npr--2020-06-14--Locusts Are A Plague Of Biblical Scope In 2020. Why? And ... What Are They Exactly?

Locusts Are A Plague Of Biblical Scope In 2020 .
Why ?
And ... What Are They Exactly ?
Titanic swarms of desert locusts resembling dark storm clouds are descending ravenously on the Horn of Africa .
They 're roving through croplands and flattening farms in a devastating salvo experts are calling an unprecedented threat to food security .
On the ground , subsistence planters can do nothing but watch — staring up with horror and at their fields in dismay .
Locusts have been around since at least the time of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt , 32 B.C.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ weakest regions , multiplying to billions and then vanishing , in irregular booms and busts .
If the 2020 version of these marauders stay steady on their warpath , the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization says desert locusts can pose a threat to the livelihoods of 10 percent of the world 's population .
The peril may already be underway : Early June projections by the FAO are forecasting a second generation of spring-bred locusts in Eastern Africa , giving rise to new , powerful swarms of locust babies capable of wreaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are five things you need to know about locusts to understand the current crisis — and why the tiny invaders are such a big deal .
1 .
What even is a locust ?
There can be a lot of confusion about what exactly a locust is .
To the average eye , it 's easy to mix up the critters with cicadas and crickets .
The simple answer , though , explains Rick Overson of Arizona State University 's Global Locust Initiative , is that locusts are a very special kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are hundreds of species of grasshoppers , `` but only a small handful of those are what we consider locusts . ''
That raises a question : What makes a locust a locust ?
According to Overson , it comes down to a superpower possessed by locusts that enables them to go through a remarkable switch in development .
Most of the time , locusts exist in their `` grasshopper phase '' — they lead solitary lives , they 're green and pretty unremarkable .
`` Nobody really notices them , '' Overson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the shifts are pretty irregular , but for years , locusts can live like this – alone , biding their time .
But when environmental conditions are right – usually when there 's a lot of rainfall and moisture – something dramatic happens : `` They increase in numbers and as they do so , they sense one another around them , '' says Overson .
This is what biologists call the `` gregarious phase '' of the locust .
The creature undergoes a remarkable transformation .
`` They change their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coloration changes , their body size changes , '' Overson says .
`` Instead of repelling one another , they become attracted to one another — and if those conditions persist in the environment , they start to march together in coordinated formations across the landscape , which is what we 're seeing in eastern Africa . ''
The ability to change dramatically like this in response to environmental conditions is called phenotypic plasticity .
And many species , like some types of coral , exhibit it .
Though scientists ca n't be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , many believe it 's because they typically live in temperamental and harsh environments .
`` Locusts tend to live in areas where resources that they need are very unpredictable , '' Overson explains .
The Horn of Africa , for instance , is known for being arid , going for years without heavy rain until slammed suddenly by powerful downfalls .
`` The strongest hypothesis is that these crazy , unpredictable dynamics select evolutionarily for this ability to go through these dramatic changes , to respond when you can capitalize on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to migrate . ''
When locusts swarm like this , they ravage agriculture , devouring practically anything in sight .
Though they have teeth , locusts do n't bite humans ( unless you , you know , jammed a finger into its mandible ; it would maybe bite you then , Overson says . )
2 .
Where are the locusts swarming , and how big are the swarms ?
Swarms are most intense in East African countries , including Kenya , Somalia , and Ethiopia , but data from the FAO 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across Southwest Asia and the Middle East .
Yemen , Saudi Arabia , Sudan , Uganda and Iran are among those afflicted .
`` In Kenya , it 's the worst outbreak they 've had to face in the last 70 years , '' says Keith Cressman , the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization 's senior locust forecasting officer .
`` In India or Pakistan , it 's probably the worst they 've had to face in the last quarter of a century . ''
The swarms are gargantuan masses of tens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anywhere from a square third of a mile to 100 square miles or more , with 40 to 80 million locusts packed in half a square mile .
They bulldoze pasturelands in dark clouds the size of football fields and small cities .
In northern Kenya , Cressman says , one swarm was reported to be 25 miles long by 37 miles wide — it would blanket the city of Paris 24 times over .
Experts say the upsurge is likely to be tied to extreme weather events : According to Cressman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oman , Yemen and the Horn of Africa .
The wet conditions have persisted , creating ideal bug breeding conditions .
Once they enter the gregarious phase , a generation of locusts can multiply 20 fold every three months .
So when they boom , they do so exponentially , and things quickly get out of hand .
3 .
How far can locusts travel ?
Locusts are migratory , transboundary pests – they ride the winds , crisscrossing swathes of land until they find something they want to munch on .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extensively across Africa .
`` They are powerful long distance flyers , so they can easily go a hundred plus kilometers in a 24-hour period , '' Overson notes .
`` They can easily move across countries in a matter of days , which is one of the other major challenges in coordinated efforts that are required between nations and institutions to manage them . ''
In 1988 , swarms originating in North Africa crossed the Atlantic Ocean and made it successfully to the Caribbean and South America .
Even today , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance of 186 miles .
Projections show that current locust populations are poised to spread `` all the way from eastern to western Africa by June or July , '' Overson says .
`` There 's major concerns there . ''
Locusts are ravenous eaters .
An adult desert locust that weighs around two grams ( a fraction of an ounce ) can consume roughly its own weight daily — and they 're not picky at all .
According to the FAO , a swarm of just 1 square kilometer — again , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can consume as much food as would be eaten by 35,000 people ( or 6 elephants ) in a single day .
`` When they do descend , they can have almost total devastation , '' Overson says .
`` They can cause 50 to 80 % of crops to be destroyed , depending on the time ( of year ) . ''
The last large locust outbreak — which started in 2003 and lasted until 2005 — resulted in an estimated $ 2.5 billion in crop damage .
Studies found the economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Children who grew up during the period were much less likely to go to school , and girls were disproportionately affected .
Making matters worse , many of the countries slammed with the worst infestations are already hobbling from protracted crises — recovering from recessions , fighting natural disasters , racked by conflict and now the coronavirus outbreak .
`` We 're talking about a corner of Africa that 's really , really vulnerable , '' Cressman says .
`` They 've had successive years of drought , and then this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floods .
So even without the locusts , they 're already in a precarious situation . ''
Now , Cressman says the potential hunger threat is tremendous in a region where 42 million were already slated to face acute food insecurity .
`` The locusts are in your field for a morning , and by mid-day , there 's hardly anything left in your field , '' he says .
`` It 's just eaten . ''
There 's a slate of international institutions that coordinate locust management and response .
The primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Food and Agriculture Organization , which runs the Desert Locust Watch to surveil and track locust migration patterns and oversee regional response efforts .
In individual nations , a lack of cash , competing priorities , and domestic challenges make it hard to mount a long-range pest management strategy .
Because locust numbers ebb and flow , Overson says it 's been difficult for countries — like Kenya , which has n't seen an infestation in 70 years — to build up intermediate and long-term infrastructure to address outbreaks proactively .
That 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come up with solutions .
`` It 's hard to maintain funding and political will and knowledge and capacity building when you have these unpredictable boom and bust cycles that could play out over years or decades , '' he says .
`` The drama and spectacle of the outbreak right now is important to cover , but the more nuanced narrative involves the slow , ratchet method of building infrastructure : If you wait until it 's reactive and forget about it until it happens again , we 're going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Right now , the most effective way to fight outbreaks involves mass aerial sprays of pesticides to kill locusts .
Overson says that 's not ideal , given the adverse effect such chemicals have on biodiversity and human health .
But emerging technologies may hold promise for the future .
For example , the NOAA recently partnered with the United Nations to repurpose technology used to track smoke plumes from fires to predict the migrations of locusts , the Scientific American reported .
And in terms of locust extermination , Overson says biopesticides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research and development is still needed in the area .
Considering all of the other worldwide emergencies that have hit in 2020 , aid resources are stretched thin .
Pesticide deliveries have been delayed .
But Cressman is hopeful that the needed funds will materialize .
The FAO has already raised half of the $ 300 million it expects to need for this effort .
`` The international community is very well committed and they 're very much on board — even though there 's a lot that 's being asked of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he says .

