npr--2020-05-05--Watch: Senate Considers Intelligence Director Nomination Amid COVID-19 Disaster

The Senate intelligence committee has convened an extraordinary hearing on Tuesday morning at which members are set to consider the nomination of Rep. John Ratcliffe , R-Texas , to become the director of national intelligence .
The session not only is expected to intersect with a number of white-hot political storylines in Washington but also make history simply for taking place amid continued social distancing and other mitigation measures aimed at containing the coronavirus .
The hearing is scheduled to get underway at 9:30 a.m .
ET .
Watch it live here .
Tuesday 's hearing is the first since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ panel 's chairman , North Carolina Republican Sen. Richard Burr .
Burr may not have spoken publicly about what he 'd learned privately about the coronavirus earlier this year — and may have sold assets early to prevent financial losses he might have suffered when the stock market crashed this spring , according to the reports earlier this year .
Burr is believed to be under investigation by the Justice Department and Senate ethics authorities about what he said and did earlier this year and whether he may have transgressed any laws or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied any wrongdoing and invited an inquiry by the Senate Ethics Committee .
The reports , however , have created sometimes awkward tensions within the GOP and even a few of Burr 's fellow Republicans have called on him to give `` everybody an explanation '' about his activities this year .
Politics-watchers have questioned whether Burr 's activities , if substantiated , might at least cost him the chairmanship of the intelligence committee .
Ratcliffe already was nominated once , and then withdrew , from consideration to serve as director of national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congressman had overstated some of his bona fides on counterterrorism and he asked not to move ahead with the nomination process before his Senate confirmation hearing .
Since then , President Trump and Ratcliffe evidently have assessed that the political climate is at least no worse than it was last summer , the first time they tried .
Republicans control a majority in the Senate but a few key members often hold the key to moving ahead via its procedural processes .
It is n't clear whether Ratcliffe 's confirmation is guaranteed but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least one of those often-critical centrist gatekeepers : Sen. Susan Collins , R-Maine , said she thought Ratcliffe has the experience sufficient to serve as the top spy .
Democrats worry about political influence on the intelligence infrastructure especially after years of enmity from the White House over the Russia investigation and the Ukraine affair , which led to Trump 's impeachment .
Trump has opted to keep the position of national intelligence director vacant since last summer when he ousted then-director Dan Coats .
Following the first swing and miss with Ratcliffe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served in the job pending the confirmation of a full-time replacement .
Democrats and outside critics say they worry that a political loyalist wo n't `` speak truth to power , '' as intelligence professionals say is their job , but shade the work of the spy infrastructure in order to be more pleasing to Trump .
That has been a theme of criticism about Ambassador Richard Grenell , who serves as the current acting DNI .
The intelligence committee 's vice chairman , Sen. Mark Warner , D-Va. , devoted a whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he called the dangers of partisan interference .
The coronavirus disaster provides a grim and inescapable backdrop for all the byplay in the intelligence committee and elsewhere in the Senate this week .
Most of the hearings-goers who might normally pack a session like that scheduled with Ratcliffe are barred from the hearing room .
Senators and their staff members are expected to take social distancing and other precautions even as they convene the hearing .
The pandemic wo n't only change the presentation and , such as it is , the pageantry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's also directly related to the work of the intelligence community .
Trump and top aides , including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , are leaning heavily into a theory that the coronavirus pandemic is the result of the pathogen escaping from a Chinese lab .
Trump was asked about the evidence that supports that thesis in a Fox TV special on Sunday .
The president said a report would be forthcoming that would be `` very conclusive . ''
The Office of the Director National Intelligence released a very rare public statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the origins of the coronavirus and is attempting `` to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan . ''
Chinese officials and state media channels have howled about the lab accident thesis and Pompeo 's comments in particular .
Democrats at Tuesday 's hearing are expected to press Ratcliffe to commit to be an independent interlocutor between the White House and the 17 agencies of the intelligence community and not scare up findings that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ratcliffe out about the missteps since uncovered about the conduct of the Justice Department and FBI in the Russia investigation .
One particular question he might face is about the fate of FBI Director Christopher Wray ; per one report this week in Axios , Trump 's friends have been urging the president to fire Wray .

Trump's Nominee For Intelligence Director Vows To Operate Independently
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Andrew Harnik/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 3:11 p.m. ET
President Trump's nominee to serve as America's top spy vowed on Tuesday to operate independently in response to bipartisan questions as to whether he could keep politics out of intelligence work.
Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas., assured both Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that if confirmed as director of national intelligence, he would not apply a partisan filter to reporting, shade conclusions to please Trump, or apply inappropriate tests to workers in the intelligence community.
"My loyalty is to the Constitution and the rule of law and I have made that clear to everyone including the president," Ratcliffe said at his confirmation hearing.
Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., asked the nominee whether Trump had asked him for his personal loyalty or whether Ratcliffe has volunteered that he would act independently.
"I made that proactively clear," Ratcliffe said. He said Trump had not asked him to be personally loyal.
The DNI position and the intelligence community have been the target of sustained enmity from Trump's camp since before his inauguration, then especially through the Ukraine affair and the Russia investigation.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and other committee members asked Ratcliffe about past Trump comments that the intelligence community had "run amok" and needed to be "reined in."
Ratcliffe said he didn't think the spy agencies had "run amok" and that he appreciates the need to present what he called unvarnished findings and analysis to leaders in Washington, especially Trump.
"None of those things, regardless of what he says or how he says them or how [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi or [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell or anyone says about intelligence or the intelligence community — will not impact the intelligence that I will deliver," Ratcliffe said.
Trump hasn't only dueled with the intelligence community over Russia and the Ukraine affair.
Last year, for example, then-Director Dan Coats and other agency bosses told Congress they assessed that North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un would never surrender his nuclear program because of its importance to the survival of his regime.
Trump had made negotiations with Kim a plank of his foreign policy and that assessment showed the president either ignored or rejected the counsel of his own top intelligence advisers.
In another episode, the intelligence establishment said Iran had continued to abide by the terms of the nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama — although Trump had decided to scrap it.
The chairman
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gabriella Demczuk/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Gabriella Demczuk/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Tuesday's hearing was the first since news accounts imperiled the standing of the panel's chairman, North Carolina Republican Sen. Richard Burr.
Burr may not have spoken publicly about what he'd learned privately about the coronavirus earlier this year — and may have sold assets early to prevent financial losses he might have suffered when the stock market crashed this spring, according to NPR reports.
Burr is believed to be under investigation by the Justice Department and Senate ethics authorities about what he said and did earlier this year and whether he may have transgressed any laws or rules within the chamber.
Burr has denied any wrongdoing and invited an inquiry by the Senate Ethics Committee.
The reports, however, have created sometimes-awkward tensions within the GOP. Even a few of Burr's fellow Republicans have called on him to give "everybody an explanation" about his activities this year, but those issues went unmentioned at Tuesday's hearing.
The nominee
Ratcliffe already was nominated once, and then withdrew, from consideration to serve as director of national intelligence.
News accounts suggested the Texas congressman had overstated some of his bona fides on counterterrorism and he asked not to move ahead with the nomination process before his Senate confirmation hearing.
Since then, Trump and Ratcliffe evidently have assessed that the political climate is at least no worse than it was last summer, the first time they tried.
Republicans control a majority in the Senate, but a few key members often hold the key to moving ahead via its procedural processes.
It isn't clear whether Ratcliffe's confirmation is guaranteed, but he does appear to have sold at least one of those often-critical gatekeepers: Maine's Collins said she thought Ratcliffe has the experience sufficient to serve as the top spy.
Democrats on the panel seemed as though they may not go along. Vice Chairman Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., invoked the many firings by Trump of top ODNI leaders and what he called lingering concerns about Ratcliffe himself and the Ukraine affair.
"I have to say that, while I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt in this hearing, I don't see what has changed since last summer. ... This includes some particularly damaging remarks about whistleblowers, which has long been a bipartisan cause on this committee. I'll speak plainly: I have the same doubts now as I did then," Warner said.
Republicans including Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida appeared inclined to support Ratcliffe and Burr said in a statement after the conclusion of the hearing that he intends to vote to advance Ratcliffe's nomination to the full Senate and then vote for his confirmation.
The pandemic
Enlarge this image toggle caption Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
The coronavirus disaster provided a grim and inescapable backdrop for all the byplay in the intelligence committee and elsewhere in the Senate this week.
Most of the hearings-goers who might normally pack a session like that scheduled with Ratcliffe were barred from the hearing room. Senators and their staff members kept well apart and observed a number of other precautions even as they convened the hearing.
Burr and Warner wore masks and Burr asked most members of the panel to keep out of the hearing room and watch the proceedings via C-SPAN until it was their turn to ask a question.
The pandemic didn't only change the presentation and, such as it is, the pageantry of a major Senate hearing — it's also directly related to the work of the intelligence community.
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., asked Ratcliffe whether he believed Trump had sufficiently warned Americans about the coronavirus beforehand, based on presentations he is known to have received via intelligence reporting.
Ratcliffe said he thought the president had; Harris said later on Tuesday that she believes "the facts say otherwise."
Meanwhile Trump and top aides, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, are leaning heavily into a theory that the coronavirus pandemic is the result of the pathogen escaping from a Chinese lab.
Trump was asked about the evidence that supports that thesis in a Fox TV special on Sunday. The president said a report would be forthcoming that would be "very conclusive."
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a very rare public statement last week affirming that it is looking into the origins of the coronavirus and is attempting "to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan."
Chinese officials and state media channels have howled about the lab accident thesis and Pompeo's comments in particular.
Ratcliffe said in an answer to Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, that he hadn't seen any intelligence reporting that suggested the coronavirus escaped from a lab. But he also told Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., that he hadn't seen any reporting that verified it had originated in the now-infamous Wuhan wildlife markets.
King stressed that Ratcliffe, if confirmed, must recognize what he called the difference between the work and responses required when the question is framed "where did the virus come from?" as compared with "don't you think the virus came from a lab?"


