npr--2020-07-28--Bigger And Brawnier: Clout Of Amazon And CEO Jeff Bezos Under Scrutiny

Bigger And Brawnier : Clout Of Amazon And CEO Jeff Bezos Under Scrutiny Jeff Bezos is a man of many firsts .
On Wednesday , he 'll face a new one : his first appearance before Congress .
In a hearing via video with other major tech CEOs , lawmakers will grill Amazon 's founder about the reach of his company , the rules it sets for workers and the power imbalance with other sellers on its platform .
It all comes at a time when both Bezos and his business are seemingly at their zenith .
And the transformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could n't be more tightly woven together .
About 17 years ago Bezos gave a Ted Talk , comparing the dot-com boom to the early days of the invention of electricity — the primitive `` 1908 Hurley washing machine . ''
The promise of the Internet was so young , Bezos was saying , that it made no sense to be bothered by doubters or negative headlines such as `` Amazon.bomb . ''
Since then , the Internet has progressed to become the power grid of everyday life .
With it , Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ habit , worth a whopping $ 1.5 trillion .
This made Bezos worth more than $ 100 billion — and one of the country 's biggest corporate celebrities .
`` The first noticeable thing to me in recent years was the way he physically transformed himself as he became more wealthy , '' says Chip Bayers , who wrote one of the first definitive profiles of Bezos for Wired back in Amazon 's early days .
Back in the '90s , Bezos was a Pillsbury biscuit-chomping Trekkie family man , with wispy hair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assortment of khaki pants .
In 2017 , at age 53 , shortly before leapfrogging Bill Gates as the world 's richest person , the `` jacked Bezos '' meme broke the Internet .
People joked that he went from a dorky guy who clearly sells books to an aviator sunglasses-wearing guy who sells and buys whatever he wants .
With physical stores and delivery trucks , movies and Internet-connected cameras , some 840,000 workers , a cloud business that props up the CIA and enough paying subscribers to populate the ninth-largest country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occupy ever-greater space in American culture .
Bezos has shown up in Hollywood parties , on TMZ and gossip columns , especially after landing in a lascivious scandal involving an affair , intimate text messages and allegations of blackmail by a tabloid .
In a power play , Bezos exposed the matter himself in a Medium post .
Bezos buying The Washington Post fueled public contempt from President Trump , who regularly tweets about `` Jeff Bozo . ''
Amazon , in turn , tried to call the president to testify in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company 's ultimate corporate flex was Amazon HQ2 — a mundane search for a second headquarters that turned into a nationwide spectacle .
Scrutiny has started to catch up to the legend of Bezos : a Wall Street wunderkind who built a vast digital book catalog unburdened by sales tax , then trained shoppers to expect deliveries in two days — obsessed with finding inefficiencies that can turn into profits .
`` He 's singularly focused in a way that very few of the business people that I 've interviewed over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
In his first appearance before Congress , Bezos will face questions in an antitrust probe by the House Judiciary Committee , focused on Amazon 's dual role as the operator of a top online marketplace as well as a merchant on the same platform .
Lawmakers want to know , for example , whether Amazon exploits data it collects from other sellers for its own benefit , or whether it undercuts competitors by charging lower prices at a loss or in other ways .
The retailer has long rejected those and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon is a hugely popular company — which has strengthened one of its key defenses in the face of regulatory scrutiny .
U.S. competition law is centered around consumer harm , and Amazon 's consumers love its cheap prices and convenience .
`` All big institutions of any kind are going to be — and should be — examined , scrutinized and inspected , '' Bezos told an audience of Washington elites in 2018 .
`` It 's actually healthy , it 's good , we want to live in a society where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Under any regulatory regime , people will want low prices , big selection and fast delivery , he continued .
`` We are so inventive that whatever regulations are promulgated ... that will not stop us from serving customers . ''
He perched on the ballroom stage that usually hosts the White House Correspondents ' Dinner a transformed leader of a much-transformed Amazon — with a talent to appear self-deprecating , direct but also , still , unfazed by skeptics .
Editor 's note : Amazon is among NPR 's financial supporters @

Bigger And Brawnier: Clout Of Amazon And CEO Jeff Bezos Under Scrutiny
Enlarge this image toggle caption Paul Souders and Drew Angerer/Getty Images Paul Souders and Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Updated at 7:19 p.m. ET
Jeff Bezos is a man of many firsts. On Wednesday, he'll face a new one: his first appearance before Congress.
In a hearing via video with other major tech CEOs, lawmakers will grill Amazon's founder about the reach of his company, the rules it sets for workers and the power imbalance with other sellers on its platform.
It all comes at a time when both Bezos and his business are seemingly at their zenith. And the transformation of both the founder and his company couldn't be more tightly woven together.
About 17 years ago Bezos gave a Ted Talk, comparing the dot-com boom to the early days of the invention of electricity — the primitive "1908 Hurley washing machine." The promise of the Internet was so young, Bezos was saying, that it made no sense to be bothered by doubters or negative headlines such as "Amazon.bomb."
Since then, the Internet has progressed to become the power grid of everyday life. With it, Amazon has progressed to become America's online-shopping habit, worth a whopping $1.5 trillion. This made Bezos worth more than $100 billion — and one of the country's biggest corporate celebrities.
toggle caption Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo
"The first noticeable thing to me in recent years was the way he physically transformed himself as he became more wealthy," says Chip Bayers, who wrote one of the first definitive profiles of Bezos for Wired back in Amazon's early days.
Back in the '90s, Bezos was a Pillsbury biscuit-chomping Trekkie family man, with wispy hair, a sensible Honda and an infinite assortment of khaki pants. In 2017, at age 53, shortly before leapfrogging Bill Gates as the world's richest person, the "jacked Bezos" meme broke the Internet. People joked that he went from a dorky guy who clearly sells books to an aviator sunglasses-wearing guy who sells and buys whatever he wants.
With physical stores and delivery trucks, movies and Internet-connected cameras, a million workers, a cloud business that props up the CIA and enough paying subscribers to populate the ninth-largest country on Earth, Amazon and its founder occupy ever-greater space in American culture.
Bezos has shown up in Hollywood parties, on TMZ and gossip columns, especially after landing in a lascivious scandal involving an affair, intimate text messages and allegations of blackmail by a tabloid. In a power play, Bezos exposed the matter himself in a Medium post.
Bezos buying The Washington Post fueled public contempt from President Trump, who regularly tweets about "Jeff Bozo." Amazon, in turn, tried to call the president to testify in a lawsuit over a Pentagon contract.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Richard Drew/AP Richard Drew/AP
Perhaps the company's ultimate corporate flex was Amazon HQ2 — a mundane search for a second headquarters that turned into a nationwide spectacle.
Scrutiny has started to catch up to the legend of Bezos: a Wall Street wunderkind who built a vast digital book catalog unburdened by sales tax, then trained shoppers to expect deliveries in two days — obsessed with finding inefficiencies that can turn into profits.
"He's singularly focused in a way that very few of the business people that I've interviewed over the years could possibly be," Bayers says.
In his first appearance before Congress, Bezos will face questions in an antitrust probe by the House Judiciary Committee, focused on Amazon's dual role as the operator of a top online marketplace as well as a merchant on the same platform.
Lawmakers want to know, for example, whether Amazon exploits data it collects from other sellers for its own benefit, or whether it undercuts competitors by charging lower prices at a loss or in other ways. The retailer has long rejected those and other accusations of anti-competitive behavior.
And Amazon is a hugely popular company — which has strengthened one of its key defenses in the face of regulatory scrutiny. U.S. competition law is centered around consumer harm, and Amazon's consumers love its cheap prices and convenience.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sebastian Willnow/DDP/AFP/Getty Images Sebastian Willnow/DDP/AFP/Getty Images
"All big institutions of any kind are going to be — and should be — examined, scrutinized and inspected," Bezos told an audience of Washington elites in 2018. "It's actually healthy, it's good, we want to live in a society where people are worried about big institutions."
Under any regulatory regime, people will want low prices, big selection and fast delivery, he continued. "We are so inventive that whatever regulations are promulgated ... that will not stop us from serving customers."
He perched on the ballroom stage that usually hosts the White House Correspondents' Dinner a transformed leader of a much-transformed Amazon — with a talent to appear self-deprecating, direct but also, still, unfazed by skeptics.
Editor's note: Amazon is among NPR's financial supporters.


npr--2020-07-28--Navajo Nation Sees Farming Renaissance During Coronavirus Pandemic

