npr--2020-10-04--Pope Francis Laments Failures Of Market Capitalism In Blueprint For Post-COVID World

Pope Francis Laments Failures Of Market Capitalism In Blueprint For Post-COVID World Pope Francis has presented his blueprint for a post-COVID-19 world , covering a vast number of issues from fraternity and income inequality to immigration and social injustice .
The document , released Sunday , is his third encyclical — the most authoritative form of papal teaching .
Its title is Fratelli Tutti , and it is a scathing description of laissez faire capitalism and a meditation on the coronavirus pandemic that has swept across the globe .
Pope Francis began writing the document early this year , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following the landmark joint statement he signed in February 2019 in Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates , with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb , the grand imam of Egypt 's Al-Azhar mosque and one of the highest authorities of Sunni Islam .
But , as Francis writes , the pandemic `` unexpectedly erupted '' and his focus widened , and the document became a treatise on the lessons that must be learned from the global health crisis .
Once the pandemic passes , the pope writes , `` our worst response would be to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and new forms of egotistic self-preservation . ''
Picking up on some of his favorite themes , Francis says the marketplace can not resolve every problem , and he denounces what he describes as `` this dogma of neoliberal faith '' that `` resort [ s ] to the magic theories of 'spillover ' or 'trickle . '
`` A good economic policy , he says , creates jobs — it does n't eliminate them .
The document echoes the pope 's focus on the need to welcome migrants and provide for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or sister in need , when abandoned or ignored by the society in which I live , becomes an existential foreigner , even though born in the same country .
They may be citizens with full rights , yet they are treated like foreigners in their own country .
Racism is a virus that quickly mutates and , instead of disappearing , goes into hiding , and lurks in waiting . ''
The encyclical is a sharp critique of nationalism and populism .
In one section , he warns against `` unhealthy 'populism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politically a people 's culture , under whatever ideological banner , for their own personal advantage or continuing grip on power . ''
At another point in the document , he denounces the divisiveness caused by social media , lamenting that `` social aggression has found unparalleled room for expansion through computers and mobile devices . ''
He continues : `` This has now given free rein to ideologies .
Things that until a few years ago could not be said by anyone without risking the loss of universal respect can now be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crudest of terms , even by some political figures . ''
At another point in the encyclical , Francis turns to the Catholic Church 's own doctrine on war , rejecting it as a means of legitimate defense .
`` It is very difficult nowadays to invoke the rational criteria elaborated in earlier centuries to speak of the possibility of a 'just war ' .
Never again war ! ''
Ahead of its release , the title , Fratelli Tutti , which translates to Brothers All in English , sparked controversy in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is not sufficiently gender inclusive .
The Vatican stressed that in Italian , fratelli refers to both brothers and sisters .

Pope Francis Laments Failures Of Market Capitalism In Blueprint For Post-COVID World
Enlarge this image toggle caption Vatican Media via AP Vatican Media via AP
Pope Francis has presented his blueprint for a post-COVID-19 world, covering a vast number of issues from fraternity and income inequality to immigration and social injustice.
The document, released Sunday, is his third encyclical — the most authoritative form of papal teaching.
Its title is Fratelli Tutti, and it is a scathing description of laissez faire capitalism and a meditation on the coronavirus pandemic that has swept across the globe.
Pope Francis began writing the document early this year, with the aim of focusing on interreligious dialogue following the landmark joint statement he signed in February 2019 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar mosque and one of the highest authorities of Sunni Islam.
But, as Francis writes, the pandemic "unexpectedly erupted" and his focus widened, and the document became a treatise on the lessons that must be learned from the global health crisis.
Once the pandemic passes, the pope writes, "our worst response would be to plunge even more deeply into feverish consumerism and new forms of egotistic self-preservation."
Picking up on some of his favorite themes, Francis says the marketplace cannot resolve every problem, and he denounces what he describes as "this dogma of neoliberal faith" that "resort[s] to the magic theories of 'spillover' or 'trickle.' "
A good economic policy, he says, creates jobs — it doesn't eliminate them.
The document echoes the pope's focus on the need to welcome migrants and provide for the poor and disabled.
"Every brother or sister in need, when abandoned or ignored by the society in which I live, becomes an existential foreigner, even though born in the same country. They may be citizens with full rights, yet they are treated like foreigners in their own country. Racism is a virus that quickly mutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding, and lurks in waiting."
The encyclical is a sharp critique of nationalism and populism. In one section, he warns against "unhealthy 'populism' when individuals are able to exploit politically a people's culture, under whatever ideological banner, for their own personal advantage or continuing grip on power."
At another point in the document, he denounces the divisiveness caused by social media, lamenting that "social aggression has found unparalleled room for expansion through computers and mobile devices."
He continues: "This has now given free rein to ideologies. Things that until a few years ago could not be said by anyone without risking the loss of universal respect can now be said with impunity, and in the crudest of terms, even by some political figures."
At another point in the encyclical, Francis turns to the Catholic Church's own doctrine on war, rejecting it as a means of legitimate defense.
"It is very difficult nowadays to invoke the rational criteria elaborated in earlier centuries to speak of the possibility of a 'just war'. Never again war!"
Ahead of its release, the title, Fratelli Tutti, which translates to Brothers All in English, sparked controversy in the English-speaking world, with some Catholics saying it is not sufficiently gender inclusive. The Vatican stressed that in Italian, fratelli refers to both brothers and sisters.