npr--2020-05-05--Texas Was The Model For OPEC, But It's 'Not Likely' To Limit Oil Production Now

Texas Was The Model For OPEC , But It 's 'Not Likely ' To Limit Oil Production Now In Texas , a proposal to cut the amount of crude that oil companies are allowed to pump from the ground appears dead .
The regulator who proposed it — Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton — says commissioners `` still are not ready to act '' on the plan , which would have cut production 20 % to try and stabilize prices amid a historic oil glut .
Regulators had been expected to vote on the plan Tuesday .
Oklahoma and North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Alaska , the private company that runs the Trans-Alaska pipeline has already imposed a ten percent cut in oil production from the state 's North Slope .
In Texas , the idea of a state intervention would have been unimaginable to most people just a few months ago , even though it 's not without precedent .
Somewhat confusingly , the Texas Railroad Commission oversees fossil fuel extraction , and has the power to limit crude production under a law dating back to the 1930 's .
It has n't done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such a vote does not happen , the fact that the three member commission considered the proposal reveals just how serious the challenges facing the U.S. oil and gas industry are .
At a hearing last month , Scott Scheffield , head of Pioneer Natural Resources , said it was time for the commission to mandate cuts again .
He argued that his industry — which has enjoyed unprecedented expansion in recent years — could n't be trusted to cut enough on its own .
`` Our industry has created so much economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or own ours stocks , '' Scheffield said in a live-streamed meeting .
`` If the Texas Railroad Commission does n't regulate long-term , we will disappear like the coal industry . ''
But companies and regulators are divided over imposing production limits .
Opponents say companies are making needed cuts on their own .
They do n't want to open the door for government control of industry .
`` It is government intervention itself that would cause haphazard curtailment of production and cause waste , '' argued Todd Staples , head of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Texans fundamentally believe that the government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers . ''
So , who stands to win and who stands to lose ?
Owen Anderson is an oil and gas law professor at the University of Texas at Austin .
He says large oil companies , so-called supermajors , that not only produce oil but also transport it and refine it , are better positioned to weather this historic bust .
They tend to oppose the intervention .
`` They 're probably looking at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' says Anderson , `` because they have some capital assets that they could devote to buying up companies and properties , probably for bargain basement prices . ''
Smaller , so-called independent oil producers , were struggling with debt even before prices crashed .
They do n't have the same access to pipelines and refineries and believe that if everyone is forced to cut a little , it may allow them to keep producing some oil .
If the state does n't act , they say , this is an oil bust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 've got good reason to be concerned , '' says Anderson , `` probably more reason now than they have in the past . ''
As it turns out , this division between big oil companies and small `` independents '' is exactly what drove Texas to first regulate oil production during the Great Depression .
In East Texas in 1930 , the discovery of the biggest U.S. oil field at the time set off a rush .
Hundreds of wildcatters leased tiny plots of land from local farmers .
`` A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' says Don Carleton , director of the Briscoe Center for American History .
But they kept striking oil .
There was too much of it to store and no easy way to get it to market .
And there was another problem that resonates today : This was all happening during the Great Depression , so demand for oil had cratered .
Prices plummeted to as low as five cents a barrel .
By 1931 the big oil companies were demanding action .
The Texas Railroad Commission ordered the wildcatters to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over well .
`` All of the small independents rebelled , and just simply thumbed their noses , '' says Carleton .
They said , `` 'Oh yeah , you and whose army is going to stop us ? '
'' That 's when Texas Governor Ross Sterling sent 800 National Guardsmen and a company of Texas Rangers to the East Texas Oilfield .
The guardsmen `` would literally have to pull out their rifles with bayonets to go and make sure that their wells were shut down , '' says Carleton .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ replaced by Railroad Commission staff .
But the conflict was n't over .
This was happening during prohibition and a lot of people had become very good at transporting illegal liquids .
`` These little refineries ... they 'd pay cash for the oil when it came in , and they sold the gasoline for cash so there 's no record of anything , '' recalled Joe Kinsey decades later for an oral history project at Stephen F. Austin State University .
Kinsey remembered how producers also created fake oil wells to launder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pipelines to sneak it away .
Eventually the Texas Railroad Commission managed to gain control .
As its power grew it started working with other states to set production levels and prices .
`` From the 1930s until 1972 , essentially , the Railroad Commission was the most important institution in the world of oil , '' says David Prindle , a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin who wrote a book on the commission .
Prindle says in 1951 the head of Venezuela 's energy sector looked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chief engineer of the Railroad Commission ... to come to Venezuela , to come show him , and then show the oil minister of Saudi Arabia , how it was done , '' says Prindle .
`` OPEC was explicitly modeled on the Texas Railroad Commission . ''
As more oil was discovered around the world OPEC gained power and the Railroad Commission lost it .
The commission stopped capping Texas production in the early 70s .
Now , an economic crisis and a huge glut of oil are forcing the issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot like the one that existed in 1931 , except large and small oil companies find themselves on opposite sides .
`` That 's , from an historical perspective , rather interesting , '' says UT-Austin 's Anderson .
`` In the 1930s , it was mostly the larger companies that were clamoring for a lowering of production in the United States , and the small independents were mostly resisting it . ''
While last century 's wildcatters may have preferred pumping cheap oil to pumping none at all , these days independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice .
With storage space filling up fast and pipeline access limited , some say they will not be able to bring their oil to market unless cuts happen across the board .
`` The bigger guys have plenty of market , plenty of pipeline access and plenty of ways to store their oil , independents do not , '' Kirk Edwards , head of Latigo Petroleum told the Railroad Commission last month .
`` If there 's not some way to allow fairness then you will personally be responsible for the demise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Texas Railroad Commissioner Sitton , who proposed cutting production to address today 's crisis , suggested it could save jobs .
But commission chair Wayne Christian says `` a lot has changed '' since the state last capped oil production .
`` In 1950 , Texas controlled over 20 percent of the world 's oil supply , today we control roughly 5 percent , '' he wrote in the Houston Chronicle .
`` A government mandate cutting oil production twenty percent across the board would not have a significant impact on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had all agreed that they 'd want other states to make similar commitments , and would need Russia and OPEC countries to promise even deeper cuts than the record ones they already have .
Meantime , the current bust in the always turbulent U.S. oil industry may deepen .
Dozens of Saudi tankers full of oil are offshore or headed this way .
Companies say there could soon be so much excess oil that they will run out of places to store it .

