npr--2020-04-27--Partial Win For Gun Regulation At Supreme Court Could Be Short Lived

Partial Win For Gun Regulation At Supreme Court Could Be Short Lived The U.S. Supreme Court has once again punted on the question of gun rights , throwing out as moot a challenge to New York City 's strict gun regulations on transporting licensed guns outside the home .
New York City , in the name of public safety , has very strict gun regulations .
It allows people to have a permit for guns in their homes , but those regulations originally barred people from transporting their guns anywhere except shooting ranges within the city .
The New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulation as a violation of the Second Amendment right to bear arms and lost in the lower courts .
But , after the Supreme Court agreed to review the case , New York state and New York City changed their laws to allow gun owners to transport their guns outside the city to shooting ranges , to competitions , and to second homes .
That gave the challengers exactly what they asked for in their lawsuit , and so on Monday , the court , by a 6-to-3 vote , dismissed the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer presented a live controversy .
The unsigned opinion was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts , the court 's four liberals , and Trump appointee Brett Kavanaugh .
But Kavanaugh wrote separately to stress that while he agreed with the majority on procedural grounds , he agreed with the dissenters -- Justices Samuel Alito , Clarence Thomas , and Neil Gorsuch -- on one key issue .
Those three said that the lower courts were using the wrong test to evaluate gun laws , a test that is far too deferential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argued however , that the court essentially had been gamed on the mootness question , and that the justices should have decided the case , and decided it for the gun owners .
Gun-safety advocates breathed a sigh of relief that there was no decision adverse to gun regulations .
But they worry that gains they are making in some state legislatures may be taken away by a conservative court majority .
`` The reality is that the gun-safety movement is winning in state houses and at the ballot box , so the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to change the tide , '' says Eric Tirschwell , managing mirector of Everytown for Gun Safety .
Monday 's decision was the first in a major gun case in 10 years , the first since a landmark set of decisions in 2008 and 2010 .
In those cases , a sharply divided court ruled that the Second Amendment right to bear arms is an individual right , not a right associated with the militia , as the court had previously implied .
Those decisions marked a huge victory for the NRA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decade following that decision , however , the court did not agree to hear any of the dozens of challenges to gun restrictions in cases appealed to the court .
In part because the composition of the court made outcomes uncertain .
The previous big gun cases were decided by 5-to-4 votes , with Justice Anthony Kennedy casting the fifth and decisive vote .
Kennedy , according to court sources , insisted , as the price of his vote , on adding limiting language that likely would have resulted in some , maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With neither side of the court sure how Kennedy would vote on most regulations , neither the pro-gun , nor the pro-gun-control side wanted to risk an adverse ruling .
That changed when Kennedy retired in 2018 to be replaced by Justice Kavanaugh , who has a much more gun-friendly record than Kennedy did .
Nothing Kavanaugh said in his concurring opinion Monday would dissuade anyone from thinking he has changed his mind .
Bottom line here is that when it comes to gun control , there look to be four pretty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures enacted in recent years after mass shootings .
Specifically , laws that bar carrying weapons in public places , and bans on assault weapons and large ammo magazines .
All these , plus so called red-flag laws and other measures could be in jeopardy .
The question is where Chief Justice Roberts will be on these and other gun-control questions .
To date , he has never been much of a supporter of gun-control laws , but he has n't been an outspoken opponent , either .
All we really know is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 2010 majority that for the first time declared that the Second Amendment is an individual right , not , as the court had previously implied , a collective right that was attached to the colonial militia .

Partial Win For Gun Regulation At Supreme Court Could Be Short-Lived
Enlarge this image Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP
The U.S. Supreme Court has once again punted on the question of gun rights, throwing out as moot a challenge to New York City's strict gun regulations on transporting licensed guns outside the home.
New York City, in the name of public safety, has very strict gun regulations. It allows people to have a permit for guns in their homes, but those regulations originally barred people from transporting their guns anywhere except shooting ranges within the city. The New York State Rifle & Pistol Association challenged the regulation as a violation of the Second Amendment right to bear arms and lost in the lower courts.
But, after the Supreme Court agreed to review the case, New York state and New York City changed their laws to allow gun owners to transport their guns outside the city to shooting ranges, to competitions, and to second homes. That gave the challengers exactly what they asked for in their lawsuit, and so on Monday, the court, by a 6-3 vote, dismissed the case as moot — in short, it no longer presented a live controversy.
The unsigned opinion was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court's four liberals, and Trump appointee Brett Kavanaugh.
But Kavanaugh wrote separately to stress that while he agreed with the majority on procedural grounds, he agreed with the dissenters — Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch — on one key issue.
Those three said that the lower courts were using the wrong test to evaluate gun laws, a test that is far too deferential to gun regulators. The dissenters mainly argued however, that the court essentially had been gamed on the mootness question, and that the justices should have decided the case, and decided it for the gun owners.
Gun-safety advocates breathed a sigh of relief that there was no decision adverse to gun regulations. But they worry that gains they are making in some state legislatures may be taken away by a conservative court majority.
"The reality is that the gun-safety movement is winning in state houses and at the ballot box, so the NRA is turning to the court to try to change the tide," says Eric Tirschwell, managing director of Everytown for Gun Safety.
Monday's decision was the first in a major gun case in 10 years, the first since a landmark set of decisions in 2008 and 2010. In those cases, a sharply divided court ruled that the Second Amendment right to bear arms is an individual right, not a right associated with the militia, as the court had previously implied. Those decisions marked a huge victory for the NRA and other gun-rights organizations.
In the decade following that decision, however, the court did not agree to hear any of the dozens of challenges to gun restrictions in cases appealed to the court. In part because the composition of the court made outcomes uncertain.
The previous big gun cases were decided by 5-to-4 votes, with Justice Anthony Kennedy casting the fifth and decisive vote. Kennedy, according to court sources, insisted as the price of his vote on adding limiting language that likely would have resulted in some, maybe even most, gun restrictions being upheld. With neither side of the court sure how Kennedy would vote on most regulations, neither the pro-gun, nor the pro-gun-control side wanted to risk an adverse ruling.
That changed when Kennedy retired in 2018 to be replaced by Justice Kavanaugh, who has a much more gun-friendly record than Kennedy did.
Nothing Kavanaugh said in his concurring opinion Monday would dissuade anyone from thinking he has changed his mind.
Bottom line here is that when it comes to gun control, there look to be four pretty solid votes against a lot of the measures enacted in recent years after mass shootings. Specifically, laws that bar carrying weapons in public places, and bans on assault weapons and large ammo magazines. All these, plus so called red-flag laws and other measures could be in jeopardy.
The question is where Chief Justice Roberts will be on these and other gun-control questions. To date, he has never been much of a supporter of gun-control laws, but he hasn't been an outspoken opponent, either. All we really know is that he was part of the 2008 and 2010 majority that for the first time declared that the Second Amendment is an individual right, not, as the court had previously implied, a collective right that was attached to the colonial militia.


npr--2020-04-27--New York Cancels Primary Election, Angering Sanders Supporters

New York Democrats will not be casting primary votes for a presidential candidate this year .
State election officials effectively canceled the presidential primary by removing every Democrat except the presumptive nominee , former Vice President Joe Biden , from the primary ballot .
According to multiple reports , Douglas Kellner , co-chair of the New York State Board of Elections , received thousands of emails from Sanders supporters pushing for the primary to continue as planned .
`` What the Sanders campaign wanted is essentially a beauty contest that , given the situation with the public health emergency , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , frivolous , '' Mr. Kellner said .
The primary , originally scheduled for April 28 , had previously been pushed back to June 23 due to concerns over the coronavirus .
Voting will continue as planned for New Yorkers on June 23 for congressional and state-level races .
The cancellation will likely make it easier for election workers to manage the other state elections in June during a primary season that has seen unprecedented administrative challenges .
But the decision generated significant backlash from Sen. Bernie Sanders ' campaign and his supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeff Weaver called the cancellation an `` outrage '' and a `` blow to American democracy . ''
`` Just last week Vice President Biden warned the American people that President Trump could use the current crisis as an excuse to postpone the November election , '' the statement reads .
`` Well , he now has a precedent thanks to New York State . ''
Sanders , who suspended his campaign earlier this month , had wanted to remain on the ballot in the remaining primaries in order to maximize the delegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Convention in August .
His campaign argued that the more pledged delegates he brought to the convention , the more influence he would have on the party 's rules and platform .
New York has 274 pledged delegates and Biden currently has a 366 delegate lead over Sanders .
Prominent Sanders surrogate and progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. , blasted the board for its decision , calling it `` completely wrong . ''
New York 's Republican presidential primary was already called off earlier this year , when no candidates aside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All other states that had primaries scheduled for April 28 have postponed them .

