npr--2020-08-14--Mass Protests Have Followed The Beirut Explosion. What's Next?

Mass Protests Have Followed The Beirut Explosion .
What 's Next ?
As terrible as last week 's explosion at Beirut 's port was , killing 172 people and injuring some 6,000 others , it has prompted new hopes for political change in Lebanon .
On Monday , Prime Minister Hassan Diab and his cabinet resigned , as it emerged that the blast was likely the result of government negligence .
Now Lebanese are calling for major reforms .
Daily protests have continued for more than a week on Beirut 's debris-strewn streets , with citizens calling for removal of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country 's political system .
They want to sweep away the corruption and cronyism that have plagued governmental institutions for decades .
The combination of last week 's explosion and the financial crisis may have created a rare window for removing Lebanon 's despised political class altogether , political analysts suggest .
This moment represents a `` once-in-a-lifetime battle for the soul of Lebanon , '' says Nadim Houry , a Lebanese citizen and director of the Paris-based Arab Reform Initiative , a pro-democracy think tank .
Enormous challenges remain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ how things may play out : Immediate elections are unlikely Although Diab 's administration has stepped down , it continues to meet as a caretaker government , meaning the cabinet can still convene but does not have the power to create new legislation .
Thus far , Lebanon 's leaders have made no mention of early elections .
Instead , Lebanese law allows President Michel Aoun , who did not resign , to consult with the parliament on forming a new government .
Even before this crisis , putting together a new government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous government fell last year , following massive anti-corruption protests , it took more than two months of political wrangling among the country 's different political blocs before Diab 's government was appointed .
Now many Lebanese do not trust Aoun and other leaders to choose the honest , independent administration for which they are desperate .
They worry that any new government formed this way will be stacked with or influenced by the same political figures , whom Houry calls `` oligarchs , '' who have long controlled the country .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenario from the beginning , until we bring all the political class down , '' warns Ghina Nizar Harb , a schoolteacher who took to the streets to protest following Diab 's resignation .
Since the start of demonstrations against government corruption and dysfunction 10 months ago , protesters have insisted on one thing : the ouster of not just the government , but the entire existing political class .
Protesters have a clear message about who must go : `` All means all . ''
The clean sweep they demand would include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Berri , along with the heads of political parties and religious sects .
And they want to see the installation of a new prime minister and cabinet with no connections to any of those who have for decades controlled the state coffers and manipulated Lebanon 's politics .
During the protests that began last year , demonstrators called for the president and parliament to appoint a technocratic government that could steer the country away from its traditional leaders and reform electoral laws .
Now protesters have little or no faith in either the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appoint a truly independent government .
And there is n't yet an agreed path forward on how such a transition would occur .
Maha Yahya , the director of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Center , says if a new , independent leadership could somehow be put in place , it should push through painful and necessary economic reforms , like strengthening accountability in state-owned enterprises , which would allow Lebanon to obtain an International Monetary Fund bailout — and then set free and fair elections for Lebanese to choose their next leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask people to take an incredible amount of economic pain on top of the pain they 're now taking because of the explosion , you 've got to give them a roadmap , '' says Yahya .
Lebanon has been controlled for years by a small set of powerful players from different sects .
A key challenge now is identifying figures who could be part of a new government independent of those players .
The protest movement that began last October spanned the country 's religious groupings and sects .
By not having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ palatable to all .
The challenge now , though , is for Lebanese to agree on individuals who could lead them .
Houry says the resignation of Diab 's government has sparked a flurry of meetings among protest movement activists , with some names of potential leaders put forward .
Few have been made public .
Lebanon 's political system , established at the end of the civil war in 1990 , is based on a power-sharing agreement among representatives of the country 's primary religions and sects , including Sunni Islam , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it provided a path out of bloodshed .
But it has also given rise to a state essentially run by a handful of figures around whom `` there is a whole system of power , corruption and economic interests , '' says Houry .
These figures include Aoun , Berri , Samir Gagea , the executive chairman of the Christian party the Lebanese Forces , Walid Jumblatt , the leading Druze politician , former prime minister Saad al-Hariri , and Hassan Nasrallah , the leader of Hezbollah , the powerful Iranian-backed militia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they `` come together when it suits them '' and any divisions are due to `` financial interests '' rather than politics or religion .
Though there are other players , too , who wield some influence , he says it is these men who have primarily placed loyalists at all levels of government , taken over the country 's institutions and drained the public coffers .
Sami Nader , a political analyst and the director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs , describes a complicated system of patronage where these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned every single ministry , every single economic sector into a private property , into a private farm . ''
He says : `` You have the same ... party controlling the ministry of electricity for the last decade , the same other party controlling the port for the last more than a decade , the same party controlling the telecom sector for more than a decade . ''
Over time , he says , `` they transformed these public service sectors and infrastructure into the private property , bringing in their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through these sectors or these ministries . ''
Now , though , with the country and its financial institutions mostly bankrupt , the `` golden goose of state institutions is dead , '' says Yahya .
The appointment of a new , independent leadership would further weaken the existing leaders ' political clout .
True reform would have to undo the corruption baked into Lebanon 's political system and culture , Houry says .
The judiciary would necessarily play a key role in this — and would itself have to reform to strengthen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have to take each of small corruption cases to court , '' he says .
`` And maybe you do n't win the first time , but hopefully you 'll get a judge who will be sufficiently emboldened the second time to actually take the decision .
And you start rolling back .
I 'm not saying we 're going to win , but you start rolling back their influence . ''
Last week 's explosion damaged and destroyed buildings across Beirut .
The city 's governor estimates it may cost as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the damage .
Offers of aid have come from countries around the world .
At a donor summit led by French President Emmanuel Macron , countries pledged 253 million euros ( $ 299 million ) .
But the assistance would depend on structural reforms .
Lebanon 's leaders have ignored past calls for such reforms , including in 2018 , when international donors pledged $ 11 billion , and in April , when the International Monetary Fund said a loan would be subject to reforms .
Critics say Lebanon 's leaders assumed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , would eventually pay up to avoid fallout for neighboring Israel and a potential influx of refugees to Europe .
Lina Khatib , the director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House in London , says often aid `` that is meant to help the residents of Lebanon ends up being stolen or appropriated by the country 's political class , and the money never reaches its intended recipients . ''
One way political leaders `` get their hands on public funds , '' she says , is by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` that end up getting government contracts . ''
Procurement , she says , is `` done very often in secret '' and so a project intended to aid refugees , for example , might be channeled to one of the leaders ' companies or organizations .
`` And the projects would , in many cases , not be implemented , '' she says .
In a remarkable scene last week , a crowd gathered around Macron as he stood on a half-destroyed Beirut street and begged him not to give aid to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him and other international donors to give funds directly to civil society and local Lebanese charities , fearing that politicians would squander it on patronage and self-enrichment .
`` You are sitting with warlords , they have been manipulating us for the past year , '' a woman told Macron , according to the BBC .
He hugged her , saying : `` I 'm not here to help them , I 'm here to help you . ''
Across Lebanon , citizens wait to know if this is true .
Nada Homsi @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Mass Protests Have Followed The Beirut Explosion. What's Next?
Enlarge this image toggle caption NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images
As terrible as last week's explosion at Beirut's port was, killing 172 people and injuring some 6,000 others, it has prompted new hopes for political change in Lebanon.
On Monday, Prime Minister Hassan Diab and his cabinet resigned, as it emerged that the blast was likely the result of government negligence. Now Lebanese are calling for major reforms.
Daily protests have continued for more than a week on Beirut's debris-strewn streets, with citizens calling for removal of the entire political class and a restructuring of the country's political system. They want to sweep away the corruption and cronyism that have plagued governmental institutions for decades.
The combination of last week's explosion and the financial crisis may have created a rare window for removing Lebanon's despised political class altogether, political analysts suggest. This moment represents a "once-in-a-lifetime battle for the soul of Lebanon," says Nadim Houry, a Lebanese citizen and director of the Paris-based Arab Reform Initiative, a pro-democracy think tank.
Enormous challenges remain. Here's what's at stake and how things may play out:
Immediate elections are unlikely
Although Diab's administration has stepped down, it continues to meet as a caretaker government, meaning the cabinet can still convene but does not have the power to create new legislation.
Thus far, Lebanon's leaders have made no mention of early elections. Instead, Lebanese law allows President Michel Aoun, who did not resign, to consult with the parliament on forming a new government.
Even before this crisis, putting together a new government involved a complicated discussion. After the previous government fell last year, following massive anti-corruption protests, it took more than two months of political wrangling among the country's different political blocs before Diab's government was appointed.
Now many Lebanese do not trust Aoun and other leaders to choose the honest, independent administration for which they are desperate. They worry that any new government formed this way will be stacked with or influenced by the same political figures, whom Houry calls "oligarchs," who have long controlled the country.
"We'll have to re-live the same scenario from the beginning, until we bring all the political class down," warns Ghina Nizar Harb, a schoolteacher who took to the streets to protest following Diab's resignation.
Protesters' demands
Since the start of demonstrations against government corruption and dysfunction 10 months ago, protesters have insisted on one thing: the ouster of not just the government, but the entire existing political class. Protesters have a clear message about who must go: "All means all."
The clean sweep they demand would include octogenarian President Aoun and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, along with the heads of political parties and religious sects. And they want to see the installation of a new prime minister and cabinet with no connections to any of those who have for decades controlled the state coffers and manipulated Lebanon's politics.
During the protests that began last year, demonstrators called for the president and parliament to appoint a technocratic government that could steer the country away from its traditional leaders and reform electoral laws.
Now protesters have little or no faith in either the president or leaders of parliamentary blocs to appoint a truly independent government. And there isn't yet an agreed path forward on how such a transition would occur.
Maha Yahya, the director of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Center, says if a new, independent leadership could somehow be put in place, it should push through painful and necessary economic reforms, like strengthening accountability in state-owned enterprises, which would allow Lebanon to obtain an International Monetary Fund bailout — and then set free and fair elections for Lebanese to choose their next leaders.
"If you're going to ask people to take an incredible amount of economic pain on top of the pain they're now taking because of the explosion, you've got to give them a roadmap," says Yahya.
An entrenched political class
Lebanon has been controlled for years by a small set of powerful players from different sects. A key challenge now is identifying figures who could be part of a new government independent of those players.
The protest movement that began last October spanned the country's religious groupings and sects. By not having an agreed leadership, it was more palatable to all. The challenge now, though, is for Lebanese to agree on individuals who could lead them.
Houry says the resignation of Diab's government has sparked a flurry of meetings among protest movement activists, with some names of potential leaders put forward. Few have been made public.
Lebanon's political system, established at the end of the civil war in 1990, is based on a power-sharing agreement among representatives of the country's primary religions and sects, including Sunni Islam, Shiite Islam and Christianity. Back then, it provided a path out of bloodshed.
But it has also given rise to a state essentially run by a handful of figures around whom "there is a whole system of power, corruption and economic interests," says Houry. These figures include Aoun, Berri, Samir Gagea, the executive chairman of the Christian party the Lebanese Forces, Walid Jumblatt, the leading Druze politician, former prime minister Saad al-Hariri, and Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, the powerful Iranian-backed militia.
Despite their differences, Houry says, they "come together when it suits them" and any divisions are due to "financial interests" rather than politics or religion.
Though there are other players, too, who wield some influence, he says it is these men who have primarily placed loyalists at all levels of government, taken over the country's institutions and drained the public coffers.
Sami Nader, a political analyst and the director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs, describes a complicated system of patronage where these leaders and their party members "have turned every single ministry, every single economic sector into a private property, into a private farm."
He says: "You have the same ... party controlling the ministry of electricity for the last decade, the same other party controlling the port for the last more than a decade, the same party controlling the telecom sector for more than a decade." Over time, he says, "they transformed these public service sectors and infrastructure into the private property, bringing in their own people and more importantly, getting financed through these sectors or these ministries."
The judiciary's role
Now, though, with the country and its financial institutions mostly bankrupt, the "golden goose of state institutions is dead," says Yahya.
The appointment of a new, independent leadership would further weaken the existing leaders' political clout.
True reform would have to undo the corruption baked into Lebanon's political system and culture, Houry says. The judiciary would necessarily play a key role in this — and would itself have to reform to strengthen its independence.
"You're going to have to take each of small corruption cases to court," he says. "And maybe you don't win the first time, but hopefully you'll get a judge who will be sufficiently emboldened the second time to actually take the decision. And you start rolling back. I'm not saying we're going to win, but you start rolling back their influence."
The international community's role
Last week's explosion damaged and destroyed buildings across Beirut. The city's governor estimates it may cost as much as $15 billion to repair the damage. Offers of aid have come from countries around the world.
At a donor summit led by French President Emmanuel Macron, countries pledged 253 million euros ($299 million). But the assistance would depend on structural reforms.
Lebanon's leaders have ignored past calls for such reforms, including in 2018, when international donors pledged $11 billion, and in April, when the International Monetary Fund said a loan would be subject to reforms.
Critics say Lebanon's leaders assumed that donors, fearing the country's collapse, would eventually pay up to avoid fallout for neighboring Israel and a potential influx of refugees to Europe.
Lina Khatib, the director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House in London, says often aid "that is meant to help the residents of Lebanon ends up being stolen or appropriated by the country's political class, and the money never reaches its intended recipients."
One way political leaders "get their hands on public funds," she says, is by setting up non-governmental organizations and private companies "that end up getting government contracts." Procurement, she says, is "done very often in secret" and so a project intended to aid refugees, for example, might be channeled to one of the leaders' companies or organizations. "And the projects would, in many cases, not be implemented," she says.
In a remarkable scene last week, a crowd gathered around Macron as he stood on a half-destroyed Beirut street and begged him not to give aid to their government. Instead, they begged him and other international donors to give funds directly to civil society and local Lebanese charities, fearing that politicians would squander it on patronage and self-enrichment.
"You are sitting with warlords, they have been manipulating us for the past year," a woman told Macron, according to the BBC.
He hugged her, saying: "I'm not here to help them, I'm here to help you."
Across Lebanon, citizens wait to know if this is true.
Nada Homsi contributed to this story from Beirut.