Locusts Are A Plague Of Biblical Scope In 2020. Why? And ... What Are They Exactly?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ben Curtis/AP Ben Curtis/AP
Titanic swarms of desert locusts resembling dark storm clouds are descending ravenously on the Horn of Africa. They're roving through croplands and flattening farms in a devastating salvo experts are calling an unprecedented threat to food security. On the ground, subsistence planters can do nothing but watch — staring up with horror and at their fields in dismay.
Locusts have been around since at least the time of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, 3200 B.C., despoiling some of the world's weakest regions, multiplying to billions and then vanishing, in irregular booms and busts.
If the 2020 version of these marauders stays steady on its warpath, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says desert locusts can pose a threat to the livelihoods of 10% of the world's population.
The peril may already be underway: Early June projections by the FAO are forecasting a second generation of spring-bred locusts in Eastern Africa, giving rise to new, powerful swarms of locust babies capable of wreaking havoc until mid-July or beyond.
Here are five things you need to know about locusts to understand the current crisis and why the tiny invaders are such a big deal.
1. What is a locust?
There can be a lot of confusion about what exactly a locust is. To the average eye, it's easy to mix up the critters with cicadas and crickets. The simple answer, though, explains Rick Overson of Arizona State University's Global Locust Initiative, is that locusts are a very special kind of grasshopper.
toggle caption Sumy Sadurni/AFP via Getty Images
As Overson explains, there are hundreds of species of grasshoppers, "but only a small handful of those are what we consider locusts."
That raises a question: What makes a locust a locust? According to Overson, it comes down to a superpower possessed by locusts that enables them to go through a remarkable switch in development.
Most of the time, locusts exist in their "grasshopper phase" — they lead solitary lives, they're green and pretty unremarkable.
"Nobody really notices them," Overson says.
The timing of this varies, and the shifts are pretty irregular, but for years, locusts can live like this – alone, biding their time.
But when environmental conditions are right — usually when there's a lot of rainfall and moisture — something dramatic happens: "They increase in numbers, and as they do so, they sense one another around them," says Overson.
This is what biologists call the "gregarious phase" of the locust.
The creatures undergo a remarkable transformation. "They change their physiology. Their brain changes, their coloration changes, their body size changes," Overson says. "Instead of repelling one another, they become attracted to one another — and if those conditions persist in the environment, they start to march together in coordinated formations across the landscape, which is what we're seeing in eastern Africa."
The ability to change dramatically like this in response to environmental conditions is called phenotypic plasticity. Many species, such as some types of coral, exhibit it. Though scientists can't be certain why locusts developed the trait over time, many believe it's because they typically live in temperamental and harsh environments.
"Locusts tend to live in areas where resources that they need are very unpredictable," Overson explains. The Horn of Africa, for instance, is known for being arid, going for years without heavy rain until slammed suddenly by powerful downfalls. "The strongest hypothesis is that these crazy, unpredictable dynamics select evolutionarily for this ability to go through these dramatic changes, to respond when you can capitalize on a rare opportunity and also have capacity to migrate."
When locusts swarm like this, they ravage agriculture, devouring practically anything in sight.
Though they have teeth, locusts don't bite humans. (Unless you, you know, jammed a finger into its mandible; it would maybe bite you then, Overson says.)
2. Where are the locusts swarming, and how big are the swarms?
Swarms are most intense in East African countries, including Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, but data from the FAO's Desert Locust Watch documents steadily worsening infestations across Southwest Asia and the Middle East. Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Uganda and Iran are among those afflicted.
"In Kenya, it's the worst outbreak they've had to face in the last 70 years," says Keith Cressman, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's senior locust forecasting officer. "In India or Pakistan, it's probably the worst they've had to face in the last quarter of a century."
The swarms are gargantuan masses of tens of billions of flying bugs. They range anywhere from a square third of a mile to 100 square miles or more, with 40 million to 80 million locusts packed in half a square mile. They bulldoze pasturelands in dark clouds the size of football fields and small cities. In northern Kenya, Cressman says, one swarm was reported to be 25 miles long by 37 miles wide — it would blanket the city of Paris 24 times over.
Experts say the upsurge is likely to be tied to extreme weather events: According to Cressman, powerful cyclones in 2018 dumped water in Oman, Yemen and the Horn of Africa. The wet conditions have persisted, creating ideal bug breeding conditions.
toggle caption Banaras Khan/AFP via Getty Images
Once they enter the gregarious phase, a generation of locusts can multiply twentyfold every three months. So when they boom, they do so exponentially, and things quickly get out of hand.
3. How far can locusts travel?
Locusts are migratory, transboundary pests. They ride the winds, crisscrossing swaths of land until they find something they want to munch on. They especially love cereal grain crops, planted extensively across Africa.
"They are powerful, long-distance flyers, so they can easily go a hundred plus kilometers in a 24-hour period," Overson notes. "They can easily move across countries in a matter of days, which is one of the other major challenges in coordinated efforts that are required between nations and institutions to manage them."
In 1988, swarms originating in North Africa crossed the Atlantic Ocean and made it successfully to the Caribbean and South America. Even today, they routinely traverse the Red Sea — a distance of 186 miles. Projections show that current locust populations are poised to spread "all the way from eastern to western Africa by June or July," Overson says. "There's major concerns there."
4. How do locusts affect food security?
Locusts are ravenous eaters. An adult desert locust that weighs about 2 grams (a fraction of an ounce) can consume roughly its own weight daily. And they're not picky at all. According to the FAO, a swarm of just 1 square kilometer — again, about a third of a square mile — can consume as much food as would be eaten by 35,000 people (or six elephants) in a single day.
"When they do descend, they can have almost total devastation," Overson says. "They can cause 50 to 80% of crops to be destroyed, depending on the time [of year]."
The last large locust outbreak, which started in 2003 and lasted until 2005, resulted in an estimated $2.5 billion in crop damage. Studies found that the economic effect was largely felt by subsistence farmers. Children who grew up during the period were much less likely to go to school, and girls were disproportionately affected.
Making matters worse, many of the countries slammed with the worst infestations are already hobbling from protracted crises — recovering from recessions, fighting natural disasters, racked by conflict and now the coronavirus outbreak.
"We're talking about a corner of Africa that's really, really vulnerable," Cressman says. "They've had successive years of drought, and then this year, they've had heavy rains and floods. So even without the locusts, they're already in a precarious situation."
Now, Cressman says the potential hunger threat is tremendous in a region where 42 million were already slated to face acute food insecurity.
"The locusts are in your field for a morning, and by midday, there's hardly anything left in your field," he says. "It's just eaten."
5. How are countries fighting locusts?
There's a slate of international institutions that coordinates locust management and response. The primary effort is conducted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, which runs the Desert Locust Watch to surveil and track locust migration patterns and oversee regional response efforts.
In individual nations, a lack of cash, competing priorities and domestic challenges make it hard to mount a long-range pest management strategy. Because locust numbers ebb and flow, Overson says it's been difficult for countries — such as Kenya, which hasn't seen an infestation in 70 years — to build up intermediate and long-term infrastructure to address outbreaks proactively. That's why so many governments are now scrambling to come up with solutions.
"It's hard to maintain funding and political will and knowledge and capacity building when you have these unpredictable boom and bust cycles that could play out over years or decades," he says. "The drama and spectacle of the outbreak right now is important to cover, but the more nuanced narrative involves the slow, ratchet method of building infrastructure: If you wait until it's reactive and forget about it until it happens again, we're going to be in this situation forever."
Right now, the most effective way to fight outbreaks involves mass aerial sprays of pesticides to kill locusts. Overson says that's not ideal, given the adverse effect such chemicals have on biodiversity and human health.
toggle caption Sumy Sadurni/AFP via Getty Images
But emerging technologies may hold promise for the future. For example, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently partnered with the United Nations to repurpose technology used to track smoke plumes from fires to predict the migrations of locusts, the Scientific American reported. And in terms of locust extermination, Overson says biopesticides have untapped potential — although lots of research and development is still needed in the area.
Considering all of the other worldwide emergencies that have hit in 2020, aid resources are stretched thin. Pesticide deliveries have been delayed. But Cressman is hopeful that the needed funds will materialize. The FAO has already raised half of the $300 million it expects to need for this effort.
"The international community is very well committed and they're very much on board — even though there's a lot that's being asked of them for many other things at the moment," he says.


npr--2020-06-14--The Pandemic Closed The Border And This Engaged Couple Was Stuck On Opposite Sides