Texas Was The Model For OPEC, But It's 'Not Likely' To Limit Oil Production Now
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Gay/AP Eric Gay/AP
In Texas, a proposal to cut the amount of crude that oil companies are allowed to pump from the ground appears dead. The regulator who proposed it — Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton — says commissioners "still are not ready to act" on the plan, which would have cut production 20% to try and stabilize prices amid a historic oil glut. Regulators had been expected to vote on the plan Tuesday.
Oklahoma and North Dakota have also been debating production limits. In Alaska, the private company that runs the Trans-Alaska pipeline has already imposed a ten percent cut in oil production from the state's North Slope.
In Texas, the idea of a state intervention would have been unimaginable to most people just a few months ago, even though it's not without precedent. Somewhat confusingly, the Texas Railroad Commission oversees fossil fuel extraction, and has the power to limit crude production under a law dating back to the 1930's. It hasn't done so since 1972.
But even if such a vote does not happen, the fact that the three member commission considered the proposal reveals just how serious the challenges facing the U.S. oil and gas industry are.
An industry divided
At a hearing last month, Scott Scheffield, head of Pioneer Natural Resources, said it was time for the commission to mandate cuts again. He argued that his industry — which has enjoyed unprecedented expansion in recent years — couldn't be trusted to cut enough on its own.
"Our industry has created so much economic waste that nobody will buy our stocks or own ours stocks," Scheffield said in a live-streamed meeting. "If the Texas Railroad Commission doesn't regulate long-term, we will disappear like the coal industry."
But companies and regulators are divided over imposing production limits. Opponents say companies are making needed cuts on their own. They don't want to open the door for government control of industry.
If the Texas Railroad Commission doesn't regulate long-term, we will disappear like the coal industry.
"It is government intervention itself that would cause haphazard curtailment of production and cause waste," argued Todd Staples, head of the Texas Oil and Gas Association. "Texans fundamentally believe that the government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers."
So, who stands to win and who stands to lose?
Owen Anderson is an oil and gas law professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He says large oil companies, so-called supermajors, that not only produce oil but also transport it and refine it, are better positioned to weather this historic bust. They tend to oppose the intervention.
"They're probably looking at this downturn as a buying opportunity," says Anderson, "because they have some capital assets that they could devote to buying up companies and properties, probably for bargain basement prices."
Smaller, so-called independent oil producers, were struggling with debt even before prices crashed. They don't have the same access to pipelines and refineries and believe that if everyone is forced to cut a little, it may allow them to keep producing some oil. If the state doesn't act, they say, this is an oil bust they might not survive.
"And they've got good reason to be concerned," says Anderson, "probably more reason now than they have in the past."
As it turns out, this division between big oil companies and small "independents" is exactly what drove Texas to first regulate oil production during the Great Depression.
toggle caption Verkin Photo Company/Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin
Shutting down oil wells at gunpoint
In East Texas in 1930, the discovery of the biggest U.S. oil field at the time set off a rush. Hundreds of wildcatters leased tiny plots of land from local farmers. "A lot of them were just gamblers," says Don Carleton, director of the Briscoe Center for American History.
But they kept striking oil. There was too much of it to store and no easy way to get it to market. And there was another problem that resonates today: This was all happening during the Great Depression, so demand for oil had cratered. Prices plummeted to as low as five cents a barrel.
By 1931 the big oil companies were demanding action. The Texas Railroad Commission ordered the wildcatters to stop pumping, but it didn't go over well.
"All of the small independents rebelled, and just simply thumbed their noses," says Carleton. They said, "'Oh yeah, you and whose army is going to stop us?'"
That's when Texas Governor Ross Sterling sent 800 National Guardsmen and a company of Texas Rangers to the East Texas Oilfield.
The guardsmen "would literally have to pull out their rifles with bayonets to go and make sure that their wells were shut down," says Carleton.
From the 1930s until 1972, essentially, the [Texas] Railroad Commission was the most important institution in the world of oil.
After several months, the troops were replaced by Railroad Commission staff. But the conflict wasn't over. This was happening during prohibition and a lot of people had become very good at transporting illegal liquids.
"These little refineries... they'd pay cash for the oil when it came in, and they sold the gasoline for cash so there's no record of anything," recalled Joe Kinsey decades later for an oral history project at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Kinsey remembered how producers also created fake oil wells to launder illegal crude, and drilled holes in pipelines to sneak it away.
The Texas origins of OPEC
Eventually the Texas Railroad Commission managed to gain control. As its power grew it started working with other states to set production levels and prices.
"From the 1930s until 1972, essentially, the Railroad Commission was the most important institution in the world of oil," says David Prindle, a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin who wrote a book on the commission.
Prindle says in 1951 the head of Venezuela's energy sector looked to Texas for inspiration.
"He hired the chief engineer of the Railroad Commission... to come to Venezuela, to come show him, and then show the oil minister of Saudi Arabia, how it was done," says Prindle. "OPEC was explicitly modeled on the Texas Railroad Commission."
As more oil was discovered around the world OPEC gained power and the Railroad Commission lost it. The commission stopped capping Texas production in the early 70s.
"A lot has changed"
Now, an economic crisis and a huge glut of oil are forcing the issue again. It's a situation a lot like the one that existed in 1931, except large and small oil companies find themselves on opposite sides.
"That's, from an historical perspective, rather interesting," says UT-Austin's Anderson. "In the 1930s, it was mostly the larger companies that were clamoring for a lowering of production in the United States, and the small independents were mostly resisting it."
While last century's wildcatters may have preferred pumping cheap oil to pumping none at all, these days independent producers say they don't have that choice. With storage space filling up fast and pipeline access limited, some say they will not be able to bring their oil to market unless cuts happen across the board.
"The bigger guys have plenty of market, plenty of pipeline access and plenty of ways to store their oil, independents do not," Kirk Edwards, head of Latigo Petroleum told the Railroad Commission last month. "If there's not some way to allow fairness then you will personally be responsible for the demise of the Texas independent producer this year."
Texas Railroad Commissioner Sitton, who proposed cutting production to address today's crisis, suggested it could save jobs. But commission chair Wayne Christian says "a lot has changed" since the state last capped oil production.
"In 1950, Texas controlled over 20 percent of the world's oil supply, today we control roughly 5 percent," he wrote in the Houston Chronicle. "A government mandate cutting oil production twenty percent across the board would not have a significant impact on worldwide oil supply."
The commissioners had all agreed that they'd want other states to make similar commitments, and would need Russia and OPEC countries to promise even deeper cuts than the record ones they already have.
Meantime, the current bust in the always turbulent U.S. oil industry may deepen. Dozens of Saudi tankers full of oil are offshore or headed this way. Companies say there could soon be so much excess oil that they will run out of places to store it.


npr--2020-05-05--Trump Seeks Catholic Voters, But Some Catholics Push Back

The 2016 election highlighted Donald Trump 's successful courtship of white evangelicals .
This year , much of the focus could be on Catholics .
The presidential campaigns are fighting for votes in the Catholic-rich Midwestern states , and the presumptive Democratic nominee , Joe Biden , is himself a Catholic .
`` You could view it as the ultimate swing constituency in the country , '' says Matt Schlapp , a conservative activist and co-chair of the newly formed `` Catholics for Trump '' coalition .
He was speaking last month on EWTN , a Catholic cable network .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic leaders .
The church 's official document on political participation , Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship , eschews any partisan viewpoint , a position consistent with requirements in the U.S. tax code .
`` Part of the church 's mission is to shape the moral character of society , '' says Chieko Noguchi , spokesperson for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops .
`` But the church is n't aligned with any political party , and it does n't support or oppose any candidate for elective office . ''
When the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launch the `` Catholics for Trump '' movement at a rally in Wisconsin , the Archbishop of Milwaukee , Jerome Listecki , took pains in an archdiocese statement to distance his church from the effort .
`` The Catholic Church and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee are not endorsing the rally and are in no way affiliated to or sponsoring this event or campaign locally , statewide , or nationally , '' Listecki said .
`` The mission of the church is religious , not political . ''
That message is not what President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Although the Milwaukee rally was postponed because of the coronavirus epidemic , the campaign proceeded with an online appeal to Catholic voters , and the effort to win their support remains a top priority .
On a recent Saturday , Trump hosted a call with several hundred Catholic leaders from around the country .
Although the call was private , two participants on the call told the online newspaper Crux that Trump repeatedly made a case for his re-election and urged the Catholic leaders to support him .
Cardinal Timothy Dolan was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how often he speaks on the phone to the president .
Trump was delighted and announced he would watch Cardinal Dolan 's online service the next day at St. Patrick 's Cathedral in New York .
On the following Monday , Dolan was interviewed on Fox News .
`` It was sure good to have the president with us yesterday , '' Dolan told the Fox & Friends show .
`` I really salute his leadership . ''
Progressive Catholics and others who want to keep their church out of politics were dismayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic Reporter called the exchange between Dolan and the president `` cringe-worthy . ''
`` We think Cardinal Timothy Dolan ... was really making a mistake in letting this president co-opt him in an attempt to get Catholic votes , '' says Heidi Schlumpf , the magazine 's newly named editor-in-chief .
`` We called it an unholy alliance . ''
Like everyone else , however , Catholics are divided .
While the church advocates for immigrants and the poor and opposes the death penalty , it vigorously opposes abortion and same sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depends in large part on which of those issues matter most to them .
Surveys suggest that most Catholics voted for Trump in the last election , and many continue to support him .
The group CatholicVote.Org hosted a friendly town hall last week with Mick Mulvaney , Trump 's former chief of staff and a devout Catholic .
One of the program hosts , former Republican Congressman Tim Huelskamp , asked Mulvaney what guidance he had for those Catholics considering whom to support in the fall election .
Mulvaney 's answer was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a Democrat .
`` There is something that does n't connect any more between faith and the Democrat Party , '' Mulvaney said .
`` You may like Democrats , but you put the Democrats in charge , and the values that you carry as a Roman Catholic are going to suffer . ''
The party 's near-unanimous support for abortion rights , Mulvaney suggested , was `` by itself '' disqualifying .
`` If you want to see your values reflected in policy , there 's really no choice , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only vote the Republican Party , but you have to help get them elected . ''
Given that Catholics bring a multitude of values to their political choices , however , Catholics should keep all the church 's positions in mind , rather than focus solely on abortion , advises the National Catholic Reporter 's Schlumpf .
`` Church teaching says that we need to have a consistent ethic of life , where we look at all human life as valuable , '' she says .
`` That 's why we see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a specific issue — admittedly an important issue for many Catholics — as problematic . ''
This year , Democrats intend to compete vigorously with Republicans for the support of Catholic voters .
They may be helped by having a ticket led by a Catholic .
Also , the Catholic electorate includes a growing number of Latinos — most of whom opposed Trump in 2016 .
A February poll by EWTN News and RealClear Opinion Research showed Biden leading Trump among Catholic voters , but Trump led among those who describe themselves as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass weekly and praying frequently .