npr--2020-08-14--Belarus' Opposition Leaders Reemerge After Post-Election Crackdown

Belarus ' scattered and improvised opposition is regaining its footing after five-term President Alexander Lukashenko unleashed his security forces on protesters during four nights of unprecedented violence .
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , the main opposition candidate in Sunday 's election , resurfaced on social media Friday after the authorities pressured her to leave for neighboring Lithuania earlier this week .
Tikhanovskaya , a political novice , ran against Lukashenko after her husband was denied registration as a candidate and jailed .
`` I admire Belarusians .
Thank you , my dear ones ! ''
she said in a statement posted online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We showed that we 're the majority , and that this country belongs to us , the people of Belarus , and not one person . ''
Tikhanovskaya said she is ready to enter talks with the government under the auspices of international partners .
She appealed to law enforcement officers and military personnel to stay true to their oaths to serve the Belarusian people .
And she expressed her condolences to those who had suffered at the hands of the police .
Belarus ' Interior Ministry said Friday that it had released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests against election fraud after Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory of 80 % .
Law enforcement detained 6,700 people since Sunday night , according to the ministry .
As people emerged from prisons , they spoke of indiscriminate beatings and showed their injuries .
Amnesty International said `` Belarusian authorities wage a vicious crackdown on their own citizens . ''
Outrage over the nocturnal violence brought primarily women out during the day , many wearing white and carrying flowers .
Factory workers across the country then walked off the job .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep up their peaceful protest over the weekend .
Tikhanovskaya said she was forming a `` coordination council '' that would help secure a peaceful transfer of power .
Her initiative echoed an earlier call for a `` national salvation front '' by her political ally Valery Tsepkalo , a former diplomat and IT entrepreneur who , like Tikhanovskaya 's husband Sergei Tikhanovsky , was barred from running for president .
`` The national salvation front is a big movement that would include everybody , all different political parties who share the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to have free and fair presidential elections , '' Tsepkalo told NPR in an interview .
After the departure of Lukashenko from office , he said , the national salvation front would set up a caretaker government of technocrats until a new president can be elected .
Tikhanovskaya campaigned on the promise of serving as a transitional leader who would be in office only long enough to hold new elections with the participation of all opposition candidates , such as her husband , Tsepkalo or Viktor Babariko , another presidential hopeful now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tsepkalo served as Lukashenko 's ambassador to the U.S. from 1997 to 2002 , before diplomatic relations between the two countries deteriorated .
Inspired by the success of Silicon Valley , Tsepkalo helped set up the Belarus Hi-Tech Park when he returned to Minsk .
He said the last time he met Lukashenko was more than a decade ago to discuss the tech park .
Lukashenko has ruled Belarus since 1994 , almost its entire period of independence from the Soviet Union .
The Kremlin views Belarus as a buffer state between Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latvia — and has subsidized the regime in Minsk with cheap energy deliveries .
Russian President Vladimir Putin , who has a testy relationship with Lukashenko , has recently cut discounts on oil and gas as a way of pressuring Belarus into closer political and economic integration .
Putin congratulated Lukashenko on Monday , right after Chinese President Xi Jinping .
In a statement , Putin said that he looked forward to greater economic , political and military cooperation with Belarus .
`` We are very disappointed by the fact that Putin congratulated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign , which appeared to be completely false , '' Tsepkalo said .
`` It was a kind of a betrayal from the side of the Russian government . ''
The threat of Russian aggression against Belarus is a recurring theme among pundits that Lukashenko plays on himself .
In late July , Belarusian security forces arrested 33 Russian citizens as Lukashenko darkly warned of foreign puppet-masters seeking to foment unrest in Belarus after the election .
On Friday , he handed all but one of them — who has dual citizenship — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believes a Russian military intervention is unlikely .
`` I do not see that it might happen , '' he said .
`` But if it would happen , it would be a disaster for Belarus and for European security . ''
In 2014 , Putin annexed Crimea and fomented an armed insurgency in eastern Ukraine after that country 's Kremlin-backed president , Viktor Yanukovych , fled to Russia following a street revolution in Kyiv .
Ukraine 's new government pledged to take Ukraine into NATO and the European Union .
Belarusians are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates like Tikhanovskaya are pro-Western in the sense that they want open , democratic societies — but not that they 're seeking NATO or EU membership .
Lukashenko has tried to use Belarus ' uncomfortable geography to his advantage , flirting with the West to ward off Putin 's embrace .
In February , Lukashenko received Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and now is expecting the arrival of the first U.S. ambassador in more than a decade .
`` The United States should not recognize Lukashenko as a legitimate leader , '' Tsepkalo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wish , would recognize Svetlana Tikhanovskaya as the winner of these presidential elections . ''
If the U.S. and EU accept his claim to the presidency , Lukashenko would lose his motivation to negotiate a transfer of power with the opposition , Tsepkalo said .
On Friday , EU foreign ministers agreed to sanction officials responsible for the crackdown in Belarus .
Josep Borrell , the EU 's top diplomat , tweeted , `` EU does n't accept election results . ''
Pompeo , who was traveling in Europe this week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. would work with European allies to come up with an `` appropriate response . ''
Tsepkalo said he will travel to Poland next week , and that he 'll go to Washington if he succeeds in organizing congressional hearings on Belarus .