The Pandemic Closed The Border And This Engaged Couple Was Stuck On Opposite Sides Audio will be available later today .
Ryan Hamilton and Savannah Koop had planned to get married on May 8 .
Hamilton lives in Bellingham , Wash. , and Koop lives just across the border in Abbotsford , British Columbia .
But , on March 21 , the U.S.-Canada border closed to all nonessential travel , and will remain closed until at least June 21 .
Unfortunately for Hamilton and Koop , visiting loved ones — and attending one 's own wedding — are not considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dating app last July and traveled easily back-and-forth across the international border to see each other .
Koop was two hours late for their first date .
`` I blamed it on the border line , '' Koop said , `` but I probably only waited one hour at the border line-up . ''
Nonetheless , she said , border waits were `` my excuse quite often , because I 'm usually — I 'm not punctual . ''
By fall , they were talking about marriage .
`` I used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when we get engaged eventually , ' '' Hamilton said , `` and then she said , 'that 's not a funny joke anymore . '
'' They started looking at rings and Koop made it clear she did n't want `` glitz and glam and a big diamond , '' but rather preferred a simple gold band .
`` I was vocally one of those guys who was like , ' I will never propose with just a simple gold band , ' '' Hamilton said .
But when they decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short .
`` There was a week and a half for me to get a ring , so it was either propose with no ring or propose with a simple gold band , '' Hamilton said .
Soon after Hamilton and Koop got engaged , the coronavirus pandemic started to take off in North America .
`` We had had an inkling that the borders were going to close , and I was checking the news every single hour , '' Koop said .
The news came on March 20 : the border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
`` I think I bawled , '' Koop said .
The couple panicked as they tried to sort out if one should go to the other to get across the border before it closed .
`` And then the day was over , '' Koop said .
`` That was incredibly heartbreaking . ''
The date for their wedding came and went , and the border remained closed .
Koop grew tired of FaceTime and suggested they meet up .
They looked at a map and found a place along the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on each side of the ditch separating the two countries .
`` I 'm sitting in my car and I see Ryan 's car coming up , and I 'm just like , 'Whoa , there 's Ryan !
I can see him ! '
'' Koop said .
`` And I just cried so hard .
It was just like streams of tears coming down my face . ''
But see each other is all they could do .
`` It 's quite a wide ditch , '' Koop said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than six feet . ''
They went for a walk , each staying on their side of the ditch .
Then it became a regular visit .
`` The next week , we went almost every day , '' Hamilton said .
Over time they saw other families and couples doing the same thing .
But finally , Peace Arch Park reopened .
The park is on the border between Washington state and British Columbia , and pedestrians from each country can meet without officially having to cross the border .
Now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work , hold hands and share food .
They say the dates are nice , but what they really want is to be married .
`` We have n't been indoors together in almost three months , '' Koop said .
`` It is , like , surreal to be like , 'Oh , Ryan 's supposed to be my husband right now , but he 's not . '
'' Hamilton still lives with three roommates , but wishes he was living with Koop .
`` It 's weird not to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Hamilton said .
`` We 're just stuck . ''
While they wait for the border to open back up , Hamilton and Koop have been meeting with immigration lawyers and financial planners , doing their best to map out the future .
They say they have faith things will work out , eventually .

The Pandemic Closed The Border And This Engaged Couple Was Stuck On Opposite Sides
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eilis O'Neill /KUOW Eilis O'Neill /KUOW
Ryan Hamilton and Savannah Koop had planned to get married on May 8. Hamilton lives in Bellingham, Wash., and Koop lives just across the border in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
But, on March 21, the U.S.-Canada border closed to all nonessential travel, and will remain closed until at least June 21. Unfortunately for Hamilton and Koop, visiting loved ones — and attending one's own wedding — are not considered essential travel.
The two met on a dating app last July and traveled easily back-and-forth across the international border to see each other.
Koop was two hours late for their first date.
"I blamed it on the border line," Koop said, "but I probably only waited one hour at the border line-up."
Nonetheless, she said, border waits were "my excuse quite often, because I'm usually — I'm not punctual."
By fall, they were talking about marriage.
"I used to say, 'In eight to nine years, when we get engaged eventually,'" Hamilton said, "and then she said, 'that's not a funny joke anymore.'"
They started looking at rings and Koop made it clear she didn't want "glitz and glam and a big diamond," but rather preferred a simple gold band.
"I was vocally one of those guys who was like, 'I will never propose with just a simple gold band,'" Hamilton said.
But when they decided to get engaged, their timeline was short.
"There was a week and a half for me to get a ring, so it was either propose with no ring or propose with a simple gold band," Hamilton said.
Gold band it was.
Soon after Hamilton and Koop got engaged, the coronavirus pandemic started to take off in North America.
"We had had an inkling that the borders were going to close, and I was checking the news every single hour," Koop said.
The news came on March 20: the border was closing, effective the very next day.
"I think I bawled," Koop said. The couple panicked as they tried to sort out if one should go to the other to get across the border before it closed.
"And then the day was over," Koop said. "That was incredibly heartbreaking."
The date for their wedding came and went, and the border remained closed.
Koop grew tired of FaceTime and suggested they meet up.
They looked at a map and found a place along the border where they could park, one on each side of the ditch separating the two countries.
"I'm sitting in my car and I see Ryan's car coming up, and I'm just like, 'Whoa, there's Ryan! I can see him!'" Koop said. "And I just cried so hard. It was just like streams of tears coming down my face."
But see each other is all they could do.
"It's quite a wide ditch," Koop said. "It's too wide — way wider than six feet."
They went for a walk, each staying on their side of the ditch. Then it became a regular visit.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Elaine Thompson/AP Elaine Thompson/AP
"The next week, we went almost every day," Hamilton said.
Over time they saw other families and couples doing the same thing.
But finally, Peace Arch Park reopened. The park is on the border between Washington state and British Columbia, and pedestrians from each country can meet without officially having to cross the border.
Now, Hamilton and Koop can get together after work, hold hands and share food.
They say the dates are nice, but what they really want is to be married.
"We haven't been indoors together in almost three months," Koop said. "It is, like, surreal to be like, 'Oh, Ryan's supposed to be my husband right now, but he's not.'"
Hamilton still lives with three roommates, but wishes he was living with Koop.
"It's weird not to be able to even start our life together," Hamilton said. "We're just stuck."
While they wait for the border to open back up, Hamilton and Koop have been meeting with immigration lawyers and financial planners, doing their best to map out the future.
They say they have faith things will work out, eventually.


npr--2020-06-14--Young Activists Pour Energy Into Protests, But What About The Election?

Young Activists Pour Energy Into Protests , But What About The Election ?
As demonstrators gathered around the White House last weekend , Howard University law student Tope Aladetimi leaned her cardboard protest sign against the street median and took a load off her feet .
She had already been out protesting for a few hours , and the temperature was climbing into the nineties .
`` There 's a power in using your body , and actually physically being here , '' Aladetimi said .
`` Oftentimes , our voices are n't heard and this is the only way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across . ''
Domonique Dille , a Howard law school classmate , feels an urgency to this moment .
`` We ca n't wait until November to voice our opinions , '' she said .
`` We 've seen our parents , our ancestors fight .
They 've all fought , and we 're still fighting in 2020 .
And we 're going to keep this going until the election and even past then . ''
With a presidential campaign and historic demonstrations unfolding at the same time , the country 's youngest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weigh their role in politics right now , trying to navigate the relative power of protest and electoral politics in real time .
The question is especially pressing for Gen Z , the generation of voters in their late teens and early twenties who grew up with endless school shootings , viral videos of police brutality and a political climate defined by President Trump — and who are rapidly aging into the voting population .
When former President Obama recently addressed protests swelling around the country , he urged young people not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've been hearing a little bit of chatter on the internet about voting versus protest , '' he said .
`` Politics and participation versus civil disobedience and direct action .
This is not an either/or .
This is a both/and . ''
`` I was feeling pretty pessimistic a week ago , and I 'm more optimistic in this moment than I 've ever been , '' said Natalie Spievack , who 'd been out protesting for several hours last Saturday .
`` More optimistic about the possibility of making systemic change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiencing for the first time in my life people coming together around a common cause and demanding change — and actually seeing people listen , '' she added .
Spievack and several friends had found a shaded spot in a park to cool off .
They all said they feel like traditional modes of political advocacy have failed their generation .
That 's in part why Raymond Sison says direct action and protest can be more powerful tools .
`` There are so many issues to talk about , I mean , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but like student loans — there has n't been anything done for students in America , one of the most indebted generations , '' he said .
Everyone in the group said they recognize the importance of the 2020 election and are planning to vote this fall .
It 's not really up for debate .
Like most of their generation , almost 80 percent , this group of young protesters overwhelmingly disapproves of President Trump .
For comparison , 42 % of Gen X voters and 48 % of Baby Boomers approve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Where it gets tricky , Spievack says , is trying to prioritize .
Do you spend your summer planning demonstrations or knocking doors for a political candidate , like the presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden ?
To actually drive systemic change , Spievack says you have to hold politicians accountable — not just vote your preferred party into office .
`` I feel like that 's been my biggest internal struggle over the last week and a half , figuring out what 's my place in creating change , '' she says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ organized a march for Breonna Taylor , the 26 year-old EMT killed by police this year .
`` That could have easily been my brother , my sister or anybody , '' he said , speaking on a call from a birthday celebration in Taylor 's memory , where thousands of people gathered downtown to release balloons and butterflies .
`` Since middle school , seeing Trayvon Martin , Eric Garner , Terence Crutcher , Black people dying over and over again before my eyes , and being told to go to our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does take away our spirit , '' he said .
But Waddell plans to keep organizing , and he 's optimistic this energy now will translate into a lasting movement for justice .
According to CIRCLE , a Tufts University research group focused on youth civic and political engagement , young people do n't seem to be disengaging .
Instead , youth turnout doubled between the last two midterms .
And the group found that in 2018 , three times more young people attended a demonstration than in 2016 .
`` We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served on a silver platter , '' said Daud Mumin , an organizer in Utah with March For Our Lives .
`` We have to go and fight for it . ''
After the 2018 school shooting in Parkland , Fla. , in which 14 students and three educators were killed , the student-led March For Our Lives organized hundreds of demonstrations around the country calling for gun control , sparking a nationwide youth movement .
`` The moment the march ended , we all took a deep breath , I think , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the social media manager for March For Our Lives .
`` We were 16 years old .
Daud was , too .
We were young people trying to create a change and all of us were looking for next steps . ''
Political advocacy and voter registration became a part of March For Our Lives ' equation , too , as the group went up against entrenched political organizations like the National Rifle Association .
But Mumin says getting involved in politics can be harder for young voters , especially people of color @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protests over police brutality sparked tangible change in cities around the country in a way that elections have n't .
`` Electoral work is not the most accessible work , '' he said .
`` So when we tell African American people , 'Are you concerned ?
Go and vote , ' it 's almost offensive .
It 's almost a slap in the face . ''
Research suggests protest energy could boost young voter turnout .
CIRCLE says in 2018 , young people who were aligned with the Parkland gun control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote .
Matthew Nowling , communications director for the College Democrats , says protests over police brutality in Ferguson , Mo.
, actually inspired him to get involved in politics .
Afterward , he watched the Obama Administration take action , actions the Trump Administration has rolled back .
It 's a reminder , Nowling says , of what 's at stake not only right now , but on Election Day , too .
`` The way to harness the momentum of the movement is really connecting the issues why people are protesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Nowling says , while his organization is working to support the protest movement now , he 's hopeful the momentum will spill over into the election .

