npr--2020-07-09--Republican Groups Backing Biden Get Attention. Their Impact On Voters Is Less Clear

Republican Groups Backing Biden Get Attention .
Their Impact On Voters Is Less Clear John Farner considers himself a lifelong Republican .
He worked on George W. Bush 's 2000 campaign and then took a job in the administration 's Commerce Department .
But Farner was skeptical when he saw Donald Trump step onto the GOP stage .
And in 2016 , he chose not to vote for any presidential candidate .
This November is different , Farner said .
The past 3 1/2 years have made it clear that he needs to pick a side , that it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` More than 130,000 Americans are dead , and over 30 million are unemployed .
That 's just unacceptable right now , '' Farner said .
`` We continue to look to the White House for leadership that we are not getting . ''
Farner is an organizing committee member with a new group called 43 Alumni for Biden that launched earlier this month and has brought in hundreds of former Bush staffers .
( Bush was the country 's 43rd president . )
In the past year , a number of anti-Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These are outspoken Republicans and former Republicans who have decided they are not voting for the party 's nominee this November .
And , in some cases , they are defecting to the presumptive Democratic nominee , Joe Biden .
In recent weeks , alumni of Mitt Romney 's 2012 presidential campaign began organizing an effort to support Biden .
Last month a group called Right Side PAC formed to reach out to former Trump supporters .
And in 2019 , a group of never-Trump GOP strategists started the Lincoln Project , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president with ads .
`` The goal is to talk to voters in these target states in ways that give them cover , helps make it OK for them this cycle to either sit it out or actually cross the line and vote for Biden , '' said Sarah Lenti , the Lincoln Project 's executive director and a self-described former Republican who worked for George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice .
Lenti said their group is made up of Republicans who understand how to talk to Republican voters .
In addition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeting disaffected voters in key swing states , such as Wisconsin and Florida .
Polling has shown that the vast majority of Republicans intend to vote for Trump 's reelection .
Conservative opposition appears to be a sliver of the overall electorate .
`` It 's very small , '' said Jon McHenry , a Republican pollster with North Star Opinion Research who 's skeptical that these GOP-for-Biden groups will influence Republicans .
`` You 're not gon na knock President Trump from say 95 % of Republicans down to 85 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from former staffers in a previous administration . ''
McHenry added : `` It would be probably more persuasive to Republicans if it were current officeholders that were taking this stand . ''
Indeed , Trump , who has called these conservative critics `` losers , '' faces very little dissent among congressional Republicans .
`` The Republican Party in some really meaningful ways has become Trump 's party , '' said Julia Azari , a professor at Marquette University who has written about political recalibrations and realignments .
But Republicans for Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defections .
The election , they say , could come down to a small number of voters in swing states .
According to recent New York Times/Siena College polling , 6 % of voters in six crucial battleground states who backed Trump in 2016 say there 's `` not really any chance '' they 'll back him again this November .
Another 2 % say they do n't support Trump , but they 're not sure if they 'll vote for his reelection .
Azari said there 's another dynamic at play that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many voters are genuinely open to the type of messaging the Lincoln Project and other similar groups are pushing .
`` [ Trump ] remains really popular with self-identified Republicans , '' she said .
`` What 's harder to track is who is a self-identified Republican who has stopped identifying that way within the mass electorate . ''
In other words , Azari said , the reason Trump appears so popular with the GOP is because some would-be Republicans no longer identify as Republican .
In the past half-century , no Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a college degree ; those voters have comprised a loyal GOP voting bloc .
But in the past few years , they 've begun moving away from the party .
`` There 's a decent chunk of those white college-educated voters who support [ GOP ] policies , they support the tax cuts , but you know , they would n't be crazy about President Trump demanding an apology from Bubba Wallace this week , '' said McHenry , referring to the Black NASCAR driver Trump singled out on Twitter .
McHenry said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more policy debates , those white college-educated voters will be forced to make a choice between policy and tone .
And it 's possible policy will win out .
But the Republicans backing Biden are convinced that tone and character will matter more .

Republican Groups Backing Biden Get Attention. Their Impact On Voters Is Less Clear
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joshua Roberts/Getty Images Joshua Roberts/Getty Images
John Farner considers himself a lifelong Republican. He worked on George W. Bush's 2000 campaign and then took a job in the administration's Commerce Department.
