npr--2020-03-06--Where That $8.3 Billion In U.S. Coronavirus Funding Will And Won't Go

Where That $ 8.3 Billion In U.S. Coronavirus Funding Will And Wo n't Go The coronavirus funding bill signed into law by the president Friday puts much more money toward treating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 than his administration requested from Congress last week .
The Trump administration 's initial request — in the form of a two-page letter to Congress on Feb. 24 — was for $ 1.25 billion in new funds , with additional money moved from other parts of the federal budget to get to a total of $ 2.5 billion .
The amount authorized Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It 's a significant amount of money , '' says Jen Kates of the Kaiser Family Foundation .
In comparison , Congress put $ 5.4 billion toward the Ebola response in 2014 , and nearly $ 7 billion for H1N1 in 2009 — though , of course , each epidemic is different and requires a different response .
`` It appears to me to be an appropriate number to definitely begin the fight — and likely handle the fight , assuming nothing goes sideways , '' says Chris Meekins , a health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , until January of 2019 , served as Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services So what do taxpayers get for that $ 8.3 billion ?
Here are some highlights : The biggest pot of money goes to the Office of the Secretary of HHS , and that funding is available until 2024 .
`` I thought the flexibility they gave within the Office of the Secretary 's public health emergency account was good , '' Meekins says .
`` It allows us to not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine development — but also purchase additional supplies that are needed , like masks and personal protective equipment , which for years had been underfunded by Congress and administrations . ''
Of that money , $ 100 million is directed to community health centers for underserved groups .
`` I think that a focus on underserved populations is going to continue to be very important as we see more cases in more states , '' says Beth Cameron who works on global biological policy for the Nuclear Threat Initiative .
During the Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Global Health , Security and Biodefense on the White House 's National Security Council , a position that was eliminated by the Trump administration in 2018 .
Of all of the $ 950 million for state and local public health response that 's to be dispersed via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , half must be allocated within 30 days .
`` That 's great because that will hopefully get around some of the bureaucratic delays we 've seen in previous responses , '' says Dara Lieberman of Trust for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health policy research and advocacy organization .
Lieberman says health departments around the U.S. are now in the beginning of the `` mitigation phase '' of responding to the virus .
`` They 're doing the outbreak investigations , they 're trying to implement isolation orders , they 're trying to disrupt chains of transmission , '' she says .
`` As the outbreak evolves , you 'll see different needs and different responses . ''
What will state and local health departments be using this money for ?
Lieberman says one need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have to do some quick hiring or contracting of people , '' she says .
`` Laboratories may have to buy equipment , and pay people overtime because people may be working 12-hour shifts , six or seven days a week as testing ramps up . ''
Data analytics , she says , is another area where health departments may need to quickly invest , so they can conduct surveillance of how coronavirus infections are spreading .
`` We 've long neglected data modernization among health departments — because we underfund public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to be investing in those kinds of basic capabilities . ''
Will whatever treatments or vaccines that are eventually developed for coronavirus be affordable ?
That was a question put to the head of the federal coronavirus task force and HHS Secretary Alex Azar by Rep. Jan Schakowsky , D-Ill. at a hearing last week .
Azar responded that he could n't guarantee affordability : `` We would want to ensure we work to make [ a vaccine ] affordable , but we ca n't control that price because we need the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment triggered accusations that Azar , a former executive at drugmaker Eli Lilly , had more loyalty to the private sector than the American public .
In Friday 's funding package , there 's a provision that the vaccines and treatments purchased by the government are to be priced fairly and reasonably .
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro , who chairs the House Appropriations health subcommittee , pointed out in a statement that the bill gives `` authority for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make the vaccines , therapeutics , and diagnostics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be affordable in the commercial market . ''
She urged Azar to make use of that provision .
The Trump administration 's original request to Congress was focused purely on responding to coronavirus on the domestic front .
As Azar explained in another Congressional hearing last week : `` Our activities are really containment and mitigation preparation in the homeland , because we 're not going to help the Chinese stop this in China — China will do that or not be able to do that . ''
In the end , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include funding for responding to the spread of coronavirus response internationally .
Cameron says that global investment is essential , and she was glad to see it ultimately included .
The international funding is n't as much as she was hoping for , she says , but it 's a `` good start . ''
`` It 's super important to make sure that we are focused not just within the United States , '' Cameron says .
`` We do n't know which countries are going to be most affected , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and middle-income countries that might not have the resources to contain outbreaks on their own is a `` fantastic investment . ''
What may be missing from the funding package Nothing in this law spells out how much , if any , money will go to reimburse hospitals or patients for medical care associated with COVID-19 treatment .
Some announcements came through this week that the diagnostic test will be covered by many private insurers and Medicare and Medicaid , but there will be lots of other expenses associated with COVID-19 care .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay isolated in a hospital for 14 days , who is to pay for that ?
That question is especially pressing for the more than 70 million Americans who do n't have health insurance or are underinsured .
`` That 's the next frontier that 's going to have to be grappled with , '' Kates of KFF says .
`` If [ coronavirus ] gets much more widespread , all the challenges of the existing way in which health care is financed and provided in this country are going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not addressed in this bill . ''

Where That $8.3 Billion In U.S. Coronavirus Funding Will And Won't Go
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The coronavirus funding bill signed into law by the president Friday puts much more money toward treating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 than his administration requested from Congress last week.
The Trump administration's initial request — in the form of a two-page letter to Congress on Feb. 24 — was for $1.25 billion in new funds, with additional money moved from other parts of the federal budget to get to a total of $2.5 billion. The amount authorized Friday is more than three times that.
"It's a significant amount of money," says Jen Kates of the Kaiser Family Foundation. In comparison, Congress put $5.4 billion toward the Ebola response in 2014 and nearly $7 billion for H1N1 in 2009 — though, of course, each epidemic is different and requires a different response.
"It appears to me to be an appropriate number to definitely begin the fight — and likely handle the fight, assuming nothing goes sideways," says Chris Meekins, a health care policy analyst at Raymond James who, until January 2019, worked on preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human Services.
So what do taxpayers get for that $8.3 billion? Here are some highlights:
$3.1 billion for the health secretary's dispersal
The biggest pot of money goes to the Office of the Secretary of HHS, and that funding is available until 2024.
"I thought the flexibility they gave within the Office of the Secretary's public health emergency account was good," Meekins says. "It allows us to not just put money toward therapeutic development — also vaccine development — but also purchase additional supplies that are needed, like masks and personal protective equipment, which for years had been underfunded by Congress and administrations."
Of that money, $100 million is directed to community health centers for underserved groups. "I think that a focus on underserved populations is going to continue to be very important as we see more cases in more states," says Beth Cameron who works on global biological policy for the Nuclear Threat Initiative. During the Obama administration, she served as senior director for global health, security and biodefense on the White House's National Security Council, a position that was eliminated by the Trump administration in 2018.
$950 million for state and local health departments
Of all of the $950 million for state and local public health response that's to be dispersed via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half must be allocated within 30 days.
"That's great because that will hopefully get around some of the bureaucratic delays we've seen in previous responses," says Dara Lieberman of Trust for America's Health, a nonpartisan public health policy research and advocacy organization.
Lieberman says health departments across the U.S. are now in the beginning of the "mitigation phase" of responding to the virus. "They're doing the outbreak investigations, they're trying to implement isolation orders, they're trying to disrupt chains of transmission," she says. "As the outbreak evolves, you'll see different needs and different responses."
What will state and local health departments be using this money for? Lieberman says one need may be staffing. "Health departments may have to do some quick hiring or contracting of people," she says. "Laboratories may have to buy equipment and pay people overtime because people may be working 12-hour shifts, six or seven days a week as testing ramps up."
Data analytics, she says, is another area where health departments may need to quickly invest, so they can conduct surveillance of how coronavirus infections are spreading. "We've long neglected data modernization among health departments — because we underfund public health so much — so they may have to be investing in those kinds of basic capabilities."
$300 million to buy vaccines and treatments
Will whatever treatments or vaccines that are eventually developed for coronavirus be affordable?
That was a question put to the head of the federal coronavirus task force and HHS Secretary Alex Azar by Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., at a hearing last week. Azar responded that he couldn't guarantee affordability: "We would want to ensure we work to make [a vaccine] affordable, but we can't control that price because we need the private sector to invest." His comment triggered accusations that Azar, a former executive at drugmaker Eli Lilly, had more loyalty to the private sector than to the American public.
In Friday's funding package, there's a provision that the vaccines and treatments purchased by the government are to be priced fairly and reasonably.
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, who chairs the House Appropriations health subcommittee, pointed out in a statement that the bill gives "authority for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make the vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics developed from funding in this bill to be affordable in the commercial market." She urged Azar to make use of that provision.
$1.25 billion for international activities
The Trump administration's original request to Congress was focused purely on responding to coronavirus on the domestic front. As Azar explained in another congressional hearing last week: "Our activities are really containment and mitigation preparation in the homeland, because we're not going to help the Chinese stop this in China — China will do that or not be able to do that."
In the end, the bill the president signed into law does include funding for responding to the spread of coronavirus response internationally.
Cameron says that global investment is essential and that she was glad to see it ultimately included. The international funding isn't as much as she was hoping for, she says, but it's a "good start."
"It's superimportant to make sure that we are focused not just within the United States," Cameron says. "We don't know which countries are going to be most affected," she explains, and so supporting low- and middle-income countries that might not have the resources to contain outbreaks on their own is a "fantastic investment."
What may be missing from the funding package
Nothing in this law spells out how much, if any, money will go to reimburse hospitals or patients for medical care associated with COVID-19 treatment. Some announcements came through this week that the diagnostic test will be covered by many private insurers and Medicare and Medicaid, but there will be lots of other expenses associated with COVID-19 care.
For instance, if someone is compelled to stay isolated in a hospital for 14 days, who is to pay for that? That question is especially pressing for the more than 70 million Americans who don't have health insurance or are underinsured.
"That's the next frontier that's going to have to be grappled with," Kates of KFF says. "If [coronavirus] gets much more widespread, all the challenges of the existing way in which health care is financed and provided in this country are going to be in stark relief. And they're not addressed in this bill."


npr--2020-03-06--The Show Will Not Go On: Austin Cancels SXSW Because Of Coronavirus

The Show Will Not Go On : Austin Cancels SXSW Because Of Coronavirus The city of Austin , Texas , has canceled South by Southwest , after a disaster was declared in response to the expanding coronavirus .
The annual event is a staple for the technology , music and film worlds ; last year 's edition drew more than 400,000 visitors to the city .
The 2020 edition was slated to take place March 13 to 22 .
In a statement Friday afternoon , SXSW said : `` The city of Austin has canceled the March dates for SXSW @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow the city 's directions . ''
Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt both announced disaster declarations that will last for seven days and are renewable .
`` We are devastated to share this news with you , '' SXSW organizers said in a statement. ''
'The show must go on ' is in our DNA , and this is the first time in 34 years that the March event will not take place .
We are now working on ramifications of this unprecedented situation , '' it continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measure and an effort to be proactive .
Dr. Mark Escott of Austin Public Health said there are no cases of COVID-19 in Travis County .