Historically Navajos have lived off the land .
But decades of assimilation , forced relocation and dependence on federal food distribution programs changed that .
Navajo farmer Tyrone Thompson is on a mission to help people return to their roots .
He 's even taken to social media to teach traditional farming techniques .
In a recent video he demonstrates how to layer organic matter to turn dry clay into rich fertile soil .
The U.S. Department of Agriculture calls the Navajo Nation a food desert .
People travel up to 40 miles to get their groceries .
But Thompson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` As we see the shelves emptying of food and toilet paper we kind of reconnect to our roots , '' Thompson says .
`` Some of the tools that were given by our elders and our ancestors — our planting stick and our steering sticks — those are our weapons against hunger and poverty and sickness . ''
The Navajo Nation has gone from having the highest coronavirus infection rate in the country to a steady decline in cases .
Tribal leaders are discouraging members from travel to surrounding states where numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Francis says more people are staying home and farming .
`` There has been a surge in interest , '' Francis says .
`` Seeds were hard to come by .
They flew off the shelves just as fast as toilet paper did . ''
This renewed interest in agriculture comes five years after many people on the reservation abandoned farming .
They quit when an EPA crew investigating a mine in Colorado accidentally unleashed 3 million gallons of metal-contaminated waste into the southwest river system .
Photos of the yellow river went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it shocked people worldwide , '' Francis says .
The town of Shiprock , which was the most affected , is named for a giant rock formation that appears to be sailing across the desert .
Many people there do n't have running water .
So when the Gold King Mine dumped into its main water source , Shiprock Chapter president Duane `` Chili '' Yazzie says people were devastated .
`` The mine spill certainly had a very significant impact on our lives , our mental emotional spiritual health , '' Yazzie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Navajo ceremonies .
So when people saw the yellow sludge flow past their farms , Yazzie says they were n't sure what would become of their prayers , their livelihoods or their families .
`` We as indigenous people continue to recognize that the spiritual and the physical aspects of our life are one and the same , '' Yazzie says .
Researchers have studied the impacts of the leaks and surges on crops downstream and they say there are occasional spikes in metals like lead and arsenic .
But they say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day over several days before getting sick .
But upstream in Colorado dozens of historic mines are still leaking and many of them could surge once again endangering farming on the Navajo Nation .
It 's an area called the Bonita Peak Mining District , which includes the Gold King Mine .
Peter Butler is the chairman of an advisory group that 's working with the EPA to prevent another spill , like a nearby mine that 's had two major blowouts in recent years .
`` Nobody wants to go in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on because who knows the water could be backed up again , '' Butler says .
`` You 're going back in there and if , of course , it releases , it 's a death trap . ''
The EPA has recognized the seriousness of the spill and made it a super fund site .
Ironically that 's created even more red tape to remediate all of the hazardous mines .
It 's also raised the costs .
So Butler says the question becomes `` how much are you willing to spend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unplanned surges when they may or may not happen ? ''
But this costs may become more and more necessary .
Downstream the Navajo are now counting on clean water from the river to irrigate their crops and become a self-sustaining nation during a pandemic .

Navajo Nation Sees Farming Renaissance During Coronavirus Pandemic
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tommy Greyeyes /Courtesy Hundred Storms Creative Tommy Greyeyes /Courtesy Hundred Storms Creative
Historically Navajos have lived off the land. But decades of assimilation, forced relocation and dependence on federal food distribution programs changed that.
Navajo farmer Tyrone Thompson is on a mission to help people return to their roots. He's even taken to social media to teach traditional farming techniques.
In a recent video he demonstrates how to layer organic matter to turn dry clay into rich fertile soil.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture calls the Navajo Nation a food desert. People travel up to 40 miles to get their groceries. But Thompson says they don't have to.
"As we see the shelves emptying of food and toilet paper we kind of reconnect to our roots," Thompson says. "Some of the tools that were given by our elders and our ancestors — our planting stick and our steering sticks — those are our weapons against hunger and poverty and sickness."
The Navajo Nation has gone from having the highest coronavirus infection rate in the country to a steady decline in cases. Tribal leaders are discouraging members from travel to surrounding states where numbers are spiking. Now, researcher Brandon Francis says more people are staying home and farming.
"There has been a surge in interest," Francis says. "Seeds were hard to come by. They flew off the shelves just as fast as toilet paper did."
This renewed interest in agriculture comes five years after many people on the reservation abandoned farming. They quit when an EPA crew investigating a mine in Colorado accidentally unleashed 3 million gallons of metal-contaminated waste into the southwest river system. Photos of the yellow river went viral.
"It's shocking and it shocked people worldwide," Francis says.
The town of Shiprock, which was the most affected, is named for a giant rock formation that appears to be sailing across the desert. Many people there don't have running water. So when the Gold King Mine dumped into its main water source, Shiprock Chapter president Duane "Chili" Yazzie says people were devastated.
"The mine spill certainly had a very significant impact on our lives, our mental emotional spiritual health," Yazzie says.
Water plays a critical role in Navajo ceremonies. So when people saw the yellow sludge flow past their farms, Yazzie says they weren't sure what would become of their prayers, their livelihoods or their families.
"We as indigenous people continue to recognize that the spiritual and the physical aspects of our life are one and the same," Yazzie says.
Upstream problems, downstream problems
Researchers have studied the impacts of the leaks and surges on crops downstream and they say there are occasional spikes in metals like lead and arsenic. But they say residents would have to eat 40 servings a day over several days before getting sick.
But upstream in Colorado dozens of historic mines are still leaking and many of them could surge once again endangering farming on the Navajo Nation. It's an area called the Bonita Peak Mining District, which includes the Gold King Mine.
Peter Butler is the chairman of an advisory group that's working with the EPA to prevent another spill, like a nearby mine that's had two major blowouts in recent years.
"Nobody wants to go in there and find out what's going on because who knows the water could be backed up again," Butler says. "You're going back in there and if, of course, it releases, it's a death trap."
The EPA has recognized the seriousness of the spill and made it a super fund site. Ironically that's created even more red tape to remediate all of the hazardous mines. It's also raised the costs.
So Butler says the question becomes "how much are you willing to spend to try to reduce the risk of unplanned surges when they may or may not happen?"
But this costs may become more and more necessary. Downstream the Navajo are now counting on clean water from the river to irrigate their crops and become a self-sustaining nation during a pandemic.


npr--2020-07-28--Study: Nursing Home Residents Not Protected From Antipsychotic Drugs Under Trump

Study : Nursing Home Residents Not Protected From Antipsychotic Drugs Under Trump Almost 300,000 nursing home residents are given antipsychotic drugs each week , even though most have no psychosis to justify it .
But since the beginning of the Trump administration , nursing homes have rarely paid a price for even the most serious misuse of the drugs .
That 's according to a new report out Tuesday from health researchers for Rep. Richard Neal , D-Mass.
, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee .
Rachel Dolan , the lead author of the study , found that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents declined significantly between the end of the Obama administration and the first half of the Trump administration .
`` Citations for antipsychotic misuse in skilled nursing facilities increased by 200 % between 2015 and 2017 under the Obama administration .
And then those citations declined by 22 % '' under Trump , says Dolan .
This decline coincided with the Trump administration rolling back of a number of nursing home regulations that went into effect near the end of Barak Obama 's term in office .
For example , the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for substandard care , they changed the way fines are assessed , causing the financial penalties to decline by about a third , and they proposed making it easier to prescribe antipsychotic drugs .
Still , Dolan 's study found that fines for prescribing unneeded antipsychotic drugs to nursing home residents were shockingly low during the first half of the Trump administration , even for the most serious offenses , graded `` actual harm '' or `` immediate jeopardy . ''
`` These are the most severe citations surveyors ever capture , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those resulted in no fines . ''
For another quarter of these citations , fines were below $ 20,000 .
The FDA only approves antipsychotics for people who have serious mental illnesses , such as schizophrenia .
That 's also an illness most likely to strike someone younger than 30 , rather than someone in their 80s , the typical age of a nursing home resident .
And the danger of these drugs to older adults can be profound .
They come with black box warnings from the FDA , saying they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ older people , especially those with dementia .
The antipsychotic drugs prescribed to nursing home residents also cost taxpayers a bundle .
In 2012 , the cost to Medicare Part D was $ 363 million .
The unnecessary use of antipsychotics can also contribute to falls , which cost Medicare more than $ 50 billion annually .
To minimize harm to nursing home residents and the government 's bottom line , the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ( CMS ) started a program to encourage the reduction in antipsychotic drug use in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the percentage of nursing home residents inappropriately receiving antipsychotic drugs has declined from almost 24 % in 2012 , when the program began , to 14.3 % in the middle of 2019 .
But that reduction is not a cause for celebration , Dolan says .
First , the report suggests the number may be misleading , since data show that schizophrenia diagnoses in nursing homes have risen as the misuse of antipsychotic drugs appears to have fallen .
Dolan says that could suggest that some nursing homes might be falsifying diagnoses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The second reason to be cautious , she says , is that even if 14.3 % of nursing home residents are being inappropriately prescribed antipsychotic drugs , that 's still a lot of people .
`` There really are no excuses for people to be getting these drugs when they should n't be , '' Dolan says .
`` We ca n't , as a nation , pat ourselves on the back for relative success , when relative success really means nothing to patients and families , if they suffer because they did @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Study: Nursing Home Residents Not Protected From Antipsychotic Drugs Under Trump
Enlarge this image toggle caption Shannon Reiswig/Getty Images/EyeEm Shannon Reiswig/Getty Images/EyeEm
Almost 300,000 nursing home residents are given antipsychotic drugs each week, even though most have no psychosis to justify it. But since the beginning of the Trump administration, nursing homes have rarely paid a price for even the most serious misuse of the drugs.
That's according to a new report out Tuesday from health researchers for Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Rachel Dolin, the lead author of the study, found that citations for over-prescribing antipsychotics to nursing home residents declined significantly between the end of the Obama administration and the first half of the Trump administration.
"Citations for antipsychotic misuse in skilled nursing facilities increased by 200% between 2015 and 2017 under the Obama administration. And then those citations declined by 22%" under Trump, says Dolin.
On Aging The White House Says Nursing Home Regulations Are Too Tough The White House Says Nursing Home Regulations Are Too Tough Listen · 3:56 3:56
This decline coincided with the Trump administration rolling back of a number of nursing home regulations that went into effect near the end of Barack Obama's term in office. For example, the Trump administration made it harder to sue nursing homes for substandard care, they changed the way fines are assessed, causing the financial penalties to decline by about a third, and they proposed making it easier to prescribe antipsychotic drugs.
Still, Dolin's study found that fines for prescribing unneeded antipsychotic drugs to nursing home residents were shockingly low during the first half of the Trump administration, even for the most serious offenses, graded "actual harm" or "immediate jeopardy."
"These are the most severe citations surveyors ever capture," Dolin says. "And 10% of those resulted in no fines." For another quarter of these citations, fines were below $20,000.
The FDA only approves antipsychotics for people who have serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia. That's also an illness most likely to strike someone younger than 30, rather than someone in their 80s, the typical age of a nursing home resident. And the danger of these drugs to older adults can be profound. They come with black box warnings from the FDA, saying they can increase the risk of death in older people, especially those with dementia.
The antipsychotic drugs prescribed to nursing home residents also cost taxpayers a bundle. In 2012, the cost to Medicare Part D was $363 million. The unnecessary use of antipsychotics can also contribute to falls, which cost Medicare more than $50 billion annually.
To minimize harm to nursing home residents and the government's bottom line, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) started a program to encourage the reduction in antipsychotic drug use in nursing homes. According to CMS data, the percentage of nursing home residents inappropriately receiving antipsychotic drugs has declined from almost 24% in 2012, when the program began, to 14.3% in the middle of 2019.
But that reduction is not a cause for celebration, Dolin says.
First, the report suggests the number may be misleading, since data show that schizophrenia diagnoses in nursing homes have risen as the misuse of antipsychotic drugs appears to have fallen. Dolin says that could suggest that some nursing homes might be falsifying diagnoses to justify their use of antipsychotics.
The second reason to be cautious, she says, is that even if 14.3% of nursing home residents are being inappropriately prescribed antipsychotic drugs, that's still a lot of people.
"There really are no excuses for people to be getting these drugs when they shouldn't be," Dolin says. "We can't, as a nation, pat ourselves on the back for relative success, when relative success really means nothing to patients and families, if they suffer because they did not get the right care."