New York Cancels Presidential Primary Election, Angering Sanders Supporters
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
New York Democrats will not be casting primary votes for a presidential candidate this year.
State election officials effectively canceled the presidential primary by removing every Democrat except the presumptive nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, from the primary ballot.
According to multiple reports, Douglas Kellner, co-chair of the New York State Board of Elections, received thousands of emails from supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders pushing for the primary to continue as planned.
"What the Sanders campaign wanted is essentially a beauty contest that, given the situation with the public health emergency, seems to be unnecessary and, indeed, frivolous," Kellner told The New York Times.
The primary, originally scheduled for April 28, had previously been pushed back to June 23 due to concerns over the coronavirus.
Voting will continue as planned for New Yorkers on June 23 for congressional and state-level races.
The cancellation will likely make it easier for election workers to manage the other state elections in June during a primary season that has seen unprecedented administrative challenges.
But the decision generated significant backlash from Sanders' campaign and his supporters.
In a statement, senior adviser Jeff Weaver called the cancellation an "outrage" and a "blow to American democracy."
"Just last week Vice President Biden warned the American people that President Trump could use the current crisis as an excuse to postpone the November election," the statement reads. "Well, he now has a precedent thanks to New York State."
Sanders, who suspended his campaign earlier this month, had wanted to remain on the ballot in the remaining primaries in order to maximize the delegates he brought with him to the Democratic National Convention in August. His campaign argued that the more pledged delegates he brought to the convention, the more influence he would have on the party's rules and platform.
New York has 274 pledged delegates and Biden currently has a 366-delegate lead over Sanders.
Prominent Sanders surrogate and progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., blasted the board for its decision, calling it "completely wrong."
New York's Republican presidential primary was already called off earlier this year, when no candidates aside from President Trump qualified for the ballot.
All other states that had primaries scheduled for April 28 have postponed them.


npr--2020-04-27--Dozens Of Oil Tankers Wait Off California's Coast As The Pandemic Dents Demand

Dozens Of Oil Tankers Wait Off California 's Coast As The Pandemic Dents Demand The scale of oil market turbulence is on stark display along the California coast .
About three dozen massive oil tankers are anchored from Los Angeles and Long Beach up to San Francisco Bay , turning into floating storage for crude oil that is in short demand because of the coronavirus .
About 20 million barrels of crude are on board the tankers , according to Reid I'Anson , global commodity economist at Kpler , a data company .
`` That is definitely far outside what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says , referring to California 's coastline .
`` Typically , we 'll not see more than , you know , maybe 5 million barrels tops kind of floating . ''
With dramatically fewer cars on the road and planes in the sky , I'Anson says there is a limited need recently for gasoline and jet fuel .
That has caused a glut in the market and a shortage of onshore storage .
Keeping oil on tankers is not optimal .
`` It 's very expensive to hold this crude on these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are few alternatives .
`` What else are you going to do ?
There 's nowhere else you can take this crude ... globally , no one needs crude right now . ''
The U.S. Coast Guard is monitoring the increasing number of large vessels around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to make sure there are no collisions or groundings , and to see if the tankers are discharging oil or sewage into the water .
`` Things are pretty crowded , '' says Capt .
Kip Louttit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Southern California , an arm of the Coast Guard that operates vessel traffic service .
He says currently there are 26 ships anchored off the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — triple the number normally seen there .
They include three cruise ships and 20 tankers , according to Louttit .
`` Our information is that one may be out there as long as July , '' he says .
Louttit describes the congestion as abnormal but says it does happen from time to time .
In 2014 and 2015 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also anchored along the coast , he recalls .
There are 48 designated places to anchor ships at Los Angeles and Long Beach .
Some arriving vessels are having to navigate around the idled tankers , but Louttit says the anchored ships are off to the side of the traffic lanes .

Dozens Of Oil Tankers Wait Off California's Coast As The Pandemic Dents Demand
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark J. Terrill/AP Mark J. Terrill/AP
The scale of oil market turbulence is on stark display along the California coast. About three dozen massive oil tankers are anchored from Los Angeles and Long Beach up to San Francisco Bay, turning into floating storage for crude oil that is in short demand because of the coronavirus.
About 20 million barrels of crude are on board the tankers, according to Reid I'Anson, global commodity economist at Kpler, a data company. "That is definitely far outside what is normal for the region," he says, referring to California's coastline. "Typically, we'll not see more than, you know, maybe 5 million barrels tops kind of floating."
With dramatically fewer cars on the road and planes in the sky, I'Anson says there is a limited need recently for gasoline and jet fuel. That has caused a glut in the market and a shortage of onshore storage.
Keeping oil on tankers is not optimal. "It's very expensive to hold this crude on these vessels," I'Anson says. But there are few alternatives. "What else are you going to do? There's nowhere else you can take this crude ... globally, no one needs crude right now."
The U.S. Coast Guard is monitoring the increasing number of large vessels around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to make sure there are no collisions or groundings, and to see if the tankers are discharging oil or sewage into the water.
"Things are pretty crowded," says Capt. Kip Louttit, executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California, an arm of the Coast Guard that operates vessel traffic service.
He says currently there are 26 ships anchored off the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — triple the number normally seen there. They include three cruise ships and 20 tankers, according to Louttit. "Our information is that one may be out there as long as July," he says.
Louttit describes the congestion as abnormal but says it does happen from time to time. In 2014 and 2015, an unusually large number of container ships also anchored along the coast, he recalls.
There are 48 designated places to anchor ships at Los Angeles and Long Beach. Some arriving vessels are having to navigate around the idled tankers, but Louttit says the anchored ships are off to the side of the traffic lanes.


npr--2020-04-27--IRS Tells Thousands To Return To Work, With Their Own Face Masks

IRS Tells Thousands To Return To Work , With Their Own Face Masks The Internal Revenue Service has told some 10,000 of its employees that they 're needed back in the office as soon as Monday — and they 'll need to bring their own masks .
Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee say it 's `` completely irresponsible and unethical for the IRS to demand those workers obtain their own protective equipment . ''
The panel released an email from the agency , which said the IRS was trying to obtain personal protective equipment ( PPE ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that `` each IRS facility may not be able to initially procure the PPE for all employees immediately .
Employees are therefore required to bring personal face coverings for their nose and mouth area when they come to work . ''
Those who do n't , the memo warned , may be sent back home .
In a statement , the chairman of the Ways and Means panel , Rep. Richard Neal , D-Mass.
, and Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Chairman John Lewis , D-Ga. , said the IRS 's demand is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week , Commissioner Charles Rettig informed congressional staff that 100 IRS employees have been diagnosed with COVID-19 , and four of the agency 's employees have died due to the virus .
The lawmakers said the IRS should not require any employees it deems essential to report to work until it can provide them with the protective equipment they are required to wear .
The IRS had not responded to a request for comment at publication time .
The National Treasury Employees Union , which represents many IRS workers , said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first asked for volunteers , who will receive incentive pay , to return to the workplace .
The NTEU says it is `` communicating with the IRS about working conditions at those facilities to make sure there are adequate cleaning and disinfecting supplies , accommodations to allow for physical distancing among employees and personal protective equipment , including masks and gloves . ''
The `` mission critical '' responsibilities that the returning IRS employees perform include opening taxpayer correspondence , handling tax documents , taking taxpayer telephone calls and performing other functions related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said if there are not enough volunteers , `` the agency will direct employees to return to the workplace . ''
The workers are needed at 10 IRS offices around the country .
It 's apparently the first large-scale recall of employees sent home by the federal government since the start of the pandemic .
The agency extended the filing deadline for this year 's income tax returns from April 15 to July 15 .

IRS Tells Thousands To Return To Work, With Their Own Face Masks
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
The Internal Revenue Service has told some 10,000 of its employees that they're needed back in the office as early as Monday — and they'll need to bring their own masks.
Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee say it's "completely irresponsible and unethical for the IRS to demand those workers obtain their own protective equipment."
The panel released an email from the agency, which said the IRS was trying to obtain personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves, but that "each IRS facility may not be able to initially procure the PPE for all employees immediately. Employees are therefore required to bring personal face coverings for their nose and mouth area when they come to work."
Those who don't, the memo warned, may be sent back home.
In a statement, the chairman of the Ways and Means panel, Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., and Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Chairman John Lewis, D-Ga., said the IRS demand is "especially troubling" given that earlier this week, Commissioner Charles Rettig informed congressional staff that 100 IRS employees have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and four of the agency's employees have died because of the virus.
The lawmakers said the IRS should not require any employees it deems essential to report to work until it can provide them with the protective equipment they are required to wear.
The IRS had not responded to a request for comment at publication time.
The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents many IRS workers, said it "appreciates" that the agency has first asked for volunteers, who will receive incentive pay, to return to the workplace.
The NTEU says it is "communicating with the IRS about working conditions at those facilities to make sure there are adequate cleaning and disinfecting supplies, accommodations to allow for physical distancing among employees and personal protective equipment, including masks and gloves."
The "mission critical" responsibilities that the returning IRS employees perform include opening taxpayer correspondence, handling tax documents, taking taxpayer telephone calls and performing other functions related to the filing season.
The union said if there are not enough volunteers, "the agency will direct employees to return to the workplace."
The workers are needed at 10 IRS offices around the country. It's apparently the first large-scale recall of employees sent home by the federal government since the start of the pandemic.
The agency extended the filing deadline for this year's income tax returns from April 15 to July 15.


npr--2020-04-27--Conservative New Yorkers Trust Cuomo Over Trump On State Reopening, Poll Finds