The Show Will Not Go On: Austin Cancels SXSW Because Of Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Shelley Hiam/Courtesy of SXSW Shelley Hiam/Courtesy of SXSW
Updated at 5:30 p.m. ET
The city of Austin, Texas, has canceled South by Southwest, after a disaster was declared in response to the expanding coronavirus.
The annual event is a staple for the technology, music and film worlds; last year's edition drew more than 400,000 visitors to the city. The 2020 edition was slated to take place March 13 to 22.
In a statement Friday afternoon, SXSW said: "The city of Austin has canceled the March dates for SXSW and SXSW EDU. SXSW will faithfully follow the city's directions."
Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt both announced disaster declarations that will last for seven days and are renewable.
"We are devastated to share this news with you," SXSW organizers said in a statement.
" 'The show must go on' is in our DNA, and this is the first time in 34 years that the March event will not take place. We are now working on ramifications of this unprecedented situation," it continued.
Officials said it was a precautionary measure and an effort to be proactive. Dr. Mark Escott of Austin Public Health said there are no cases of COVID-19 in Travis County.


npr--2020-03-06--Trump Administration Poised To Start Collecting DNA From Immigration Detainees

Starting in April , immigration authorities will start taking cheek swabs to collect DNA from hundreds of thousands of immigration detainees in federal custody each year .
The Trump Administration says the policy change will help law enforcement apprehend criminal suspects .
The data collected will be transferred to an FBI database , so that in the future , law enforcement officials could check if these samples matched any DNA recovered from a crime scene .
Immigrant rights advocates describe it as dehumanizing and a serious breach of privacy against vulnerable populations .
`` It 's about miscasting these individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this country ... as people who pose a threat that somehow would justify holding onto the most intimate information about them indefinitely , '' Naureen Shah , senior advocacy and policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union , tells NPR .
She notes the ACLU also opposes DNA collection from people arrested or investigated for crimes , due to concerns about the risk of misidentification .
The Justice Department said Friday that it is formally amending regulations and pushing forward with the DNA collection plan , which was first floated in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to publish on Monday .
The Department of Justice said the final rule is simply implementing a 2005 law called the DNA Fingerprint Act , which gave authorities broad authority to collect DNA samples from people in federal custody .
`` Today 's rule assists federal agencies in implementing longstanding aspects of our immigration laws as passed by bipartisan majorities of Congress , '' Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen said in a statement .
`` Its implementation will help to enforce federal law with the use of science . ''
Until now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary of Homeland Security to waive the collection of DNA samples from some migrants `` because of operational exigencies or resource limitations . ''
During the Obama administration , federal officials decided it was not feasible to collect DNA in this sweeping fashion from individuals in immigration detention .
The Trump administration has removed this option , and now requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to collect DNA from immigration detainees .
It says that DNA collection has become easier and cheaper since the 2005 law was passed .
The final rule says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a `` sanitized 'genetic fingerprint ' '' that `` can be used to identify an individual uniquely , but they do not disclose the individual 's traits , disorders , or dispositions . ''
Shah says the Trump administration officials have `` tried to downplay what they can do with this information . ''
`` This is n't DNA from information that 's going to be looked at once and then disappear from a database .
It 's going to stay in governments hands , '' she says , and she 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change over time .
`` That 's why we have a lot of concerns about how this particular program , which targets immigrants in detention , actually is a precursor to deploying this kind of surveillance technology to lots of vulnerable ... communities in the United States and ultimately be used as a tool for full scale surveillance , '' Shah adds .
The Trump administration says the DNA information collected would not , and could not , be used for surveillance .
According to the final rule , sample collections would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , eventually reaching about 748,000 new samples annually .
The information will be added to the FBI 's Combined DNA Index System , known as CODIS , which authorities use to search for DNA that matches traces of biological material found at crime scenes .
The data that will be gathered from immigration detainees per year is expected to be more than the entire database from almost any individual state .
The Trump administration has repeatedly suggested that immigrants in general pose a criminal threat to the U.S. , even though studies have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates than people born in the U.S .

Trump Administration Poised To Start Collecting DNA From Immigration Detainees
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brynn Anderson/AP Brynn Anderson/AP
Starting in April, immigration authorities will start taking cheek swabs to collect DNA from hundreds of thousands of immigration detainees in federal custody each year.
The Trump Administration says the policy change will help law enforcement apprehend criminal suspects. The data collected will be transferred to an FBI database, so that in the future, law enforcement officials could check if these samples matched any DNA recovered from a crime scene.
Immigrant rights advocates describe it as dehumanizing and a serious breach of privacy against vulnerable populations. "It's about miscasting these individuals, many of whom are seeking asylum in this country ... as people who pose a threat that somehow would justify holding onto the most intimate information about them indefinitely," Naureen Shah, senior advocacy and policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union, tells NPR. She notes the ACLU also opposes DNA collection from people arrested or investigated for crimes, due to concerns about the risk of misidentification.
The Justice Department said Friday that it is formally amending regulations and pushing forward with the DNA collection plan, which was first floated in October. The final rule is scheduled to publish on Monday.
The Department of Justice said the final rule is simply implementing a 2005 law called the DNA Fingerprint Act, which gave authorities broad authority to collect DNA samples from people in federal custody.
"Today's rule assists federal agencies in implementing longstanding aspects of our immigration laws as passed by bipartisan majorities of Congress," Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen said in a statement. "Its implementation will help to enforce federal law with the use of science."
Until now, however, the law allowed the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive the collection of DNA samples from some migrants "because of operational exigencies or resource limitations."
During the Obama administration, federal officials decided it was not feasible to collect DNA in this sweeping fashion from individuals in immigration detention.
The Trump administration has removed this option, and now requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to collect DNA from immigration detainees. It says that DNA collection has become easier and cheaper since the 2005 law was passed.
The final rule says the DNA information that will be collected is a "sanitized 'genetic fingerprint'" that "can be used to identify an individual uniquely, but they do not disclose the individual's traits, disorders, or dispositions."
Shah says the Trump administration officials have "tried to downplay what they can do with this information."
"This isn't DNA from information that's going to be looked at once and then disappear from a database. It's going to stay in governments hands," she says, and she's concerned the way it is used could change over time.
"That's why we have a lot of concerns about how this particular program, which targets immigrants in detention, actually is a precursor to deploying this kind of surveillance technology to lots of vulnerable ... communities in the United States and ultimately be used as a tool for full scale surveillance," Shah adds.
The Trump administration says the DNA information collected would not, and could not, be used for surveillance.
According to the final rule, sample collections would be expected to ramp up over several years, eventually reaching about 748,000 new samples annually.
The information will be added to the FBI's Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS, which authorities use to search for DNA that matches traces of biological material found at crime scenes. The data that will be gathered from immigration detainees per year is expected to be more than the entire database from almost any individual state.
The Trump administration has repeatedly suggested that immigrants in general pose a criminal threat to the U.S., even though studies have shown that they commit crimes at lower rates than people born in the U.S.


npr--2020-03-06--With Italy's Coronavirus Cases Rising Fast, Rome's Streets Go Quiet