npr--2020-10-04--Transcript: Sunday Update On Trump's Health From His Doctors

Transcript : Sunday Update On Trump 's Health From His Doctors President Trump 's medical team held a briefing with reporters at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center again on Sunday .
The doctors said that since testing positive for the coronavirus , Trump has had two episodes of a drop in oxygen — one Friday morning before he went to the hospital and again on Saturday — and began a steroid treatment for that specifically .
They also said that he is doing well and could return to the White House as soon as Monday .
Trump said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had made the decision to go to Walter Reed 's presidential suite rather than being `` locked up '' at the White House .
Sunday 's update follows a Saturday briefing that caused confusion over the timeline of the president 's treatment .
White House physician Sean Conley said Sunday that his attempt to evade questions Saturday about the president 's oxygen levels were not meant to hide information but that he was trying to project optimism .
CONLEY : Good morning , everyone .
Since we spoke last , the president has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illness , there are frequent ups and downs over the course , particularly when a patient is being so closely watched 24 hours a day .
We review and debate every finding , compare it to existing science and literature , weighing the risks and benefits of every intervention , its timing , as well as any potential impacts a delay may have .
Over the course of his illness , the president has experienced two episodes of transient drops in his oxygen saturation .
We debated the reasons for this and whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the determination of the team based predominantly on the timeline from the initial diagnosis that we initiate dexamethasone .
I 'd like to take this opportunity now , given some speculation over the course of the illness the last couple days , update you on the course of his — his own illness .
Thursday night into Friday morning when I left the bedside , the president was doing well , with only mild symptoms , and his oxygen was in the high 90s .
Late Friday morning when I returned to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fever and his oxygen saturation was transiently dipping below 94 % .
Given these two developments , I was concerned for possible rapid progression of the illness .
I recommended [ to ] the president we try some supplemental oxygen , see how he 'd respond .
He was fairly adamant that he did n't need it .
He was not short of breath , he was tired , had the fever , and that was about it .
After about a minute on only 2 liters , his saturation levels were back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that for about an hour maybe , and it was off and gone .
Later that day , by the time the team here was at the bedside , the president had been up out of bed moving about the residence with only mild symptoms .
Despite this , everyone agreed the best course of action was to move to Walter Reed for more thorough evaluation and monitoring .
I would like to invite up Dr. Dooley discuss the current plan .
Before I begin a brief clinical update on the president 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my comments from yesterday regarding how proud I am to be a part of this multidisciplinary multi-institutional team of clinical professionals behind me and what an honor it is to care for the president here at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center .
Regarding his clinical status , the patient continues to improve .
He has remained without fever since Friday morning .
His vital signs are stable .
From a pulmonary standpoint , he remains on room air this morning , and is not complaining of shortness of breath , or other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself walking around the White House medical unit , without limitation or disability .
Our continued monitoring of his cardiac , liver and kidney function demonstrates continued normal findings , or improving findings .
I 'll now turn it over to Dr. Garibaldi from Johns Hopkins to talk about our therapeutics and again , our plan for the day .
BRIAN GARIBALDI , PULMONARY CRITICAL CARE DOCTOR : Thank you Dr. Dooley .
I just wanted to again reiterate what an honor and a privilege it is to take care of the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talented and multidisciplinary team here at Walter Reed .
The president yesterday evening completed a second dose of remdesivir .
He 's tolerated that infusion well .
We 've been monitoring for any potential side effects .
And he has had none that we can tell .
His liver and kidney function have remained normal .
And we continue to plan to use a five-day course of remdesivir .
In response to transient low oxygen levels , as Dr. Conley has discussed , we did initiate dexamethasone therapy , and he received his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our plan is to continue that for the time being .
Today he feels well , he 's been up and around .
Our plan for today is to have him to eat and drink , be up out of bed as much as possible , to be mobile .
And if he continues to look and feel as well as he does today , our hope is that we can plan for a discharge as early as tomorrow to the White House where he can continue his treatment course .
Thank you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over to Dr. Conley for any questions .
CONLEY : The president wanted me to share how proud he is of the group , what an honor it is for him to be receiving his care here at Walter Reed , surrounded by such incredible talent , academic leaders , department chairs , internationally renowned researchers and clinicians , including the support of Dr. Garibaldi from Johns Hopkins .
I 'd like to reiterate how pleased we all are with the president 's recovery .
And with that , I 'll take your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were two instances where he had drops in oxygen .
Can you walk us through the second one ?
And also I 've got a question for the lung specialist afterwards .
CONLEY : Yesterday there was another episode where he dropped down , about 93 % .
He does n't ever feel short to breath , we watched it , and it returned back up .
As I said , we evaluate all of these , and given the timeline where he is in the course of illness , you know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we could do for him and we debated whether we 'd even start it -- - the dexamethasone , and we decided that , in this case , the potential benefits early on the course , probably outweighed any risks at this time .
REPORTER : Did you give him a second round of supplemental oxygen yesterday ?
CONLEY : I 'd have to , I 'd have to check with the nursing staff .
I do n't think that — if he did it was very , very limited .
But he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oxygen that I ordered that we provided was that Friday morning , initially .
REPORTER : About what time was that yesterday ?
REPORTER : You said the second incident — CONLEY : The second incident ?
Oh it was over the course of the day .
Yeah .
Yesterday morning .
REPORTER : What is president 's current blood oxygen level ?
That 's my first question to you , Dr. Conley .
REPORTER : And what do the X-rays , and CT scans show , are there signs of pneumonia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Or any damage to the lungs ?
CONLEY : Yes , so we 're tracking all of that .
There 's some expected findings , but nothing of any major clinical concern .
REPORTER : I wanted to ask if his oxygen level ever dipped below 90 ?
CONLEY : We do n't have any recordings here of that , that 's right .
REPORTER : What about at the White House or here , anything below 90 , just to follow up on her question ?
CONLEY : No , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down in to the low 80s or anything , no .
REPORTER : Yesterday you told us that the president was in great shape had been in good shape and paper free for the previous 24 hours .
Minutes after your press conference , White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters that the president 's vitals were very concerning over the past 24 hours .
Simple question for the American people : Whose statements about the president 's health should we believe ?
CONLEY : So , the chief and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think his statement was misconstrued .
What he meant was that 24 hours ago , when he and I were checking on the president , that there was that momentary episode of the high fever and that temporary drop in the saturation , which prompted us to act expediently to move him up here .
Fortunately , that was really a very transient , limited episode .
A couple hours later he was back up .
Mild again .
I 'm not going to speculate what that limited episode was about so early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
REPORTER : What are the expected findings on his lungs and why is the president not wearing a mask in the videos and photos that have been released ?
CONLEY : Well , the president wears a mask anytime he 's — he 's around us , and we 're all wearing our N95s , full PPE .
He 's — he 's the patient , and when we can , when he 'll move out into public , we move him about out and around other people that are n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , as long as he 's still under my care , we 'll talk about him wearing a mask .
REPORTER : Is he in a negative pressure room ?
... CONLEY : I 'm not going to get into specifics of his care .
REPORTER : The lung function question ?
Can you talk about that -- CONLEY : I will just share that , like every patient , we perform lung spirometry on him , and he 's maxing it out .
We told him , see what you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ milliliters each time .
REPORTER : Why were you so reluctant until today to disclose that the president had been administered oxygen ?
CONLEY : I was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude that the team , the president , that his course of illness has had .
I did n't want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction .
And in doing so , you know , it came off that we 're trying to hide something , which was n't necessarily true .
... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that he 's doing really well , that he is — he is responding .
And as the team said , if everything continues to go well , we 're going to start discharge planning back to the White House .
That 's it , thank you , folks .

