npr--2020-09-08--Whatever Happened To ... The Filmmaker Focusing On A New Face For African Women?

Whatever Happened To ...
The Filmmaker Focusing On A New Face For African Women ?
Last fall , we spoke to Cameroonian filmmaker Rosine Mbakam about the U.S. premiere of her documentaries The Two Faces of A Bamileke Woman and Chez Jolie Coiffure .
Now , we catch up to hear how the pandemic has upended — and reinvented — her new projects .
How do you make a documentary in Cameroon when you 're stuck in Belgium because of the pandemic ?
That 's the dilemma that faced Rosine Mbakam in March .
When lockdown started , Rosine Mbakam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cameroon to film a project commissioned by the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University .
The film would be part of a new Cinetracts series inspired by the 1968 cinematic project of the same name .
In its original incarnation of Cinetracts , a group of French filmmakers — including Jean Luc-Godard and Chris Marker — created documentary shorts in response to the social and political turmoil that unfolded in the streets of Paris during the May '68 protests .
For the new installation , Mbakam was one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wexner Center to provide a nuanced perspective from a significant corner of the world .
She chose her home country .
Before she could embark on her trip , COVID-19 forced her to stay put in her Brussels apartment , along with her husband and two young sons .
And she still had to submit her contribution to the new Cinetracts by the June deadline .
`` I was like , 'What is in my environment now that can make a story , a film ? ''
she says .
Then , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works at a local hospital .
Mbakam says her friend expressed anger at a video recently released by the hospital , featuring health workers encouraging people to stay home and stop the spread of the coronavirus .
`` But there were no African or Black people in that video , '' says Mbakam .
`` And it is not possible to go to a hospital here in Belgium without seeing Black people . ''
So she decided to dedicate her Cinetracts submission to raising visibility of Belgium 's Black and African health workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , how their work had changed in the face of COVID-19 , how racism plays a role in their everyday life .
She interviewed 20 people over Skype .
Some shared stories of being attacked , both verbally and physically , by patients they were trying to help .
Others considered leaving medicine altogether , saying the abuse and discrimination prevented them from caring for the sick .
`` I discovered that the real virus in our society is social inequality and racism , '' says Mbakam .
`` And it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't take care of . ''
The two-minute film for Cinetracts '20 will premiere virtually on October 8 .
But given the amount of stories she encountered , the filmmaker says she plans to expand her footage into a larger project down the road .
In the meantime , she is also turning her attention back to the first documentary she worked on after completing film school in Belgium .
Filmed in late 2014 and early 2015 , Les prières de Delphine , follows a young Cameroonian sex worker named Delphine who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to migrate to Belgium .
`` In the film , I 'm talking about sexual colonization and how Delphine is trying to be free from that by questioning the two systems and two societies , '' says Mbakam .
`` The society in Cameroon that puts young women in that position to be exposed to that kind of relationship , and also how Europe continues to dominate and hold power over Africa . ''
Mbakam hopes to finish post-production on Delphine 's story in the coming months .
She says the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Two Faces of a Bamileke Woman and Chez Jolie Coiffure — in which she consciously examines her own lens as a Cameroonian director .
`` When I first came to film school here in Belgium , I was dominated by Western cinema .
And in that school they were telling me that all the things I did [ as a filmmaker ] in Cameroon had no place there , no importance , '' she recalls .
`` But I still film people in Cameroon , and now in that film I question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One of those people she filmed , for Two Faces , was her mother — who fell ill during the course of the pandemic , but not from COVID-19 .
She suffered a case of malaria , much to Mbakam 's concern , but recovered over the summer .
And thankfully , Mbakam says life is somewhat returning to normal in Brussels now .
The stricter phases of lockdown have ended , and her children are off to school during the day , giving her time to refocus on filmmaking .
`` People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there would be a new world and everything will not be like it was before , '' she notes .
`` It will not be a new world when we do not attack social inequality and racism .
It 's not a virus that can change the world and our ways to see each other , our mentality .
It 's bigger than a virus , and we have to question that . ''

Whatever Happened To ... The Filmmaker Focusing On A New Face For African Women?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Icarus Films Icarus Films
Last fall, we spoke to Cameroonian filmmaker Rosine Mbakam about the U.S. premiere of her documentaries The Two Faces of A Bamileke Woman and Chez Jolie Coiffure. Now, we catch up to hear how the pandemic has upended — and reinvented — her new projects.
How do you make a documentary in Cameroon when you're stuck in Belgium because of the pandemic?
That's the dilemma that faced Rosine Mbakam in March.
When lockdown started, Rosine Mbakam was preparing to fly from Belgium to Cameroon to film a project commissioned by the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University. The film would be part of a new Cinetracts series inspired by the 1968 cinematic project of the same name.
In its original incarnation of Cinetracts, a group of French filmmakers — including Jean Luc-Godard and Chris Marker — created documentary shorts in response to the social and political turmoil that unfolded in the streets of Paris during the May '68 protests.
For the new installation, Mbakam was one of 20 filmmakers granted a residency with the Wexner Center to provide a nuanced perspective from a significant corner of the world. She chose her home country.
Before she could embark on her trip, COVID-19 forced her to stay put in her Brussels apartment, along with her husband and two young sons. And she still had to submit her contribution to the new Cinetracts by the June deadline.
"I was like, 'What is in my environment now that can make a story, a film?" she says.
Then, she received a call from a friend who works at a local hospital. Mbakam says her friend expressed anger at a video recently released by the hospital, featuring health workers encouraging people to stay home and stop the spread of the coronavirus.
About This Series Goats are curious animals and "Goats and Soda" is a curious blog. Over the next week, we'll be looking back at some of our favorite stories to see "whatever happened to ..."
"But there were no African or Black people in that video," says Mbakam. "And it is not possible to go to a hospital here in Belgium without seeing Black people."
So she decided to dedicate her Cinetracts submission to raising visibility of Belgium's Black and African health workers — what their life was like before the pandemic, how their work had changed in the face of COVID-19, how racism plays a role in their everyday life.
She interviewed 20 people over Skype. Some shared stories of being attacked, both verbally and physically, by patients they were trying to help. Others considered leaving medicine altogether, saying the abuse and discrimination prevented them from caring for the sick.
"I discovered that the real virus in our society is social inequality and racism," says Mbakam. "And it's the biggest virus that we usually don't take care of."
The two-minute film for Cinetracts '20 will premiere virtually on October 8. But given the amount of stories she encountered, the filmmaker says she plans to expand her footage into a larger project down the road.
In the meantime, she is also turning her attention back to the first documentary she worked on after completing film school in Belgium. Filmed in late 2014 and early 2015, Les prières de Delphine, follows a young Cameroonian sex worker named Delphine who marries a man three times her age in order to migrate to Belgium.
"In the film, I'm talking about sexual colonization and how Delphine is trying to be free from that by questioning the two systems and two societies," says Mbakam. "The society in Cameroon that puts young women in that position to be exposed to that kind of relationship, and also how Europe continues to dominate and hold power over Africa."
Mbakam hopes to finish post-production on Delphine's story in the coming months. She says the documentary is her third project — following The Two Faces of a Bamileke Woman and Chez Jolie Coiffure — in which she consciously examines her own lens as a Cameroonian director.
"When I first came to film school here in Belgium, I was dominated by Western cinema. And in that school they were telling me that all the things I did [as a filmmaker] in Cameroon had no place there, no importance," she recalls. "But I still film people in Cameroon, and now in that film I question my gaze as a filmmaker."
One of those people she filmed, for Two Faces, was her mother — who fell ill during the course of the pandemic, but not from COVID-19. She suffered a case of malaria, much to Mbakam's concern, but recovered over the summer.
And thankfully, Mbakam says life is somewhat returning to normal in Brussels now. The stricter phases of lockdown have ended, and her children are off to school during the day, giving her time to refocus on filmmaking.
"People were saying that after the pandemic, there would be a new world and everything will not be like it was before," she notes. "It will not be a new world when we do not attack social inequality and racism. It's not a virus that can change the world and our ways to see each other, our mentality. It's bigger than a virus, and we have to question that."