Trump Seeks Catholic Voters, But Some Catholics Push Back
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kirby Lee/AP Kirby Lee/AP
The 2016 election highlighted Donald Trump's successful courtship of white evangelicals. This year, much of the focus could be on Catholics. The presidential campaigns are fighting for votes in the Catholic-rich Midwestern states, and the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, is himself a Catholic.
"You could view it as the ultimate swing constituency in the country," says Matt Schlapp, a conservative activist and co-chair of the newly formed "Catholics for Trump" coalition. He was speaking last month on EWTN, a Catholic cable network.
The Trump outreach effort is troubling some Catholic leaders. The church's official document on political participation, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, eschews any partisan viewpoint, a position consistent with requirements in the U.S. tax code.
"Part of the church's mission is to shape the moral character of society," says Chieko Noguchi, spokesperson for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "But the church isn't aligned with any political party, and it doesn't support or oppose any candidate for elective office."
When the Trump campaign in March announced it intended to launch the "Catholics for Trump" movement at a rally in Wisconsin, the archbishop of Milwaukee, Jerome Listecki, took pains in an archdiocese statement to distance his church from the effort.
"The Catholic Church and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee are not endorsing the rally and are in no way affiliated to or sponsoring this event or campaign locally, statewide, or nationally," Listecki said. "The mission of the church is religious, not political."
Politics Catholics In Las Vegas On Faith And Politics Catholics In Las Vegas On Faith And Politics Listen · 7:54 7:54
That message is not what President Trump wants Catholics to hear, however. Although the Milwaukee rally was postponed because of the coronavirus epidemic, the campaign proceeded with an online appeal to Catholic voters, and the effort to win their support remains a top priority.
On a recent Saturday, Trump hosted a call with several hundred Catholic leaders from around the country. Although the call was private, two participants on the call told the online newspaper Crux that Trump repeatedly made a case for his reelection and urged the Catholic leaders to support him.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan was reportedly the first to respond, noting how often he speaks on the phone to the president. Trump was delighted and announced he would watch Cardinal Dolan's online service the next day at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. On the following Monday, Dolan was interviewed on Fox News.
"It was sure good to have the president with us yesterday," Dolan told the Fox & Friends show. "I really salute his leadership."
Progressive Catholics and others who want to keep their church out of politics were dismayed. In an editorial, the National Catholic Reporter called the exchange between Dolan and the president "cringe-worthy."
"We think Cardinal Timothy Dolan ... was really making a mistake in letting this president co-opt him in an attempt to get Catholic votes," says Heidi Schlumpf, the magazine's newly named editor-in-chief. "We called it an unholy alliance."
Like everyone else, however, Catholics are divided. While the church advocates for immigrants and the poor and opposes the death penalty, it vigorously opposes abortion and same-sex marriage. Where Catholics come down politically depends in large part on which of those issues matter most to them.
Surveys suggest that most Catholics voted for Trump in the last election, and many continue to support him. The group CatholicVote.Org hosted a friendly town hall last week with Mick Mulvaney, Trump's former chief of staff and a devout Catholic. One of the program hosts, former Republican Congressman Tim Huelskamp, asked Mulvaney what guidance he had for those Catholics considering whom to support in the fall election.
Mulvaney's answer was clear: Catholics should not consider voting for a Democrat.
"There is something that doesn't connect any more between faith and the Democrat Party," Mulvaney said. "You may like Democrats, but you put the Democrats in charge, and the values that you carry as a Roman Catholic are going to suffer." The party's near-unanimous support for abortion rights, Mulvaney suggested, was "by itself" disqualifying.
"If you want to see your values reflected in policy, there's really no choice," he said. "You have to not only vote the Republican Party, but you have to help get them elected."
Given that Catholics bring a multitude of values to their political choices, however, Catholics should keep all of the church's positions in mind, rather than focus solely on abortion, advises the National Catholic Reporter's Schlumpf.
"Church teaching says that we need to have a consistent ethic of life, where we look at all human life as valuable," she says. "That's why we see this cozying up with one party over a specific issue — admittedly an important issue for many Catholics — as problematic."
This year, Democrats intend to compete vigorously with Republicans for the support of Catholic voters. They may be helped by having a ticket led by a Catholic. Also, the Catholic electorate includes a growing number of Latinos — most of whom opposed Trump in 2016. A February poll by EWTN News and RealClear Opinion Research showed Biden leading Trump among Catholic voters, but Trump led among those who describe themselves as more active in their faith — attending Mass weekly and praying frequently.


npr--2020-05-05--For These Federal Employees, Telework Means Productivity Is Up, Their Backlog Is Down

For These Federal Employees , Telework Means Productivity Is Up , Their Backlog Is Down The coronavirus pandemic has forced many people to work from home , and that includes employees of the federal government .
The numbers vary by agency , but at the Social Security Administration , some 53,000 workers are doing so .
Social Security field offices are closed .
But the shutdown has n't stopped the agency from processing claims for new benefits and appeals of benefit denials .
And according to statistics that the SSA sent its workers , the agency has been doing so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Telework is proving a great boon to the service Social Security provides to the American people , '' says Ralph deJuliis , who works at the SSA 's office in Tulsa , Okla. `` We are getting the checks to people faster and quicker . ''
DeJuliis is president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 220 , which represents many Social Security workers .
And he says he hopes the SSA will continue allowing employees to work from home .
Telework , he says , is `` good for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 've got the work done .
We kept the public out of harm 's way because , let 's face it , we deal with mostly people who are old or disabled .
They are at the highest risk . ''
According to deJuliis , the SSA has found that its backlog of pending cases has fallen by 11 % since March 23 , when the agency instituted wide-scale telework , and that calls from recipients are answered more quickly .
Isabel Sawhill , a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is up .
`` Actually , there are studies that have been done , including studies in government agencies — small-scale studies , to be sure — but they have shown that productivity does rise when people get to work from home , '' she says .
Jeff Neal , a former head of human resources at the Department of Homeland Security , says it 's not surprising that people become more productive when they work from home .
`` The really good workers might be sitting there at their home desk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` And they 're supposed to stop at 5 o'clock , and they look at their watch or their computer and they realize it 's 7 o'clock and they 've still been working , because they get into things and they start getting stuff done and they just keep on going . ''
It 's unclear how many federal workers across the government are teleworking .
According to the most recent statistics , from two years ago , 42 % of the some 2.1 million government employees were eligible to telework , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in fact working from home .
The Trump administration had been hostile to teleworking , Neal says , because in its view it sees it as a benefit to federal workers .
But Neal says it 's also a benefit to taxpayers .
`` If people view it as what it really is , which is something that is in the interest of the federal government to have , then they would continue it because it helps them hire .
It helps them retain people , '' he says .
`` And most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a national emergency .
So it 's a very good thing . ''
And Sawhill at Brookings says she expects teleworking will continue to increase both in government and the private sector after the coronavirus crisis ends .
`` This experience has showed us that we can get work done at home and that we can meet people 's needs , the public 's needs , by doing so , '' she says .
`` That does n't mean there are n't lots of downsides .
But overall , I think this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accelerate sharply as a result of this recent experience . ''
The federal government has not given any guidance as to when it expects all federal workers to return to their offices .
The SSA issued a statement saying it continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation across the nation , promising that when it does reopen offices , it will provide a safe environment for the people it serves and its employees .

For These Federal Employees, Telework Means Productivity Is Up, Their Backlog Is Down
Enlarge this image toggle caption Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 9:38 a.m. ET
The coronavirus pandemic has forced many people to work from home, and that includes employees of the federal government. The numbers vary by agency, but at the Social Security Administration, some 53,000 workers are doing so.
Social Security field offices are closed. But the shutdown hasn't stopped the agency from processing claims for new benefits and appeals of benefit denials. And according to statistics that the SSA sent its workers, the agency has been doing so at a faster pace than before.
"Telework is proving a great boon to the service Social Security provides to the American people," says Ralph deJuliis, who works at the SSA's office in Tulsa, Okla. "We are getting the checks to people faster and quicker."
DeJuliis is president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 220, which represents many Social Security workers. And he says he hopes the SSA will continue allowing employees to work from home.
Telework, he says, is "good for the employees, good for the public. We've got the work done. We kept the public out of harm's way because, let's face it, we deal with mostly people who are old or disabled. They are at the highest risk."
According to deJuliis, the SSA has found that its backlog of pending cases has fallen by 11% since March 23, when the agency instituted wide-scale telework, and that calls from recipients are answered more quickly.
The SSA did not respond to a request for comment.
Isabel Sawhill, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, says it's not surprising that productivity is up.
"Actually, there are studies that have been done, including studies in government agencies — small-scale studies, to be sure — but they have shown that productivity does rise when people get to work from home," she says.
Jeff Neal, a former head of human resources at the Department of Homeland Security, says it's not surprising that people become more productive when they work from home.
"The really good workers might be sitting there at their home desk, wherever that is," he says. "And they're supposed to stop at 5 o'clock, and they look at their watch or their computer and they realize it's 7 o'clock and they've still been working, because they get into things and they start getting stuff done and they just keep on going."
It's unclear how many federal workers across the government are teleworking. According to the most recent statistics, from two years ago, 42% of the some 2.1 million government employees were eligible to telework, although only about half of those were in fact working from home.
The Trump administration had been hostile to teleworking, Neal says, because in its view it sees it as a benefit to federal workers. But Neal says it's also a benefit to taxpayers.
"If people view it as what it really is, which is something that is in the interest of the federal government to have, then they would continue it because it helps them hire. It helps them retain people," he says. "And most importantly, it helps them remain operational during a national emergency. So it's a very good thing."
And Sawhill at Brookings says she expects teleworking will continue to increase both in government and the private sector after the coronavirus crisis ends.
"This experience has showed us that we can get work done at home and that we can meet people's needs, the public's needs, by doing so," she says. "That doesn't mean there aren't lots of downsides. But overall, I think this is a trend that is going to accelerate sharply as a result of this recent experience."
The federal government has not given any guidance as to when it expects all federal workers to return to their offices.
The SSA issued a statement saying it continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation across the nation, promising that when it does reopen offices, it will provide a safe environment for the people it serves and its employees.