Transcript: Sunday Update On Trump's Health From His Doctors
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump's medical team held a briefing with reporters at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center again on Sunday.
The doctors said that since testing positive for the coronavirus, Trump has had two episodes of a drop in oxygen — one Friday morning before he went to the hospital and again on Saturday — and began a steroid treatment for that specifically.
They also said that he is doing well and could return to the White House as soon as Monday. Trump said in a video message Saturday night that he had made the decision to go to Walter Reed's presidential suite rather than being "locked up" at the White House.
Sunday's update follows a Saturday briefing that caused confusion over the timeline of the president's treatment. White House physician Sean Conley said Sunday that his attempt to evade questions Saturday about the president's oxygen levels were not meant to hide information but that he was trying to project optimism.
Read a full transcript of Sunday's remarks below.
CONLEY: Good morning, everyone. Since we spoke last, the president has continued to improve. As with any illness, there are frequent ups and downs over the course, particularly when a patient is being so closely watched 24 hours a day.
We review and debate every finding, compare it to existing science and literature, weighing the risks and benefits of every intervention, its timing, as well as any potential impacts a delay may have.
Over the course of his illness, the president has experienced two episodes of transient drops in his oxygen saturation. We debated the reasons for this and whether we'd even intervene. Is was the determination of the team based predominantly on the timeline from the initial diagnosis that we initiate dexamethasone.
I'd like to take this opportunity now, given some speculation over the course of the illness the last couple days, update you on the course of his — his own illness.
Thursday night into Friday morning when I left the bedside, the president was doing well, with only mild symptoms, and his oxygen was in the high 90s. Late Friday morning when I returned to the bedside, the president had a high fever and his oxygen saturation was transiently dipping below 94%.
Given these two developments, I was concerned for possible rapid progression of the illness. I recommended [to] the president we try some supplemental oxygen, see how he'd respond. He was fairly adamant that he didn't need it. He was not short of breath, he was tired, had the fever, and that was about it.
After about a minute on only 2 liters, his saturation levels were back over 95%. He stayed on that for about an hour maybe, and it was off and gone.
Later that day, by the time the team here was at the bedside, the president had been up out of bed moving about the residence with only mild symptoms.
Despite this, everyone agreed the best course of action was to move to Walter Reed for more thorough evaluation and monitoring.
I would like to invite up Dr. Dooley discuss the current plan.
SEAN DOOLEY, PULMONARY CRITICAL CARE DOCTOR: Thank you Dr. Conley.
Before I begin a brief clinical update on the president's condition, I do want to reiterate my comments from yesterday regarding how proud I am to be a part of this multidisciplinary multi-institutional team of clinical professionals behind me and what an honor it is to care for the president here at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Regarding his clinical status, the patient continues to improve. He has remained without fever since Friday morning. His vital signs are stable.
From a pulmonary standpoint, he remains on room air this morning, and is not complaining of shortness of breath, or other significant respiratory symptoms. He is ambulating himself walking around the White House medical unit, without limitation or disability. Our continued monitoring of his cardiac, liver and kidney function demonstrates continued normal findings, or improving findings.
I'll now turn it over to Dr. Garibaldi from Johns Hopkins to talk about our therapeutics and again, our plan for the day.
BRIAN GARIBALDI, PULMONARY CRITICAL CARE DOCTOR: Thank you Dr. Dooley. I just wanted to again reiterate what an honor and a privilege it is to take care of the president and to be part of such a talented and multidisciplinary team here at Walter Reed.
The president yesterday evening completed a second dose of remdesivir. He's tolerated that infusion well. We've been monitoring for any potential side effects. And he has had none that we can tell. His liver and kidney function have remained normal. And we continue to plan to use a five-day course of remdesivir.
In response to transient low oxygen levels, as Dr. Conley has discussed, we did initiate dexamethasone therapy, and he received his first dose of that yesterday, and our plan is to continue that for the time being.
Today he feels well, he's been up and around. Our plan for today is to have him to eat and drink, be up out of bed as much as possible, to be mobile. And if he continues to look and feel as well as he does today, our hope is that we can plan for a discharge as early as tomorrow to the White House where he can continue his treatment course.
Thank you very much and I'll turn it over to Dr. Conley for any questions.
CONLEY: The president wanted me to share how proud he is of the group, what an honor it is for him to be receiving his care here at Walter Reed, surrounded by such incredible talent, academic leaders, department chairs, internationally renowned researchers and clinicians, including the support of Dr. Garibaldi from Johns Hopkins. I'd like to reiterate how pleased we all are with the president's recovery.
And with that, I'll take your questions.
REPORTER: You said there were two instances where he had drops in oxygen. Can you walk us through the second one? And also I've got a question for the lung specialist afterwards.
CONLEY: Yesterday there was another episode where he dropped down, about 93%. He doesn't ever feel short to breath, we watched it, and it returned back up.
As I said, we evaluate all of these, and given the timeline where he is in the course of illness, you know, we are trying to maximize everything that we could do for him and we debated whether we'd even start it --- the dexamethasone, and we decided that, in this case, the potential benefits early on the course, probably outweighed any risks at this time.
REPORTER: Did you give him a second round of supplemental oxygen yesterday?
CONLEY: I'd have to, I'd have to check with the nursing staff. I don't think that — if he did it was very, very limited. But he's not on oxygen. The only oxygen that I ordered that we provided was that Friday morning, initially.
REPORTER: About what time was that yesterday?
CONLEY: Yesterday? What was yesterday?
REPORTER: You said the second incident —
CONLEY: The second incident? Oh it was over the course of the day. Yeah. Yesterday morning.
REPORTER: What is president's current blood oxygen level? That's my first question to you, Dr. Conley.
CONLEY: 98%
REPORTER: And what do the X-rays, and CT scans show, are there signs of pneumonia, are there signs of lung involvement? Or any damage to the lungs?
CONLEY: Yes, so we're tracking all of that. There's some expected findings, but nothing of any major clinical concern.
REPORTER: I wanted to ask if his oxygen level ever dipped below 90?
CONLEY: We don't have any recordings here of that, that's right.
REPORTER: What about at the White House or here, anything below 90, just to follow up on her question?
CONLEY: No, it was below 94%. It wasn't down in to the low 80s or anything, no.
REPORTER: Yesterday you told us that the president was in great shape had been in good shape and paper free for the previous 24 hours. Minutes after your press conference, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters that the president's vitals were very concerning over the past 24 hours. Simple question for the American people: Whose statements about the president's health should we believe?
CONLEY: So, the chief and I work side by side, and I think his statement was misconstrued. What he meant was that 24 hours ago, when he and I were checking on the president, that there was that momentary episode of the high fever and that temporary drop in the saturation, which prompted us to act expediently to move him up here. Fortunately, that was really a very transient, limited episode. A couple hours later he was back up. Mild again. I'm not going to speculate what that limited episode was about so early in the course but he's doing well.
REPORTER: What are the expected findings on his lungs and why is the president not wearing a mask in the videos and photos that have been released?
CONLEY: Well, the president wears a mask anytime he's — he's around us, and we're all wearing our N95s, full PPE. He's — he's the patient, and when we can, when he'll move out into public, we move him about out and around other people that aren't in full PPE, I'll assure you, as long as he's still under my care, we'll talk about him wearing a mask.
REPORTER: Is he in a negative pressure room? ...
CONLEY: I'm not going to get into specifics of his care.
REPORTER: The lung function question? Can you talk about that --
CONLEY: I will just share that, like every patient, we perform lung spirometry on him, and he's maxing it out. We told him, see what you can do, and it's over 2,500 milliliters each time.
He's — he's doing great.
REPORTER: Why were you so reluctant until today to disclose that the president had been administered oxygen?
CONLEY: I was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude that the team, the president, that his course of illness has had. I didn't want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction. And in doing so, you know, it came off that we're trying to hide something, which wasn't necessarily true. ...
The fact of the matter is, is that he's doing really well, that he is — he is responding. And as the team said, if everything continues to go well, we're going to start discharge planning back to the White House.
That's it, thank you, folks.


npr--2020-10-04--Physician Clarifies Contradictory Statements But Maintains Trump Is 'Doing Well'

Physician Clarifies Contradictory Statements But Maintains Trump Is 'Doing Well' President Trump is hospitalized and is being treated with experimental @ @ @ @ @ from Election Day .
There was a briefing on his condition Sunday .

