npr--2020-06-15--NASCAR Team Debuts 'Blue Lives Matter' Car To Show Support For Law Enforcement

A NASCAR team debuted a new `` Blue Lives Matter '' paint scheme on its Chevy Camaro over the weekend at the Homestead-Miami Speedway .
Xfinity Series driver Kyle Weatherman and his racing team said it was a show of solidarity with law enforcement officers and first responders to thank them for their `` service , sacrifice and dedication . ''
The move comes days after NASCAR banned the Confederate battle flag from all its events and properties .
Last week , the only African American driver currently in the Cup Series , Bubba Wallace , unveiled his car 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Harmon Racing tweeted an image of the no .
47 car Saturday , which includes a Blue Lives Matter flag on its hood and # BackTheBlue painted over each of the vehicle 's rear tires .
`` Mike Harmon Racing supports our LEO 's [ law enforcement officers ] and First Responders , we THANK YOU for your service , sacrifice and dedication , '' it tweeted .
The Blue Lives Matter movement , which started in response to Black Lives Matter , advocates for police and other law enforcement officers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement accountability and an end to police brutality have gained renewed attention in recent weeks .
In the wake of the May 25 killing of George Floyd , a black man , by a white officer in Minneapolis , protests led in part by the movement 's organizers continue in many cities across the United States and internationally .
Weatherman , the driver of the No .
47 car , also took to social media saying that there was `` something special on the car this weekend '' and urged his followers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` LOVE everyone . ''
`` A lot going on in the world right now and I wanted to express that most first responders are good people , '' Weatherman said .
`` My uncle is a firefighter and he would do anything to help save lives . ''
The 22-year-old driver , who finished 33rd on Saturday out of a possible 37 racers after his car had transmission issues , also said he stands with black people in the United States .
He was responding to another driver , David Ragan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' after reading Weatherman 's original tweet .
`` Thanks David .
I absolutely I support the black men and women of this country and also support all first responders also .
LOVE EVERYONE , '' Weatherman tweeted .
NASCAR banned Confederate battle flags at its facilities on Wednesday , saying , `` The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans , competitors and our industry . ''
Wallace , who drives the No .
43 car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change was `` a long time coming . ''
`` I know a lot of people are satisfied with the direction and the choices that NASCAR make to change the image and move forward the message that we 're trying to push across these days and to create , you know , unity , equality , '' he said in an interview with NPR 's Mary Louise Kelly .
`` And the words that stood out on my race cars Wednesday night were love , compassion and understanding , '' Wallace continued .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for us , but it moves in big factors to get a new fan base out to the racetrack . ''
Not everyone was excited about the sport 's Confederate flag ban .
Ray Ciccarelli , a NASCAR truck series driver , has said he plans to quit at the end of the season `` if this is the direction NASCAR is headed . ''
He later told Frontstretch.com that his plans beyond the 2020 season are `` to be determined . ''

NASCAR Team Debuts 'Blue Lives Matter' Car To Show Support For Law Enforcement
Enlarge this image toggle caption Wilfredo Lee/AP Wilfredo Lee/AP
A NASCAR team debuted a new "Blue Lives Matter" paint scheme on its Chevy Camaro over the weekend at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Xfinity Series driver Kyle Weatherman and his racing team said it was a show of solidarity with law enforcement officers and first responders to thank them for their "service, sacrifice and dedication."
The move comes days after NASCAR banned the Confederate battle flag from all its events and properties. Last week, the only African American driver currently in the Cup Series, Bubba Wallace, unveiled his car's new Black Lives Matter paint scheme.
Mike Harmon Racing tweeted an image of the no. 47 car Saturday, which includes a Blue Lives Matter flag on its hood and #BackTheBlue painted over each of the vehicle's rear tires.
"Mike Harmon Racing supports our LEO's [law enforcement officers] and First Responders, we THANK YOU for your service, sacrifice and dedication," it tweeted.
The Blue Lives Matter movement, which started in response to Black Lives Matter, advocates for police and other law enforcement officers.
Black Lives Matter and its calls for law enforcement accountability and an end to police brutality have gained renewed attention in recent weeks. In the wake of the May 25 killing of George Floyd, a black man, by a white officer in Minneapolis, protests led in part by the movement's organizers continue in many cities across the United States and internationally.
Weatherman, the driver of the No. 47 car, also took to social media saying that there was "something special on the car this weekend" and urged his followers both to repost the tweet and to "LOVE everyone."
"A lot going on in the world right now and I wanted to express that most first responders are good people," Weatherman said. "My uncle is a firefighter and he would do anything to help save lives."
The 22-year-old driver, who finished 33rd on Saturday out of a possible 37 racers after his car had transmission issues, also said he stands with black people in the United States. He was responding to another driver, David Ragan, who suggested "people are choosing sides" after reading Weatherman's original tweet.
"Thanks David. I absolutely I support the black men and women of this country and also support all first responders also. LOVE EVERYONE," Weatherman tweeted.
NASCAR banned Confederate battle flags at its facilities on Wednesday, saying, "The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, competitors and our industry."
Wallace, who drives the No. 43 car, told NPR last week that the change was "a long time coming."
"I know a lot of people are satisfied with the direction and the choices that NASCAR make to change the image and move forward the message that we're trying to push across these days and to create, you know, unity, equality," he said in an interview with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly.
"And the words that stood out on my race cars Wednesday night were love, compassion and understanding," Wallace continued. "So it's a small step for us, but it moves in big factors to get a new fan base out to the racetrack."
Not everyone was excited about the sport's Confederate flag ban.
Ray Ciccarelli, a NASCAR truck series driver, has said he plans to quit at the end of the season "if this is the direction NASCAR is headed." He later told Frontstretch.com that his plans beyond the 2020 season are "to be determined."


npr--2020-06-16--'Dear NPR': In Postcards From The Shutdown, Kids Show Us Life — And Learning

'Dear NPR ' : In Postcards From The Shutdown , Kids Show Us Life — And Learning A few weeks ago , we asked parents to help us out .
Have your kids draw or sketch or write us a postcard , we said , and send it to NPR ( digitally , of course ) .
And children from all over the country ( and Mexico ! )
responded : with drawings and dispatches from the home-school , online-class , mask-wearing , missing-my-friends world they 've been living in for the past several months .
So check it out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , along with the notes that the kids wrote on the back of their postcards .
( Thanks to the grownups for helping out sometimes ! )
And you can see all of the other great postcards we received , too .
Oh , and one last thing : Parents and caregivers , we 'd love to see more postcards from students .
About summer time , reopening , what 's going on in the country right now or anything else they 'd like to show us through their art .
Keep them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send us a postcard ) .
1 .
Grocery shopping is very different .
4 .
Getting creative out of necessity .
7 .
Keeping up with other interests .
12 .
Drawing comics to keep laughing through it all .
Below are the rest of the submissions we received , in no special order , so you can keep smiling :

'Dear NPR': In Postcards From The Shutdown, Kids Show Us Life — And Learning
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Melissa Greer Courtesy of Melissa Greer
toggle caption Courtesy of Melissa Greer
A few weeks ago, we asked parents to help us out. Have your kids draw or sketch or write us a postcard, we said, and send it to NPR (digitally, of course).
And children from all over the country (and Mexico!) responded with drawings and dispatches from the home-school, online-class, mask-wearing, missing-my-friends world they've been living in for the past several months.
So check it out: Here are some of our favorites, along with the notes that the kids wrote on the back of their postcards. (Thanks to the grownups for helping out sometimes!) And you can see all of the other great postcards we received, too.
Oh, and one last thing: Parents and caregivers, we'd love to see more postcards from students about summertime, reopening, what's going on in the country right now or anything else they'd like to show us through their art. Keep them coming (details here about how to send us a postcard).
1. Grocery shopping is very different.
toggle caption Courtesy of Melissa Smith
toggle caption Courtesy of Melissa Smith
2. Feeling boxed in.
toggle caption Courtesy of Jeanette Jasso
toggle caption Courtesy of Jeanette Jasso
3. Missing the park.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Ananda Madhukar Courtesy of Ananda Madhukar
toggle caption Courtesy of Ananda Madhukar
4. Getting creative out of necessity.
toggle caption Courtesy of Jamie Alm
toggle caption Courtesy of Jamie Alm
5. Appreciating nature.
toggle caption Courtesy of Mehul and Seema
toggle caption Courtesy of Mehul and Seema
6. Too much screen time.
toggle caption Courtesy of Melissa Capasso
toggle caption Courtesy of Melissa Capasso
7. Keeping up with other interests.
toggle caption Courtesy of Jun Wang
toggle caption Courtesy of Jun Wang
8. Staying connected virtually.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Shannon Shah Courtesy of Shannon Shah
toggle caption Courtesy of Shannon Shah
9. Making time for meditation.
toggle caption Courtesy of Claudia Obata
toggle caption Courtesy of Claudia Obata
10. Social-distancing challenges.
toggle caption Courtesy of Jonathan Alwais
toggle caption Courtesy of Jonathan Alwais
11. Helping out parents.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Lorena Aguirre Espinosa Courtesy of Lorena Aguirre Espinosa
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Lorena Aguirre Espinosa Courtesy of Lorena Aguirre Espinosa
12. Drawing comics to keep laughing through it all.
toggle caption Courtesy of Erin Mather
toggle caption Courtesy of Erin Mather
Below are the rest of the submissions we received, in no special order, so you can keep smiling:


npr--2020-06-16--A Teacher Ponders Risk Of Returning To Work While Being Paid Less Than Unemployment

