines. The aviation feat was kept secret for months. In 2011, Yeager told NPR that the lack of publicity never much mattered to him. "I was at the right place at the right time. And duty enters into it. It's not, you know, you don't do it for the — to get your damn picture on the front page of the newspaper. You do it because it's duty. It's your job."
Yeager never sought the spotlight and was always a bit gruff. After his famous flight in the X-1, he continued testing newer, faster and more dangerous aircraft. The X-1A came along six years later, and it flew at twice the speed of sound. On Dec. 12, 1953, Chuck Yeager set two more altitude and speed records in the X-1A: 74,700 feet and Mach 2.44.
It's what happened moments later that cemented his legacy as a top test pilot. The X-1A began spinning viciously and spiraling to Earth, dropping 50,000 feet in about a minute. His flight helmet even cracked the canopy, and a scratchy archive recording from the day preserves Yeager's voice as he wrestles back control of the aircraft: "Oh! Huh! I'm down to 25,000," he says calmly — if a little breathlessly. "Over Tehachapi. I don't know if I can get back to base or not."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Warner Bros./Getty Images Warner Bros./Getty Images
Yeager would get back to base. And in this 1985 NPR interview, he said it was really no big deal: "Well, sure, because I'd spun airplanes all my life and that's exactly what I did. I recovered the X-1A from inverted spin into a normal spin, popped it out of that and came on back and landed. That's what you're taught to do."
It's more than that, though. Yeager was a rare aviator, someone who understood planes in ways that other pilots just don't. He ended up flying more than 360 types of aircraft and retired from the Air Force as a brigadier general.
Bob van der Linden of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington says Yeager stood out. "He could give extremely detailed reports that the engineers found extremely useful. It's not just flying the airplane, it's interpreting how the airplane is flying and understanding that. And he understood that, just because he understood machines so well. And was just such a superb pilot."
Yeager grew up in the mountains of West Virginia, an average student who never attended college. After high school, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps where he didn't have the education credentials for flight training. But once the U.S. entered World War II a few months later, he got his chance.
Van der Linden says Yeager became a fighter ace, shooting down five enemy aircraft in a single mission and four others on a different day. Then he faced another challenge during a dogfight over France. "He got himself shot down and he escaped," van der Linden says. "And very few people do that, and he managed not only to escape. He got back to England, and normally, they would ship people home after that. And he persuaded the authorities to let him fly again and he did which was highly unusual."
In addition to his flying skills, Yeager also had "better than perfect" vision: 20/10. He reportedly could see enemy fighters from 50 miles away and ended up fighting in several wars.
Today, the plane Yeager first broke the sound barrier in, the X-1, hangs inside the air and space museum. Norm Healey was visiting from Canada and reading about Yeager's accomplishments. "I loved airplanes as a kid. And Chuck Yeager was always sort of the cowboy of the airplane world. At least that was my perspective when I was young. As I've grown older and now have kids and a family and a wife, I appreciate it much more now, his courage."
Yeager never considered himself to be courageous or a hero. He said he was just doing his job. A job that required more than skill. "All through my career, I credit luck a lot with survival because of the kind of work we were doing."
Chuck Yeager spent the last years of his life doing what he truly loved: flying airplanes, speaking to aviation groups and fishing for golden trout in California's Sierra Nevada mountains.
"Gen. Yeager's pioneering and innovative spirit advanced America's abilities in the sky and set our nation's dreams soaring into the jet age and the space age," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement late Monday. "Chuck's bravery and accomplishments are a testament to the enduring strength that made him a true American original, and NASA's Aeronautics work owes much to his brilliant contributions to aerospace science."