npr--2020-08-21--Coronavirus Maps: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Maps : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 5 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 170,000 have died .
Tens of thousands of new cases are confirmed daily .
State by state , the picture is varied .
In the graphics below , explore the trends in your state .
View the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , curve charts , a table of state-by-state trends over four weeks , or a map of total cases and deaths .
The map above shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on new daily cases per capita .
These color-coded risk levels were developed by a consortium of researchers and public health experts .
The group advises states in the red category to issue stay-home orders .
Orange states may need to consider stay-home orders , along with increased testing and contact tracing .
Yellow states need to keep up social distancing and mask usage , and both yellow and green states should continue testing and contact tracing .
To compare state outbreaks , the chart above graphs trend lines for average new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's totals to date .
This type of visualization highlights a state 's daily growth or decline relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In New York , the curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 600 per day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above to see totals and per capita figures around the country for both new confirmed cases and reported deaths from COVID-19 .
New York was the original epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. As of mid August , California , Florida and Texas have surpassed New York for total cases to date , though New York still has the highest death total .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
To show trends state by state , the table below shows the change in average new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week over week for the last 28 days .
States marked in shades of red are showing growth , those in shades of green , are showing declines .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
In early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's daily numbers until the JHU team was able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn contributed to and Carmel Wroth edited this story .

Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
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Note: This page was last updated on Feb. 1, 2023. It will no longer be updated. For current data on COVID cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Feb. 1, there have been more than 101 million confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. and more than 1 million people have died of COVID-19. In the graphics below, explore the trends in your state.
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The above charts show average new cases per 100,000 people for each state over the last 12 months.
Note: Actual cases may be substantially higher, since many who test positive with at-home tests don't report their cases.
For additional data about COVID-19 in the U.S, including cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
To show trends, the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state, week over week for the last 28 days. States marked in shades of red have growing outbreaks; those in shades of green, are declining.
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Methodology
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the World Health Organization; national, state and local government health departments; 1point3acres; and local media reports.
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies. This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds. There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department's website. Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships.
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases, process testing backlogs or update their methodologies. The JHU team maintains a list of such changes.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2020. Elena Renken was a co-author on that version. Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story. Carmel Wroth edited this story.


npr--2020-08-21--Postmaster General Faces Senate As Controversy Persists Over USPS Cuts

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is set to take questions from senators on Friday and make his first public remarks since walking back his plan for operational changes that drew heavy criticism .
The U.S .
Postal Service that he leads has suffered from financial problems for years but DeJoy , a Republican fundraiser , chose this summer to cut overtime , withdraw sorting machines and impose other changes that have effectively reduced the system 's throughput .
Democrats charged that was part of a scheme by President Trump to sabotage the transit of ballots this year following weeks of sustained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — even though that 's how the president votes .
Critics more broadly complained that the disruptions to the Postal Service were causing people to miss mail and , in some cases , delay the arrival of medications and other such items .
DeJoy is set to appear virtually before the Senate Homeland Security Committee at 9 a.m. on Friday .
Watch it live here .
DeJoy 's `` transformative '' overhaul , as he called it , involved cutting overtime for mail carriers , and according to The Washington Post , removing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was made in the name of saving money : The USPS lost $ 9 billion last year , and could lose $ 11 billion this year , DeJoy said earlier this month .
But the changes led to almost immediate reports of mail delays and frustration from postal worker unions , and accusations from Democrats of voter suppression and election sabotage .
`` Mail is beginning to pile up in our offices , and we 're seeing equipment being removed , '' said Kimberly Karol , president of the Iowa Postal Workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
`` So we are beginning to see the impact of those changes . ''
Worries were already bubbling about how the changes would affect November 's election , when more than half of all ballots cast are expected to be returned or delivered through the mail .
And President Trump exacerbated those fears , when in a press conference and subsequent interview , he tied Postal Service funding to his hope about hampering mail-in voting expansions nationwide during the pandemic .
In response to the bipartisan backlash to those comments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizational changes would wait until after the election .
`` To avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail , I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded , '' DeJoy said in a statement .
Democrats made it clear they were still not satisfied , with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling the statement `` wholly insufficient '' and `` misleading . ''
In particular , Democrats say they want DeJoy not only to halt the changes , but to work to reverse them and replace equipment that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Oh come on Some of Trump 's allies have scoffed at the flap over the Postal Service .
In a note to lawmakers this week , House Minority Whip Steve Scalise , R-La.
, dubbed Democrats ' proposed bill to aid the Postal Service a `` conspiracy theory act '' and said there is no true urgent problem with the mail system .
`` This bill is nothing but an attempt to fabricate a postal crisis for political purposes , while wasting taxpayer funds that are n't needed in order to appease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
Republicans control the Senate committee before which DeJoy is scheduled to appear on Friday .
Democrats control a House panel before which he is scheduled to appear on Monday .
Lawmakers are expected to press DeJoy for more specifics on the directives he 's given .
Most of the information about the changes up to this point has come from media reports and the postal workers unions .
Democrats especially may also just look for reassurances that election mail will be a priority , said former Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group of top election officials who requested a meeting with him last week , NPR reported .
`` The Post Office is not a private company .
Its stakeholders are the American people , '' Stroman said .
`` So in these situations you owe it to the American people to be very clear and very transparent about why you are making operational changes . ''