Belarus' Opposition Leaders Reemerge After Post-Election Crackdown
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sergei Grits/AP Sergei Grits/AP
Belarus' scattered and improvised opposition is regaining its footing after five-term President Alexander Lukashenko unleashed his security forces on protesters during four nights of unprecedented violence.
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the main opposition candidate in Sunday's election, resurfaced on social media Friday after the authorities pressured her to leave for neighboring Lithuania earlier this week. Tikhanovskaya, a political novice, ran against Lukashenko after her husband was denied registration as a candidate and jailed.
"I admire Belarusians. Thank you, my dear ones!" she said in a statement posted online. "We did the impossible. We showed that we're the majority, and that this country belongs to us, the people of Belarus, and not one person."
Tikhanovskaya said she is ready to enter talks with the government under the auspices of international partners. She appealed to law enforcement officers and military personnel to stay true to their oaths to serve the Belarusian people. And she expressed her condolences to those who had suffered at the hands of the police.
Europe Belarus Opposition, In Exile, Appeals To U.S. Not To Recognize Contested Election Belarus Opposition, In Exile, Appeals To U.S. Not To Recognize Contested Election Listen · 3:45 3:45
Belarus' Interior Ministry said Friday that it had released more than 2,000 people detained during nightly protests against election fraud after Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory of 80%. Law enforcement detained 6,700 people since Sunday night, according to the ministry. As people emerged from prisons, they spoke of indiscriminate beatings and showed their injuries. Amnesty International said "Belarusian authorities wage a vicious crackdown on their own citizens."
Outrage over the nocturnal violence brought primarily women out during the day, many wearing white and carrying flowers. Factory workers across the country then walked off the job. In a separate video message, Tikhanovskaya urged people to keep up their peaceful protest over the weekend.
Tikhanovskaya said she was forming a "coordination council" that would help secure a peaceful transfer of power.
Her initiative echoed an earlier call for a "national salvation front" by her political ally Valery Tsepkalo, a former diplomat and IT entrepreneur who, like Tikhanovskaya's husband Sergei Tikhanovsky, was barred from running for president.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP
"The national salvation front is a big movement that would include everybody, all different political parties who share the same goal: to release political prisoners and to have free and fair presidential elections," Tsepkalo told NPR in an interview.
After the departure of Lukashenko from office, he said, the national salvation front would set up a caretaker government of technocrats until a new president can be elected.
Tikhanovskaya campaigned on the promise of serving as a transitional leader who would be in office only long enough to hold new elections with the participation of all opposition candidates, such as her husband, Tsepkalo or Viktor Babariko, another presidential hopeful now in pretrial detention on fraud charges.
Tsepkalo served as Lukashenko's ambassador to the U.S. from 1997 to 2002, before diplomatic relations between the two countries deteriorated. Inspired by the success of Silicon Valley, Tsepkalo helped set up the Belarus Hi-Tech Park when he returned to Minsk. He said the last time he met Lukashenko was more than a decade ago to discuss the tech park.
Lukashenko has ruled Belarus since 1994, almost its entire period of independence from the Soviet Union. The Kremlin views Belarus as a buffer state between Russia and NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia — and has subsidized the regime in Minsk with cheap energy deliveries. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has a testy relationship with Lukashenko, has recently cut discounts on oil and gas as a way of pressuring Belarus into closer political and economic integration.
Putin congratulated Lukashenko on Monday, right after Chinese President Xi Jinping. In a statement, Putin said that he looked forward to greater economic, political and military cooperation with Belarus.
"We are very disappointed by the fact that Putin congratulated Lukashenko on the results of the presidential campaign, which appeared to be completely false," Tsepkalo said. "It was a kind of a betrayal from the side of the Russian government."
The threat of Russian aggression against Belarus is a recurring theme among pundits that Lukashenko plays on himself. In late July, Belarusian security forces arrested 33 Russian citizens as Lukashenko darkly warned of foreign puppet-masters seeking to foment unrest in Belarus after the election. On Friday, he handed all but one of them — who has dual citizenship — back to Russia.
Tsepkalo said he believes a Russian military intervention is unlikely. "I do not see that it might happen," he said. "But if it would happen, it would be a disaster for Belarus and for European security."
In 2014, Putin annexed Crimea and fomented an armed insurgency in eastern Ukraine after that country's Kremlin-backed president, Viktor Yanukovych, fled to Russia following a street revolution in Kyiv. Ukraine's new government pledged to take Ukraine into NATO and the European Union.
The United States, I wish, would recognize Svetlana Tikhanovskaya as the winner of these presidential elections.
Belarusians are more positively inclined toward Russia, and candidates like Tikhanovskaya are pro-Western in the sense that they want open, democratic societies — but not that they're seeking NATO or EU membership.
Lukashenko has tried to use Belarus' uncomfortable geography to his advantage, flirting with the West to ward off Putin's embrace. In February, Lukashenko received Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and now is expecting the arrival of the first U.S. ambassador in more than a decade.
"The United States should not recognize Lukashenko as a legitimate leader," Tsepkalo said. "The United States, I wish, would recognize Svetlana Tikhanovskaya as the winner of these presidential elections."
If the U.S. and EU accept his claim to the presidency, Lukashenko would lose his motivation to negotiate a transfer of power with the opposition, Tsepkalo said.
On Friday, EU foreign ministers agreed to sanction officials responsible for the crackdown in Belarus. Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, tweeted, "EU doesn't accept election results."
Pompeo, who was traveling in Europe this week, condemned the violence, and said the U.S. would work with European allies to come up with an "appropriate response."
Tsepkalo said he will travel to Poland next week, and that he'll go to Washington if he succeeds in organizing congressional hearings on Belarus.


npr--2020-08-14--Federal Appeals Court Throws Out California Ban On Large-Capacity Gun Magazines

In a blow to gun control activists , the 9th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Friday that California 's ban on large-capacity ammunition magazines is unconstitutional , violating the Second Amendment .
In a 2-1 decision , the panel of judges found that such firearm magazines are protected arms under the Second Amendment and are not `` unusual arms '' that would fall outside its scope .
Large-capacity magazines , also called high-capacity , are defined in the law as magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition .
In recent years , they have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carnage .
The shooters behind attacks in Dayton , Ohio , and El Paso , Texas , in 2019 and the 2017 Las Vegas massacre all used such magazines to kill and injure dozens if not hundreds of people within minutes .
`` California 's near-categorical ban of LCMs [ large-capacity magazines ] infringes on the fundamental right to self-defense , '' Judge Kenneth K. Lee wrote in the majority opinion .
`` It criminalizes the possession of half of all magazines in America today .
It makes unlawful magazines that are commonly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for self-defense .
And it substantially burdens the core right of self-defense guaranteed to the people under the Second Amendment . ''
`` It can not stand , '' he added .
However , Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn , who also served on the panel , disagreed .
In a dissenting opinion , Lynn noted that California is not the first city or state to ban the possession of large-capacity magazines and several other federal appeals courts have held that various restrictions are constitutional .
Still , the panel appeared sympathetic to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to preserve the law .
`` We are keenly aware of the perils of gun violence .
The heartbreak and devastation caused by criminals wielding guns can not be overstated , '' Lee wrote .
To that end , the court made several recommendations on how the state could achieve that , including imposing waiting periods , requiring microstamping of guns and forbidding felons , the mentally ill or those convicted of domestic violence from owning firearms .
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra 's office was disappointed with the ruling , though it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the full court to consider the case or advance the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court .
`` We are carefully reviewing the decision , with the goal of protecting public safety , '' an adviser in Becerra 's office told NPR , adding that the stay on the injunction issued by the District Court remains in place .
`` The Attorney General remains committed to using every tool possible to defend California 's gun safety laws and keep our communities safe . ''
Although Friday 's decision rolls back the ban on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it does not address the greater issue of the constitutional right to own assault-type weapons .
`` We do not opine on bans on so-called 'assault weapons , ' nor do we speculate about the legitimacy of bans on magazines holding far larger quantities of ammunition .
Instead , we only address California 's ban on LCMs as it appears before us , '' the court said .