npr--2020-09-08--Louisville Selects Black Woman As City's Interim Police Chief

The mayor of Louisville , Ky. , has named Yvette Gentry as the city 's new interim police chief , making her the first Black woman to lead the Louisville Metro Police Department when she starts on Oct. 1 .
Gentry is not a new face at the department .
She served more than 20 years with the Louisville Metro Police Department , including as its deputy chief starting in 2011 , before retiring from the force in 2014 .
She will be the troubled department 's third chief since the March killing of Breonna Taylor , a Black woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taylor 's death , along with those of George Floyd in Minneapolis and others , has sparked national protests calling for an end of racial inequities and police brutality .
Mayor Greg Fischer said he selected Gentry because she wants to help `` reimagine public safety and address systemic racism . ''
`` We wanted somebody right now that represents some independence of view point so that we could move forward with that , '' Fischer said at a news conference announcing her appointment on Monday .
`` Of course , Yvette 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LMPD and has done other roles outside of LMPD that I think will make her a good chief now , '' Fischer said .
City officials said Gentry did not apply for a permanent position as chief but is committed to serve in an interim capacity for up to six months .
Officials hope to name a permanent chief by the end of the year .
Gentry vows to 'try to move the needle' Gentry , who is is taking a leave of absence from her role as Project Director of Black Male @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became emotional as she spoke Monday about taking on her new role .
`` I prayed and even when I wanted to change my mind God had already told me it was the right thing to do , '' Gentry added .
`` For all of you who urged me to take this position and try to move the needle , I 'm here . ''
She also spoke to a broad cross section of Louisville residents about the `` reckoning '' the city is undergoing .
`` I think our city is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth can bring us out of , '' Gentry said .
`` I 'm not here just to help you unboard your beautiful buildings downtown , '' Gentry said .
`` I 'm here to work with you to unboard the community that I serve ... with all of my heart in West Louisville that was boarded for 20 or 30 years and I just could not find the help .
So , I 'm here to help you do that , because you promised to help me do that . ''
Gentry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schroeder , who is set to retire at the end of the month .
`` I 've known Yvette Gentry my entire policing career .
... She is the right person at the right time to move this police department forward until a new police chief is selected , '' Schroeder was quoted as saying by member station WFPL .
Schroeder replaced former Chief Steve Conrad , who was fired June 1 after it came to light that officers had not activated their body cameras during a fatal encounter with local business owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state investigation found that the fatal shot came from the Kentucky National Guard , which was assisting LMPD respond to a crowd protesting Taylor 's death and out past the city 's 9 p.m. curfew .
There 's also been mounting pressure to bring formal charges against the officers involved in the March 13 shooting of Taylor , the 26-year-old emergency medical worker who was killed when police forced their way into her home during a narcotic search .
No drugs were found at the home .
Officer Brett Hankison was fired from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two other officers — Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove — remain on administrative leave .
Last week , Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron met with FBI agents to review ballistics report into Taylor 's death .
Cameron is expected to announce in the coming weeks whether criminal charges will be filed against the officers .

Louisville Selects Black Woman As City's Interim Police Chief
Enlarge this image toggle caption Louisville Metro Police Department Louisville Metro Police Department
The mayor of Louisville, Ky., has named Yvette Gentry as the city's new interim police chief, making her the first Black woman to lead the Louisville Metro Police Department when she starts on Oct. 1.
Gentry is not a new face at the department. She served more than 20 years with the Louisville Metro Police Department, including as its deputy chief starting in 2011, before retiring from the force in 2014.
She will be the troubled department's third chief since the March killing of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman, by white Louisville police officers. Taylor's death, along with those of George Floyd in Minneapolis and others, has sparked national protests calling for an end of racial inequities and police brutality.
Mayor Greg Fischer said he selected Gentry because she wants to help "reimagine public safety and address systemic racism."
"We wanted somebody right now that represents some independence of view point so that we could move forward with that," Fischer said at a news conference announcing her appointment on Monday.
"Of course, Yvette's got a lot of experience already with LMPD and has done other roles outside of LMPD that I think will make her a good chief now," Fischer said.
City officials said Gentry did not apply for a permanent position as chief but is committed to serve in an interim capacity for up to six months. Officials hope to name a permanent chief by the end of the year.
Gentry vows to 'try to move the needle'
Gentry, who is is taking a leave of absence from her role as Project Director of Black Male Achievement at United Way of Kentucky, became emotional as she spoke Monday about taking on her new role.
"I prayed and even when I wanted to change my mind God had already told me it was the right thing to do," Gentry added. "For all of you who urged me to take this position and try to move the needle, I'm here."
She also spoke to a broad cross section of Louisville residents about the "reckoning" the city is undergoing.
"I think our city is at a point of reckoning that only truth can bring us out of," Gentry said.
"I'm not here just to help you unboard your beautiful buildings downtown," Gentry said. "I'm here to work with you to unboard the community that I serve ... with all of my heart in West Louisville that was boarded for 20 or 30 years and I just could not find the help. So, I'm here to help you do that, because you promised to help me do that."
Breonna Taylor case looms large
Gentry will take over for interim Chief Robert Schroeder, who is set to retire at the end of the month.
"I've known Yvette Gentry my entire policing career. ... She is the right person at the right time to move this police department forward until a new police chief is selected," Schroeder was quoted as saying by member station WFPL.
Schroeder replaced former Chief Steve Conrad, who was fired June 1 after it came to light that officers had not activated their body cameras during a fatal encounter with local business owner David McAtee during a protest.
A state investigation found that the fatal shot came from the Kentucky National Guard, which was assisting LMPD respond to a crowd protesting Taylor's death and out past the city's 9 p.m. curfew.
There's also been mounting pressure to bring formal charges against the officers involved in the March 13 shooting of Taylor, the 26-year-old emergency medical worker who was killed when police forced their way into her home during a narcotic search.
No drugs were found at the home.
Officer Brett Hankison was fired from the Louisville Metro Police Department in June. Two other officers — Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove — remain on administrative leave.
Last week, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron met with FBI agents to review ballistics report into Taylor's death. Cameron is expected to announce in the coming weeks whether criminal charges will be filed against the officers.


npr--2020-09-08--In 48 Hours, Colorado's Wild Weather Sets Records For Both Heat And Snow

In 48 Hours , Colorado 's Wild Weather Sets Records For Both Heat And Snow Some Colorado residents woke up to something that felt crazy after sweltering through the Labor Day weekend : snow .
This roller coaster forecast was `` truly something that I 've never seen , '' says assistant state climatologist Becky Bolinger .
In Fort Collins , the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University measured 0.3 inches of snow Tuesday morning , tweeting `` the earliest accumulating snow ever observed in over 130 years of records ! ''
That followed Sunday 's high of 99 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so late in September .
The National Weather Service says Fort Collins hit 100 degrees on Saturday .
In Denver , it has been 20 years since it has snowed in September for much of the Front Range .
The earliest snow on record for Denver is Sept. 3 , 1961 .
Bolinger said it 's an open question how much will stick , given how warm the ground may be just 24 hours after the state hit highs in the 90s .
`` It 's an incredibly notable event , '' she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's making her sad — the possible loss of her tomatoes .
Denver reached 101 degrees on Saturday , making it the latest triple-digit day on record and helping to set a new monthly record high .
Bolinger says climate change is making extreme heat the new normal for Colorado .
She says researchers are studying whether the climate is playing a role in these dramatic temperature shifts .
Meteorologists will be checking to see whether any place in Colorado officially beats the national record for the shortest gap between a 100-degree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been five days in Rapid City , S.D.
, in 2000 , says Alaska-based climatologist Brian Brettschneider , who notes that he studied only records kept at major weather stations .
Brettschneider says there are a number of cases where it can be 80 degrees one day and snow the next .
But Denver 's forecast caught his eye when he saw the highs above 90 .
`` Once you start ticking that temperature up and you 're talking about it in the 90s and snowing shortly thereafter , then the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Denver saw snow Tuesday morning , which then changed to a mix of snow and rain , but forecasters say snow could still accumulate later Tuesday evening .
Big temperature swings in Colorado are n't uncommon generally , but they are for September .
The moisture and cool temperatures could help dampen wildfires still burning around the state , like the Cameron Peak fire north of Rocky Mountain National Park , which has grown amid unrelenting heat and drought .
The National Weather Service warns that the abrupt change in temperature `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animals . ''
Before the snow hit , it advised ranchers to provide protection for their cattle .

In 48 Hours, Colorado's Wild Weather Sets Records For Both Heat And Snow
Some Colorado residents woke up to something that felt crazy after sweltering through the Labor Day weekend: snow.
This roller coaster forecast was "truly something that I've never seen," says assistant state climatologist Becky Bolinger.
In Fort Collins, the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University measured 0.3 inches of snow Tuesday morning, tweeting "the earliest accumulating snow ever observed in over 130 years of records!"
That followed Sunday's high of 99 degrees, the highest temperature ever observed so late in September. The National Weather Service says Fort Collins hit 100 degrees on Saturday.
In Denver, it has been 20 years since it has snowed in September for much of the Front Range. The earliest snow on record for Denver is Sept. 3, 1961.
Bolinger said it's an open question how much will stick, given how warm the ground may be just 24 hours after the state hit highs in the 90s.
"It's an incredibly notable event," she says. But there's one thing that's making her sad — the possible loss of her tomatoes.
Denver reached 101 degrees on Saturday, making it the latest triple-digit day on record and helping to set a new monthly record high.
Bolinger says climate change is making extreme heat the new normal for Colorado. She says researchers are studying whether the climate is playing a role in these dramatic temperature shifts.
Meteorologists will be checking to see whether any place in Colorado officially beats the national record for the shortest gap between a 100-degree day and measurable snow.
It had been five days in Rapid City, S.D., in 2000, says Alaska-based climatologist Brian Brettschneider, who notes that he studied only records kept at major weather stations.
Brettschneider says there are a number of cases where it can be 80 degrees one day and snow the next. But Denver's forecast caught his eye when he saw the highs above 90.
"Once you start ticking that temperature up and you're talking about it in the 90s and snowing shortly thereafter, then the number of instances drops dramatically," Brettschneider says.
Denver saw snow Tuesday morning, which then changed to a mix of snow and rain, but forecasters say snow could still accumulate later Tuesday evening.
Big temperature swings in Colorado aren't uncommon generally, but they are for September.
The moisture and cool temperatures could help dampen wildfires still burning around the state, like the Cameron Peak fire north of Rocky Mountain National Park, which has grown amid unrelenting heat and drought.
The National Weather Service warns that the abrupt change in temperature "will have a significant impact on outdoor animals." Before the snow hit, it advised ranchers to provide protection for their cattle.