Louis DeJoy Vows Post Office Can Handle Mail-In Ballots, In Senate Hearing
Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP
Updated at 11:46 a.m. ET
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy defended his leadership of the Postal Service on Friday and sought to reassure senators that his agency would be able to deliver the nation's election mail "securely and on time," calling it a "sacred duty."
"There has been no changes in any policies with regard to the election mail for the 2020 election," he said.
The hearing marked DeJoy's first public remarks since walking back his plan for operational changes, which drew heavy criticism. He pushed back on suggestions that these changes had political motivations.
"Trying to have any negative impact on the election is an outrageous claim," he said.
All the same, DeJoy said the Postal Service's mandate to provide reliable postal service to the public is at "fundamental risk" because of its long-term financial losses and called on Congress to provide his agency with relief.
"Changes must be made to ensure our sustainability for the years and decades ahead," he said.
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., ranking member on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, asked DeJoy whether he had discussed any of the changes he made since he assumed his post in June with the Trump campaign of any Trump administration officials.
DeJoy said no: "I have never spoken to the president about the Postal Service, other than to congratulate me when I accepted the position."
The U.S. Postal Service has suffered from financial problems for years, but DeJoy, a Republican fundraiser, chose this summer to cut some overtime, withdraw sorting machines and impose other operational changes that have effectively reduced the system's throughput.
Democrats charged that was part of a scheme by President Trump to sabotage the transit of ballots this year following weeks of sustained criticism by Trump of voting by mail — even though that's how the president votes.
DeJoy rejected that out of hand and said he, too, votes by mail and plans to do so again this year.
New changes, old practices
Critics have more broadly complained of mail delays and the removal of mail collection boxes. Some of the work is routine, the postmaster general said, and has been part of postal operations for years.
DeJoy testified that since his installation at the agency, the Postal Service removed 700 mail collection boxes and added, "I had no idea that was a process."
"When I found out about it, we socialized here with the leadership team and looked at ... the excitement it was creating so I decided to stop it. And we'll pick it up after the election, but this is a normal process that has been around for 50 years."
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said he had heard about mail delays from veterans awaiting their medication.
"There's some just heartbreaking stories," he said, describing a constituent whose inhaler refill was mailed through the Postal Service. "Due to delays, he ran out of it while waiting for it to arrive and then his insurance said, 'You know what, we're not going to pay for another refill to be filled because it's already been shipped through the Postal Service.' "
DeJoy responded that the agency is working "feverishly" to increase the efficiency of deliveries and said he feels "bad about the dip in our service."
That concern was echoed by Portman's Democratic colleague, Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire.
"So many of our service members, veterans, people who experience disabilities and rural Americans, their local post office is their lifeline. And I'll note that the change in volume you are seeing doesn't change the need for timely delivery of the essential necessary items that the American public relies on the Post Office for," Hassan said.
The bottom line on Friday, however, was that the postmaster general assured senators the mail would go through as intended, especially in support of the election.
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah., asked whether DeJoy was confident that mail-in ballots would be received if people vote within seven days of the election.
"Extremely highly confident," DeJoy responded. "We will scour every, every plant ... each night leading up to Election Day; very, very confident."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images
USPS not immune from COVID-19
DeJoy said that in addition to procedural changes that he ordered within the Postal Service, delays also have resulted from problems with the coronavirus — worse in some areas suffering more.
"Employee availability average has dropped across the nation about 4%, but when you can go into some of these what I would say hot spots — Philadelphia, Detroit — there as much as 20-25%. Philadelphia has 750 routes and we have days where we're short 200 carriers and this can go on for a while," he said.
DeJoy also described the dispatch schedule for mail delivery trucks, implying that delays in getting mail onto the trucks is a temporary adjustment.
"This whole thing is an aligned schedule in theory, on paper — and we know there's lots of imbalances that we're finding as we went through this process," he said, adding that he expects mail delivery efficiency to increase to 97% on-time.
Controversial Changes
DeJoy's "transformative" overhaul, as he called it, involved cutting overtime for mail carriers, and according to The Washington Post, removing hundreds of mail sorting sorting machines.
It was made in the name of saving money: The USPS lost $9 billion last year and could lose $11 billion this year, DeJoy said earlier this month. But the changes led to almost immediate reports of mail delays and frustration from postal worker unions and accusations from Democrats of voter suppression and election sabotage.
"Mail is beginning to pile up in our offices, and we're seeing equipment being removed," said Kimberly Karol, president of the Iowa Postal Workers Union, in an NPR interview last week. "So we are beginning to see the impact of those changes."
Worries were already bubbling about how the changes would affect November's election, when more than half of all ballots cast are expected to be returned or delivered through the mail.
And Trump exacerbated those fears, when in a press conference and subsequent interview, he tied Postal Service funding to his hope about hampering mail-in voting expansions nationwide during the pandemic.
In response to the bipartisan backlash to those comments, DeJoy changed course and announced that his organizational changes would wait until after the election.
Democrats have made it clear they are still not satisfied, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling the statement "wholly insufficient" and "misleading."
In particular, Democrats say they want DeJoy not only to halt the changes, but also to work to reverse them and replace equipment that was removed, for instance.
Republicans: Oh, come on
Some of Trump's allies have scoffed at the flap over the Postal Service.
Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who convened Friday's hearing, said, "I have no doubt the Democrats are ginning these issues and these problems up into something that's it's not ... it's a false narrative designed to extract an advantage."
And in a note to lawmakers this week, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., dubbed Democrats' proposed bill to aid the Postal Service a "conspiracy theory act" and said there is no true urgent problem with the mail system.
"This bill is nothing but an attempt to fabricate a postal crisis for political purposes, while wasting taxpayer funds that aren't needed in order to appease unions and trial lawyers," Scalise wrote.
The legislation is scheduled for a vote on Saturday and is expected to pass in the House but not become law over opposition in the Republican-led Senate.
In an interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., pushed back on claims that there have been large mail delays.
"People put something in the mail and it may take five days, it may take two days, it may take seven days," he said. "Mail does not have a promised delivery date."
Republicans control the Senate committee before which DeJoy appeared on Friday. Democrats control a House panel before which he is scheduled to appear on Monday.


npr--2020-08-21--Money Tracker: How Much Trump And Biden Have Raised In The 2020 Election

Money Tracker : How Much Trump And Biden Have Raised In The 2020 Election Updated on Aug. 21 at 7:40 a.m .
ET Which presidential candidate has the fundraising advantage ?
Here 's how much money the campaigns of President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have raised so far , according to their Federal Election Commission filings .
( Keep in mind that Trump 's reelection campaign had a fundraising head start . )
This tracker will be updated with each monthly report , prior to the general election .
Of course , the universe of campaign finance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raises alone .
Each party has its own committee to help elect a president , which can work in concert with the official campaign and further contributes to the war chest .
And campaigns often announce those joint fundraising totals before filing their FEC paperwork , so what this tracker has and what the campaign says can differ .
Also , groups like super PACs , which can raise and spend unlimited amounts , can help or hurt the fortunes of a presidential nominee .
On both Biden 's and Trump 's sides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of millions of dollars on their own .
Do n't see the graphics in this story ?
Click here .
This story was originally published on May 20 , 2020 .

Money Tracker: How Much Trump And Biden Have Raised In The 2020 Election
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Updated on December 4 at 8:35 a.m. ET
Which presidential candidate has the fundraising advantage?
Here's how much money the campaigns of President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden raised, according to their Federal Election Commission filings. (Keep in mind that Trump's reelection campaign had a fundraising head start.)
This is the final update, reflecting contributions through November 23.
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Of course, the universe of campaign finance is far bigger than what one candidate raises alone. Each party has its own committee to help elect a president, which can work in concert with the official campaign and further contributes to the war chest.
And campaigns often announce those joint fundraising totals before filing their FEC paperwork, so what this tracker has and what the campaign says can differ.
Also, groups like super PACs, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts, can help or hurt the fortunes of a presidential nominee. On both Biden's and Trump's sides, these independent groups have raised tens of millions of dollars on their own.
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Don't see the graphics in this story? Click here.
This story was originally published on May 20, 2020.
Photos: Gage Skidmore/Flickr


npr--2020-08-21--Postmaster General Faces Intense Scrutiny Amid Allegations Of Political Motives