Italy is undergoing the biggest coronavirus outbreak outside Asia .
After surfacing two weeks ago in northern Italy , its economic engine , confusion and fear have spread throughout the country .
Italians ' new must-see TV show is at 6 p.m. for Civil Protection Agency updates on how many infections , and how many deaths .
On Friday , the agency said a total of 4,636 people have tested positive and 197 have died from COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus .
After China , Italy has the second-highest reported death toll and third-highest confirmed cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Vatican has announced its first coronavirus patient .
Although 49 people have tested positive in Rome province , it is far from the epicenter in the northern regions of Lombardy , Veneto and Emilia Romagna .
But you would n't know it walking around the capital city , which feels like a ghost town .
Public gatherings are suspended , which means for Italy 's secular religion , soccer , matches will be held in empty stadiums for the next month .
On Wednesday , the government extended school and university shutdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raucous talk show debates .
As many as 10 million students and nearly 1 million teachers , professors and staff will have to stay home for at least two weeks , Italian media report .
Italy 's leading public intellectual , Massimo Cacciari , demanded clarity .
`` Someone has to explain the logic behind these measures : schools closed , but offices open .
I need a scientific explanation , '' Cacciari says , `` why contagion is greater in schools than in offices — or else we 'll all go crazy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fueled conspiracy theories about the new coronavirus .
For example , Luca Zaia , the governor of the virus-hit Veneto region who is a member of the hard-right populist League Party , is openly anti-immigrant and made offensive remarks explaining why the virus originated in China .
`` It 's a cultural fact that China has paid a big price for this epidemic because we have seen them all eat living mice and things like that , '' Zaia told a TV interviewer .
Roundly criticized , Zaia then apologized to the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is hurting his party , which is Italy 's most popular but has been dropping in the latest surveys .
Critics are mocking the League 's nationalistic slogan `` Italians First '' at a time when several countries , including Australia and Israel , have banned Italians from entering for fear of contagion .
An immediate repercussion of the virus outbreak is the plunge in tourism to Italy .
This week , Confturismo , the national tourist industry confederation , projected it could cost the country a loss of more than $ 8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On a weekday at around 11 a.m. , there are two people climbing up the Spanish Steps — one of the city 's top tourist attractions .
It 's eerily quiet , no one is sitting around the boat-shaped fountain , Fontana della Barcaccia .
And nowhere to be seen are the exhausted but satisfied visitors , usually laden with shopping bags from nearby boutiques — Valentino , Armani or Prada .
Rome 's high-end fashion street Via Condotti is empty and forlorn .
Art lovers wanting to gaze on some Caravaggio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Luigi dei Francesi church is closed .
A 43-year-old French priest tested positive for the coronavirus after he returned to Paris from Rome in late February , Catholic News Agency reported .
Emptied of tourists , Rome 's piazzas and artistic monuments do shine in all their splendor .
But do n't say that to shopkeepers , restaurant staff or those running study abroad programs .
Many have been canceled .
Nicholas Blanco , an American who has been studying at John Cabot University , says he will be on the next flight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'm not nervous about the virus at all , '' he says .
`` But I 'm worried about the fact that if they close down the borders , we 're not going to be able to go home for like a year or so . ''
Blanco speaks to NPR at one of Rome 's oldest pharmacies , Santa Maria della Scala .
It is out of masks and sanitizer gel , like other pharmacies across Rome .
Pharmacist Roberto Antonini says many of his customers are excessively worried about the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aggressive kind of flu , but people should relax , '' he says .
And he blames the authorities for causing confusion .
`` First they said there was no problem at all , then they went overboard , sending confusing , contradictory messages , creating a situation of total panic , '' Antonini says .
There is no panic in the open-air Campo de ' Fiori market .
But it 's a sad sight : large stalls laden with piles of luscious fruits and vegetables , but no one 's shopping .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand and supplier of some of Rome 's best restaurants , is demoralized .
All he has is a few home-delivery orders .
He holds the invoice for one of Rome 's top five-star hotels — in the last two days , all it ordered was 11 pounds of potatoes .
`` The world treats us like disease carriers , '' Zampa complains .
`` Many countries do n't even want our products — including Parmesan cheese ! ''
He adds , `` Italy did more virus tests than other countries and now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Italy has carried out more than 36,359 tests for coronavirus — far more than any other European country .
Italy 's health authorities have recommended `` social distancing '' : People should stay at least 3 feet apart , and abstain from their quintessential greeting , exchanging kisses on each cheek .
And in a city of some 900 churches , the Roman Catholic authorities have given priests specific directives .
These include keeping holy water vessels empty to prevent worshippers from dipping their fingers into the water , and new instructions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small San Giacomo church , 10 elderly people attend 7:30 a.m. Mass .
A female choir sings as six priests lead the religious services .
Following church orders , one of the priests puts Communion wafers on worshippers ' hands , not their tongues .
And he leaves out the usual call to shake hands as a sign of peace .
`` The Mass is over , go in peace , '' the priest says , and the worshippers file out morosely into empty Roman streets .

With Italy's Coronavirus Cases Rising Fast, Rome's Streets Go Quiet
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images
Italy is undergoing the biggest coronavirus outbreak outside Asia.
After surfacing two weeks ago in northern Italy, its economic engine, confusion and fear have spread throughout the country.
Italians' new must-see TV show is at 6 p.m. for Civil Protection Agency updates on how many infections, and how many deaths. On Friday, the agency said a total of 4,636 people have tested positive and 197 have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. After China, Italy has the second-highest reported death toll and third-highest confirmed cases of infection in the world.
Now even the Vatican has announced its first coronavirus patient.
Although 49 people have tested positive in Rome province, it is far from the epicenter in the northern regions of Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia Romagna. But you wouldn't know it walking around the capital city, which feels like a ghost town.
Public gatherings are suspended, which means for Italy's secular religion, soccer, matches will be held in empty stadiums for the next month.
On Wednesday, the government extended school and university shutdown nationwide, causing alarm among families and raucous talk show debates. As many as 10 million students and nearly 1 million teachers, professors and staff will have to stay home for at least two weeks, Italian media report.
Italy's leading public intellectual, Massimo Cacciari, demanded clarity. "Someone has to explain the logic behind these measures: schools closed, but offices open. I need a scientific explanation," Cacciari says, "why contagion is greater in schools than in offices — or else we'll all go crazy!"
But some Italian politicians have fueled conspiracy theories about the new coronavirus.
For example, Luca Zaia, the governor of the virus-hit Veneto region who is a member of the hard-right populist League Party, is openly anti-immigrant and made offensive remarks explaining why the virus originated in China.
"It's a cultural fact that China has paid a big price for this epidemic because we have seen them all eat living mice and things like that," Zaia told a TV interviewer.
Roundly criticized, Zaia then apologized to the Chinese ambassador to Italy.
The virus outbreak is hurting his party, which is Italy's most popular but has been dropping in the latest surveys.
Critics are mocking the League's nationalistic slogan "Italians First" at a time when several countries, including Australia and Israel, have banned Italians from entering for fear of contagion.
An immediate repercussion of the virus outbreak is the plunge in tourism to Italy. This week, Confturismo, the national tourist industry confederation, projected it could cost the country a loss of more than $8 billion just through the month of May.
Rome is hit hard.
On a weekday at around 11 a.m., there are two people climbing up the Spanish Steps — one of the city's top tourist attractions. It's eerily quiet, no one is sitting around the boat-shaped fountain, Fontana della Barcaccia. And nowhere to be seen are the exhausted but satisfied visitors, usually laden with shopping bags from nearby boutiques — Valentino, Armani or Prada.
Rome's high-end fashion street Via Condotti is empty and forlorn.
Art lovers wanting to gaze on some Caravaggio masterpieces find a sign saying the Saint Luigi dei Francesi church is closed.
A 43-year-old French priest tested positive for the coronavirus after he returned to Paris from Rome in late February, Catholic News Agency reported.
Emptied of tourists, Rome's piazzas and artistic monuments do shine in all their splendor. But don't say that to shopkeepers, restaurant staff or those running study abroad programs. Many have been canceled.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sylvia Poggioli/NPR Sylvia Poggioli/NPR
Nicholas Blanco, an American who has been studying at John Cabot University, says he will be on the next flight home to New Jersey.
"I'm not nervous about the virus at all," he says. "But I'm worried about the fact that if they close down the borders, we're not going to be able to go home for like a year or so."
Blanco speaks to NPR at one of Rome's oldest pharmacies, Santa Maria della Scala. It is out of masks and sanitizer gel, like other pharmacies across Rome.
The world treats us like disease carriers. ... Many countries don't even want our products — including Parmesan cheese!
Pharmacist Roberto Antonini says many of his customers are excessively worried about the coronavirus. "Yes, it's an aggressive kind of flu, but people should relax," he says. And he blames the authorities for causing confusion.
"First they said there was no problem at all, then they went overboard, sending confusing, contradictory messages, creating a situation of total panic," Antonini says.
There is no panic in the open-air Campo de' Fiori market. But it's a sad sight: large stalls laden with piles of luscious fruits and vegetables, but no one's shopping.
Claudio Zampa, owner of a produce stand and supplier of some of Rome's best restaurants, is demoralized. All he has is a few home-delivery orders.
He holds the invoice for one of Rome's top five-star hotels — in the last two days, all it ordered was 11 pounds of potatoes.
"The world treats us like disease carriers," Zampa complains. "Many countries don't even want our products — including Parmesan cheese!"
He adds, "Italy did more virus tests than other countries and now we're paying for our transparency."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sylvia Poggioli/NPR Sylvia Poggioli/NPR
Italy has carried out more than 36,359 tests for coronavirus — far more than any other European country.
Italy's health authorities have recommended "social distancing": People should stay at least 3 feet apart, and abstain from their quintessential greeting, exchanging kisses on each cheek.
And in a city of some 900 churches, the Roman Catholic authorities have given priests specific directives. These include keeping holy water vessels empty to prevent worshippers from dipping their fingers into the water, and new instructions for taking Communion.
Inside Rome's small San Giacomo church, 10 elderly people attend 7:30 a.m. Mass. A female choir sings as six priests lead the religious services.
Following church orders, one of the priests puts Communion wafers on worshippers' hands, not their tongues. And he leaves out the usual call to shake hands as a sign of peace.
"The Mass is over, go in peace," the priest says, and the worshippers file out morosely into empty Roman streets.


npr--2020-03-06--什么是新型冠状病毒肺炎: 专为儿童打造的漫画

什么是新型冠状病毒肺炎: 专为儿童打造的漫画

This is a Chinese language version of a story published on NPR 's website : `` Just For Kids : @ @ @ @ @ Coronavirus ''