Physician Clarifies Contradictory Statements But Maintains Trump Is 'Doing Well'
President Trump is hospitalized and is being treated with experimental therapies less than a month from Election Day. There was a briefing on his condition Sunday.
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:
The president could be headed back to the White House as soon as Monday - that from the president's medical team, who held a briefing today. Here's a clip from that - Dr. Sean Conley speaking in front of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SEAN CONLEY: Over the course of his illness, the president has experienced two episodes of transient drops in his oxygen saturation.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: And there was much more information from today's briefing, particularly compared to yesterday's. Let's welcome NPR science correspondent Richard Harris. Good morning, Richard.
RICHARD HARRIS, BYLINE: Hello, Lulu.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: And Dr. Carlos del Rio, an epidemiologist at Emory University. Hello to you.
CARLOS DEL RIO: How are you, Lulu?
GARCIA-NAVARRO: I'm well. Richard, I'm going to start with you. But let's hear first a clip from Dr. Brian Garibaldi on the treatments the president has received.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BRIAN GARIBALDI: We continue to plan to use a five-day course of remdesivir in response to transient low oxygen levels, as Dr. Conley has discussed. We did initiate dexamethasone therapy, and he received his first dose of that yesterday. And our plan is to continue that for the time being.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: All right, Richard, what does that tell you?
HARRIS: Well, that tells me that the president was - had fairly serious course of disease, and he's getting sort of the top-line treatment to address it. The dexamethasone is a steroid. It's a drug that helps tamp down inflammation, which can be a really bad sign in somebody whose immune system may be starting to overreact to the virus. So doctors come to realize that this is actually capable of saving lives in people. This is the only drug that has actually been demonstrated to do that with coronavirus. And so they've given it to him. That will really help stabilize his immune system. That's the hope.
And, of course, the remdesivir is a drug that is designed to stop the virus from mass-producing itself inside the body. The FDA has authorized its use - but specifically people who are really sick enough that they need help breathing. And it's now become evident that the president's had a couple of episodes where his oxygen levels were dropping and at least one instance where they gave him supplemental oxygen. So it looks as though he's, you know, getting pretty aggressive treatment for his condition, which seems appropriate. And surprising to me is how quickly they expect that he may actually be able to go home, maybe as soon as tomorrow.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Well, Dr. Del Rio, let's talk about that. We heard in the clip in the introduction the doctors there talking about the president's oxygen levels. As we know with COVID-19, it does affect the lungs. And oxygen saturation is a real big indicator about how well you're doing. So what did you hear there?
DEL RIO: Well, you know, I heard several things. I heard that he - you know, he was - the way I'm beginning to put things together - he was initially diagnosed. He's got mild disease, like, you know, 84% of people with COVID have mild disease. But they made a decision to give him one of these two monoclonal antibodies, the Regeneron one. And that's currently being studied in people with mild disease who don't need to be in the hospital. But then his oxygen saturation drops, and the decision is to transfer him to the hospital because once your oxygen saturation drops below 94%, even if it's transitory, you are immediately in the category of no longer mild or moderate but in the category of severe disease. And it is in those patients that both remdesivir and dexamethasone has proven to be effective. And that's exactly what the president has received. He's received remdesivir, and he's received dexamethasone. And that's where he currently is right now.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Dr. Del Rio, this is important. So I'm going to put this to you. All along, they had been describing the president's symptoms as mild. You seem to be suggesting that the moment his oxygen levels dropped, and he was given supplemental oxygen and then put on these experimental treatments, you could no longer categorize what he was experiencing as mild symptoms.
DEL RIO: That is correct. That is correct. At that point in time, the president is no longer having mild disease. He's having severe disease, and he's put in a different category. And, you know, that explains why Mark Meadows was concerned, as expressed. Explains why he was - actually, he told us, you know, the president - we were very concerned. And, you know, in exactly that, I think he's - you know, he was telling the truth.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: But then I guess the question is, you're a doctor. Why wouldn't the president's doctors have explained it in the same way? I mean, we heard today Dr. Conley say that he wanted to give an upbeat assessment, but that seems at odds with perhaps what the truth may have been.
DEL RIO: Well, that is correct. I mean, I don't want to say, you know, but I was, quite frankly, very disappointed by the press briefing yesterday. I think the press briefing yesterday was a spin. He was speaking like a spin doctor. He wasn't speaking like a medical doctor. And, you know, the job of all of us in medicine when you're doing something like this, especially when somebody who is as important as the president, is to speak the truth and to be transparent. And I think, you know, unfortunately, we are in an administration where transparency and truth have not been at the forefront of this response. And we're seeing even in this case, when the president is the patient.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Mara Liasson, senior political correspondent, is joining us now. I'd like to get your take now. Yesterday's press conference from the medical team didn't clear a lot up, as Dr. Del Rio said, sounded more like spin doctors than real doctors. What about today?
MARA LIASSON, BYLINE: Well, today cleared some things up. Yes, he was given oxygen, but it also raised questions. I think that when they're asked a simple question like, is there oxygen in his room? - and he says, I don't want to talk about that. I think the vast majority of people listening say, oh, that's a yes. Or to say his blood oxygen level was below 94, but not in the low 80s or anything - does that mean it's 85? And why can't they just say that? I think that as long as these briefings raise as many questions as they answer or more questions than they answer, it's not good for the White House because - credibility is such a cliche. But credibility is the coin of the realm now.
I mean, the president of the United States has been hospitalized. And people want to know what his condition really is. Now, it's one thing to say he's resting comfortably or in good spirits or he's doing really well. That's kind of generic. But, you know, this is a disease that can take a lot of turns. They're talking about discharging him tomorrow, where he'll stay in the White House. Will he be able to fulfill his duties? What about the campaign? There's still a lot of questions.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: And, of course, we are less than a month away from an election, in an election where the polls are showing the president at this particular point in time lagging significantly behind former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee.
Dr. Del Rio, I'd like to come back to you on this particular question. Looking forward, if he is indeed discharged back to the White House on Monday, what are the long-term effects of an illness like COVID-19? Even if he's doing well now, what should we all be looking for?
DEL RIO: Well, let's say a couple of things. Number one, even though he's being discharged to the White House, he's not being discharged as a patient. He still continues to be a patient who will continually receiving the IV remdesivir and the dexamethasone in the White House. So he's still a patient. And most importantly, somebody infected with COVID like him will still be infectious for approximately 10 days. And if you look at the criteria that we all looked at, it's, you know, somewhere between 10 and 14 days the person is still infectious.
So he will still need to be in isolation. People that have contact with him will still need to be dressed in full PPE. So, no, he's not going to be back to normal. Just because he's back at the White House doesn't mean he's - he's still a patient. And let's be real clear about that, whether it's in the hospital at Walter Reed. He will continue to be a patient. Once he gets over, you know, completion of remdesivir, assuming everything goes well with remdesivir - he recovers. Ten to 14 days go by. He's no longer infectious. He's out of isolation. Then he can continue. Then he will be, you know - he will be officially, you know, discharged.
But we have seen patients with COVID. And increasingly, we've seen people that have long-terms impacts of COVID, long-term consequences. And those are primarily of three levels - that could be at the level of the brain, at the level of the heart and the level of the lung. And I'm sure he's going to be monitored very closely for those. Many patients with COVID will tell you that even after they've, quote, "fully recovered," they continue to be extremely tired. They continue to have headaches. They continue to have malaise. They continue to have this brain fog, just don't feel normally. So I suspect that he's not going to be normal. And it's going to be really hard to have a full schedule, to be campaigning, to be here, to be there if he goes in that direction.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: And, Mara Liasson, that will definitely have an impact on many things.
LIASSON: Oh, on many things. I mean, look. There are two debates coming up, two presidential debates. Is he going to be well enough to attend them. They're the last two chances that he'll have to change the dynamic of this race. What about campaigning? What about just the basic message of the campaign? The president said that COVID-19 was in the rearview mirror, and, you know, it was something the country was moving past. Clearly, he's not able to make that case anymore.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: I'm going to leave the last word to you, Richard Harris, because there's still quite a bit we don't know. And that is about when the president was infected, who infected him and who he may have infected.
HARRIS: Indeed. I mean, we saw this cluster of cases around the time of the White House event last Saturday introducing the nominee for the Supreme Court. And it seems as though a lot of the disease had spread at that time. But we don't, in fact, know whether the president got it then or another time. We don't know whether he was infectious when he was sharing the stage with Vice President Biden on Tuesday when they were debating together. He had events Wednesday. He had another event Thursday. And so, you know, clearly, people can spread this disease before they're showing symptoms. So there are concerns about how widely his - you know, his activities have actually spread coronavirus. That will - still remains to be seen. And I hope we will learn more about that in the coming days.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: That is NPR's science correspondent Richard Harris and NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson and Dr. Carlos del Rio, an epidemiologist from Emory University. Thanks to you all.
Copyright © 2020 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.


npr--2020-10-04--Megan Thee Stallion Protests Breonna Taylor Ruling On 'SNL'

Megan Thee Stallion used her performance on Saturday Night Live 's season premiere to criticize Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron for failing to deliver justice for Breonna Taylor .
During Megan 's first song of the night , her viral single `` Savage , '' the backdrop of her set read `` Protect Black Women . ''
About halfway through the song , after Beyoncé 's verse from the song 's remix played over the stage 's loudspeakers , the music cut out to the sound of rapid gunfire while Megan and her dancers stood silently in front of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The dramatic pause included a recording of Malcolm X , speaking in 1962 , in which he says , `` The most disrespected person in America is the black woman .
The most unprotected , neglected person in America is the black woman .
Who taught you to hate the texture of your hair , the color of your skin , the shape of your nose ?
Who taught you to hate yourself from the top of your head to the soles of your feet ? ''
That recording was immediately followed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week following the announcement by Cameron , who is Black , that no significant charges would be brought against the officers involved in the March shooting death of Taylor , who was killed in her own home by police during a `` no-knock '' raid in the middle of the night : `` Daniel Cameron is no different than the sell-out negroes who sold our people into slavery . ''
After Mallory 's quote , Megan herself spoke directly to the audience : `` We need to protect our Black women .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the day , we need our Black women . ''
She extended her message to protecting Black men from turning into social media hashtags before jumping back into the performance .
Megan 's message is amplified by her own experience with gun violence .
On July 12 , according to the Houston rapper 's Instagram account , Tory Lanez fired several gunshots at her after the two got into an argument , resulting in injuries to her feet .
Bystanders called law enforcement after hearing the gunshots .
Megan did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lanez was eventually arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon and later released on bail .
Despite initially shielding Lanez from public scrutiny and law enforcement , Megan still faced a barrage of ridicule and accusations of lying .
Lanez addressed the shooting by releasing an album in late September with disparaging remarks against women in music , including rapper Asian Doll and singer JoJo , who voiced support for Megan .
The show closed out with Megan performing her latest single , `` Do n't Stop , '' with a brief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' — Megan 's song with Cardi B , currently No .
2 in the country — did n't get a live performance , but it was referenced in the opening segment with Maya Rudolph as vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris .
`` We need a WAP : woman as president , '' Rudolph said .