npr--2020-05-05--U.N. Warns Number Of People Starving To Death Could Double Amid Pandemic

U.N .
Warns Number Of People Starving To Death Could Double Amid Pandemic The U.N. 's humanitarian chief has warned that without global cooperation and financial assistance , the number of people dying from hunger or hunger-related diseases could double this year due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic .
`` The effect of that is going to be , for the first time in probably in 30 years , a big increase in the number of people in extreme poverty , people living on less than $ 2 a day , '' said Mark Lowcock , U.N. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coordinator .
`` And as part of that , '' Lowcock said , `` we expect , unfortunately , that there could be a doubling this year in the number of people who are literally starving to death and wo n't survive unless they get help . ''
Lowcock is calling on the world 's wealthiest countries to provide $ 90 billion in relief aid to the poorest .
That amount would be sufficient to protect 700 million of the world 's most vulnerable people , according to the U.N. Office for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , around 9 million people die of hunger , according to the international relief agency Mercy Corps .
That 's more than the death toll of AIDS , malaria and tuberculosis combined .
Nevertheless , convincing countries - many of which are battling massive challenges at home - to increase spending on foreign aid during this crisis will be a challenge .
Lowcock , however , believes the cost of doing nothing will be even higher .
`` If instability and conflict grows , as it tends to when economic stress is acute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wo n't just stay in those countries , it will spread , '' he said .
`` So this is a matter of national interest and self-interest , not just of human generosity . ''
Even though $ 90 billion is no small amount , it represents about 1.8 % of the economic stimulus packages put in place by the world 's richest countries to cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus .
Under Lowcock 's proposal , which he presented in an op-ed piece in The Guardian newspaper , two-thirds , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund , while the remaining $ 30 billion would require a one-off increase of 20 % in foreign aid from the world 's wealthiest nations .
The IMF earlier this month forecast that the global economy will shrink by 3 % in 2020 , which would make it the worst recession since the Great Depression .
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last week said that a lack of shared global leadership `` allowed the virus to spread . ''
Leaders everywhere need `` to recognize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which requires shared action , '' Guterres said .
`` No one will be safe until everybody is safe . ''
Guterres launched a $ 2 billion appeal on March 25 to help vulnerable and conflict-torn countries deal with the coronavirus pandemic .

U.N. Warns Number Of People Starving To Death Could Double Amid Pandemic
Enlarge this image toggle caption MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images
The U.N.'s humanitarian chief has warned that without global cooperation and financial assistance, the number of people dying from hunger or hunger-related diseases could double this year due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
"The effect of that is going to be, for the first time in probably in 30 years, a big increase in the number of people in extreme poverty, people living on less than $2 a day," said Mark Lowcock, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
"And as part of that," Lowcock said, "we expect, unfortunately, that there could be a doubling this year in the number of people who are literally starving to death and won't survive unless they get help."
Lowcock is calling on the world's wealthiest countries to provide $90 billion in relief aid to the poorest. That amount would be sufficient to protect 700 million of the world's most vulnerable people, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Every year, around 9 million people die of hunger, according to the international relief agency Mercy Corps. That's more than the death toll of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Nevertheless, convincing countries — many of which are battling massive challenges at home — to increase spending on foreign aid during this crisis will be a challenge. Lowcock, however, believes the cost of doing nothing will be even higher.
"If instability and conflict grows, as it tends to when economic stress is acute in those kinds of countries, it won't just stay in those countries, it will spread," he said. "So this is a matter of national interest and self-interest, not just of human generosity."
Even though $90 billion is no small amount, it represents about 1.8% of the economic stimulus packages put in place by the world's richest countries to cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus.
Under Lowcock's proposal, which he presented in an op-ed piece in The Guardian newspaper, two-thirds, or around $60 billion, could be provided by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, while the remaining $30 billion would require a one-off increase of 20% in foreign aid from the world's wealthiest nations.
The IMF earlier this month forecast that the global economy will shrink by 3% in 2020, which would make it the worst recession since the Great Depression.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres last week said that a lack of shared global leadership "allowed the virus to spread."
Leaders everywhere need "to recognize that there's a shared problem, which requires shared action," Lowcock said, echoing Guterres. "No one will be safe until everybody is safe."
Guterres launched a $2 billion appeal on March 25 to help vulnerable and conflict-torn countries deal with the coronavirus pandemic.


npr--2020-05-05--Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Blood, The Environment And A Family's Loss

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions : Blood , The Environment And A Family 's Loss On this broadcast of The National @ @ @ @ @ two doctors who answer your questions about blood and the coronavirus .
We 'll also @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic is affecting the gig economy and the environment .
And one family shares @ @ @ @ @

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Blood, The Environment And A Family's Loss
Enlarge this image toggle caption Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
On this broadcast of The National Conversation, we hear from two doctors who answer your questions about blood and the coronavirus. We'll also answer your questions about how the pandemic is affecting the gig economy and the environment. And one family shares their story of loss.


npr--2020-05-05--Tom Cruise And NASA Could Be A Match Made In The Heavens

Tom Cruise And NASA Could Be A Match Made In The Heavens It 's a long way to liftoff — there 's not even a studio attached yet — but the latest news about Tom Cruise is not just a Hollywood rumor .
The film industry website Deadline reports that the Top Gun and Mission Impossible star is in preliminary talks with both NASA and with Elon Musk 's Space X to film a feature-length action-adventure in orbit .
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine confirmed by tweet that `` NASA is excited to work with @ TomCruise on a film aboard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @ NASA 's ambitious plans a reality . ''
At 57 , the actor is a good deal older than the run-of-the-mill astronaut ( if there is such a thing ) though a number `` spaceflight participants '' ( the official NASA and Roscosmos — the Russian space agency — designation for non-astronauts ) have flown before .
Cruise is demonstrably in excellent shape , and evidently fearless when it comes to doing his own stunts .
That 's fortunate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ X has launched only unmanned missions of its Dragon 2 craft , which is designed to transport astronauts to the International Space Station .
Its first launch with a human crew is scheduled for later this month .
Cruise 's penchant for daredevil filming has occasionally resulted in injury .
Filming was halted for a time after he hurt his ankle while shooting a rooftop-to-rooftop jump in Mission Impossible : Fallout , a film in which he also hung from a flying helicopter .
There were no mishaps in other recent Mission Impossible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hanging the 123rd floor of the Burj Kalifa skyscraper in Dubai and while clinging to the exterior door of a cargo plane during take-off .
Something literally out-of-this-world is , arguably , just the next step .
If it happens .

Tom Cruise And NASA Could Be A Match Made In The Heavens
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
It's a long way to liftoff — there's not even a studio attached yet — but the latest news about Tom Cruise is not just a Hollywood rumor. The film industry website Deadline reports that the Top Gun and Mission Impossible star is in preliminary talks with both NASA and with Elon Musk's Space X to film a feature-length action-adventure in orbit.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine confirmed by tweet that "NASA is excited to work with @TomCruise on a film aboard the @Space_Station! We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @NASA's ambitious plans a reality."
At 57, the actor is a good deal older than the run-of-the-mill astronaut (if there is such a thing) though a number "spaceflight participants" (the official NASA and Roscosmos — the Russian space agency — designation for non-astronauts) have flown before.
Cruise is demonstrably in excellent shape, and evidently fearless when it comes to doing his own stunts. That's fortunate, as up to this point, Space X has launched only unmanned missions of its Dragon 2 craft, which is designed to transport astronauts to the International Space Station. Its first launch with a human crew is scheduled for later this month.
Cruise's penchant for daredevil filming has occasionally resulted in injury. Filming was halted for a time after he hurt his ankle while shooting a rooftop-to-rooftop jump in Mission Impossible: Fallout, a film in which he also hung from a flying helicopter.
There were no mishaps in other recent Mission Impossible installments, when he did stunts while hanging the 123rd floor of the Burj Kalifa skyscraper in Dubai and while clinging to the exterior door of a cargo plane during take-off. Something literally out-of-this-world is, arguably, just the next step. If it happens.


npr--2020-05-05--Airbnb Cuts 1,900 Jobs, 25% Of Its Workforce, As Pandemic Freezes Travel