But Farner was skeptical when he saw Donald Trump step onto the GOP stage. And in 2016, he chose not to vote for any presidential candidate.
This November is different, Farner said. The past 3 1/2 years have made it clear that he needs to pick a side, that it's no longer sufficient to simply abstain.
"More than 130,000 Americans are dead, and over 30 million are unemployed. That's just unacceptable right now," Farner said. "We continue to look to the White House for leadership that we are not getting."
Farner is an organizing committee member with a new group called 43 Alumni for Biden that launched earlier this month and has brought in hundreds of former Bush staffers. (Bush was the country's 43rd president.)
In the past year, a number of anti-Trump initiatives have sprung up from conservative critics. These are outspoken Republicans and former Republicans who have decided they are not voting for the party's nominee this November. And, in some cases, they are defecting to the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden. In recent weeks, alumni of Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign began organizing an effort to support Biden. Last month a group called Right Side PAC formed to reach out to former Trump supporters. And in 2019, a group of never-Trump GOP strategists started the Lincoln Project, a super PAC that routinely trolls the president with ads.
The Lincoln Project via YouTube
"The goal is to talk to voters in these target states in ways that give them cover, helps make it OK for them this cycle to either sit it out or actually cross the line and vote for Biden," said Sarah Lenti, the Lincoln Project's executive director and a self-described former Republican who worked for George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice.
Lenti said their group is made up of Republicans who understand how to talk to Republican voters. In addition to ads, the Lincoln Project is specifically targeting disaffected voters in key swing states, such as Wisconsin and Florida.
Polling has shown that the vast majority of Republicans intend to vote for Trump's reelection. Conservative opposition appears to be a sliver of the overall electorate.
"It's very small," said Jon McHenry, a Republican pollster with North Star Opinion Research who's skeptical that these GOP-for-Biden groups will influence Republicans. "You're not gonna knock President Trump from say 95% of Republicans down to 85% of Republicans on the basis of some ads from former staffers in a previous administration."
McHenry added: "It would be probably more persuasive to Republicans if it were current officeholders that were taking this stand."
Indeed, Trump, who has called these conservative critics "losers," faces very little dissent among congressional Republicans.
"The Republican Party in some really meaningful ways has become Trump's party," said Julia Azari, a professor at Marquette University who has written about political recalibrations and realignments.
But Republicans for Biden don't think they need that many defections. The election, they say, could come down to a small number of voters in swing states.
According to recent New York Times/Siena College polling, 6% of voters in six crucial battleground states who backed Trump in 2016 say there's "not really any chance" they'll back him again this November. Another 2% say they don't support Trump, but they're not sure if they'll vote for his reelection.
Azari said there's another dynamic at play that makes it difficult to quantify just how many voters are genuinely open to the type of messaging the Lincoln Project and other similar groups are pushing.
"[Trump] remains really popular with self-identified Republicans," she said. "What's harder to track is who is a self-identified Republican who has stopped identifying that way within the mass electorate."
In other words, Azari said, the reason Trump appears so popular with the GOP is because some would-be Republicans no longer identify as Republican. In the past half-century, no Democratic presidential candidate has won white voters with a college degree; those voters have comprised a loyal GOP voting bloc. But in the past few years, they've begun moving away from the party.
"There's a decent chunk of those white college-educated voters who support [GOP] policies, they support the tax cuts, but you know, they wouldn't be crazy about President Trump demanding an apology from Bubba Wallace this week," said McHenry, referring to the Black NASCAR driver Trump singled out on Twitter.
McHenry said if the presidential campaign eventually shifts into more policy debates, those white college-educated voters will be forced to make a choice between policy and tone. And it's possible policy will win out.
But the Republicans backing Biden are convinced that tone and character will matter more.


npr--2020-07-09--The Economy May Be Losing Its Impact On Presidential Elections

The Economy May Be Losing Its Impact On Presidential Elections Here 's one way of understanding just how far off the map the U.S. economy is right now : The U.S. has now had two straight months where it has added more jobs than it did in all of 2019 .
And still , the job market has not even halfway recovered from the devastation of the coronavirus — the nation is still nearly 15 million jobs below where it was before the pandemic .