npr--2020-07-28--Big Tech In Washington's Hot Seat: What You Need To Know

Big Tech In Washington 's Hot Seat : What You Need To Know Some of the world 's most powerful CEOs are coming to Capitol Hill — virtually , of course — to answer one overarching question : Do the biggest technology companies use their reach and power to hurt competitors and help themselves ?
Here 's what you need to know : What : The tech execs will answer lawmakers ' questions in the culmination of a year-long investigation by the House Judiciary Committee 's antitrust panel into the tech giants ' power that spanned 1.3 million documents and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefings .
Why : The four companies shape how billions of people communicate , learn , work , shop and have fun .
Americans ' reliance on these platforms has only intensified as the coronavirus pandemic has kept us in our homes .
Plus , the hearing comes as more Democrats and Republicans openly challenge the immense power of Silicon Valley .
What 's next : The tech giants are under investigation by regulators in the U.S. and Europe , who could bring lawsuits and even force breakups .
Congress ' primary role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conclusions by House lawmakers — expected in a report in the coming weeks — could reshape the tech industry .
That is , if the political will exists to take on an economic powerhouse .
• Accounts for 38 % of U.S. online retail sales , according to eMarketer .
Along with Google , it 's a top site for shoppers to begin product searches • Has topped 150 million paying subscribers to its Prime service worldwide • Employs more than 840,000 workers globally , mostly in warehouses Critics say Amazon abuses its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online marketplace as well as a merchant on the same platform .
They argue that Amazon undercuts competitors by charging lower prices at a loss .
Officials in the E.U .
are soon expected to reveal the results of their investigation into whether Amazon exploits data it collects from other sellers for its own benefit .
Critics have also targeted Amazon 's multitude of business streams , questioning the pace of work and conditions in its warehouses , the size of its grip on delivery networks and cloud computing , the use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the data practices of its Internet-connected devices .
Amazon says in each of it different business lines , it 's one of many competitors .
In its main business of retail , for example , Amazon often sizes itself against the entire industry rather than just e-commerce .
The company 's focus on convenience and low prices has won over consumers , who are the main concern of U.S. competition law .
Amazon touts itself as a big job creator with generous pay and a marketplace that supports scores of small and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounting for more than half the sales on the platform .
• Currently the world 's most valuable company , with a stock market value of about $ 1.6 trillion .
• Has sold nearly 2 billion iPhones since its blockbuster smartphone launched in 2007 .
• While the iPhone is Apple 's biggest moneymaker , its services business — including its popular App Store — generated $ 46 billion last year from downloads , subscriptions and licensing deals .
Critics say Apple uses the App Store to give itself an unfair advantage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iPhones and iPads , app developers must use Apple 's system of processing payments .
That way , Apple pockets 30 % of every purchase .
Yet Apple 's own apps , like Apple Maps and Apple Music , do not have to pay any App Store fees .
Apple , as part of its terms and conditions , does not allow companies to tell consumers about cheaper ways to download apps outside of the App Store .
This arrangement has led rival Spotify to claim that `` Apple acts as stadium owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing field in favors of its services . ''
Apple says it has paid out $ 155 billion to third-party developers from App Store purchases worldwide since 2008 .
It also points out that 84 % of apps in the App Store are free to download .
It claims taking a 30 % slice of app sales is required to support the highest level of privacy and security protections .
Apple last week promoted a study it commissioned finding that its 30 % commission rate is in line with fees charged at other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like videos , podcasts , e-books and audiobooks .
An Apple spokesman told NPR that those who complain about the fee are seeking a free ride and `` do n't want to play by the same rules as everyone else . ''
• More than 3 billion people use Facebook , Instagram , WhatsApp or Messenger at least once a month .
• Facebook is just behind Google with 23 % of the U.S. digital advertising market , according to eMarketer .
Facebook brought in almost $ 70 billion in advertising last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Critics say Facebook has stifled competition by buying upstart social apps like Instagram and WhatsApp .
It 's also a big player in digital advertising , thanks to the deep trove of data it collects on its users .
Facebook is embroiled in plenty of controversies that are n't directly related to antitrust , such as its role in spreading election and health misinformation , its failures to protect users ' data and accusations of political bias .
Senior committee aides say they want to keep the hearing `` laser-focused '' on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may prove too tempting for lawmakers to ignore .
Some Republicans have pushed to broaden the hearing to address how social media platforms treat conservatives .
The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general are also investigating whether Facebook has broken any competition laws .
Facebook says it faces plenty of competition from apps like TikTok , in social media , and Google , in advertising .
Its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp were scrutinized by regulators at the time .
When critics like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren call for breaking up Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greater threat to users ' privacy and American innovation .
The CEO has also called for more regulation of election security , privacy , data and harmful content online .
• Google and YouTube , both owned by parent company Alphabet , rank among the most visited websites in the world • More than 90 % of searches happen on Google — that means billions of searches every day • Google controls 30 % of the U.S. digital advertising market , according to eMarketer .
Google sold $ 135 billion in ads last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YouTube Critics say Google has enormous power over how people find information — showing up at the top of search results can make or break a company .
Smaller rivals such as Yelp accuse Google of favoring its own products , from Google Maps to YouTube .
It also has a lot of power in the complex world of digital advertising .
Publishers say that 's hurt their businesses , and critics worry that marketers end up paying more to get their ads in front of customers .
The Justice Department and state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They 're expected to sue the company in the coming months , kicking off a big legal battle .
Google says its services create choice for users and for small businesses and that it `` engag [ es ] in robust and fair competition . ''
It also points to a 2013 investigation by the Federal Trade Commission that found Google did n't violate competition laws in how it displays search results .
Editor 's note : Amazon , Apple , Google and Facebook are among NPR 's financial supporters .