Megan Thee Stallion Protests Breonna Taylor Ruling On 'SNL'
YouTube
Megan Thee Stallion used her performance on Saturday Night Live's season premiere to criticize Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron for failing to deliver justice for Breonna Taylor.
During Megan's first song of the night, her viral single "Savage," the backdrop of her set read "Protect Black Women." About halfway through the song, after Beyoncé's verse from the song's remix played over the stage's loudspeakers, the music cut out to the sound of rapid gunfire while Megan and her dancers stood silently in front of a screen riddled with images of gunshots.
The dramatic pause included a recording of Malcolm X, speaking in 1962, in which he says, "The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected, neglected person in America is the black woman. Who taught you to hate the texture of your hair, the color of your skin, the shape of your nose? Who taught you to hate yourself from the top of your head to the soles of your feet?"
That recording was immediately followed by one of activist Tamika Mallory, speaking last week following the announcement by Cameron, who is Black, that no significant charges would be brought against the officers involved in the March shooting death of Taylor, who was killed in her own home by police during a "no-knock" raid in the middle of the night: "Daniel Cameron is no different than the sell-out negroes who sold our people into slavery."
After Mallory's quote, Megan herself spoke directly to the audience: "We need to protect our Black women. And love our Black women 'cause at the end of the day, we need our Black women."
She extended her message to protecting Black men from turning into social media hashtags before jumping back into the performance.
Megan's message is amplified by her own experience with gun violence. On July 12, according to the Houston rapper's Instagram account, Tory Lanez fired several gunshots at her after the two got into an argument, resulting in injuries to her feet. Bystanders called law enforcement after hearing the gunshots. Megan didn't file a police report, but Lanez was eventually arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon and later released on bail. Despite initially shielding Lanez from public scrutiny and law enforcement, Megan still faced a barrage of ridicule and accusations of lying.
Lanez addressed the shooting by releasing an album in late September with disparaging remarks against women in music, including rapper Asian Doll and singer JoJo, who voiced support for Megan.
The show closed out with Megan performing her latest single, "Don't Stop," with a brief cameo from Young Thug. "WAP" — Megan's song with Cardi B, currently No. 2 in the country — didn't get a live performance, but it was referenced in the opening segment with Maya Rudolph as vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris. "We need a WAP: woman as president," Rudolph said.


npr--2020-10-04--Doctors: Trump Being Treated With Steroid But Could Be Discharged As Early As Monday

Doctors : Trump Being Treated With Steroid But Could Be Discharged As Early As Monday President Trump has experienced two drops in his oxygen levels over the course of his COVID-19 diagnosis and is now also being treated with a steroid , but could be discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as early as Monday , his physicians told reporters during a briefing Sunday .
Trump was admitted to Walter Reed on Friday evening after announcing early on Friday morning that he and the first lady had tested positive for the coronavirus .
`` Since we spoke last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has continued to improve , '' the president 's physician , Sean Conley , said .
`` As with any illness , there are frequent ups and downs , particularly when a patient is being so closely watched 24 hours a day . ''
Conley said that Trump had a high fever and saw his oxygen levels fall while at the White House on Friday morning ahead of being moved to Walter Reed .
He did not detail Trump 's high temperature .
`` Given these two developments , I was concerned for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conley said .
`` I recommended [ to ] the president we try some supplemental oxygen , see how he 'd respond .
He was fairly adamant that he did n't need it .
He was not short of breath ; he was tired , had the fever , and that was about it .
After about a minute on only 2 liters , his saturation levels were back over 95 % .
He stayed on that for about an hour . ''
Trump experienced a second episode of falling oxygen levels Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
He said he did n't know whether Trump received supplemental oxygen at that point .
`` I 'd have to check with the nursing staff , '' he said .
When asked whether any signs of pneumonia are apparent on the president 's X-rays and scans , Conley said , `` There 's some expected findings but nothing of any major clinical concern . ''
Trump also received his first dose of the steroid dexamethasone on Saturday , with Conley saying the potential benefits of the treatment outweigh the risks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment course of remdesivir , which Dr. Brian Garibaldi said Trump `` tolerated well . ''
`` If he continues to look and feel as well as he does today , our hope is that we can plan for a discharge as early as tomorrow to the White House , where he can continue his treatment course , '' Garibaldi said .
The timeline Conley presented to reporters of Trump 's diagnosis was quickly walked back by the White House .
And though Conley said that Trump 's symptoms were improving and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the progress being made , almost immediately after the briefing , a White House official — later identified by The Associated Press as White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows — contradicted Conley , telling reporters : `` The president 's vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning , and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care .
We 're still not on a clear path to a full recovery . ''
On Sunday , Conley said the chief of staff 's statement was `` misconstrued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 24 hours ago , when he and I were checking on the president , that there was that momentary episode of the high fever and that temporary drop in the saturation , which prompted us to act expediently to move him up here , '' Conley said .
When asked why he was reluctant during Saturday 's briefing to disclose that Trump had been administered oxygen , Conley said he was trying to `` reflect the upbeat attitude '' of the medical team and the president .
`` I did n't want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the course of illness in another direction , '' he said .
`` And in doing so , you know , it came off that we 're trying to hide something , which was n't necessarily true .
The matter is , is that [ Trump 's ] doing really well . ''
White House communications director Alyssa Farah expanded on Conley 's comments , telling Fox News on Sunday that he was projecting confidence in order to help his patient .
`` It 's a very , it 's a common medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confidence and you want to raise the spirits of the person you 're treating , '' Farah said .
`` I know this president , I do n't know that he needs his spirits raised .
But I think it 's actually a very common medical practice to do that . ''
The president himself tweeted a video Saturday evening in which he said : `` I came here , was n't feeling so well .
I feel much better now . ''
But echoing Meadows , Trump added : `` You do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a few days — I guess that 's the real test , so we 'll be seeing what happens over those ... next couple of days . ''