Federal Appeals Court Throws Out California Ban On Large-Capacity Gun Magazines
Enlarge this image toggle caption Seth Perlman/AP Seth Perlman/AP
In a blow to gun control activists, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Friday that California's ban on large-capacity ammunition magazines is unconstitutional, violating the Second Amendment.
In a 2-1 decision, the panel of judges found that such firearm magazines are protected arms under the Second Amendment and are not "unusual arms" that would fall outside its scope.
Large-capacity magazines, also called high-capacity, are defined in the law as magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. In recent years, they have been used in mass shootings ending in widespread carnage. The shooters behind attacks in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, in 2019 and the 2017 Las Vegas massacre all used such magazines to kill and injure dozens if not hundreds of people within minutes.
"California's near-categorical ban of LCMs [large-capacity magazines] infringes on the fundamental right to self-defense," Judge Kenneth K. Lee wrote in the majority opinion.
"It criminalizes the possession of half of all magazines in America today. It makes unlawful magazines that are commonly used in handguns by law abiding citizens for self-defense. And it substantially burdens the core right of self-defense guaranteed to the people under the Second Amendment."
"It cannot stand," he added.
However, Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn, who also served on the panel, disagreed.
In a dissenting opinion, Lynn noted that California is not the first city or state to ban the possession of large-capacity magazines and several other federal appeals courts have held that various restrictions are constitutional.
Still, the panel appeared sympathetic to the state's core mission in trying to preserve the law.
"We are keenly aware of the perils of gun violence. The heartbreak and devastation caused by criminals wielding guns cannot be overstated," Lee wrote.
To that end, the court made several recommendations on how the state could achieve that, including imposing waiting periods, requiring microstamping of guns and forbidding felons, the mentally ill or those convicted of domestic violence from owning firearms.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra's office was disappointed with the ruling, though it remains unclear whether Becerra plans to ask the full court to consider the case or advance the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"We are carefully reviewing the decision, with the goal of protecting public safety," an adviser in Becerra's office told NPR, adding that the stay on the injunction issued by the District Court remains in place.
"The Attorney General remains committed to using every tool possible to defend California's gun safety laws and keep our communities safe."
Although Friday's decision rolls back the ban on what are considered deadly ammunition magazines, it does not address the greater issue of the constitutional right to own assault-type weapons.
"We do not opine on bans on so-called 'assault weapons,' nor do we speculate about the legitimacy of bans on magazines holding far larger quantities of ammunition. Instead, we only address California's ban on LCMs as it appears before us," the court said.


npr--2020-08-14--In Aerial Combat Over Lake Michigan, Eagles: 1; Drones: 0

The eagle has landed , but EGLE — Michigan 's Department of Environment , Great Lakes and Energy — was not so lucky .
Last month , Hunter King , one of the department 's drone pilots , was using a quadcopter to photograph the Lake Michigan coast to track shore erosion .
Suddenly , he started getting warnings on his screen — lots of them — including one indicating that a propeller had come off the drone .
`` I was looking through the camera on the drone with my iPad , and it just went into a spiral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he glanced up , the drone was gone and a suspicious looking bald eagle was soaring away .
The evidence might seem circumstantial – and it is — but King was n't the only witness : EGLE 's website says a nearby couple saw the eagle strike something but were surprised to find out it was a drone .
`` I do n't think the eagle actually grabbed it , maybe a talon just nicked it , '' King says .
The couple helped King in a fruitless search for the $ 950 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulled from the iPad pinpointed the crash-site — about 150 feet offshore in four feet of water .
A kayak-based search by EGLE Unmanned Aircraft Systems coordinator Arthur Ostaszewski found nothing — not surprising , since King says the water is `` coffee brown '' right now .
He theorizes that the bird may have been motivated by the desire to protect its territory , or maybe the drone just looked tasty .
`` I had flown out and it was on my way back , '' when the attack happened , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second time the bird had seen this drone . ''
King also acknowledges that the vehicle is `` pretty annoying . ''
`` It sounds like a swarm of bees , '' he says .
Bird attacks on drones are apparently not uncommon .
Although the incident is a first for King , he says he 's `` seen an osprey come within inches of another drone . ''
EGLE says it is considering eagle countermeasures , including using `` skins '' or other designs that make drones look less like seagulls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ducks ) .
But King is skeptical .
`` I 'm not sure there 's anything you can do .
I think it 's more of a crapshoot , '' he says about avoiding eagle-drone encounters .
Like many other places in the U.S. , bald eagle populations have rebounded in Michigan .
EGLE notes that a 2019 U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service survey put the number of active nesting sites in the state at 849 , up from just 76 in the 1970s .

In Aerial Combat Over Lake Michigan, Eagles: 1; Drones: 0
Enlarge this image toggle caption RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The /Denver Post via Getty Images RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The /Denver Post via Getty Images
The eagle has landed, but EGLE — Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy — was not so lucky.
Last month, Hunter King, one of the department's drone pilots, was using a quadcopter to photograph the Lake Michigan coast to track shore erosion.
Suddenly, he started getting warnings on his screen — lots of them — including one indicating that a propeller had come off the drone.
"I was looking through the camera on the drone with my iPad, and it just went into a spiral," King tells NPR.
When he glanced up, the drone was gone and a suspicious looking bald eagle was soaring away.
The evidence might seem circumstantial – and it is — but King wasn't the only witness: EGLE's website says a nearby couple saw the eagle strike something but were surprised to find out it was a drone.
"I don't think the eagle actually grabbed it, maybe a talon just nicked it," King says.
The couple helped King in a fruitless search for the $950 quadcopter. Days later, location data pulled from the iPad pinpointed the crash-site — about 150 feet offshore in four feet of water.
A kayak-based search by EGLE Unmanned Aircraft Systems coordinator Arthur Ostaszewski found nothing — not surprising, since King says the water is "coffee brown" right now.
He theorizes that the bird may have been motivated by the desire to protect its territory, or maybe the drone just looked tasty.
"I had flown out and it was on my way back," when the attack happened, he says. "So it was probably the second time the bird had seen this drone."
King also acknowledges that the vehicle is "pretty annoying."
"It sounds like a swarm of bees," he says.
Bird attacks on drones are apparently not uncommon. Although the incident is a first for King, he says he's "seen an osprey come within inches of another drone."
EGLE says it is considering eagle countermeasures, including using "skins" or other designs that make drones look less like seagulls (and therefore, apparently, sitting ducks).
But King is skeptical. "I'm not sure there's anything you can do. I think it's more of a crapshoot," he says about avoiding eagle-drone encounters.
Like many other places in the U.S., bald eagle populations have rebounded in Michigan. EGLE notes that a 2019 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey put the number of active nesting sites in the state at 849, up from just 76 in the 1970s.


npr--2020-08-14--Under Trump, SEC Enforcement Of Insider Trading Dropped To Lowest Point In Decades

Under Trump , SEC Enforcement Of Insider Trading Dropped To Lowest Point In Decades The government agency responsible for policing Wall Street brought the fewest number of insider trading cases in decades , according to the most recent available data .
That decline came just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit .
The Securities and Exchange Commission now warns that the pandemic has created wild swings in the market and more opportunities for insider trading .
NPR reviewed data from the 1980s through last year and found that under the Trump administration , the SEC brought just 32 insider trading enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since 1996 .
The SEC charged 46 defendants as part of those cases .
That was the lowest number of defendants in insider trading cases since Ronald Reagan was president , and about half of the annual average over the last three decades .
The decline has alarmed experts and advocates , who worry that flagrant illegal trading may go unchecked .
In a statement , a spokesperson for the SEC called insider trading enforcement a `` core component '' of the commission 's work , saying , `` We continue to vigorously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies . ''
Despite a 35-day government shutdown , the overall number of SEC enforcement actions increased in 2019 , largely due to a crackdown on other wrongdoing , including alleged abuses by investment advisers .
But as other enforcement areas grew , insider trading made up less than 4 % of the commission 's enforcement work that year , another decades-long low .
The SEC has still brought high-profile insider trading cases in the Trump era .
In 2018 , for example , the commission charged then-U.S. Rep. Chris Collins , R-N.Y. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australian biotech company and tipped off his son , so they could unload stock before a bad announcement led to a sell-off .
Overall , 2017 and 2018 were much closer to historic averages of insider trading enforcement .
But the SEC spokesperson did not address why enforcement appeared to drop so dramatically in 2019 .
U.S. Sen. Richard Burr , R-N.C. , is under FBI investigation and has faced bipartisan condemnation for making major stock trades at the same time he was getting private government briefings on COVID-19 .
Eastman Kodak is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its own `` internal review '' after an unusual amount of trading activity the day before it announced it would be receiving $ 765 million in government loans .
That loan is now on hold , as the government agency making the loan said `` allegations of wrongdoing raise serious concerns . ''
Burr and Kodak have denied any wrongdoing .
Despite those recent cases , the overall numbers are clearly down .
`` You ca n't do every case , '' said Doug Davison , a former SEC enforcement supervisor .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the drop : Adjusted for inflation , the SEC 's budget has roughly quadrupled in the last three decades .
And while insider trading can be difficult to detect , there 's no evidence that 2019 was simply a more honest year on Wall Street .
`` That seems extremely unlikely , '' said Brandon Cline , a finance professor at Mississippi State University .
`` I do n't think that human behavior has shifted . ''
Instead , experts and former SEC attorneys said , the drop in insider trading enforcement likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Under Chairman Jay Clayton , the SEC has largely focused on protecting individual investors from shady advisers , Ponzi schemers or con artists .
Clayton likes to say he advocates on behalf of Main Street investors and `` Mr. and Mrs .
401 ( k ) . ''
`` They 've been focused on more black-and-white wrongdoing , '' Davison said .
The SEC has also added more resources to look into cyber-related misconduct , such as hackers stealing and trading based off of company secrets , or issues with cryptocurrency .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a major hack of the SEC 's own systems in 2016 .
But the shift in priorities has some experts and advocates worried .
Research by Cline and his colleague , Valeriya Posylnaya of the University of Minnesota Duluth , indicates that when the SEC aggressively polices insider trading , it does deter illegal activity .
If executives see a major figure such as Martha Stewart get hauled to court , as she did when she faced a criminal indictment and SEC charges for insider trading in 2003 , they tend to think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And the reverse is true , Cline said : If enforcement drops , `` we should then observe more insider trading in years to come . ''
The shift in priorities and the significant drop in insider trading investigations in 2019 send a terrible message to Wall Street , advocates said .
`` That means they 're not trying , '' said Bartlett Naylor , a financial policy advocate with the left-leaning watchdog group Public Citizen .
`` That means they told the cops to go play canasta instead of doing their job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see plenty of work to do .
The SEC 's investigation into Kodak has already attracted scrutiny from House Democrats , who have launched their own investigation .
Previously , Sen. Elizabeth Warren , D-Mass.
, also called for an SEC investigation into trades of defense stocks before the U.S. assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani , and whether President Trump may have alerted members of his Mar-a-Lago club in advance of the strike .
The pandemic and the government 's financial rescue packages have also created additional opportunities for illegal trading activity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very susceptible to insider trading , '' said Eric Chaffee , a law professor at the University of Toledo and editor of the Securities Law Prof Blog .
`` Getting approval from the [ Food and Drug Administration ] can be very determinative to whether a company 's fortunes rise or fall , '' Chaffee said , and announcements related to COVID-19 vaccine development can dramatically affect the market .
In March , the co-directors of the SEC 's enforcement division issued a statement warning that `` in these dynamic circumstances , corporate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information that may hold an even greater value than under normal circumstances . ''
Members of Congress have been closely scrutinizing Clayton 's record .
Trump recently tapped Clayton to take over as the top federal prosecutor in New York .
In the process , the administration pushed out the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York , Geoffrey S. Berman , who had investigated allies of the president .
And unchecked insider trading can dramatically undermine people 's confidence in the financial system , said Urska Velikonja , a Georgetown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the SEC 's enforcement data .
When company executives and politicians appear to engage in flagrant insider trading , Velikonja said , `` that 's where you start entering the very dangerous terrain , and people look at this and say , 'This is all rigged . '
`` If left to run rampant , she said , `` it does have the potential to unsettle political systems . ''