Conservative New Yorkers Trust Cuomo Over Trump On State Reopening , Poll Finds New York voters overwhelmingly trust Gov .
Andrew Cuomo more than they do President Donald Trump to decide when to reopen their state , according to a new Siena College Research Institute poll .
Respondents said they trust Cuomo over Trump by a 78-16 % margin .
In the poll , Republican and conservative voters also said they prefer the Democratic governor 's judgment on the issue to Trump 's , with 56 % and 57 % , respectively , favoring the governor .
`` When it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make decisions about reopening the state and its economy — the President or the Governor — it 's not even close , '' said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg , according to a press release .
More specifically , the poll finds broad support for two of Cuomo 's executive orders .
The governor 's extension of non-essential business closures until at least mid-May gets an 87 % overall approval rating among New Yorkers .
Even higher , the order that residents must wear protective masks in public has an approval rating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not find a single issue that would generate unanimous support from all 12 million New York voters , Cuomo 's order that face masks or coverings must be worn in public ... comes as close as any issue Siena College has ever polled , '' Greenberg said .
Cuomo 's favorability rating is currently up to an all-time high of 77 % , according to the poll .
That 's a turnaround from just two months ago , when another Siena poll found the governor 's approval rating was negative , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing a `` fair '' or `` poor '' job .
Just over a year ago , a February 2019 poll marked Cuomo 's favorability at an all-time low .
The governor 's daily press briefings have become the subject of national attention , especially in contrast to those of the president .
Cuomo 's briefings garner a mixed bag of reactions on social media , but one common praise point is the New York governor 's frankness in presenting harrowing facts .
`` Cuomo 's daily briefings are a case study in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' wrote Linda Peek Schatch , a former Carter administration official , in a piece for the Brookings Institution .
`` Unlike Jack Nicholson in `` A Few Good Men , '' Cuomo believes the American people can handle the truth . ''
In contrast , Trump has been criticized for his performance at daily White House briefings – and on Monday , there was confusion over whether the president would continue to hold future briefings .
The poll by Siena , which is located just outside of Albany , also reveals how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nearly one-third of all respondents said they personally know someone who has died from COVID-19 .
That number is higher for Latino and African American or black respondents : around half of each group say they know someone killed by the virus .
As of Monday afternoon , the state has confirmed more than 290,000 cases and more than 22,500 deaths , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
The Siena poll was conducted from April 19 to 23 , in a survey of 803 New York State registered voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ margin of error is plus or minus 3.7 % .

Conservative New Yorkers Trust Cuomo Over Trump On State Reopening, Poll Finds
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP
New York voters overwhelmingly trust Gov. Andrew Cuomo more than they do President Donald Trump to decide when to reopen their state, according to a new Siena College Research Institute poll. Respondents said they trust Cuomo over Trump by a 78-16% margin.
In the poll, Republican and conservative voters also said they prefer the Democratic governor's judgment on the issue to Trump's, with 56% and 57%, respectively, favoring the governor.
"When it comes to whom New Yorkers trust more to make decisions about reopening the state and its economy — the President or the Governor — it's not even close," said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg, according to a press release.
More specifically, the poll finds broad support for two of Cuomo's executive orders. The governor's extension of non-essential business closures until at least mid-May gets an 87% overall approval rating among New Yorkers. Even higher, the order that residents must wear protective masks in public has an approval rating of 92%.
"While you cannot find a single issue that would generate unanimous support from all 12 million New York voters, Cuomo's order that face masks or coverings must be worn in public...comes as close as any issue Siena College has ever polled," Greenberg said.
Cuomo's favorability rating is currently up to an all-time high of 77%, according to the poll. That's a turnaround from just two months ago, when another Siena poll found the governor's approval rating was negative, with 63% of respondents saying he was doing a "fair" or "poor" job. Just over a year ago, a February 2019 poll marked Cuomo's favorability at an all-time low.
The governor's daily press briefings have become the subject of national attention, especially in contrast to those of the president. Cuomo's briefings garner a mixed bag of reactions on social media, but one common praise point is the New York governor's frankness in presenting harrowing facts.
"Cuomo's daily briefings are a case study in transparency and truth to build trust," wrote Linda Peek Schatch, a former Carter administration official, in a piece for the Brookings Institution. "Unlike Jack Nicholson in "A Few Good Men," Cuomo believes the American people can handle the truth."
In contrast, Trump has been criticized for his performance at daily White House briefings – and on Monday, there was confusion over whether the president would continue to hold future briefings.
As NPR's Ayesha Rascoe reports:
"Trump has faced criticism from opponents about the way he's handled these briefings — spending much of his time sparring with reporters and often contradicting his own medical experts. Even some of the president's supporters have complained that the briefings detract from the administration's message."
The poll by Siena, which is located just outside of Albany, also reveals how widespread the crisis is in New York.
Nearly one-third of all respondents said they personally know someone who has died from COVID-19. That number is higher for Latino and African American or black respondents: around half of each group say they know someone killed by the virus.
As of Monday afternoon, the state has confirmed more than 290,000 cases and more than 22,500 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The Siena poll was conducted from April 19 to 23, in a survey of 803 New York State registered voters via phone and the Internet. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.7%.


npr--2020-04-27--Even The LA Lakers Got A PPP Small Business Loan

Even The LA Lakers Got A PPP Small Business Loan Several large restaurant chains , an asset management firm and even the Los Angeles Lakers have returned money they received from the first $ 349 billion allotment in the Paycheck Protection Program .
The decision to give back the money comes amid complaints that many large companies are wrongly accessing a federal loan program intended to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic .
Still , more than 200 other public companies are holding on to money from the program .
They include three hotel companies tied to Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of $ 69 million from the program .
The program provides loans to small businesses to hold back the avalanche of layoffs generated by the lockdown .
The loans are forgiven if the companies retain or rehire workers .
Because the program was thrown together so quickly , it was n't always clear who was supposed to benefit from it , and millions of companies applied .
As a result , money allotted to the program was gone within two weeks , and hundreds of thousands of small businesses were left out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion that 's rolling out starting Monday .
The controversy intensified after reports that some of the money went to big restaurant chains , including Shake Shack and the parent company of Ruth 's Chris Steak House .
Last week , Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin stressed that the program is only intended to help companies that ca n't get money through normal channels like the stock market .
He said big , publicly traded companies will face `` severe consequences '' if they take money they are n't entitled to .
In recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have returned the money , including the Potbelly Corp. , a restaurant chain ; the telecommunications company IDT ; and the pharmaceutical company Aquestive Therapeutics , as well as Ruth 's Chris and Shake Shack .
The Lakers basketball team received a $ 4.6 million loan but decided to give it back , according to a statement from the team .
`` Once we found out the funds from the program had been depleted , we repaid the loan so that financial support would be directed to those most in need .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our employees and our community , '' a statement said .
The Lakers are the eighth most valuable sports team in the world , worth an estimated $ 3.7 billion , according to Forbes .
Manning & Napier , an asset and wealth manager based near Rochester , N.Y. , returned a $ 6.7 million PPP loan , after the Small Business Administration clarified its guidelines about who could receive it .
But three hotel companies tied to Bennett — Ashford Inc. , Ashford Hospitality Trust and Braemar Hotels & Resorts — said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money , saying programs like PPP are essential to keeping them afloat .
`` The COVID-19 epidemic has been devastating to our company and employees .
We have been in the hospitality business for decades and have never experienced anything as destructive to our industry , '' the companies said in a statement .

Even The Los Angeles Lakers Got A PPP Small Business Loan
Enlarge this image toggle caption Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
Updated Tuesday at 9:31 a.m. ET
Several large restaurant chains, an asset management firm and even the Los Angeles Lakers have returned money they received from the first $349 billion allotment in the Paycheck Protection Program.
The decision to give back the money comes amid complaints that many large companies are wrongly accessing a federal loan program intended to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.
Still, more than 200 other public companies are holding on to money from the program. They include three hotel companies tied to Texas entrepreneur Monty Bennett that got a total of $69 million from the program.
The program provides loans to small businesses to hold back the avalanche of layoffs generated by the lockdown. The loans are forgiven if the companies retain or rehire workers.
Because the program was thrown together so quickly, it wasn't always clear who was supposed to benefit from it, and millions of companies applied.
As a result, money allotted to the program was gone within two weeks, and hundreds of thousands of small businesses were left out. Congress has approved an additional $320 billion that's rolling out starting Monday.
The controversy intensified after reports that some of the money went to big restaurant chains, including Shake Shack and the parent company of Ruth's Chris Steak House.
Last week, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin stressed that the program is only intended to help companies that can't get money through normal channels like the stock market.
He said big, publicly traded companies will face "severe consequences" if they take money they aren't entitled to.
In recent days, a growing number of companies have returned the money, including the Potbelly Corp., a restaurant chain; the telecommunications company IDT; and the pharmaceutical company Aquestive Therapeutics, as well as Ruth's Chris and Shake Shack.
The Lakers basketball team received a $4.6 million loan but decided to give it back, according to a statement from the team.
"Once we found out the funds from the program had been depleted, we repaid the loan so that financial support would be directed to those most in need. The Lakers remain completely committed to supporting both our employees and our community," a statement said.
The Lakers are the eighth most valuable sports team in the world, worth an estimated $3.7 billion, according to Forbes.
"I'm not a big fan of the fact that they took a $4.6 million [loan]," Mnuchin told CNBC's Squawk Box Tuesday morning. "I think that's outrageous."
Mnuchin said he was glad the team returned the money, "or they would have had liability."
Manning & Napier, an asset and wealth manager based near Rochester, N.Y., returned a $6.7 million PPP loan, after the Small Business Administration clarified its guidelines about who could receive it.
But three hotel companies tied to Bennett — Ashford Inc., Ashford Hospitality Trust and Braemar Hotels & Resorts — said this weekend they would not return any money, saying programs like PPP are essential to keeping them afloat.
"The COVID-19 epidemic has been devastating to our company and employees. We have been in the hospitality business for decades and have never experienced anything as destructive to our industry," the companies said in a statement.