Doctors Upbeat On Trump's Condition But Provide Contradictory Information
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Updated a 2:40 a.m. ET
President Trump sought to project an image of vigor in the face of COVID-19, with a surprise motorcade Sunday outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he is being treated, as his physicians suggested he could be discharged to return to the White House as early as Monday.
The president was admitted to Walter Reed on Friday, hours after announcing that he and the first lady had tested positive for the coronavirus.
On Sunday, the president — masked and waving from the back seat of a black SUV — was briefly driven past supporters gathered outside the compound after promising in a video "a little surprise to some of the great patriots that we have out on the street."
While the crowd of well-wishers delighted in a glimpse of the president, others criticized the impromptu motorcade as "political theater" that needlessly exposed others for the sake of a photo-op.
That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play. — Dr. James P. Phillips, MD (@DrPhillipsMD) October 4, 2020
"That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures," Dr. James Phillips, chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University and an attending physician at Walter Reed, tweeted. "The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play."
Photos showed Secret Service personnel in the vehicle wearing personal protective equipment.
In a Sunday media briefing, Trump's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, said his patient "has continued to improve."
"As with any illness, there are frequent ups and downs, particularly when a patient is being so closely watched 24 hours a day," he said.
Conley explained that the president experienced a high fever and falling oxygen levels at the White House Friday morning. "I recommended [to] the president we try some supplemental oxygen, see how he'd respond."
"He was fairly adamant that he didn't need it," he said. "He was not short of breath; he was tired, had the fever, and that was about it. After about a minute on only 2 liters, his saturation levels were back over 95%. He stayed on that for about an hour."
When asked whether any signs of pneumonia are apparent on the president's X-rays and scans, Conley said, "There's some expected findings but nothing of any major clinical concern."
Trump also received his first dose of the steroid dexamethasone on Saturday, with Conley saying the potential benefits of the treatment outweigh the risks. His care plan also includes a five-day course of remdesivir, which Dr. Brian Garibaldi said the president "tolerated well."
"If he continues to look and feel as well as he does today, our hope is that we can plan for a discharge as early as tomorrow to the White House, where he can continue his treatment course," Garibaldi said at the Sunday briefing.
A similar news conference on Saturday led to more questions, with Conley presenting a timeline to reporters of Trump's diagnosis that was quickly walked back by the White House. A senior administration official — later identified by The Associated Press as Chief of Staff Mark Meadows — contradicted Conley, telling reporters the president's vitals were "very concerning," and that the president was "still not on a clear path to a full recovery."
Conley said Sunday that the statement by Meadows had been "misconstrued."
Asked why he was reluctant during Saturday's briefing to disclose that Trump had been administered oxygen, Conley said he was trying to "reflect the upbeat attitude" of the medical team and the president.
"I didn't want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction," he said. "And in doing so, you know, it came off that we're trying to hide something, which wasn't necessarily true. The matter is, is that [Trump's] doing really well."
White House communications director Alyssa Farah expanded on Conley's comments, telling Fox News on Sunday that he was projecting confidence in order to help his patient.
"It's a very, it's a common medical practice, that you want to convey confidence and you want to raise the spirits of the person you're treating," Farah said. "I know this president, I don't know that he needs his spirits raised. But I think it's actually a very common medical practice to do that."
The president himself tweeted a video Saturday evening in which he said: "I came here, wasn't feeling so well. I feel much better now."
But echoing Meadows, Trump added: "You don't know, over the next period of a few days — I guess that's the real test, so we'll be seeing what happens over those ... next couple of days."


npr--2020-10-04--How The Coronavirus Has Affected Individual Members Of Congress

How The Coronavirus Has Affected Individual Members Of Congress Updated on October 4 at 11 a.m .
ET The coronavirus pandemic has upended the daily work of Congress .
Starting in March , House and Senate leaders delayed bringing back members for several weeks as public health guidelines recommended social distancing because of the outbreak .
The Senate returned in May , but the much larger House still stayed mostly away as a result of advice from the attending physician to Congress .
That same month , the House approved historic rule changes allowing remote voting and hearings .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers and forced dozens more to self-quarantine .
More than 100 members of their staffs and Capitol Hill workers have tested positive .
And it remains an ongoing threat .
Two Republican lawmakers , Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona , were the first members of Congress to announce self-quarantines on March 8 .
Both had attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor , Md.
, a few days earlier .
An attendee at the conference had fallen ill , its organizers revealed .
The following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress said they tested positive for the coronavirus .
Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida and Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams of Utah both said they developed symptoms after a March 14 vote on a coronavirus relief package .
Since that time , dozens more lawmakers entered self-quarantine as a result of exposure to someone who was sick , including fellow members of Congress , constituents and dignitaries .
And by September , at least 110 Capitol workers have reported a positive test or were presumed so , including 43 members of the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gary Tibbetts , a longtime staffer for Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida , died from COVID-19 .
And some lawmakers have taken antibody tests to see if they were previously ill .
Among them , Democratic Sens .
Tim Kaine of Virginia and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania both said they tested positive months after experiencing symptoms in the spring .
To stem the flow of new cases , both chambers have issued new social distancing guidance .
Also , the U.S. Capitol remains closed to public tours and open only to members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visitors .
In late July , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also issued a new mask mandate after Rep. Louie Gohmert , R-Texas , who has often rejected mask protocols , tested positive for the coronavirus .
Gohmert had attended several hearings a day before testing and returned to the Capitol following a White House screening that caught his infection .
Gohmert 's case triggered quarantines for five House members , including Arizona Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva .
Days later , Grijalva tested positive , but fully recovered symptom free .
This story was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Congress and COVID-19: members' cases and quarantines
Enlarge this image toggle caption Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Editor's note: This page is no longer updating as of Dec. 31, 2021.
A number of congressional lawmakers experienced breakthrough COVID-19 infections as coronavirus cases rose nationwide with the spread of the omicron variant.
Earlier in 2021, Congress went months with no coronavirus cases among its members. That came a halt amid a national surge driven by the delta variant, when Republican Reps. Vern Buchanan of Florida and Clay Higgins of Louisiana reported infections in July. Buchanan says he was fully vaccinated, but that was less clear for Higgins.
At least another dozen members followed throughout the fall with news they had also tested positive for coronavirus; many of those infections involving vaccinated Senate and House members.
Before these latest waves, Congress' nearly six-month case pause came after a majority of more than 500 lawmakers were fully vaccinated by January. The Capitol's attending physician then lifted much of the mask mandates that dominated the past year. However, a minority of House Republican members have refused to seek vaccination.
Lawmakers impact by the coronavirus
This new threat arrives after the coronavirus already exacted a large toll on the Capitol.
Last year, the pandemic upended daily work for months, sickening dozens of members and hundreds of workers. A sitting congressman, a member-elect and an aide died.
By February 2021, more than 60 lawmakers and 360 Capitol Hill workers had tested positive, or were presumed so, for the coronavirus, according to NPR's tracker and congressional aides.
Loading...
See a list of all members who tested positive or quarantined.
That same month, Rep. Ron Wright, R-Texas, became the first sitting member of Congress to die after a more than two-week battle with COVID-19. In December, Rep.-elect Luke Letlow of Louisiana died days before he was due to be sworn in for a seat that was later filled in April by his widow, Rep. Julia Letlow, following a special election.
And last summer, an aide to Buchanan died from COVID-19.
The rash of infections among members continued at a consistent pace since the pandemic began, with the longest stretch without any such cases lasting about three weeks during recess periods away from Washington, D.C.
But this past March, Capitol Hill began its first month-long stretch without any reported cases or quarantines among members. The most recent positive case before July was reported by Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., on Jan. 29, despite his having received his second dose of the vaccine days earlier.
Another member, House Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., reported that she quarantined on Feb. 1. It ended Feb. 8 without a report of a positive test.
January 6 insurrection caused spike in cases on Capitol Hill
Up until this summer, the most recent outbreak of cases on Capitol Hill for members was triggered by the Jan. 6 insurrection, which forced members to cluster together in rooms for several hours. Some House Republicans were seen refusing to wear masks during the ordeal.
Later, Monahan told Congress that at least one of these holding rooms for House members included a lawmaker who was already positive.
More than a half-dozen members quarantined as a result, and several tested positive, including Democratic Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey and Brad Schneider of Illinois.
In all, January proved to be one of members' worst month for the coronavirus, with at least 16 lawmakers testing positive. Before the insurrection, the House met to launch a new session before reinstating rules allowing proxy voting.
This, as congressional leaders and lawmakers received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which became available to members in December. The doses were provided to meet long-standing requirements for continuity of government operations, Monahan told members in a Dec. 17 note.
Pandemic impacted congressional operations
Ahead of the vaccinations, both chambers of Congress recessed multiple times last year as the Capitol went largely without a widespread testing program.
The Democratic-controlled House installed emergency proxy voting and remote hearings in May 2020, and Pelosi extended the covered period several times due to the pandemic. It remains in place until at least until mid-August.
In November, Pelosi triggered a broader coronavirus testing program for Congress following new requirement for travelers to the Washington, D.C., area.
Pelosi has previously said with about 75% of House members vaccinated, and several Republicans who refuse to do so, she's unclear when Congress will fully get back to normal.
"One of the most substantial steps that can be taken is that everybody should be vaccinated," Pelosi told reporters in March, later adding, "We need 100% of the members vaccinated, because it just takes one to endanger others."
The pandemic delayed other rituals, such as President Biden's first address before a joint session of Congress, which was held with only 200 socially distanced guests on April 28.
Last year remains a reminder of how quickly outbreaks spiraled out of control among lawmakers.
In December, at least nine House members, including six Republicans, tested positive for the coronavirus. And November proved to be another one of the worst months of the pandemic for Congress, when at least 15 lawmakers said they were infected, including two of the oldest, Republicans Rep. Don Young of Alaska and Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.
A previous outbreak in September was tied to a White House Rose Garden ceremony to announce Amy Coney Barrett as then-President Donald Trump's Supreme Court justice nominee. Trump, then-first lady Melania Trump and dozens of others in attendance tested positive, including Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
It was one of several instances forcing leaders to change the congressional schedule.
Starting in the first month of the pandemic, in March 2020, House and Senate leaders delayed bringing back members in light of public health guidelines recommending social distancing.
The Senate returned in May 2020, but the much larger House remained mostly away under the advice of Monahan, the Capitol's attending physician. That same month, the House approved its historic rule changes to allow remote voting and hearings.
The first spate of cases began March 8, 2020, when two Republican lawmakers, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, were the first members of Congress to announce self-quarantines. Both attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md., where another guest fell ill.
The following week, the first two members of Congress said they tested positive for the coronavirus. Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida and then-Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams of Utah both said they developed symptoms after a March 14 floor vote on a coronavirus relief package.
By last summer, dozens of Capitol workers reported a positive test or were presumed so, and Gary Tibbetts, a longtime staffer for Buchanan died from COVID-19 on July 24.
Some lawmakers also took antibody tests to see if they were previously infected. They include Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, who both said they tested positive months after experiencing symptoms in the spring.
To stem the flow of new cases, both chambers early on issued new social distancing guidance. Also, the U.S. Capitol closed to public tours and remained open only to members, staff, the press and official business visitors, and aside from the Jan. 6 breach by pro-Trump extremists, it has remained so.
In late July 2020, Pelosi also issued a temporary, new mask mandate after Texas GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert, who often rejected such protocols, tested positive. Gohmert had attended several hearings a day earlier and returned to the Capitol following a White House screening that caught his infection.
Gohmert's case triggered quarantines for five House members, including Arizona Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva. Days later, Grijalva tested positive but fully recovered symptom free. Until recent changes lifting the mask mandates, members could be fined or be forcibly removed by Capitol Police if they are not wearing masks.