A Teacher Ponders Risk Of Returning To Work While Being Paid Less Than Unemployment Lainy Morse is an essential worker who has been out of work since the middle of March .
She teaches preschool and ordinarily provides a vital service for working parents .
`` Without us , moms [ mostly ] ca n't go back to work , '' Morse says .
The Portland , Ore. , school where she works is temporarily closed but may reopen as an emergency child care center .
Morse dreads the idea of going back to a classroom filled with 2-year-olds who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing .
`` They always have snotty faces , '' Morse says kindly , noting that many of her students also spend time with elderly grandparents .
`` It just feels like an epicenter for spreading disease .
And it feels really scary to go back to that . ''
Morse has considered working temporarily as a nanny , where at least she could limit her exposure to a single family .
For now , she 's staying home , grateful for the extra $ 600 a week in unemployment insurance that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
`` Without that , our family would not be making it right now , '' she says .
Because preschool teachers are `` chronically underpaid , '' Morse says , unemployment benefits add up to about $ 500 a month more than she made when she was working .
`` That 's two weeks of groceries , '' she says .
And that complicates the idea of going back to work in close quarters with small children .
`` Part of your job as a preschool teacher is love and affection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's hard to think about going back to work in this pandemic and getting paid less than we are right now when we 're safe and at home and in quarantine . ''
Morse and her husband — an elementary school teacher — have put off making mortgage payments for the last couple of months , banking the money in case she loses her jobless benefits .
`` It 's just such an uncertain time , '' says Morse , who has a master 's degree in early childhood education .
`` Child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so it felt like a really secure occupation , until recently . ''
Read more stories in Faces of the Coronavirus Recession .

A Teacher Ponders Risk Of Returning To Work While Being Paid Less Than Unemployment
Lainy Morse is an essential worker who has been out of work since the middle of March.
She teaches preschool and ordinarily provides a vital service for working parents.
"Without us, moms [mostly] can't go back to work," Morse says.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Lainy Morse Lainy Morse
The Portland, Ore., school where she works is temporarily closed but may reopen as an emergency child care center. Morse dreads the idea of going back to a classroom filled with 2-year-olds who don't understand hand-washing, let alone social distancing.
"They always have snotty faces," Morse says kindly, noting that many of her students also spend time with elderly grandparents. "It just feels like an epicenter for spreading disease. And it feels really scary to go back to that."
Morse has considered working temporarily as a nanny, where at least she could limit her exposure to a single family.
FACES OF THE CORONAVIRUS RECESSION Jobs lost. Businesses in peril. Meetings gone virtual. Faces of the Coronavirus Recession offers snapshots of working lives upended by the pandemic.
For now, she's staying home, grateful for the extra $600 a week in unemployment insurance that the federal government is offering during the pandemic.
"Without that, our family would not be making it right now," she says.
Because preschool teachers are "chronically underpaid," Morse says, unemployment benefits add up to about $500 a month more than she made when she was working.
"That's two weeks of groceries," she says. And that complicates the idea of going back to work in close quarters with small children.
"Part of your job as a preschool teacher is love and affection," Morse says. "It's hard to think about going back to work in this pandemic and getting paid less than we are right now when we're safe and at home and in quarantine."
Morse and her husband — an elementary school teacher — have put off making mortgage payments for the last couple of months, banking the money in case she loses her jobless benefits.
"It's just such an uncertain time," says Morse, who has a master's degree in early childhood education. "Child care is something that everyone always needs, so it felt like a really secure occupation, until recently."
Read more stories in Faces of the Coronavirus Recession.


npr--2020-06-16--With Tax Deadline Looming, IRS Faces Backlog As It Transitions Out Of COVID-19 Crisis

With Tax Deadline Looming , IRS Faces Backlog As It Transitions Out Of COVID-19 Crisis Federal workers are starting to be called back into their offices in some areas , and among the first to be returning are employees of the Internal Revenue Service .
It 's a busy time .
The coronavirus pandemic prompted the government to extend the deadline for filing tax returns until July 15 — which is just around the corner .
Meanwhile , the IRS is still distributing coronavirus relief checks to millions of Americans .
Much of the work of processing tax returns is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxpayers file theirs electronically , according to the IRS .
But a lot of folks still mail in their returns , and those are stacking up .
`` I think that the IRS is incredibly behind , '' Nina Olson , a former national taxpayer advocate , tells NPR .
`` The overflow has been so great that the IRS had to rent tractor-trailers and even some storage — separate storage — to just store the documents until the employees could come back and work through them . ''
At the IRS facility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the river from Cincinnati , about 100 workers have been called back to the office , many to work in the mailroom .
Debbie Mullikin , an IRS employee who heads the local chapter of the National Treasury Employees Union , which represents many IRS workers , says the agency 's management at the facility has been cautious .
`` They are spacing everyone out , '' she says .
`` For instance , the day-shift employees sit in desks one , three , five and seven .
And the night-shift employees would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six and eight . ''
`` I understand that , you know , the United States citizens have a right to expect us to do our jobs .
I do n't disagree with that at all .
I 'm just glad that management has seen fit to do it in a fashion that is safe for the employees .
No one wants to die to make sure somebody 's tax return is accurate . ''
Tony Reardon , the national president of the union , says so far things have gone smoothly for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But he says there are worries about coming back too early .
`` They 've got to be concerned with things like , you know , is it safe to take the city bus ?
Is it safe to take the train ?
What are we doing about our children ?
Because they 're not in school — and , oh by the way , we do n't have summer camps for them to go to . ''
Olson , who now directs the Center for Taxpayer Rights , says it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IRS , which has been long underfunded by Congress and is saddled with an antique computer system .
Olson points out that the agency administers what she calls the nation 's largest anti-poverty program — the earned income tax credit — and distributes stimulus checks .
`` Why [ were n't its employees ] designated as essential workers , just like , you know , health care workers ?
They are essential workers for the health of the economy . ''
She predicts that it will be a year and a half before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of work , which could lead to some delayed refund checks for taxpayers .

With Tax Deadline Looming, IRS Faces Backlog As It Transitions Out Of COVID-19 Crisis
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Gay/AP Eric Gay/AP
Federal workers are starting to be called back into their offices in some areas, and among the first to be returning are employees of the Internal Revenue Service. It's a busy time.
The coronavirus pandemic prompted the government to extend the deadline for filing tax returns until July 15 — which is just around the corner. Meanwhile, the IRS is still distributing coronavirus relief checks to millions of Americans.
Much of the work of processing tax returns is automated, as some 90% of taxpayers file theirs electronically, according to the IRS.
But a lot of folks still mail in their returns, and those are stacking up.
"I think that the IRS is incredibly behind," Nina Olson, a former national taxpayer advocate, tells NPR. "The overflow has been so great that the IRS had to rent tractor-trailers and even some storage — separate storage — to just store the documents until the employees could come back and work through them."
At the IRS facility in Covington, Ky., just across the river from Cincinnati, about 100 workers have been called back to the office, many to work in the mailroom.
Debbie Mullikin, an IRS employee who heads the local chapter of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents many IRS workers, says the agency's management at the facility has been cautious.
"They are spacing everyone out," she says. "For instance, the day-shift employees sit in desks one, three, five and seven. And the night-shift employees would then sit in two, four, six and eight."
Mullikin says she's glad IRS management is moving carefully.
"I understand that, you know, the United States citizens have a right to expect us to do our jobs. I don't disagree with that at all. I'm just glad that management has seen fit to do it in a fashion that is safe for the employees. No one wants to die to make sure somebody's tax return is accurate."
Tony Reardon, the national president of the union, says so far things have gone smoothly for those workers who have been called back. But he says there are worries about coming back too early.
"They've got to be concerned with things like, you know, is it safe to take the city bus? Is it safe to take the train? What are we doing about our children? Because they're not in school — and, oh by the way, we don't have summer camps for them to go to."
Olson, who now directs the Center for Taxpayer Rights, says it's time to rethink the role of the IRS, which has been long underfunded by Congress and is saddled with an antique computer system.
Olson points out that the agency administers what she calls the nation's largest anti-poverty program — the earned income tax credit — and distributes stimulus checks.
"Why [weren't its employees] designated as essential workers, just like, you know, health care workers? They are essential workers for the health of the economy."
She predicts that it will be a year and a half before the agency catches up with its backlog of work, which could lead to some delayed refund checks for taxpayers.