Under Trump, SEC Enforcement Of Insider Trading Dropped To Lowest Point In Decades
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Wilson/Getty Images Mark Wilson/Getty Images
The government agency responsible for policing Wall Street brought the fewest number of insider trading cases in decades, according to the most recent available data.
That decline came just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The Securities and Exchange Commission now warns that the pandemic has created wild swings in the market and more opportunities for insider trading.
NPR reviewed data from the 1980s through last year and found that under the Trump administration, the SEC brought just 32 insider trading enforcement actions in 2019, the lowest number since 1996.
The SEC charged 46 defendants as part of those cases. That was the lowest number of defendants in insider trading cases since Ronald Reagan was president, and about half of the annual average over the last three decades. The decline has alarmed experts and advocates, who worry that flagrant illegal trading may go unchecked.
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In a statement, a spokesperson for the SEC called insider trading enforcement a "core component" of the commission's work, saying, "We continue to vigorously pursue insider trading cases against individuals and companies."
Despite a 35-day government shutdown, the overall number of SEC enforcement actions increased in 2019, largely due to a crackdown on other wrongdoing, including alleged abuses by investment advisers. But as other enforcement areas grew, insider trading made up less than 4% of the commission's enforcement work that year, another decades-long low.
The SEC has still brought high-profile insider trading cases in the Trump era. In 2018, for example, the commission charged then-U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y. Collins served on the board of an Australian biotech company and tipped off his son, so they could unload stock before a bad announcement led to a sell-off. Overall, 2017 and 2018 were much closer to historic averages of insider trading enforcement. But the SEC spokesperson did not address why enforcement appeared to drop so dramatically in 2019.
U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., is under FBI investigation and has faced bipartisan condemnation for making major stock trades at the same time he was getting private government briefings on COVID-19. Eastman Kodak is also under SEC investigation and has announced its own "internal review" after an unusual amount of trading activity the day before it announced it would be receiving $765 million in government loans. That loan is now on hold, as the government agency making the loan said "allegations of wrongdoing raise serious concerns." Burr and Kodak have denied any wrongdoing.
Despite those recent cases, the overall numbers are clearly down. "You can't do every case," said Doug Davison, a former SEC enforcement supervisor. But a lack of resources doesn't explain the drop: Adjusted for inflation, the SEC's budget has roughly quadrupled in the last three decades.
And while insider trading can be difficult to detect, there's no evidence that 2019 was simply a more honest year on Wall Street.
"That seems extremely unlikely," said Brandon Cline, a finance professor at Mississippi State University. "I don't think that human behavior has shifted."
Instead, experts and former SEC attorneys said, the drop in insider trading enforcement likely reflects the choices of its leadership. Under Chairman Jay Clayton, the SEC has largely focused on protecting individual investors from shady advisers, Ponzi schemers or con artists. Clayton likes to say he advocates on behalf of Main Street investors and "Mr. and Mrs. 401(k)."
Loading...
"They've been focused on more black-and-white wrongdoing," Davison said. The SEC has also added more resources to look into cyber-related misconduct, such as hackers stealing and trading based off of company secrets, or issues with cryptocurrency.
Those areas are important, as underscored by a major hack of the SEC's own systems in 2016. But the shift in priorities has some experts and advocates worried.
Research by Cline and his colleague, Valeriya Posylnaya of the University of Minnesota Duluth, indicates that when the SEC aggressively polices insider trading, it does deter illegal activity. If executives see a major figure such as Martha Stewart get hauled to court, as she did when she faced a criminal indictment and SEC charges for insider trading in 2003, they tend to think twice before acting on inside information.
And the reverse is true, Cline said: If enforcement drops, "we should then observe more insider trading in years to come."
The shift in priorities and the significant drop in insider trading investigations in 2019 send a terrible message to Wall Street, advocates said.
"That means they're not trying," said Bartlett Naylor, a financial policy advocate with the left-leaning watchdog group Public Citizen. "That means they told the cops to go play canasta instead of doing their job."
Critics inside and outside government see plenty of work to do. The SEC's investigation into Kodak has already attracted scrutiny from House Democrats, who have launched their own investigation. Previously, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., also called for an SEC investigation into trades of defense stocks before the U.S. assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, and whether President Trump may have alerted members of his Mar-a-Lago club in advance of the strike.
The pandemic and the government's financial rescue packages have also created additional opportunities for illegal trading activity.
"The pharmaceutical industry generally is very susceptible to insider trading," said Eric Chaffee, a law professor at the University of Toledo and editor of the Securities Law Prof Blog.
"Getting approval from the [Food and Drug Administration] can be very determinative to whether a company's fortunes rise or fall," Chaffee said, and announcements related to COVID-19 vaccine development can dramatically affect the market.
In March, the co-directors of the SEC's enforcement division issued a statement warning that "in these dynamic circumstances, corporate insiders are regularly learning new material nonpublic information that may hold an even greater value than under normal circumstances."
Members of Congress have been closely scrutinizing Clayton's record. Trump recently tapped Clayton to take over as the top federal prosecutor in New York. In the process, the administration pushed out the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey S. Berman, who had investigated allies of the president.
And unchecked insider trading can dramatically undermine people's confidence in the financial system, said Urska Velikonja, a Georgetown University law professor who has closely studied the SEC's enforcement data.
When company executives and politicians appear to engage in flagrant insider trading, Velikonja said, "that's where you start entering the very dangerous terrain, and people look at this and say, 'This is all rigged.' "
If left to run rampant, she said, "it does have the potential to unsettle political systems."


npr--2020-08-14--Body Camera Video Of George Floyd And Police Offers New Details Of Deadly Encounter

Body Camera Video Of George Floyd And Police Offers New Details Of Deadly Encounter Newly released officer-worn body camera video is giving a fuller view of the tense scene in which George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis on Memorial Day .
In it , bystanders clamor for officers to check Floyd 's vital signs as Officer Derek Chauvin holds his knee on the man 's neck .
The video , from former Officer Tou Thao , shows another vantage of Floyd 's arrest as well as Thao 's interactions with a crowd of bystanders .
The recording was released by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Minn .
In the video , Thao seems to get increasingly agitated as the crowd becomes more vocal .
Onlookers repeatedly ask him why Floyd 's vital signs are n't being checked as other officers hold Floyd , who is handcuffed , on the pavement .
Floyd can be heard pleading with officers for air , including telling them , `` I ca n't breathe '' — the complaint that 's been repeated by thousands of protesters as they call for an end to systemic racism and police brutality across the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thao tells the crowd , `` This is why you do n't do drugs , kids . ''
One bystander , a Black man in a black hoodie and shorts , tells the officers he trained at the police academy .
He asks Thao about the tactic Chavin is using , asking if it 's a `` jiu-jitsu move . ''
Referring to Floyd , Thao repeatedly says , `` He 's talking , so he 's fine . ''
Thao also tells the onlookers that officers tried for 10 minutes to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicle , although the actual time appears to have been less than five .
Thao arrived on the scene after Floyd was cuffed , and as fellow officers Chauvin , Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane were struggling to place Floyd in the back of a police SUV .
All four officers have since been fired and charged in connection with Floyd 's death .
Chauvin faces a second-degree murder charge , while Thao , Kueng and Lane each face charges of aiding and abetting .
In the video , Thao primarily engages in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sidewalk near the rear of the police vehicle .
While Floyd appears at times , the video largely does not show what happened to him as he was held down on the pavement .
Instead , it shows the crowd 's reactions — which range from concern to anger .
Floyd died after Chauvin kneeled on his neck for several minutes .
The Minneapolis officers initially confronted Floyd on the suspicion of using a counterfeit $ 20 bill to purchase cigarettes .
At about the 8:43 mark in the video , the man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and into the street , moving toward where Floyd is in the street .
Thao yells at the man to get back on the sidewalk .
Moments later , a white woman identifies herself as a Minneapolis firefighter as she approaches Thao and asks if Floyd has a pulse .
He yells at her to get back on the sidewalk as well .
Things grow more tense as men and women in the crowd implore the officers to check on Floyd .
As they do , some of them shout expletives at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bro , '' the man in the hoodie shouts as he steps into the street again .
Thao shoves the man back toward the sidewalk .
He had taken out his cellphone to begin recording Floyd lying on the pavement .
`` Do n't not touch me again , '' Thao yells .
People on the sidewalk shout back at Thao that the Black man never touched him .
Thao also pushes , though not as forcefully , a man wearing a white T-shirt , sending him back toward the sidewalk as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get a better view of what 's happening to Floyd .
The video is the latest officer-worn footage from the Minneapolis case to be released this week .
On Monday , video captured by ex-Officers Lane and Kueng was released following a legal challenge by a group of media companies arguing for their public release , as the Star Tribune reported .
The Star Tribune also noted Robert Paule , Thao 's attorney , filed his client 's body camera video with the court to support a motion to get criminal charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argued in court filings that the case should be dropped because Thao was focused on crowd control and did n't have a full view of what was happening as three of his former colleagues restrained Floyd , among other reasons , '' the paper reported .
Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill is scheduled to hear oral arguments Sept. 11 on motions filed on behalf of Lane and Thao .