Louis DeJoy , depending on who you talk to , is either a Republican political operative beholden to President Trump , or a savvy businessman who 's the right person to fix what 's broken at the U.S .
Postal Service .
When Senators question him this week , they will want to know which narrative is closer to the truth — and whether he is suited to head the service at this time .
A longtime Republican mega-donor , DeJoy 's background is in the logistics and shipping sector .
A government contract years ago with the Postal Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he leads that same agency and finds himself at the center of a fight over whether the ballots of voters will be delivered and counted fairly in this year 's presidential election .
Since he started in the job June 15 , DeJoy launched a series of organizational shake-ups that have attracted bipartisan criticism that the changes would delay mail delivery just as more Americans are expected to vote by mail .
Earlier this month , he announced an `` organizational realignment '' at the agency , which lost $ 9 billion last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in employee overtime hours and the elimination of postal sorting machines .
Then , President Trump weighed in .
He said that he opposes additional funding for the Postal Service because he wants to make it harder to expand voting by mail — ostensibly to prevent voter fraud , for which there is no evidence .
Amid the furor that followed , DeJoy pledged to put changes on hold until after the election .
`` To avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail , I am suspending these initiatives until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeJoy said in a statement .
Ronald Stroman , a former Deputy Postmaster General , told NPR 's All Things Considered that , regardless of DeJoy 's motivations , `` The question is , what is the effect of what he is doing ?
And if the effect is to slow the mail , to potentially disenfranchise people , voters across the country , then I think we are all right to say these are initiatives that should certainly be halted . ''
A spokesperson for the Postal Service declined to comment for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2000s , critics have accused DeJoy of using his political connections for profit , given that his former company relied on government contracts — including from the U.S .
Postal Service — for a substantial portion of its revenue .
Over the years , his house in North Carolina , nicknamed `` The Castle '' — not least for its staircase painted with 24-carat gold leaf — became a desirable location for Republican fundraisers .
He hosted fundraisers there for a number of prominent politicians , featuring guests like Sen. Richard Burr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Alaska Gov .
Sarah Palin , and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani .
During the past five years , DeJoy has contributed seven-figures in political donations : $ 3.2 million to groups like the Republican National Committee , including more than $ 1.2 million to support Trump 's election campaigns .
Other recipients include the National Republican Senatorial Committee , GOP PACs and individual candidates .
Both he and his wife are well-connected : his spouse Aldona Wos is the former Ambassador to Estonia and headed the North Carolina Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration , she has been nominated to become the U.S. ambassador to Canada .
Long ago , DeJoy criticized Donald Trump 's leadership style .
`` That attitude that you are the most important person is self-destructive , '' he told the Greensboro , N.C. , News & Record in 2005 , referring to the example Trump set on his television show The Apprentice .
`` I 'd be fired . ''
But that 's water under the bridge .
In Oct. 2017 , DeJoy landed the ultimate guest , hosting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States at his estate .
Trump mentioned DeJoy by name in two of his subsequent appearances in North Carolina : once in September 2019 and another time in February 2020 .
`` Louis DeJoy , one of the most successful people , '' Trump said on one occasion .
`` I love politics .
I love supporting candidates , '' DeJoy told the Triad Business Journal in 2016 , though he ruled out getting personally involved by running for office .
Voting records indicate that DeJoy voted by mail in North Carolina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Target Smart , a political data company that works primarily with Democrats .
DeJoy 's deep political connections have raised a simple question : Having donated millions to the Republican party and the Trump campaign , might DeJoy do the President 's bidding as Postmaster General ?
`` Most postmasters have come up through the ranks within the Postal Service .
I do n't view it as a liability , '' said Rick Geddes , a professor at Cornell University and a visiting scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perspectives into the operation of the Postal Service that could be good in the long run . ''
But Geddes acknowledges that DeJoy 's background plays a role in raising suspicions about his motives for postal reform .
When DeJoy was first appointed , it appeared that Trump was more interested in the post office for business reasons than political ones .
The president frequently criticized the agency , alleging that it gives preferential treatment to online retailers such as Amazon , whose CEO Jeff Bezos is a frequent target of the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy analyst at the watchdog group Project on Government Oversight , says DeJoy 's history of political contribution raises questions about where his ultimate allegiances lie .
`` The fact that he was a clear political donor to the president raises the question : who is he working for ? ''
Stretton said .
`` He has clear political leanings that favors this administration , which raises questions .
Why was he appointed in the first place ? ''
How DeJoy got the job DeJoy 's path to the job of Postmaster General @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of men who comprise the Postal Service 's Board of Governors , all of whom were nominated by Trump and were subsequently confirmed by the Senate .
The Board of Governors is similar to a company 's board of directors - it oversees Postal Service spending , handles long-term planning , and selects the Postmaster General .
Four Republicans and two Democrats make up the current board , several of whom come from business backgrounds .
The board 's Chairman , Robert `` Mike '' Duncan , was confirmed in 2018 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political operative and ally of Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky .
His son , Robert M. Duncan , Jr. , is also part of the Trump administration — the president named him U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky .
Duncan 's history in partisan politics , past statements about alleged voter fraud , and financial connections to DeJoy may come under intense scrutiny from Congressional Democrats .
Along with DeJoy , Duncan is set to testify before Congress on Monday .
`` I am proud to say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a party man , '' Duncan said in 2007 , when he took over as Chair of the Republican National Committee .
Duncan led the Republican party during the 2008 presidential election , and at times using rhetoric similar to President Trump , repeatedly claimed that Democrats engaged in widespread voter fraud .
In one fundraising email , Duncan said Democrats , `` will soon be trying to pad their totals at ballot boxes across the country with votes from voters that do not exist . ''
After the election , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Duncan cited `` irregularities '' and warned that `` the Obama-Biden Democrats and their liberal special interest allies are trying to steal these election victories from Republicans . ''
On his official Postal Service biography , Duncan touts the fact that as RNC chair , he `` raised an unprecedented $ 428 million and grew the donor base to 1.8 million . ''
One of those donors was Louis DeJoy .
The future Postmaster gave nearly $ 30,000 to the RNC during Duncan 's tenure , according to Federal Election Commission records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directed a Republican data firm , and became chairman of two major Republican Super PACs - the Senate Leadership Fund and American Crossroads - according to records he submitted during his Senate confirmation .
Both Super PACs have spent tens of millions of dollars supporting Republican candidates and opposing Democrats , including several members of the Senate committee that oversees the Postal Service .
American Crossroads also received $ 25,000 from DeJoy in 2016 , during Duncan 's tenure there .
Duncan remains a member of the board of both organizations , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both groups .
`` Our boards , like most boards , oversee organizational policies , financial management , senior executive compensation and management performance - but are not involved in directing day-to-day operations or projects , '' Pandol said .
President Trump nominated Duncan to his role overseeing the Postal Service in 2017 , and the Senate unanimously confirmed him the next year .
In late 2019 , Duncan and his colleagues on the Postal Service Board of Governors were put in charge of finding a replacement for then-Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Board has said that it whittled down a list of more than 200 potential executives to 14 candidates , who were interviewed .
A smaller group of finalists then went through more thorough vetting .
Aside from DeJoy , the identities of those candidates remain unknown .
NPR reached out to Chelsea Partners , an outside firm that helped vet those candidates , but its managing director declined to comment , citing a non-disclosure agreement .
Another firm that worked on the process , Russell Reynolds Associates , is also bound by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats .
Trump Administration Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was also eager to be kept `` apprised '' of the search `` as appropriate , '' according to records obtained by the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington , and actually met with the Board in February .
`` Neither I nor any other Treasury official played any role in recruiting or suggesting Mr. DeJoy for the position of Postmaster General , '' Mnuchin said in a letter on Thursday .
`` The decision was made by the Board alone . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was announced , one of the Board 's members , David C. Williams , abruptly resigned .
Williams later told Congressional investigators , `` I had expressed concerns after each of the interviews with Mr. Louis DeJoy .
I urged that a background investigation be conducted .
And when I resigned , I cited it as one of my reasons for submitting my resignation to Chairman Robert Duncan . ''
But at the time , the reasons for Williams 's resignation were unknown .
DeJoy and Duncan are likely to face skeptical questioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has raised concerns about Mnuchin 's role `` through meetings with individual Governors as well as phone calls with groups of Governors . ''
Democratic Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois and Katie Porter of California have also demanded answers from the board about Williams 's resignation , suggesting that the Postal Service 's leadership has not yet revealed the full truth behind the selection process .
Ultimately , in May , the Board announced its pick of Louis DeJoy .
At a public meeting , John Barger , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board , rejected any suggestion that DeJoy was picked because of his political beliefs or connections .
The board cited DeJoy 's longtime work in logistics , and the fact that his companies had served as subcontractors for the postal service .
`` The committee wishes to emphasize that Mr. DeJoy 's selection by our board of governors was unanimous , '' said Barger , `` both Republicans and Democrats embraced this decision ... Louis DeJoy represents the tradition of Postmaster Generals who have worked their way up in life , [ and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization so wonderful and unique as the United States Postal Service . ''
DeJoy made his fortune with New Breed Logistics , a small family-owned trucking company in Long Island , New York run by his father .
According to DeJoy 's own account , the company initially consisted of three trucks and some trailers .
When DeJoy finished college , he told himself he was going to run the company for a year or two to get it back on its feet and then go to graduate or law school .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an entirely new direction — warehousing and crating materials for delivery .
The company , which by then was called New Breed Logistics , got its big break from the very organization DeJoy is now leading : the U.S .
Postal Service .
Back in 1992 , USPS was launching a pilot project aimed at repairing and inspecting mailbags and fixing the carts and bins that hold stacked mail .
The idea was to fix the bags and boxes and send them back to the post office to be reused .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move his dad 's old company from New York to Greensboro , N.C .
He eventually set up 22 of these mailbag sites around the country .
DeJoy 's next big contract was with Verizon .
Just about any time Verizon sends out a new cell phone , it it is shipped from New Breed , or its eventual parent company , XPO Logistics .
DeJoy also did logistics work for the Department of Defense and big Fortune 500 companies like Boeing .
All this work gave DeJoy experience with the Postal Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board of Governors has noted that DeJoy 's company received the `` Quality Supplier Award '' from the Postal Service in 1995 , 1996 , 1997 and 1998 .
`` He was a highly , highly accomplished contractor of the Postal Service , '' Barger said .
DeJoy was CEO of New Breed Logistics from 1983 to 2014 , when a Connecticut-based freight company , XPO Logistics , acquired New Breed for $ 615 million .
DeJoy remained as CEO of its supply chain business for another year , to see the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the XPO board until 2018 .
His tenure at both New Breed and XPO is marked by a roster of litigation for employment discrimination , wage- and hour-discrimination , sexual harassment and workplace safety .
In the mid-90s , when DeJoy was New Breed 's CEO , the company landed a contract to run a U.S. Army supply terminal in Compton , CA .
The local union accused DeJoy of union-busting and making a concerted effort not to rehire longshoremen and warehouse workers who were already working at the terminal .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( NLRB ) found that New Breed 's hiring practices were motivated by anti-union animus .
What 's more , the NLRB found that DeJoy was a central figure in those hiring decisions .
In 2008 , 27,000 members of the International Association of Machinists ( IAM ) working at Boeing went on strike for nearly two months over the airline manufacturer 's plans to outsource 5,000 union jobs — jobs delivering parts delivery and maintaining facilities — to New Breed , which was a non-union shop .
DeJoy was CEO at New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers returned to their jobs after Boeing agreed to keep the 5,000 jobs while still allowing New Breed to deliver parts to Boeing factories .
In 2013 , the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ( EEOC ) brought suit against New Breed for sexual harassment and discrimination against employees at one of its Memphis warehouses .
A Tennessee jury awarded $ 1.5 million to four New Breed temporary warehouse workers who alleged not only that they had been harassed , but also fired for lodging their complaints .
Tasha Murrell , who was working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says she experienced that sexual harassment first hand .
`` I have worked there several years .
I mean , it is a horrible company to work for , '' she told NPR .
`` I witnessed first hand sexual harassment , pregnancy discrimination , poor working conditions . ''
New Breed was in the news again when The New York Times launched an investigation into pregnancy discrimination at the same New Breed/XPO warehouse where Murrell was working .
The story focused on four women working for the company , all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their requests for light duty during their pregnancies .
Murrell was one of those women .
This took place when DeJoy was still CEO at New Breed .
In a statement , an XPO spokesperson said the company launched an independent investigation at the warehouse and implemented new programs and policies to address the issues of pregnancy care and family leave .
When XPO acquired DeJoy 's company in 2014 and took over the Memphis plant , Murrell said that workers hoped that that conditions would improve , but they did n't .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ basic brick building with no windows , with a small amount of ventilation , no heating , no air conditioning .
I mean , it 's a horrible company .
I call it a modern day plantation sweatshop , '' Murrell said .
These do n't appear to be outlier episodes .
Since 2000 , New Breed/XPO and its subsidiaries have racked up 17 wage-and-hour violations , with fines totaling $ 41 million .
They have been fined half a dozen times for employment discrimination and labor relations problems , and 30 times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retired as chief executive of XPO 's supply chain business in 2015 and remained a member of the XPO board until two years ago .
Last year , XPO closed the Memphis warehouse where Murrell worked saying it was a simple business decision .
The company said it found jobs at other Memphis warehouses for the displaced workers .
DeJoy may not have foreseen the political storm that has erupted over the actions he 's taken in the few months he 's led the US Postal Service .