npr--2020-04-27--Court Rules Detroit Students Have Constitutional Right To An Education

Court Rules Detroit Students Have Constitutional Right To An Education In a landmark decision , a federal appeals court has ruled that children have a constitutional right to literacy , dealing a remarkable victory to students .
The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit brought by students of five Detroit schools , claiming that because of deteriorating buildings , teacher shortages and inadequate textbooks , the state of Michigan failed to provide them with the most fundamental of skills : the ability to read .
For decades , civil rights lawyers have tried to help students and families in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Constitution guarantees children at least a basic education .
Federal courts have consistently disagreed .
Until now .
The ability to read and write is `` essential '' for a citizen to participate in American democracy , the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Thursday .
One can not effectively vote , answer a jury summons , pay taxes or even read a road sign if illiterate , wrote Judge Eric Clay , and so where `` a group of children is relegated to a school system that does not provide even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we hold that the Constitution provides them with a remedy . ''
The 2016 complaint alleges that Michigan 's then-Gov .
Rick Snyder and the state 's board of education denied Detroit students their fundamental right to literacy .
It cites textbooks that were tattered , outdated and in such short supply that teachers could not send work home .
The suit also describes school buildings that were in shocking disrepair : broken toilets and water fountains , leaking ceilings , shattered windows .
In warmer months , the complaint says , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faint ; in winter , students regularly wore hats , coats and scarves to class .
Students became accustomed to seeing cockroaches , mice or rats scurrying across the floor .
`` You 're sitting down in the classroom , and you see rodents in a corner .
Or you can hear things crawling in the books , '' says Jamarria Hall , a plaintiff in the class-action suit , who graduated in 2017 .
`` But the saddest thing of all was really the resources that they had , like , being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students , but there 's only six textbooks . ''
Given these conditions , the five K-12 schools named in the complaint also struggled to retain teachers .
Many classes were taught by paraprofessionals or inexperienced teachers placed through the Teach For America program .
Often , Hall says , when teachers quit suddenly or did n't show up , students would simply be sent to the gym .
`` For days on end — weeks on end — if the school did n't have a substitute or could n't fill that gap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place .
Or they would set students down in the classroom and really put on a movie , like Frozen ... like a daycare , '' Hall remembers .
At one school , the complaint says , a math teacher quit soon after the school year began `` due to frustration with large class sizes and lack of support .
...
Eventually , the highest performing eighth grade student was asked to take over teaching both seventh and eighth grade math .
This student taught both math classes for a month . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ these schools ' failure to educate students : Proficiency rates `` hover near zero in nearly all subject areas , '' it says .
Previous legal efforts to argue that families in low-income , underfunded schools deserve better have run headlong into the U.S. Constitution , which makes no mention of the word `` education , '' let alone a right to it .
One of the most famous cases , San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez , made it all the way to the Supreme Court before the justices , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in poorer districts have no federal right to the same levels of funding as wealthier districts .
They essentially said : The system is n't fair , but the U.S. government has no obligation to make it so .
In fact , the first judge to hear the current , Detroit case came to much the same conclusion .
U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy dismissed the Michigan suit in 2018 , writing that , yes , `` literacy — and the opportunity to obtain it — is of incalculable importance , '' but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students ' lawyers disputed Murphy 's reasoning and appealed his ruling , and , on Thursday , two of three judges took their side .
`` We 're not asking for a Cadillac '' In the past , many of the arguments used to pursue educational equity in the courts have been inherently comparative .
Using the 14th Amendment 's Equal Protection Clause , lawyers have focused on disparity — how one school or one district 's resources compare to another 's .
`` This [ case ] is different , '' says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Austin LLP and a lawyer for the plaintiffs .
`` It 's not comparative .
It 's not a question of some people being treated worse than others .
This fundamental right to a basic minimum education is a right that every child has . ''
Flint and her co-counsel focused more on a different pillar of the 14th Amendment , the Due Process Clause , saying the Constitution protects essential rights that `` you ca n't imagine our constitutional democracy or our political life functioning without . ''
And , Flint says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that description . ''
Put simply : The plaintiffs ' lawyers did not set out to level the playing field for all students .
Instead , they attempted to use the appalling conditions of five Detroit schools to establish a floor .
`` This case focuses squarely on literacy as the irreducible minimum , '' says Kristine Bowman , professor of law and education policy at Michigan State University .
And that minimum is pretty minimal .
`` We 're not asking for a Cadillac , or even a used , low-end Kia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the Flintstones ' car , '' says co-counsel Evan Caminker , a former dean of the University of Michigan Law School .
In his dissent to Thursday 's decision , Circuit Judge Eric Murphy argued that accepting literacy as a constitutional right would open a Pandora 's box for states , and force federal courts to wrestle with questions beyond their purview : `` May they compel states to raise their taxes to generate the needed [ school ] funds ?
Or order states to give parents vouchers so that they may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ textbooks be before they become constitutionally outdated ?
What minimum amount of training must teachers receive ?
Which HVAC systems must public schools use ? ''
Murphy wrote that history , and legal precedent , are on his side : `` The Supreme Court has refused to treat education as a fundamental right every time a party has asked it to do so . ''
After all , the judge reasoned , food , housing and medical care are also `` critical for human flourishing and for the exercise of constitutional rights , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compel states to spend funds on these necessities of life . ''
Why should education be any different ?
A spokesperson for Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer says her office is reviewing the court 's decision before it decides what to do next .
Whitmer 's office also said in a statement that `` the governor has a strong record on education and has always believed we have a responsibility to teach every child to read . ''
While the ruling is historic , it comes with several caveats .
Basic literacy is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools .
As such , legal experts say , this ruling wo n't have an immediate impact on children in underfunded schools .
`` We 're not talking about the court having to recognize a broad-based , free-floating , generalized right to education , '' says Michelle Adams , a professor at Cardozo School of Law in New York City .
This will not `` open the floodgates of litigation .
We 're talking about a situation where students are being warehoused and required to be in school and yet they literally can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also relatively young .
The court 's decision could be reviewed by the full 6th Circuit , appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court , or returned to play out in District Court .
Whitmer 's office has not yet indicated how the state will respond .
`` The fight is not done yet , '' says Jamarria Hall , who is now living in Tallahassee , Fla. , and taking classes at a community college .
`` We were fighting just to get into the ring .
Now we 're in the ring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