Big Tech In Washington's Hot Seat: What You Need To Know
Enlarge this image toggle caption Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Evan Vucci, Jeff Chiu, Jens Meyer/AP Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Evan Vucci, Jeff Chiu, Jens Meyer/AP
Updated at 7:17 p.m. ET
Some of the world's most powerful CEOs are coming to Capitol Hill — virtually, of course — to answer one overarching question: Do the biggest technology companies use their reach and power to hurt competitors and help themselves?
Here's what you need to know:
Who: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
What: The tech execs will answer lawmakers' questions in the culmination of a year-long investigation by the House Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel into the tech giants' power that spanned 1.3 million documents and hundreds of hours of hearings and closed-door briefings.
Why: The four companies shape how billions of people communicate, learn, work, shop and have fun. Americans' reliance on these platforms has only intensified as the coronavirus pandemic has kept us in our homes. Plus, the hearing comes as more Democrats and Republicans openly challenge the immense power of Silicon Valley.
What's next: The tech giants are under investigation by regulators in the U.S. and Europe, who could bring lawsuits and even force breakups. Congress' primary role is to write antitrust laws. The conclusions by House lawmakers — expected in a report in the coming weeks — could reshape the tech industry. That is, if the political will exists to take on an economic powerhouse.
The companies:
Amazon by the numbers
Accounts for 38% of U.S. online retail sales , according to eMarketer. Along with Google, it's a top site for shoppers to begin product searches
, according to eMarketer. Along with Google, it's a top site for shoppers to begin product searches Has topped 150 million paying subscribers to its Prime service worldwide
to its Prime service worldwide Employs a million workers globally, mostly in warehouses
Critics say Amazon abuses its position as the operator of a top online marketplace as well as a merchant on the same platform. They argue that Amazon undercuts competitors by charging lower prices at a loss. Officials in the E.U. are soon expected to reveal the results of their investigation into whether Amazon exploits data it collects from other sellers for its own benefit.
Critics have also targeted Amazon's multitude of business streams, questioning the pace of work and conditions in its warehouses, the size of its grip on delivery networks and cloud computing, the use of its facial recognition technology by law enforcement and the data practices of its Internet-connected devices.
Amazon says in each of it different business lines, it's one of many competitors. In its main business of retail, for example, Amazon often sizes itself against the entire industry rather than just e-commerce. The company's focus on convenience and low prices has won over consumers, who are the main concern of U.S. competition law.
Amazon touts itself as a big job creator with generous pay and a marketplace that supports scores of small and medium-sized businesses, with third-party sellers now accounting for more than half the sales on the platform.
Apple by the numbers
Currently the world's most valuable company, with a stock market value of about $1.6 trillion.
Has sold nearly 2 billion iPhones since its blockbuster smartphone launched in 2007.
While the iPhone is Apple's biggest moneymaker, its services business — including its popular App Store — generated $46 billion last year from downloads, subscriptions and licensing deals.
Critics say Apple uses the App Store to give itself an unfair advantage. In order to reach consumers with iPhones and iPads, app developers must use Apple's system of processing payments. That way, Apple pockets 30% of every purchase.
Yet Apple's own apps, like Apple Maps and Apple Music, do not have to pay any App Store fees. Apple, as part of its terms and conditions, does not allow companies to tell consumers about cheaper ways to download apps outside of the App Store.
This arrangement has led rival Spotify to claim that "Apple acts as stadium owner, referee and player and tilts the playing field in favors of its services."
Apple says it has paid out $155 billion to third-party developers from App Store purchases worldwide since 2008. It also points out that 84% of apps in the App Store are free to download. It claims taking a 30% slice of app sales is required to support the highest level of privacy and security protections.
Apple last week promoted a study it commissioned finding that its 30% commission rate is in line with fees charged at other companies and in other industries for services like videos, podcasts, e-books and audiobooks. An Apple spokesman told NPR that those who complain about the fee are seeking a free ride and "don't want to play by the same rules as everyone else."
Facebook by the numbers
More than 3 billion people use Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or Messenger at least once a month.
Facebook is just behind Google with 23% of the U.S. digital advertising market, according to eMarketer. Facebook brought in almost $70 billion in advertising last year — 99% of its total revenue.
Critics say Facebook has stifled competition by buying upstart social apps like Instagram and WhatsApp. It's also a big player in digital advertising, thanks to the deep trove of data it collects on its users.
Facebook is embroiled in plenty of controversies that aren't directly related to antitrust, such as its role in spreading election and health misinformation, its failures to protect users' data and accusations of political bias. Senior committee aides say they want to keep the hearing "laser-focused" on competition — but Facebook's other problems may prove too tempting for lawmakers to ignore. Some Republicans have pushed to broaden the hearing to address how social media platforms treat conservatives.
The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general are also investigating whether Facebook has broken any competition laws.
Facebook says it faces plenty of competition from apps like TikTok, in social media, and Google, in advertising. Its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp were scrutinized by regulators at the time. When critics like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren call for breaking up Facebook, Zuckerberg points to China as the greater threat to users' privacy and American innovation. The CEO has also called for more regulation of election security, privacy, data and harmful content online.
Google by the numbers
Google and YouTube, both owned by parent company Alphabet, rank among the most visited websites in the world
More than 90% of searches happen on Google — that means billions of searches every day
Google controls 29% of the U.S. digital advertising market, according to eMarketer. Google sold $135 billion in ads last year, including $15 billion on YouTube
Critics say Google has enormous power over how people find information — showing up at the top of search results can make or break a company. Smaller rivals such as Yelp accuse Google of favoring its own products, from Google Maps to YouTube.
It also has a lot of power in the complex world of digital advertising. Publishers say that's hurt their businesses, and critics worry that marketers end up paying more to get their ads in front of customers.
The Justice Department and state attorneys general are also investigating Google. They're expected to sue the company in the coming months, kicking off a big legal battle.
Google says its services create choice for users and for small businesses and that it "engag[es] in robust and fair competition." It also points to a 2013 investigation by the Federal Trade Commission that found Google didn't violate competition laws in how it displays search results.
Editor's note: Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook are among NPR's financial supporters.


npr--2020-07-28--WATCH: Attorney General Barr Set To Testify On Justice Department Oversight

Attorney General William Barr can expect a tough reception when he travels up to see the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday .
Barr is a longtime political target of the panel 's majority Democrats , who censured him last year during one of a number of bitter disputes over access to information and the House of Representatives ' powers of oversight .
Chairman Jerry Nadler , D-N.Y. , has condemned Barr as being contemptuous of Congress ' powers and too cozy with President Trump .
Nadler has used the committee over the past year , in part , to underscore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failures on many matters .
Barr is expected to vehemently defend his independence , saying the president `` has not attempted to interfere '' in decisions related to criminal cases .
`` Indeed , it is precisely because I feel complete freedom to do what I think is right that induced me serve once again as Attorney General , '' he will say , according to prepared remarks released last night .
Barr did n't show up before the panel on a previous occasion after a dispute about the conditions at the hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resisted requests for materials and dueled with House Democrats in court cases over access to records .
The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. and will be streamed live here .
The attorney general has defended his independence and that of the Justice Department in response to the criticism offered by Nadler and others .
He told NPR he believes the department is separated appropriately from the White House and that he has a responsibility to make sure cases are handled correctly .
All the same , Nadler 's panel has heard from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argue that Barr 's camp leans on underlings to deliver the results that it — and the White House — want .
Democrats are likely to press the attorney general on Tuesday about matters involving Trump 's friends , including political adviser Roger Stone , in whose case Barr interceded ; former national security adviser Mike Flynn , whose charges Barr dropped ; and others .
Republicans led by the panel 's ranking member , Rep. Jim Jordan , R-Ohio , are expected to mount a loyal defense of Barr and Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of investigations that have embarrassed the Justice Department and FBI .
Barr , in their telling , is cleaning house and getting to the bottom of what Trump 's allies call wrongdoing .
The attorney general has commissioned U.S. Attorney John Durham in Connecticut to conduct another such investigation into the origins of the Russia inquiry , one Trump 's supporters hope will deliver another shot to the reputation of the FBI and , possibly , the administration of President Barack Obama .
The details and timing of Durham 's investigation are n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another topic of discussion for Barr on Tuesday .