But as a businessman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Who Is Louis DeJoy? U.S. Postmaster General In Spotlight Ahead Of 2020 Election
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images
Louis DeJoy, depending on whom you talk to, is either a Republican political operative beholden to President Trump, or a savvy businessman who's the right person to fix what's broken at the U.S. Postal Service. When senators question him this week, they will want to know which narrative is closer to the truth — and whether he is suited to head the service at this time.
A longtime Republican megadonor, DeJoy has a background in the logistics and shipping sector. A government contract years ago with the Postal Service helped him launch his business. Now he leads that same agency and finds himself at the center of a fight over whether voters' ballots will be delivered and counted fairly in this year's presidential election.
Since he started in the job June 15, DeJoy has launched a series of organizational shake-ups that have attracted bipartisan criticism that the changes would delay mail delivery just as more Americans are expected to vote by mail. Earlier this month, he announced an "organizational realignment" at the agency, which lost $9 billion last year. These changes included a reduction in employee overtime hours and the elimination of postal-sorting machines.
Then Trump weighed in. He said that he opposes additional funding for the Postal Service because he wants to make it harder to expand voting by mail — ostensibly to prevent voter fraud, for which there is no evidence.
Amid the furor that followed, DeJoy pledged to put changes on hold until after the election.
"To avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail, I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded," DeJoy said in a statement.
Ronald Stroman, a former deputy postmaster general, told NPR's All Things Considered that, regardless of DeJoy's motivations, "The question is, what is the effect of what he is doing? And if the effect is to slow the mail, to potentially disenfranchise people, voters across the country, then I think we are all right to say these are initiatives that should certainly be halted."
A spokesperson for the Postal Service declined to comment for this story.
Postmasters and patronage
As far back as the 2000s, critics have accused DeJoy of using his political connections for profit, given that his former company relied on government contracts — including from the Postal Service — for a substantial portion of its revenue.
Over the years, his house in North Carolina, nicknamed "The Castle" — not least for its staircase painted with 24-karat gold leaf — became a desirable location for Republican fundraisers. He hosted fundraisers there for a number of prominent politicians, featuring guests such as Sen. Richard Burr, the late Sen. John McCain, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
During the past five years, DeJoy has contributed seven figures in political donations: $3.2 million to groups such as the Republican National Committee, including more than $1.2 million to support Trump's election campaigns. Other recipients include the National Republican Senatorial Committee, GOP political action committees and individual candidates.
Both he and his wife are well-connected: His spouse, Aldona Wos, is the former ambassador to Estonia and headed the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. In the Trump administration, she has been nominated to become the U.S. ambassador to Canada.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Raigo Pajula/AFP via Getty Images Raigo Pajula/AFP via Getty Images
Long ago, DeJoy criticized Trump's leadership style. "That attitude that you are the most important person is self-destructive," he told the Greensboro, N.C., News & Record in 2005, referring to the example Trump set on his television show The Apprentice. "I'd be fired."
But that's water under the bridge.
In October 2017, DeJoy landed the ultimate guest, hosting a fundraiser for the president of the United States at his estate. Trump mentioned DeJoy by name in two of his subsequent appearances in North Carolina: once in September 2019 and another time in February. "Louis DeJoy, one of the most successful people," Trump said on one occasion.
"I love politics. I love supporting candidates," DeJoy told the Triad Business Journal in 2016, though he ruled out getting personally involved by running for office. Voting records indicate that DeJoy voted by mail in North Carolina in the 2004 general election, according to Target Smart, a political data company that works primarily with Democrats.
DeJoy's deep political connections have raised a simple question: Having donated millions to the Republican Party and the Trump campaign, might DeJoy do the president's bidding as postmaster general?
"Most postmasters have come up through the ranks within the Postal Service. I don't view it as a liability," said Rick Geddes, a professor at Cornell University and a visiting scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. "I think it might bring fresh managerial perspectives into the operation of the Postal Service that could be good in the long run."
But Geddes acknowledged that DeJoy's background plays a role in raising suspicions about his motives for postal reform.
When DeJoy was first appointed, it appeared that Trump was more interested in the post office for business reasons than political ones. The president frequently criticized the agency, alleging that it gives preferential treatment to online retailers such as Amazon, whose CEO, Jeff Bezos, is a frequent target of the president's attacks.
Tim Stretton, a policy analyst at the watchdog group Project on Government Oversight, said DeJoy's history of political contributions raises questions about where his ultimate allegiances lie.
"The fact that he was a clear political donor to the president raises the question: Who is he working for?" Stretton said. "He has clear political leanings that favors this administration, which raises questions. Why was he appointed in the first place?"
How DeJoy got the job
DeJoy's path to the job of postmaster general was made possible by the bipartisan group of men who make up the Postal Service's board of governors, all of whom were nominated by Trump and were subsequently confirmed by the Senate.
The board of governors is similar to a company's board of directors — it oversees Postal Service spending, handles long-term planning and selects the postmaster general. Four Republicans and two Democrats make up the current board, several of whom come from business backgrounds.
The board's chairman, Robert "Mike" Duncan, was confirmed in 2018, and is best known as a longtime Republican political operative and ally of Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. His son, Robert M. Duncan Jr., is also part of the Trump administration — the president named him U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Duncan's history in partisan politics, past statements about alleged voter fraud and financial connections to DeJoy may come under intense scrutiny from congressional Democrats. Along with DeJoy, Duncan is set to testify before Congress on Monday.
"I am proud to say that I have always been and always will be a party man," Duncan said in 2007 when he took over as chair of the Republican National Committee.
Duncan led the Republican Party during the 2008 presidential election, and at times using rhetoric similar to Trump, repeatedly claimed that Democrats engaged in widespread voter fraud. In one fundraising email, Duncan said Democrats "will soon be trying to pad their totals at ballot boxes across the country with votes from voters that do not exist." After the election, as a handful of congressional races remained undecided, Duncan cited "irregularities" and warned that "the Obama-Biden Democrats and their liberal special interest allies are trying to steal these election victories from Republicans."
On his official Postal Service biography, Duncan touts the fact that as RNC chair, he "raised an unprecedented $428 million and grew the donor base to 1.8 million."
One of those donors was DeJoy.
The future postmaster general gave nearly $30,000 to the RNC during Duncan's tenure, according to Federal Election Commission records.
After the 2008 election, Duncan directed a Republican data firm and became chairman of two major Republican Super PACs — the Senate Leadership Fund and American Crossroads, according to records he submitted during his Senate confirmation. Both Super PACs have spent tens of millions of dollars supporting Republican candidates and opposing Democrats, including several members of the Senate committee that oversees the Postal Service. American Crossroads also received $25,000 from DeJoy in 2016 during Duncan's tenure there.
Duncan remains a member of the board of both organizations, according to Jack Pandol, a spokesperson for both groups. "Our boards, like most boards, oversee organizational policies, financial management, senior executive compensation and management performance — but are not involved in directing day-to-day operations or projects," Pandol said.
Trump nominated Duncan to his role overseeing the Postal Service in 2017, and the Senate unanimously confirmed him the next year.
In late 2019, Duncan and his colleagues on the Postal Service board of governors were put in charge of finding a replacement for then-Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan, who had announced her retirement.
The board has said it whittled down a list of more than 200 potential executives to 14 candidates, who were interviewed. A smaller group of finalists then went through more thorough vetting. Aside from DeJoy, the identities of those candidates remain unknown. NPR reached out to Chelsea Partners, an outside firm that helped vet those candidates, but its managing director declined to comment, citing a nondisclosure agreement. Another firm that worked on the process, Russell Reynolds Associates, is also bound by a nondisclosure agreement, according to Senate Democrats.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was also eager to be kept "apprised" of the search "as appropriate," according to records obtained by the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and met with the board in February.
"Neither I nor any other Treasury official played any role in recruiting or suggesting Mr. DeJoy for the position of Postmaster General," Mnuchin said in a letter on Thursday. "The decision was made by the Board alone."
Then, the month before the selection was announced, one of the board's members, David C. Williams, abruptly resigned. Williams later told congressional investigators, "I had expressed concerns after each of the interviews with Mr. Louis DeJoy. I urged that a background investigation be conducted. And when I resigned, I cited it as one of my reasons for submitting my resignation to Chairman Robert Duncan."
But at the time, the reasons for Williams' resignation were unknown.
DeJoy and Duncan are likely to face skeptical questioning from Congress about the hiring process. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has raised concerns about Mnuchin's role "through meetings with individual Governors as well as phone calls with groups of Governors." Democratic Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois and Katie Porter of California have also demanded answers from the board about Williams' resignation, suggesting that the Postal Service's leadership has not yet revealed the full truth behind the selection process.
Ultimately, in May, the board announced its pick of DeJoy. At a public meeting, John Barger, one of the Republican members of the board, rejected any suggestion that DeJoy was picked because of his political beliefs or connections.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jonathan Alcorn/Bloomberg via Getty Images Jonathan Alcorn/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The board cited DeJoy's longtime work in logistics, and the fact that his companies had served as subcontractors for the Postal Service.
"The committee wishes to emphasize that Mr. DeJoy's selection by our board of governors was unanimous," Barger said. "Both Republicans and Democrats embraced this decision. ... Louis DeJoy represents the tradition of postmaster generals who have worked their way up in life, [and] earned their stripes to lead an organization so wonderful and unique as the United States Postal Service."
A big break — and a roster of complaints
DeJoy made his fortune with New Breed Logistics, a small family-owned trucking company on Long Island run by his father. According to DeJoy's own account, the company initially consisted of three trucks and some trailers. When DeJoy finished college, he told himself he was going to run the company for a year or two to get it back on its feet and then go to graduate or law school. Instead, he ended up launching the company in an entirely new direction — warehousing and crating materials for delivery.
The company, which by then was called New Breed Logistics, got its big break from the very organization DeJoy is now leading: the U.S. Postal Service.
Back in 1992, USPS was launching a pilot project aimed at repairing and inspecting mailbags and fixing the carts and bins that hold stacked mail. The idea was to fix the bags and boxes and send them back to post offices to be reused. The job was lucrative enough for DeJoy to move his dad's old company from New York to Greensboro, N.C. He eventually set up 22 of these mailbag sites around the country.
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Lamparski/Getty Images John Lamparski/Getty Images
DeJoy's next big contract was with Verizon. Just about any time Verizon sends out a new cellphone, it is shipped from New Breed, or its eventual parent company, XPO Logistics. DeJoy also did logistics work for the Department of Defense and big Fortune 500 companies such as Boeing.
All this work gave DeJoy experience with the Postal Service. Barger of the Postal Service board of governors has noted that DeJoy's company received the Quality Supplier Award from the Postal Service in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998. "He was a highly, highly accomplished contractor of the Postal Service," Barger said.
DeJoy was CEO of New Breed Logistics from 1983 to 2014, when a Connecticut-based freight company, XPO Logistics, acquired the firm for $615 million. DeJoy remained as CEO of its supply chain business for another year, to see the company through the transition, and then served on the XPO board until 2018.
His tenure at both New Breed and XPO is marked by a roster of litigation over employment discrimination, wage- and hour-discrimination, sexual harassment and workplace safety.
In the mid-'90s, when DeJoy was New Breed's CEO, the company landed a contract to run a U.S. Army supply terminal in Compton, Calif. The local union accused DeJoy of union busting and making a concerted effort not to rehire longshoremen and warehouse workers who were already working at the terminal. In 1997, the National Labor Relations Board found that New Breed's hiring practices were motivated by anti-union animus. What's more, the NLRB found that DeJoy was a central figure in those hiring decisions.
In 2008, 27,000 members of the International Association of Machinists working at Boeing went on strike for nearly two months over the airline manufacturer's plans to outsource 5,000 union jobs — jobs delivering parts delivery and maintaining facilities — to New Breed, which was a nonunion shop. DeJoy was CEO at New Breed at the time. Eventually, workers returned to their jobs after Boeing agreed to keep the 5,000 jobs while still allowing New Breed to deliver parts to Boeing factories.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Robert Giroux/Getty Images Robert Giroux/Getty Images
In 2013, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission brought suit against New Breed over sexual harassment and discrimination against employees at one of its Memphis warehouses. A Tennessee jury awarded $1.5 million to four New Breed temporary warehouse workers, who alleged not only that they had been harassed but also fired for lodging their complaints. Tasha Murrell, who was working at that Memphis warehouse at the time, said she experienced that sexual harassment firsthand.
"I have worked there several years. I mean, it is a horrible company to work for," she told NPR. "I witnessed firsthand sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, poor working conditions."
New Breed was in the news again when The New York Times launched an investigation into pregnancy discrimination at the same New Breed/XPO warehouse where Murrell was working. The story focused on four women working for the company, all of whom had suffered miscarriages after supervisors refused their requests for light duty during their pregnancies. Murrell was one of those women. This took place when DeJoy was still CEO at New Breed.
In a statement, an XPO spokesperson said the company launched an independent investigation at the warehouse and implemented new programs and policies to address the issues of pregnancy care and family leave.
When XPO acquired DeJoy's company in 2014 and took over the Memphis plant, Murrell said that workers hoped that conditions would improve, but they didn't.
"This warehouse is just like a basic brick building with no windows, with a small amount of ventilation, no heating, no air conditioning. I mean, it's a horrible company. I call it a modern-day plantation sweatshop," Murrell said.
These don't appear to be outlier episodes. Since 2000, New Breed/XPO and its subsidiaries have racked up 17 wage-and-hour violations, with fines totaling $41 million. They have been fined half a dozen times for employment discrimination and labor relations problems, and 30 times for health and safety violations.
DeJoy retired as chief executive of XPO's supply chain business in 2015 and remained a member of the XPO board until two years ago. Last year, XPO closed the Memphis warehouse where Murrell worked, saying it was a business decision. The company said it found jobs at other Memphis warehouses for the displaced workers.
DeJoy may not have foreseen the political storm that has erupted over the actions he's taken in the few months he's led the U.S. Postal Service. But as a businessman, he is no stranger to controversy.
NPR's Barbara Van Woerkom contributed to this report.