npr--2020-09-08--Peru Locked Down Early. Now It Battles One Of The Worst Coronavirus Outbreaks

Peru Locked Down Early .
Now It Battles One Of The Worst Coronavirus Outbreaks Peru 's government has launched a campaign of emotional shock tactics to persuade its citizens to help stop the coronavirus from causing more death and misery in a country with one of Latin America 's biggest outbreaks .
Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra acknowledges the campaign `` may seem too harsh . ''
Yet he says : `` We are in a war .
... You have to call things as they are . ''
The `` war '' that Vizcarra says they are waging is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unexpectedly widespread impact on his country of more than 30 million people .
Peru has now registered almost 30,000 coronavirus-related deaths , the largest toll in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico .
That is despite the Peruvian government 's imposing a nationwide quarantine less than two weeks after detecting the country 's first case on March 6 .
Peru 's per capita COVID-19 mortality rate of 93.28 per 100,000 is higher than that of any other nation except the tiny European republic of San Marino ( population : 34,000 ) , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The awareness campaign has the slogan `` COVID does not kill by itself .
Let 's not be accomplices . ''
Half-a-minute , heart-wrenching videos are being broadcast on Peruvian TV and shared online in an effort to drive home the case for masks and social distancing .
They show scenes from everyday life — people happily cracking open beers on a street corner , men playing a soccer game and a family visiting a grandmother .
After a few seconds , the scene abruptly cuts to the consequences : an elderly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , gasping for breath .
The need for such hard-hitting messages was underscored on Aug. 22 by a tragedy at the Thomas Restobar nightclub in Lima , the capital .
The club held an illegal Saturday night party that was raided by the police .
There was panic .
Thirteen people died in the ensuing stampede .
Officials later revealed that 11 of the dead tested positive for the coronavirus .
The scale of the pandemic has left Peruvians feeling `` sad and angry , '' says veteran Lima-based journalist Jacqueline Fowks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has gone wrong and why .
Fowks cites the fact that 7 out of 10 Peruvian workers are in the informal sector and often `` could n't afford to isolate '' because they 're dependent on daily earnings .
But she also lays much of the blame on the country 's `` very poor '' health system , which failed to conduct effective testing and contact tracing and , in some areas , collapsed .
Before the coronavirus pandemic , Peru had one of the region 's strongest economies , thanks to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending per capita in Latin America and the Caribbean was $ 1,026 in 2017 , Peru spent only $ 680 , according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development .
The Peruvian government had plans to increase the health budget but failed to carry these out , says Dr. Godofredo Talavera , president of the Peruvian Medical Federation .
`` The government does n't fulfill its promises , '' he told NPR , as he stood within a throng of angry doctors and nurses at a recent protest rally outside the Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oxygen !
We do n't have ventilators ! ''
he said .
No one disputes that Peru is being hit hard by the pandemic , yet some believe the official numbers for coronavirus infections and deaths are inflated .
Peru has mostly relied on rapid testing that measures only antibodies , says Dr. Rubén Mayorga , the World Health Organization 's representative in Peru .
Mayorga says these show if someone had the virus at some point : `` You can have somebody who has [ died of ] ... something else , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test , you will be declared as having died of COVID . ''
What is not in doubt , however , is the devastating economic impact of the virus on Peru .
Its gross domestic product in April was about 40 % lower than it was the same month last year , a record decline .
The speed with which the economy is shrinking has since slowed , but the country 's Economy Ministry estimates output to be down 12 % in 2020 overall .
Miguel Jaramillo , an economics expert with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the economy to rebound quickly .
But he says he is concerned about `` the long-term consequences of the loss of human capital — a generation that is going to have a very hard time finding a job . ''
Jaramillo says that four years ago , he was a member of a presidential commission into the reform of social protection .
Its findings came to nothing .
He hopes the pandemic will now prompt Peru to learn from past mistakes .
`` I hope we do n't waste this opportunity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection and make a serious effort to formalize the economy , '' he says .
Ricardo Ramos , a computer shop owner and software developer in Lima , is feeling this breathtakingly steep downward spiral firsthand .
In the last few months , Ramos has lost more than two-thirds of his income .
He has already laid off five of his seven employees .
He says he loses sleep every night , lying awake and `` trying to dream up ways of reinventing the business . ''
Others are still less fortunate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ visit the poorer parts of Lima , says journalist Fowks : `` You will see a lot of people in the streets , walking around asking for money , asking for food , asking for any kind of help . ''

Peru Locked Down Early. Now It Battles One Of The Worst Coronavirus Outbreaks
Enlarge this image toggle caption Raul Sifuentes/Getty Images Raul Sifuentes/Getty Images
Updated at 6:10 p.m. ET
Peru's government has launched a campaign of emotional shock tactics to persuade its citizens to help stop the coronavirus from causing more death and misery in a country with one of Latin America's biggest outbreaks.
Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra acknowledges the campaign "may seem too harsh." Yet he says: "We are in a war. ... You have to call things as they are."
The "war" that Vizcarra says they are waging is a result of the virus's painful and unexpectedly widespread impact on his country of more than 30 million people. Peru has now registered almost 30,000 coronavirus-related deaths, the largest toll in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico. That is despite the Peruvian government's imposing a nationwide quarantine less than two weeks after detecting the country's first case on March 6.
Peru's per capita COVID-19 mortality rate of 93.28 per 100,000 is higher than that of any other nation except the tiny European republic of San Marino (population: 34,000), according to an analysis by Johns Hopkins University.
The awareness campaign has the slogan "COVID does not kill by itself. Let's not be accomplices." Half-a-minute, heart-wrenching videos are being broadcast on Peruvian TV and shared online in an effort to drive home the case for masks and social distancing.
They show scenes from everyday life — people happily cracking open beers on a street corner, men playing a soccer game and a family visiting a grandmother.
After a few seconds, the scene abruptly cuts to the consequences: an elderly relative on a ventilator in a hospital, gasping for breath.
The need for such hard-hitting messages was underscored on Aug. 22 by a tragedy at the Thomas Restobar nightclub in Lima, the capital. The club held an illegal Saturday night party that was raided by the police. There was panic. Thirteen people died in the ensuing stampede. Officials later revealed that 11 of the dead tested positive for the coronavirus.
The scale of the pandemic has left Peruvians feeling "sad and angry," says veteran Lima-based journalist Jacqueline Fowks. It has also ignited debate about what has gone wrong and why.
Fowks cites the fact that 7 out of 10 Peruvian workers are in the informal sector and often "couldn't afford to isolate" because they're dependent on daily earnings.
But she also lays much of the blame on the country's "very poor" health system, which failed to conduct effective testing and contact tracing and, in some areas, collapsed.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Peru had one of the region's strongest economies, thanks to a commodities boom. Yet while average health spending per capita in Latin America and the Caribbean was $1,026 in 2017, Peru spent only $680, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The Peruvian government had plans to increase the health budget but failed to carry these out, says Dr. Godofredo Talavera, president of the Peruvian Medical Federation.
"The government doesn't fulfill its promises," he told NPR, as he stood within a throng of angry doctors and nurses at a recent protest rally outside the Health Ministry. "We don't have oxygen! We don't have ventilators!" he said.
No one disputes that Peru is being hit hard by the pandemic, yet some believe the official numbers for coronavirus infections and deaths are inflated. Peru has mostly relied on rapid testing that measures only antibodies, says Dr. Rubén Mayorga, the World Health Organization's representative in Peru.
Mayorga says these show if someone had the virus at some point: "You can have somebody who has [died of] ... something else, but since you have a COVID-19 antibody test, you will be declared as having died of COVID."
What is not in doubt, however, is the devastating economic impact of the virus on Peru. Its gross domestic product in April was about 40% lower than it was the same month last year, a record decline. The speed with which the economy is shrinking has since slowed, but the country's Economy Ministry estimates output to be down 12% in 2020 overall.
Miguel Jaramillo, an economics expert with the Lima-based think tank Grade, expects parts of the economy to rebound quickly. But he says he is concerned about "the long-term consequences of the loss of human capital — a generation that is going to have a very hard time finding a job."
Jaramillo says that four years ago, he was a member of a presidential commission into the reform of social protection. Its findings came to nothing. He hopes the pandemic will now prompt Peru to learn from past mistakes.
"I hope we don't waste this opportunity to ... create a real system of social protection and make a serious effort to formalize the economy," he says.
Ricardo Ramos, a computer shop owner and software developer in Lima, is feeling this breathtakingly steep downward spiral firsthand.
In the last few months, Ramos has lost more than two-thirds of his income. He has already laid off five of his seven employees. He says he loses sleep every night, lying awake and "trying to dream up ways of reinventing the business."
Others are still less fortunate. To see that, you only need visit the poorer parts of Lima, says journalist Fowks: "You will see a lot of people in the streets, walking around asking for money, asking for food, asking for any kind of help."