Body Camera Video Of George Floyd And Police Offers New Details Of Deadly Encounter
Enlarge this image toggle caption Hennepin County/MPR/YouTube/Screenshot by NPR Hennepin County/MPR/YouTube/Screenshot by NPR
Newly released officer-worn body camera video is giving a fuller view of the tense scene in which George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. In it, bystanders clamor for officers to check Floyd's vital signs as Officer Derek Chauvin holds his knee on the man's neck.
The video, from former Officer Tou Thao, shows another vantage of Floyd's arrest as well as Thao's interactions with a crowd of bystanders. The recording was released by a judge's order in Hennepin County, Minn.
In the video, Thao seems to get increasingly agitated as the crowd becomes more vocal. Onlookers repeatedly ask him why Floyd's vital signs aren't being checked as other officers hold Floyd, who is handcuffed, on the pavement.
Floyd can be heard pleading with officers for air, including telling them, "I can't breathe" — the complaint that's been repeated by thousands of protesters as they call for an end to systemic racism and police brutality across the U.S. and internationally.
At one point, Thao tells the crowd, "This is why you don't do drugs, kids."
One bystander, a Black man in a black hoodie and shorts, tells the officers he trained at the police academy. He asks Thao about the tactic Chavin is using, asking if it's a "jiu-jitsu move."
Referring to Floyd, Thao repeatedly says, "He's talking, so he's fine."
Thao also tells the onlookers that officers tried for 10 minutes to get Floyd in the back of the police vehicle, although the actual time appears to have been less than five.
Thao arrived on the scene after Floyd was cuffed, and as fellow officers Chauvin, Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane were struggling to place Floyd in the back of a police SUV.
All four officers have since been fired and charged in connection with Floyd's death. Chauvin faces a second-degree murder charge, while Thao, Kueng and Lane each face charges of aiding and abetting.
In the video, Thao primarily engages in crowd control as people gather on the sidewalk near the rear of the police vehicle. While Floyd appears at times, the video largely does not show what happened to him as he was held down on the pavement. Instead, it shows the crowd's reactions — which range from concern to anger.
Floyd died after Chauvin kneeled on his neck for several minutes. The Minneapolis officers initially confronted Floyd on the suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill to purchase cigarettes.
At about the 8:43 mark in the video, the man in the hoodie steps off the sidewalk and into the street, moving toward where Floyd is in the street. Thao yells at the man to get back on the sidewalk.
Moments later, a white woman identifies herself as a Minneapolis firefighter as she approaches Thao and asks if Floyd has a pulse. He yells at her to get back on the sidewalk as well.
Things grow more tense as men and women in the crowd implore the officers to check on Floyd. As they do, some of them shout expletives at the officers.
"He's f***ing dead, bro," the man in the hoodie shouts as he steps into the street again.
Thao shoves the man back toward the sidewalk. He had taken out his cellphone to begin recording Floyd lying on the pavement.
"Don't not touch me again," Thao yells. People on the sidewalk shout back at Thao that the Black man never touched him.
Thao also pushes, though not as forcefully, a man wearing a white T-shirt, sending him back toward the sidewalk as people try to step into the street to get a better view of what's happening to Floyd.
The video is the latest officer-worn footage from the Minneapolis case to be released this week. On Monday, video captured by ex-Officers Lane and Kueng was released following a legal challenge by a group of media companies arguing for their public release, as the Star Tribune reported.
The Star Tribune also noted Robert Paule, Thao's attorney, filed his client's body camera video with the court to support a motion to get criminal charges against him dropped.
"Paule has argued in court filings that the case should be dropped because Thao was focused on crowd control and didn't have a full view of what was happening as three of his former colleagues restrained Floyd, among other reasons," the paper reported.
Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill is scheduled to hear oral arguments Sept. 11 on motions filed on behalf of Lane and Thao.


npr--2020-08-14--Some Good News: An 'Elephant Baby Boom' In One Kenyan National Park

Some Good News : An 'Elephant Baby Boom ' In One Kenyan National Park Amboseli National Park in Kenya is experiencing something of an elephant baby boom .
The park , which sits at the foot of Mt .
Kilimanjaro , has reported the birth of more than 170 calves this year and counting .
What 's more , two sets of twins were born this year , a rare occurrence according to Amboseli Trust For Elephants , a nonprofit conservation group in Kenya .
By contrast , the Trust reported 113 new calves born in 2018 .
( 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because the gestation period for elephant pregnancies is up to two years . )
`` The main reason the population is rebounding is due to the surplus rains we have had over the past two years , '' Tal Manor , project manager for ATE , said in an email to NPR .
`` Baby booms are largely tied to ecological changes . ''
In 2019 , the International Rescue Committee reported higher than normal rains , which caused massive flooding , killed people and damaged crops in East Africa .
The heavy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of severe drought .
For elephants , more rain means more vegetation for grazing and fewer deaths due to dehydration and starvation .
`` Overall in Kenya anti-poaching efforts are also high and elephants are generally safer , which means [ fewer ] get killed than in other parts of Africa , '' Manor added .
`` And Kenya 's elephant population is slowly increasing . ''
The baby boom is not the only heartening pachyderm statistic .
Kenya 's Wildlife Service said the country has seen its elephant population increase from 16,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of 2019 .
There are several threats to elephant populations — climate change related drought , clashes with farmers whose land the elephants trample and poachers who illegally hunt and kill the animals for their valuable tusks .
Kenya 's Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife , Najib Balala , says that growth in elephant population is in part due to the country 's efforts to stop poachers .
`` In the last couple of years we have managed to tame poaching in this country , '' Balala told reporters at Amboseli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that coincided with World Elephant Day .
In 2019 , the Kenyan government instituted stiffer consequences for anyone convicted of poaching , including large fines and prison time , the AP reported .
In Kenya , 80 elephants were poached in 2018 .
The number dropped significantly to 34 in 2019 .
And in 2020 , the numbers are on track to hit an even smaller figure for the full year .
`` Our number of poached elephants from January to today has been seven , '' Balala said .
He added : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Despite the promising numbers in Kenya , African elephants are still considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature .
While illegal poaching does remain a threat to the population , the IUCN 's Red List of Threatened Species reports `` the most important perceived threat '' is the loss or weakening of habitat caused by ongoing human population expansion and conversion of land .
Kenya 's Wildlife Service Director General John Waweru spoke about the threat of `` human-elephant conflict '' to conservation efforts during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arise when elephants raid farmers crops and kill livestock .
`` The elephants are one of the natural resources that has been caught up in human greed on one hand and human need on the other , so there we have a dichotomy , '' Waweru said .
In 2016 , NPR reported on a comprehensive census of African elephants that found the overall population decreased by nearly a third between 2007 and 2014 , totaling in 144,000 animals lost .

Some Good News: An 'Elephant Baby Boom' In One Kenyan National Park
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images
Amboseli National Park in Kenya is experiencing something of an elephant baby boom.
The park, which sits at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro, has reported the birth of more than 170 calves this year and counting. What's more, two sets of twins were born this year, a rare occurrence according to Amboseli Trust For Elephants, a nonprofit conservation group in Kenya.
By contrast, the Trust reported 113 new calves born in 2018. (2019 is not a good year for comparison because the gestation period for elephant pregnancies is up to two years.)
"The main reason the population is rebounding is due to the surplus rains we have had over the past two years," Tal Manor, project manager for ATE, said in an email to NPR. "Baby booms are largely tied to ecological changes."
In 2019, the International Rescue Committee reported higher than normal rains, which caused massive flooding, killed people and damaged crops in East Africa. The heavy rain came after the region had years of severe drought. For elephants, more rain means more vegetation for grazing and fewer deaths due to dehydration and starvation.
"Overall in Kenya anti-poaching efforts are also high and elephants are generally safer, which means [fewer] get killed than in other parts of Africa," Manor added. "And Kenya's elephant population is slowly increasing."
The baby boom is not the only heartening pachyderm statistic. Kenya's Wildlife Service said the country has seen its elephant population increase from 16,000 elephants in 1989 to 34,800 by the end of 2019.
There are several threats to elephant populations — climate change related drought, clashes with farmers whose land the elephants trample and poachers who illegally hunt and kill the animals for their valuable tusks.
Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Najib Balala, says that growth in elephant population is in part due to the country's efforts to stop poachers.
"In the last couple of years we have managed to tame poaching in this country," Balala told reporters at Amboseli National Park during an event on Wednesday that coincided with World Elephant Day.
In 2019, the Kenyan government instituted stiffer consequences for anyone convicted of poaching, including large fines and prison time, the AP reported.
In Kenya, 80 elephants were poached in 2018. The number dropped significantly to 34 in 2019. And in 2020, the numbers are on track to hit an even smaller figure for the full year.
"Our number of poached elephants from January to today has been seven," Balala said. He added: "We regret it has been seven."
Despite the promising numbers in Kenya, African elephants are still considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
While illegal poaching does remain a threat to the population, the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species reports "the most important perceived threat" is the loss or weakening of habitat caused by ongoing human population expansion and conversion of land.
Kenya's Wildlife Service Director General John Waweru spoke about the threat of "human-elephant conflict" to conservation efforts during the World Elephant Day event — which can arise when elephants raid farmers crops and kill livestock.
"The elephants are one of the natural resources that has been caught up in human greed on one hand and human need on the other, so there we have a dichotomy," Waweru said.
In 2016, NPR reported on a comprehensive census of African elephants that found the overall population decreased by nearly a third between 2007 and 2014, totaling in 144,000 animals lost.
NPR's East Africa correspondent Eyder Peralta contributed to this story.