Attorney General Barr Tussles With Democrats In Tense Oversight Hearing
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/AP Chip Somodevilla/AP
Updated at 4:06 p.m. ET
Attorney General William Barr puts the founding principles of the Justice Department "more at risk than at any time in modern history," the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee charged on Tuesday.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., excoriated Barr because he said the attorney general sought conflict with Americans at an unprecedented scale, including via federal law enforcement crackdowns, and has created what Nadler called a special reserve of justice for the well-connected.
"The message these actions send is clear: In this Justice Department, the president's enemies will be punished. His friends will be protected — no matter the cost, no matter the cost to liberty, no matter the cost to justice," Nadler said.
Barr is a longtime political target of the panel's majority Democrats, who censured him last year during one of a number of bitter disputes over access to information and the House of Representatives' powers of oversight.
On Tuesday, Nadler said the Justice Department had become "a shadow of its former self."
Democrat after Democrat followed on Tuesday along a number of lines of assault, criticizing Barr for the Trump administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, for his management of the Justice Department and his handling of individual cases.
Barr defended his independence vehemently, saying the president "has not attempted to interfere" in decisions related to criminal cases.
"Indeed, it is precisely because I feel complete freedom to do what I think is right that induced me serve once again as attorney general," he said.
Barr stands his ground
The attorney general has told NPR he believes the department is separated appropriately from the White House and that he has a responsibility to make sure cases are handled correctly.
And Barr told lawmakers on Tuesday that he had no relationship with Trump before being nominated and was prepared to "slip happily into retirement" with nothing more to prove in his career.
Barr rejected the characterization that he has embraced a role as the president's own man atop the federal law enforcement apparatus.
All the same, Nadler's panel has heard from Justice Department whistleblowers and outside critics who argue that Barr's camp leans on underlings to deliver the results that it — and the White House — want.
Democrats also pressed the attorney general on Tuesday about matters involving Trump's friends, including political adviser Roger Stone, in whose case Barr interceded; former national security adviser Mike Flynn, whose charges Barr dropped.
And they faulted him for deploying federal agents to suppress protesters in Washington D.C., Portland, Oregon and elsewhere.
"The protesters aren't mobs — they're mothers and veterans and mayors," Nadler said. Real leadership, the chairman said, would involve de-escalation; "instead you use pepper spray and truncheons on American citizens."
The attorney general rejected that.
Federal officers are deployed to help local agencies, he said, and, in the case of Portland, to protect the federal courthouse there against what Barr called nightly attacks. The attorney general also cited the numbers of police officers and federal agents who have been injured in the course of carrying out their duties.
Democrats said they fear that Barr is responding to orders from Trump to create ugly scenes of violence and needlessly escalate clashes with demonstrators in order to heighten a narrative of danger that Trump wants to program into a "law and order" re-election campaign.
Nadler asked Barr whether he and Trump have discussed the re-election campaign; though the attorney general said he preserves his official independence, he acknowledged that he has discussed it in meetings at the White House.
"I'm a member of the Cabinet and there's an election going on," Barr said. "The topic comes up in Cabinet meetings — it shouldn't be surprise that it comes up."
And Barr volunteered that he thought his conduct and that of the Justice Department had been appropriate with respect to Trump's friends, citing Stone and Flynn in particular.
Flynn's case was problematic, Barr argues, which is why he supported dropping the charges even after the former national security adviser's admissions of guilt.
As for Stone, Barr pointed out that he oversaw the prosecution and supported it — but what Barr said he didn't support was the prospect of an excessive sentence, which he interceded to oppose in court.
"I agree the president's friends don't deserves special breaks — but they also don't deserve to be treated more harshly than everyone else," Barr said.
Trump later used his clemency power to commute Stone's sentence.
Witness: Lafayette Square actions were 'disturbing'
Meanwhile on Tuesday at a parallel hearing, the House Natural Resources Committee heard from a Washington D.C. Army National Guard member who testified that he was "deeply disturbed" by the actions of law enforcement during last month's crackdown by law enforcement against protesters at Lafayette Square across from the White House.
Maj. Adam DeMarco told lawmakers that it was his observation that the demonstrators "were engaged in the peaceful expression of their First Amendment rights, yet they were subjected to an unprovoked escalation and excessive use of force."
DeMarco said he was assigned to act as a liaison between the D.C. Guard and the U.S. Park Police, and was in the square when law enforcement forced demonstrators out of the park, minutes before President Trump crossed the area on his way to a photo op in front of St. John's Church.
DeMarco contradicted testimony from the Park Police's acting Chief Gregory Monahan that police used a "long-range acoustic device" to warn the protesters to leave the park that evening. DeMarco said police used a standard-issue megaphone placed on a bench, which he said was barely audible from where he stood some 20 yards way.
DeMarco, a West Point graduate and Army veteran who served in Iraq, also said based on his training he believed Park Police fired tear gas at the demonstrators, and said that he found spent tear gas canisters.
Monahan denied his officers used tear gas, and said the decision to clear the park was made in consultation with the U.S. Secret Service, but that neither White House officials nor the Department of Justice were involved.
Monahan said the action was undertaken in advance of a 7 p.m. Washington curfew and that "there is 100 percent, zero correlation between our action and the president's visit to the church."
At Barr's hearing elsewhere at the Capitol, however, the attorney general told members of Congress that he was aware throughout the day that Trump planned to leave the White House and eventually that Trump would pose for photographers — as he did after the square had been cleared.
Allies level counter-charges
The House Judiciary Committee's Republicans, led by the panel's ranking member, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, mounted a loyal defense of Barr and Trump and also drew attention to the findings of investigations that have embarrassed the Justice Department and FBI.
Barr, in their telling, is cleaning house and getting to the bottom of what Trump's allies call wrongdoing.
"Spying," Jordan said on Tuesday, alluding to what he called the real basis for the Russia investigation. "That's why they're after you, Mister Attorney General."
Jordan hailed Barr's revelation that he has commissioned John Bash, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, to look into the use of national security "unmasking" authority with respect to Flynn toward the end of President Barack Obama's administration.
"Wow — that's great," Jordan said.
Jordan also praised what he called Barr's support for police as a clear alternative to what he said were proposals by Democrats to withdraw support from law enforcement.
He played a video apparently created by the committee's Republican staff that showed what appeared to be police videos and some news footage depicting violence directed at law enforcement officials and some injured officers.
Some activists support directing a portion of current police budgets to other agencies, such as for mental health treatment; Trump, Jordan and Republicans have seized on the brand "defund the police" to charge that Democrats want to disestablish police departments altogether.
Nadler said Tuesday's hearing is Barr's first time before the House Judiciary Committee both in his current stint as attorney general and also from the last time he served in that role, under President George H.W. Bush.


npr--2020-07-28--Demand Surges For See-through Face Masks As Pandemic Swells

Blake Blackmon and his fiance , Jessica Cournoyer , recently welcomed their second child , a cherubic-cheeked good sleeper name Beau .
He entered the world last month after a quick labor , arriving almost before nurses were ready .
`` As soon as the first push happened , she said , `` No , no , no , stop , stop , stop !
Baby 's already crowning , '' Blackmon recalls a nurse telling Cournoyer .
A team of nurses rushed in .
Cournoyer , who was born deaf , understood those instructions only because she could read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face mask .
The mask had been custom-made for her by a volunteer who lives nearby , in Salisbury , N.C .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this month declared face coverings a `` critical tool '' in stopping the surge in COVID-19 cases , amid growing scientific evidence that they can significantly reduce viral spread , `` particularly when used universally within communities . ''
But most masks come with significant social downsides : They hide smiles and obscure expressions , and can telegraph suspicion or danger .
And they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 million Americans like Cournoyer who are deaf or hard of hearing .
Cournoyer abandoned sign language in middle school , after a cochlear implant restored most of her hearing .
But she still relies on a clear line of sight to see what people are saying .
`` I can not understand people whenever they turn or keep moving around , '' she says .
It 's not just those with hearing loss who are clamoring instead for cloth face masks that have a see-through panel .
They are a hot item @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others who work with children or the elderly .
Vendors on the craft site Etsy have taken up the call , with masks of varying quality and design .
Transparent face shields might seem an obvious alternative , but they are open at the bottom , and not recommended by the CDC `` for normal everyday activities or as a substitute for cloth face coverings , '' according to agency 's website .
And after a coronavirus outbreak in a Swiss restaurant recently — one in which employees wearing face shields became infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cloth masks did n't — health officials in Switzerland and some European countries also have been panning reliance on face shields .
At least one company — ClearMask , based in Baltimore — has gone so far as to seek and earn FDA `` clearance '' that its mask with a transparent panel is `` substantially equivalent '' to a medical-grade surgical mask for hospitals and other frontline uses .
ClearMask 's founder and CEO Aaron Hsu says it took 3 years of research and development to develop a clear material that wo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of children communication is non-verbal , '' says Hsu .
`` Being able to see who we 're talking to is fundamental to how we communicate and connect . ''
The company was started in 2017 , he says , by four Johns Hopkins University students who identified the need for a niche medical product for deaf people .
But now its appeal has gone global .
Bulk orders of ClearMask 's disposable face coverings — meant for just one-time use — are currently going to governments , hospitals and commercial clients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interpreters , factory workers , and people working in customer service are ordering them , too , at $ 67 for the minimum purchase order of 24 .
`` Demand has skyrocketed , '' he says .
`` I mean , we 're working around the clock . ''
For most purposes , even a handmade version of such a mask is likely to help in everyday situations , says David Aronoff , director of infectious disease at the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection , Immunology and Inflammation .
`` We know that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ materials , so see-through masks provide potentially a great option for balancing infection prevention with the desire to be able to see somebody 's mouth move , '' Aronoff says .
`` The main thing that we really need to get people to understand , is that wearing a face covering is really important .
And if it helps them to wear one that has a cut-out in the middle with a piece of plastic to make it easier to see — that 's great . ''
Karen Franks , the volunteer who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Blake Blackmon when their baby was born , is an elementary musical school teacher who recently turned to sewing masks eight hours a day — mostly clear ones — just to help out her community .
Franks says she never leaves her house unmasked , and hopes others in her community will follow suit .
Making masks , `` is kind of selfish of me , '' she says , `` because if I can get people wearing masks so I can feel safer and be safer , than maybe me making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Franks devised the mask she produces by cutting a hole out of a regular cloth mask and inserting a clear plastic Mylar her husband uses at his comic book shop to bag and preserve rare comics .
The Mylar , she says , is both durable and repels moisture .
A few of those masks found their way to Blackmon — who had once been Franks ' student , the two subsequently realized .
`` Oh , he was a very good student — he has dark eyebrows and a really sweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of smiling , she says , she misses smiling at her students , and is considering using a transparent mask herself — if her school 's classes resume in person .