Young Activists Pour Energy Into Protests, But What About The Election?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sam Gringlas/NPR Sam Gringlas/NPR
As demonstrators gathered around the White House last weekend, Howard University law student Tope Aladetimi leaned her cardboard protest sign against the street median and took a load off her feet. She had already been out protesting for a few hours, and the temperature was climbing into the 90s.
"There's a power in using your body, and actually physically being here," Aladetimi said. "Oftentimes, our voices aren't heard and this is the only way we're able to get our message across."
Domonique Dille, a Howard law school classmate, feels an urgency to this moment.
"We can't wait until November to voice our opinions," she said. "We've seen our parents, our ancestors fight. They've all fought, and we're still fighting in 2020. And we're going to keep this going until the election and even past then."
With a presidential campaign and historic demonstrations unfolding at the same time, the country's youngest voters and activists are being pushed to weigh their role in politics right now, trying to navigate the relative power of protest and electoral politics in real time.
The question is especially pressing for Gen Z, the generation of voters in their late teens and early 20s who grew up with endless school shootings, viral videos of police brutality and a political climate defined by President Trump — and who are rapidly aging into the voting population.
When former President Barack Obama recently addressed protests swelling around the country, he urged young people not to forget about the election.
"I've been hearing a little bit of chatter on the Internet about voting versus protest," he said. "Politics and participation versus civil disobedience and direct action. This is not an either/or. This is a both/and."
"I was feeling pretty pessimistic a week ago, and I'm more optimistic in this moment than I've ever been," said Natalie Spievack, who'd been out protesting for several hours last Saturday.
"More optimistic about the possibility of making systemic change, but mostly optimistic because I'm experiencing for the first time in my life people coming together around a common cause and demanding change — and actually seeing people listen," she added.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sam Gringlas/NPR Sam Gringlas/NPR
Spievack and several friends had found a shaded spot in a park to cool off.
They all said they feel like traditional modes of political advocacy have failed their generation. That's in part why Raymond Sison says direct action and protest can be more powerful tools.
"There are so many issues to talk about, I mean, we're here talking about police brutality, but like student loans — there hasn't been anything done for students in America, one of the most indebted generations," he said.
Everyone in the group said they recognize the importance of the 2020 election and are planning to vote this fall. It's not really up for debate.
Like most of their generation, almost 80%, this group of young protesters overwhelmingly disapproves of Trump. For comparison, 42% of Gen X voters and 48% of Baby Boomers approve of the president's job performance.
Where it gets tricky, Spievack says, is trying to prioritize. Do you spend your summer planning demonstrations or knocking doors for a political candidate, like the presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden?
To actually drive systemic change, Spievack says you have to hold politicians accountable — not just vote your preferred party into office.
"I feel like that's been my biggest internal struggle over the last week and a half, figuring out what's my place in creating change," she said.
In Louisville, 19-year-old Sean Waddell organized a march for Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old EMT killed by police this year.
"That could have easily been my brother, my sister or anybody," he said, speaking on a call from a birthday celebration in Taylor's memory, where thousands of people gathered downtown to release balloons and butterflies.
"Since middle school, seeing Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Terence Crutcher, black people dying over and over again before my eyes, and being told to go to our politicians and seeing so little, it does take away our spirit," he said.
But Waddell plans to keep organizing, and he's optimistic this energy now will translate into a lasting movement for justice.
According to CIRCLE, a Tufts University research group focused on youth civic and political engagement, young people don't seem to be disengaging. Instead, youth turnout doubled between the last two midterms. And the group found that in 2018, three times more young people attended a demonstration than in 2016.
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"We have no more patience for justice to be served on a silver platter," said Daud Mumin, an organizer in Utah with March For Our Lives. "We have to go and fight for it."
After the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Fla., in which 14 students and three educators were killed, the student-led March For Our Lives organized hundreds of demonstrations around the country calling for gun control, sparking a nationwide youth movement.
"The moment the march ended, we all took a deep breath, I think, collectively," said Matthew Hogenmiller, the social media manager for March For Our Lives. "We were 16 years old. Daud was, too. We were young people trying to create a change and all of us were looking for next steps."
Political advocacy and voter registration became a part of March For Our Lives' equation, too, as the group went up against entrenched political organizations like the National Rifle Association.
But Mumin says getting involved in politics can be harder for young voters, especially people of color. And he's watching how quickly the protests over police brutality sparked tangible change in cities around the country in a way that elections haven't.
"Electoral work is not the most accessible work," he said. "So when we tell African American people, 'Are you concerned? Go and vote,' it's almost offensive. It's almost a slap in the face."
Research suggests protest energy could boost young voter turnout. CIRCLE says in 2018, young people who were aligned with the Parkland gun control movement were 21% more likely to vote.
Matthew Nowling, communications director for the College Democrats, says protests over police brutality in Ferguson, Mo., actually inspired him to get involved in politics.
Afterward, he watched the Obama administration take action, actions the Trump administration has rolled back.
It's a reminder, Nowling says, of what's at stake not only right now, but on Election Day, too.
"The way to harness the momentum of the movement is really connecting the issues why people are protesting to direct Democratic Party policies," he said.
Nowling says while his organization is working to support the protest movement now, he's hopeful the momentum will spill over into the election.


npr--2020-06-14--As California Trains 20,000 Contact Tracers, Librarians and Tax Assessors Step Up