npr--2020-09-08--Citing A COVID-19 Shortfall, DHS Increases Visa Fees For Touring Artists

While it 's still unknown when musicians and touring artists will again be able to perform in venues , those based abroad and hoping to tour the U.S. will face increased costs to do so legally .
U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services , or USCIS , part of the Department of Homeland Security , announced the change in the Federal Register on Thursday , just ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend .
It mandates that fees to obtain O and P visas , which cover individual artists and groups , respectively , and allow them to work for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will be increased by around 50 % .
An O visa , which applies to `` Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement , '' will increase in price from $ 460 to $ 705 , a 53 % increase , while the P visa , which generally applies to groups or `` culturally unique '' artists , will increase from $ 460 to $ 695 , a 51 % increase .
The agency explained that it `` conducted a comprehensive biennial fee review and determined that current fees do not recover the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services . ''
It went on to say that the new rule stems from projections showing `` that USCIS would receive $ 1.1 billion less in non-premium revenue in the second half of the fiscal year [ 2020 ] than previously forecast .
USCIS can not absorb that large of a revenue loss and have enough funding to sustain operations at the same level as prior to the pandemic . ''
`` The bigger problem , '' said Matthew Covey , an immigration attorney with the nonprofit Tamizdat , `` is that [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adjudication of the O and P regulations has become so arbitrary and onerous , that most arts institutions have been forced to hire attorneys to manage the process for them .
As such , presenting performing artists in the U.S. now comes with massive legal costs which are — in our opinion — a catastrophic financial impediment to cultural exchange . ''
In 2017 , the Department of Homeland Security began more stringent enforcement of a common `` workaround '' used by artists , the Visa Waiver Program , or ESTA , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as nonworking tourists .
The program was commonly used by emerging artists to perform at nonpaid industry events , such as most concerts that take place during South by Southwest .
However , a performance , whether paid or unpaid , is classified as work by USCIS .
This renewed enforcement , at a time of wider shifts in immigration policy , resulted in several music groups being deported or denied entry .

Citing A COVID-19 Shortfall, DHS Increases Visa Fees For Touring Artists
Enlarge this image Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images
While it's still unknown when musicians and touring artists will again be able to perform in venues, those based abroad and hoping to tour the U.S. will face increased costs to do so legally.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, part of the Department of Homeland Security, announced the change in the Federal Register on Thursday, just ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend. It mandates that fees to obtain O and P visas, which cover individual artists and groups, respectively, and allow them to work for a period of time in the U.S., will be increased by around 50%.
An O visa, which applies to "Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement," will increase in price from $460 to $705, a 53% increase, while the P visa, which generally applies to groups or "culturally unique" artists, will increase from $460 to $695, a 51% increase.
The agency explained that it "conducted a comprehensive biennial fee review and determined that current fees do not recover the full cost of providing adjudication and naturalization services." It went on to say that the new rule stems from projections showing "that USCIS would receive $1.1 billion less in non-premium revenue in the second half of the fiscal year [2020] than previously forecast. USCIS cannot absorb that large of a revenue loss and have enough funding to sustain operations at the same level as prior to the pandemic."
"The bigger problem," said Matthew Covey, an immigration attorney with the nonprofit Tamizdat, "is that [Immigration and Naturalization] and later USCIS adjudication of the O and P regulations has become so arbitrary and onerous, that most arts institutions have been forced to hire attorneys to manage the process for them. As such, presenting performing artists in the U.S. now comes with massive legal costs which are — in our opinion — a catastrophic financial impediment to cultural exchange."
In 2017, the Department of Homeland Security began more stringent enforcement of a common "workaround" used by artists, the Visa Waiver Program, or ESTA, which allowed individuals and groups into the country as nonworking tourists. The program was commonly used by emerging artists to perform at nonpaid industry events, such as most concerts that take place during South by Southwest.
However, a performance, whether paid or unpaid, is classified as work by USCIS. This renewed enforcement, at a time of wider shifts in immigration policy, resulted in several music groups being deported or denied entry.


npr--2020-09-09--Escape The Pandemic: Summer Camps Offer COVID-19-Free Bubbles This Fall

As millions of students return to virtual classes at their dining room tables , some parents who are also trying to work from home have decided to ship their kids off to camp .
This might seem crazy given reports that some sleepover camps that tried to open this summer turned in to coronavirus hot spots .
At one camp in Georgia , hundreds of campers ended up getting infected with COVID-19 .
In fact , most sleepover camps in the U.S. did n't open at all due to concerns about spreading the virus among kids crammed into bunks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that managed to successfully keep the virus at bay this summer are now offering a refuge from the virus — to those who can afford it — where students can live and attend classes remotely .
`` Instead of working at their dining rooms at home , they 're going to work at the dining room '' at Camp Robin Hood , says Richard Woodstein , director of the camp , located in Freedom , N.H .
It 's offering a five-week Semester at Camp starting Sept. 13 .
Campers will log in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` And once they 're done with their work , '' he says , `` we 'll do camp stuff . ''
But this will all be done with strict COVID-19 protocols .
Robin Hood and other camps that operated successfully over the summer used similar plans to deal with the virus .
And Woodstein is confident they can do it again this fall .
In the days before anyone came to the camp , they had to get tested for the virus .
Then the campers were tested again once they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front gate was given a nasal swab , '' Woodstein says .
`` We checked everyone 's temperature in the cars .
We wo n't let the parents get out of the cars . ''
The kids were divided up by bunks in to groups of 10 .
For the first week until everyone had passed a third COVID-19 test , campers from one bunk could n't interact with kids from other bunks unless everyone was wearing masks .
Camp officials canceled all the usual field trips and excursions that they 'd usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Once we closed the drawbridge , nobody was allowed to leave , '' Woodstein says .
They hosted 300 kids this summer and there were no cases of COVID-19 .
For the fall Semester at Camp , the plan is to create a similar bubble — a world walled off from the pandemic .
But Woodstein cautions it was n't easy .
`` We showed a lot of respect to the disease , a lot of respect to how quickly it could spread .
But we just had a lot of processes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like crazy . ''
This fall , it 's not just Robin Hood that 's offering parents an alternative .
Camp North Star in Wisconsin is taking kids as young as 8 for a five-week fall session .
A YMCA camp in North Carolina is renting out its cabins to kids and their parents , calling it a `` solution for remote school and work . ''
So , are all of these just coronavirus disasters waiting to happen ?
A study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and staff who attended four camps this summer in Maine , the researchers found only three people tested positive for COVID-19 and the virus did n't spread .
Dr. Laura Blaisdell , the medical director at one of the camps and a lead author of the study , says there was no single magic bullet for keeping COVID-19 at bay .
`` The magic bullet is the kitchen sink , '' Blaisdell says .
The key was to follow the science , she says , and put in place every public health measure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masking , physical distancing , testing , screening , temperature taking . ''
If anyone in a cabin came down with symptoms that might be COVID-19 , the entire cabin was quarantined while the suspected case was tested for the virus .
But the quarantined campers still went on hikes and went swimming .
They just did n't interact with the other bunks .
Blaisdell says quarantine was n't as bad as you might think .
`` No , we did n't chain them to their bunk and throw them reams of meat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As soon as the test results came back negative , the campers were released back into games of gaga ball and capture the flag .
Inside their sealed perimeters , these camps have shown that with enough testing and safety protocols they can create a world away from the virus .
But the bubble comes at a price .
The fall session at Camp Robin Hood costs $ 9,000 for five weeks , which covers all expenses including COVID-19 testing .