npr--2020-08-21--In Thailand, a 21-Year-Old Student Dares To Tackle A Taboo Subject

On August 10 , 21-year-old student Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul 's life changed forever .
That 's the night she took to the stage at a rally at Thammasat University outside Bangkok and read a ten-point manifesto aimed at reform of Thailand 's politically powerful monarchy — a taboo subject in the Kingdom where the royal family is protected by strict laws that can land critics in jail .
At an interview off campus , she said it was an assignment she always thought was hers .
`` I asked for it .
I want to be the one to read that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because I want to be the one to change things in this country .
And I think this is the chance to do that . ''
It 's a risky move , the first time in modern Thai history that the monarchy has been talked about publicly—openly—in a critical way .
Panusaya is undeterred .
`` I think the monarchy has to be under law like everyone in this country , '' she says .
`` That manifesto is like the first level to change the system in Thailand . ''
As she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role of the monarchy is the only the first step toward restoring real democracy in Thailand .
New elections and a new constitution to replace the one drafted by the military , who seized power in a 2014 coup , need to come next .
Thailand is a country where the monarchy and the military have been locked in a symbiotic relationship for decades and where politicians have often blurred the lines between the government and the crown , using the laws meant to protect the king , known as lese-majeste , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Panusaya calls for revoking those laws , cutting back on public spending on the royal family and countering its influence over Thai politics .
It caught the military backed government of general-turned-prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha by surprise .
`` The military government does n't know how to approach or to address this new kind of threat , '' says David Streckfuss , author of a book about the Thai monarchy and laws written to shield it from public discussion- '' The Thai state is not ideologically equipped to handle such an open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades to keep from public criticism or scrutiny , '' he says .
Thai authorities have arrested nearly a dozen pro-democracy demonstrators in the past week , but released many on bail as the government struggles with how best to respond .
In the past , they 've resorted to violent crackdowns—in 1973 , 1976 , 1992 and 2010 .
The country 's powerful army chief this month sharply criticized what he decribed as `` nation haters . ''
`` The cornonavirus can be cured , '' he said , `` Those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they keep mocking their own country . ''
Arch royalists have also vehemently denounced both Panusaya and pro-democracy protesters on Twitter and Facebook .
Panunsaya says she is n't worried .
`` I have a lot of defenders who help me with that kind of people so I do n't have to worry about that because I know a lot of people agree with me , '' she says .
Nearly a dozen exiled critics of the monarchy or the military have gone missing in the past few years .
In December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the banks of the Mekong River with their stomachs filled with concrete .
`` I know that .
I 'm not stupid , '' Panunsaya says .
`` My head tells me it 's too risky to say things that are so harsh , but my heart is saying I know it had to be done .
So I listen to my heart more . ''
The youth-led , pro-democracy demonstrations are gaining traction in a country where job prospects for graduating young people are bleak .
Chulalangkorn University political scientist Thitinan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why .
`` The future is very dim .
Jobs , careers , livelihoods , nowhere to be seen .
And I think they 're sick and tired and fed up . ''
More than 10,000 people turned out for an anti-government protest in Bangkok on Sunday — the largest such gathering since the coup four years ago that brought the military to power .
High school students have been silently displaying the three-fingered salute from The Hunger Games during the loud-speaker broadcast of the national anthem that occurs every morning throughout Thailand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday at the Education Ministry with the same salute , which was banned shortly after the coup .
It 's not just young people turning out—at Sunday 's rally there was a broader cross section of Thais surrounding the Democracy Monument to hear what the protesters had to say in a country where the military backed government 's stewardship of the economy drew mixed reviews even before the coronavirus cratered it .
In a country whose King is believed to be one of the richest men in the world and where the richest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than half the country 's wealth , Panusaya says its time for change .
`` Now is like a new era , '' she says .
`` It 's our generation and if we do n't change that , then we 'll have to live like this forever .
And we do n't want that . ''
She says she 's ready to go to jail , or worse , for her beliefs .
An arrest warrant was issued for her on Wednesday .