什么是新型冠状病毒肺炎: 专为儿童打造的漫画
This is a Chinese language version of a story published on NPR's website: "Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus"
孩子们，这本漫画是给你们看的。
这是根据NPR教育记者科里·特纳的广播故事。他采访了一些专家，问了一些孩子们可能想知道的关于在中国发现的新型冠状病毒肺炎。
为了创作这个漫画，我们使用了他对伊利诺伊大学社会工作学院的塔拉·鲍威尔、新奥尔良州立大学健康科学中心的乔伊·奥索夫斯基以及国家心理健康研究所的克里斯托·刘易斯的采访。
Malaka Gharib/ NPR
Enlarge this image Malaka Gharib/ NPR Malaka Gharib/ NPR
Malaka Gharib/ NPR
Malaka Gharib/ NPR
Malaka Gharib/ NPR
Malaka Gharib/ NPR
Malaka Gharib/ NPR
Malaka Gharib/ NPR
张菀钰是NPR市场部门的营销创意制作人


npr--2020-03-06--Publisher Drops Woody Allen's Book After Ronan Farrow Objects, Employees Walk Out

On Friday afternoon , Hachette Book Group announced publicly and to its employees that it will not publish Woody Allen 's memoir , Apropos of Nothing , as planned next month .
In a statement to NPR , the publisher said : `` Hachette Book Group has decided that it will not publish Woody Allen 's memoir A Propos of Nothing , originally scheduled for sale in April 2020 , and will return all rights to the author . ''
`` The decision to cancel Mr. Allen 's book was a difficult one .
At HBG we take our relationships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not cancel books lightly .
We have published and will continue to publish many challenging books .
As publishers , we make sure every day in our work that different voices and conflicting points of views can be heard . ''
`` Also , as a company , we are committed to offering a stimulating , supportive and open work environment for all our staff .
Over the past few days , HBG leadership had extensive conversations with our staff and others .
After listening , we came to the conclusion that moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for HBG . ''
The decision was announced to HBG 's employees as well at a brief town-hall meeting on Friday afternoon .
On Thursday afternoon , dozens of employees of the publishing imprints Grand Central Publishing and Little , Brown staged a walkout in both New York and Boston to protest Grand Central 's decision to publish Allen 's book .
Both imprints are owned by Hachette Book Group , the same house that published journalist Ronan Farrow 's Catch and Kill .
The walkout comes after Farrow announced on Tuesday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with HBG after the Allen acquisition .
On Friday evening , Farrow tweeted of the decision : `` Grateful to all the Hachette employees who spoke up and to the company for listening . ''
Farrow is Allen 's son with actress Mia Farrow ; his sister , Dylan Farrow , has accused Allen of having sexually abused her as a child .
Allen has long denied her allegations .
In his statement , Farrow wrote in part that HBG `` concealed the decision from me and its own employees while we were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book about how powerful men , including Woody Allen , avoid accountability for sexual abuse . ''
Dylan Farrow also released a statement on Monday evening , in which she said in part : `` Hachette 's publishing of Woody Allen 's memoir is deeply upsetting to me personally and an utter betrayal of my brother whose brave reporting , capitalized on by Hachette , gave voice to numerous survivors of sexual assault by powerful men .
...
This provides yet another example of the profound privilege that power , money and notoriety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be called out for what it is and they should have to answer for it . ''
Employees at both HBG 's New York and Boston offices participated in Thursday 's walkout .
Many also sent out an auto-reply email that read in part : `` We stand in solidarity with Ronan Farrow , Dylan Farrow and survivors of sexual assault . ''
Those include Little , Brown executive editor Vanessa Mobley , who was the editor of Catch and Kill .
In a statement sent to NPR Thursday afternoon , HBG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respect and understand the perspective of our employees who have decided to express their concern over the publication of this book .
We will engage our staff in a fuller discussion about this at the earliest opportunity . ''
NPR reached out for comment to Allen 's agent , who did not respond as of publication time .
The New York Post reported that HBG employees approached the company 's human resources department on Thursday afternoon to complain about the planned publication of Allen 's book .
A Hachette employee told NPR that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting on Thursday to discuss the issue , but the employees walked out before the meeting was held .
Farrow 's agent , Lynn Nesbit , told NPR on Thursday , `` I feel moved almost to tears by the walkout .
It was such a brave gesture to management who , in my opinion , made such a misguided decision . ''
Signing Allen , she said , was `` a betrayal of Ronan , of the women in his book , of the issues in the book and of the staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Farrow is `` grateful for the support of his colleagues at Little , Brown . ''
Last year , The New York Times reported that Allen had tried to sell the memoir to several major publishing houses , `` only to be met with indifference or hard passes '' ; one source told NPR on Thursday afternoon that the title had been considered `` radioactive '' in the publishing world .
Farrow also said in his Tuesday statement that HBG had not fact-checked Allen 's memoir nor did it contact Dylan Farrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows a lack of ethics and compassion for victims of sexual abuse , regardless of any personal connection or breach of trust here .
...
I 've also told Hachette that a publisher that would conduct itself in this way is one I ca n't work with in good conscience . ''

Publisher Drops Woody Allen's Book After Ronan Farrow Objects, Employees Walk Out
Enlarge this image toggle caption Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Updated Friday at 6:23 p.m. ET
On Friday afternoon, Hachette Book Group announced publicly and to its employees that it will not publish Woody Allen's memoir, Apropos of Nothing, as planned next month.
In a statement to NPR, the publisher said: "Hachette Book Group has decided that it will not publish Woody Allen's memoir A Propos of Nothing, originally scheduled for sale in April 2020, and will return all rights to the author."
"The decision to cancel Mr. Allen's book was a difficult one. At HBG we take our relationships with authors very seriously, and do not cancel books lightly. We have published and will continue to publish many challenging books. As publishers, we make sure every day in our work that different voices and conflicting points of views can be heard."
"Also, as a company, we are committed to offering a stimulating, supportive and open work environment for all our staff. Over the past few days, HBG leadership had extensive conversations with our staff and others. After listening, we came to the conclusion that moving forward with publication would not be feasible for HBG."
The decision was announced to HBG's employees as well at a brief town-hall meeting on Friday afternoon.
On Thursday afternoon, dozens of employees of the publishing imprints Grand Central Publishing and Little, Brown staged a walkout in both New York and Boston to protest Grand Central's decision to publish Allen's book.
Both imprints are owned by Hachette Book Group, the same house that published journalist Ronan Farrow's Catch and Kill. The walkout comes after Farrow announced on Tuesday that he felt he could no longer work with HBG after the Allen acquisition.
On Friday evening, Farrow tweeted of the decision: "Grateful to all the Hachette employees who spoke up and to the company for listening."
Farrow is Allen's son with actress Mia Farrow; his sister, Dylan Farrow, has accused Allen of having sexually abused her as a child. Allen has long denied her allegations.
In his statement, Farrow wrote in part that HBG "concealed the decision from me and its own employees while we were working on Catch and Kill — a book about how powerful men, including Woody Allen, avoid accountability for sexual abuse."
Dylan Farrow also released a statement on Monday evening, in which she said in part: "Hachette's publishing of Woody Allen's memoir is deeply upsetting to me personally and an utter betrayal of my brother whose brave reporting, capitalized on by Hachette, gave voice to numerous survivors of sexual assault by powerful men. ... This provides yet another example of the profound privilege that power, money and notoriety affords. Hachette's complicity in this should be called out for what it is and they should have to answer for it."
Employees at both HBG's New York and Boston offices participated in Thursday's walkout. Many also sent out an auto-reply email that read in part: "We stand in solidarity with Ronan Farrow, Dylan Farrow and survivors of sexual assault." Those include Little, Brown executive editor Vanessa Mobley, who was the editor of Catch and Kill.
In a statement sent to NPR Thursday afternoon, HBG CEO Michael Pietsch said: "We respect and understand the perspective of our employees who have decided to express their concern over the publication of this book. We will engage our staff in a fuller discussion about this at the earliest opportunity."
NPR reached out for comment to Allen's agent, who did not respond as of publication time.
The New York Post reported that HBG employees approached the company's human resources department on Thursday afternoon to complain about the planned publication of Allen's book. A Hachette employee told NPR that Pietsch attempted to hold a town hall meeting on Thursday to discuss the issue, but the employees walked out before the meeting was held.
Farrow's agent, Lynn Nesbit, told NPR on Thursday, "I feel moved almost to tears by the walkout. It was such a brave gesture to management who, in my opinion, made such a misguided decision."
Signing Allen, she said, was "a betrayal of Ronan, of the women in his book, of the issues in the book and of the staff of this publisher." She added that Farrow is "grateful for the support of his colleagues at Little, Brown."
Last year, The New York Times reported that Allen had tried to sell the memoir to several major publishing houses, "only to be met with indifference or hard passes"; one source told NPR on Thursday afternoon that the title had been considered "radioactive" in the publishing world.
Farrow also said in his Tuesday statement that HBG had not fact-checked Allen's memoir nor did it contact Dylan Farrow for any response. "It also shows a lack of ethics and compassion for victims of sexual abuse, regardless of any personal connection or breach of trust here. ... I've also told Hachette that a publisher that would conduct itself in this way is one I can't work with in good conscience."


npr--2020-03-06--Despite Bloody Week In Afghanistan, U.S. Pushes Taliban Peace Talks Forward