npr--2020-10-04--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak On Sept. 28 , the world marked a tragic milestone : 1 million deaths from COVID-19 .
That 's according to a tally maintained by Johns Hopkins University .
And public health experts believe the actual toll – the recorded deaths plus the unrecorded deaths – is much higher .
While the number of cases has slowed in many countries that were hit hard early on by coronavirus , the number of new cases continues to increase .
Since early July , new daily cases averaged over 200,000 worldwide .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January .
At over 6 million cases , the United States leads the world 's COVID-19 crisis .
In late spring and early summer , new COVID-19 cases were largely driven by cases in the Americas .
While the U.S. has consistently had the most new daily cases of coronavirus in the region , Brazil 's new daily cases increased rapidly between May and August .
However , in September , several countries that had previously flattened their curve saw a resurgence in cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , daily case counts have risen swiftly since June , without signs of slowing down .
Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time .
The first chart compares each continent to each other , while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region .
To compare country outbreaks , the chart below graphs trend lines for average new daily cases and deaths against each country 's totals to date .
This type of visualization highlights a state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In countries like Israel , which is seeing a second wave of case growth after an initial wave in April , the line forms a V-shape , as the initially bent curve spikes upwards again .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on @ @ @ @ @

Coronavirus world map: We've now passed the 600 million mark for infections
Editor's note: This page is no longer being updated. The last update was Sept. 5, 2022. For current data about COVID-19 cases and deaths around the world, Johns Hopkins University and Our World in Data are useful resources.
In late January 2020 only a few dozen COVID-19 infections had been identified outside of China. A year later, the world tallied its first 100 million cases. It took the globe just 7 more months to pass the 200 million mark— then another 5 months to hit 300 million, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Now the virus has spread to every corner of the globe and has been blamed for more than 6 million deaths.
The United States, India and Brazil in that order have had the most COVID cases and the three nations collectively account for almost half of all recorded infections so far in the pandemic.
Explore the chart below to find a country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January 2020.
Loading...
Loading...
Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time. The first chart compares each continent to each other, while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region.
Loading...
Loading...
This story was originally published on March 30, 2020.


npr--2020-10-05--Coronavirus Maps: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Maps : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 7 million people in the U.S. have been infected with the coronavirus and more than 200,000 have died .
Tens of thousands of new cases are reported daily nationwide .
In the graphics below , explore the trends in your state .
View the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , curve charts , a table of state-by-state trends over four weeks , or a map of total cases and deaths .
The map above shows the risk of infection in each state based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These color-coded risk levels were developed by a consortium of researchers and public health experts .
The group advises states in the red category to issue stay-home orders .
Orange states may need to consider stay-home orders , along with increased testing and contact tracing .
Yellow states need to keep up social distancing and mask usage , and both yellow and green states should continue testing and contact tracing .
To compare state outbreaks , the chart above graphs trend lines for average new daily cases and deaths against each state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visualization highlights a state 's daily growth or decline relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In New York , the curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 800 per day in late September .
Explore the map above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the country for both new confirmed cases and reported deaths from COVID-19 .
New York was the original epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. As of mid August , California , Florida and Texas have surpassed New York for total cases to date , though New York still has the highest death total .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
To show trends , the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state , week over week for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in shades of red have growing outbreaks ; those in shades of green , are declining .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
This may result in occasional data discrepancies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resolves anomalies and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
In early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's daily numbers until the JHU team was able to reconcile the historical data .
On June 25 , New Jersey included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn contributed to and Carmel Wroth edited this story .

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


npr--2020-10-05--The Election And A Fresh Obamacare Challenge Loom Over New Supreme Court Term