As California Trains 20,000 Contact Tracers , Librarians and Tax Assessors Step Up After more than two months at home , Lisa Fagundes really misses her work managing the science fiction book collection of the San Francisco Public Library .
She feels like she 's in withdrawal , longing to see new books , touch them , smell them .
`` It 's like a disease , '' she says , laughing .
But recently , she 's been learning how to combat a different disease : COVID-19 .
While libraries are closed , Fagundes is one of dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact tracers , workers who call people who have been exposed to the coronavirus and ask them to self-quarantine so they do n't spread it further .
Librarians are an obvious choice for the job , says Fagundes , who normally works at the information desk of the San Francisco Main Library .
They 're curious , they 're tech savvy , and they 're really good at getting people they barely know to open up .
`` Because a lot of times patrons come up to you and they 're like , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book – ' and they do n't really know what they 're looking for or they do n't know how to describe it , '' Fagundes says .
Or they 're teens afraid to admit out loud that they 're looking for books about sex or queer identity .
Fagundes is used to coaxing it out of them in an unflappable , non-judgmental way .
Similar skills are needed for contact tracing , which involves asking people about their health status and personal history .
`` Talking about sensitive subjects is a natural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's a lot of open ended questions , trying to get people to feel that you 're listening to them and not trying to take advantage or put your own viewpoint on their story . ''
Fagundes is part of the first team of contact tracers trained through a new virtual academy based at the University of California – San Francisco .
The state awarded the university an $ 8.7 million contract in May to expand the academy and train 20,000 new contact tracers throughout California by July — one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
Ramping up to be ready for new cases California Gov .
Gavin Newsom says counties need 15 contact tracers for every 100,000 residents to adequately contain the virus after shelter-in-place orders are lifted .
Smaller contact tracing teams have been able to manage the work load in recent months , while most people have been staying home .
Local health officials said each new person who tested positive for the coronavirus was in close contact with an average of four or five people while infectious — usually family members and neighbors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to re-open , a person 's average contacts will go up to 40 , and will be much harder to locate , necessitating a larger workforce to identify and call them .
`` You have a four- or five-day window to find people and get them isolated , which is what we do instead of treat them , because we do n't have treatment for COVID , '' says Dr. George Rutherford , a UCSF professor of epidemiology who is leading the training effort .
The new training program takes 20 hours over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and involves lessons on epidemiology and motivational interviewing , and demonstrations of how to do contact tracing phone calls .
Right now , all contact tracers are working from home while they are on paid furlough or working part-time at their regular jobs .
The state only provides funding for the training , not to cover compensation .
In addition to librarians , San Francisco has asked government employees from the tax assessor and city attorney offices to help out , including financial analysts , paralegals , and investigators .
Some rural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the job .
Megan Elliott is a manager in the San Francisco Assessor 's Office , where she oversees the valuation of real estate to figure out how much tax to charge .
She is used to having conversations where she has to tell people things they do n't want to hear .
`` For residential properties , a lot of times it has to do with a property owner who believes that we unfairly valued their new construction project , '' she says .
`` So my job is to communicate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can better understand why we do what we do and to help them see the reason and rationale behind that . ''
It takes similar finesse to tell people they 've been in contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus , and they ca n't go to work for the next two weeks .
Elliott explains the importance of protecting the community from the virus , or the difference between quarantine ( staying home if you 've been exposed but are n't symptomatic ) and isolation ( avoiding family members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are sick ) .
Investigators from the city attorney 's office have been applying their people-finding skills .
Some people who become ill may be reluctant to share information about their close contacts , or , they just do n't know enough information about the people they 've been in close quarters with .
`` Let 's say you 're on a job site , working construction and you had lunch with a guy , 'Oh , it 's Bob , he 's a steam fitter , ' '' says Rutherford .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we 're facing , that we get partial locating information . ''
City investigators are familiar with databases and electronic gumshoe strategies for finding Bob 's last name and phone number , so he can be notified and get tested .
The goal is to train enough contact tracers to serve all 58 counties in California , but the state is leaving it up to each county to roll out the program and handle the specifics , such as what kind of support services to offer people asked to self-quarantine .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be infectious are asked to stay home , contact tracers refer them to get tested , offer them free cleaning supplies and help with grocery and medication deliveries .
If they ca n't isolate themselves safely from other family members in their home , residents have the option of staying in a city-funded hotel room .
San Francisco is also planning to launch a program to help replace two weeks of lost income , up to $ 1,200 , for people who test positive but do n't have a job with paid sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits .
South of San Francisco , in Santa Clara County , where the first COVID-19 cases in the U.S. were identified , health officials have struggled to recruit enough librarians and other county employees to become contact tracers .
They are now asking for 800 volunteers from the community to meet their goal of building a 1,000-person case investigation and contact tracing team , with an emphasis on volunteers who can speak other languages , particularly Spanish and Vietnamese .
In San Francisco , some staffers from the city attorney 's office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to their regular jobs part time and continue doing contact tracing part time .
Librarian Lisa Fagundes has been doing four 4-hour contact tracing shifts per week .
`` It 's something that I feel like I could do for the rest of the year , if needed , then when the library starts ramping up , I could do both , '' she says .
`` But , I think that the library will not be ramping up to full service anytime soon , because it 's not an essential service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''

As California Trains 20,000 Contact Tracers, Librarians and Tax Assessors Step Up
Enlarge this image toggle caption (Courtesy of Jasmin Serim) (Courtesy of Jasmin Serim)
After more than two months at home, Lisa Fagundes really misses her work managing the science fiction book collection of the San Francisco Public Library. She feels like she's in withdrawal, longing to see new books, touch them, smell them. "It's like a disease," she says, laughing.
But recently, she's been learning how to combat a different disease: COVID-19. While libraries are closed, Fagundes is one of dozens of librarians in San Francisco training to become contact tracers, workers who call people who have been exposed to the coronavirus and ask them to self-quarantine so they don't spread it further.
Librarians are an obvious choice for the job, says Fagundes, who normally works at the information desk of the San Francisco Main Library. They're curious, they're tech savvy, and they're really good at getting people they barely know to open up.
"Because a lot of times patrons come up to you and they're like, 'Uh, I'm looking for a book –' and they don't really know what they're looking for or they don't know how to describe it," Fagundes says.
Or they're teens afraid to admit out loud that they're looking for books about sex or queer identity. Fagundes is used to coaxing it out of them in an unflappable, non-judgmental way. Similar skills are needed for contact tracing, which involves asking people about their health status and personal history.
"Talking about sensitive subjects is a natural thing for librarians," she says. "It's a lot of open ended questions, trying to get people to feel that you're listening to them and not trying to take advantage or put your own viewpoint on their story."
Fagundes is part of the first team of contact tracers trained through a new virtual academy based at the University of California – San Francisco. The state awarded the university an $8.7 million contract in May to expand the academy and train 20,000 new contact tracers throughout California by July — one of the largest such efforts in the country.
Ramping up to be ready for new cases
California Gov. Gavin Newsom says counties need 15 contact tracers for every 100,000 residents to adequately contain the virus after shelter-in-place orders are lifted.
Smaller contact tracing teams have been able to manage the work load in recent months, while most people have been staying home. Local health officials said each new person who tested positive for the coronavirus was in close contact with an average of four or five people while infectious — usually family members and neighbors.
But as counties begin allowing businesses to re-open, a person's average contacts will go up to 40, and will be much harder to locate, necessitating a larger workforce to identify and call them.
"You have a four- or five-day window to find people and get them isolated, which is what we do instead of treat them, because we don't have treatment for COVID," says Dr. George Rutherford, a UCSF professor of epidemiology who is leading the training effort.
Learning communication — and investigation — skills
The new training program takes 20 hours over the course of five days to complete, and involves lessons on epidemiology and motivational interviewing, and demonstrations of how to do contact tracing phone calls.
Right now, all contact tracers are working from home while they are on paid furlough or working part-time at their regular jobs. The state only covers funding for training, not compensation.
In addition to librarians, San Francisco has asked government employees from the tax assessor and city attorney offices to help out, including financial analysts, paralegals, and investigators. Some rural counties have been recruiting sheriff's deputies for the job.
Megan Elliott is a manager in the San Francisco Assessor's Office, where she oversees the valuation of real estate to figure out how much tax to charge. She is used to having conversations where she has to tell people things they don't want to hear.
"For residential properties, a lot of times it has to do with a property owner who believes that we unfairly valued their new construction project," she says. "So my job is to communicate to the taxpayers in a way that they can better understand why we do what we do and to help them see the reason and rationale behind that."
It takes similar finesse to tell people they've been in contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus, and they can't go to work for the next two weeks. Elliott explains the importance of protecting the community from the virus, or the difference between quarantine (staying home if you've been exposed but aren't symptomatic) and isolation (avoiding family members within your home if you do know you are sick).
Investigators from the city attorney's office have been applying their people-finding skills. Some people who become ill may be reluctant to share information about their close contacts, or, they just don't know enough information about the people they've been in close quarters with.
"Let's say you're on a job site, working construction and you had lunch with a guy, 'Oh, it's Bob, he's a steam fitter,'" says Rutherford. "That's the kind of thing that we're facing, that we get partial locating information."
City investigators are familiar with databases and electronic gumshoe strategies for finding Bob's last name and phone number, so he can be notified and get tested.
The goal is to train enough contact tracers to serve all 58 counties in California, but the state is leaving it up to each county to roll out the program and handle the specifics, such as what kind of support services to offer people asked to self-quarantine.
In San Francisco, when people who may be infectious are asked to stay home, contact tracers refer them to get tested, offer them free cleaning supplies and help with grocery and medication deliveries. If they can't isolate themselves safely from other family members in their home, residents have the option of staying in a city-funded hotel room.
San Francisco is also planning to launch a program to help replace two weeks of lost income, up to $1,200, for people who test positive but don't have a job with paid sick leave or cannot access unemployment insurance benefits.
South of San Francisco, in Santa Clara County, where the first COVID-19 cases in the U.S. were identified, health officials have struggled to recruit enough librarians and other county employees to become contact tracers. They are now asking for 800 volunteers from the community to meet their goal of building a 1,000-person case investigation and contact tracing team, with an emphasis on volunteers who can speak other languages, particularly Spanish and Vietnamese.
In San Francisco, some staffers from the city attorney's office have been told they will eventually go back to their regular jobs part time and continue doing contact tracing part time. Librarian Lisa Fagundes has been doing four 4-hour contact tracing shifts per week.
"It's something that I feel like I could do for the rest of the year, if needed, then when the library starts ramping up, I could do both," she says. "But, I think that the library will not be ramping up to full service anytime soon, because it's not an essential service – as much as we may disagree."