Despite Bloody Week In Afghanistan , U.S. Pushes Taliban Peace Talks Forward With less than four days to go before peace talks are to begin in Afghanistan between that nation 's authorities and the Taliban insurgency , things are not looking promising .
Taliban fighters are stepping up attacks on Afghan security forces .
American warplanes are counterattacking .
And a prisoner exchange that was to take place before those intra-Afghan talks start is being rejected by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani .
On Friday in western Kabul , the Associated Press reports that gunmen opened fire at a largely Shiite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injuring scores more .
The Islamic State-Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the attack .
All this comes after the U.S. and the Taliban — but not the Afghan government — signed an agreement Feb. 29 in Doha , Qatar with the stated aim of `` bringing peace to Afghanistan '' more than 18 years after U.S. forces pushed the Taliban out of power .
`` We know that the road ahead will be difficult , '' said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington on Thursday .
`` We expected it .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upsurge in violence `` unacceptable , '' Pompeo did not insist it end altogether .
`` It 's time to move forward .
It 's time to reduce violence .
It 's time to sit down and talk , '' he said .
President Trump also is pushing hard on the agreement .
By making a phone call this week to Taliban deputy leader and co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar , Trump became the first American president to speak directly with the Taliban since the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan .
But one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cautions that Taliban fighters , having secured a peace agreement with the U.S. , may not be ready yet to sit down and talk with Afghan authorities , whom they see as U.S. puppets .
`` They want to indicate that they still have the capacity to fight if their demands are not met , '' says Barnett Rubin , a former State Department senior adviser on Afghanistan who directs New York University 's Afghanistan-Pakistan Regional Project .
`` And they have the additional incentive that President Ghani said that he will refuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start .
So escalating militarily is a way of trying to put pressure on him to soften his position . ''
'We still have confidence' Rubin notes that the Taliban seem confident the U.S. will not pull the plug on a deal promising the withdrawal of all American forces within 14 months : `` I think everyone who observes Donald Trump should have concluded long ago that he 's decided to get out of Afghanistan . ''
Asked during Congressional testimony this week about the Taliban 's renewed violence , joint chiefs chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not consider it a deal breaker .
`` Yes , there was significant numbers of attacks , small attacks , '' the Pentagon 's top military official told the Senate Armed Services Committee .
`` They were all beaten back . ''
Pompeo , for his part , went so far as to hail efforts to reduce violence that he said were being made by the insurgency 's leaders .
`` We still have confidence , '' he said Thursday , `` that the Taliban leadership was working to deliver on its commitments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been made to reduce violence do not appear in the four-page agreement signed in Doha .
Its only reference to the ongoing fighting is a stipulation that participants in the proposed intra-Afghan negotiations `` will discuss the date and modalities of a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire . ''
Still , the top American commander in Afghanistan warns that the ongoing violence could imperil the Doha accord .
`` If the Taliban are not going to lower violence , that causes a risk to this agreement , '' Gen. Scott Miller told Afghanistan 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Which is why we 've gone directly to the Taliban , said you need to lower your violence — otherwise , it 's hard to have an agreement . ''
The Doha agreement does have language specifically calling for the release of detained combatants : `` Up to five thousand ( 5,000 ) prisoners of ... the Taliban and up to one thousand ( 1,000 ) prisoners of the other side will be released by March 10 , 2020 , the first day of intra-Afghan negotiations . ''
But a joint declaration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper on the same day the Doha agreement was signed lacks any similar specific commitment to a prisoner release , according to Reuters .
It simply calls for the Afghan government 's participation in a `` U.S.-facilitated discussion with Taliban representatives on confidence-building , to include determining the feasibility of releasing significant numbers of prisoners on both sides . ''
`` Those are n't remotely inconsistent , '' Pompeo declared when asked about the apparent discrepancy regarding a prisoner swap between the documents the U.S. signed with the Taliban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` These were heavily negotiated documents .
All the parties understand that it 's time for prisoner exchanges to take place . ''
Pompeo added that the U.S. continues `` to press all sides to stop posturing , start a practical discussion about prisoner releases , knuckle down and prepare for the upcoming intra-Afghan negotiations . ''
Like Pompeo , NYU 's Rubin was in Doha for the signing ceremony .
He says if the document 's call for the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners had not been included , the agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurgency .
`` The Taliban understood it as a commitment by the United States to get the prisoners released .
That is what they 're standing firm , '' says Rubin .
`` The United States is standing by the literal meaning of the words , but trying to persuade the [ Afghan ] government .
It is ambiguous in a way that diplomatic documents are often ambiguous . ''
Despite his stated refusal to go along with the prisoner release , President Ghani did meet Friday evening with U.S. Special Representative for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American diplomat who signed the agreement with the Taliban in Doha .
`` Both sides talked about the future steps in the peace process , '' Ghani 's spokesman wrote on Twitter , `` and [ the ] start of the negotiations between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban . ''
While those talks are slated to begin March 10 , Barnett says that 's unlikely to happen without concessions .
`` The Taliban will not agree to start the talks without the prisoner exchange .
The Afghan government says it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without a ceasefire , '' he says .
`` So at this point , it 's very unlikely the talks will go forward in the immediate future . ''

Despite Bloody Week In Afghanistan, U.S. Pushes Taliban Peace Talks Forward
Enlarge this image toggle caption Noorullah Shirzada/AFP via Getty Images Noorullah Shirzada/AFP via Getty Images
With less than four days to go before peace talks are to begin in Afghanistan between that nation's authorities and the Taliban insurgency, things are not looking promising.
Taliban fighters are stepping up attacks on Afghan security forces. American warplanes are counterattacking. And a prisoner exchange that was to take place before those intra-Afghan talks start is being rejected by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
On Friday in western Kabul, the Associated Press reports that gunmen opened fire at a largely Shiite gathering, killing at least 32 and injuring scores more. The Islamic State-Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the attack.
All this comes after the U.S. and the Taliban — but not the Afghan government — signed an agreement Feb. 29 in Doha, Qatar with the stated aim of "bringing peace to Afghanistan" more than 18 years after U.S. forces pushed the Taliban out of power.
Politics Trump Says He Spoke To Taliban Leader Following Peace Agreement Trump Says He Spoke To Taliban Leader Following Peace Agreement Listen · 3:26 3:26
World U.S. Targets Taliban In Airstrike Days After Deal Was signed U.S. Targets Taliban In Airstrike Days After Deal Was signed Listen · 3:15 3:15
"We know that the road ahead will be difficult," said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington on Thursday. "We expected it. We were right."
Despite declaring the upsurge in violence "unacceptable," Pompeo did not insist it end altogether. "It's time to move forward. It's time to reduce violence. It's time to sit down and talk," he said.
President Trump also is pushing hard on the agreement. By making a phone call this week to Taliban deputy leader and co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Trump became the first American president to speak directly with the Taliban since the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan.
But one leading expert on the complexities of Afghanistan cautions that Taliban fighters, having secured a peace agreement with the U.S., may not be ready yet to sit down and talk with Afghan authorities, whom they see as U.S. puppets.
"They want to indicate that they still have the capacity to fight if their demands are not met," says Barnett Rubin, a former State Department senior adviser on Afghanistan who directs New York University's Afghanistan-Pakistan Regional Project. "And they have the additional incentive that President Ghani said that he will refuse to release the prisoners before the talks start. So escalating militarily is a way of trying to put pressure on him to soften his position."
'We still have confidence'
Rubin notes that the Taliban seem confident the U.S. will not pull the plug on a deal promising the withdrawal of all American forces within 14 months: "I think everyone who observes Donald Trump should have concluded long ago that he's decided to get out of Afghanistan."
Asked during Congressional testimony this week about the Taliban's renewed violence, joint chiefs chairman Gen. Mark Milley made clear he did not consider it a deal breaker.
"Yes, there was significant numbers of attacks, small attacks," the Pentagon's top military official told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "They were all beaten back."
Pompeo, for his part, went so far as to hail efforts to reduce violence that he said were being made by the insurgency's leaders. "We still have confidence," he said Thursday, "that the Taliban leadership was working to deliver on its commitments."
Any commitments that may have been made to reduce violence do not appear in the four-page agreement signed in Doha. Its only reference to the ongoing fighting is a stipulation that participants in the proposed intra-Afghan negotiations "will discuss the date and modalities of a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire."
Still, the top American commander in Afghanistan warns that the ongoing violence could imperil the Doha accord.
"If the Taliban are not going to lower violence, that causes a risk to this agreement," Gen. Scott Miller told Afghanistan's TOLO news agency earlier this week. "Which is why we've gone directly to the Taliban, said you need to lower your violence — otherwise, it's hard to have an agreement."
Prisoner exchange remains uncertain
The Doha agreement does have language specifically calling for the release of detained combatants: "Up to five thousand (5,000) prisoners of ... the Taliban and up to one thousand (1,000) prisoners of the other side will be released by March 10, 2020, the first day of intra-Afghan negotiations."
But a joint declaration issued by Afghan president Ashraf Ghani and U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper on the same day the Doha agreement was signed lacks any similar specific commitment to a prisoner release, according to Reuters. It simply calls for the Afghan government's participation in a "U.S.-facilitated discussion with Taliban representatives on confidence-building, to include determining the feasibility of releasing significant numbers of prisoners on both sides."
"Those aren't remotely inconsistent," Pompeo declared when asked about the apparent discrepancy regarding a prisoner swap between the documents the U.S. signed with the Taliban and the declaration it made in Kabul. "These were heavily negotiated documents. All the parties understand that it's time for prisoner exchanges to take place."
Pompeo added that the U.S. continues "to press all sides to stop posturing, start a practical discussion about prisoner releases, knuckle down and prepare for the upcoming intra-Afghan negotiations."
Like Pompeo, NYU's Rubin was in Doha for the signing ceremony. He says if the document's call for the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners had not been included, the agreement would not have been signed by the insurgency.
"The Taliban understood it as a commitment by the United States to get the prisoners released. That is what they're standing firm," says Rubin. "The United States is standing by the literal meaning of the words, but trying to persuade the [Afghan] government. It is ambiguous in a way that diplomatic documents are often ambiguous."
Despite his stated refusal to go along with the prisoner release, President Ghani did meet Friday evening with U.S. Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, the Afghan-born American diplomat who signed the agreement with the Taliban in Doha.
"Both sides talked about the future steps in the peace process," Ghani's spokesman wrote on Twitter, "and [the] start of the negotiations between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban."
While those talks are slated to begin March 10, Barnett says that's unlikely to happen without concessions.
"The Taliban will not agree to start the talks without the prisoner exchange. The Afghan government says it will not agree to start the talks without a ceasefire," he says. "So at this point, it's very unlikely the talks will go forward in the immediate future."


npr--2020-03-06--Coronavirus Travel Tips: To Fly Or Not To Fly? What Happens If You Cancel?