Demand Surges For See-Through Face Masks As Pandemic Swells
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gregory Bull/AP Gregory Bull/AP
Blake Blackmon and his fiancée, Jessica Cournoyer, recently welcomed their second child, a cherubic-cheeked good sleeper name Beau. He entered the world last month after a quick labor, arriving almost before nurses were ready.
"As soon as the first push happened, she said, "No, no, no, stop, stop, stop! Baby's already crowning," Blackmon recalls a nurse telling Cournoyer. A team of nurses rushed in.
Cournoyer, who was born deaf, understood those instructions only because she could read her nurse's lips through a transparent face mask. The mask had been custom-made for her by a volunteer who lives nearby in Salisbury, N.C.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this month declared face coverings a "critical tool" in stopping the surge in COVID-19 cases amid growing scientific evidence that they can significantly reduce viral spread, "particularly when used universally within communities."
toggle caption Karen Frankjs
But most masks come with significant social downsides: They hide smiles and obscure expressions and can telegraph suspicion or danger. And they can be a serious impediment for the 10 million Americans like Cournoyer who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Cournoyer abandoned sign language in middle school after a cochlear implant restored most of her hearing. But she still relies on a clear line of sight to see what people are saying.
"I cannot understand people whenever they turn or keep moving around," she says.
It's not just those with hearing loss who are clamoring for cloth face masks that have a see-through panel. They are a hot item among teachers, for example, and others who work with children or the elderly. Vendors on the craft site Etsy have taken up the call with masks of varying quality and design.
Transparent face shields might seem an obvious alternative, but they are open at the bottom and not recommended by the CDC "for normal everyday activities or as a substitute for cloth face coverings," according to the agency's website. And after a coronavirus outbreak in a Swiss restaurant recently — one in which employees wearing face shields became infected with the virus, while those in cloth masks didn't — health officials in Switzerland and some European countries also have been panning reliance on face shields.
At least one company — ClearMask, based in Baltimore — has gone so far as to seek and earn FDA "clearance" that its mask with a transparent panel is "substantially equivalent" to a medical-grade surgical mask for hospitals and other front-line uses.
ClearMask's founder and CEO Aaron Hsu says it took three years of research and development to develop a clear material that won't fog up.
"For a lot of children communication is nonverbal," says Hsu. "Being able to see who we're talking to is fundamental to how we communicate and connect."
The company was started in 2017, he says, by four Johns Hopkins University students who identified the need for a niche medical product for deaf people. But now its appeal has gone global.
Bulk orders of ClearMask's disposable face coverings — meant for just one-time use — are currently going to governments, hospitals and commercial clients, Hsu says, though individuals such as interpreters, factory workers and people working in customer service are ordering them, too, at $67 for the minimum purchase order of 24.
"Demand has skyrocketed," he says. "I mean, we're working around the clock."
For most purposes, even a handmade version of such a mask is likely to help in everyday situations, says David Aronoff, director of infectious disease at the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation.
"We know that the virus cannot penetrate plastic or solid materials, so see-through masks provide potentially a great option for balancing infection prevention with the desire to be able to see somebody's mouth move," Aronoff says.
"The main thing that we really need to get people to understand is that wearing a face covering is really important. And if it helps them to wear one that has a cut-out in the middle with a piece of plastic to make it easier to see — that's great."
Karen Franks, the volunteer who made the mask used by Jessica Cournoyer and Blake Blackmon when their baby was born, is an elementary school music teacher who recently turned to sewing masks eight hours a day — mostly clear ones — just to help out her community.
Franks says she never leaves her house unmasked and hopes others in her community will follow suit.
Making masks "is kind of selfish of me," she says, "because if I can get people wearing masks so I can feel safer and be safer, than maybe me making them for people will do it."
Franks devised the mask she produces by cutting a hole out of a regular cloth mask and inserting clear, plastic Mylar her husband uses at his comic book shop to bag and preserve rare comics. The Mylar, she says, is durable and repels moisture.
A few of those masks found their way to Blackmon — who had once been Franks' student, the two subsequently realized.
"Oh, he was a very good student — he has dark eyebrows and a really sweet smile," Franks says. Speaking of smiling, she says, she misses smiling at her students and is considering using a transparent mask herself — if her school's classes resume in person.


npr--2020-07-28--Former Malaysian Prime Minister Found Guilty Of Looting Sovereign Fund

Malaysia 's former Prime Minister Najib Razak has been found guilty on all counts in the first of his multiple corruption trials over a massive scheme to divert billions from a state investment fund to several personal accounts , including his .
The landmark criminal case involving the 1Malaysia Development Berhad , or 1MDB sovereign wealth fund , has not only ensnared Najib , but other prominent Malaysian figures and Goldman Sachs , one of the world 's largest investment banks .
`` After considering all evidence in this trial , I find that the prosecution has successfully proven its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Mohamad Nazlan Mohamad Ghazali said .
Outside the courtroom , hundreds of supporters of the former prime minister gathered to call for his release .
The long-running case is considered one of the largest financial scandals in history , spanning 10 countries and billions of dollars in plundered assets .
Najib , who held the dual posts of prime minister and finance minister until he was voted out of office two years ago , was found guilty on seven counts of money laundering , abuse of power and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carries 15 to 20 years in prison .
He pleaded not guilty .
Najib , 67 , has vowed to appeal the conviction and his lawyers are seeking a delay in sentencing .
In at least two more trials in the looting of 1MDB , the former prime minister faces dozens of additional charges .
The trial that ended Tuesday is the first of several that the former premier faces .
In it , prosecutors said he received $ 10 million from the 1MDB fund , but cumulatively Najib is believed to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars from the fund .
`` This decision actually reaffirms that the rule of law is working , '' says Bridget Welsh , a research associate and expert on Malaysia with the University of Nottingham .
`` The judge was very careful in laying out his decision , '' she said .
`` And with that , there has been a sense of justice . ''
Among other things , prosecutors traced the money to the purchase of a megayacht , a Picasso painting and an investment in the 2013 Hollywood film The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the U.S.-based Goldman Sachs reached a $ 3.9 billion settlement with Malaysia over its role in arranging and underwriting 1MDB .
Malaysia accused Goldman of misleading investors over three multibillion-dollar bond sales to raise money for the fund .
Revelations of the massive scheme led to Najib 's governing coalition being swept from office in May 2018 .
Days after his loss at the polls , police descended on one of Najib 's residences in a pre-dawn raid , confiscating dozens of suitcases containing cash , jewelry and hundreds of designer bags @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Najib and his lawyers have argued that the charges against him are politically motivated and that he was the victim of a financial scam and was misled by fugitive financier Jho Low and others who stood to gain from the scheme .
Jho Low , who maintains his innocence , has been charged in both the U.S. and Malaysia .
However , he remains at large .
A lawsuit filed by the U.S. Justice Department in 2016 sought to seize dozens of properties tied to 1MDB , alleging that more than $ 3.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Justice Department announced that it had reached a settlement to recover some $ 700 million of that sum .

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Found Guilty Of Looting Sovereign Fund
Enlarge this image toggle caption Vincent Thian/AP Vincent Thian/AP
Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak has been found guilty on all counts in the first of his multiple corruption trials over a massive scheme to divert billions from a state investment fund to several personal accounts, including his.
The landmark criminal case involving the 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, has not only ensnared Najib, but other prominent Malaysian figures and Goldman Sachs, one of the world's largest investment banks.
"After considering all evidence in this trial, I find that the prosecution has successfully proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt," Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Mohamad Nazlan Mohamad Ghazali said.
Outside the courtroom, hundreds of supporters of the former prime minister gathered to call for his release.
The long-running case is considered one of the largest financial scandals in history, spanning 10 countries and billions of dollars in plundered assets.
Najib, who held the dual posts of prime minister and finance minister until he was voted out of office two years ago, was found guilty on seven counts of money laundering, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust. Each charge carries 15 to 20 years in prison. He pleaded not guilty.
Najib, 67, has vowed to appeal the conviction and his lawyers are seeking a delay in sentencing. In at least two more trials in the looting of 1MDB, the former prime minister faces dozens of additional charges.
The trial that ended Tuesday is the first of several that the former premier faces. In it, prosecutors said he received $10 million from the 1MDB fund, but cumulatively Najib is believed to have siphoned the equivalent of about a billion dollars from the fund.
"This decision actually reaffirms that the rule of law is working," says Bridget Welsh, a research associate and expert on Malaysia with the University of Nottingham.
"The judge was very careful in laying out his decision," she said. "And with that, there has been a sense of justice."
Among other things, prosecutors traced the money to the purchase of a megayacht, a Picasso painting and an investment in the 2013 Hollywood film The Wolf of Wall Street.
Last week, the U.S.-based Goldman Sachs reached a $3.9 billion settlement with Malaysia over its role in arranging and underwriting 1MDB. Malaysia accused Goldman of misleading investors over three multibillion-dollar bond sales to raise money for the fund.
Revelations of the massive scheme led to Najib's governing coalition being swept from office in May 2018. Days after his loss at the polls, police descended on one of Najib's residences in a pre-dawn raid, confiscating dozens of suitcases containing cash, jewelry and hundreds of designer bags in connection with the 1MDB probe.
Najib and his lawyers have argued that the charges against him are politically motivated and that he was the victim of a financial scam and was misled by fugitive financier Jho Low and others who stood to gain from the scheme.
Jho Low, who maintains his innocence, has been charged in both the U.S. and Malaysia. However, he remains at large.
A lawsuit filed by the U.S. Justice Department in 2016 sought to seize dozens of properties tied to 1MDB, alleging that more than $3.5 billion was misappropriated. Last year, the Justice Department announced that it had reached a settlement to recover some $700 million of that sum.


npr--2020-07-27--Portland Protesters File Suit Against Trump Administration Over Federal Response