npr--2020-06-14--'The Art Of Her Deal' Aims To Show Melania Trump As An Influential Collaborator

'The Art Of Her Deal ' Aims To Show Melania Trump As An Influential Collaborator From the outside , Melania Trump looks like a woman in over her tastefully balayaged head .
At public events , she rarely speaks , but assumes the rictus smolder — like a model who has just spotted a lion over the photographer 's shoulder — that inspired a thousand # freemelania signs .
A new , scrupulously reported biography by Washington Post reporter Mary Jordan counters this perception , arguing that the first lady is not a pawn but a player , an accessory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first sense , and a woman able to get what she wants from one of the most powerful and transparently vain men in the world .
The book is called The Art of Her Deal .
For this book , Jordan interviewed more than a hundred people , including Melania 's Slovenian childhood acquaintances , staff members at Donald Trump 's properties , players in the New York and Paris modeling world , and one-time Trump insiders like Chris Christie , Roger Stone , and Anthony Scaramucci .
She also spoke briefly to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her reporting on the 2016 election .
The result is a convincing case that those `` who dismiss her as nothing more than an accessory do not understand her or her influence . ''
Make no mistake : Beauty is the first line in the job description .
As Women 's Wear Daily reported , Melania was asked in 2005 if she would be with Donald Trump if he were not rich .
`` If I were n't beautiful , '' she replied , `` do you think he 'd be with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer seemed to capture the essence of their exchange : money for beauty , beauty for money .
But in the years since , Melania has had to offer much more than her looks : She has endured a presidential campaign , the humiliations of Stormy Daniels and the Access Hollywood Tape , and the daily demands of life in the White House .
Throughout these trials , Jordan characterizes Melania as a canny operator who believed `` she had more to gain by standing by her husband than walking away . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of infidelity and assault , Melania used the fact that he needed her public loyalty and presence in Washington to negotiate a better prenuptial agreement .
Melania referred to this process as `` taking care of Barron . ''
Jordan reports that she was worried that their son Barron would not be treated as well as Trump 's other children .
( As Jordan points out , this was perhaps for good reason — Trump has at least once seemed to forget Barron was his , saying of Melania at a 2019 press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son '' ) .
Melania has also influenced key policy decisions , mostly having to do with children : She pushed back against child separation at the border , and advocated for harsher rules about marketing e-cigarettes to minors .
In the course of her reporting , Jordan finds that Donald Trump is not the only mythmaker in the family .
She investigates , for instance , Melania 's suggestion that she speaks , in addition to English and Slovenian , French , Italian , and German .
Jordan concludes that , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ university in Slovenia , that section of her CV is likely fabricated or at least seriously exaggerated .
But The Art of Her Deal offers few scoops in the conventional sense ; its major contribution is merely the insistence that Melania is a real person with complicated motivations .
This point should be obvious : Is n't everybody , in and out of the White House , complex , striving , conflicted , out for something ?
The flattening effect of political discourse , the special insipidity of the first lady role , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed us either to forget that she has an inner life , or to imagine her an elegant prisoner .
Women in public life , from Hillary Clinton to Princess Diana , have a way of crystallizing attitudes about women more broadly .
Melania speaks rarely and haltingly , and her face expresses emotion only through the narrowing and widening of flame-blue eyes .
When she speaks , the planes of her face remain utterly undisturbed .
Because of this ruthless blankness , she is better suited than almost any other woman in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Which makes it worth asking : What is it in us that prefers a captive to a collaborator ?

'The Art Of Her Deal' Aims To Show Melania Trump As An Influential Collaborator
toggle caption Simon & Schuster
From the outside, Melania Trump looks like a woman in over her tastefully balayaged head. At public events, she rarely speaks, but assumes the rictus smolder — like a model who has just spotted a lion over the photographer's shoulder — that inspired a thousand #freemelania signs.
A new, scrupulously reported biography by Washington Post reporter Mary Jordan counters this perception, arguing that the first lady is not a pawn but a player, an accessory in the second as much as the first sense, and a woman able to get what she wants from one of the most powerful and transparently vain men in the world. The book is called The Art of Her Deal.
For this book, Jordan interviewed more than a hundred people, including Melania's Slovenian childhood acquaintances, staff members at Donald Trump's properties, players in the New York and Paris modeling world, and one-time Trump insiders like Chris Christie, Roger Stone and Anthony Scaramucci. She also spoke briefly to the first lady herself in the course of her reporting on the 2016 election. The result is a convincing case that those "who dismiss her as nothing more than an accessory do not understand her or her influence."
Make no mistake: Beauty is the first line in the job description. As Women's Wear Daily reported, Melania was asked in 2005 whether she would be with Donald Trump if he were not rich. "If I weren't beautiful," she replied, "do you think he'd be with me?" That stinging, cynical answer seemed to capture the essence of their exchange: money for beauty, beauty for money.
But in the years since, Melania has had to offer much more than her looks: She has endured a presidential campaign, the humiliations of Stormy Daniels and the Access Hollywood tape, and the daily demands of life in the White House.
Throughout these trials, Jordan characterizes Melania as a canny operator who believed "she had more to gain by standing by her husband than walking away." Jordan writes that after Trump was accused of infidelity and assault, Melania used the fact that he needed her public loyalty and presence in Washington to negotiate a better prenuptial agreement. Melania referred to this process as "taking care of Barron." Jordan reports that she was worried that their son Barron would not be treated as well as Trump's other children. (As Jordan points out, this was perhaps for good reason — Trump has at least once seemed to forget Barron was his, saying of Melania at a 2019 press briefing, "She's got a son.")
Melania has also influenced key policy decisions, mostly having to do with children: She pushed back against child separation at the border and advocated for harsher rules about marketing e-cigarettes to minors.
In the course of her reporting, Jordan finds that Donald Trump is not the only mythmaker in the family. She investigates, for instance, Melania's suggestion that she speaks — in addition to English and Slovenian — French, Italian and German. Jordan concludes that, like Melania's claim to have graduated from university in Slovenia, that section of her CV is likely fabricated or at least seriously exaggerated.
But The Art of Her Deal offers few scoops in the conventional sense; its major contribution is merely the insistence that Melania is a real person with complicated motivations. This point should be obvious: Isn't everybody, in and out of the White House, complex, striving, conflicted, out for something? The flattening effect of political discourse, the special insipidity of the first lady role, and Melania's own particular remoteness have allowed us either to forget that she has an inner life, or to imagine her as an elegant prisoner.
Women in public life, from Hillary Clinton to Princess Diana, have a way of crystallizing attitudes about women more broadly. Melania speaks rarely and haltingly, and her face expresses emotion only through the narrowing and widening of flame-blue eyes. When she speaks, the planes of her face remain utterly undisturbed. Because of this ruthless blankness, she is better suited than almost any other woman in public to be a projecting screen. Which makes it worth asking: What is it in us that prefers a captive to a collaborator?


npr--2020-06-13--Calls For Reform Put Minneapolis Police Union Leader In Hot Seat