Coronavirus Travel Tips : To Fly Or Not To Fly ?
What Happens If You Cancel ?
How safe — or risky — is it to fly ?
Can I come home early from my trip ?
These are some of the questions that would-be travelers are asking in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak .
We talked to travel and health specialists to get answers .
Can I cancel a trip I 've booked because I 'm afraid of the coronavirus ?
Depends on whether you bought a refundable ticket or have the right kind of travel insurance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancellation because of fears about the coronavirus outbreak .
For that , you need to buy a `` Cancel for Any Reason '' ( CFAR ) policy .
`` They 've become quite popular in the last few weeks , '' says Jonathan Breeze , CEO of AardvarkCompare , a travel insurance comparison website .
`` We 're seeing about a 50 % increase in the amount of policies being sold . ''
A few things to note : A CFAR policy typically needs to be purchased within a couple of weeks from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will usually only cover about 75 % of your costs , and New York state does not allow residents to buy CFAR policies .
In addition , some credit cards have automatic travel insurance for trips purchased by their cardholders .
Check with your provider to see whether you would be covered .
There is no one-size-fits-all policy , according to Christopher Elliott , founder of a consumer advocacy organization , Elliott Advocacy .
Factors such as your age , the length of your trip and what you want covered all figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the insurance contract before buying to check whether it applies to `` worst-case scenarios , '' such as sickness or flight delays .
See this column for more advice .
What if I booked a flight and want to reschedule it to avoid traveling during the outbreak ?
Several airlines — including American , Delta , Frontier , JetBlue and United — have been waiving change fees for flights purchased between certain dates .
And even if your purchase falls outside that window , `` it 's always worth asking , '' says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Here & Now .
`` You 're asking for an exception , '' he says — but if you 're polite and explain your situation , you might get a break .
What if I want to end my trip early , say , because the outbreak has spread to a country I 'm visiting ?
In most cases , `` somebody abroad saying , ' I do n't wish to be here anymore , ' is n't covered by regular travel insurance , '' says Breeze .
Again , this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would come in handy .
With many CFAR policies , a traveler can not only recover some of the initial cost of the trip , he says , but in many cases , the policy will also cover the additional cost of coming home .
Is international travel riskier to my health than domestic travel ?
It depends .
Shira Doron , a hospital epidemiologist and infectious disease specialist at Tufts Medical Center , says she would not recommend traveling to countries that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonessential travel , such as China , Iran , Italy and South Korea .
But that does n't mean domestic travel is risk-free .
To put things in perspective , the virus is here , with case numbers on the rise .
`` We already have community transmission within the United States , '' says Doron .
`` So , at some point , it 's not going to be any riskier to go to another country than it is to stay right here . ''
Since the virus is already out there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be safe ?
After all , when you fly are n't you breathing in recycled air ?
`` The air 's actually pretty clean .
It gets recirculated through these HEPA filters that really are very good at clearing stuff out , '' says Vicki Hertzberg , a biostatistician at Emory University , who co-led a study on flights and disease transmission with scientists at Boeing .
`` So in some aspects , the air on a plane is cleaner than what 's going on in your new office buildings . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical officer at Beverly Hospital in Massachusetts , says that airlines have a high incentive to keep their ventilation systems well-maintained : `` If the HEPA filter is not changed regularly , if the system is not maintained well , it puts a lot of drag on the engines , which will increase the fuel consumption , which is quite an expensive proposition . ''
Another important thing to know : The new coronavirus is not airborne .
Instead , it 's transmitted through droplets of fluid or mucus that you cough or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel farther than 6 feet .
But if those droplets land on a surface that you later touch , you can pick up the virus that way .
People can help protect themselves and one another by taking precautions such as washing hands frequently , coughing into an elbow and trying not to touch eyes , nose and mouth .
`` Good hand hygiene is the solution , '' Doron says .
And not just in the bathroom .
Even on the way back to your seat after a bathroom visit where you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be touching doors , doorknobs , seats , '' says Dr. Lin Chen , president of the International Society of Travel Medicine and director of the travel medicine center at Mount Auburn Hospital in Massachusetts .
So it 's a good idea to use hand sanitizer at your seat before eating pretzels or sweeping hair from your face .
The CDC says your sanitizer should have at least 60 % alcohol content .
How clean are planes anyway ?
Airline sanitization is also something to consider .
Some airlines are stepping up their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is conducting a `` more thorough cleaning of all hard surfaces '' and removing self-serve snack baskets on some international flights .
Alaska Airlines says that , since March 2 , it has been `` enhancing '' aircraft cleaning between flights .
For planes whose schedules allow , the cleaning policy now includes seats , overhead air vents , bathroom door handles , window shades and luggage compartment handles .
Flights often turn around quickly , which could lead to possible lapses in the cleaning process , so Chen suggests bringing alcohol wipes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — including your seat belt , tray table and armrests .
In a pinch , squeezing hand sanitizer onto a tissue and wiping down your armrest would probably work , she says .
`` We really do n't have data about how long the coronavirus survives on surfaces , '' Chen says .
Other coronaviruses can last for a few hours or a few days on different materials , so for the time being , `` it 's best to be more cautious , '' she says .
Adrian Ma is a reporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporter Pien Huang contributed to this story .

Coronavirus Travel Tips: To Fly Or Not To Fly? What Happens If You Cancel?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bim/Getty Images Bim/Getty Images
How safe — or risky — is it to fly?
Should I cancel a trip I've planned?
Can I come home early from my trip?
These are some of the questions that would-be travelers are asking in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. We talked to travel and health specialists to get answers.
Can I cancel a trip I've booked because I'm afraid of the coronavirus?
Depends on whether you bought a refundable ticket or have the right kind of travel insurance. Regular travel insurance won't cover a cancellation because of fears about the coronavirus outbreak. For that, you need to buy a "Cancel for Any Reason" (CFAR) policy.
"They've become quite popular in the last few weeks," says Jonathan Breeze, CEO of AardvarkCompare, a travel insurance comparison website. "We're seeing about a 50% increase in the amount of policies being sold."
A few things to note: A CFAR policy typically needs to be purchased within a couple of weeks from the time you booked your trip, it will usually only cover about 75% of your costs, and New York state does not allow residents to buy CFAR policies.
In addition, some credit cards have automatic travel insurance for trips purchased by their cardholders. Check with your provider to see whether you would be covered.
How do I pick a travel insurance policy?
There is no one-size-fits-all policy, according to Christopher Elliott, founder of a consumer advocacy organization, Elliott Advocacy. Factors such as your age, the length of your trip and what you want covered all figure into the decision. Elliott recommends reading the insurance contract before buying to check whether it applies to "worst-case scenarios," such as sickness or flight delays. See this column for more advice.
What if I booked a flight and want to reschedule it to avoid traveling during the outbreak?
Several airlines — including American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue and United — have been waiving change fees for flights purchased between certain dates. And even if your purchase falls outside that window, "it's always worth asking," says Seth Kaplan, transportation analyst for WBUR's Here & Now. "You're asking for an exception," he says — but if you're polite and explain your situation, you might get a break.
What if I want to end my trip early, say, because the outbreak has spread to a country I'm visiting?
In most cases, "somebody abroad saying, 'I don't wish to be here anymore,' isn't covered by regular travel insurance," says Breeze. Again, this is where a Cancel for Any Reason policy would come in handy. With many CFAR policies, a traveler can not only recover some of the initial cost of the trip, he says, but in many cases, the policy will also cover the additional cost of coming home.
Is international travel riskier to my health than domestic travel?
It depends. Shira Doron, a hospital epidemiologist and infectious disease specialist at Tufts Medical Center, says she would not recommend traveling to countries that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put on its "warning" list to avoid nonessential travel, such as China, Iran, Italy and South Korea.
But that doesn't mean domestic travel is risk-free. To put things in perspective, the virus is here, with case numbers on the rise.
"We already have community transmission within the United States," says Doron. "So, at some point, it's not going to be any riskier to go to another country than it is to stay right here."
Since the virus is already out there, should I avoid plane travel just to be safe? After all, when you fly aren't you breathing in recycled air?
"The air's actually pretty clean. It gets recirculated through these HEPA filters that really are very good at clearing stuff out," says Vicki Hertzberg, director of Emory University's Center for Nursing Data Science, who co-led a study on flights and disease transmission with scientists at Boeing. "So in some aspects, the air on a plane is cleaner than what's going on in your new office buildings."
Moreover, Dr. Mark Gendreau, chief medical officer at Beverly Hospital in Massachusetts, says that airlines have a high incentive to keep their ventilation systems well-maintained: "If the HEPA filter is not changed regularly, if the system is not maintained well, it puts a lot of drag on the engines, which will increase the fuel consumption, which is quite an expensive proposition."
Another important thing to know: The new coronavirus is not airborne. Instead, it's transmitted through droplets of fluid or mucus that you cough or sneeze out, which generally don't travel farther than 6 feet. But if those droplets land on a surface that you later touch, you can pick up the virus that way.
People can help protect themselves and one another by taking precautions such as washing hands frequently, coughing into an elbow and trying not to touch eyes, nose and mouth.
"Good hand hygiene is the solution," Doron says.
And not just in the bathroom. Even on the way back to your seat after a bathroom visit where you washed your hands, "one may be touching doors, doorknobs, seats," says Dr. Lin Chen, president of the International Society of Travel Medicine and director of the travel medicine center at Mount Auburn Hospital in Massachusetts. So it's a good idea to use hand sanitizer at your seat before eating pretzels or sweeping hair from your face.
The CDC says your sanitizer should have at least 60% alcohol content.
How clean are planes anyway?
Airline sanitization is also something to consider. Some airlines are stepping up their cleaning game. American Airlines says it is conducting a "more thorough cleaning of all hard surfaces" and removing self-serve snack baskets on some international flights. Alaska Airlines says that, since March 2, it has been "enhancing" aircraft cleaning between flights. For planes whose schedules allow, the cleaning policy now includes seats, overhead air vents, bathroom door handles, window shades and luggage compartment handles.
Flights often turn around quickly, which could lead to possible lapses in the cleaning process, so Chen suggests bringing alcohol wipes to clean the areas you personally touch — including your seat belt, tray table and armrests. In a pinch, squeezing hand sanitizer onto a tissue and wiping down your armrest would probably work, she says.
"We really don't have data about how long the coronavirus survives on surfaces," Chen says. Other coronaviruses can last for a few hours or a few days on different materials, so for the time being, "it's best to be more cautious," she says.
Adrian Ma is a reporter for WBUR's Bostonomix team. NPR reporter Pien Huang contributed to this story.