The Election And A Fresh Obamacare Challenge Loom Over New Supreme Court Term The U.S. Supreme Court opens a new court term Monday , while across the street at the Capitol , Republicans are seeking to jam through , before the Nov. 3 election , President Trump 's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the court .
Trump offered Barrett the nomination just two days after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died .
And since then , Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has been leading the GOP charge to get Barrett confirmed before Election Day .
It 's a race to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the fact that at least two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee , Utah Republican Mike Lee and North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis , have tested positive for the coronavirus and , on Saturday , McConnell said the committee will start the hearing as scheduled on Oct. 12 .
Regardless of what is happening in the Senate , the Supreme Court is carrying on in its usual stately fashion .
The court is an institution built on tradition , and the traditional opening day of the term is the first Monday of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there will be just eight justices , not the usual nine , and because of COVID-19 , once again the justices will gather by telephone hookup to hear the lawyers make their arguments .
Because they will not be together , there will be none of the usual freewheeling debate ; instead , the justices will ask questions in order of seniority , with each justice limited to just a few minutes .
And once again , the public will be able to listen in .
A lot has changed since July , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , surprising observers with lopsided decisions favoring LGBT rights in one case and repudiating Trump 's claim of total immunity in two others involving grand jury and congressional subpoenas .
In other more closely divided rulings , Chief Justice John Roberts , on some notable but rare occasions , broke with fellow conservatives to cast the deciding fifth vote with the court 's liberals .
His vote to strike down a Louisiana anti-abortion law infuriated some conservative politicians , but it was typical of Roberts .
He wrote separately from the liberal justices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court just four years earlier had struck down an identical law in Texas , but he said that 2016 decision was now binding precedent and he was obligated to uphold it .
Despite that `` institutionalist streak , '' with Ginsburg 's death and her replacement by the very conservative Barrett , Roberts may well have lost his leverage , observes University of Michigan law professor Nicholas Bagley .
`` The chief justice is no longer going to be the center vote , '' he notes .
In short , the hard-line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roberts .
Obamacare on the chopping block again Just how far right the court will move could become apparent quickly in a case to be argued a week after the election .
It is the third challenge to the Affordable Care Act , which in the past was upheld by votes of 5-4 and 6-3 .
This time , the Trump administration and a coalition of red states are arguing that because the Republican Congress three years ago zeroed out the monetary penalty for those not covered by insurance ( the so-called mandate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ void .
If the administration were to prevail , there would no longer be protections for those with preexisting conditions ; health insurance for some 22 million people under Obamacare would likewise be gone , and so too would be many other protections that people have gotten used to .
Trump 's newest supreme court nominee , Barrett , has been highly critical of Chief Justice Roberts ' reasoning in the previous Obamacare cases .
But even Paul Clement , who argued on behalf of those challenging the law in the Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a stretch .
`` It 's just hard for me to say that the mandate is central when it does n't have any teeth , '' he says , noting that Congress has repeatedly refused to repeal the law in the wake of previous Supreme Court decisions and that the penalty no longer exists .
There is , he adds , `` an air of surreality '' around the current case .
Indeed , sources say that top Justice Department officials tried and failed to talk Trump out of bringing the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of many controversies flashing red on the Supreme Court docket this term — many of them political .
Some cases are already being expedited .
One involves how many seats each state gets in the House of Representatives .
The Constitution requires the `` whole number of persons in each state '' to be included for apportionment purposes .
But Trump maintains he has discretion to determine the numbers and has said he intends to exclude noncitizens without legal status from the count .
A three-judge federal court prevented him from doing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court .
In addition , there are numerous cases directly involving the upcoming election , cases that are being teed up in the wings and that could determine who is the next president .
`` Lurking in the background is the possibility that this could become the most tumultuous and divisive term since the Supreme Court decided Bush v. Gore , '' says Irv Gornstein , director of the Supreme Court Institute at the Georgetown University Law Center .
And that 's just the beginning .
Among the other controversies is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment hearings is entitled to secret grand jury transcripts — a case that dates back to the Mueller investigation but has important implications for congressional powers in the future .
Then , too , there is a case that pits the rights of religious groups against state and federal anti-discrimination laws .
On one end is Catholic Social Services of Philadelphia , and on the other , the city , which contracts with a wide variety of groups that it pays to screen and certify couples for foster care .
The city cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused , on religious grounds , to certify same-sex couples , and that violated the city 's nondiscrimination law .
The lower courts upheld the city 's decision , citing the Supreme Court 's 1990 decision declaring that religious groups are not entitled to exemptions from neutral , generally applicable laws .
The decision was written by conservative icon Justice Antonin Scalia .
Nonetheless , four of the court 's current conservatives have expressed an interest in overturning that decision , and with the addition of Barrett , there may well be a @ @

The Election And A Fresh Obamacare Challenge Loom Over New Supreme Court Term
Enlarge this image toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/AP
The U.S. Supreme Court opens a new court term Monday, while across the street at the Capitol, Republicans are seeking to jam through, before the Nov. 3 election, President Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the court.
Trump offered Barrett the nomination just two days after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died. And since then, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has been leading the GOP charge to get Barrett confirmed before Election Day.
It's a race to the political finish line made more difficult by the fact that at least two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Utah Republican Mike Lee and North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis, have tested positive for the coronavirus and, on Saturday, McConnell said the committee will start the hearing as scheduled on Oct. 12.
Regardless of what is happening in the Senate, the Supreme Court is carrying on in its usual stately fashion. The court is an institution built on tradition, and the traditional opening day of the term is the first Monday of October.
This time, however, there will be just eight justices, not the usual nine, and because of COVID-19, once again the justices will gather by telephone hookup to hear the lawyers make their arguments. Because they will not be together, there will be none of the usual freewheeling debate; instead, the justices will ask questions in order of seniority, with each justice limited to just a few minutes. And once again, the public will be able to listen in.
A lot has changed since July, when the court concluded a tumultuous term, surprising observers with lopsided decisions favoring LGBT rights in one case and repudiating Trump's claim of total immunity in two others involving grand jury and congressional subpoenas.
In other more closely divided rulings, Chief Justice John Roberts, on some notable but rare occasions, broke with fellow conservatives to cast the deciding fifth vote with the court's liberals. His vote to strike down a Louisiana anti-abortion law infuriated some conservative politicians, but it was typical of Roberts. He wrote separately from the liberal justices, stressing that he had dissented when the court just four years earlier had struck down an identical law in Texas, but he said that 2016 decision was now binding precedent and he was obligated to uphold it.
Despite that "institutionalist streak," with Ginsburg's death and her replacement by the very conservative Barrett, Roberts may well have lost his leverage, observes University of Michigan law professor Nicholas Bagley.
"The chief justice is no longer going to be the center vote," he notes. In short, the hard-line conservatives on the court can prevail without Roberts.
Obamacare on the chopping block again
Just how far right the court will move could become apparent quickly in a case to be argued a week after the election. It is the third challenge to the Affordable Care Act, which in the past was upheld by votes of 5-4 and 6-3.
This time, the Trump administration and a coalition of red states are arguing that because the Republican Congress three years ago zeroed out the monetary penalty for those not covered by insurance (the so-called mandate), the whole law is now void.
If the administration were to prevail, there would no longer be protections for those with preexisting conditions; health insurance for some 22 million people under Obamacare would likewise be gone, and so too would be many other protections that people have gotten used to.
Trump's newest supreme court nominee, Barrett, has been highly critical of Chief Justice Roberts' reasoning in the previous Obamacare cases.
But even Paul Clement, who argued on behalf of those challenging the law in the Supreme Court the first time, thinks this case is a stretch.
"It's just hard for me to say that the mandate is central when it doesn't have any teeth," he says, noting that Congress has repeatedly refused to repeal the law in the wake of previous Supreme Court decisions and that the penalty no longer exists.
There is, he adds, "an air of surreality" around the current case. Indeed, sources say that top Justice Department officials tried and failed to talk Trump out of bringing the case.
The Obamacare case is just one of many controversies flashing red on the Supreme Court docket this term — many of them political.
Some cases are already being expedited. One involves how many seats each state gets in the House of Representatives. The Constitution requires the "whole number of persons in each state" to be included for apportionment purposes. But Trump maintains he has discretion to determine the numbers and has said he intends to exclude noncitizens without legal status from the count. A three-judge federal court prevented him from doing that. Now the case is before the Supreme Court.
Another Bush v. Gore?
In addition, there are numerous cases directly involving the upcoming election, cases that are being teed up in the wings and that could determine who is the next president.
"Lurking in the background is the possibility that this could become the most tumultuous and divisive term since the Supreme Court decided Bush v. Gore," says Irv Gornstein, director of the Supreme Court Institute at the Georgetown University Law Center.
And that's just the beginning. Among the other controversies is a case testing whether a House committee conducting impeachment hearings is entitled to secret grand jury transcripts — a case that dates back to the Mueller investigation but has important implications for congressional powers in the future.
Then, too, there is a case that pits the rights of religious groups against state and federal anti-discrimination laws. On one end is Catholic Social Services of Philadelphia, and on the other, the city, which contracts with a wide variety of groups that it pays to screen and certify couples for foster care.
The city cut off Catholic Social Services because the group refused, on religious grounds, to certify same-sex couples, and that violated the city's nondiscrimination law. The lower courts upheld the city's decision, citing the Supreme Court's 1990 decision declaring that religious groups are not entitled to exemptions from neutral, generally applicable laws. The decision was written by conservative icon Justice Antonin Scalia. Nonetheless, four of the court's current conservatives have expressed an interest in overturning that decision, and with the addition of Barrett, there may well be a majority.