Airbnb Cuts 1,900 Jobs , 25 % Of Its Workforce , As Pandemic Freezes Travel Airbnb says it 's cutting 1,900 employees — about 25 % of its workforce — in one of the largest layoffs to hit Silicon Valley as a result of the coronavirus outbreak .
The global pandemic is the `` most harrowing crisis of our lifetime , '' Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky said in an email to employees on Tuesday .
The virus 's devastating blow to the travel industry means the company 's 2020 revenue is forecast to be less than half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said .
In an interview with NPR last week , Chesky described the challenge the virus presented to Airbnb , which is among the most valuable private technology companies in the U.S. '' You go from living year to year to month to month to week to week to day to day , '' Chesky said .
`` You go from having multi-year plans to figuring out how you 're going to get to next Thursday because you ca n't even predict what the world is going to look like in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have laid off a total of more than 30,000 employees since the outbreak took hold — and experts say the full extent of the coronavirus ' toll on the technology sector remains untold .
Airbnb , which employed 7,500 before the cuts and was last valued at $ 31 billion , is the latest high-profile tech company to buckle in the face of the virus .
In the interview , Chesky said Airbnb 's future relies on his core belief that Americans will resume traveling , though when exactly and how traveling patterns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Traveling is not a trend that we rode .
We did n't invent it , '' Chesky said .
`` There is a fundamental human need to explore .
I think travel will be eventually much larger after COVID than before .
It may take years . ''
In the meantime , many of Airbnb 's 650,000 hosts in the U.S. have seen their income plunge .
Nearly half of Airbnb hosts lean on their rentals to pay their monthly rents and mortgages , with some saying a $ 250 million host relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken to assist hosts are n't enough .
Airbnb 's woes reflect larger pain being felt by the travel and hospitality industry .
About 74 % of hotel rooms in America are now empty , according to new figures from hospitality industry tracker STR .
Amid heightened concerns about germs , Airbnb and major hotel companies have unveiled cleaning initiatives to make travelers feel more at ease staying in lodgings around the country .
Chesky says he expects people to start traveling closer to home before embarking on far-flung destinations .
He told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company 's `` experience '' services that link travelers with things to do like cooking classes and city tours .
Chesky also expects people to stay for longer periods in Airbnb rentals if their employers allow them to work from anywhere they want .
In his memo to employees , Chesky said Airbnb will stop its forays into transportation and television production , areas outside of its core business that it had hoped to ramp up .
The company will also scale back its investment in hotels and luxury rentals .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move forward with its plans to take the company public .
The company was once seen as one of the most anticipated initial public offerings in Silicon Valley .
Despite the gloomy outlook , Chesky told NPR last week he is `` very confident '' Airbnb can still go public in 2020 .
`` I 'm going to do everything in my power to work on this , '' he said .

Airbnb Cuts 1,900 Jobs, 25% Of Its Workforce, As Pandemic Freezes Travel
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Risberg/AP Eric Risberg/AP
Airbnb says it's cutting 1,900 employees — about 25% of its workforce — in one of the largest layoffs to hit Silicon Valley as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
The global pandemic is the "most harrowing crisis of our lifetime," Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky said in an email to employees on Tuesday. The virus's devastating blow to the travel industry means the company's 2020 revenue is forecast to be less than half of what the startup pulled in last year, he said.
In an interview with NPR last week, Chesky described the challenge the virus presented to Airbnb, which is among the most valuable private technology companies in the U.S.
"You go from living year to year to month to month to week to week to day to day," Chesky said. "You go from having multi-year plans to figuring out how you're going to get to next Thursday because you can't even predict what the world is going to look like in two months."
Hundreds of startups have laid off a total of more than 30,000 employees since the outbreak took hold — and experts say the full extent of the coronavirus' toll on the technology sector remains untold. Airbnb, which employed 7,500 before the cuts and was last valued at $31 billion, is the latest high-profile tech company to buckle in the face of the virus.
In the interview, Chesky said Airbnb's future relies on his core belief that Americans will resume traveling, though when exactly and how traveling patterns will change is more uncertain.
"Traveling is not a trend that we rode. We didn't invent it," Chesky said. "There is a fundamental human need to explore. I think travel will be eventually much larger after COVID than before. It may take years."
In the meantime, many of Airbnb's 650,000 hosts in the U.S. have seen their income plunge. Nearly half of Airbnb hosts lean on their rentals to pay their monthly rents and mortgages, with some saying a $250 million host relief fund and other measures the company has taken to assist hosts aren't enough.
Airbnb's woes reflect larger pain being felt by the travel and hospitality industry. About 74% of hotel rooms in America are now empty, according to new figures from hospitality industry tracker STR.
Amid heightened concerns about germs, Airbnb and major hotel companies have unveiled cleaning initiatives to make travelers feel more at ease staying in lodgings around the country.
Chesky says he expects people to start traveling closer to home before embarking on far-flung destinations. He told NPR that Airbnb intends to focus on the company's "experience" services that link travelers with things to do like cooking classes and city tours. Chesky also expects people to stay for longer periods in Airbnb rentals if their employers allow them to work from anywhere they want.
In his memo to employees, Chesky said Airbnb will stop its forays into transportation and television production, areas outside of its core business that it had hoped to ramp up. The company will also scale back its investment in hotels and luxury rentals.
One major unknown is whether Airbnb will still move forward with its plans to take the company public. The company was once seen as one of the most anticipated initial public offerings in Silicon Valley.
Despite the gloomy outlook, Chesky told NPR last week he is "very confident" Airbnb can still go public in 2020.
"I'm going to do everything in my power to work on this," he said.


npr--2020-05-05--California Sues Uber And Lyft For 'Cheating' Drivers And Taxpayers

California Sues Uber And Lyft For 'Cheating ' Drivers And Taxpayers The state of California is suing Uber and Lyft for classifying their drivers as contractors instead of employees .
The lawsuit is the first major test of a new state law intended to give gig workers more labor protections , including access to employer-sponsored health insurance .
`` Uber and Lyft both claim that their drivers are n't engaged in the company 's core mission and therefore qualify for benefits , '' said Xavier Becerra , the state 's attorney general , at a press conference on Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus or if they lose their job as a result , guess what ?
They 're the ones that go missing .
They 're the ones that do n't know what to do next .
They 're the ones who have to worry about how they 'll pay their bills . ''
Becerra said the companies are also harming taxpayers by classifying drivers as contractors rather than employees .
The companies do not pay `` hundreds of millions of dollars in social safety net obligations , '' or state payroll taxes , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it estimates could reach `` hundreds of millions of dollars . ''
It also wants the companies to pay restitution to hundreds of thousands of drivers in California .
The lawsuit escalates an ongoing battle over how companies in the so-called gig economy treat the workers who make their services possible .
The coronavirus pandemic has put gig workers in the spotlight and exacerbated the precariousness of their jobs .
Classifying drivers as contractors saves Uber and Lyft a lot of money because they do not provide benefits like health coverage to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurance systems .
The companies say that business model benefits drivers by giving them the flexibility to work when they want .
Becerra was flanked at the press conference by prosecutors from Los Angeles , San Francisco and San Diego , which have joined the lawsuit .
The California prosecutors contend that the companies are flouting the rules — specifically , Assembly Bill 5 , a law passed last year that makes it harder for companies to say workers are not employees .
`` Misclassification means cheating , '' said Mike Feuer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press conference .
The law represents a significant threat to the apps ' business models , but Uber and Lyft have argued that it does not apply to them .
Along with food delivery app DoorDash , the companies have pledged to spend $ 90 million on a ballot initiative seeking to overturn AB5 .
On Tuesday , Uber said it would fight the lawsuit .
`` At a time when California 's economy is in crisis with four million people out of work , we need to make it easier , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earning , '' the company said .
`` We will contest this action in court , while at the same time pushing to raise the standard of independent work for drivers in California , including with guaranteed minimum earnings and new benefits . ''
Lyft struck a less combative tone in a statement it released Tuesday .
It said : `` We are looking forward to working with the Attorney General and mayors across the state to bring all the benefits of California 's innovation economy to as many workers as possible , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of good jobs with access to affordable healthcare and other benefits is more important than ever . ''
Editor 's note : Lyft and Uber are among NPR 's financial supporters .