Court Rules Detroit Students Have Constitutional Right To An Education
Enlarge this image toggle caption Carlos Osorio/AP Carlos Osorio/AP
In a landmark decision, a federal appeals court has ruled that children have a constitutional right to literacy, dealing a remarkable victory to students.
The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit brought by students of five Detroit schools, claiming that because of deteriorating buildings, teacher shortages and inadequate textbooks, the state of Michigan failed to provide them with the most fundamental of skills: the ability to read.
For decades, civil rights lawyers have tried to help students and families in underfunded schools by arguing that the U.S. Constitution guarantees children at least a basic education. Federal courts have consistently disagreed. Until now.
The ability to read and write is "essential" for a citizen to participate in American democracy, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Thursday. One cannot effectively vote, answer a jury summons, pay taxes or even read a road sign if illiterate, wrote Judge Eric Clay, and so where "a group of children is relegated to a school system that does not provide even a plausible chance to attain literacy, we hold that the Constitution provides them with a remedy."
"Like a daycare"
The 2016 complaint alleges that Michigan's then-Gov. Rick Snyder and the state's board of education denied Detroit students their fundamental right to literacy. It cites textbooks that were tattered, outdated and in such short supply that teachers could not send work home. The suit also describes school buildings that were in shocking disrepair: broken toilets and water fountains, leaking ceilings, shattered windows.
In warmer months, the complaint says, a lack of air-conditioning caused some students to faint; in winter, students regularly wore hats, coats and scarves to class. Students became accustomed to seeing cockroaches, mice or rats scurrying across the floor.
"You're sitting down in the classroom, and you see rodents in a corner. Or you can hear things crawling in the books," says Jamarria Hall, a plaintiff in the class-action suit, who graduated in 2017. "But the saddest thing of all was really the resources that they had, like, being in a class where there's 34 students, but there's only six textbooks."
Given these conditions, the five K-12 schools named in the complaint also struggled to retain teachers. Many classes were taught by paraprofessionals or inexperienced teachers placed through the Teach For America program. Often, Hall says, when teachers quit suddenly or didn't show up, students would simply be sent to the gym.
"For days on end — weeks on end — if the school didn't have a substitute or couldn't fill that gap, the gym was basically the go-to place. Or they would set students down in the classroom and really put on a movie, like Frozen... like a daycare," Hall remembers.
At one school, the complaint says, a math teacher quit soon after the school year began "due to frustration with large class sizes and lack of support. ... Eventually, the highest performing eighth grade student was asked to take over teaching both seventh and eighth grade math. This student taught both math classes for a month."
The complaint delivers a crushing assessment of these schools' failure to educate students: Proficiency rates "hover near zero in nearly all subject areas," it says.
"Illiteracy is the norm."
Previous legal efforts to argue that families in low-income, underfunded schools deserve better have run headlong into the U.S. Constitution, which makes no mention of the word "education," let alone a right to it.
One of the most famous cases, San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, made it all the way to the Supreme Court before the justices, in a 5-4 decision, ruled that families in poorer districts have no federal right to the same levels of funding as wealthier districts. They essentially said: The system isn't fair, but the U.S. government has no obligation to make it so.
In fact, the first judge to hear the current, Detroit case came to much the same conclusion.
U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy dismissed the Michigan suit in 2018, writing that, yes, "literacy — and the opportunity to obtain it — is of incalculable importance," but not necessarily a fundamental right.
The students' lawyers disputed Murphy's reasoning and appealed his ruling, and, on Thursday, two of three judges took their side.
"We're not asking for a Cadillac"
In the past, many of the arguments used to pursue educational equity in the courts have been inherently comparative. Using the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, lawyers have focused on disparity — how one school or one district's resources compare to another's.
"This [case] is different," says Tacy Flint, a partner at Sidley Austin LLP and a lawyer for the plaintiffs. "It's not comparative. It's not a question of some people being treated worse than others. This fundamental right to a basic minimum education is a right that every child has."
Flint and her co-counsel focused more on a different pillar of the 14th Amendment, the Due Process Clause, saying the Constitution protects essential rights that "you can't imagine our constitutional democracy or our political life functioning without." And, Flint says, "access to literacy clearly fits that description."
Put simply: The plaintiffs' lawyers did not set out to level the playing field for all students. Instead, they attempted to use the appalling conditions of five Detroit schools to establish a floor.
"This case focuses squarely on literacy as the irreducible minimum," says Kristine Bowman, professor of law and education policy at Michigan State University.
And that minimum is pretty minimal.
We're not asking for a Cadillac, or even a used, low-end Kia. We're asking for something more than the Flintstones' car.
"We're not asking for a Cadillac, or even a used, low-end Kia. We're asking for something more than the Flintstones' car," says co-counsel Evan Caminker, a former dean of the University of Michigan Law School.
In his dissent to Thursday's decision, Circuit Judge Eric Murphy argued that accepting literacy as a constitutional right would open a Pandora's box for states, and force federal courts to wrestle with questions beyond their purview: "May they compel states to raise their taxes to generate the needed [school] funds? Or order states to give parents vouchers so that they may choose different schools? How old may textbooks be before they become constitutionally outdated? What minimum amount of training must teachers receive? Which HVAC systems must public schools use?"
Murphy wrote that history, and legal precedent, are on his side: "The Supreme Court has refused to treat education as a fundamental right every time a party has asked it to do so."
After all, the judge reasoned, food, housing and medical care are also "critical for human flourishing and for the exercise of constitutional rights," but the Constitution "does not compel states to spend funds on these necessities of life." Why should education be any different?
A spokesperson for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says her office is reviewing the court's decision before it decides what to do next. Whitmer's office also said in a statement that "the governor has a strong record on education and has always believed we have a responsibility to teach every child to read."
While the ruling is historic, it comes with several caveats. Basic literacy is a remarkably low standard to set for schools. As such, legal experts say, this ruling won't have an immediate impact on children in underfunded schools.
"We're not talking about the court having to recognize a broad-based, free-floating, generalized right to education," says Michelle Adams, a professor at Cardozo School of Law in New York City. This will not "open the floodgates of litigation. We're talking about a situation where students are being warehoused and required to be in school and yet they literally cannot read."
The case is also relatively young. The court's decision could be reviewed by the full 6th Circuit, appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, or returned to play out in District Court. Whitmer's office has not yet indicated how the state will respond.
"The fight is not done yet," says Jamarria Hall, who is now living in Tallahassee, Fla., and taking classes at a community college. "We were fighting just to get into the ring. Now we're in the ring. Now the fight really starts."


npr--2020-04-27--Comedy Community Mourns The 'End Of An Era' As UCB Closes New York Locations

Comedy Community Mourns The 'End Of An Era ' As UCB Closes New York Locations When the Upright Citizens Brigade announced plans to permanently close its New York bases last week , comedy lost a beloved home .
The scrappy , alternative comedy troupe that grew into a school and theater revolutionized improv in New York and beyond with its embrace of `` Yes , and ... '' The New York institution incubated the talents of stars such as Kate McKinnon , Aziz Ansari , Chris Gethard , Donald Glover , Aubrey Plaza and many others in the comedy world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UCB teachings have been brought into countless comedy writers ' rooms and are etched into many successful TV shows .
Four of the company 's founding members , known as the `` UCB4 '' — Amy Poehler , Matt Besser , Matt Walsh and Ian Roberts — told staff in an email on April 21 that the organization could n't afford to renew its leases on the group 's two Manhattan locations : the UCB theater in Hell 's Kitchen and a training center in the Garment District .
UCB also has two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been temporarily halted during the coronavirus outbreak , but there are currently no plans to close them .
Obits followed , marking the exit of UCB 's physical presence in the city where it took off in the '90s , when the group turned a former strip club into its first theater .
`` The guys that I came up with in New York at the UCB Theater — we made our bones there basically , '' said Rob Corddry , who went on to be a Daily Show correspondent and star in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's really sad .
Sort of the end of an era . ''
The news comes a month after layoffs were announced at the group 's New York and Los Angeles facilities in response to the coronavirus .
A small number of staff were kept at training centers on both coasts .
But UCB was under financial strain long before the pandemic .
Many UCBers cast the move as an example of an opaque , top-down decision-making that , over the years , they say has sowed distrust in UCB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest issue with UCB was the lack of communication of the company and the owners to their employees , '' said Paris Adkins , a New York performer who was laid off from her administrative job with the company last month .
A previous round of layoffs took place at the end of 2018 , mostly of New York employees .
Adkins said the pandemic `` is just the extenuating circumstance that put things over the edge . ''
As for the most recent closures , UCB 's founders admitted to falling short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard the community when they said , 'We 're scared , too , and we want better communication , ' `` Amy Poehler told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview with the UCB4 after the announcement .
`` I think we did make mistakes , and we 're trying to do better . ''
UCB has not responded to NPR 's attempts to contact the organization .
Chris Renfro , an LA-based performer and show producer who relied on UCB as his main source of income , said that learning in March via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there had come to an end struck him as a betrayal of the values the UCB4 claimed to live by .
`` UCB is about a community , it 's about having each other 's backs , '' he said , referencing the improv tradition UCB students learn of literally patting each other 's backs and saying `` Got your back . ''
`` It felt like they had turned their backs on this massive community they had built up around them , '' he said .
`` So now there 's a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' mouths because of that . ''
According to a letter sent to staff addressing the layoffs , Poehler said she would pay for an additional month of health care for former full-time staff .
Much of the company 's operations run on part-time staff , according to Adkins .
She estimated that UCB cut a total of 45 New York-based employees across the city since last month .
Despite the community 's frustrations , when the indefinite shutdown of the New York outposts turned definite , the tributes rolled in online .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ peer improv hub Second City in Chicago before moving to New York , tweeted `` I 'll always be grateful '' for the times he was roped in to perform with UCB during the '90s in the acclaimed sketch show mainstay Asssscat .
Daily Show correspondent Jordan Klepper added , `` When I left Chicago , the people at UCB NY welcomed me , challenged me , and embodied the NY spirit of full commitment today because tomorrow you could run out of cash and life ships you back home . ''
Other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Former students , many of whom shelled out several hundred dollars for improv classes , wrote about negative experiences and wasted money .
Some revived longstanding criticism of the theater 's policy to not pay its performers , unlike many of its improv peers .
Despite its problems , many felt a sense of community at UCB , Adkins said .
`` I think people are grieving , '' she said .
`` It 's pretty much my only community in New York and I think a lot of people feel that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support of a community like you do at UCB . ''
In an effort to financially support herself and her peers following the layoffs , Adkins started a GoFundMe page to raise money for New York staff .
To date , the account has raised nearly $ 60,000 .
She 's splitting the funds between staff members , who will receive a month 's worth of pay .
The rest will be divided among teachers who are in need , Adkins said .
In the THR interview , Amy Poehler assured the UCB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York . ''
At least for the short-term , the company has moved both LA and New York classes online .
For the long-term in New York , leadership has floated plans to return to the old days of renting other independent spaces to hold classes and performances .
Still , even some of its youngest members see the now-shuttered hubs as a piece of history .
`` But that 's replaceable and people are not , '' said former training center staff member Maicy Jo Schwartz , who began her UCB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would n't be surprised if in the future some people branch off and start their own theaters or their own training centers or their own underground improv and sketch , because New York is a perfect place to do that , '' she said .
`` And I do hope that the UCB4 — Amy , Matt , Matt and Ian — can be part of that and support that when there are future endeavors that their alumni take on . ''