Class Without Coronavirus: Students Take Schoolwork To Sleepaway Camp
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jacob Spiers/Camp Robin Hood Jacob Spiers/Camp Robin Hood
As millions of students return to virtual classes at their dining room tables, some parents who are also trying to work from home have decided to ship their kids off to camp.
This might seem crazy given reports that some sleepover camps that tried to open this summer turned into coronavirus hot spots. At one camp in Georgia, hundreds of campers ended up getting infected with the coronavirus. In fact, most sleepover camps in the U.S. didn't open at all due to concerns about spreading the virus among kids crammed into bunks and sharing communal toilets.
But some others that managed to successfully keep the virus at bay this summer are now offering a refuge from the virus — to those who can afford it — where students can live and attend classes remotely.
"Instead of working at their dining rooms at home, they're going to work at the dining room" at Camp Robin Hood, says Richard Woodstein, director of the camp, located in Freedom, N.H.
It's offering a five-week Semester at Camp starting Sept. 13. Campers will log in to their remote classes in the morning. "And once they're done with their work," he says, "we'll do camp stuff."
But this will all be done with strict COVID-19 protocols. Robin Hood and other camps that operated successfully over the summer used similar plans to deal with the virus. And Woodstein is confident they can do it again this fall.
In the days before anyone came to the camp, they had to get tested for the virus. Then the campers were tested again once they arrived.
"Every child at the front gate was given a nasal swab," Woodstein says. "We checked everyone's temperature in the cars. We won't let the parents get out of the cars."
The kids were divided up by bunks into groups of 10. For the first week until everyone had passed a third coronavirus test, campers from one bunk couldn't interact with kids from other bunks unless everyone was wearing masks.
Camp officials canceled all the usual field trips and excursions that they'd usually do outside of the 180-acre camp.
"Once we closed the drawbridge, nobody was allowed to leave," Woodstein says.
They hosted 300 kids this summer, and there were no cases of COVID-19.
For the fall Semester at Camp, the plan is to create a similar bubble — a world walled off from the pandemic.
But Woodstein cautions it wasn't easy. "We showed a lot of respect to the disease, a lot of respect to how quickly it could spread. But we just had a lot of processes in place. We washed our hands like crazy."
This fall, it's not just Robin Hood that's offering parents an alternative.
Camp North Star in Wisconsin is taking kids as young as 8 for a five-week fall session. A YMCA camp in North Carolina is renting out its cabins to kids and their parents, calling it a "solution for remote school and work."
So, are all of these just coronavirus disasters waiting to happen? A study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says no. Looking at more than 1,000 kids and staff who attended four camps this summer in Maine, the researchers found only three people tested positive for the coronavirus and the virus didn't spread.
Dr. Laura Blaisdell, the medical director at one of the camps and a lead author of the study, says there was no single magic bullet for keeping COVID-19 at bay.
"The magic bullet is the kitchen sink," Blaisdell says.
The key was to follow the science, she says, and put in place every public health measure they could — "whether that's masking, physical distancing, testing, screening, temperature taking."
If anyone in a cabin came down with symptoms that might be COVID-19, the entire cabin was quarantined while the suspected case was tested for the virus.
But the quarantined campers still went on hikes and went swimming. They just didn't interact with the other bunks. Blaisdell says quarantine wasn't as bad as you might think.
"No, we didn't chain them to their bunk and throw them reams of meat," she says with a laugh.
As soon as the test results came back negative, the campers were released back into games of gaga ball and capture the flag.
Inside their sealed perimeters, these camps have shown that with enough testing and safety protocols they can create a world away from the virus. But the bubble comes at a price.
The fall session at Camp Robin Hood costs $9,000 for five weeks, which covers all expenses including coronavirus testing.


npr--2020-09-09--Autistic 13-Year-Old Boy Shot By Salt Lake City Police

A police officer in Salt Lake City , Utah shot a 13-year-old boy with Asperger syndrome on Friday after his mother called 911 seeking help for her son , who was experiencing a mental health crisis .
Golda Barton told CBS affiliate KUTV that she called police to request that a crisis intervention team transport her son , Linden Cameron , to a hospital for treatment as he was having a `` mental breakdown . ''
Barton had just returned to work for the first time in nearly a year , and said her son suffers from separation anxiety .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was unarmed , describing him as `` a kid ... trying to get attention , he does n't know how to regulate . ''
She said she was told to stay put when officers arrived at her house .
Within minutes , Barton said , she heard voices yelling , `` Get down on the ground , '' followed by several gunshots .
In a press briefing , Salt Lake City Police Sgt .
Keith Horrocks said officers were called to the scene shortly after 10 p.m. to respond to a `` violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` had made threats to some folks with a weapon . ''
Horrocks said there was no indication that the subject had a weapon , but stressed that the investigation was in its early stages .
Without using his name , Horrocks said Cameron , who is white , fled from the address on foot , and that one police officer fired at him during a `` short foot pursuit . ''
Officers provided medical aid until Cameron was transported to a hospital , He is reported to be in serious condition .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a family friend , Cameron has injuries to his shoulder , ankles , intestines and bladder .
The page says that while the long-term effects of those injuries are still unknown , `` it is likely that his recovery will be long and require multiple kinds of treatment . ''
Barton told reporters that her first thought was that her son was dead , and officers did not immediately reassure her that he was not .
She slammed law enforcement 's handling of the incident and questioned why they did n't use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bullets .
`` He 's a small child .
Why do n't you just tackle him ? ''
Barton said .
`` You are big police officers with massive amounts of resources .
Come on , give me a break . ''
Neurodiverse Utah , a grassroots organization that promotes autism acceptance and self-advocacy , said in a statement that people are less likely to be able to think rationally and respond promptly when they are experiencing a mental health crisis .
`` Police were called because help was needed but instead more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SLPD expected a 13-year-old experiencing a mental health episode to act calmer and collected than adult trained officers , '' it said .
According to KUTV , the police department issued a statement on Tuesday saying an investigation by law enforcement and the District Attorney 's office is ongoing , and the city 's Civilian Review Board and police department 's internal affairs division will also conduct `` parallel separate investigations . ''
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a statement to The Salt Lake Tribune that while full details of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she is thankful the teenager survived and that no one else was injured .
`` No matter the circumstances , what happened on Friday night is a tragedy , and I expect this investigation to be handled swiftly and transparently for the sake of everyone involved , '' she said .
Police said they do not anticipate having any further updates until police body-cam footage is released , 10 business days after the incident .
Friday 's shooting comes in a summer marked by protests against racial injustice and police brutality , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and killing Black people , among them George Floyd , Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake .

13-Year-Old Boy With Autism Disorder Shot By Salt Lake City Police
Updated at 5 p.m. ET
A police officer in Salt Lake City shot a 13-year-old boy with an autism spectrum disorder on Friday after his mother called 911 seeking help for her son, who was experiencing a mental health crisis.
Golda Barton told CBS affiliate KUTV that she called police to request that a crisis intervention team transport her son, Linden Cameron, to a hospital for treatment as he was having a "mental breakdown."
Barton said Linden has Asperger syndrome. She had just returned to work for the first time in nearly a year and said that her son suffers from separation anxiety.
Barton reportedly told officers that her son was unarmed, describing him as "a kid ... trying to get attention, he doesn't know how to regulate."
She said she was told to stay put when officers arrived at her house. Within minutes, Barton said, she heard voices yelling, "Get down on the ground," followed by several gunshots.
1A 1A Across America: Unpolicing Mental Illness 1A Across America: Unpolicing Mental Illness Listen · 36:25 36:25
In a press briefing, Salt Lake City Police Sgt. Keith Horrocks said officers were called to the scene shortly after 10 p.m. to respond to a "violent psych issue" involving a juvenile who "had made threats to some folks with a weapon."
Horrocks said there was no indication that the subject had a weapon, but stressed that the investigation was in its early stages.
Without using his name, Horrocks said that Linden, who is white, fled from the address on foot, and that one police officer fired at him during a "short foot pursuit." Officers provided medical aid until Cameron was transported to a hospital, He is reported to be in serious condition.
According to an online fundraising page created by a family friend, Linden has injuries to his shoulder, ankles, intestines and bladder.
The page says that while the long-term effects of those injuries are still unknown, "it is likely that his recovery will be long and require multiple kinds of treatment."
Barton told reporters that her first thought was that her son was dead — and that officers did not immediately reassure her that he was not.
She slammed law enforcement's handling of the incident and questioned why they didn't use less aggressive tools like Tasers or rubber bullets.
"He's a small child. Why don't you just tackle him?" Barton said. "You are big police officers with massive amounts of resources. Come on, give me a break."
Neurodiverse Utah, a grassroots organization that promotes autism acceptance and self-advocacy, said in a statement that people are less likely to be able to think rationally and respond promptly when they are experiencing a mental health crisis.
"Police were called because help was needed but instead more harm was done when officers from the SLPD expected a 13-year-old experiencing a mental health episode to act calmer and collected than adult trained officers," it said.
According to KUTV, the police department issued a statement on Tuesday saying an investigation by law enforcement and the district attorney's office is ongoing, and the city's Civilian Review Board and police department's internal affairs division will also conduct "parallel separate investigations."
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a statement to The Salt Lake Tribune that while full details of the incident are yet to be released, she is thankful the teenager survived and that no one else was injured.
"No matter the circumstances, what happened on Friday night is a tragedy, and I expect this investigation to be handled swiftly and transparently for the sake of everyone involved," she said.
Police said they do not anticipate having any further updates until police bodycam footage is released, 10 business days after the incident.
Friday's shooting comes in a summer marked by protests against racial injustice and police brutality, following numerous high-profile incidents of officers shooting and killing Black people, among them George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake.


npr--2020-09-09--Amid Campaign Jabs Over Vaccine, Senate To Hold Hearing On Treatment Development