City councils and state legislatures around the country are considering dramatic changes to policing , but a big obstacle to police reform is often police officers themselves and the unions that represent them .
That 's especially true in Minneapolis , where many residents are calling for the controversial head of the police union there to resign while some officers appear to be breaking ranks .
The police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 has sparked daily protests across the country against police brutality and racial inequities .
Those marches and demonstrations demand broad changes to policing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on one cop in particular , chanting `` Bob Kroll Must Go ! ''
and `` Fire Bob Kroll ! ''
Lt. Bob Kroll is the controversial head of the Minneapolis Police Federation , the union representing the more than 800 police officers in this city .
On Friday evening , more than a thousand people protested outside the union headquarters , one of several protests in recent weeks that has targeted the police union .
`` Bob Kroll is as racist as they come ! ''
shouted Minneapolis civil rights attorney and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd Friday .
`` And his evil has been allowed to fester inside the Minneapolis Police Department ! ''
When people here talk about a rotten police culture and the community 's lack of trust in police , many point to the union and the veteran cop that leads it as a major reason .
`` Bob Kroll is the president of this union , but he 's also a cartoon character , frankly , '' said Michelle Gross , president of the group Communities United Against Police Brutality .
`` He utters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a brutal cop . ''
Gross points to Kroll 's many comments over the years that she and others view as racist .
He was named in a 2007 racial discrimination lawsuit against the police department filed by five black officers , including the current chief , Medaria Arradondo , who alleged he called then Rep. Keith Ellison , who is black and Muslim , a `` terrorist , '' and that he allegedly wore a white supremacist group 's patch on his motorcycle jacket .
Over his 31 years on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed against Kroll , who has been suspended and demoted by the department , and sued several times for use of excessive force .
`` People are very , very sick and tired of the way that he vilifies victims of police and defends killer cops , '' Gross added .
In a letter to the rank and file a week after the killing of George Floyd , Kroll vowed to fight the firing of the four officers criminally charged in Floyd 's death .
He made no mention of Derek Chauvin kneeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutes but he did mention Floyd 's `` violent criminal history . ''
He called the protests a `` terrorist movement , '' and Kroll criticized political leaders ' response as `` despicable behavior , '' saying police officers were being made `` scapegoats . ''
Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo this week announced he is pulling out of contract talks with the union and looking for ways to restructure the contract to include greater transparency and accountability as part of a broader push to reform policing .
When a reporter asked if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down , the chief sidestepped the question .
Asked if he thought Kroll could change , Arradondo said , `` We have to look into our hearts , what 's in our best interests , so I hope he will do the same . ''
Kroll did not return calls seeking comment .
The police federation 's phones are disconnected ; its website , Facebook page and other social media accounts have been taken down .
Kroll even called police on a Washington Post reporter who went to his suburban home seeking comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters this week on efforts to revamp policing , Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender said the union stands in the way .
`` The Police Federation is a clear barrier to change , '' she said .
`` And that is the crux of any short-term changes within our department that they have opposed for years . ''
But now some officers are breaking ranks with Kroll and the union .
Fourteen signed an open letter to the city saying , `` We wholeheartedly condemn Derek Chauvin , '' the officer charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say they represent the vast majority of the Minneapolis police force , and wrote that they `` stand ready to listen and embrace the calls for change , reform and rebuilding . ''
`` The fact of the matter is these officers are heroes and more need to follow , '' said former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak , who is now president and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation , a philanthropic organization focused on racial , social and economic equity , among other community improvement efforts .
Rybak , who served as mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the officers signing the letter well ; two of them served in his security detail .
`` What was so important about [ 14 ] cops putting out a letter and speaking as human beings to the human beings they serve , '' said Rybak , `` is that finally we 're reaching across the lines that I think for too long have held the police away from the people they 're supposed to protect and serve . ''
But others here are skeptical .
Community leaders and protesters point out that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ union president by wide margins .
Last year , he did n't even have an opponent in winning his third two-year term , suggesting his support inside the department runs deep .
`` I want you to understand that Bob Kroll did not come out of thin air , '' said Jaylani Hussein , head of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations at a rally this week .
`` Bob Kroll was voted in by the people who are supposed to protect us . ''
Regardless of where police officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take place in policing whether police choose to participate or not , '' Rybak said .
`` They need to dramatically change their leadership and acknowledge how wrong some of these things are .
If not , this change will happen , whether police choose to be part of it or not . ''
Across the country , Bob Kroll is not an anomaly in police unions .
There are similar controversial leaders of police unions in Chicago , Philadelphia and several other cities .
And that 's why , so many reform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ departments can not simply be changed .
Cities need to dismantle them and start over .

Calls For Reform Put Minneapolis Police Union Leader In Hot Seat
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Schaper/NPR David Schaper/NPR
City councils and state legislatures around the country are considering dramatic changes to policing, but a big obstacle to police reform is often police officers themselves and the unions that represent them.
That's especially true in Minneapolis, where many residents are calling for the controversial head of the police union there to resign while some officers appear to be breaking ranks.
The police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 has sparked daily protests across the country against police brutality and racial inequities. Those marches and demonstrations demand broad changes to policing, but protesters in Minneapolis often focus on one cop in particular, chanting "Bob Kroll Must Go!" and "Fire Bob Kroll!"
Lt. Bob Kroll is the controversial head of the Minneapolis Police Federation, the union representing the more than 800 police officers in this city. On Friday evening, more than a thousand people protested outside the union headquarters, one of several protests in recent weeks that has targeted the police union.
"Bob Kroll is as racist as they come!" shouted Minneapolis civil rights attorney and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong to the cheering crowd Friday. "And his evil has been allowed to fester inside the Minneapolis Police Department!"
When people here talk about a rotten police culture and the community's lack of trust in police, many point to the union and the veteran cop that leads it as a major reason.
"Bob Kroll is the president of this union, but he's also a cartoon character, frankly," said Michelle Gross, president of the group Communities United Against Police Brutality. "He utters racist garbage constantly ... and he's been a brutal cop."
Gross points to Kroll's many comments over the years that she and others view as racist. He was named in a 2007 racial discrimination lawsuit against the police department filed by five black officers, including the current chief, Medaria Arradondo, who alleged he called then Rep. Keith Ellison, who is black and Muslim, a "terrorist," and that he allegedly wore a white supremacist group's patch on his motorcycle jacket. Over his 31 years on the force, there have been 30 complaints filed against Kroll, who has been suspended and demoted by the department, and sued several times for use of excessive force.
"People are very, very sick and tired of the way that he vilifies victims of police and defends killer cops," Gross added.
In a letter to the rank and file a week after the killing of George Floyd, Kroll vowed to fight the firing of the four officers criminally charged in Floyd's death. He made no mention of Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes but he did mention Floyd's "violent criminal history."
He called the protests a "terrorist movement," and Kroll criticized political leaders' response as "despicable behavior," saying police officers were being made "scapegoats."
Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo this week announced he is pulling out of contract talks with the union and looking for ways to restructure the contract to include greater transparency and accountability as part of a broader push to reform policing.
When a reporter asked if negotiations would be helped if Kroll stepped down, the chief sidestepped the question. Asked if he thought Kroll could change, Arradondo said, "We have to look into our hearts, what's in our best interests, so I hope he will do the same."
Kroll did not return calls seeking comment. The police federation's phones are disconnected; its website, Facebook page and other social media accounts have been taken down. Kroll even called police on a Washington Post reporter who went to his suburban home seeking comment.
Despite the silence, Kroll's presence looms large.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Steve Karnowski/AP Steve Karnowski/AP
In a video conference call with reporters this week on efforts to revamp policing, Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender said the union stands in the way.
"The Police Federation is a clear barrier to change," she said. "And that is the crux of any short-term changes within our department that they have opposed for years."
But now some officers are breaking ranks with Kroll and the union. Fourteen signed an open letter to the city saying, "We wholeheartedly condemn Derek Chauvin," the officer charged with Floyd's murder. The officers say they represent the vast majority of the Minneapolis police force, and wrote that they "stand ready to listen and embrace the calls for change, reform and rebuilding."
"The fact of the matter is these officers are heroes and more need to follow," said former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who is now president and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation, a philanthropic organization focused on racial, social and economic equity, among other community improvement efforts.
Rybak, who served as mayor from 2002 through 2013, knows some of the officers signing the letter well; two of them served in his security detail.
"What was so important about [14] cops putting out a letter and speaking as human beings to the human beings they serve," said Rybak, "is that finally we're reaching across the lines that I think for too long have held the police away from the people they're supposed to protect and serve."
But others here are skeptical.
Community leaders and protesters point out that Bob Kroll was elected and reelected police union president by wide margins. Last year, he didn't even have an opponent in winning his third two-year term, suggesting his support inside the department runs deep.
"I want you to understand that Bob Kroll did not come out of thin air," said Jaylani Hussein, head of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations at a rally this week. "Bob Kroll was voted in by the people who are supposed to protect us."
Regardless of where police officers stand, "reform is going to take place in policing whether police choose to participate or not," Rybak said. "They need to dramatically change their leadership and acknowledge how wrong some of these things are. If not, this change will happen, whether police choose to be part of it or not."
Across the country, Bob Kroll is not an anomaly in police unions. There are similar controversial leaders of police unions in Chicago, Philadelphia and several other cities. And that's why, so many reform advocates say, this time, police departments cannot simply be changed. Cities need to dismantle them and start over.