Protesters including members of Wall of Moms and Do n't Shoot Portland are suing the Trump administration over what they describe as a violent and intimidating federal response to nightly demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality .
The group of organizations and individuals filed a nine-count complaint on Monday against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security , its leaders and several other federal agencies , whom they accuse of violating protesters ' constitutionally protected freedom of speech , freedom from unreasonable seizures , and right to due process , by deploying federal agents to unlawfully `` quash Plaintiffs ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They also argue that federal officers are overstepping their law enforcement authority , and allege that Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf is not legally serving in his role because he has not been nominated by President Trump or confirmed by the Senate .
The Department of Homeland Security , U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately respond to NPR 's request for comment on Monday evening .
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said the agency does not comment on pending litigation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ District Court for the District of Columbia by a number of law firms and Protect Democracy , a left-leaning litigation organization .
They are representing Do n't Shoot Portland , Wall of Moms and five individual Black Lives Matter protesters .
Protesters have been gathering in downtown Portland on a nightly basis since the death of George Floyd on May 25 .
In early July , the federal government began deploying agents to the city in order to protect federal property .
The plaintiffs allege that the conduct of those federal agents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were sent to protect , suggests they were actually carrying out a different DHS policy : `` to intimidate and silence protesters because of their message . ''
In the complaint , they describe seeing DHS agents injure peaceful protesters , make arrests without probable cause and use otherwise violent tactics — of which the plaintiffs themselves were repeatedly on the receiving end .
`` They have been tear-gassed night after night , left vomiting and unable to eat or sleep because of the toxic poison blasted at them , '' the complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at over and over — with rubber bullets , bean bags , pepper spray , and a range of other projectiles fired at close range and with brutal effect .
They have had flash-bang explosive devices detonated right in front of them .
They have been forced to speak and assemble in fear of not just bodily harm , but the possibility of sudden arrest without probable cause . ''
More broadly , the complaint argues that the `` abusive actions '' of federal agents violate legal limitations on federal law enforcement activities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect federal property .
But the plaintiffs also quote government officials as saying the agents are there to `` 'quell ' protests against police brutality by 'tak [ ing ] over ' Portland . ''
`` Our clients in Portland are peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights .
Federal law enforcement should not be attacking these brave women for speaking up for what they believe , '' said Deana El-Mallawany , counsel at Protect Democracy .
`` The intent of the administration 's deployment of federal agents in Portland appears to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like .
It 's important to check this unlawful administration policy now , before it is allowed to spread to other cities across the U.S. '' In a statement on Monday , the DHS described a `` dangerous and vicious situation '' in Portland , with rioters trying to remove additional fencing that the agency had erected around the Hatfield Federal Courthouse last week .
It said that when federal officers left the courthouse to defend the fence , `` rioters responded with hard projectiles , mortar style fireworks and lasers that can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said officers made 10 arrests , nine for assault of a federal officer and one for violating a no-fly zone with a drone .
State and local officials say the federal agents ' presence has shifted the conversation and exacerbated tensions , and are increasingly calling for their removal .
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler , who was tear gassed in a crowd last week , was one of six mayors who penned a letter on Monday asking Congress to pass legislation to block the Trump administration from deploying federal law enforcement to cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entities in Oregon have explored legal avenues for restricting the actions of federal agents .
Last Thursday , a federal judge temporarily blocked officers from knowingly targeting journalists and legal observers at Portland protests .
And on Friday , a different federal judge denied the Oregon attorney general 's request for a temporary restraining order , saying the state lacked legal standing .

Portland Protesters File Suit Against Trump Administration Over Federal Response
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kathryn Elsesser/AFP via Getty Images Kathryn Elsesser/AFP via Getty Images
Protesters including members of Wall of Moms and Don't Shoot Portland are suing the Trump administration over what they describe as a violent and intimidating federal response to nightly demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality.
The group of organizations and individuals filed a nine-count complaint on Monday against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, its leaders and several other federal agencies, whom they accuse of violating protesters' constitutionally protected freedom of speech, freedom from unreasonable seizures, and right to due process, by deploying federal agents to unlawfully "quash Plaintiffs' speech and end their protests."
They also argue that federal officers are overstepping their law enforcement authority, and allege that Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf is not legally serving in his role because he has not been nominated by President Trump or confirmed by the Senate.
The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment on Monday evening. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.
The lawsuit was brought in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by a number of law firms and Protect Democracy, a left-leaning litigation organization. They are representing Don't Shoot Portland, Wall of Moms and five individual Black Lives Matter protesters.
Protesters have been gathering in downtown Portland on a nightly basis since the death of George Floyd on May 25. In early July, the federal government began deploying agents to the city in order to protect federal property.
The plaintiffs allege that the conduct of those federal agents, including away from the federal courthouse they were sent to protect, suggests they were actually carrying out a different DHS policy: "to intimidate and silence protesters because of their message."
In the complaint, they describe seeing DHS agents injure peaceful protesters, make arrests without probable cause and use otherwise violent tactics — of which the plaintiffs themselves were repeatedly on the receiving end.
"They have been tear-gassed night after night, left vomiting and unable to eat or sleep because of the toxic poison blasted at them," the complaint reads. "They have been shot at over and over — with rubber bullets, bean bags, pepper spray, and a range of other projectiles fired at close range and with brutal effect. They have had flash-bang explosive devices detonated right in front of them. They have been forced to speak and assemble in fear of not just bodily harm, but the possibility of sudden arrest without probable cause."
More broadly, the complaint argues that the "abusive actions" of federal agents violate legal limitations on federal law enforcement activities that allow agents to be deployed only to protect federal property.
But the plaintiffs also quote government officials as saying the agents are there to " 'quell' protests against police brutality by 'tak[ing] over' Portland."
"Our clients in Portland are peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights. Federal law enforcement should not be attacking these brave women for speaking up for what they believe," said Deana El-Mallawany, counsel at Protect Democracy. "The intent of the administration's deployment of federal agents in Portland appears to be to stifle speech the president doesn't like. It's important to check this unlawful administration policy now, before it is allowed to spread to other cities across the U.S."
In a statement on Monday, the DHS described a "dangerous and vicious situation" in Portland, with rioters trying to remove additional fencing that the agency had erected around the Hatfield Federal Courthouse last week.
It said that when federal officers left the courthouse to defend the fence, "rioters responded with hard projectiles, mortar style fireworks and lasers that can cause permanent blindness."
The department said officers made 10 arrests, nine for assault of a federal officer and one for violating a no-fly zone with a drone.
State and local officials say the federal agents' presence has shifted the conversation and exacerbated tensions, and are increasingly calling for their removal.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who was tear gassed in a crowd last week, was one of six mayors who penned a letter on Monday asking Congress to pass legislation to block the Trump administration from deploying federal law enforcement to cities without local leaders' consent.
Other entities in Oregon have explored legal avenues for restricting the actions of federal agents.
Last Thursday, a federal judge temporarily blocked officers from knowingly targeting journalists and legal observers at Portland protests. And on Friday, a different federal judge denied the Oregon attorney general's request for a temporary restraining order, saying the state lacked legal standing.


npr--2020-07-28--Jeff Bezos To Washington: 'My Dad's Name Is Miguel. He Adopted Me When I Was 4'

Jeff Bezos To Washington : 'My Dad 's Name Is Miguel .
He Adopted Me When I Was 4' The CEOs of Amazon , Apple , Facebook and Google are set to testify before a House antitrust subcommittee Wednesday about whether their companies have too much power .
For Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos , it will be his first appearance before Congress .
He begins his prepared remarks with a personal story , as he often does in public appearances : I 'm Jeff Bezos .
I founded Amazon 26 years ago with the long-term mission of making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My mom , Jackie , had me when she was a 17-year-old high school student in Albuquerque , New Mexico .
Being pregnant in high school was not popular in Albuquerque in 1964 .
It was difficult for her .
When they tried to kick her out of school , my grandfather went to bat for her .
After some negotiation , the principal said , `` OK , she can stay and finish high school , but she ca n't do any extracurricular activities , and she ca n't have a locker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and my mother finished high school , though she was n't allowed to walk across the stage with her classmates to get her diploma .
Determined to keep up with her education , she enrolled in night school , picking classes led by professors who would let her bring an infant to class .
She would show up with two duffel bags—one full of textbooks , and one packed with diapers , bottles , and anything that would keep me interested and quiet for a few minutes .
My dad 's name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was four years old .
He was 16 when he came to the United States from Cuba as part of Operation Pedro Pan , shortly after Castro took over .
My dad arrived in America alone .
His parents felt he 'd be safer here .
His mom imagined America would be cold , so she made him a jacket sewn entirely out of cleaning cloths , the only material they had on hand .
We still have that jacket ; it hangs in my parents ' dining room .
My dad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a refugee center in Florida , before being moved to a Catholic mission in Wilmington , Delaware .
He was lucky to get to the mission , but even so , he did n't speak English and did n't have an easy path .
What he did have was a lot of grit and determination .
He received a scholarship to college in Albuquerque , which is where he met my mom .
You get different gifts in life , and one of my great gifts is my mom and dad .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and my siblings our entire lives .
You learn different things from your grandparents than you do from your parents , and I had the opportunity to spend my summers from ages four to 16 on my grandparents ' ranch in Texas .
My grandfather was a civil servant and a rancher—he worked on space technology and missile-defense systems in the 1950s and '60s for the Atomic Energy Commission—and he was self-reliant and resourceful .
When you 're in the middle of nowhere , you do n't pick up a phone and call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it yourself .
As a kid , I got to see him solve many seemingly unsolvable problems himself , whether he was restoring a broken-down Caterpillar bulldozer or doing his own veterinary work .
He taught me that you can take on hard problems .
When you have a setback , you get back up and try again .
You can invent your way to a better place .
I took these lessons to heart as a teenager , and became a garage inventor .
I invented an automatic gate closer out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an umbrella and tinfoil , and alarms made from baking pans to entrap my siblings .
The concept for Amazon came to me in 1994 .
The idea of building an online bookstore with millions of titles—something that simply could n't exist in the physical world—was exciting to me .
At the time , I was working at an investment firm in New York City .
When I told my boss I was leaving , he took me on a long walk in Central Park .
After a lot of listening , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what , Jeff , I think this is a good idea , but it would be a better idea for somebody who did n't already have a good job . ''
He convinced me to think about it for two days before making a final decision .
It was a decision I made with my heart and not my head .
When I 'm 80 and reflecting back , I want to have minimized the number of regrets that I have in my life .
And most of our regrets are acts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the paths untraveled .
Those are the things that haunt us .
And I decided that if I did n't at least give it my best shot , I was going to regret not trying to participate in this thing called the internet that I thought was going to be a big deal .
The initial start-up capital for Amazon.com came primarily from my parents , who invested a large fraction of their life savings in something they did n't understand .
They were n't making a bet on Amazon or the concept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They were making a bet on their son .
I told them that I thought there was a 70 % chance they would lose their investment , and they did it anyway .
... Editor 's note : Amazon , Apple , Google and Facebook are among NPR 's financial supporters .