npr--2020-06-16--How Decades Of Bans On Police Chokeholds Have Fallen Short

How Decades Of Bans On Police Chokeholds Have Fallen Short In the wake of George Floyd 's death , a flashpoint in the debates over police reform has been the push to ban chokeholds nationwide .
Advocates for the idea believe that enshrining a ban into law will deter police violence .
And it 's gaining traction : Congressional Democrats have proposed a legislative package that calls for a ban on all neck restraints .
President Trump , though he stopped short of full support of a ban , said late last week that police should avoid using chokeholds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a law banning the tactic .
But an NPR review of bans on neck restraints in some of the nation 's largest police departments found them largely ineffective and subject to lax enforcement .
And when chokeholds specifically were banned , a variation on the neck restraint was often permitted instead .
Neck restraints fall into two broad categories : A chokehold , which restricts the airway when pressure is applied to the front of the neck ; and a stranglehold , which restricts blood flow to the brain when pressure is applied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The bottom line is that you 're cutting off somebody 's air supply [ or ] the blood flow to their brain and eventually they will be incapacitated , '' explains Lorenzo Boyd , director of the Center for Advanced Policing at the University of New Haven .
Some of the biggest police departments in the country have already instituted bans on chokeholds .
The LAPD banned what 's called the 'bar-arm chokehold ' in1982 .
The New York Police Department banned chokeholds in November 1993 — except when an officer 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago Police department did the same in May 2012 .
Philadelphia and Houston have similar policies .
And yet over the past two decades there are multiple incidents where people have died when neck restraints have been used in their arrest .
Eric Garner , who died after being put in a chokehold by New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo , remains one of the most high-profile deaths .
But there are many others : James Thompson in Chicago , Ill. Allen Simpson in Dallas , Texas .
Rodney Lynch in Gallup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Nev. Roger Owensby , Jr. in Cincinnati , Ohio .
Carl Glen Wheat in Amarillo , Texas .
Gerald Arthur in New Orleans , La .
Torris Harris in Chattanooga , Tenn .
In Minneapolis , where Floyd was killed and where chokeholds had been permitted until this month , the police used neck restraints at least 237 times since 2015 , and rendered 44 people unconscious through the technique , according to a report by NBC .
Paul Butler , a former federal prosecutor and author of the book 'Chokehold : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the problem is a lack of accountability .
`` If we look at the ban in New York City , it 's kind of like a rule in an employee handbook .
'Do n't use a chokehold . '
We should n't expect those kinds of light bans to work , '' he says .
In fact , when the city 's Civilian Complaint Review Board studied its use in 2014 , it found hundreds of complaints a year alleging that police officers used the technique — and even concluded that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be rising despite a decades-long ban .
`` There is an enormous bias inside the police department when the police department is disciplining its own people to avoid diluting the power of any particular officer to use or employ a chokehold , '' says Richard Emery , who served as the chair of the Civilian Complaint Review Board when it reviewed the use of chokeholds in New York City .
He says he does n't think a nationwide prohibition on neck restraints will lead to more prosecutions , but could lead to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deterrent effect .
Whether it will actually result in more discipline and more prosecutions is doubtful in my mind .
I think it is worth doing , '' he says .
Some say that neck restraints have their purpose in responsible policing , and should not be subject to an outright ban .
`` With the proper training and the proper continued training , I think it is a safe method to control somebody , '' says Michael Schlosser , director of the University of Illinois Police Training Institute .
His police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state of Illinois .
`` Actually sometimes if you can control somebody like that , a lot of times you might have less injury rather than getting in an all out fight and people have a chance to have greater injury to the officer or to the arrestee , '' he says .
But he adds that `` without the proper training , without continued training , knowing how much pressure to give ... it needs to be so many repetitions that it 's automatic for you .
Officers are expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sometimes get left behind just because of the lack of funds by the department . ''
Police officers have returned time and time again to the neck restraint as a way to gain compliance .
`` It is the vulnerability of every human being to have the most important organ in their body easily affected and directly affected by constricting the neck , '' Emery says .
`` And therefore , unlike other parts of the body , it is the place where police officers go instinctively , automatically and even by virtue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particular individual , especially of individuals who they feel threatened by , who are larger or who are strong or where they feel are intimidating even when they 're not . ''
And that fundamentally is the challenge for lawmakers : when officers need to take violent action , how might they tamp down the instinct to go to that vital area of the body : the neck .

How Decades Of Bans On Police Chokeholds Have Fallen Short
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chris Pizzello/AP Chris Pizzello/AP
In the wake of George Floyd's death, a flashpoint in the debates over police reform has been the push to ban chokeholds nationwide. Advocates believe that enshrining a ban into law will deter police violence.
And it's gaining traction. Congressional Democrats have proposed a legislative package that calls for a ban on all neck restraints. President Trump, though he stopped short of full support of a ban, said late last week that police should avoid using chokeholds. And the state of New York passed a law banning the tactic.
But an NPR review of bans on neck restraints in some of the nation's largest police departments found them largely ineffective and subject to lax enforcement. And when chokeholds specifically were banned, a variation on the neck restraint was often permitted instead.
Neck restraints fall into two broad categories: a chokehold, which restricts the airway when pressure is applied to the front of the neck, and a stranglehold, which restricts blood flow to the brain when pressure is applied to the sides of the neck.
"The bottom line is that you're cutting off somebody's air supply [or] the blood flow to their brain and eventually they will be incapacitated," explains Lorenzo Boyd, director of the Center for Advanced Policing at the University of New Haven.
Some of the biggest police departments in the country have already instituted bans on chokeholds. The Los Angeles Police Department banned what's called the "bar-arm chokehold" in 1982. The New York Police Department banned chokeholds in November 1993 — except when an officer's life is in danger. And the Chicago Police Department did the same in May 2012. Philadelphia and Houston have similar policies.
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Locher/AP John Locher/AP
And yet over the past two decades there have been multiple people who have died when neck restraints were used in their arrest.
Eric Garner, who died after being put in a chokehold by New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo, remains one of the most high-profile deaths.
But there are many others: James Thompson in Chicago. Allen Simpson in Dallas. Rodney Lynch in Gallup, N.M. Dustin Boone in Las Vegas. Roger Owensby Jr. in Cincinnati. Carl Glen Wheat in Amarillo, Texas. Gerald Arthur in New Orleans. Torris Harris in Chattanooga, Tenn.
In Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed and where chokeholds had been permitted until this month, the police used neck restraints at least 237 times since 2015 and rendered 44 people unconscious through the technique, according to a report by NBC.
Paul Butler, a former federal prosecutor and author of the book Chokehold: Policing Black Men, says part of the problem is a lack of accountability.
"If we look at the ban in New York City, it's kind of like a rule in an employee handbook: 'Don't use a chokehold.' We shouldn't expect those kinds of light bans to work," he says.
In fact, when the city's Civilian Complaint Review Board studied its use in 2014, it found hundreds of complaints a year alleging that police officers used the technique — and even concluded that the use of chokeholds at the time appeared to be rising despite a decades-long ban.
"There is an enormous bias inside the police department when the police department is disciplining its own people to avoid diluting the power of any particular officer to use or employ a chokehold," says Richard Emery, who served as the chair of the Civilian Complaint Review Board when it reviewed the use of chokeholds in New York City.
He says he doesn't think a nationwide prohibition on neck restraints will lead to more prosecutions but that it could lead to better outcomes.
"It'll have a deterrent effect. Whether it will actually result in more discipline and more prosecutions is doubtful in my mind. I think it is worth doing," he says.
Enlarge this image toggle caption David J. Phillip/AP David J. Phillip/AP
Some say that neck restraints have their purpose in responsible policing and should not be subject to an outright ban.
"With the proper training and the proper continued training, I think it is a safe method to control somebody," says Michael Schlosser, director of the University of Illinois Police Training Institute. His police academy trains more than 800 police agencies in Illinois.
"Actually, sometimes if you can control somebody like that, a lot of times you might have less injury rather than getting in an all out fight, and people have a chance to have greater injury to the officer or to the arrestee," he says.
But he adds that "without the proper training, without continued training, knowing how much pressure to give ... it needs to be so many repetitions that it's automatic for you. Officers are expected to do so much. But physical skills sometimes get left behind just because of the lack of funds by the department."
Police officers have returned time and time again to the neck restraint as a way to gain compliance.
"It is the vulnerability of every human being to have the most important organ in their body easily affected and directly affected by constricting the neck," Emery says.
"And therefore, unlike other parts of the body, it is the place where police officers go instinctively, automatically and even by virtue of their culture, to dominate any particular individual, especially of individuals who they feel threatened by, who are larger or who are strong or where they feel are intimidating even when they're not."
And that fundamentally is the challenge for lawmakers. When officers need to take violent action, how might they tamp down the instinct to go to that vital area of the body: the neck.
Researcher Katie Daugert contributed to this report.


npr--2020-06-16--SPLC Announces $30 Million To Help Register Southern Voters Of Color

SPLC Announces $ 30 Million To Help Register Southern Voters Of Color The Southern Poverty Law Center says it will make $ 30 million in grants available to nonprofit groups in five Southern states to help register and mobilize voters of color .
The campaign will go through this year 's election , as well as the 2022 midterm elections .
`` The United States has a long history of denying voting rights to its citizens , especially black and brown people , returning citizens and young people , '' said SPLC president Margaret Huang .
The grants , administered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will be targeted at efforts to increase voter participation in Alabama , Florida , Georgia , Louisiana and Mississippi .
A spokesman said the SPLC had been planning the effort for a while , but widespread voting problems during the pandemic and recent protests against police violence have underscored what the group calls the need for such a campaign .
`` This initiative is especially important right now , as each of us — and millions of people across the country — feel the urgency to make our voices heard this fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the many black people being killed by police , '' said Huang .
The effort is taking place amid intense fights in more than two dozen states over the rules governing this year 's elections .
Democrats and their allies are pushing to expand voting options , particularly in light of the pandemic .
Republicans are fighting many of those efforts , arguing that they will expose the voting system to fraud .
Voter advocacy groups argue that barriers — such as strict ID laws and limited polling sites — disproportionately hurt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The same goes for the devastating health impact of COVID-19 and the police violence at the center of ongoing protests .
The pandemic has also stalled most voter registration drives , which are usually geared to attract the kinds of voters the Southern Poverty Law Center is trying to help — young people and minorities .
There are numerous groups working in the five states on voting rights and outreach efforts already , but this money will certainly provide a substantial boost at a time when organizers ' funding has been hurt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One round of grants will be awarded in early July , the SPLC said .
A second round is scheduled to go out at the end of summer .