Comedy Community Mourns The 'End Of An Era' As UCB Closes New York Locations
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Toth/Getty Images Andrew Toth/Getty Images
When the Upright Citizens Brigade announced plans to permanently close its New York bases last week, comedy lost a beloved home. The scrappy, alternative comedy troupe that grew into a school and theater revolutionized improv in New York and beyond with its embrace of "Yes, and ..."
The New York institution incubated the talents of stars such as Kate McKinnon, Aziz Ansari, Chris Gethard, Donald Glover, Aubrey Plaza and many others in the comedy world. A pillar of longform improv, UCB teachings have been brought into countless comedy writers' rooms and are etched into many successful TV shows.
Four of the company's founding members, known as the "UCB4" — Amy Poehler, Matt Besser, Matt Walsh and Ian Roberts — told staff in an email on April 21 that the organization couldn't afford to renew its leases on the group's two Manhattan locations: the UCB theater in Hell's Kitchen and a training center in the Garment District.
UCB also has two locations in Los Angeles where operations have been temporarily halted during the coronavirus outbreak, but there are currently no plans to close them.
Obits followed, marking the exit of UCB's physical presence in the city where it took off in the '90s, when the group turned a former strip club into its first theater.
"The guys that I came up with in New York at the UCB Theater — we made our bones there basically," said Rob Corddry, who went on to be a Daily Show correspondent and star in comedy films including Hot Tub Time Machine. "It's really sad. Sort of the end of an era."
The news comes a month after layoffs were announced at the group's New York and Los Angeles facilities in response to the coronavirus. A small number of staff were kept at training centers on both coasts.
But UCB was under financial strain long before the pandemic. Many UCBers cast the move as an example of an opaque, top-down decision-making that, over the years, they say has sowed distrust in UCB leadership among its members.
"The biggest issue with UCB was the lack of communication of the company and the owners to their employees," said Paris Adkins, a New York performer who was laid off from her administrative job with the company last month.
A previous round of layoffs took place at the end of 2018, mostly of New York employees. Adkins said the pandemic "is just the extenuating circumstance that put things over the edge."
As for the most recent closures, UCB's founders admitted to falling short of expectations.
"Look, we heard the community when they said, 'We're scared, too, and we want better communication,' " Amy Poehler told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview with the UCB4 after the announcement. "I think we did make mistakes, and we're trying to do better."
UCB has not responded to NPR's attempts to contact the organization.
Chris Renfro, an LA-based performer and show producer who relied on UCB as his main source of income, said that learning in March via a mass email that his 3-year career there had come to an end struck him as a betrayal of the values the UCB4 claimed to live by.
"UCB is about a community, it's about having each other's backs," he said, referencing the improv tradition UCB students learn of literally patting each other's backs and saying "Got your back."
"It felt like they had turned their backs on this massive community they had built up around them," he said. "So now there's a weird taste in a lot of peoples' mouths because of that."
According to a letter sent to staff addressing the layoffs, Poehler said she would pay for an additional month of health care for former full-time staff.
Much of the company's operations run on part-time staff, according to Adkins. She estimated that UCB cut a total of 45 New York-based employees across the city since last month.
Despite the community's frustrations, when the indefinite shutdown of the New York outposts turned definite, the tributes rolled in online.
Stephen Colbert, who studied at the peer improv hub Second City in Chicago before moving to New York, tweeted "I'll always be grateful" for the times he was roped in to perform with UCB during the '90s in the acclaimed sketch show mainstay Asssscat.
Daily Show correspondent Jordan Klepper added, "When I left Chicago, the people at UCB NY welcomed me, challenged me, and embodied the NY spirit of full commitment today because tomorrow you could run out of cash and life ships you back home."
Other dispatches on social media were less endearing.
Former students, many of whom shelled out several hundred dollars for improv classes, wrote about negative experiences and wasted money. Some revived longstanding criticism of the theater's policy to not pay its performers, unlike many of its improv peers.
Despite its problems, many felt a sense of community at UCB, Adkins said.
"I think people are grieving," she said. "It's pretty much my only community in New York and I think a lot of people feel that way. You don't get the support of a community like you do at UCB."
In an effort to financially support herself and her peers following the layoffs, Adkins started a GoFundMe page to raise money for New York staff. To date, the account has raised nearly $60,000. She's splitting the funds between staff members, who will receive a month's worth of pay. The rest will be divided among teachers who are in need, Adkins said.
In the THR interview, Amy Poehler assured the UCB community, "We're not leaving New York."
At least for the short-term, the company has moved both LA and New York classes online. For the long-term in New York, leadership has floated plans to return to the old days of renting other independent spaces to hold classes and performances.
Still, even some of its youngest members see the now-shuttered hubs as a piece of history.
"But that's replaceable and people are not," said former training center staff member Maicy Jo Schwartz, who began her UCB NY career in 2014.
Schwartz sees a silver lining.
"I wouldn't be surprised if in the future some people branch off and start their own theaters or their own training centers or their own underground improv and sketch, because New York is a perfect place to do that," she said. "And I do hope that the UCB4 — Amy, Matt, Matt and Ian — can be part of that and support that when there are future endeavors that their alumni take on."
NPR's Elizabeth Blair contributed to this story.


npr--2020-04-27--Coronavirus Payments To Poor Are Vulnerable To Fraud

Coronavirus Payments To Poor Are Vulnerable To Fraud The IRS system for sending out Coronavirus relief payments is vulnerable to fraud , especially with regard to some of the nation 's poorest people , according to tax and cybersecurity experts .
Because of the way the system is set up , fraudsters can obtain the Coronavirus payments of a certain segment of vulnerable Americans with just their date of birth , social security number and address — information that is easily available to criminals online .
Millions of Americans fall into this category of vulnerable people .
The $ 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March includes some $ 300 billion for direct cash payments .
Single Americans who earn less than $ 75,000 a year qualify for a one-time payout of $ 1,200 .
Americans who make less than $ 12,200 per year do not have to file a tax return with the IRS , but still qualify for the direct payment .
But the IRS typically uses information from prior tax returns to verify identities .
`` That kind of information often serves as a backstop , as a way of sort of identifying people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tax Policy Center .
It 's this category of people that are vulnerable to this type of fraud , because the IRS must then rely on simpler information to verify their identity .
Brian Krebs , editor of Krebsonsecurity.com , was among the first to notice that fraudsters could potentially steal these Coronavirus payments with only a few pieces of identifying information .
`` I was a little shocked to see that , '' Krebs told NPR .
`` There were a number of things that they requested , but very few things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing that I could tell that were required were name , date of birth , social security number , address — and then you had to have a phone number ... That was pretty scary to me . ''
A longtime reporter on computer security , Krebs says this information is readily available for fraudsters .
`` It 's information people think is confidential , is secret .
It 's available for sale on a significant portion of the US population , in a number of places in the underground , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we 're not even talking about the dark web .
We 're talking about just out on the internet .
And it 's a couple bucks — it 's about what it costs for , you know , a caramel macchiato at Starbucks . ''
It is too soon to know for sure whether this kind of fraud is under way , and at what scale .
But Mike Chapple , a professor of information technology at the University of Notre Dame , says it 's a good bet that this kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points to an incident in 2015 with an IRS system where people could obtain their previous tax return transcripts online .
That system was more secure because it asked for more information in order to verify user identities .
`` There were 390,000 cases that the IRS inspector general found of fraudulent access to that system , '' Chapple says .
`` So now fast forward five years and we 're using an even weaker system to control access , not just to information , but to payments . ''
The IRS did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told NPR that it is actively working on combating scam artists , and is prioritizing investigations into those who prey on vulnerable taxpayers .
IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Don Fort said in a statement that they are tracking the dark web , following message boards and anticipating the schemes of criminals .
`` There 's always a trade-off between speed and security , '' says Mark Everson , the IRS Commissioner between 2003 and 2007 .
He says that the IRS is doing the best it can under trying circumstances .
A priority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get these direct payments out the door as quickly as possible , which is going to lead to some vulnerabilities , he says .
`` They 're limited in terms of the technical strength which has been devoted to getting the payments out ...
They have so many different things they 're doing right now amidst what is still the filing season , '' Everson told NPR .
Everson , now with Alliantgroup , which provides specialty tax services , advises people who are seeking Coronavirus direct payments and are not familiar with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trust .

Coronavirus Payments To Poor Are Vulnerable To Fraud
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The IRS system for sending out Coronavirus relief payments is vulnerable to fraud, especially with regard to some of the nation's poorest people, according to tax and cybersecurity experts.
Because of the way the system is set up, fraudsters can obtain the Coronavirus payments of a certain segment of vulnerable Americans with just their date of birth, social security number and address — information that is easily available to criminals online.
Millions of Americans fall into this category of vulnerable people.
The $2 trillion Coronavirus aid package passed in late March includes some $300 billion for direct cash payments. Single Americans who earn less than $75,000 a year qualify for a one-time payout of $1,200.
Americans who make less than $12,200 per year do not have to file a tax return with the IRS, but still qualify for the direct payment. But the IRS typically uses information from prior tax returns to verify identities.
"That kind of information often serves as a backstop, as a way of sort of identifying people," says Janet Holtzblatt of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.
It's this category of people that are vulnerable to this type of fraud, because the IRS must then rely on simpler information to verify their identity.
Brian Krebs, editor of Krebsonsecurity.com, was among the first to notice that fraudsters could potentially steal these Coronavirus payments with only a few pieces of identifying information.
"I was a little shocked to see that," Krebs told NPR. "There were a number of things that they requested, but very few things that were required. And the only thing that I could tell that were required were name, date of birth, social security number, address — and then you had to have a phone number... That was pretty scary to me."
A longtime reporter on computer security, Krebs says this information is readily available for fraudsters.
"It's information people think is confidential, is secret. It's available for sale on a significant portion of the US population, in a number of places in the underground," he says. "And in many cases, we're not even talking about the dark web. We're talking about just out on the internet. And it's a couple bucks — it's about what it costs for, you know, a caramel macchiato at Starbucks."
It is too soon to know for sure whether this kind of fraud is under way, and at what scale. But Mike Chapple, a professor of information technology at the University of Notre Dame, says it's a good bet that this kind of fraud is already happening.
He points to an incident in 2015 with an IRS system where people could obtain their previous tax return transcripts online. That system was more secure because it asked for more information in order to verify user identities.
"There were 390,000 cases that the IRS inspector general found of fraudulent access to that system," Chapple says. "So now fast forward five years and we're using an even weaker system to control access, not just to information, but to payments."
The IRS didn't address this specific vulnerability, but told NPR that it is actively working on combating scam artists, and is prioritizing investigations into those who prey on vulnerable taxpayers.
IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Don Fort said in a statement that they are tracking the dark web, following message boards and anticipating the schemes of criminals.
"There's always a trade-off between speed and security," says Mark Everson, the IRS Commissioner between 2003 and 2007.
He says that the IRS is doing the best it can under trying circumstances. A priority for the federal government is trying to get these direct payments out the door as quickly as possible, which is going to lead to some vulnerabilities, he says.
"They're limited in terms of the technical strength which has been devoted to getting the payments out...They have so many different things they're doing right now amidst what is still the filing season," Everson told NPR.
Everson, now with Alliantgroup, which provides specialty tax services, advises people who are seeking Coronavirus direct payments and are not familiar with computers to find help from someone they trust.