In Thailand, A 21-Year-Old Student Dares To Tackle A Taboo Subject
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Sullivan/NPR Michael Sullivan/NPR
On Aug. 10, 21-year-old student Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul's life changed forever. That's the night she took to the stage at a rally at Thammasat University outside Bangkok and read a 10-point manifesto aimed at reform of Thailand's politically powerful monarchy — a taboo subject in the kingdom, where the royal family is protected by strict laws that can land critics in jail.
At an interview off campus, she said it was an assignment she always thought was hers.
"I asked for it. I want to be the one to read that manifesto," she said. "Because I want to be the one to change things in this country. And I think this is the chance to do that."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images
It's a risky move, the first time in modern Thai history that the monarchy has been talked about publicly — openly — in a critical way. Panusaya is undeterred.
"I think the monarchy has to be under law like everyone in this country," she says. "That manifesto is like the first level to change the system in Thailand."
As she sees it, limiting the power and role of the monarchy is the only the first step toward restoring real democracy in Thailand. New elections and a new constitution to replace the one drafted by the military, which seized power in a 2014 coup, need to come next.
Thailand is a country where the monarchy and the military have been locked in a symbiotic relationship for decades and where politicians have often blurred the lines between the government and the crown, using the laws meant to protect the king, known as lese-majeste, to silence political opponents.
The manifesto read by Panusaya calls for revoking those laws, cutting back on public spending on the royal family and countering its influence over Thai politics. It caught the military-backed government of general-turned-prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha by surprise.
"The military government doesn't know how to approach or to address this new kind of threat," says David Streckfuss, author of a book about the Thai monarchy and laws written to shield it from public discussion.
"The Thai state is not ideologically equipped to handle such an open confrontation over something they've fought for decades to keep from public criticism or scrutiny," he says.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images
Thai authorities have arrested nearly a dozen pro-democracy demonstrators in the past week but released many on bail as the government struggles with how best to respond. In the past, they've resorted to violent crackdowns — in 1973, 1976, 1992 and 2010.
The country's powerful army chief this month sharply criticized what he described as "nation haters."
"The coronavirus can be cured," he said. "Those who hate their own country are not recoverable because they keep mocking their own country."
Arch royalists have also vehemently denounced both Panusaya and pro-democracy protesters on Twitter and Facebook. Panusaya says she isn't worried.
"I have a lot of defenders who help me with that kind of people so I don't have to worry about that because I know a lot of people agree with me," she says.
Nearly a dozen exiled critics of the monarchy or the military have gone missing in the past few years. In December 2019, two of them washed up on the banks of the Mekong River with their stomachs filled with concrete.
"I know that. I'm not stupid," Panusaya says. "My head tells me it's too risky to say things that are so harsh, but my heart is saying I know it had to be done. So I listen to my heart more."
The youth-led, pro-democracy demonstrations are gaining traction in a country where job prospects for graduating young people are bleak. Chulalongkorn University political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak says it's easy to see why. "The future is very dim. Jobs, careers, livelihoods, nowhere to be seen. And I think they're sick and tired and fed up."
More than 10,000 people turned out for an anti-government protest in Bangkok on Sunday — the largest such gathering since the coup six years ago that brought the military to power.
High school students have been silently displaying the three-fingered salute from The Hunger Games during the loud-speaker broadcast of the national anthem that occurs every morning throughout Thailand. Hundreds of students turned out on Wednesday at the Education Ministry with the same salute, which was banned shortly after the coup.
It's not just young people turning out. At Sunday's rally, there was a broader cross section of Thais surrounding the Democracy Monument to hear what the protesters had to say in a country where the military-backed government's stewardship of the economy drew mixed reviews even before the coronavirus cratered it.
In a country whose King is believed to be one of the richest men in the world and where the richest 1% of the population controls more than half the country's wealth, Panusaya says it's time for change.
"Now is like a new era," she says. "It's our generation, and if we don't change that, then we'll have to live like this forever. And we don't want that."
She says she's ready to go to jail, or worse, for her beliefs.
An arrest warrant was issued for her on Wednesday.