SPLC Announces $30 Million To Help Register Southern Voters Of Color
Enlarge this image toggle caption Charlie Riedel/AP Charlie Riedel/AP
The Southern Poverty Law Center says it will make $30 million in grants available to nonprofit groups in five Southern states to help register and mobilize voters of color.
The campaign will go through this year's election, as well as the 2022 midterm elections.
"The United States has a long history of denying voting rights to its citizens, especially black and brown people, returning citizens and young people," said SPLC president Margaret Huang.
The grants, administered with the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, will be targeted at efforts to increase voter participation in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.
A spokesman said the SPLC had been planning the effort for a while, but widespread voting problems during the pandemic and recent protests against police violence have underscored what the group calls the need for such a campaign.
"This initiative is especially important right now, as each of us — and millions of people across the country — feel the urgency to make our voices heard this fall after the continued silence from our leaders on the many black people being killed by police," said Huang.
The effort is taking place amid intense fights in more than two dozen states over the rules governing this year's elections.
Democrats and their allies are pushing to expand voting options, particularly in light of the pandemic. Republicans are fighting many of those efforts, arguing that they will expose the voting system to fraud.
Voter advocacy groups argue that barriers — such as strict ID laws and limited polling sites — disproportionately hurt African Americans and other voters of color. The same goes for the devastating health impact of COVID-19 and the police violence at the center of ongoing protests.
The pandemic has also stalled most voter registration drives, which are usually geared to attract the kinds of voters the Southern Poverty Law Center is trying to help — young people and minorities.
There are numerous groups working in the five states on voting rights and outreach efforts already, but this money will certainly provide a substantial boost at a time when organizers' funding has been hurt by the pandemic and resulting economic downturn.
One round of grants will be awarded in early July, the SPLC said. A second round is scheduled to go out at the end of summer.


npr--2020-06-16--Watch Live: Trump To Sign Executive Order On Police Reform

President Trump will sign an executive order Tuesday outlining the administration 's efforts to track officer misconduct , incentivize some departments and involve social workers and mental health professionals on some calls .
The order comes as the president faces tremendous pressure to take action following the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police last month .
According to senior White House officials , the order will create a database to track police officers with multiple instances of misconduct , and use federal grants to encourage departments to meet certain higher certification standards on use of force .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ involve social workers and mental health professionals on calls dealing with homelessness , mental illness and addiction .
The order does not address concerns by many that police treat African Americans and people of color unfairly .
They said focus is breaking down barriers and bringing communities together and not demonizing the police .
The president on Monday , as he has in the past month , forcefully defended law enforcement , saying `` we mostly have great people ...
But we will do better , even better . ''
Meanwhile , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday afternoon on policing and community relations as Senate Republicans continue work a policing bill they are expected to unveil this week .
Democratic-led House of Representatives has introduced a bill that would , among other measures , ban chokeholds .

Trump, Hailing Law Enforcement, Signs Executive Order Calling For Police Reform
Enlarge this image toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP Evan Vucci/AP
Updated at 2:20 p.m. ET
President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday encouraging police departments to improve training — a step critics say falls short of what is needed to curb police officers' use of force against nonwhites.
The order comes as the president faces tremendous pressure to take action following the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police last month.
In a Rose Garden ceremony, which at times sounded like a campaign speech, Trump largely defended police officers, saying Americans "demand law and order. They may not say it, they may not be talking about it," he said, "but that's what they want."
The text of the order is available here.
The order will create a database to track police officers with multiple instances of misconduct, and use federal grants to encourage departments to meet certain higher certification standards on use of force.
It would also call on departments to involve social workers and mental health professionals on calls dealing with homelessness, mental illness and addiction.
Questions over limits to power
The order also calls for police departments to ban the use of chokeholds except when an officer feels his or her life is endangered.
It wasn't immediately clear what practical effect that might have given questions about Trump's powers over what is mostly state and local authority for law enforcement and the shortcomings in the history of attempts to ban neck restraints.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan called the order a "tremendous step forward in improving the system and beginning a new era in the relationship between communities and the police officers that keep them safe."
Critics, however, faulted what they called an empty photo op in which Trump was happy to pose with law enforcement authorities but which likely will not result in practical chances to policing for much of the country.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said "The President's weak Executive Order falls sadly and seriously short of what is required to combat the epidemic of racial injustice and police brutality that is murdering hundreds of Black Americans."
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who eulogized Floyd, said that as long as there is an exception to a chokehold ban that permits an officer to invoke fear for her or his life, police officers will continue to use it.
The executive order does not address concerns by many that police treat African Americans and people of color unfairly. The focus, instead, is on breaking down barriers and bringing communities together and not demonizing the police, Trump said.
On Tuesday the president, as he has in the past month, forcefully defended law enforcement, saying the number of bad officers was "very tiny."
"The vast majority of police officers are selfless and courageous public servants. They are great men and women," he said. And he denounced what he termed "radical and dangerous" proposals to defund police departments, asserting that many departments are, in fact, underfunded and under supported.
Some activists responding to recent killings by police have rallied behind the slogan "defund the police," which they say would involve taking some money given to departments today and using it for mental health, social work and other functions apart from patrol-style policing.
Trump and Republicans have seized on what they call extreme ideas about abolishing police departments altogether.
At least one family member reportedly skips White House
Before signing the order on Tuesday, Trump said he met with several families whom, he said, lost loved ones "in deadly interactions with police."
Said Trump: "To all of the hurting families, I want you to know, that all Americans mourn by your side, your loved ones will not have died in vain."
The precise details weren't immediately clear but according to at least one report, the mother of a Pittsburgh boy who was killed by police said she had traveled to Washington for meetings this week but would not talk with Trump.
Michelle Kenney — whose 17 year-old son, Antwon Rose, was killed in 2018 — said on Facebook that she wants action from Congress on law enforcement but that she does not want to talk with Trump, Pittsburgh's KDKA TV station reported.
Political digressions
Trump touted positive economic news and steps that his administration has taken to assist minority communities such as empowerment zones and aid to historically black colleges and universities.
Trump also said "We must build upon our heritage, not tear it down" — an apparent reference to the dismantling of Confederate and other statues around the country.
The White House also is in a political confrontation with Congress over the apparent expansion of bipartisan support among lawmakers to rename U.S. military facilities named for Confederate commanders.
Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee has convened a hearing Tuesday afternoon on policing and community relations as Senate Republicans continue work on a policing bill they are expected to unveil this week.
The Democratic-led House of Representatives has introduced a bill that would, among other measures, also ban chokeholds.


npr--2020-06-16--GirlTrek Uses Black Women's History To Encourage Walking As A Healing Tradition

GirlTrek Uses Black Women 's History To Encourage Walking As A Healing Tradition Before Philadelphia 's stay-at-home order went into effect in March , Iresha Picot walked in parks and neighborhoods all over the city , often meeting up with black women of all ages .
Even though she 's been careful to follow social distancing guidelines , Picot says she 's still able to connect with a community nearly 100,000 strong .
`` You have a community out there who are willing to hold you and hold space for you , '' she says .
That community is GirlTrek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and healing of black women and girls .
Black women experience higher rates of diseases such as hypertension and diabetes , and suffer from the stressors of systemic racism .
Walking can add years to their lives , but GirlTrek co-founders Vanessa Garrison and T. Morgan Dixon emphasize that it 's only one component of a holistic approach .
When they founded the organization a decade ago , Dixon says they looked to black women 's history , discovering that , `` when women walked and talked together , everything changed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hundreds of cities and towns , mobilizing to reclaim their health while reestablishing walking as a healing tradition .
They 've followed the steps of foremothers who walked for survival and liberation , retracing Harriet Tubman 's 100-mile journey to freedom , the routes walked by women during the bus boycotts of the 1950s , and the historic 54-mile civil rights walk from Selma to Montgomery .
Inspired by intergenerational conversations with civil rights legends such as Angela Davis and Nikki Giovanni , this month GirlTrek launched its first Black History Bootcamp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to honor freedom fighters such as Sojourner Truth , Shirley Chisholm and Nina Simone as well as less often celebrated women , including Georgia Gilmore , whose secret kitchen helped feed and fund the civil rights movement , Olive Morris , who fought for fair housing rights in the U.K. , and the pioneering transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson .
Each week day participants who sign up through GirlTrek 's website receive an email with a profile of one of these women , along with related readings , playlists , meditation prompts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30-minute daily walks , they can call into a live , unfiltered conversation led by Garrison and Dixon .
On these calls , Garrison and Dixon often share their own struggles and triumphs , and address current issues such as the coronavirus pandemic , voter suppression and police violence .
They opened a recent tribute to Toni Morrison with a celebration of the life of Breonna Taylor , on what would have been Taylor 's 27th birthday .
Garrison says word of mouth has always been key to GirlTrek 's growth as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and family about Black History Bootcamp , and share their testimonies over social media , she says participation has already grown to nearly 70,000 registrations .
Erica Sutton , who listens from Atlanta , says she 's inspired by hearing the stories of women from past generations , noting that the experience `` allows me to connect with their form of resilience , with their form of resistance , saying this is what we 're going to do to continue to fight and sustain . ''
Valerie Francois , and her daughter Victoria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , N.J. , say they have also been energized by GirlTrek 's recurring discussion around self-care , rooted in the examples set by Audre Lorde and others .
Iresha Picot says the Bootcamp is radically different from her days studying African-American Studies and Women 's Studies as an undergraduate .
`` We 're not learning about these people to write a paper , '' she explains , `` you 're learning about these people so you can remember the legacy that you came from and build off that legacy to continue the struggle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she 's looking forward to reuniting with her local walk team , and sharing the stories and revelations they 've experienced on this journey .
But until they can meet up again in person , she 's been drawing up an ever-expanding virtual map .
`` I can be taking my walk and with one hashtag I 'm connected to women who are doing these walks all over the country , '' Picot says with a smile .
`` You do n't have to do this walk alone . ''