npr--2020-03-06--First Responders Are 'Trying To Stay Ahead' Of Coronavirus

First Responders Are 'Trying To Stay Ahead ' Of Coronavirus In Washington state , local fire and emergency services departments are rehearsing their infectious disease protocols and taking new precautions as 911 calls pour in related to a coronavirus outbreak in the Seattle area .
And around the country first responders are bracing themselves for an increase in calls as more states confirm cases of the new virus .
East Pierce Fire & Rescue assistant chief Russ McCallion has devised a checklist for his medics and fire crews to run through when responding to a potential coronavirus patient .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Western Washington dotted with housing developments and small towns south of Seattle .
The checklist , he says , reminds his crews to perform `` doorway triage '' of patients , and helps them decide when to wear protective equipment and even when to use special entryways at the hospital reserved for people in isolation .
`` One of the confounding issues for our responders is that flu symptoms and COVID-19 symptoms are very similar , '' he says .
`` We have to maintain that high index of suspicion on every call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coughing and other flu-type symptoms . ''
His fire crews are now instructed to initially wait outside when responding to such calls , while only a few medics go inside , suited up in personal protective equipment , like gowns , gloves and masks .
McCallion expects the number of calls to increase as more people are tested and diagnosed in the state .
He worries about having enough staff if calls start to go up `` exponentially . ''
`` You 'll see more pressure on the health care system to treat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] for people to self-monitor their condition rather than going to the hospital , '' he says .
His department is ordering fresh supplies of disinfectant and taking more aggressive measures to sanitize ambulances .
Many departments in the region are taking similar steps .
`` We are gearing up for the worst and trying to stay ahead of it , '' says deputy chief Chuck DeSmith with the Renton Regional Fire Authority in Renton , Wash. `` It does have a different feel . ''
Around the country EMS departments are preparing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looming shortage of masks .
State EMS directors are worried agencies could run out `` in the next couple weeks , '' says Leslee Stein-Spencer , a program advisor at the National Association of State EMS Officials .
The shortage will have significant consequences , Stein-Spencer says .
When workers get sick , it gets harder to keep ambulance services running .
`` If it comes to that point , you would look at alternate staffing measures , and you would look at , you know , triaging , '' she says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hospital and the others would not get an ambulance . ''
If cases surge , it may be hard for ambulance companies to get other necessary supplies , says Matt Baily , the director at Susquehanna Township EMS in Harrisburg , Pa. Pennsylvania announced its first two confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday .
In recent years , certain supplies have often been rationed , he says .
The federal Food and Drug Administration lists nationwide shortages of more than a dozen drugs that are considered essential for emergency workers to do their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drugs made in areas already affected by coronavirus , Baily says he 's also bracing for supply chain issues like he saw in 2017 , after Hurricane Maria disrupted production at a Puerto Rico facility that makes saline .
Congress has approved more than $ 8 billion in emergency funding for states .
The funds will be used to test people for COVID-19 , track those who have gotten sick , and provide things like public awareness campaigns .
However , Baily says money wo n't address his need for more employees if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wo n't fix the shortage of masks .
He 's been fielding calls with everyone from municipal officials to the members of Congress and is developing plans for what to do if someone on his team gets the virus .
`` We 're hoping we do n't need anything , but we 're planning as though we 're definitely going to need all of it , '' he says .
For one fire department east of Seattle , staff have already been put into isolation because of possible exposure .
More than two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been exposed when responding to calls at Life Care Center , a nursing home in Kirkland .
Coronavirus has swept through the facility , sickening many people and even killing some residents .
Evan Hurley , a firefighter with the Kirkland Fire Department says it 's a place his crew already knew well before the outbreak .
`` It 's not unusual for us to respond there on a regular basis because they deal with such sick patients , '' Hurley says .
Hurley says others from his department had been responding to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for nonthreatening things like nosebleeds .
`` A nosebleed does n't require us to be in the same level of protection as , say , somebody who might have ongoing flu symptoms . ''
He says only after the fact did his crew learn some of them could have been exposed to a serious respiratory illness .
The firefighters who were possibly exposed are now in isolation , and some have reported flu-like symptoms .
Some are concerned they could have put their family members at risk .
Hurley is n't quarantined , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients from Life Care Center to a nearby hospital .
`` Believe me we are learning things , '' says Dennis Lawson , president of the Washington State Council of Firefighters , which represents about 9,000 first responders .
Lawson says all the steps departments are now taking – from better screening of suspected cases to more communication between ambulances and hospitals – will keep first responders safer .
`` You provide the service to the community , '' he says .
`` And you 're really hoping you have done everything you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to your families you 're not taking anything back there to them . ''
This story is part of NPR 's partnership with Kaiser Health News , KNXX and WITF .

First Responders Are 'Trying To Stay Ahead' Of Coronavirus
toggle caption Jen Killion/East Pierce Fire & Rescue
In Washington state, local fire and emergency services departments are rehearsing their infectious disease protocols and taking new precautions as 911 calls pour in related to a coronavirus outbreak in the Seattle area. And around the country first responders are bracing themselves for an increase in calls as more states confirm cases of the new virus.
East Pierce Fire & Rescue assistant chief Russ McCallion has devised a checklist for his medics and fire crews to run through when responding to a potential coronavirus patient. His district covers a 150-square mile stretch of Western Washington dotted with housing developments and small towns south of Seattle.
The checklist, he says, reminds his crews to perform "doorway triage" of patients, and helps them decide when to wear protective equipment and even when to use special entryways at the hospital reserved for people in isolation.
"One of the confounding issues for our responders is that flu symptoms and COVID-19 symptoms are very similar," he says. "We have to maintain that high index of suspicion on every call where the patient presents with fever, coughing and other flu-type symptoms."
His fire crews are now instructed to initially wait outside when responding to such calls, while only a few medics go inside, suited up in personal protective equipment, like gowns, gloves and masks.
McCallion expects the number of calls to increase as more people are tested and diagnosed in the state. He worries about having enough staff if calls start to go up "exponentially."
"You'll see more pressure on the health care system to treat and leave at home, [and] for people to self-monitor their condition rather than going to the hospital," he says.
His department is ordering fresh supplies of disinfectant and taking more aggressive measures to sanitize ambulances. Many departments in the region are taking similar steps.
"We are gearing up for the worst and trying to stay ahead of it," says deputy chief Chuck DeSmith with the Renton Regional Fire Authority in Renton, Wash. "It does have a different feel."
Looming shortages
Around the country EMS departments are preparing. One concern they share is a looming shortage of masks. State EMS directors are worried agencies could run out "in the next couple weeks," says Leslee Stein-Spencer, a program advisor at the National Association of State EMS Officials.
The shortage will have significant consequences, Stein-Spencer says. When workers get sick, it gets harder to keep ambulance services running.
"If it comes to that point, you would look at alternate staffing measures, and you would look at, you know, triaging," she says. "The sickest patients would come to the hospital and the others would not get an ambulance."
If cases surge, it may be hard for ambulance companies to get other necessary supplies, says Matt Baily, the director at Susquehanna Township EMS in Harrisburg, Pa.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brett Sholtis/WITF Brett Sholtis/WITF
Pennsylvania announced its first two confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday.
In recent years, certain supplies have often been rationed, he says.
The federal Food and Drug Administration lists nationwide shortages of more than a dozen drugs that are considered essential for emergency workers to do their jobs, he notes.
With many drugs made in areas already affected by coronavirus, Baily says he's also bracing for supply chain issues like he saw in 2017, after Hurricane Maria disrupted production at a Puerto Rico facility that makes saline.
Congress has approved more than $8 billion in emergency funding for states. The funds will be used to test people for COVID-19, track those who have gotten sick, and provide things like public awareness campaigns.
However, Baily says money won't address his need for more employees if they get sick, and money alone won't fix the shortage of masks.
He's been fielding calls with everyone from municipal officials to the members of Congress and is developing plans for what to do if someone on his team gets the virus.
"We're hoping we don't need anything, but we're planning as though we're definitely going to need all of it," he says.
Exposed first, then quarantined
For one fire department east of Seattle, staff have already been put into isolation because of possible exposure.
More than two dozen first responders discovered they may have been exposed when responding to calls at Life Care Center, a nursing home in Kirkland.
Coronavirus has swept through the facility, sickening many people and even killing some residents.
Evan Hurley, a firefighter with the Kirkland Fire Department says it's a place his crew already knew well before the outbreak.
"It's not unusual for us to respond there on a regular basis because they deal with such sick patients," Hurley says.
Hurley says others from his department had been responding to calls in the days before the outbreak for nonthreatening things like nosebleeds.
"A nosebleed doesn't require us to be in the same level of protection as, say, somebody who might have ongoing flu symptoms."
He says only after the fact did his crew learn some of them could have been exposed to a serious respiratory illness.
toggle caption Jen Killion/ East Pierce Fire & Rescue
The firefighters who were possibly exposed are now in isolation, and some have reported flu-like symptoms. Some are concerned they could have put their family members at risk.
Hurley isn't quarantined, and this week he continued transporting sick patients from Life Care Center to a nearby hospital.
"Believe me we are learning things," says Dennis Lawson, president of the Washington State Council of Firefighters, which represents about 9,000 first responders.
Lawson says all the steps departments are now taking – from better screening of suspected cases to more communication between ambulances and hospitals – will keep first responders safer.
"You provide the service to the community," he says. "And you're really hoping you have done everything you could... so when you go home to your families you're not taking anything back there to them."
This story is part of NPR's partnership with Kaiser Health News, KNXX and WITF.