Not only that , but with new spikes of coronavirus cases , there 's a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come .
Against this bleak backdrop , the presidential campaigns are making their economic cases in dueling events on Thursday .
Vice President Pence is doing a roundtable on the economy in Pennsylvania , and Democratic candidate Joe Biden will be giving a speech on his plan to rebuild the economy in the same swing state , followed by his surrogates doing a series of economy-focused events .
A badly flagging economy of course works more to Biden 's political favor than Trump 's .
But it 's also possible that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election than in past presidential contests .
The economy matters — but how much ?
There 's a well-established body of research plotting out exactly how , and how much , the economy affects presidential elections .
Different analyses have pointed to people 's incomes , job growth and GDP growth as being correlated to presidential election outcomes — the worse the economy , the worse a sitting president ( or the sitting president 's party ) performs .
This year , the economy has rapidly deteriorated .
The economy has gone into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and record numbers of new COVID-19 cases could substantially boost unemployment yet again .
The bottom line is that come November , the economy could be a strong headwind for the incumbent president .
Just last week , the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected that unemployment will still be above 10 % around election time .
However , that does n't necessarily mean an easy Biden victory , according to Mark Zandi , chief economist at the economics research firm Moody 's Analytics .
Its presidential election model factors in a range @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Joe Biden .
The [ former ] vice president beats Donald Trump , but it 's not a slam dunk , '' he said .
`` So despite everything , despite double-digit unemployment , it 's still going to be a close election , at least according to our modeling . ''
The next update of the Moody 's model , he said , will show Biden defeating Trump 279 to 259 — a win , but hardly a blowout , even despite the potential for mass joblessness on Election Day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is because of a few factors working in Trump 's favor : He 's an incumbent , his base is sticking with him and the Electoral College favors him .
Importantly , the model is n't just about headline figures like the national unemployment rate .
In line with the Electoral College , Zandi looks at things on a state-by-state basis .
So , there are a few key swing states , like Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin , where local economies will be particularly important .
`` There the economy does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to vote , '' he said .
`` And it 's just a few thousands of votes , tens of thousands of votes , that swing it one way or the other .
So the economy does matter in terms of how things swing . ''
The election is determined on the margins , in other words .
Plenty of people know how they 'll vote , regardless of their income or even whether they have a job on Election Day .
But for those people in swing states without strong party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting decisions one way or the other .
Even while he believes the economy will play a determining factor in the election , Zandi also acknowledges that polarization may have lessened the economy 's power in elections .
`` I do think the tribes have become more ossified , '' he said .
`` People 's identities become wrapped up in their party affiliation , and they 're going to vote for whoever is at the head of their party , regardless of what 's going on in the rest of their life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in voters ' views of the economy .
A partisan divide in economic optimism has opened up in recent years , according to the Pew Research Center — during Republican administrations , Republican voters see the economy as doing well , and the opposite is true during Democratic administrations .
But those gaps are far wider now during Trump 's presidency than they were under Barack Obama , mirroring levels last seen during George W. Bush 's administration .
In fact , an economist at the University of Michigan has found wider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` It soon became apparent after the election of Trump that party affiliation was having an unprecedented impact on consumer expectations , '' wrote Richard Curtin in a 2018 paper .
This may mean that the economy is becoming decoupled from presidential election outcomes , according to Amy Walter , national editor of the Cook Political Report .
She sees Trump as both a symptom and a cause of that phenomenon .
`` He is someone who came into an already polarized moment .
He did n't create it , but then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Walter said .
One way of seeing this disconnect is in Trump 's approval ratings , she added .
Overwhelmingly , throughout his presidency , polls have found that Trump has a net negative overall approval rating — but on the economy , Trump 's approval rating has overwhelmingly been positive , if only marginally so at times .
And in fact , Trump had a slight advantage over Biden when the Pew Research Center asked voters in mid-June whom they have confidence in on the economy .
However , Biden led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including sizable leads on how he 'd handle race relations and how well he 'd be able to unite the country .
To Walter , a gap between voters ' perceptions of Trump and their perceptions of the economy is telling about how Trump has affected voters ' thinking .
`` When you are saying , ' I like the economy , and I like how Trump handles it .