npr--2020-04-27--Expecting A Baby During Coronavirus: Gender Reveal Just Isn't The Same

Expecting A Baby During Coronavirus : Gender Reveal Just Is n't The Same Will Thompson and his wife Annie are expecting their first child this fall .
But because of restrictions at local hospitals , Thompson has not been able to accompany Annie to her prenatal doctor 's visits , including one where they expect to learn their baby 's gender .
Thompson chokes up talking about this : `` My wife is an incredibly strong woman , and she 's amazing .
I just — I wish I could . ''
The Denver couple plan to ask their doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girl '' inside an envelope , so they can open it later , together .
Before losing his job a few weeks ago , Thompson was running audiovisual services for big tech industry conferences .
Even when in-person meetings stopped because of the coronavirus , Thompson thought there would be plenty of work .
`` The day I got let go , I talked to a new client who said they had a conference that they wanted to go full virtual on .
And they had a starting budget of $ 200,000 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a phone call probably about an hour later saying I 'd been terminated , which was a bit of a shock , obviously . ''
Still , with millions of other Americans also getting pink slips , he could n't take it personally .
`` I 've had family ask me if it was hard , you know , emotionally applying for unemployment , and my answer is no , '' Thompson said .
`` I think if this were n't such a devastating thing to everybody , it would be different .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Annie , an educator who 's working from home .

Expecting A Baby During Coronavirus: Gender Reveal Just Isn't The Same
toggle caption Courtesy of Will Thompson
Will Thompson and his wife Annie are expecting their first child this fall.
But because of restrictions at local hospitals, Thompson has not been able to accompany Annie to her prenatal doctor's visits, including one where they expect to learn their baby's gender.
Thompson chokes up talking about this: "My wife is an incredibly strong woman, and she's amazing. I just — I wish I could."
The Denver couple plan to ask their doctor to write "boy" or "girl" inside an envelope, so they can open it later, together.
FACES OF THE CORONAVIRUS RECESSION Jobs lost. Businesses in peril. Meetings gone virtual. Faces Of The Coronavirus Recession offers snapshots of working Americans whose lives have been upended by the pandemic.
Before losing his job a few weeks ago, Thompson was running audiovisual services for big tech industry conferences. Even when in-person meetings stopped because of the coronavirus, Thompson thought there would be plenty of work.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Will Thompson Courtesy of Will Thompson
"The day I got let go, I talked to a new client who said they had a conference that they wanted to go full virtual on. And they had a starting budget of $200,000," Thompson said. "I got a phone call probably about an hour later saying I'd been terminated, which was a bit of a shock, obviously."
Still, with millions of other Americans also getting pink slips, he couldn't take it personally.
"I've had family ask me if it was hard, you know, emotionally applying for unemployment, and my answer is no," Thompson said. "I think if this weren't such a devastating thing to everybody, it would be different."
He's enjoyed spending quality time with Annie, an educator who's working from home.
Read more stories in Faces Of The Coronavirus Recession.


npr--2020-04-28--Chinese Song Expressing Friendship During Pandemic Backfires With Wary Filipinos

An effort by China to express solidarity with an Asian neighbor that is also battling the deadly coronavirus pandemic has not gone exactly to plan .
Last week , the Chinese Embassy in Manila posted a music video titled Iisang Dagat , or `` One Sea '' in Tagalog , the language commonly spoken in the Philippines .
The reference is to the South China Sea that lies between China and the Philippine archipelago .
But in recent years the South China Sea has been less a unifying waterway than a center of conflict , as Beijing has increasingly flexed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maritime neighbors , including the Philippines , have traditionally seen as their own .
As recently as last week , Manila filed diplomatic protests accusing China of pointing a radar gun at a Philippine navy boat in the South China Sea and of trying to claim parts of Philippine territory .
In a tweet , Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. called both acts `` violations of international law & Philippine sovereignty . ''
The song 's lyrics , in both Mandarin and Tagalog , were written by Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese diplomat , a provincial vice governor in the Philippines , a Filipino-Chinese singer and a Chinese television star .
The video shows masked Filipinos juxtaposed with scenes of Chinese medical teams and supplies arriving in Manila to help with the pandemic .
Even Locsin , the foreign secretary , appears , thanking China for its assistance .
The song contains such lines as `` because of your love that flows like waves hand in hand , we move to a bright future , you and I are in one sea , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hong Kong-based daily South China Morning Post .
In one line which many Filipinos took to have a double meaning , the Tagalog `` pagasa , '' meaning `` hope , '' was used .
But the word is also the name of a 92-acre island in the Spratlys chain that is claimed by both the Philippines and China .
By Monday afternoon , the video posted on YouTube had more than 150,000 dislikes , while a Change.org petition demanding it be removed had gotten nearly 10,000 signatures by Tuesday .
One post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of `` likes , '' referred to the West Philippine Sea , which Manila uses as the official term for the part of the South China Sea that lies within its exclusive economic zone .
`` Excuse me but the West Philippine Sea has always been and will always be rightfully ours .
Kindly stop exploiting our seas and building on our islands and shoals .
Leave our fishermen alone and let them make a living from it as they have always done , '' said Cynthia Diaz , whose Facebook profile says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more , Filipinos are keenly aware the coronavirus originated in China .
As the South China Morning Post noted , `` while Beijing has sent health supplies including protective masks and testing kits , and dispatched Chinese doctors to offer advice to strapped hospitals in the capital of Manila , there are Filipinos who still believe the coronavirus , that causes the Covid-19 illness , was brought to the country by the Chinese workers employed by online gambling outlets . ''
The Philippines has been hit hard by COVID-19 , which has stretched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The country of 107 million has more than 7,700 confirmed cases and 511 deaths — giving it the highest mortality rate in Southeast Asia , according to Bloomberg .

Chinese Song Expressing Friendship During Pandemic Backfires With Wary Filipinos
Enlarge this image toggle caption Xinhua News Agency/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images Xinhua News Agency/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images
An effort by China to express solidarity with an Asian neighbor that is also battling the deadly coronavirus pandemic has not gone exactly to plan.
Last week, the Chinese Embassy in Manila posted a music video titled Iisang Dagat, or "One Sea" in Tagalog, the language commonly spoken in the Philippines. The reference is to the South China Sea, which lies between China and the Philippine archipelago.
But in recent years, the South China Sea has been less a unifying waterway than a center of conflict, as Beijing has increasingly flexed its muscles over disputed islands that its maritime neighbors, including the Philippines, have traditionally seen as their own.
As recently as last week, Manila filed diplomatic protests accusing China of pointing a radar gun at a Philippine navy boat in the South China Sea and of trying to claim parts of Philippine territory. In a tweet, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. called both acts "violations of international law & Philippine sovereignty."
At 5:17 pm today the Chinese embassy received 2 diplomatic protests: 1. on the pointing of a radar gun at a Philippine Navy ship in PH waters & 2. declaring parts of Philippine territory as part of Hainan province—both violations of international law & Philippine sovereignty. — Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) April 22, 2020
The song's lyrics, in both Mandarin and Tagalog, were written by Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian and performed by various individuals, including a Chinese diplomat, a provincial vice governor in the Philippines, a Filipino-Chinese singer and a Chinese television star.
The video shows masked Filipinos juxtaposed with scenes of Chinese medical teams and supplies arriving in Manila to help with the pandemic. Even Locsin, the foreign secretary, appears, thanking China for its assistance.
The song contains such lines as "because of your love that flows like waves hand in hand, we move to a bright future, you and I are in one sea," according to a translation published in the Hong Kong-based daily South China Morning Post.
In a line that many Filipinos took to have a double meaning, the Tagalog "pagasa," meaning "hope," was used. But the word is also the name of a 92-acre island in the Spratly chain claimed by both the Philippines and China.
Iisang Dagat: a song that has the gall to gaslight Filipinos just to promote a message of "solidarity", of "working together" for the fight against the virus. If only the message came from somewhere with more integrity than the PRC lol #CNPHHealAsOne kuno — nikko tan (@nikko_tan_) April 25, 2020
By Monday afternoon, the video posted on YouTube had more than 150,000 dislikes, while a Change.org petition demanding it be removed had gotten nearly 10,000 signatures by Tuesday.
One post on the video, which received hundreds of "likes," referred to the West Philippine Sea, which Manila uses as the official term for the part of the South China Sea that lies within its exclusive economic zone.
"Excuse me but the West Philippine Sea has always been and will always be rightfully ours. Kindly stop exploiting our seas and building on our islands and shoals. Leave our fishermen alone and let them make a living from it as they have always done," said Cynthia Diaz, whose Facebook profile says she's from Manila.
What's more, Filipinos are keenly aware the coronavirus originated in China. As the South China Morning Post noted, "while Beijing has sent health supplies including protective masks and testing kits, and dispatched Chinese doctors to offer advice to strapped hospitals in the capital of Manila, there are Filipinos who still believe the coronavirus, that causes the Covid-19 illness, was brought to the country by the Chinese workers employed by online gambling outlets."
The Philippines has been hit hard by COVID-19, which has stretched its health care infrastructure to the limit. The country of 107 million has more than 7,700 confirmed cases and 511 deaths — giving it the highest mortality rate in Southeast Asia, according to Bloomberg.