California Sues Uber And Lyft For 'Cheating' Drivers And Taxpayers
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The state of California is suing Uber and Lyft for classifying their drivers as contractors instead of employees. The lawsuit is the first major test of a new state law intended to give gig workers more labor protections, including access to employer-sponsored health insurance.
"Uber and Lyft both claim that their drivers aren't engaged in the company's core mission and therefore qualify for benefits," said Xavier Becerra, the state's attorney general, at a press conference on Tuesday. "If drivers in California contract the coronavirus or if they lose their job as a result, guess what? They're the ones that go missing. They're the ones that don't know what to do next. They're the ones who have to worry about how they'll pay their bills."
Becerra said the companies are also harming taxpayers by classifying drivers as contractors rather than employees. The companies do not pay "hundreds of millions of dollars in social safety net obligations," or state payroll taxes, he said.
The state is seeking penalties that it estimates could reach "hundreds of millions of dollars." It also wants the companies to pay restitution to hundreds of thousands of drivers in California.
The lawsuit escalates an ongoing battle over how companies in the so-called gig economy treat the workers who make their services possible. The coronavirus pandemic has put gig workers in the spotlight and exacerbated the precariousness of their jobs.
Classifying drivers as contractors saves Uber and Lyft a lot of money because they do not provide benefits like health coverage to contractors, or pay into state unemployment insurance systems. The companies say that business model benefits drivers by giving them the flexibility to work when they want.
Becerra was flanked at the press conference by prosecutors from Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, which have joined the lawsuit.
The California prosecutors contend that the companies are flouting the rules — specifically, Assembly Bill 5, a law passed last year that makes it harder for companies to say workers are not employees.
"Misclassification means cheating," said Mike Feuer, Los Angeles City Attorney, at the press conference.
The law represents a significant threat to the apps' business models, but Uber and Lyft have argued that it does not apply to them. Along with food delivery app DoorDash, the companies have pledged to spend $90 million on a ballot initiative seeking to overturn AB5.
On Tuesday, Uber said it would fight the lawsuit. "At a time when California's economy is in crisis with four million people out of work, we need to make it easier, not harder, for people to quickly start earning," the company said. "We will contest this action in court, while at the same time pushing to raise the standard of independent work for drivers in California, including with guaranteed minimum earnings and new benefits."
Lyft struck a less combative tone in a statement it released Tuesday. It said: "We are looking forward to working with the Attorney General and mayors across the state to bring all the benefits of California's innovation economy to as many workers as possible, especially during this time when the creation of good jobs with access to affordable healthcare and other benefits is more important than ever."
Editor's note: Lyft and Uber are among NPR's financial supporters.


npr--2020-05-05--U.K. Surpasses Italy In Recorded Coronavirus Deaths, Now Leads Europe In Fatalities

U.K. Surpasses Italy In Recorded Coronavirus Deaths , Now Leads Europe In Fatalities Over 32,000 people have died from the new coronavirus in the United Kingdom , according to the Office for National Statistics , marking the first time in the pandemic that it has led Europe in the number of deaths .
The country has surpassed Italy in COVID-19 deaths .
The U.S. still leads the world in the highest number of coronavirus deaths ; over 70,270 had died from the disease as of Tuesday .
The number of total deaths recorded in the U.K. is `` higher than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all I can say , '' Angela McLean , chief scientific adviser of Ministry of Defence said during the country 's press briefing Tuesday .
McLean also emphasized that deaths in U.K. care homes have been steadily rising and said the trend was something the country `` need [ s ] to get to grips with . ''
`` I do n't think we 'll get a real verdict on how well countries have done until the pandemic is over , '' British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Tuesday .
`` And particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all causes of mortality . ''
Since different countries collect and report coronavirus data using different methods , the comparisons between regions are not perfect .
As more time passes and more tests are conducted and more data comes in , coronavirus death rates will become more precise .
The peak in deaths comes as other European countries , including Italy and Spain , are easing shelter-in-place restrictions , while U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to modify Britain 's orders in the next week .

U.K. Surpasses Italy In Recorded Coronavirus Deaths, Now Leads Europe In Fatalities
Enlarge this image toggle caption Neil Hall/AP Neil Hall/AP
Over 32,000 people have died from the new coronavirus in the United Kingdom, according to the Office for National Statistics, marking the first time in the pandemic that it has led Europe in the number of deaths.
The country has surpassed Italy in COVID-19 deaths. The U.S. still leads the world in the highest number of coronavirus deaths; over 70,270 had died from the disease as of Tuesday.
The number of total deaths recorded in the U.K. is "higher than we would wish, I think is all I can say," Angela McLean, chief scientific adviser to the Ministry of Defence, said during the country's press briefing Tuesday.
McLean also emphasized that deaths in U.K. care homes have been steadily rising and said the trend was something the country "need[s] to get to grips with."
"I don't think we'll get a real verdict on how well countries have done until the pandemic is over," British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Tuesday. "And particularly until we have comprehensive international data on all causes of mortality."
Since different countries collect and report coronavirus data using different methods, the comparisons between regions are not perfect. As more time passes and more tests are conducted and more data comes in, coronavirus death rates will become more precise.
The peak in deaths comes as other European countries, including Italy and Spain, are easing shelter-in-place restrictions, while U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to modify Britain's orders in the next week.


npr--2020-05-05--Supreme Court Considers Anti-Prostitution Pledge In HIV/AIDS Funding Case

The Supreme Court kicked off a second day of telephone arguments Tuesday with a case that mingles sex , the HIV/AIDS epidemic and free speech .
At issue is whether the government can require private nonprofits to denounce prostitution in order to qualify for U.S foreign aid grants aimed at fighting the worldwide AIDS epidemic .
This is the second time the court has faced this issue , but this time it comes with a twist .
In 2003 , Congress , at the urging of President George W. Bush , enacted a major foreign aid program to fight the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In appropriating the money , Congress included a provision requiring any private organization that received funding through the program to adopt an explicit policy denouncing prostitution and sex trafficking .
In 2013 , the Supreme Court struck down that provision , declaring it unconstitutional because it compelled U.S. nonprofits to adopt an explicit policy as a condition for receiving grant money .
By a 6-2 vote , the high court said such a requirement interfered with the free speech rights of private U.S. organizations engaged in the fight against AIDS .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , the question was whether foreign organizations closely affiliated with those same U.S. nonprofits can be required to adopt the policy denouncing prostitution .
Defending the provision was Assistant to the Solicitor General Christopher Michel .
He argued that foreign affiliates of U.S. organizations like Save The Children , CARE and WorldVision are separate legal entities from their parent U.S. organizations , and that as foreign entities , they have no rights under the U.S. Constitution .
Chief Justice John Roberts , who wrote the 2013 decision , seemed unpersuaded .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporate ties in this context ? ''
he asked .
`` It 's undisputed that to be effective in many of the foreign countries involved here , you have to operate through a foreign entity . ''
Michel responded that if the U.S. nonprofits `` make the choice to operate through a foreign entity because they decide that is more convenient or more effective , they have to accept the bitter with the sweet . ''
Roberts still seemed doubtful , noting that the U.S. nonprofits and their foreign affiliates `` have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same brand .
And I wonder if it makes more sense to think of the foreign entity as simply another channel for the domestic entity 's speech . ''
Representing the nonprofits was lawyer David Bowker .
He maintained that for all practical purposes , there is no difference between the U.S. nonprofits and their foreign affiliates , so making the affiliate adopt an anti-prostitution message effectively puts words in the mouth of the U.S. nonprofit .
Questioned by Justice Clarence Thomas , Bowker said that the harm suffered by the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must either lose their funding by refusing to comply with the anti-prostitution policy or undermine their mission by denouncing the very people they need to work with — namely prostitutes .
And if the foreign affiliates make the pledge needed to get funding , he said , the U.S. parent organizations have to disavow their own affiliates ' anti-prostitution pledge , thus harming the entire anti-AIDS fight .
`` It 's a Catch-22 for these U.S. organizations , '' said Bowker .
Justice Stephen Breyer followed up : `` So why do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the money yourself and then you give it to CARE India ?
Why does n't that work ? ''
Because , replied Bowker , under the statute , CARE USA , in subcontracting a grant to CARE India , would be required to impose the anti-prostitution pledge on its own affiliate on behalf of the government .
Justice Samuel Alito , who signed on to the court 's 2013 decision , said he had more concerns in this case — mainly `` that it will force Congress to either withhold foreign aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used in ways that are contrary to the interests of the people of this country . ''
Justice Brett Kavanaugh followed up : `` Suppose the U.S. government wants to fund foreign NGOs that support peace in the Middle East but only if the NGOs explicitly recognize Israel as a legitimate state .
Are you saying the U.S. ca n't impose that kind of speech restriction on foreign NGOs that are affiliated with U.S .
organizations ? ''
Bowker said that kind of a restriction would likely be acceptable because the aid in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. relationship with Israel .
Kavanaugh moved on to another question , noting , `` The government says your position would unleash foreign affiliates of U.S. corporations to pump money '' into U.S. election campaigns , something that is explicitly barred under current law .
Bowker replied that U.S. campaign laws , as ruled on by the Supreme Court in prior cases , allow the ban on foreign contributions because they do not come from U.S. entities at all .
A decision in the case is expected some time this summer .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of June , it is expected that this term will extend into July because the arguments in this and nine other cases were postponed for more than a month because of the coronavirus .