But I do n't like the job he 's doing as president , and I do n't think I can vote for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different kind of calculus than we 've seen in recent years , '' she said .
Trump of course touts positive economic numbers when they arise — he 's well known for tweeting about the stock market and positive jobs reports .
But his non-economic policies , as well as the inflammatory way he tweets and talks about so many non-economic topics , obscures that message .
What this means is that a very weak economy come November might not eat away much at Trump 's base of support — but an improving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much as it might another president .
`` The rules we normally use — which are , 'How 's the economy doing ?
Are we at a time of war or peace ? '
— those are usually things that drive voters ' perceptions of a president , '' Walter said .
`` This is a president who 's driving perceptions of himself every minute of the day , with every tweet , with every press gaggle he does in front of the helicopter , with every off-the-cuff remark he makes .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

The Economy May Be Losing Its Impact On Presidential Elections
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg via Getty Images
Here's one way of understanding just how far off the map the U.S. economy is right now: The U.S. has now had two straight months where it has added more jobs than it did in all of 2019.
And still, the job market has not even halfway recovered from the devastation of the coronavirus — the nation is still nearly 15 million jobs below where it was before the pandemic. Not only that, but with new spikes of coronavirus cases, there's a good chance that more job losses are to come.
Against this bleak backdrop, the presidential campaigns are making their economic cases in dueling events on Thursday. Vice President Pence is doing a roundtable on the economy in Pennsylvania, and Democratic candidate Joe Biden will be giving a speech on his plan to rebuild the economy in the same swing state, followed by his surrogates doing a series of economy-focused events.
A badly flagging economy of course works more to Biden's political favor than Trump's. But it's also possible that the economy will simply matter less in this election than in past presidential contests.
The economy matters — but how much?
There's a well-established body of research plotting out exactly how, and how much, the economy affects presidential elections. Different analyses have pointed to people's incomes, job growth and GDP growth as being correlated to presidential election outcomes — the worse the economy, the worse a sitting president (or the sitting president's party) performs.
This year, the economy has rapidly deteriorated. The economy has gone into recession, unemployment is at 11.1%, and record numbers of new COVID-19 cases could substantially boost unemployment yet again.
The bottom line is that come November, the economy could be a strong headwind for the incumbent president. Just last week, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected that unemployment will still be above 10% around election time.
However, that doesn't necessarily mean an easy Biden victory, according to Mark Zandi, chief economist at the economics research firm Moody's Analytics. Its presidential election model factors in a range of economic indicators.
"The winner is Joe Biden. The [former] vice president beats Donald Trump, but it's not a slam dunk," he said. "So despite everything, despite double-digit unemployment, it's still going to be a close election, at least according to our modeling."
The next update of the Moody's model, he said, will show Biden defeating Trump 279 to 259 — a win, but hardly a blowout, even despite the potential for mass joblessness on Election Day.
The relatively narrow margin, Zandi says, is because of a few factors working in Trump's favor: He's an incumbent, his base is sticking with him and the Electoral College favors him.
Importantly, the model isn't just about headline figures like the national unemployment rate. In line with the Electoral College, Zandi looks at things on a state-by-state basis. So, there are a few key swing states, like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, where local economies will be particularly important.
"There the economy does matter more to how people are ultimately going to vote," he said. "And it's just a few thousands of votes, tens of thousands of votes, that swing it one way or the other. So the economy does matter in terms of how things swing."
The election is determined on the margins, in other words. Plenty of people know how they'll vote, regardless of their income or even whether they have a job on Election Day. But for those people in swing states without strong party affiliations, the economy could nudge their voting decisions one way or the other.
Tribalism trumps many factors
Even while he believes the economy will play a determining factor in the election, Zandi also acknowledges that polarization may have lessened the economy's power in elections.
"I do think the tribes have become more ossified," he said. "People's identities become wrapped up in their party affiliation, and they're going to vote for whoever is at the head of their party, regardless of what's going on in the rest of their life."
One way of seeing this is in voters' views of the economy. A partisan divide in economic optimism has opened up in recent years, according to the Pew Research Center — during Republican administrations, Republican voters see the economy as doing well, and the opposite is true during Democratic administrations. But those gaps are far wider now during Trump's presidency than they were under Barack Obama, mirroring levels last seen during George W. Bush's administration.