Amid Campaign Jabs Over Vaccine , Senate To Hold Hearing On Treatment Development The U.S. Senate will on Wednesday hold a hearing on the development of vaccines aimed at eradicating the coronavirus , amid an escalated political rhetoric regarding the potential effectiveness of a fast-tracked vaccine .
As President Trump has promised to expedite treatments against the virus that has killed nearly 190,000 Americans , he has appeared publicly rankled by critics who question his handling of the pandemic and those who are skeptical of the viability of a safe vaccine in such record time .
The Senate Committee on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear from advisers to the president 's coronavirus response , including National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins and U.S .
Surgeon General Jerome Adams .
With his standing in opinion polls slipping as the coronavirus death toll rises , Trump has in recent weeks escalated promises of a vaccine against the virus to be ready for the public before the end of the year , indicating that a treatment could be available just ahead of the Nov. 3 general election .
`` Under Operation Warp Speed , we 're producing a vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine that we 're going to have very soon , very , very soon .
By the end of the year , but much sooner than that , perhaps .
And this is something that 's incredible .
This would 've taken two or three years by the last administration , and in all fairness , by most other administrations , '' Trump said in a rambling Tuesday press conference , in which he disparaged his 2020 rival , Democrat Joe Biden , and Biden 's running-mate , Kamala Harris .
The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermining science and risking countless lives with their reckless , anti-vaccine rhetoric '' and accusing Democrats of playing politics with public health .
`` So now they know we have it .
It 's only a question of weeks or small amount of time .
So instead of saying 'that 's a great thing , we 're going to save lives , ' they 're trying to disparage it .
They 're trying to make it politics , '' he said .
`` And now what 's going to happen is we 'll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to take it .
That 's really bad , OK ?
That 's really bad . ''
Biden and Harris have both indicated a degree of skepticism towards the president 's ability to deliver a vaccine based on the short time frame and Trump 's own missteps and misstatements regarding the virus .
The president has in the past given mixed-messaging on his views on the efficacy of face masks , which research has shown to be highly effective in limiting the spread of the coronaviurs , and has previously promoted dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including suggesting that injecting commercial cleaning agents could fend off the virus .
Sen. Harris , in an interview this week , denied that she was suspicious of the vaccine because of political reasons , saying that she would trust a vaccine developed under the Trump administration `` if the public health professionals and the scientists told us that we could trust it . ''
Seizing on the Biden/Harris ticket 's wariness of a rushed vaccine , the Trump campaign in a Sunday statement accused the pair of `` fear mongering '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` A coronavirus vaccine is a key part of returning America to normal and making our economy great again , and that 's why President Trump is working hard to deliver a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine for the American people as soon as possible , '' the Trump campaign said .
`` Biden and Harris are saying this for political reasons , knowing full well their irresponsible rhetoric could lead to more dead Americans .
They do n't seem to care that they are contradicting the scientists and top public health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine against the virus , dubbed Operation Warp Speed by the president , is part of the administration 's response to the unprecedented global pandemic .
Since March , U.S. operations have been severely stunted through hundreds of thousands of deaths across the globe , a clogged national healthcare system and the shuttering of thousands of small businesses .
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released guidance for states to be prepared to distribute a vaccine to high-risk groups by as soon as late-October , Trump 's own advisers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , effective vaccine within just a few weeks is `` extremely unlikely . ''
The development for an effective vaccine against the coronavirus by even the end of the year would mark a watershed moment in medicine , as vaccines typically take several years , if not decades , to succeed .

Amid Campaign Jabs Over Vaccine, Senate Holds Hearing On Treatment Development
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Updated at noon ET
The U.S. Senate is holding a hearing Wednesday on the development of vaccines aimed at eradicating the coronavirus amid escalated political rhetoric regarding the potential effectiveness of a fast-tracked vaccine.
As President Trump has promised to expedite treatments against the virus that has killed nearly 190,000 Americans, he has appeared publicly rankled by critics who question his handling of the pandemic and those who are skeptical of the viability of a safe vaccine in such record time.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions is hearing from advisers to the president's coronavirus response, including National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins and U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams.
Both Collins and Adams emphasized that all people who are able to get a flu shot should do so by the end of October.
"With both COVID-19 and the flu circulating this fall, this will be, in my opinion, the most important flu season of our lifetimes," Adams said.
"Less flu and fewer hospitalizations will help to conserve precious health care resources. So let me be clear: The best way to prevent the flu is to get the flu vaccine, and I hope all of you here today will get your vaccine early and publicly."
In response to a question from Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont regarding the cost of a future vaccine, Collins and Adams gave clear answers that cost would not be a barrier for Americans to obtain a vaccine.
"I promise you we will use every federal tool that we have to make sure that cost is not an obstacle for people receiving what will perhaps be the most important and highly anticipated vaccine of our lives," Adams said.
Vaccine promises on the campaign trail
With his standing in opinion polls slipping as the coronavirus death toll rises, Trump has in recent weeks escalated promises of a vaccine to be ready for the public before the end of the year, indicating that a treatment could be available ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
"Under Operation Warp Speed, we're producing a vaccine in record time. This is a vaccine that we're going to have very soon, very, very soon. By the end of the year but much sooner than that perhaps. And this is something that's incredible. This would've taken two or three years by the last administration, and in all fairness, by most other administrations," Trump said in a rambling Tuesday press conference in which he disparaged his 2020 rival, Democrat Joe Biden, and Biden's running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris.
The president continued that Biden and Harris "are undermining science and risking countless lives with their reckless, anti-vaccine rhetoric" and accusing Democrats of playing politics with public health.
"So now they know we have it. It's only a question of weeks or small amount of time. So instead of saying, 'That's a great thing, we're going to save lives,' they're trying to disparage it. They're trying to make it politics," he said.
"And now what's going to happen is we'll have it, and people won't want to take it. That's really bad, OK? That's really bad."
Biden and Harris have both indicated a degree of skepticism toward the president's ability to deliver a vaccine based on the short time frame and Trump's own missteps and misstatements regarding the virus.
The president has in the past given mixed messages on his views on the efficacy of face masks, which research has shown to be highly effective in limiting the spread of the coronavirus, and has promoted dangerous, untested treatments for the illness, including suggesting that injecting commercial cleaning agents could fend off the virus.
Harris, in an interview this week, denied she was suspicious of the vaccine because of political reasons, saying she would trust a vaccine developed under the Trump administration "if the public health professionals and the scientists told us that we could trust it."
Seizing on the Biden/Harris ticket's wariness of a rushed vaccine, the Trump campaign in a Sunday statement accused the pair of "fear mongering" and promoting "anti-vax conspiracy theories."
"A coronavirus vaccine is a key part of returning America to normal and making our economy great again, and that's why President Trump is working hard to deliver a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine for the American people as soon as possible," the Trump campaign said.
"Biden and Harris are saying this for political reasons, knowing full well their irresponsible rhetoric could lead to more dead Americans. They don't seem to care that they are contradicting the scientists and top public health officials."
"There will be no shortcuts"
In Wednesday's hearing, Collins, the NIH director, appeared to address Trump's claims that a vaccine would be ready for the public around Election Day.
"I can't say strongly enough that the decisions about how this vaccine is going to be evaluated and assessed is going to be based on science," Collins said.
"Will it be done by a certain date? I could not possibly tell you right now because I don't know what's going to happen in the coming months," he said. "I do have cautious optimism that by the end of 2020, at least one of these vaccines will have emerged and turned out to be safe and effective. But even that is a guess, and certainly to try to predict whether it happens on a particular week before or after a particular date in early November goes well beyond anything that any scientist right now could tell you and be confident that they know what they're saying."
Adams echoed that science alone will be the guiding principle in vaccine development and distribution.
"There will be no shortcuts. This vaccine will be safe, it will be effective or it won't get moved along," he said.
The race to produce a vaccine against the virus, dubbed Operation Warp Speed by the president, is part of the administration's response to the unprecedented global pandemic. Since March, U.S. operations have been severely stunted through hundreds of thousands of deaths, a clogged national health care system and the shuttering of thousands of small businesses.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released guidance for states to be prepared to distribute a vaccine to high-risk groups by as soon as late October, Trump's advisers have warned that the likelihood of a safe, effective vaccine within just a few weeks is "extremely unlikely."
The development for an effective vaccine against the coronavirus by even the end of the year would mark a watershed moment in medicine as vaccines typically take several years, if not decades, to succeed.
NPR congressional correspondent Susan Davis contributed to this report.