npr--2020-08-14--Wildfire Season Is Off To A Roaring Start In California And Colorado

Wildfire Season Is Off To A Roaring Start In California And Colorado Two back-to-back blazes broke out around Los Angeles this week , marking a dramatic start to the wildfire season .
A wildfire that started Thursday continues to burn near the San Gabriel Canyon east of Los Angeles .
Activity at what 's called the Ranch2 Fire is expected to increase today due to extreme heat — with highs near 108 .
As of noon ET on Friday , some 100 personnel were battling the blaze , which has scorched at least 2,500 acres , closed roads in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Ranch2 Fire comes on the heels of another large and fast-growing fire that erupted Wednesday near Lake Hughes , north of Los Angeles .
That fire has burned more than 11,000 acres and is 12 % contained as of 9 a.m .
ET Friday according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection , or Cal Fire .
Road closures and evacuations remain in place , as more than 1,100 personnel work to contain the wildfire .
The Lake Fire spread rapidly , Seneca Smith , a public information officer for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a press briefing Thursday .
`` The fire behavior was so rapid as far as growth and so explosive in behavior that it took a while for ground crews to get to the edge , '' Smith said , describing the primary driver of the fire as `` heavy , thick and dense dried-out vegetation and steep terrain . ''
There are currently 13 wildfires burning in California , according to Cal Fire .
The National Interagency Fire Center classifies seven of them as `` large . ''
So far this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have burned at least 204,000 acres .
Compare that to all of 2019 , when nearly 260,000 acres of land were destroyed and three people were killed , according to Cal Fire .
In 2018 — the state 's worst year on record — 1.9 million acres burned , and 100 people died .
California has put more than $ 1 billion in spending to prevent wildfires on hold as a result of the coronavirus crisis .
Elsewhere in the country , large wildfires are burning in more than a dozen states , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Oregon , Washington and Colorado .
Of the three major wildfires currently burning in Colorado , the Pine Gulch Fire has destroyed almost 70,000 acres , making it one of the largest in the state 's history .
A few hours away , the Grizzly Creek Fire has burned about 14,000 acres , reports Colorado Public Radio 's Stina Sieg .
The Grizzly Creek blaze is burning through steep , rugged terrain near the popular tourist town of Glenwood Springs , Sieg says .
The fire , which started Monday afternoon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ east-west route .
Glenwood Springs residents Tim and Karen Trulove have been watching the giant plume of smoke from their home a few miles away .
Tim , who used to be a fire chief , tells Sieg that the fire will likely continue to grow .
`` The grasses are dry .
The trees and the brush have no moisture in them , because there has n't been any for weeks , '' Tim Trulove says .
`` I think it 's as bad as it gets right now , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''

Wildfire Season Is Off To A Roaring Start In California And Colorado
Enlarge this image toggle caption Noah Berger/AP Noah Berger/AP
Two back-to-back blazes broke out around Los Angeles this week, marking a dramatic start to the wildfire season.
A wildfire that started Thursday continues to burn near the San Gabriel Canyon east of Los Angeles. Activity at what's called the Ranch2 Fire is expected to increase today due to extreme heat — with highs near 108.
As of noon ET on Friday, some 100 personnel were battling the blaze, which has scorched at least 2,500 acres, closed roads in the area and is 0% contained.
The Ranch2 Fire comes on the heels of another large and fast-growing fire that erupted Wednesday near Lake Hughes, north of Los Angeles.
That fire has burned more than 11,000 acres and is 12% contained as of 9 a.m. ET Friday according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
Road closures and evacuations remain in place, as more than 1,100 personnel work to contain the wildfire.
The Lake Fire spread rapidly, Seneca Smith, a public information officer for the Angeles National Forest, said during a press briefing Thursday.
"The fire behavior was so rapid as far as growth and so explosive in behavior that it took a while for ground crews to get to the edge," Smith said, describing the primary driver of the fire as "heavy, thick and dense dried-out vegetation and steep terrain."
There are currently 13 wildfires burning in California, according to Cal Fire. The National Interagency Fire Center classifies seven of them as "large."
So far this year, more than 5,700 wildfires in the state have burned at least 204,000 acres. Compare that to all of 2019, when nearly 260,000 acres of land were destroyed and three people were killed, according to Cal Fire. In 2018 — the state's worst year on record — 1.9 million acres burned, and 100 people died.
California has put more than $1 billion in spending to prevent wildfires on hold as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
Elsewhere in the country, large wildfires are burning in more than a dozen states, including multiple fires in Alaska, Arizona, Oregon, Washington and Colorado.
Of the three major wildfires currently burning in Colorado, the Pine Gulch Fire has destroyed almost 70,000 acres, making it one of the largest in the state's history.
A few hours away, the Grizzly Creek Fire has burned about 14,000 acres, reports Colorado Public Radio's Stina Sieg.
The Grizzly Creek blaze is burning through steep, rugged terrain near the popular tourist town of Glenwood Springs, Sieg says. The fire, which started Monday afternoon, has closed Interstate 70, a vital east-west route.
Glenwood Springs residents Tim and Karen Trulove have been watching the giant plume of smoke from their home a few miles away. Tim, who used to be a fire chief, tells Sieg that the fire will likely continue to grow.
"The grasses are dry. The trees and the brush have no moisture in them, because there hasn't been any for weeks," Tim Trulove says. "I think it's as bad as it gets right now, and it's not projected to get any better."


npr--2020-08-14--How Should I Cover My Face? A Deeper Look Into Neck Gaiters And Face Shields