I'm Jeff Bezos. I founded Amazon 26 years ago with the long-term mission of making it Earth's most customer-centric company.
My mom, Jackie, had me when she was a 17-year-old high school student in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Being pregnant in high school was not popular in Albuquerque in 1964. It was difficult for her. When they tried to kick her out of school, my grandfather went to bat for her. After some negotiation, the principal said, "OK, she can stay and finish high school, but she can't do any extracurricular activities, and she can't have a locker." My grandfather took the deal, and my mother finished high school, though she wasn't allowed to walk across the stage with her classmates to get her diploma. Determined to keep up with her education, she enrolled in night school, picking classes led by professors who would let her bring an infant to class. She would show up with two duffel bags—one full of textbooks, and one packed with diapers, bottles, and anything that would keep me interested and quiet for a few minutes.
My dad's name is Miguel. He adopted me when I was four years old. He was 16 when he came to the United States from Cuba as part of Operation Pedro Pan, shortly after Castro took over. My dad arrived in America alone. His parents felt he'd be safer here. His mom imagined America would be cold, so she made him a jacket sewn entirely out of cleaning cloths, the only material they had on hand. We still have that jacket; it hangs in my parents' dining room. My dad spent two weeks at Camp Matecumbe, a refugee center in Florida, before being moved to a Catholic mission in Wilmington, Delaware. He was lucky to get to the mission, but even so, he didn't speak English and didn't have an easy path. What he did have was a lot of grit and determination. He received a scholarship to college in Albuquerque, which is where he met my mom. You get different gifts in life, and one of my great gifts is my mom and dad. They have been incredible role models for me and my siblings our entire lives.
You learn different things from your grandparents than you do from your parents, and I had the opportunity to spend my summers from ages four to 16 on my grandparents' ranch in Texas. My grandfather was a civil servant and a rancher—he worked on space technology and missile-defense systems in the 1950s and '60s for the Atomic Energy Commission—and he was self-reliant and resourceful. When you're in the middle of nowhere, you don't pick up a phone and call somebody when something breaks. You fix it yourself. As a kid, I got to see him solve many seemingly unsolvable problems himself, whether he was restoring a broken-down Caterpillar bulldozer or doing his own veterinary work. He taught me that you can take on hard problems. When you have a setback, you get back up and try again. You can invent your way to a better place.
I took these lessons to heart as a teenager, and became a garage inventor. I invented an automatic gate closer out of cement-filled tires, a solar cooker out of an umbrella and tinfoil, and alarms made from baking pans to entrap my siblings.
The concept for Amazon came to me in 1994. The idea of building an online bookstore with millions of titles — something that simply couldn't exist in the physical world — was exciting to me. At the time, I was working at an investment firm in New York City. When I told my boss I was leaving, he took me on a long walk in Central Park. After a lot of listening, he finally said, "You know what, Jeff, I think this is a good idea, but it would be a better idea for somebody who didn't already have a good job." He convinced me to think about it for two days before making a final decision. It was a decision I made with my heart and not my head. When I'm 80 and reflecting back, I want to have minimized the number of regrets that I have in my life. And most of our regrets are acts of omission—the things we didn't try, the paths untraveled. Those are the things that haunt us. And I decided that if I didn't at least give it my best shot, I was going to regret not trying to participate in this thing called the internet that I thought was going to be a big deal.
The initial start-up capital for Amazon.com came primarily from my parents, who invested a large fraction of their life savings in something they didn't understand. They weren't making a bet on Amazon or the concept of a bookstore on the internet. They were making a bet on their son. I told them that I thought there was a 70% chance they would lose their investment, and they did it anyway. ...


npr--2020-07-28--Great White Shark Kills Woman In Maine

Great White Shark Kills Woman In Maine

Julie Dimperio Holowach was laughing as she and her daughter paddled into the water Monday off the coast of Maine 's Bailey Island .
Suddenly Holowach , who was wearing a black wetsuit , started flailing , witness Tom Whyte told The Boston Globe .
Her daughter swam back to shore , dropped to her knees and screamed for help , he said .
Nearby kayakers brought Holowach 's badly injured body to shore .
By the time paramedics arrived , the 63-year-old seasonal resident from New York City was already dead , killed in the first fatal shark attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say the waters around Maine have more white sharks than they used to , as the predators go in search of seal meat .
`` I think it 's generally accepted that the increase in number of seals is leading to more white sharks coming closer to shore during some months , '' Nick Whitney , a senior scientist at the New England Aquarium , told Maine Public Radio .
After the attack , officials recovered a fragment of tooth .
They sent the tooth to Gregory Skomal , a shark biologist at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who positively identified the shark as a great white .
`` This is the only confirmed fatality in Maine waters from a shark attack , '' said the commissioner of Maine 's Department of Marine Resources , Patrick Keliher , at a news conference Tuesday .
He urged swimmers and boaters to use caution near Bailey Island and to avoid swimming near schooling fish or seals .
Schools of fish will attract seals , Keliher said .
`` The seals , in return , will attract sharks . ''
According to MPR , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made her look like a seal .
The only other confirmed shark attack in Maine waters happened 10 years ago in Eastport , he said .
A scuba diver caught that attack on film .
Shark attacks have been on a steady decrease over the past decade , with only five fatal attacks in 2019 , according to data from the International Shark Attack File , maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History and the University of Florida .
The decrease is because of advances in beach safety , medical treatment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks on humans are `` incredibly rare , '' Gavin Naylor , program director for the International Shark Attack File , told The New York Times .
`` We like to tell people there is a much higher chance of being struck by lightning than being bitten by a shark . ''

Great White Shark Kills Woman In Maine
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images
Julie Dimperio Holowach was laughing as she and her daughter paddled into the water Monday off the coast of Maine's Bailey Island.
Suddenly Holowach, who was wearing a black wetsuit, started flailing, witness Tom Whyte told The Boston Globe. Her daughter swam back to shore, dropped to her knees and screamed for help, he said.
Nearby kayakers brought Holowach's badly injured body to shore. By the time paramedics arrived, the 63-year-old seasonal resident from New York City was already dead, killed in the first fatal shark attack in Maine's history.
Some researchers say the waters around Maine have more white sharks than they used to, as the predators go in search of seal meat.
"I think it's generally accepted that the increase in number of seals is leading to more white sharks coming closer to shore during some months," Nick Whitney, a senior scientist at the New England Aquarium, told Maine Public Radio.
After the attack, officials recovered a fragment of tooth. They sent the tooth to Gregory Skomal, a shark biologist at Massachusetts' Division of Marine Fisheries, who positively identified the shark as a great white.
"This is the only confirmed fatality in Maine waters from a shark attack," said the commissioner of Maine's Department of Marine Resources, Patrick Keliher, at a news conference Tuesday.
He urged swimmers and boaters to use caution near Bailey Island and to avoid swimming near schooling fish or seals. Schools of fish will attract seals, Keliher said. "The seals, in return, will attract sharks."
According to MPR, Keliher said Holowach's wetsuit might have made her look like a seal.
The only other confirmed shark attack in Maine waters happened 10 years ago in Eastport, he said. A scuba diver caught that attack on film.
Shark attacks have been on a steady decrease over the past decade, with only five fatal attacks in 2019, according to data from the International Shark Attack File, maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History and the University of Florida. The decrease is because of advances in beach safety, medical treatment and public awareness, they say.
Shark attacks on humans are "incredibly rare," Gavin Naylor, program director for the International Shark Attack File, told The New York Times. "We like to tell people there is a much higher chance of being struck by lightning than being bitten by a shark."