npr--2020-09-09--Political Divisions Drive Police Brutality Cases

In a summer of unrest over police violence , you might think that suing the police is a way for the families of those killed to get justice .
It can be , but the amount of justice available — in monetary settlements from cities and towns — may depend on the local politics of where the killing happened .
That 's according to an NPR analysis of civil case settlements in 2015 , the year following protests in Ferguson , Mo.
, over the police killing of Michael Brown .
We chose 2015 both because it was the immediate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it was long enough ago that most of the cases would have been resolved .
During that year , we found 93 police cases in which police killed a person who had not been armed with a gun or other weapon .
Of those cases , we found that 29 of them — nearly a third — ended in a settlement for the families of those killed .
To find and categorize the cases , we reviewed reports in other media , as well as documents from courts and local governments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurred in counties that voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election .
In the counties that voted for Clinton , there were 61 fatal incidents .
Twenty of those cases settled for a total of more than $ 50 million , or about $ 2.6 million per case .
Most of the settlements were for more than $ 1 million .
In the counties that voted for candidate Donald Trump , there were 31 deaths .
Eight of those cases were settled , for a total of $ 14 million – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Three settlements topped $ 1 million .
Now , six years after Ferguson , civil rights lawyers say there may be new connections developing between the courts and popular opinion on police .
Black Lives Matter protests have been polarizing , they say , and are hardening political divisions about law enforcement on both sides .
The latest Ipsos/NPR poll out Sept. 3 backs this up : Three out of four Democrats support recent protests in the wake of the Kenosha , Wis. , shooting of Jacob Blake , while fewer than 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if such divisions extend to legal disputes over police behavior , that can mean stark differences around the country — in terms of localities ' inclination to settle cases , and of local jurors ' willingness to hold police officers accountable .
Dave O'Brien , an Iowa lawyer who exclusively represents civil rights plaintiffs , spoke with NPR just after losing a jury trial in a police brutality case in Sioux City , a conservative town in a conservative state .
It was a case he expected to win .
And while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read too much into a single case , he blames the loss on a community backlash against the Black Lives Matter movement .
`` I 've previously had a lot of success with true-blue conservative ( jurors ) – somebody who believes in individual liberty and not allowing the government to take advantage of an individual , '' O'Brien says .
`` Those people , I love on my juries .
But my reading of this case was that as a result of Black Lives Matter , the backlash has pushed them towards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't take . ''
O'Brien says that he used to be able to convince conservative gun owners to cherish the civil rights he was fighting for in police brutality cases , just as they value their right to bear arms .
But something has changed .
In conversations with potential jurors during jury selection , he says jurors `` just felt like Black Lives Matter was a bit too much of an overreaction and anti-police .
We had to overcome it , and we did n't do it successfully . ''
On the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles County , veteran civil rights lawyer James DeSimone is seeing a different effect .
`` I do believe that the jury pools here in California have become more open to finding police liable in appropriate cases , '' he says .
`` As more people become aware that not all police officers can be believed , that in circumstances of excessive force , police officers should be held liable , that makes our job easier . ''
Clark Neily , a former trial lawyer and vice president for criminal justice at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says NPR 's findings and what they suggest about the current political moment are n't surprising .
`` This probably reflects , to some extent , the plaintiff 's lawyers and the defense lawyer 's projections about what 's likely to happen if the case proceeds to trial and there is a verdict , '' he says .
The Cato Institute has called for increased legal accountability on the part of police , particularly by ending the legal doctrine of qualified immunity , which has insulated them from liability .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system , '' Neily says , `` The communities of color tend to bear the brunt of the most significant pathologies in the system .
It 's especially acute now with the frustration and resentment that is spilling out into the street . ''
But some lawyers wonder if the legal environment this year and next will look more like the aftermath of 2014 's Ferguson protests in some cities , and in others , just the opposite .
`` The cases where I had the most success and the largest settlement values @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going on , '' says Missouri attorney Joshua Roberts .
`` The cities down here were , 'We want to get this out of the news , we want to get this resolved . '
And they were a lot less cantankerous to deal with . ''
Currently , though , the climate in southwest Missouri is `` very pro-law enforcement , '' he says .
In this summer of protests , William O. Wagstaff III , a New York civil rights attorney , says he routinely convenes groups of people of different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of particular cases .
He says he does n't want to make `` outdated assumptions '' about them .
`` I have noticed a shift in perspectives from people I would previously consider to be liberal and sympathetic to issues of racial inequalities in policing , '' Wagstaff says , `` because they believe the rallying cry for accountability has gone too far . ''
For families of those killed by police to file suit , they must first believe they can fight city hall , and find a lawyer who agrees .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ families may be discouraged from filing a suit at all .
In fact , about half the deaths NPR reviewed did not result in a lawsuit .
To Sherene Mayner , the town of Paris , Texas , where her son , Garrett McKinney , was killed by police in 2015 , seemed pro-police and wary of outsiders — as some there called her son after his death .
Mayner , who works as a Realtor in Austin , says her son suffered from schizophrenia and physically attacked the officer after being tased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paris inhibited her from asking questions about Garrett 's death .
She fights back tears as she recounts that months later , the Highway Patrol officer who shot Garrett during a struggle was awarded a Purple Heart by the Texas Department of Public Safety in connection with the shooting .
`` He just shot my son , and no one called me to say , ' I 'm sorry , ' '' she says , remembering seeing a photo of the officer , Timothy Keele , displaying his award .
`` That always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` He got this award , and he 's all smiling and grinning when he 's getting this award , and I 'm like , 'Oh , you 've got to be kidding me . '
'' So far , Mayner has not filed a lawsuit in the shooting .

Political Divisions Drive Police Brutality Lawsuit Settlements
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images
In a summer of unrest over police violence, you might think that suing the police is a way for the families of those killed to get justice. It can be, but the amount of justice available — in monetary settlements from cities and towns — may depend on the local politics of where the killing happened.
That's according to an NPR analysis of civil case settlements in 2015, the year following protests in Ferguson, Mo., over the police killing of Michael Brown.
We chose 2015 both because it was the immediate aftermath of the Ferguson protests and because it was long enough ago that most of the cases would have been resolved.
During that year, we found 93 police cases in which an officer killed a person who had not been armed with a gun or other weapon. Of those cases, we found that 29 of them — nearly a third — ended in a settlement for the families of those killed. To find and categorize the cases, we reviewed reports in other media, as well as documents from courts and local governments.
The largest settlements stemming from those deaths occurred in counties that voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
In the counties that voted for Clinton, there were 61 fatal incidents. Twenty of those cases settled for a total of more than $50 million, or about $2.6 million per case. Most of the settlements were for more than $1 million.
In the counties that voted for candidate Donald Trump, there were 31 deaths. Eight of those cases were settled, for a total of $14 million, or about $1.8 million per case. Three settlements topped $1 million.
(One death that led to a large settlement occurred in a city that straddles three counties where the presidential vote was mixed. It was excluded from our tally, as was one settlement for which the amount was not disclosed.)
Now, six years after Ferguson, civil rights lawyers say there may be new connections developing between the courts and popular opinion on police. Black Lives Matter protests have been polarizing, they say, and are hardening political divisions about law enforcement on both sides.
The latest Ipsos/NPR poll out Sept. 3 backs this up: Three out of four Democrats support recent protests in the wake of the Kenosha, Wis., shooting of Jacob Blake, while fewer than 1 in 10 Republicans do.
Lawyers say that if such divisions extend to legal disputes over police behavior, there can be stark differences across the country — in terms of localities' inclination to settle cases and of local jurors' willingness to hold police officers accountable.
Dave O'Brien, an Iowa lawyer who exclusively represents civil rights plaintiffs, spoke with NPR just after losing a jury trial in a police brutality case in Sioux City, a conservative town in a conservative state.
It was a case he expected to win. And while he says he doesn't want to read too much into a single case, he blames the loss on a community backlash against the Black Lives Matter movement.
"I've previously had a lot of success with true-blue conservative (jurors) – somebody who believes in individual liberty and not allowing the government to take advantage of an individual," O'Brien says. "Those people, I love on my juries. But my reading of this case was that as a result of Black Lives Matter, the backlash has pushed them towards a pro-police stance that they previously didn't take."
O'Brien says that he used to be able to persuade conservative gun owners to cherish the civil rights he was fighting for in police brutality cases, just as they value their right to bear arms. But something has changed.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images
In conversations with potential jurors during jury selection, he says jurors "just felt like Black Lives Matter was a bit too much of an overreaction and anti-police. We had to overcome it, and we didn't do it successfully."
On the other hand, in more liberal Los Angeles County, veteran civil rights lawyer James DeSimone is seeing a different effect.
"I do believe that the jury pools here in California have become more open to finding police liable in appropriate cases," he says. "As more people become aware that not all police officers can be believed, that in circumstances of excessive force, police officers should be held liable, that makes our job easier."
Clark Neily, a former trial lawyer and vice president for criminal justice at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, says NPR's findings and what they suggest about the current political moment aren't surprising. "This probably reflects, to some extent, the plaintiff's lawyers and the defense lawyer's projections about what's likely to happen if the case proceeds to trial and there is a verdict," he says.
The Cato Institute has called for increased legal accountability on the part of police, particularly by ending the legal doctrine of qualified immunity, which has insulated them from liability.
"We have a persistently racially disparate criminal justice system," Neily says, "The communities of color tend to bear the brunt of the most significant pathologies in the system. It's especially acute now with the frustration and resentment that is spilling out into the street."
But some lawyers wonder whether the legal environment this year and next will look more like the aftermath of 2014's Ferguson protests in some cities, and in others, just the opposite.
"The cases where I had the most success and the largest settlement values was when the riots in Ferguson were going on," says Missouri attorney Joshua Roberts.
"The cities down here were, 'We want to get this out of the news, we want to get this resolved.' And they were a lot less cantankerous to deal with."
Currently, though, the climate in southwest Missouri is "very pro-law enforcement," he says.
In this summer of protests, William O. Wagstaff III, a New York civil rights attorney, says he routinely convenes groups of people of different demographic backgrounds to react to the facts of particular cases. He says he doesn't want to make "outdated assumptions" about them.
"I have noticed a shift in perspectives from people I would previously consider to be liberal and sympathetic to issues of racial inequalities in policing," Wagstaff says, "because they believe the rallying cry for accountability has gone too far."
For families of those killed by police to file suit, they must first believe they can fight city hall and find a lawyer who agrees. And if local politics seem pro-police, families may be discouraged from filing a suit at all. In fact, about half the deaths NPR reviewed did not result in a lawsuit.
To Sherene Mayner, the town of Paris, Texas, where her son, Garrett McKinney, was killed by police in 2015, seemed pro-police and wary of outsiders — as some there called her son after his death.
Mayner, who works as a Realtor in Austin, says her son suffered from schizophrenia and physically attacked the officer after being Tased. She says the small-town climate in Paris inhibited her from asking questions about Garrett's death.
She fights back tears as she recounts that months later, the Highway Patrol officer who shot Garrett during a struggle was awarded a Purple Heart by the Texas Department of Public Safety in connection with the shooting.
"He just shot my son, and no one called me to say, 'I'm sorry,' " she says, remembering seeing a photo of the officer, Timothy Keele, displaying his award.
"That always bothered me," she says, "He got this award, and he's all smiling and grinning when he's getting this award, and I'm like, 'Oh, you've got to be kidding me.' "
So far, Mayner has not filed a lawsuit in the shooting.