How Should I Cover My Face ?
A Deeper Look Into Neck Gaiters And Face Shields Each week , we answer `` frequently asked questions '' about life during the coronavirus crisis .
If you have a question you 'd like us to consider , email us at goatsandsoda @ npr.org with the subject line : `` Weekly Coronavirus Questions . ''
Between face shields , neck gaiters and goggles , the options for protection are getting more complex .
What face covering setup offers the best safeguard from the virus ?
There 's been a lot of face covering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duke University looked at the effectiveness of a variety of coverings and resulted in headlines such as this from The Washington Post : `` Wearing a neck gaiter may be worse than no mask at all , researchers find . ''
Lovers of neck gaiters — those tubes of fabric you slip over your head and that pull up over the nostrils and mouth — were up in arms .
Then the Philippines ruled that you have to wear a plastic face shield when going outside .
One thing is clear from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ save lives .
But there 's still a lot we do n't know .
The neck gaiter debate illustrates why there 's still confusion .
Outdoor exercisers often like gaiters — they 're easy to pull up and down , and there are no ear loops that might pinch the ears or simply slip off .
But this week , a study from Duke appeared to conclude that wearing a gaiter is worse than no mask at all when it came to protection .
( The researcher hypothesized that the gaiter 's porous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into many smaller ones , which then can linger in the air for longer . )
And the media was quick to jump on the story .
Dr. Michael Edmond , infectious disease specialist at the University of Iowa , has a few points to make about the study .
`` One thing to realize is that they [ tested only ] one gaiter , made of neck fleece — which is a very thin fleece , '' Edmond says .
That 's a synthetic material .
He says : `` I 'd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested was made of a different fabric with multiple layers if it 'd be more protective . ''
In other words , he 'd like to see more data before knowing whether to discount all gaiters .
And that 's true in general about face coverings that seek to protect others from any viral particles emitted by the wearer — and protect the mask-wearer as well .
Dr. Vicente Diaz , who specializes in ocular inflammatory and infectious diseases at Yale Medical School , agrees .
He says while Duke 's study provides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many other factors to consider in assessing gaiters — such as testing circumstances and the specific gaiter used .
`` What they found was that when the subjects were talking for 10 minutes , [ gaiters ] seemed to allow particles [ spewed by the wearer ] to break up and even spread faster , '' he says .
`` But that may be a function of the material used as well as the design of the face covering . ''
What 's more , outdoor exercisers are ... outdoors ... where risks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And runners may also be following the guidelines of social distancing , which would further decrease risks to others — which is why some reports have said you should n't be so hasty to trash your gaiter .
One ScienceNews story , by Jonathan Lambert , concedes that there is indeed much to be learned still about masks ' role in helping prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
But according to Monica Gandhi , an infectious disease specialist at the University of California , San Francisco cited in the story , the `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and earlier viruses , suggests that cloth face masks , and that includes properly worn neck gaiters , filter out the majority of viral particles and provide some protection for an individual . ''
Then there 's the question of full-on plastic face shields .
When it comes to larger viral droplets , he says , a face shield is likely more protective than a face mask .
Furthermore , a face shield covers the eyes — a potential entry point for the virus — he points out .
That 's something no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while it 's easy to wear a mask incorrectly — letting it slip beneath the nostrils or hang from the chin — that 's not going to happen with a face shield .
The shields are also easy to clean with spray disinfectant , or just soap and water , Edmond says .
Then again , face shields are n't 100 % effective either .
`` The downside [ with face shields ] is that we do n't know how well they work for source control , '' Edmond says — in other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particles if you 're infected .
`` That 's another thing we 're waiting on data to really give us an answer for . ''
As such , Edmond says the safest approach combines a mask and a face shield to offer maximum protection from viral particles for yourself and for others .
He notes that when a face shield is worn over a mask , it can offer the advantage of protecting the mask itself — keeping it from picking up virus particles .
Diaz emphasizes that eyes are another area to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do so .
He says studies have found that when eye protection was incorporated as a part of disease control strategy , it substantially reduced the rate of coronavirus infection .
`` When it comes to the eyes , we 've learned that they do seem to be involved , '' Diaz says .
`` Certainly the virus can get to the eye , and approximately 60 % of people who present with COVID infection have been noted to have eye-redness as a presenting symptom . ''
Edmond says it 's probably easier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than skin-tight goggles when it comes to eye protection .
However , it depends on your preference .
If you need to protect your eyes and do n't want to wear a shield , goggles would work .
Just make sure they are in fact goggles and not safety glasses , which you can tell by their `` fairly tight contact to your face '' with no gap .
`` If fitted appropriately , goggles will be very protective , '' he says .
Diaz says eye protection can even start from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glasses instead of contacts can confer an additional barrier .
In the end , the best protection is one you will actually wear — so it 's a good idea to do as much as you 're comfortable with sticking to consistently .
As a general rule , Diaz says it 's critical to consider your own health risk when determining a mask or face covering regimen .
If your day to day is particularly high-risk — say , you 're a health care worker — or you 're immunocompromised , `` the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says he tailors his personal face gear to the situation .
`` If I 'm going to the grocery store , where I do n't anticipate that there are going to be people very close to me , I will typically wear a shield , unless the store says specifically I have to wear a mask , '' he says .
`` But if I have to be in a classroom where there are lots of people per square footage — I would probably wear a mask and a shield .
And same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Diaz follows a similar setup – wearing a surgical mask in public , and an N95/face shield combination in the office , where he works closely on the eyes of patients .
Diaz says the most protective options are masks with respirators that filter out viral particles , or N95 masks , though for most people , they 're hard to access .
But a mask that has an exhalation valve or vent — making it easier to breathe — gets a thumbs-down from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a filter .
In guidance updated late last week , the CDC explained that one-way air vents allow air ( and thus , potentially infected respiratory particles ) to be released , so valve masks fail to prevent COVID-19 transmission .
However , if the mask has a filter behind the valve — which many cloth face masks with valves have — then it should be OK , says Raina MacIntyre , a leading mask researcher and head of the biosecurity program at the Kirby Institute at the University of New South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general public , we 're in consensus that at least a cotton mask is helpful , '' Diaz says .
`` Beyond that , '' he says , the more you do to protect yourself , `` the better . ''
Pranav Baskar is a freelance journalist and U.S. national born in Mumbai .

How Should I Cover My Face? A Deeper Look Into Neck Gaiters And Face Shields
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Each week, we answer "frequently asked questions" about life during the coronavirus crisis. If you have a question you'd like us to consider, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: "Weekly Coronavirus Questions."
Between face shields, neck gaiters and goggles, the options for protection are getting more complex. What face covering setup offers the best safeguard from the virus?
There's been a lot of face covering news this week. A study from Duke University looked at the effectiveness of a variety of coverings and resulted in headlines such as this from The Washington Post: "Wearing a neck gaiter may be worse than no mask at all, researchers find."
Lovers of neck gaiters — those tubes of fabric you slip over your head and that pull up over the nostrils and mouth — were up in arms.
Then the Philippines ruled that you have to wear a plastic face shield when going outside.
One thing is clear from the research: Wearing a face covering can save lives.
But there's still a lot we don't know.
The neck gaiter debate illustrates why there's still confusion.
Outdoor exercisers often like gaiters — they're easy to pull up and down, and there are no ear loops that might pinch the ears or simply slip off.
But this week, a study from Duke appeared to conclude that wearing a gaiter is worse than no mask at all when it came to protection. (The researcher hypothesized that the gaiter's porous texture would likely split large COVID-19 particles into many smaller ones, which then can linger in the air for longer.) And the media was quick to jump on the story.
Dr. Michael Edmond, infectious disease specialist at the University of Iowa, has a few points to make about the study.
"One thing to realize is that they [tested only] one gaiter, made of neck fleece — which is a very thin fleece," Edmond says. That's a synthetic material. He says: "I'd be interested to know if the gaiter tested was made of a different fabric with multiple layers if it'd be more protective."
In other words, he'd like to see more data before knowing whether to discount all gaiters.
And that's true in general about face coverings that seek to protect others from any viral particles emitted by the wearer — and protect the mask-wearer as well.
Dr. Vicente Diaz, who specializes in ocular inflammatory and infectious diseases at Yale Medical School, agrees. He says while Duke's study provides a good starting point, there are many other factors to consider in assessing gaiters — such as testing circumstances and the specific gaiter used.
"What they found was that when the subjects were talking for 10 minutes, [gaiters] seemed to allow particles [spewed by the wearer] to break up and even spread faster," he says. "But that may be a function of the material used as well as the design of the face covering."
What's more, outdoor exercisers are ... outdoors ... where risks of transmission are lower than indoors. And runners may also be following the guidelines of social distancing, which would further decrease risks to others — which is why some reports have said you shouldn't be so hasty to trash your gaiter.
One ScienceNews story, by Jonathan Lambert, concedes that there is indeed much to be learned still about masks' role in helping prevent the spread of COVID-19. But according to Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco cited in the story, the "preponderance of evidence, both for COVID-19 and earlier viruses, suggests that cloth face masks, and that includes properly worn neck gaiters, filter out the majority of viral particles and provide some protection for an individual."
Then there's the question of full-on plastic face shields.
Edmond says he thinks they're pretty cool.
When it comes to larger viral droplets, he says, a face shield is likely more protective than a face mask.
Furthermore, a face shield covers the eyes — a potential entry point for the virus — he points out. That's something no gaiter or mask can do.
And while it's easy to wear a mask incorrectly — letting it slip beneath the nostrils or hang from the chin — that's not going to happen with a face shield.
The shields are also easy to clean with spray disinfectant, or just soap and water, Edmond says.
Then again, face shields aren't 100% effective either.
"The downside [with face shields] is that we don't know how well they work for source control," Edmond says — in other words, limiting your transmission of viral particles if you're infected. "That's another thing we're waiting on data to really give us an answer for."
As such, Edmond says the safest approach combines a mask and a face shield to offer maximum protection from viral particles for yourself and for others. He notes that when a face shield is worn over a mask, it can offer the advantage of protecting the mask itself — keeping it from picking up virus particles.
Diaz emphasizes that eyes are another area to protect if you have the ability to do so. He says studies have found that when eye protection was incorporated as a part of disease control strategy, it substantially reduced the rate of coronavirus infection.
"When it comes to the eyes, we've learned that they do seem to be involved," Diaz says. "Certainly the virus can get to the eye, and approximately 60% of people who present with COVID infection have been noted to have eye-redness as a presenting symptom."
Edmond says it's probably easier for most people to wear face shields than skin-tight goggles when it comes to eye protection. However, it depends on your preference. If you need to protect your eyes and don't want to wear a shield, goggles would work. Just make sure they are in fact goggles and not safety glasses, which you can tell by their "fairly tight contact to your face" with no gap.
"If fitted appropriately, goggles will be very protective," he says.
Diaz says eye protection can even start from the simplest choices — even just opting for glasses instead of contacts can confer an additional barrier. In the end, the best protection is one you will actually wear — so it's a good idea to do as much as you're comfortable with sticking to consistently.
As a general rule, Diaz says it's critical to consider your own health risk when determining a mask or face covering regimen. If your day to day is particularly high-risk — say, you're a health care worker — or you're immunocompromised, "the more protection the better."
Edmond says he tailors his personal face gear to the situation.
"If I'm going to the grocery store, where I don't anticipate that there are going to be people very close to me, I will typically wear a shield, unless the store says specifically I have to wear a mask," he says. "But if I have to be in a classroom where there are lots of people per square footage — I would probably wear a mask and a shield. And same thing if I'm on a plane."
Diaz follows a similar setup – wearing a surgical mask in public, and an N95/face shield combination in the office, where he works closely on the eyes of patients. Diaz says the most protective options are masks with respirators that filter out viral particles, or N95 masks, though for most people, they're hard to access.
But a mask that has an exhalation valve or vent — making it easier to breathe — gets a thumbs-down from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, especially if it's not covered by a filter. In guidance updated late last week, the CDC explained that one-way air vents allow air (and thus, potentially infected respiratory particles) to be released, so valve masks fail to prevent COVID-19 transmission.
However, if the mask has a filter behind the valve — which many cloth face masks with valves have — then it should be OK, says Raina MacIntyre, a leading mask researcher and head of the biosecurity program at the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales in Australia.
"For the general public, we're in consensus that at least a cotton mask is helpful," Diaz says. "Beyond that," he says, the more you do to protect yourself, "the better."
Pranav Baskar is a freelance journalist and U.S. national born in Mumbai.