In fact, an economist at the University of Michigan has found wider partisan gaps than ever in consumer sentiment: "It soon became apparent after the election of Trump that party affiliation was having an unprecedented impact on consumer expectations," wrote Richard Curtin in a 2018 paper.
This may mean that the economy is becoming decoupled from presidential election outcomes, according to Amy Walter, national editor of the Cook Political Report. She sees Trump as both a symptom and a cause of that phenomenon.
"He is someone who came into an already polarized moment. He didn't create it, but then he pumped it full of steroids," Walter said.
One way of seeing this disconnect is in Trump's approval ratings, she added. Overwhelmingly, throughout his presidency, polls have found that Trump has a net negative overall approval rating — but on the economy, Trump's approval rating has overwhelmingly been positive, if only marginally so at times.
And in fact, Trump had a slight advantage over Biden when the Pew Research Center asked voters in mid-June whom they have confidence in on the economy. However, Biden led Trump on a range of other issues, including sizable leads on how he'd handle race relations and how well he'd be able to unite the country.
To Walter, a gap between voters' perceptions of Trump and their perceptions of the economy is telling about how Trump has affected voters' thinking.
"When you are saying, 'I like the economy, and I like how Trump handles it. But I don't like the job he's doing as president, and I don't think I can vote for him,' that's a very different kind of calculus than we've seen in recent years," she said.
Trump of course touts positive economic numbers when they arise — he's well known for tweeting about the stock market and positive jobs reports. But his non-economic policies, as well as the inflammatory way he tweets and talks about so many non-economic topics, obscures that message.
What this means is that a very weak economy come November might not eat away much at Trump's base of support — but an improving economy also might not benefit him as much as it might another president.
"The rules we normally use — which are, 'How's the economy doing? Are we at a time of war or peace?' — those are usually things that drive voters' perceptions of a president," Walter said. "This is a president who's driving perceptions of himself every minute of the day, with every tweet, with every press gaggle he does in front of the helicopter, with every off-the-cuff remark he makes. And that is what's so different."


npr--2020-07-09--'Devastated': As Layoffs Keep Coming, Hopes Fade That Jobs Will Return Quickly

'Devastated ' : As Layoffs Keep Coming , Hopes Fade That Jobs Will Return Quickly From airlines to paper mills , the job news is grim , and there are growing signs it wo n't be getting better anytime soon .
United Airlines is warning that it may have to furlough as many as 36,000 employees this fall .
Demand for air travel has collapsed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
The president of the flight attendants union called the warning a `` gut punch '' but also `` the most honest assessment we 've seen on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire economy . ''
Union President Sara Nelson tweeted that demand for air travel had recovered a small fraction of its pre-pandemic levels this summer and `` even those minimal gains evaporated over the last week due to surging COVID-19 cases across the country . ''
Jobs in other industries are facing similar threats as the coronavirus tightens its stubborn grip on the country .
Derse Inc. in Wisconsin builds exhibits for trade shows — a business that 's been decimated by the pandemic .
Last month , the company notified state officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The last of those layoffs come next week .
`` They 're devastated , '' said Dean Wanty , who represents some of the affected workers in the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades , Local 770 .
`` This is something I hope I never have to see again in my lifetime . ''
Wanty said that when trade shows started getting canceled this spring , he thought it would be a short-term problem — certainly not one that would drag into the summer .
But while other countries have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic is only accelerating in the United States , with daily infections now topping 60,000 .
`` Week after week , stuff just keeps getting canceled , further and further and further out , '' Wanty said .
Derse 's letter described the situation as unpredictable but warned some of the layoffs may last more than six months .
`` To me , it 's not a matter of if our industry comes back .
It 's a matter of when , '' CEO Brett Haney said .
`` Unfortunately , it probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year . ''
To be sure , many bars , restaurants and retail shops have reopened , and millions of workers who were furloughed in March and April have now gone back to work .
But two out of three jobs cut during the pandemic have not returned .
And week after week , millions of new people apply for unemployment — 2.2 million in the week ending June 27 .
`` I think that 's a really distressing and concerning sign for the labor market , '' said economist Nick Bunker of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arm of the job search website .