npr--2020-09-09--A Priest, An Editor And A Mariachi Player Talk Life In The Rio Grande Amid COVID-19

A Priest , An Editor And A Mariachi Player Talk Life In The Rio Grande Amid COVID-19 A priest , a newspaper editor and a mariachi musician — they 've all had their work and lives upended in a corner of the country that has been devastated by the coronavirus .
More than 2,000 people in the Rio Grande Valley in the southern tip of Texas have perished in the pandemic .
The population of 1.4 million is beset with poverty and preexisting conditions like diabetes , hypertension and obesity .
The rate of infection in the four counties that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it is in the rest of Texas .
The specter of death or illness from COVID-19 has become a grim fixture of everyday life in the Valley .
The eight members of El Mariachi Continental — dressed in traditional black charro suits — recently brought their instruments to Valley Memorial Gardens in McAllen , Texas , to perform the funeral song , Las Golondrinas .
Their voices echo off the marble burial crypts : she may get lost in the wind , looking for shelter but not finding it .
`` You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play right now except the cemeteries , '' says Hector Guerra , the 63-year-old leader .
`` We 're playing a lot of funerals .
We 're standing six feet away from each other .
We 're using our face masks .
It 's just gotten very , very sad and very serious . ''
Guerra has been playing mariachi music in the Valley for four decades .
`` We played the funeral of a 40-year-old lady last week , '' he says .
`` Her husband came up to me and told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do you remember that you played at our wedding 20 years ago ? '
and I was freaking out .
I was so sorry . ''
Guerra says all their regular work — weddings , anniversaries and quinceañeras — has been cancelled or postponed .
`` We do n't know what 's going to happen .
And it 's unfortunate because we 're seeing a lot of death , '' he says .
`` I mean , I 'm just flabbergasted with a small-town newspaper as we have here in McAllen with 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The editor who oversees those obituaries is Veronica Diaz , design chief for AIM Media Texas , which owns the McAllen Monitor , the Valley Morning Star and the Brownsville Herald .
`` A year ago , I 'd say we would average maybe seven to 10 death notices daily .
Now , after COVID , we 're looking at an average of 25 to 30 death notices .
And last week we had 100 death notices in one day .
That 's a huge increase , '' says Diaz , 46 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on her dining room table , where she works remotely .
Her terriers , Maggie and Rocky , keep her company .
The surge in deaths has meant more work for a page designer .
`` I spend a lot of time fixing errors , making sure their names are spelled right .
There 's always the question — is this the right photo ?
Is it supposed to be color or black and white ?
Am I supposed to crop it ?
I mean , it 's given us a huge increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
In order not to crowd out the news , her newspapers have added extra pages to accommodate all of the funeral notices .
One of the Catholic priests who conducts the funerals for COVID-19 victims in the Rio Grande Valley is Father Roy Snipes .
The 75-year-old Oblate priest -- known in the borderlands as `` the cowboy priest '' -- is pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Mission , Texas .
He 's seldom seen without his sweat-stained cowboy hat shambling to mass with a small pack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Snipes is presiding over as many as four burials in a day .
`` It 's incredible .
It 's a nightmare .
I still ca n't hardly believe it , '' he says , sitting on a bench beside the white-washed , 155-year-old chapel , La Lomita , for which the city of Mission gets its name .
`` I know that I 'm not going to run and hide , '' he continues , `` and I know that my job is not just to bury the dead but to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The spirit works in the heartbreak , '' he adds , `` but it sure hurts like hell . ''
The highly contagious virus has altered burial rites .
Instead of mourners crowding into a church or funeral home , they stand outside while the hearse brings the body in front of the church where Father Roy blesses it with incense and holy water .
Then he accompanies the reduced funeral cortege to the gravesite .
`` This is what I signed up for and this is what I 've always done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 've always prayed to do a good job and not to be robotic or perfunctory , '' he says .
`` But now this is like a tsunami . ''
`` I 'll end up the day thinking , 'Dadgum , maybe I 've got the virus !
I feel sick and tired . '
And then I 'll maybe take a shot of Old Crow and get to bed and I wake up rarin ' to go in the morning , thanks be to God . ''

A Priest, An Editor And A Mariachi Player Talk Life In The Rio Grande Amid COVID-19
Enlarge this image toggle caption Verónica G. Cardenas/for NPR Verónica G. Cardenas/for NPR
A priest, a newspaper editor and a mariachi musician — they've all had their work and lives upended in a corner of the country that has been devastated by the coronavirus.
More than 2,000 people in the Rio Grande Valley in the southern tip of Texas have perished in the pandemic.
The population of 1.4 million is beset with poverty and preexisting conditions like diabetes, hypertension and obesity. The rate of infection in the four counties that make up the RGV is nearly twice what it is in the rest of Texas. The specter of death or illness from COVID-19 has become a grim fixture of everyday life in the Valley.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Verónica G. Cardenas/for NPR Verónica G. Cardenas/for NPR
The eight members of El Mariachi Continental — dressed in traditional black charro suits — recently brought their instruments to Valley Memorial Gardens in McAllen, Texas, to perform the funeral song, Las Golondrinas. Their voices echo off the marble burial crypts:
The swallow that departs,
she may get lost in the wind,
looking for shelter but not finding it.
"You know, there's no place to play right now except the cemeteries," says Hector Guerra, the 63-year-old leader. "We're playing a lot of funerals. We're standing six feet away from each other. We're using our face masks. It's just gotten very, very sad and very serious."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Veronica G. Cardenas/for NPR Veronica G. Cardenas/for NPR
Enlarge this image toggle caption Veronica G. Cardenas/for NPR Veronica G. Cardenas/for NPR
Guerra has been playing mariachi music in the Valley for four decades.
"We played the funeral of a 40-year-old lady last week," he says. "Her husband came up to me and told me, 'Thank you so much. Do you remember that you played at our wedding 20 years ago?' and I was freaking out. I was so sorry."
Guerra says all their regular work — weddings, anniversaries and quinceañeras — has been cancelled or postponed.
"We don't know what's going to happen. And it's unfortunate because we're seeing a lot of death," he says. "I mean, I'm just flabbergasted with a small-town newspaper as we have here in McAllen with 70 to 80 death notices a day."
The editor who oversees those obituaries is Veronica Diaz, design chief for AIM Media Texas, which owns the McAllen Monitor, the Valley Morning Star and the Brownsville Herald.
"A year ago, I'd say we would average maybe seven to 10 death notices daily. Now, after COVID, we're looking at an average of 25 to 30 death notices. And last week we had 100 death notices in one day. That's a huge increase," says Diaz, 46, looking up from the computer screen on her dining room table, where she works remotely. Her terriers, Maggie and Rocky, keep her company.
The surge in deaths has meant more work for a page designer.
"I spend a lot of time fixing errors, making sure their names are spelled right. There's always the question — is this the right photo? Is it supposed to be color or black and white? Am I supposed to crop it? I mean, it's given us a huge increase in stress dealing with all these obituaries."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Veronica G. Cardenas/for NPR Veronica G. Cardenas/for NPR
In order not to crowd out the news, her newspapers have added extra pages to accommodate all of the funeral notices.
One of the Catholic priests who conducts the funerals for COVID-19 victims in the Rio Grande Valley is Father Roy Snipes. The 75-year-old Oblate priest--known in the borderlands as "the cowboy priest"--is pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Mission, Texas. He's seldom seen without his sweat-stained cowboy hat shambling to mass with a small pack of scruffy dogs in tow.
These days, Snipes is presiding over as many as four burials in a day.
"It's incredible. It's a nightmare. I still can't hardly believe it," he says, sitting on a bench beside the white-washed, 155-year-old chapel, La Lomita, for which the city of Mission gets its name. "I know that I'm not going to run and hide," he continues, "and I know that my job is not just to bury the dead but to console those who are heartbroken."
"The spirit works in the heartbreak," he adds, "but it sure hurts like hell."
The highly contagious virus has altered burial rites. Instead of mourners crowding into a church or funeral home, they stand outside while the hearse brings the body in front of the church where Father Roy blesses it with incense and holy water. Then he accompanies the reduced funeral cortege to the gravesite.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Veronica G. Cardenas/for NPR Veronica G. Cardenas/for NPR
"This is what I signed up for and this is what I've always done, 40 years a priest, and I've always prayed to do a good job and not to be robotic or perfunctory," he says. "But now this is like a tsunami."
"I'll end up the day thinking, 'Dadgum, maybe I've got the virus! I feel sick and tired.' And then I'll maybe take a shot of Old Crow and get to bed and I wake up rarin' to go in the morning, thanks be to God."