npr--2020-08-21--Biden Promises 'Light' After Trump's 'Darkness': 7 Takeaways From The DNC

Biden Promises 'Light ' After Trump 's 'Darkness ' : 7 Takeaways From The DNC Democrats have to be very happy with what they were able to accomplish this week with their convention .
Their production of the first-ever , all-virtual convention went off mostly without a hitch .
At times , the last night seemed like whiplash with a serious segment on faith and forgiveness followed by snark from emcee Julia Louise Dreyfus , for example .
But none of that will be remembered .
What will be , and perhaps for a very long time , was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden gave a lot of thunderous speeches on the floor of the U.S. Senate when he was a senator and he 's appeared at conventions before , but no speech he 's ever made was as important , and perhaps as well delivered , as this one .
With that , here are seven takeaways from a consequential week : 1 .
Biden may have delivered the best speech of his career It was more fireside chat than convention barn burner , and he has never been an arena orator like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But , frankly , it worked for Biden .
He delivered a sober and urgent speech directly to the American people with a clarity of message , one of light versus dark .
Biden , a devout Irish Catholic , seemingly channeled years of homilies about good versus evil , right versus wrong .
If he wins , it will be a speech for the ages .
`` Here and now I give you my word .
If you entrust me with the presidency , I will draw on the best of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
`` I will be an ally of the light , not the darkness . ''
The Trump campaign might regret setting the bar so low , to the point where as long as Biden got through the speech , he would dispel questions of his mental acuity .
But he did far more than that .
For the first time , perhaps even since he began this campaign , Biden showed why he should be president , rather than it simply being not Trump .
Even before Biden 's speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a different choice , a different version of what the country could be , for those disaffected by Trump .
Look , Trump 's supporters are locked in .
But Democrats took aim at that sliver of truly persuadable voters and tried to win them over .
Democrats ' vision for America is one that celebrates diversity , adheres to norms and will change direction .
Change is one of the most powerful motivators in politics , and it particularly sticks when things are n't going well in the country .
Think Ronald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after George H.W .
Bush and Barack Obama after George W. Bush .
If Americans are looking for change again , Democrats presented it .
It 's up to Trump and Republicans next week to try and sell steadiness to right the course .
That 's something that can work for presidents seeking reelection , though it 's made tougher by Trump 's volatility .
One advantage of a virtual convention is the boos are n't magnified .
Past conventions have featured at least some unrest within the base .
That was certainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who did not go gently into that good night .
And it was true of Sen. Ted Cruz supporters at the Republican National Convention .
But it was n't just the lack of in-person delegates , it was the clear and present threat of Donald Trump for progressives .
Sanders spoke strongly on Biden 's behalf ; and single-payer advocate Ady Barkan , who is stricken with ALS , praised Biden and promoted progress over purity .
Sure , there was some grumbling about who got time , who did n't and who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far more unified Democratic Party coming out of this convention than the one taking on Trump the last time .
4 .
It was n't all about Trump For as much as this election is all about Trump , and as much as Biden 's supporters are mostly motivated by antipathy for Trump , the convention did buoy Biden personally and made an affirmative case for Biden 's vision for the country .
It became pretty clear , if it was n't going in , that a message Democrats wanted to get across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people you can trust and who care about people like you .
But as his speech showed , do n't mistake kindness for weakness .
It 's almost as if one message was — he 'll fight for kindness .
If you had any doubt that Harris was the right pick , she proved she 's ready for prime time .
She delivered a solid speech and has hit all the right notes since being announced as Biden 's running mate .
Being a Black and South Asian woman , she highlights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of America .
Her simply being on the ballot is a statement against Trump .
But she has shown , throughout her career and highlighted this week , she is far more than that .
She 's sharp , can deliver a punch and has provided some needed energy to the Biden candidacy .
At the end of the day , Biden won the Democratic primary , in part , because he was seen as the most likely to beat Trump .
But it 's clear , given he 's said he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bridge and Harris is on the other side .
Biden has led Trump in almost every issue area consistently and by a lot , except when it comes to the economy .
But Democrats did n't seem to do anything to break through with an economic message , beyond saying that the pandemic had to be solved and other boilerplate Democratic points , like securing the social safety net and having the rich pay their `` fair share . ''
Biden was involved in one segment Thursday dealing with the economy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one point , he said that he believed the auto industry could be revitalized back to its peak in the 1940s and 1950s .
But no economist thinks that 's possible .
He also said he wants to invest $ 2 trillion in infrastructure , something every president says he wants to invest in , but has been unable to get the parties to agree on how to pay for it .
It sounded as if Harris was on track to pivoting to a new emphasis on the economy when she was picked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she talked about Trump spoiling the economy he inherited from Obama .
But that was not something much talked about during these four days .
If there was one message Democrats hope people take away from this week it was that people need to go vote .
While wearing a V-O-T-E necklace , former first lady Michelle Obama implored people get on their `` comfortable shoes '' and bring their dinners , maybe even breakfasts and wait for as long as it takes .
Her husband , former President Barack Obama , ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' We have to get busy building it up by pouring all our efforts into these 76 days and by voting like never before for Joe and Kamala and candidates up and down the ticket , '' he said , `` so that we leave no doubt about what this country that we love stands for today and for all our days to come . ''
Democrats really feel if everyone votes , and if all their votes are counted , they win .
And now , it 's on to the Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be interesting to see if there are any new ways that Trump frames the argument for why he feels he deserves four more years .