Supreme Court Considers Anti-Prostitution Pledge In HIV/AIDS Funding Case
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP
The Supreme Court kicked off a second day of telephone arguments Tuesday with a case that mingles sex, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and free speech.
At issue is whether the government can require private nonprofits to denounce prostitution in order to qualify for U.S foreign aid grants aimed at fighting the worldwide AIDS epidemic. This is the second time the court has faced this issue, but this time it comes with a twist.
In 2003, Congress, at the urging of President George W. Bush, enacted a major foreign aid program to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic and prevent new infections worldwide. In appropriating the money, Congress included a provision requiring any private organization that received funding through the program to adopt an explicit policy denouncing prostitution and sex trafficking.
In 2013, the Supreme Court struck down that provision, declaring it unconstitutional because it compelled U.S. nonprofits to adopt an explicit policy as a condition for receiving grant money. By a 6-2 vote, the high court said such a requirement interfered with the free speech rights of private U.S. organizations engaged in the fight against AIDS.
The case was back Tuesday, but this time, the question was whether foreign organizations closely affiliated with those same U.S. nonprofits can be required to adopt the policy denouncing prostitution.
Defending the provision was Assistant to the Solicitor General Christopher Michel. He argued that foreign affiliates of U.S. organizations like Save The Children, CARE and WorldVision are separate legal entities from their parent U.S. organizations, and that as foreign entities, they have no rights under the U.S. Constitution.
Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the 2013 decision, seemed unpersuaded.
"Is it reasonable to insist on formal corporate ties in this context?" he asked. "It's undisputed that to be effective in many of the foreign countries involved here, you have to operate through a foreign entity."
Michel responded that if the U.S. nonprofits "make the choice to operate through a foreign entity because they decide that is more convenient or more effective, they have to accept the bitter with the sweet."
Roberts still seemed doubtful, noting that the U.S. nonprofits and their foreign affiliates "have the same name, the same logo, the same brand. And I wonder if it makes more sense to think of the foreign entity as simply another channel for the domestic entity's speech."
Representing the nonprofits was lawyer David Bowker. He maintained that for all practical purposes, there is no difference between the U.S. nonprofits and their foreign affiliates, so making the affiliate adopt an anti-prostitution message effectively puts words in the mouth of the U.S. nonprofit.
Questioned by Justice Clarence Thomas, Bowker said that the harm suffered by the U.S. nongovernmental organizations is that their foreign affiliates must either lose their funding by refusing to comply with the anti-prostitution policy or undermine their mission by denouncing the very people they need to work with — namely prostitutes. And if the foreign affiliates make the pledge needed to get funding, he said, the U.S. parent organizations have to disavow their own affiliates' anti-prostitution pledge, thus harming the entire anti-AIDS fight.
"It's a Catch-22 for these U.S. organizations," said Bowker.
Justice Stephen Breyer followed up: "So why don't you simply write a grant to get all the money yourself and then you give it to CARE India? Why doesn't that work?"
Because, replied Bowker, under the statute, CARE USA, in subcontracting a grant to CARE India, would be required to impose the anti-prostitution pledge on its own affiliate on behalf of the government.
Justice Samuel Alito, who signed on to the court's 2013 decision, said he had more concerns in this case — mainly "that it will force Congress to either withhold foreign aid entirely or allow foreign aid to be used in ways that are contrary to the interests of the people of this country."
Justice Brett Kavanaugh followed up: "Suppose the U.S. government wants to fund foreign NGOs that support peace in the Middle East but only if the NGOs explicitly recognize Israel as a legitimate state. Are you saying the U.S. can't impose that kind of speech restriction on foreign NGOs that are affiliated with U.S. organizations?"
Bowker said that kind of a restriction would likely be acceptable because the aid in that case would be tied to the U.S. relationship with Israel.
Kavanaugh moved on to another question, noting, "The government says your position would unleash foreign affiliates of U.S. corporations to pump money" into U.S. election campaigns, something that is explicitly barred under current law.
Bowker replied that U.S. campaign laws, as ruled on by the Supreme Court in prior cases, allow the ban on foreign contributions because they do not come from U.S. entities at all.
A decision in the case is expected some time this summer. While the court usually concludes its work by the end of June, it is expected that this term will extend into July because the arguments in this and nine other cases were postponed for more than a month because of the coronavirus.


npr--2020-05-05--Rick Bright, Former Top Vaccine Scientist, Files Whistleblower Complaint

The federal scientist who was ousted last month as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority has filed a whistleblower complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel .
Rick Bright was a high-ranking federal scientist focused on vaccine development and a deputy assistant secretary with the Department of Health and Human Services .
On April 20 , Bright said , he was transferred to a `` less impactful position '' at the National Institutes of Health after he was reluctant to promote the use of drugs such as hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients .
In the complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrongdoing by Dr. Robert Kadlec , the assistant secretary of preparedness and response at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services , and others .
Bright was supervised by Kadlec , who in turn reported to HHS Secretary Alex Azar .
At the time of his removal , Bright said he had been ousted because of his `` insistence '' that the government spend funds on `` safe and scientifically vetted solutions '' to address the coronavirus crisis and not on `` drugs , vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he raised concerns in January about the need to prepare for the coronavirus but encountered opposition from Trump administration officials .
He says he was transferred out of BARDA in retaliation .
According to the complaint , relations between Bright and Kadlec had been strained since 2018 or so , when Bright began `` raising repeated objections to the outsized role Dr. Kadlec allowed industry consultants to play in securing contracts that Dr .
Bright and other scientists and subject matter experts determined were not meritorious . ''
`` Once the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bright became even more alarmed about the pressure that Dr. Kadlec and other government officials were exerting on BARDA to invest in drugs , vaccines , and other technologies without proper scientific vetting or that lacked scientific merit , '' the complaint continues .
`` Dr .
Bright objected to these efforts and made clear that BARDA would only invest the billions of dollars allocated by Congress to address the COVID-19 pandemic in safe and scientifically vetted solutions and it would not succumb to the pressure of politics or cronyism . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get the U.S. government to make adequate preparations for coronavirus , but was stymied by political appointees leading the HHS , including Azar .
Bright says that in an effort to get the word out to the public about the risks associated with hydroxychloroquine , he shared with a reporter nonclassified emails between HHS officials that `` discussed the drug 's potential toxicity and demonstrated the political pressure to rush these drugs from Pakistan and India to American households . ''
He says Azar and Kadlec removed him from his post within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chloroquine because they suspected he was the article 's source .
NIH Director Francis Collins said last week that Bright has been reassigned as a senior adviser there , though his specific role is `` under development . ''
Bright says he stopped receiving a paycheck on April 20 and has not been assigned any further duties or responsibilities , and `` remains in limbo . ''
The Department of Health & Human Services offers a differing account of Bright 's employment status .
`` Dr .
Bright was transferred to NIH to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combatting COVID-19 — where he has been entrusted to spend upwards of $ 1 billion to advance that effort , '' HHS spokesperson Caitlin Oakley said in a statement to NPR .
`` We are deeply disappointed that he has not shown up to work on behalf of the American people and lead on this critical endeavor . ''
News of the whistleblower complaint was made public by Bright 's attorney on Tuesday .

Rick Bright, Former Top Vaccine Scientist, Files Whistleblower Complaint
Enlarge this image toggle caption Toya Sarno Jordan/Bloomberg via Getty Images Toya Sarno Jordan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Updated at 7:03 p.m. ET
The federal scientist who was ousted last month as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority has filed a whistleblower complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.
Rick Bright was a high-ranking federal scientist focused on vaccine development and a deputy assistant secretary with the Department of Health and Human Services. On April 20, Bright said, he was transferred to a "less impactful position" at the National Institutes of Health after he was reluctant to promote the use of drugs such as hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients.
In the complaint, Bright alleges a range of government wrongdoing by Dr. Robert Kadlec, the assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human Services, and others. Bright was supervised by Kadlec, who in turn reported to HHS Secretary Alex Azar.
At the time of his removal, Bright said he had been ousted because of his "insistence" that the government spend funds on "safe and scientifically vetted solutions" to address the coronavirus crisis and not on "drugs, vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit."
Bright says in the complaint that he raised concerns in January about the need to prepare for the coronavirus but encountered opposition from Trump administration officials. He says he was transferred out of BARDA in retaliation.
According to the complaint, relations between Bright and Kadlec had been strained since 2018 or so, when Bright began "raising repeated objections to the outsized role Dr. Kadlec allowed industry consultants to play in securing contracts that Dr. Bright and other scientists and subject matter experts determined were not meritorious."
"Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, however, Dr. Bright became even more alarmed about the pressure that Dr. Kadlec and other government officials were exerting on BARDA to invest in drugs, vaccines, and other technologies without proper scientific vetting or that lacked scientific merit," the complaint continues. "Dr. Bright objected to these efforts and made clear that BARDA would only invest the billions of dollars allocated by Congress to address the COVID-19 pandemic in safe and scientifically vetted solutions and it would not succumb to the pressure of politics or cronyism."
The complaint alleges that Bright made repeated efforts to get the U.S. government to make adequate preparations for the coronavirus but was stymied by political appointees leading the HHS, including Azar.
Bright says that in an effort to get the word out to the public about the risks associated with hydroxychloroquine, he shared with a reporter nonclassified emails between HHS officials that "discussed the drug's potential toxicity and demonstrated the political pressure to rush these drugs from Pakistan and India to American households." He says Azar and Kadlec removed him from his post within days of publication of an article about chloroquine because they suspected he was the article's source.
NIH Director Francis Collins said last week that Bright has been reassigned as a senior adviser there, though his specific role is "under development."
Bright says he stopped receiving a paycheck on April 20 and has not been assigned any further duties or responsibilities and "remains in limbo."
The Department of Health and Human Services offers a differing account of Bright's employment status.
"Dr. Bright was transferred to NIH to work on diagnostics testing — critical to combatting COVID-19 — where he has been entrusted to spend upwards of $1 billion to advance that effort," HHS spokesperson Caitlin Oakley said in a statement to NPR. "We are deeply disappointed that he has not shown up to work on behalf of the American people and lead on this critical endeavor."
Bright's attorney made news of the whistleblower complaint public Tuesday.