GirlTrek Uses Black Women's History To Encourage Walking As A Healing Tradition
Enlarge this image toggle caption GirlTrek GirlTrek
Before Philadelphia's stay-at-home order went into effect in March, Iresha Picot walked in parks and neighborhoods all over the city, often meeting up with black women of all ages. Even though she's been careful to follow social distancing guidelines, Picot says she's still able to connect with a community nearly 750,000 strong.
"You have a community out there who are willing to hold you and hold space for you," she says.
That community is GirlTrek, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the health and healing of black women and girls. Black women experience higher rates of diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, and suffer from the stressors of systemic racism.
Walking can add years to their lives, but GirlTrek co-founders Vanessa Garrison and T. Morgan Dixon emphasize that it's only one component of a holistic approach. When they founded the organization a decade ago, Dixon says they looked to black women's history, discovering that, "when women walked and talked together, everything changed."
TED YouTube
GirlTrek members have organized walk teams in hundreds of cities and towns, mobilizing to reclaim their health while reestablishing walking as a healing tradition. They've followed the steps of foremothers who walked for survival and liberation, retracing Harriet Tubman's 100-mile journey to freedom, the routes walked by women during the bus boycotts of the 1950s, and the historic 54-mile civil rights walk from Selma to Montgomery.
Inspired by intergenerational conversations with civil rights legends such as Angela Davis and Nikki Giovanni, this month GirlTrek launched its first Black History Bootcamp, a 21-day series of walking meditations to honor freedom fighters such as Sojourner Truth, Shirley Chisholm and Nina Simone as well as less often celebrated women, including Georgia Gilmore, whose secret kitchen helped feed and fund the civil rights movement, Olive Morris, who fought for fair housing rights in the U.K., and the pioneering transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson.
Enlarge this image toggle caption GirlTrek GirlTrek
Each week day participants who sign up through GirlTrek's website receive an email with a profile of one of these women, along with related readings, playlists, meditation prompts and a phone number. As they take 30-minute daily walks, they can call into a live, unfiltered conversation led by Garrison and Dixon.
On these calls, Garrison and Dixon often share their own struggles and triumphs, and address current issues such as the coronavirus pandemic, voter suppression and police violence. They opened a recent tribute to Toni Morrison with a celebration of the life of Breonna Taylor, on what would have been Taylor's 27th birthday.
Garrison says word of mouth has always been key to GirlTrek's growth as a movement. As women tell their friends and family about Black History Bootcamp, and share their testimonies over social media, she says participation has already grown to nearly 95,000 registrations.
Erica Sutton, who listens from Atlanta, says she's inspired by hearing the stories of women from past generations, noting that the experience "allows me to connect with their form of resilience, with their form of resistance, saying this is what we're going to do to continue to fight and sustain."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Iresha Picot Iresha Picot
Valerie Francois, and her daughter Victoria, who are walking together in Plainsboro, N.J., say they have also been energized by GirlTrek's recurring discussion around self-care, rooted in the examples set by Audre Lorde and others.
Iresha Picot says the Bootcamp is radically different from her days studying African-American Studies and Women's Studies as an undergraduate.
"We're not learning about these people to write a paper," she explains, "you're learning about these people so you can remember the legacy that you came from and build off that legacy to continue the struggle for the future."
She says she's looking forward to reuniting with her local walk team, and sharing the stories and revelations they've experienced on this journey. But until they can meet up again in person, she's been drawing up an ever-expanding virtual map.
"I can be taking my walk and with one hashtag I'm connected to women who are doing these walks all over the country," Picot says with a smile. "You don't have to do this walk alone."


npr--2020-06-16--The Great Pandemic Bake-Off May Be Over

The Great Pandemic Bake-Off May Be Over

The Great Pandemic Bake-Off May Be Over Our national fascination with sourdough starter appears to have stopped .
Or at least slowed down a bit .
The price of baking flour fell last month along with the price of eggs , suggesting that the baking craze that gripped hungry and housebound consumers in the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic has cooled .
`` Sourdough is definitely a commitment , '' says Kristin Hoffman , who makes instructional YouTube videos for aspiring bakers .
`` I have heard a couple of people say that they really do n't understand why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort into a loaf of bread . ''
Hoffman 's Baker Bettie website saw a surge of interest from first-time bakers in late March and April , when tens of millions of Americans found themselves stuck at home with time on their hands .
`` I saw four to five times higher traffic than even during peak holiday-baking season , '' Hoffman says .
`` It has started to kind of level back out , now that things are reopening . ''
Even if the bake-off was a turnoff for some , people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home than they were before the pandemic .
And that 's putting upward pressure on prices at the supermarket .
The Labor Department says grocery prices jumped 1 % in May , while the prices of most other goods and services declined .
The spike was largely driven by beef prices , which jumped 10.8 % .
Prices also rose for breakfast cereal and ice cream .
Faced with the challenge of making breakfast , lunch and dinner for themselves , shoppers are spending more time in the long-neglected center aisles of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 're turning to packaged foods from companies like Kellogg , Campbell Soup and Kraft Heinz .
`` This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for marketers , '' says KK Davey , president of strategic analytics for IRI , a market research firm .
`` One CEO described it this way : He said , 'Look , I could have spent hundreds of millions of dollars , and I could n't have gotten this many new consumers . '
`` Many shoppers who had shunned processed foods in recent years in favor of fresher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to the macaroni and cheese and Goldfish crackers they knew as kids .
`` Comfort foods and well-known iconic brands that were in particular decline for a while , they 've all kind of got a revival , if you will , '' Davey says .
How long will these new shopping habits last ?
Baking coach Hoffman says that while some people are eager to ditch their pandemic cookbooks , others have developed new tastes and talents that will last long after the lockdowns are over .
`` I 've heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're very surprised how much joy they 're finding in bread baking , '' she says .
`` So , yeah , I do think there are a lot of people that have found a new love for it and are going to stick around . ''
With restaurants reopening , there are more choices now about where to eat than there were a month ago .
But Davey thinks it will be a long time before Americans go back to spending the bulk of their food dollars in restaurants , as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspect at-home consumption will stay at an elevated level until everyone is vaccinated , '' he says .

The Great Pandemic Bake-Off May Be Over
Enlarge this image toggle caption Karin Dreyer/Getty Images/Tetra Images RF Karin Dreyer/Getty Images/Tetra Images RF
Our national fascination with sourdough starter appears to have stopped. Or at least slowed down a bit.
The price of baking flour fell last month along with the price of eggs, suggesting that the baking craze that gripped hungry and housebound consumers in the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic has cooled.
"Sourdough is definitely a commitment," says Kristin Hoffman, who makes instructional YouTube videos for aspiring bakers. "I have heard a couple of people say that they really don't understand why somebody would want to put so much effort into a loaf of bread."
Hoffman's Baker Bettie website saw a surge of interest from first-time bakers in late March and April, when tens of millions of Americans found themselves stuck at home with time on their hands.
"I saw four to five times higher traffic than even during peak holiday-baking season," Hoffman says. "It has started to kind of level back out, now that things are reopening."
Even if the bake-off was a turnoff for some, people are still eating more of their meals at home than they were before the pandemic. And that's putting upward pressure on prices at the supermarket. The Labor Department says grocery prices jumped 1% in May, while the prices of most other goods and services declined. The spike was largely driven by beef prices, which jumped 10.8%. Prices also rose for breakfast cereal and ice cream.
Faced with the challenge of making breakfast, lunch and dinner for themselves, shoppers are spending more time in the long-neglected center aisles of the supermarket. In some cases, they're turning to packaged foods from companies like Kellogg, Campbell Soup and Kraft Heinz.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for marketers," says KK Davey, president of strategic analytics for IRI, a market research firm. "One CEO described it this way: He said, 'Look, I could have spent hundreds of millions of dollars, and I couldn't have gotten this many new consumers.' "
Many shoppers who had shunned processed foods in recent years in favor of fresher or more specialty fare are now going back to the macaroni and cheese and Goldfish crackers they knew as kids.
"Comfort foods and well-known iconic brands that were in particular decline for a while, they've all kind of got a revival, if you will," Davey says.
How long will these new shopping habits last?
Baking coach Hoffman says that while some people are eager to ditch their pandemic cookbooks, others have developed new tastes and talents that will last long after the lockdowns are over.
"I've heard a lot of people say that they're very surprised how much joy they're finding in bread baking," she says. "So, yeah, I do think there are a lot of people that have found a new love for it and are going to stick around."
With restaurants reopening, there are more choices now about where to eat than there were a month ago. But Davey thinks it will be a long time before Americans go back to spending the bulk of their food dollars in restaurants, as they were before the pandemic.
"We suspect at-home consumption will stay at an elevated level until everyone is vaccinated," he says.


npr--2020-06-16--Racism, Hazing And Other Abuse Taints Medical Training, Students Say