npr--2020-06-13--Atlanta Police Chief Resigns, Officer Fired After Police Shoot And Kill Black Man

Atlanta 's chief of police has resigned , less than a day after police fatally shot a 27-year-old black man outside of a fast food restaurant .
One officer has been terminated following the incident and another placed on administrative duty .
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Saturday that she had accepted Erika Shields ' resignation .
During a press conference , Bottoms said Shields had informed her of the decision , saying it was out of a desire for the Atlanta Police Department to serve as a model for reform .
`` Chief Shields has offered to immediately step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city may move forward with urgency in rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our community , '' Bottoms said .
Shields said in a statement her decision was made `` out of a deep and abiding love '' for her city .
`` It is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve , '' she said .
Shields ' resignation follows an outcry over the Friday night death of Rayshard Brooks .
A police officer shot the 27-year-old after Brooks ran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointed it at police following a scuffle , the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said .
Police had been called after Brooks was found asleep in a car at a Wendy 's drive-through .
The GBI said officers attempted to arrest him when Brooks failed a sobriety test .
Authorities have not identified Brooks ' race , though widely circulated video on social media shows a black man grappling with two police officers before running away with one of their Tasers .
The two officers then give chase and shots are heard out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bottoms offered her condolences to Brooks ' family .
She also called for the immediate termination of the officer who fired the shots that killed Brooks .
`` While there may be debate whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force , I firmly believe there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do , '' Bottoms said .
`` I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer . ''
Atlanta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday night that Officer Garrett Rolfe had been terminated following the incident .
Rolfe had been working for the department since 2013 .
Devin Brosnan , another officer involved in the shooting , has been placed on administrative leave .
The news of Brooks ' death spread in a whiplash fashion and drew condemnation after weeks of nationwide protests over police killings of black people .
Protests have broken out in Atlanta , with some protesters setting a fire inside of the Wendy 's where the shooting took place .
The Atlanta Fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were not entering the Wendy 's until it was safe to to do .
The building is located next to a gas station .
Former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said Brooks ' death must be investigated .
`` The killing of # RayshardBrooks in Atlanta last night demands we severely restrict the use of deadly force , '' Abrams tweeted .
`` Sleeping in a drive-thru must not end in death . ''
Just hours before Bottoms ' announcement , the state 's NAACP called for Shields ' resignation .
`` Georgia woke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rayshard Brooks being killed by an officer of the Atlanta Police Department , '' the Georgia NAACP said in a statement .
`` This is not the first time a Black man was killed for sleeping . ''
Earlier in the day , state investigators offered more details about the shooting .
GBI Director Vic Reynolds said his agency had reviewed restaurant security footage showing Brooks running with what appeared to be one of the officer 's Tasers .
Brooks is then shown turning around and apparently pointing the Taser at police .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer reaches down and retrieves his weapon from his holster , discharges it , strikes Mr. Brooks there on the parking lot and he goes down , '' Reynolds said .
The Bureau released the footage to the public later on Saturday .
Brooks died after undergoing surgery at a nearby hospital , according to authorities .
Former Assistant Chief Rodney Bryant will serve as the interim head of the department until a replacement is selected , Bottoms said .
Shields , who had been appointed chief in 2016 , will continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city .

Atlanta Police Release Video Of Minutes Before Rayshard Brooks Shooting
Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP
Updated at 9:44 p.m. ET Sunday
As Atlanta protesters took to the streets again Sunday, incensed by the killing of Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old black man fatally shot by a police officer, body cam videos released by the Atlanta Police Department showed Brooks being polite and for the most part, calmly complying with officers' requests.
The incident quickly turned deadly and by Sunday the city's police chief had resigned, the officer who shot Brooks had been fired and ongoing demonstrations against police killings of black people were reignited.
Police were called after Brooks was found asleep in a car at a Wendy's drive-through Friday night.
In video of the officers' questioning, which lasted over 30 minutes, Brooks was open about the reason why he had pulled off and fell asleep, saying at one point, "I'm just not feeling right," and admitting to having some drinks Friday evening.
At one point during the encounter Brooks tells officers, "I know you're just doing your job."
Officers gave Brooks a field sobriety test, then asked if he would comply with taking a breathalyzer test, which he did.
After he failed that test, footage shows an officer attempts to handcuff and arrest Brooks, when a struggle breaks out.
Brooks then appears to grab a Taser, and runs away. The two officers give chase and one fires a Taser at Brooks, and at one point Brooks points the Taser in the direction of an officer behind him.
Then that officer pulls out a hand gun and fires at Brooks, three shots are heard, and Brooks falls to the ground. Brooks later died at the hospital.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner confirmed on Sunday that Brooks died of gunshot wounds to his back, and labeled the death a homicide.
Brooks family responds
"We count two minutes and 16 seconds before they even checked his pulse," L. Chris Stewart, one of the Brooks family attorneys, said in a press conference on Saturday evening.
According to the Brooks family attorneys, Rayshard Brooks has three daughters, who are 1, 2 and 8 years old. He was working at a "tortilla place," Stewart said. Brooks reportedly also had a stepson.
"He was supposed to take his daughter skating today for her birthday," Justin Miller, another attorney representing the Brooks family, said. "Today [Saturday] there was a birthday party, with cupcakes while we were sitting there talking to her mom about why he's not coming home."
The officer who shot Brooks, Stewart said, should be charged with "an unjustified use of deadly force, which equals murder."
"This wasn't a violent crime, they had his I.D., they knew where he lived, they had the car," Stewart said.
"I feel like I'm stuck being a single black parent. I'm being forced to do it by myself. This was not a choice. They took my husband away," Tomika Miller, Brooks' wife, said in an interview with ABC. "They destroyed my family. No justice will ever get that back. This is another black family being broken."
Police chief resigns; officer fired
The details emerging from the videos came a day after Atlanta's chief of police Erika Shields stepped down.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Saturday that she had accepted Shields' resignation. During a press conference, Bottoms said Shields had informed her of the decision to step aside, saying it was out of a desire for the Atlanta Police Department to serve as a model for reform.
"Chief Shields has offered to immediately step aside as police chief so that the city may move forward with urgency in rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our community," Bottoms said.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Shields said in a statement that her decision was made "out of a deep and abiding love" for her city.
"It is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve," she said.
During the press conference, Bottoms offered her condolences to Brooks' family. She also called for the immediate termination of the officer who fired the shots that killed Brooks.
"While there may be debate whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force, I firmly believe there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do," Bottoms said. "I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer."
Former Assistant Chief Rodney Bryant will serve as the interim head of the department until a replacement is selected, Bottoms said. Shields, who had been appointed chief in 2016, will continue to serve in a yet-to-be determined role with the city.
Atlanta Police Sgt. John Chafee told NPR late Saturday night that Officer Garrett Rolfe, who fired at Brooks, had been terminated following the incident. Rolfe had been working for the department since 2013. Devin Brosnan, another officer involved in the incident, has been placed on administrative leave.
Condemnation and protests; Wendy's burns
The news of Brooks' death spread in a whiplash fashion and drew condemnation after weeks of nationwide protests over police killings of black people. Protests broke out in Atlanta, with some demonstrators setting a fire inside of the Wendy's where the shooting took place.
The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department said in a tweet that officers were not entering the Wendy's until it was safe to to do. The building is located next to a gas station.
Former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said Brooks' death must be investigated.
"The killing of #RayshardBrooks in Atlanta last night demands we severely restrict the use of deadly force," Abrams tweeted. "Sleeping in a drive-thru must not end in death."
Just hours before Bottoms' announcement, the state's NAACP called for Shields' resignation.
"Georgia woke up to disturbing videos and reports of Rayshard Brooks being killed by an officer of the Atlanta Police Department," the Georgia NAACP said in a statement. "This is not the first time a Black man was killed for sleeping."
"[Brooks] did not seem to present any threat to anyone. The fact that it would escalate to his death seems unreasonable," Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard told CNN on Sunday.
Howard also said a decision on whether charges would be brought against the officers would be made by mid-next week.