While weekly unemployment applications have fallen sharply from their springtime peak , they 're still high by historical standards .
And the longer the recession drags on , the more lasting the damage may be .
`` Earlier in the crisis there was some optimism that people would return to their job fairly quickly , '' Bunker said .
`` What we 're seeing now is more indication that lots more people who are unemployed are going to be unemployed for a longer period of time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is idling a paper mill in Wisconsin later this month and cutting 900 jobs .
The company blames a sharp drop in demand for advertising paper used by retailers , sports teams and the tourist industry — all because of the pandemic .
Verso said while the mill could be restarted if conditions improve , the shutdown may be permanent .
What 's more , there are few openings for people seeking new jobs .
Bunker said listings on the Indeed website are down about 25 % from this time last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ springtime when listings were down nearly 40 % .
But Bunker said listings for higher-paid jobs have been slow to recover , likely reflecting employers ' uncertainty about where the economy might be six months to a year from now .
`` The concern is that the damage starts to ripple out to other parts of the economy that are indirectly affected by the virus , '' Bunker said .
Many of the federal relief programs approved early in the pandemic assumed the economy and the job market would be well on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payments of $ 1,200 were not intended to cover more than a month or two of expenses .
And supplemental unemployment benefits of $ 600 per week are set expire at the end of July .
With double-digit unemployment and infections growing by the day , however , policymakers may have to rethink that timeline .

'Devastated': As Layoffs Keep Coming, Hopes Fade That Jobs Will Return Quickly
Enlarge this image toggle caption Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Updated at 8:44 a.m. ET
From airlines to paper mills, the job news is grim, and there are growing signs it won't be getting better anytime soon. On Thursday, the Labor Department reported nearly 2.4 million new applications for state and federal unemployment benefits last week.
And United Airlines is warning that it may have to furlough as many as 36,000 employees this fall. Demand for air travel has collapsed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The president of the flight attendants union called the warning a "gut punch" but also "the most honest assessment we've seen on the state of the industry — and our entire economy."
Union President Sara Nelson tweeted that demand for air travel had recovered a small fraction of its pre-pandemic levels this summer and "even those minimal gains evaporated over the last week due to surging COVID-19 cases across the country."
Jobs in other industries are facing similar threats as the coronavirus tightens its stubborn grip on the country.
Derse Inc. in Wisconsin builds exhibits for trade shows — a business that's been decimated by the pandemic. Last month, the company notified state officials it was cutting 87 jobs in Milwaukee. The last of those layoffs come next week.
"They're devastated," said Dean Wanty, who represents some of the affected workers in the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Local 770. "This is something I hope I never have to see again in my lifetime."
Wanty said that when trade shows started getting canceled this spring, he thought it would be a short-term problem — certainly not one that would drag into the summer. But while other countries have managed to flatten the curve, the pandemic is accelerating in the United States, with daily infections now topping 60,000.
"Week after week, stuff just keeps getting canceled, further and further and further out," Wanty said.
Derse's letter described the situation as unpredictable but warned that some of the layoffs may last more than six months.
"To me, it's not a matter of if our industry comes back. It's a matter of when," CEO Brett Haney said. "Unfortunately, it probably won't happen until some point next year."
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To be sure, many bars, restaurants and retail shops have reopened, and millions of workers who were furloughed in March and April have now gone back to work. But two out of three jobs cut during the pandemic have not returned. And week after week, millions of new people apply for unemployment.
Last week's jobless claims were down only slightly from the week before. While state claims dipped by 99,000, claims under a special federal program rose by 42,000.
"I think that's a really distressing and concerning sign for the labor market," said economist Nick Bunker of the Indeed Hiring Lab, the research arm of the job search website.
While weekly unemployment applications have fallen sharply from their springtime peak, they're still high by historical standards. And the longer the recession drags on, the more lasting the damage may be.
"Earlier in the crisis there was some optimism that people would return to their job fairly quickly," Bunker said. "What we're seeing now is more indication that lots more people who are unemployed are going to be unemployed for a longer period of time."