Racism , Hazing And Other Abuse Taints Medical Training , Students Say As doctors and nurses across the United States continue to gather outside hospitals and clinics to protest police brutality and racism as part of the White Coats for Black Lives movement , LaShyra Nolen , a first-year student at Harvard Medical School , says it 's time to take medical schools to task over racism , too .
The fight for equality in medical education is n't new , says Nolen , the first black woman to serve as Harvard Medical School 's student council president .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around racism in society will force hospitals and medical schools to address racism within their own institutions .
`` It was n't until over a week of riots that people started to pay attention , '' Nolen says .
`` We bring black med students to these institutions , and they fill quotas , and they make institutions look good .
But we 're not protecting them .
We need to protect them . ''
Studies show that students of color and those who are LGBTQ are more likely than other classmates to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published earlier this year in JAMA Internal Medicine , for example , suggests that minority students are more likely to face discriminatory comments , public humiliation and inappropriate sexual advances during their medical education .
Nolen has been heartened by the outpouring of online and in-person activism she 's seen , ranging from Twitter testimonials to opinion pieces in major medical journals .
She 's been involved in efforts at Harvard and nationally to combat racism in medical education .
But there is much work to be done , she says .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27,500 medical students in 2016 and 2017 found that 38 % of students nationwide from racial and ethnic groups that are under-represented in medicine — including students who are black , Latino or Native American — reported mistreatment .
That 's compared to only 24 % of white students across the U.S. who said they had been mistreated during medical school .
The results raise questions , the study authors say , about racism in medical education and its implications for the persistently low numbers of people of color who become doctors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical school , it could be contributing to keeping certain populations out of medicine , '' says Katherine Hill , the study 's lead author and a medical student at Yale .
`` Discriminatory comments can have a negative impact — both on the people who are targeted , and on bystanders . ''
Hill and her team used a data set known as the Association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire .
It 's a survey about medical school experiences that almost every medical student completes right before graduation , covering topics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they feel they are to practice medicine .
The data in Hill 's study included responses from about 72 percent of all med school graduates in 2016 and 2017 .
Mistreatment during training was a major focus of the survey .
Students were asked if they had been publicly humiliated , for example , or been asked to perform sexual favors in exchange for good grades , or been subjected to offensive remarks or names .
More than 35 % of the students responding to the survey said they had experienced some kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's almost part of the medical school culture that a faculty member may try to embarrass you or humiliate you , '' says Dr. Dowin Boatright , an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Yale and the study 's senior author .
The roots of that bullying culture in medical training are complex , Boatright adds , but he guesses it often occurs in high-stress environments in the hospital , or because it 's perceived as an accepted hazing ritual .
Previous research corroborates Boatright 's observation that these kinds of experiences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , particularly during clinical training , when students are no longer in the classroom .
During that clinical period , students are the least powerful members of a hierarchy , joining teams of medical residents and attending physicians , nurses , and other health care professionals as they care for patients .
What 's new in his study , Boatright says , is just how much more likely minority students are to experience this harassment , bullying behavior and abuse .
Women and students who identified as lesbian , gay , bisexual , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience mistreatment , whatever their race or ethnic group .
Above 40 % of women reported that they experienced mistreatment , compared to about 25 % of men .
Similarly , about 43 % of LGBTQ students reported an incident of mistreatment , while just over 23 % of heterosexual students did .
Boatright and Hill both note that not only are minority students more likely to experience racist or bigoted incidents , they are also more likely to experience mistreatment in general — such as being humiliated in front of a team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seem specifically related to race or ethnicity .
Take the experience of Dr. Michael Mensah , who had to listen as one of his professors repeatedly used the N-word at work when Mensah was a medical student in 2015 at the University of California , San Francisco .
Mensah , who is now a psychiatry resident at the University of California , Los Angeles , says he and colleagues were sitting in a hospital workroom at the time , listening to music as they prepared to round on their patients .
A song @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To Mensah 's shock — and to the shock of everyone else on his team — his supervisor casually repeated the expletive multiple times .
`` I had a repugnant choice : swallow my lump of anger and sadness to preserve group harmony , or risk my grade and reputation by confronting my superior , '' he wrote in a 2017 essay in JAMA Internal Medicine about the incident .
More than five years later , the words still sting .
`` If that person was willing to speak so frankly to us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that person treats their patients of color , '' Mensah tells NPR .
While he says he heard from many other students who experienced racism during training — physicians mocking non-white patients , peers telling their classmates of color they were accepted to medical school because of their race — some other people who read the essay dismissed his experience as a one-time incident .
Instead of questioning whether structural racism might be built into medical training , they dismissed that supervising physician as `` only one bad apple , '' Mensah says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study and others like it confirm that these types of racist incidents are common in health care .
`` It really validates my personal experience , which is remarkable because of how isolating these experiences can be , '' he says .
`` It makes clear that I was n't the only one to experience differential , unequal and discriminatory treatment .
It helps me feel like what I went through was n't my fault . ''
Mensah worries that the prevalence of mistreatment toward students of color , women , and LGBTQ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in health care , and ultimately affecting the way future doctors treat their patients .
`` There 's a direct link between this abuse and how some of our health care disparities play out , '' he says .
Now , Mensah is focusing much of his energy on addressing racism in health care institutions .
He recently wrote , along with several co-authors , an op-ed in Scientific American about how the misuse of medical language in George Floyd 's initial autopsy report overemphasized the role of coronary artery disease and hypertension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a rally this month in Los Angeles sponsored by White Coats for Black Lives .
But because there are still such persistently low numbers of black people working in medicine , Mensah found himself addressing a sea of white faces .
`` I was the only black male there , unfortunately , '' he says .
Mara Gordon is a family physician in Camden , N.J. , and a contributor to NPR .
You can follow her on Twitter : @ MaraGordonMD .

Racism, Hazing And Other Abuse Taints Medical Training, Students Say
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Ryder/Getty Images David Ryder/Getty Images
As doctors and nurses across the United States continue to gather outside hospitals and clinics to protest police brutality and racism as part of the White Coats for Black Lives movement, LaShyra Nolen, a first-year student at Harvard Medical School, says it's time to take medical schools to task over racism, too.
The fight for equality in medical education isn't new, says Nolen, the first black woman to serve as Harvard Medical School's student council president. But she's hopeful that the national conversation around racism in society will force hospitals and medical schools to address racism within their own institutions.
"It wasn't until over a week of riots that people started to pay attention," Nolen says. "We bring black med students to these institutions, and they fill quotas, and they make institutions look good. But we're not protecting them. We need to protect them."
Studies show that students of color and those who are LGBTQ are more likely than other classmates to experience mistreatment during their training. Research published earlier this year in JAMA Internal Medicine, for example, suggests that minority students are more likely to face discriminatory comments, public humiliation and inappropriate sexual advances during their medical education.
Nolen has been heartened by the outpouring of online and in-person activism she's seen, ranging from Twitter testimonials to opinion pieces in major medical journals. She's been involved in efforts at Harvard and nationally to combat racism in medical education.
But there is much work to be done, she says.
The JAMA Internal Medicine study of more than 27,500 medical students in 2016 and 2017 found that 38% of students nationwide from racial and ethnic groups that are under-represented in medicine — including students who are black, Latino or Native American — reported mistreatment. That's compared to only 24% of white students across the U.S. who said they had been mistreated during medical school.
The results raise questions, the study authors say, about racism in medical education and its implications for the persistently low numbers of people of color who become doctors.
"If these small disadvantages accrue throughout medical school, it could be contributing to keeping certain populations out of medicine," says Katherine Hill, the study's lead author and a medical student at Yale. "Discriminatory comments can have a negative impact — both on the people who are targeted, and on bystanders."
Hill and her team used a data set known as the Association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire. It's a survey about medical school experiences that almost every medical student completes right before graduation, covering topics ranging from student debt to how prepared they feel they are to practice medicine. The data in Hill's study included responses from about 72 percent of all med school graduates in 2016 and 2017.
Mistreatment during training was a major focus of the survey. Students were asked if they had been publicly humiliated, for example, or been asked to perform sexual favors in exchange for good grades, or been subjected to offensive remarks or names.
More than 35% of the students responding to the survey said they had experienced some kind of mistreatment during medical school.
"It's almost part of the medical school culture that a faculty member may try to embarrass you or humiliate you," says Dr. Dowin Boatright, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Yale and the study's senior author.
The roots of that bullying culture in medical training are complex, Boatright adds, but he guesses it often occurs in high-stress environments in the hospital, or because it's perceived as an accepted hazing ritual.
Previous research corroborates Boatright's observation that these kinds of experiences are common for students of all races, particularly during clinical training, when students are no longer in the classroom. During that clinical period, students are the least powerful members of a hierarchy, joining teams of medical residents and attending physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals as they care for patients.
What's new in his study, Boatright says, is just how much more likely minority students are to experience this harassment, bullying behavior and abuse.
Women and students who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender were also more likely to experience mistreatment, whatever their race or ethnic group. Above 40% of women reported that they experienced mistreatment, compared to about 25% of men. Similarly, about 43% of LGBTQ students reported an incident of mistreatment, while just over 23% of heterosexual students did.
Boatright and Hill both note that not only are minority students more likely to experience racist or bigoted incidents, they are also more likely to experience mistreatment in general — such as being humiliated in front of a team — even when the harassment doesn't seem specifically related to race or ethnicity.
Take the experience of Dr. Michael Mensah, who had to listen as one of his professors repeatedly used the N-word at work when Mensah was a medical student in 2015 at the University of California, San Francisco.
Mensah, who is now a psychiatry resident at the University of California, Los Angeles, says he and colleagues were sitting in a hospital workroom at the time, listening to music as they prepared to round on their patients. A song came on that used the expletive. To Mensah's shock — and to the shock of everyone else on his team — his supervisor casually repeated the expletive multiple times.
"I had a repugnant choice: swallow my lump of anger and sadness to preserve group harmony, or risk my grade and reputation by confronting my superior," he wrote in a 2017 essay in JAMA Internal Medicine about the incident.
More than five years later, the words still sting.
"If that person was willing to speak so frankly to us, and so rudely ... Imagine how that person treats their patients of color," Mensah tells NPR.
While he says he heard from many other students who experienced racism during training — physicians mocking non-white patients, peers telling their classmates of color they were accepted to medical school because of their race — some other people who read the essay dismissed his experience as a one-time incident.
Instead of questioning whether structural racism might be built into medical training, they dismissed that supervising physician as "only one bad apple," Mensah says.
Evidence from the JAMA Internal Medicine study and others like it confirm that these types of racist incidents are common in health care.
"It really validates my personal experience, which is remarkable because of how isolating these experiences can be," he says. "It makes clear that I wasn't the only one to experience differential, unequal and discriminatory treatment. It helps me feel like what I went through wasn't my fault."
Mensah worries that the prevalence of mistreatment toward students of color, women, and LGBTQ students has another legacy: normalizing discrimination in health care, and ultimately affecting the way future doctors treat their patients.
"There's a direct link between this abuse and how some of our health care disparities play out," he says.
Now, Mensah is focusing much of his energy on addressing racism in health care institutions. He recently wrote, along with several co-authors, an op-ed in Scientific American about how the misuse of medical language in George Floyd's initial autopsy report overemphasized the role of coronary artery disease and hypertension in his death.
Mensah also spoke at a rally this month in Los Angeles sponsored by White Coats for Black Lives. But because there are still such persistently low numbers of black people working in medicine, Mensah found himself addressing a sea of white faces.
"I was the only black male there, unfortunately," he says.
Mara Gordon is a family physician in Camden, N.J., and a contributor to NPR. You can follow her on Twitter: @MaraGordonMD.