Biden Promises 'Light' After Trump's 'Darkness': 7 Takeaways From The DNC
Enlarge this image toggle caption Win McNamee/Getty Images Win McNamee/Getty Images
Democrats have to be very happy with what they were able to accomplish this week with their convention.
Their production of the first all-virtual convention went off mostly without a hitch. At times, the last night seemed like whiplash with a serious segment on faith and forgiveness followed by snark from emcee Julia Louis-Dreyfus, for example.
But none of that will be remembered. What will be, and perhaps for a very long time, was the speech Joe Biden was able to deliver. Biden gave a lot of thunderous speeches on the floor of the U.S. Senate when he was a senator and he has appeared at conventions before, but no speech he has ever made was as important, and perhaps as well-delivered, as this one.
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With that, here are seven takeaways from a consequential week:
1. Biden may have delivered the best speech of his career
It was more fireside chat than convention barn burner, and he has never been an arena orator like the man he worked for, Barack Obama. But, frankly, it worked for Biden.
He delivered a sober and urgent speech directly to the American people with a clarity of message, one of light versus dark. Biden, a devout Irish Catholic, seemingly channeled years of homilies about good versus evil, right versus wrong. If he wins, it will be a speech for the ages.
"Here and now, I give you my word: If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst," he said. "I will be an ally of the light, not the darkness."
The Trump campaign might regret setting the bar so low to the point where as long as Biden got through the speech, he would dispel questions of his mental acuity. But he did far more than that. For the first time, perhaps even since he began this campaign, Biden showed why he should be president for reasons other than simply being not Trump.
2. Democrats offered a different choice
Even before Biden's speech, Democrats were able to lay out a different choice, a different version of what the country could be, for those disaffected by Trump.
Look, Trump's supporters are locked in. But Democrats took aim at that sliver of truly persuadable voters and tried to win them over. Democrats' vision for America is one that celebrates diversity, adheres to norms and will change direction.
Change is one of the most powerful motivators in politics, and it particularly sticks when things aren't going well in the country. Think Ronald Reagan following Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton after George H.W. Bush and Barack Obama after George W. Bush. If Americans are looking for change again, Democrats presented it.
It's up to Trump and Republicans next week to try to sell steadiness to right the course. That's something that can work for presidents seeking reelection, though it's made tougher by Trump's volatility.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
3. A unified Democratic Party was on display
One advantage of a virtual convention is the boos aren't magnified. Past conventions have featured at least some unrest within the base.
That was certainly true in 2016 with Bernie Sanders supporters who did not go gently into that good night. And it was true of Sen. Ted Cruz supporters at the Republican National Convention the same year.
But it wasn't just the lack of in-person delegates, it was the clear and present threat of Donald Trump for progressives. Sanders spoke strongly on Biden's behalf; and single-payer advocate Ady Barkan, who has ALS, praised Biden and promoted progress over purity.
Sure, there was some grumbling about who got time, who didn't and who got more, but this is a far more unified Democratic Party coming out of this convention than the one taking on Trump the last time.
4. It wasn't all about Trump
For as much as this election is all about Trump and as much as Biden's supporters are mostly motivated by antipathy for Trump, the convention did buoy Biden personally and made an affirmative case for Biden's vision for the country.
It became pretty clear, if it wasn't going in, that a message Democrats wanted to get across was: The Bidens are decent people, people you can trust and who care about people like you.
But as his speech showed, don't mistake kindness for weakness. It's almost as if one message was — he'll fight for kindness.
5. Kamala Harris is the heir apparent
Enlarge this image toggle caption Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
If you had any doubt that Harris was the right pick, she proved she's ready for prime time. She delivered a solid speech and has hit all the right notes since being announced as Biden's running mate.
Being a Black and South Asian woman, she highlights the diversity of the Democratic Party and of America. Her simply being on the ballot is a statement against Trump. But she has shown, throughout her career and highlighted this week, she is far more than that.
She's sharp, can deliver a punch and has provided some needed energy to the Biden candidacy. At the end of the day, Biden won the Democratic primary, in part, because he was seen as the most likely to beat Trump. But it's clear, given that he has said he would be a transitional president that he is a bridge and Harris is on the other side.
6. An economic message didn't break through
Biden has led Trump in almost every issue area consistently and by a lot, except when it comes to the economy. Democrats didn't seem to do anything to break through with an economic message, beyond saying that the pandemic had to be solved and other boilerplate Democratic points, like securing the social safety net and having the rich pay their "fair share."
Biden was involved in one segment Thursday dealing with the economy, where he talked with workers. At one point, he said that he believed the auto industry could be revitalized back to its peak in the 1940s and 1950s. But no economist thinks that's possible.
He also said he wants to invest $2 trillion in infrastructure, something every president says he wants to invest in but has been unable to get the parties to agree on how to pay for it.
It sounded as if Harris was on track to pivoting to a new emphasis on the economy when she was picked to be Biden's running mate when she talked about Trump spoiling the economy he inherited from Obama. But that was not something much talked about during these four days.
7. It's about voting, voting, voting
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chris Delmas /AFP via Getty Images Chris Delmas /AFP via Getty Images
If there was one message Democrats hope people take away from this week it was that people need to go vote.
While wearing a V-O-T-E necklace, former first lady Michelle Obama implored people get on their "comfortable shoes" and bring their dinners, maybe even breakfasts and wait for as long as it takes.
Her husband, former President Barack Obama, ended his speech with a similar urgency:
"We have to get busy building it up by pouring all our efforts into these 76 days and by voting like never before for Joe and Kamala and candidates up and down the ticket," he said, "so that we leave no doubt about what this country that we love stands for today and for all our days to come."
Democrats really feel if everyone votes, and if all their votes are counted, they win.
And now it's on to the Republican convention starting Monday, where it will be interesting to see whether there are any new ways that Trump frames the argument for why he feels he deserves four more years.