npr--2020-04-28--Small Businesses Say Rescue Loans Come With Too Many Strings Attached

Small Businesses Say Rescue Loans Come With Too Many Strings Attached Christian Piatt finally got a loan to help rescue his brand new bar and restaurant in Granbury , Texas .
He applied through the federal Paycheck Protection Program that 's meant to help small businesses threatened by the pandemic .
One bank told him it could n't lend through the program .
Another told him he might have better luck elsewhere .
The third approved his loan and he got the money .
Now he 's wondering : How should he use his $ 34,000 loan ?
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get people back to work , '' said Piatt , the co-owner of Brew Drinkery , which was forced to shut down only 51 days after opening .
`` But in practice when you have a retail storefront that is not being allowed by local authorities to operate in the way that we had before , there should be some consideration to make it to account for that . ''
He 's talking about rules laid out by the Treasury Department regarding how forgiveness of the loans will work .
The small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act reopened Monday with new funding .
The loans can be forgivable — meaning they wo n't necessarily have to be paid back .
But there are conditions on forgiveness .
One big one : 75 % of the forgiven amount must be spent on payroll .
And the rest can only be spent on a few categories : rent , mortgage interest , or utilities .
That was n't what the CARES Act originally said .
Rather , those are rules that the Treasury and the Small Business Administration created at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did it anticipating a high number of applications .
Inventory is not one of those forgivable categories .
That was a problem for Piatt .
When his brewery and restaurant closed , he was sitting on a lot of beer , food , and kombucha — things that will eventually go bad .
Under the program 's rules , he would n't be reimbursed for any of it .
So Piatt asked his banker what to do .
`` The way I would think about it , he said , was you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this point , '' Piatt explained .
In other words , this would mean Piatt could wind up spending most of his money on his workers , even if they were n't putting in that many hours .
Some small business owners are finding new ways to give employees something to do at work .
Mary Domito , owner of three furniture stores in New Mexico and Colorado , explained in a message to NPR how she plans to employ her workers before she can reopen her stores .
`` I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on payroll but before the stores open to do Zoom meetings and get them trained on working and updating our website , '' she said .
Congress did pass the program with workers in mind — 26 million of them have filed for unemployment in just five weeks .
It 's right there in the title : the Paycheck Protection Program .
Domito recognizes the need to help workers , and she also says it reduces how useful the loan is to her .
`` I guess it 's to take the load @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is n't a big stimulus for me , but it does buy me some time , '' she also wrote .
It 's not just small businesses that have had trouble with that 75 % payroll rule .
The Small Business Administration has yet to say exactly how that forgiveness calculation will work .
`` It 's a mess .
Just the calculation of who counts for payroll , what counts for payroll , '' said Adam Markowitz , who works at a Florida accounting firm .
In fact , he can rattle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of `` payroll '' has changed since the program was created .
`` There was a point that independent contractors were going to count towards payroll costs .
They no longer do .
There was a point that FICA tax was going to count towards employee costs .
It no longer does , '' he said , naming just two .
While those things are being clarified , something else has n't : exactly how forgiveness will work — how the forgiven amount will be calculated and how the total number of employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example .
( For a very deep dive on what the SBA has yet to lay out , CPA Tony Nitti laid out the details at Forbes . )
All of may sound arcane , but to small businesses struggling to hang on it 's a very big deal .
It means that they ca n't know exactly how much will be forgiven .
`` In some ways , they really put these small businesses in a very compromising position because they could end up in a situation where they go out and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the payroll , which ultimately will not be forgiven at the end , '' said Don Stevens , managing partner of private client services at accounting firm CohnReznick .
On top of all that , timing is extremely important .
Businesses are required to spend their loan money within eight weeks of receiving it .
Michael Strain , an economist at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute , agrees the payroll rule is needlessly complicated .
But he says the 75 % requirement does achieve something worthwhile : keeping workers on payrolls .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation where those businesses do n't have to search for new employees when the economy reopens , '' he said .
`` And where workers who otherwise would be unemployed do n't have to do n't have to search for a new job . ''
Even if there 's not much work to do , he says , the point is to make it as easy as possible to jump-start the economy again .
`` The idea is really to kind of freeze the economy where it was on February first and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that February first situation , '' he said .
For Piatt of Brew Drinkery , there has been a little bit of a thaw — this week , he opened for delivery and curbside pickup .
Now , he 's looking forward to welcoming customers inside again .

Small Businesses Say Rescue Loans Come With Too Many Strings Attached
Enlarge this image toggle caption Christian Piatt Christian Piatt
Christian Piatt finally got a loan to help rescue his brand-new bar and restaurant in Granbury, Texas.
But it wasn't easy.
He applied through the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which is meant to help small businesses threatened by the pandemic. One bank told him it couldn't lend through the program. Another told him he might have better luck elsewhere. The third approved his loan and he got the money.
Now he's wondering: How should he use his $34,000 loan?
"I understand in principle it's encouraging us to get people back to work," said Piatt, the co-owner of Brew Drinkery, which was forced to shut down only 51 days after opening. "But in practice, when you have a retail storefront that is not being allowed by local authorities to operate in the way that we had before, there should be some consideration to make it to account for that."
He's talking about rules laid out by the Treasury Department regarding how forgiveness of the loans will work. The small business relief program created by the CARES Act reopened Monday with new funding.
The loans can be forgivable — meaning they won't necessarily have to be paid back. But there are conditions on forgiveness. One big one: 75% of the forgiven amount must be spent on payroll. And the rest can only be spent on a few categories: rent, mortgage interest or utilities.
That wasn't what the CARES Act originally said. Rather, those are rules that the Treasury and the Small Business Administration created at the start of the program, saying they did it anticipating a high number of applications.
Inventory is not one of those forgivable categories. That was a problem for Piatt. When his brewery and restaurant closed, he was sitting on a lot of beer, food and kombucha — things that will eventually go bad. Under the program's rules, he wouldn't be reimbursed for any of it.
So Piatt asked his banker what to do.
"The way I would think about it, he said, was you are becoming an extension of the unemployment office at this point," Piatt explained. In other words, this would mean Piatt could wind up spending most of his money on his workers, even if they weren't putting in that many hours.
Some small business owners are finding new ways to give employees something to do at work. Mary Domito, owner of three furniture stores in New Mexico and Colorado, explained in a message to NPR how she plans to employ her workers before she can reopen her stores.
"I will use the weeks that employees are back on payroll but before the stores open to do Zoom meetings and get them trained on working and updating our website," she said.
Congress did pass the program with workers in mind — 26 million of them have filed for unemployment in just five weeks. It's right there in the title: the Paycheck Protection Program.
Domito recognizes the need to help workers, and she also says it reduces how useful the loan is to her.
"I guess it's to take the load off the unemployment system. It just isn't a big stimulus for me, but it does buy me some time," she also wrote.
Confused experts
It's not just small businesses that have had trouble with that 75% payroll rule. The Small Business Administration has yet to say exactly how that forgiveness calculation will work.
"It's a mess. Just the calculation of who counts for payroll, what counts for payroll," said Adam Markowitz, who works at a Florida accounting firm. In fact, he can rattle off a list of how the meaning of "payroll" has changed since the program was created.
"There was a point that independent contractors were going to count towards payroll costs. They no longer do. There was a point that FICA tax was going to count towards employee costs. It no longer does," he said, naming just two.
While those things are being clarified, something else hasn't: exactly how forgiveness will work — how the forgiven amount will be calculated and how the total number of employees on payroll will be counted, for example. (For a very deep dive on what the SBA has yet to lay out, CPA Tony Nitti laid out the details at Forbes.)
All of may sound arcane, but to small businesses struggling to hang on, it's a very big deal. It means that they can't know exactly how much will be forgiven.
"In some ways, they really put these small businesses in a very compromising position because they could end up in a situation where they go out and spend dollars to bring people back on the payroll, which ultimately will not be forgiven at the end," said Don Stevens, managing partner of private client services at accounting firm CohnReznick.
On top of all that, timing is extremely important. Businesses are required to spend their loan money within eight weeks of receiving it.
Freezing the economy in place
Michael Strain, an economist at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute, agrees the payroll rule is needlessly complicated.
But he says the 75% requirement does achieve something worthwhile: keeping workers on payrolls.
"It's important because it creates a situation where those businesses don't have to search for new employees when the economy reopens," he said. "And where workers who otherwise would be unemployed don't have to don't have to search for a new job."
Even if there's not much work to do, he says, the point is to make it as easy as possible to jump-start the economy again.
"The idea is really to kind of freeze the economy where it was on February first and then unfreeze it as close as possible to that February first situation," he said.
For Piatt of Brew Drinkery, there has been a little bit of a thaw — this week, he opened for delivery and curbside pickup. Now, he's looking forward to welcoming customers inside again.