npr--2020-06-16--Senate Judiciary Holds Hearing On Police Use Of Force

Senate Judiciary Holds Hearing On Police Use Of Force The Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee is holding its first hearing on policing since the May 25 death of George Floyd , killed in Minneapolis police custody , triggered a wave of protests and a national outcry for reform .
Watch the hearing live beginning at 2:30 p.m .
ET .
Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , the panel 's chairman , has said the hearing will include two panels , one on policing in the black community and another comprised of `` folks who can tell us about the other side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward . ''
The afternoon hearing is set to cover police use of force and community relations , with nearly a dozen witnesses from civil rights and law enforcement backgrounds .
Some of the Senate hearing 's same witnesses testified last week in a hearing before the Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee .
Among them , Vanita Gupta , president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights , will join the first panel .
And Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo , who heads up the Major Cities Chiefs Association , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this time as part of a second panel before the Senate committee .
Other witnesses include St. Paul , Minn. , Mayor Melvin Carter ; Civil Rights Attorney S. Lee Merritt of Philadelphia ; Erin Nealy Cox , U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas and the heads of several more police organizations .
The hearing comes as Senate Republicans including Graham move to craft legislation to respond to demands to address police brutality and President Trump moves forward with his own reform measure .
House Democrats plan to vote later this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice In Policing Act , which includes outright bans of no-knock warrants in drug-related cases and the use of choke-holds .
South Carolina 's junior Sen. Tim Scott , the lone African American Republican in the upper chamber , has led the charge to draw up legislation for his caucus .
Scott has said his measure wo n't include outright bans , but instead focuses on deescalation training to reduce the use of choke-holds , increased use of body cameras and wider federal reporting requirements for police departments across the country .

Senate Judiciary Holds Hearing On Police Use Of Force
Enlarge this image toggle caption Erin Schaff/The New York Times/Pool via AP Erin Schaff/The New York Times/Pool via AP
Updated at 7:58 p.m. ET
The Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday held its first hearing on policing since the May 25 death of George Floyd — a black man who was killed in custody by Minneapolis police — triggered a wave of protests and international outcry for reform of the U.S. police system.
The hearing included two panels, one on policing in the black community, and another, according to Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., of "folks who can tell us about the other side of the story and ways to go forward." The afternoon hearing looked to cover police use of force and community relations, with nearly a dozen witnesses from civil rights and law enforcement backgrounds.
In his opening address, Graham acknowledged how differently he, as a white man, views his interactions with police, as opposed to how many black Americans feel in their dealings with law enforcement.
"I've learned over the years, but particularly recently, that every black man in America apparently feels threatened when they are stopped by the cops. It is not 99%; it's like 100%," Graham said. "When I see a cop behind me, the first thing I think about is what did I do wrong, and can I talk myself out of this ticket? There is literally no fear. And I wouldn't like to live in a country where I'm afraid to be stopped."
Still, Graham drew the line at some activist demands for reform, specifically calls to defund or abolish the police and replace law enforcement with alternative means of public safety.
Instead, Graham suggested better recruiting officers from black and Latino backgrounds, adding more women to the force and working to improve relationships between police and the communities they patrol.
Democrats on the panel, however, called for more sweeping reform measures, including eliminating qualified immunity for officers, which shields police from being held personally liable for misconduct on the job, independent investigations into police malpractice, and demanding accountability from Attorney General William Barr for his role in not more aggressively investigating instances of police misconduct.
"It's time for us to realize this is not just a moment, but a movement. This committee and our entire federal government have a role to play in holding the police accountable when they break the rules and break the law. And we must be on the right side of history as a committee," Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., said during remarks.
Some of the same witnesses to the Tuesday panel testified last week in a hearing before the Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee. Among them: Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights, joined the first panel. And Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, who heads up the Major Cities Chiefs Association, also returned to testify, but this time as part of a second panel before the Senate committee.
Other witnesses included St. Paul, Minn., Mayor Melvin Carter; civil rights attorney S. Lee Merritt of Philadelphia; Erin Nealy Cox, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas; and the heads of several other police organizations.
The hearing comes as Senate Republicans, including Graham, move to craft legislation to respond to demands to address police brutality. The panel convened just hours after President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday on policing following his own vision for reform.
House Democrats plan to vote later this month on their new proposal, the Justice In Policing Act, which includes outright bans of no-knock warrants in drug-related cases and the use of chokeholds.
South Carolina's junior senator, Tim Scott, the lone African American Republican in the upper chamber, has led the charge to draw up legislation for his caucus. Scott has said his measure won't include outright bans but instead will focus on de-escalation training to reduce the use of chokeholds, increased use of body cameras and wider federal reporting requirements for police departments across the country.