npr--2020-03-06--'We Love Them': Trump Tours And Consoles Tornado-Ravaged Tennessee

'We Love Them ' : Trump Tours And Consoles Tornado-Ravaged Tennessee President Trump touched down Friday in Tennessee , where residents are still sorting through wreckage and seeking to rebuild after a series of deadly tornadoes blew through the state earlier this week .
The president landed in Nashville and from there departed by helicopter for Cookeville , in Putnam County , where 18 residents died and dozens more were injured in the destruction Tuesday .
All told across the state , authorities say at least 24 people died in the storms .
`` I have a message for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : We love them .
They 're special people .
It 's an incredible place — incredible state , tremendous heart , '' Trump told a news conference Friday in Cookeville , in front of the wreckage of a home .
`` Already you see people rebuilding . ''
He was accompanied on his trip to Tennessee by members of the state 's congressional delegation , including the state 's two Republican senators , Marsha Blackburn and Lamar Alexander .
Gov .
Bill Lee was there to greet him when he arrived .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tragic week for our state , '' Lee said during the joint news conference with Trump , `` but Tennesseans are hopeful . ''
Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton gave NPR 's Morning Edition a sense of the aftermath , describing the brutalized landscape that was to greet Trump on Friday .
`` You just see the trees are just laying down , houses gone , and all you see is concrete foundations , '' Shelton said .
`` Our road crews were having to take heavy equipment to bulldoze our way through these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trees and power lines and poles . ''
As of Thursday , more than 23,000 people in three counties remained without power and Tennessee remained under a state of emergency .
Trump freed up federal funds for Putnam , Davidson and Wilson counties by declaring a major disaster in the state .
During the news conference Friday , the president tried to end on a hopeful note , recalling a story he had heard about a boy whom one tornado ripped from his home and deposited a couple of blocks away , relatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents do ? ''
Trump asked the officials standing beside him .
`` They were found deceased , '' came the reply .
`` He was the only surviving member of the household .
Lost his sibling as well . ''

'We Love Them': Trump Tours And Consoles Tornado-Ravaged Tennessee
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Alex Brandon/AP
President Trump touched down Friday in Tennessee, where residents are still sorting through wreckage and seeking to rebuild after a series of deadly tornadoes blew through the state earlier this week. The president landed in Nashville and from there departed by helicopter for Cookeville, in Putnam County, where 18 residents died and dozens more were injured in the destruction Tuesday.
All told across the state, authorities say at least 24 people died in the storms.
"I have a message for the families of those that lost their lives: We love them. They're special people. It's an incredible place — incredible state, tremendous heart," Trump told a news conference Friday in Cookeville, in front of the wreckage of a home. "Already you see people rebuilding."
He was accompanied on his trip to Tennessee by members of the state's congressional delegation, including the state's two Republican senators, Marsha Blackburn and Lamar Alexander. Gov. Bill Lee was there to greet him when he arrived.
"It's been a painful, tragic week for our state," Lee said during the joint news conference with Trump, "but Tennesseans are hopeful."
Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton gave NPR's Morning Edition a sense of the aftermath, describing the brutalized landscape that was to greet Trump on Friday.
"You just see the trees are just laying down, houses gone, and all you see is concrete foundations," Shelton said. "Our road crews were having to take heavy equipment to bulldoze our way through these streets, because they were covered in trees and power lines and poles."
As of Thursday, more than 23,000 people in three counties remained without power and Tennessee remained under a state of emergency. Trump freed up federal funds for Putnam, Davidson and Wilson counties by declaring a major disaster in the state.
During the news conference Friday, the president tried to end on a hopeful note, recalling a story he had heard about a boy whom one tornado ripped from his home and deposited a couple of blocks away, relatively unharmed.
"And how did his parents do?" Trump asked the officials standing beside him.
"They were found deceased," came the reply. "He was the only surviving member of the household. Lost his sibling as well."


npr--2020-03-06--At Least 32 Dead After Shooting In Kabul; ISIS Group Claims Responsibility

At Least 32 Dead After Shooting In Kabul ; ISIS Group Claims Responsibility Gunmen opened fire on a memorial ceremony Friday in Kabul , killing at least 32 people and wounding dozens more in the first major attack in the Afghan capital since the U.S. signed a peace framework with the Taliban late last week .
Several prominent politicians , including the country 's chief executive and recent presidential candidate , Abdullah Abdullah , were in the audience but escaped unharmed .
A spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of the Interior said the gunmen retreated to a nearby building , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standoff with security forces .
An Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack .
The ceremony marked 25 years since the death of Abdul Ali Mazari , a leader of the country 's Shiite minority , and the Sunni militant group that targeted a similar event last year .
`` This situation looks endless in our country , '' one of the people injured in the attack told local media .
`` There are political games , but only the poor people pay the price — how long will this continue ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Abdullah , his erstwhile rival for the presidency , and Karim Khalili , the chief of Afghanistan 's high peace council .
Khalili had been delivering an address at the ceremony when loud gunfire erupted , followed by screams .
He emerged from the attack unscathed .
`` The attack is a crime against humanity and against the national unity of Afghanistan , '' Ghani said in a statement posted to Twitter .
For Afghans , the attack caps a bloody week across the country .
Just six days ago , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed an agreement , offering hope for peace between the two longtime adversaries .
The deal outlined a 14-month timeline for the withdrawal of the thousands of Americans still stationed in Afghanistan , which would bring an end to the longest war in U.S. history .
The U.S. troop drawdown is partly conditioned on the Taliban fulfilling their promises to combat and prevent the spread of terrorist groups such as ISIS and al-Qaida .
But trouble quickly followed , as Ghani pushed back against the deal 's proposal for a prisoner exchange , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reprieve — redoubled their deadly attacks on Afghan troops throughout the country .
The violence escalated to the point that the U.S. said it carried out a `` defensive strike '' on the Taliban , seeking to support its Afghan allies at a military checkpoint earlier this week .
Now Afghanistan must cope with yet another spasm of violence — this time in its capital , and so far with the assailants unknown .
`` We extend our condolences to the families of the victims & thank the Afghan security forces for swift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. charge d'affaires in Kabul , tweeted .
`` We stand with Afghanistan for peace . ''

At Least 32 Dead After Shooting In Kabul; ISIS Group Claims Responsibility
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rahmat Gul/AP Rahmat Gul/AP
Updated 3:40 p.m. ET:
Gunmen opened fire on a memorial ceremony Friday in Kabul, killing at least 32 people and wounding dozens more in the first major attack in the Afghan capital since the U.S. signed a peace framework with the Taliban late last week. Several prominent politicians, including the country's chief executive and recent presidential candidate, Abdullah Abdullah, were in the audience but escaped unharmed.
A spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of the Interior said the gunmen retreated to a nearby building, where they were killed during an hours-long standoff with security forces.
An Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. The ceremony marked 25 years since the death of Abdul Ali Mazari, a leader of the country's Shiite minority, and the Sunni militant group that targeted a similar event last year.
"This situation looks endless in our country," one of the people injured in the attack told local media. "There are political games, but only the poor people pay the price — how long will this continue?"
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he called Abdullah, his erstwhile rival for the presidency, and Karim Khalili, the chief of Afghanistan's high peace council. Khalili had been delivering an address at the ceremony when loud gunfire erupted, followed by screams. He emerged from the attack unscathed.
"The attack is a crime against humanity and against the national unity of Afghanistan," Ghani said in a statement posted to Twitter.
Warning: Graphic content YouTube
For Afghans, the attack caps a bloody week across the country.
Just six days ago, the U.S. and Taliban announced that they had signed an agreement, offering hope for peace between the two longtime adversaries. The deal outlined a 14-month timeline for the withdrawal of the thousands of Americans still stationed in Afghanistan, which would bring an end to the longest war in U.S. history.
The U.S. troop drawdown is partly conditioned on the Taliban fulfilling their promises to combat and prevent the spread of terrorist groups such as ISIS and al-Qaida.
But trouble quickly followed, as Ghani pushed back against the deal's proposal for a prisoner exchange, and the Taliban — after a seven-day reprieve — redoubled their deadly attacks on Afghan troops throughout the country. The violence escalated to the point that the U.S. said it carried out a "defensive strike" on the Taliban, seeking to support its Afghan allies at a military checkpoint earlier this week.
Now Afghanistan must cope with yet another spasm of violence — this time in its capital, and so far with the assailants unknown.
"We extend our condolences to the families of the victims & thank the Afghan security forces for swift response," Ross Wilson, the U.S. charge d'affaires in Kabul, tweeted. "We stand with Afghanistan for peace."