npr--2020-06-16--Scientists Warn Against Consumer Protection Nominee

President Trump 's nominee to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission is Nancy Beck , a toxicologist who currently leads chemical and pesticide regulation at the Environmental Protection Agency .
The CPSC is the top federal consumer watchdog in the country .
Its five-member board , which Beck will lead for seven years if she is confirmed , is responsible for reviewing safety information and collecting injury reports for more than 15,000 types of products , from baby toys to sports equipment to home appliances .
The commissioners oversee product recalls and safety bulletins , as well as gathering information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration cited Beck 's scientific training and long career working on science and health policy for the federal government in its nomination announcement .
But many scientists and public health experts say Beck has not adequately protected the public from toxic chemicals and pollution over the course of her career .
`` When I heard that Nancy Beck was nominated to head the CPSC , I was truly and profoundly concerned , '' says Rachel Weintraub , the legislative director for the Consumer Federation of America , which advocates for safe products .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of thwarting consumer protections , mostly in the realm of toxic chemicals . ''
Last week , a group of more than 90 leading scientists , including the former head of the federal National Toxicology Program , signed a letter arguing that Beck 's work at the EPA `` consistently disregarded scientific best practices , favor [ ed ] chemical manufacturers , and put vulnerable people in harm 's way . ''
Beck 's scientific and regulatory track record will be front and center when she goes before the Senate today , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominated to lead has struggled over the years to accurately assess the risks posed by common products , including crib accessories and flame retardant chemicals .
Neither Beck nor the EPA responded to questions about her work at the agency and her nomination to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission .
Beck has stymied or blocked bans of a host of hazardous chemicals since she arrived at the EPA in 2017 .
That includes the carcinogen asbestos , as well as dry cleaning and paint stripping chemicals the agency has known for years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , a common dry cleaning chemical , trichloroethylene or TCE , is associated with a higher risk of some cancers , and scientists have known since at least the 1960s that TCE exposure can be deadly .
Two other chemicals commonly used in paint strippers — methylene chloride and n-methylpyrrolidone or NMP — are known to be similarly dangerous to human health .
Since 1980 , more than 50 suffocation deaths have been attributed to methylene chloride .
The same qualities that make the chemicals good at removing grime and paint also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lungs , leading to suffocation .
When Beck took over chemical regulation in 2017 , the EPA had already said it intended to ban at least some uses of all three chemicals because of the dangers they posed to the public .
Beck delayed or reversed course on all three .
Today , TCE and NMP have not been banned , and a narrow ban exists for methylene chloride .
`` Nancy Beck 's role basically was to come in and be a wrecking ball , '' says Brian Wynne , whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposure in 2017 while he was using a common paint stripper at his coffee plant in Charleston , South Carolina .
The Wynne family met with Beck after Drew 's death and asked her to finalize a broad ban on the chemical as soon as possible , to prevent more deaths .
But it took two more years for the EPA to act , and in the end the ban was narrow .
In 2019 , the EPA eliminated retail sale of methylene chloride .
By then , most major retailers had voluntarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of concern for consumer safety .
`` I think people have the understanding or the feeling that these officials will operate on their best interests , '' says Wynne , `` and it 's clear that Dr. Beck would not be doing that . ''
Many of Beck 's former colleagues support her nomination to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission .
`` She has a proven track record of putting the American public first , '' says John Corley , a spokesperson for the American Chemistry Council , the chemical industry group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for regulatory science policy for five years before joining the EPA .
Beck also spent 10 years at the Office of Management and Budget ( OMB ) during the Bush and Obama administrations .
There , she helped federal agencies assess the health risks posed by hazardous chemicals and pollution .
`` Her track record of sticking to the science and data , even when it 's not easy to do so , is why she 's served the public so well , '' says Heidi King , who worked with Beck at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration .
`` I ca n't think of someone who has a better scientific background and knowledge , and someone who carefully looks at the evidence and evaluates it , '' says Katherine Wallman , who served as chief statistician of the United States from 1992 to 2017 and was Beck 's supervisor .
`` I consider Nancy someone who is able to be a scientist , basically , but also to deal very effectively with people in policy positions . ''
But Beck has also repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incorporating scientific data and research into government rules and regulations .
While she was at OMB , Beck helped draft a document that was meant to aid federal agencies like the EPA and Department of Energy in using scientific data more reliably and objectively to protect public health .
Before the document could be released , it was reviewed by a panel of top epidemiologists and toxicologists at the National Academy of Sciences .
The panel returned a scathing review .
It warned that the document misrepresented or misconstrued numerous basic principles of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incorrectly represented the role of uncertainty in scientific findings .
`` They described it , ultimately , as fundamentally flawed and simplistic , '' says Daniel Rosenberg , a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council .
`` The panel unanimously called for that bulletin to be withdrawn , which it was . ''
Wallman does n't see the episode as a failure for Beck .
She says asking experts to weigh in on technical policy documents is a standard and rigorous approach , even when the feedback is negative .
OMB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Beck helped draft .
Recently , scientists raised the alarm again , this time about a proposed rule the EPA put forward under her watch .
The rule would restrict the type of research used to write environmental and public health regulations by giving preference to studies that are based solely on publicly available data .
Air and water pollution regulations rely in part on large studies that use anonymized health data to examine the effects of common contaminants on everything from cancer to respiratory disease .
As it is currently written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to such studies , in favor of studies for which complete raw data is available .
Scientists worry it will lead federal regulators to undervalue some of the most important epidemiology research , and could even undermine existing health rules .
The editors of six prominent scientific journals , which are responsible for peer review and publication of scientific studies , warn the rule is `` a mechanism for suppressing the use of relevant scientific evidence in policy-making , including public health regulations . ''
Beck 's approach to assessing health risks will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate today .
If Beck is confirmed , one of the first issues she 'll consider is a potential ban on flame-retardant chemicals that are associated with thyroid and immune problems , and are used in a wide variety of products including furniture and children 's products .
The commission has struggled for years to turn mounting scientific evidence that the chemicals are hazardous into enforceable rules .

Scientists Warn Against Consumer Protection Nominee
President Trump's nominee to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission is Nancy Beck, a toxicologist who currently leads chemical and pesticide regulation at the Environmental Protection Agency.
The CPSC is the top federal consumer watchdog in the country. Its five-member board, which Beck will lead for seven years if she is confirmed, is responsible for reviewing safety information and collecting injury reports for more than 15,000 types of products, from baby toys to sports equipment to home appliances.
The commissioners oversee product recalls and safety bulletins, as well as gather information about potentially dangerous products.
The Trump administration cited Beck's scientific training and long career working on science and health policy for the federal government in its nomination announcement. But many scientists and public health experts say Beck has not adequately protected the public from toxic chemicals and pollution over the course of her career.
"When I heard that Nancy Beck was nominated to head the CPSC, I was truly and profoundly concerned," says Rachel Weintraub, the legislative director for the Consumer Federation of America, which advocates for safe products. "[Beck's] record is one of thwarting consumer protections, mostly in the realm of toxic chemicals."
Last week, a group of more than 90 leading scientists, including the former head of the federal National Toxicology Program, signed a letter arguing that Beck's work at the EPA "consistently disregarded scientific best practices, favor[ed] chemical manufacturers, and put vulnerable people in harm's way."
Beck's scientific and regulatory track record will be front and center when she goes before the Senate on Tuesday, especially given that the commission she is nominated to lead has struggled over the years to accurately assess the risks posed by common products, including crib accessories and flame retardant chemicals.
Neither Beck nor the EPA responded to questions about her work at the agency and her nomination to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Hazardous chemicals
Beck has stymied or blocked bans of a host of hazardous chemicals since she arrived at the EPA in 2017. That includes the carcinogen asbestos, as well as dry cleaning and paint stripping chemicals the agency has known for years are dangerous and even deadly.
For example, a common dry cleaning chemical, trichloroethylene or TCE, is associated with a higher risk of some cancers, and scientists have known since at least the 1960s that TCE exposure can be deadly. Two other chemicals commonly used in paint strippers — methylene chloride and n-methylpyrrolidone or NMP — are known to be similarly dangerous to human health. Since 1980, more than 50 suffocation deaths have been attributed to methylene chloride. The same qualities that make the chemicals good at removing grime and paint also make them good at replacing oxygen in the lungs, leading to suffocation.
When Beck took over chemical regulation in 2017, the EPA had already said it intended to ban at least some uses of all three chemicals because of the dangers they posed to the public. Beck delayed or reversed course on all three. Today, TCE and NMP have not been banned, and a narrow ban exists for methylene chloride.
"Nancy Beck's role basically was to come in and be a wrecking ball," says Brian Wynne, whose 31-year-old brother Drew died of methylene chloride exposure in 2017 while he was using a common paint stripper at his coffee plant in Charleston, S.C. The Wynne family met with Beck after Drew's death and asked her to finalize a broad ban on the chemical as soon as possible to prevent more deaths.
It took two more years for the EPA to act, and in the end the ban was narrow. In 2019, the EPA eliminated retail sale of methylene chloride. By then, most major retailers had voluntarily removed the chemical from their shelves out of concern for consumer safety.
"I think people have the understanding or the feeling that these officials will operate on their best interests," says Wynne, "and it's clear that Dr. Beck would not be doing that."
Science and policy
Many of Beck's former colleagues support her nomination to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
"She has a proven track record of putting the American public first," says Jon Corley, a spokesperson for the American Chemistry Council, the chemical industry group where Beck worked as the senior director for regulatory science policy for five years before joining the EPA.
Beck also spent 10 years at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during the Bush and Obama administrations. There, she helped federal agencies assess the health risks posed by hazardous chemicals and pollution.
"Her track record of sticking to the science and data, even when it's not easy to do so, is why she's served the public so well," says Heidi King, who worked with Beck at OMB and is the former acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"I can't think of someone who has a better scientific background and knowledge, and someone who carefully looks at the evidence and evaluates it," says Katherine Wallman, who served as chief statistician of the United States from 1992 to 2017 and was Beck's supervisor. "I consider Nancy someone who is able to be a scientist, basically, but also to deal very effectively with people in policy positions."
But Beck has also repeatedly clashed with scientists over her approach to incorporating scientific data and research into government rules and regulations.
While she was at OMB, Beck helped draft a document that was meant to aid federal agencies such as the EPA and Department of Energy in using scientific data more reliably and objectively to protect public health. Before the document could be released, it was reviewed by a panel of top epidemiologists and toxicologists at the National Academy of Sciences.
The panel returned a scathing review. It warned that the document misrepresented or misconstrued numerous basic principles of toxicology and public health research and incorrectly represented the role of uncertainty in scientific findings.
"They described it, ultimately, as fundamentally flawed and simplistic," says Daniel Rosenberg, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "The panel unanimously called for that bulletin to be withdrawn, which it was."
Wallman doesn't see the episode as a failure for Beck. She says asking experts to weigh in on technical policy documents is a standard and rigorous approach, even when the feedback is negative. OMB ultimately decided not to issue the guidance that Beck helped draft.
Recently, scientists raised the alarm again, this time about a proposed rule the EPA put forward under her watch. The rule would restrict the type of research used to write environmental and public health regulations by giving preference to studies that are based solely on publicly available data.
Air and water pollution regulations rely in part on large studies that use anonymized health data to examine the effects of common contaminants on everything from cancer to respiratory disease. As it is currently written, the proposed rule gives less weight to such studies, in favor of studies for which complete raw data is available. Scientists worry it will lead federal regulators to undervalue some of the most important epidemiology research, and could even undermine existing health rules.
The editors of six prominent scientific journals, which are responsible for peer review and publication of scientific studies, warn that the rule is "a mechanism for suppressing the use of relevant scientific evidence in policy-making, including public health regulations."
Beck's approach to assessing health risks will likely come up when she goes before the Senate on Tuesday. If Beck is confirmed, one of the first issues she'll consider is a potential ban on flame-retardant chemicals that are associated with thyroid and immune problems and are used in a wide variety of products including furniture and children's products. The commission has struggled for years to turn mounting scientific evidence that the chemicals are hazardous into enforceable rules.