Verso Corp., for example, is idling a paper mill in Wisconsin later this month and cutting 900 jobs. The company blames a sharp drop in demand for advertising paper used by retailers, sports teams and the tourist industry — all because of the pandemic. Verso said while the mill could be restarted if conditions improve, the shutdown may be permanent.
What's more, there are few openings for people seeking new jobs. Bunker said listings on the Indeed website are down about 25% from this time last year. That's an improvement from the springtime when listings were down nearly 40%. But Bunker said listings for higher-paid jobs have been slow to recover, likely reflecting employers' uncertainty about where the economy might be six months to a year from now.
"The concern is that the damage starts to ripple out to other parts of the economy that are indirectly affected by the virus," Bunker said.
Many of the federal relief programs approved early in the pandemic assumed the economy and the job market would be well on the road to recovery by now. Relief payments of $1,200 were not intended to cover more than a month or two of expenses. And supplemental unemployment benefits of $600 per week are set to expire at the end of July.
With double-digit unemployment and infections growing by the day, however, policymakers may have to rethink that timeline.


npr--2020-07-09--'We Were Treated Worse Than Animals': Disaster Recovery Workers Confront COVID-19

'We Were Treated Worse Than Animals ' : Disaster Recovery Workers Confront COVID-19 Two crises collided this spring in Michigan .
The state was already under a coronavirus lockdown when a catastrophic storm hit and a pair of dams failed , flooding the city of Midland .
The local hospital , MidMichigan Medical Center - Midland , hired a disaster recovery company to clean up the mess , including a water-logged basement and morgue .
More than 100 workers — many of them recent immigrants — were brought from as far away as Texas and Florida .
Bellaliz Gonzalez was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cracks in the safety protocols , '' Gonzalez , an asylum-seeker from Venezuela , said in Spanish through an interpreter .
`` We would start working without masks and then the supervisors would say , 'We 're going to go look for masks , ' when we were already working inside ! ''
`` It smelled like something rotten , decomposed , '' she added .
`` Like something putrid , pungent .
It was horrible . ''
Michigan had strict rules in place for essential workers during the pandemic , but Gonzalez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those rules were n't followed .
The workers said they were put up in cramped hotel rooms , and were n't given enough protective equipment .
Many of the disaster recovery workers who came to Midland did get sick .
A cluster of roughly 20 confirmed cases of coronavirus drew the attention of local health officials .
It also shined a light on a multi-billion dollar industry that 's growing fast as climate-driven disasters become more frequent and more expensive .
`` These workers are essential , but no one behaves like it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founder and director of a non-profit group called Resilience Force , which advocates for recovery workers .
Like workers in other industries hit hard by the coronavirus , Soni says recovery workers risk getting and spreading the virus — not just to each other and to their families but to the communities where they live and work .
`` In a sense , they 're like the farm workers and meat packers ... with one difference , '' Soni said .
`` This is a workforce on the go ... that spends most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place , fixing up towns , cities , homes and buildings .
And that 's an additional vulnerability . ''
Soni says the pandemic has revealed longstanding problems in how the disaster recovery industry treats a workforce that cleans up and rebuilds after hurricanes , wildfires and flooding .
Many of the workers are asylum-seekers or undocumented immigrants who do n't speak much English and are afraid to complain about working conditions .
Gonzalez , who is 54 , worked as an environmental engineer in her native Venezuela before fleeing to the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She says she got sick with a high fever in Michigan but tested negative for COVID-19 .
Gonzalez says she was appalled at the working conditions .
The first day on the job , she says she asked if there were going to be temperature checks , and was told there were no thermometers .
`` We were treated like animals , '' Gonzalez said .
`` They did n't care about our well-being and our lives , they did n't care that we are in the middle of a pandemic . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ finger pointing began .
`` We had some people from out of state come in to help , and we are grateful for help , but they brought COVID-19 with them , '' Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer said in an interview with member station WDET in Detroit last month .
No one knows for sure whether the workers brought coronavirus to Michigan , or caught it there .
But we do know what happened next : The workers left town , taking the virus with them .
`` We would have preferred if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but they traveled home , '' Whitmer said .
Public health workers there say they were n't able to communicate directly with the recovery workers because no one on the contact-tracing team speaks Spanish .
`` You really should n't cram four and five people into a hotel room that are n't necessarily family members , or put them in a situation where they 're thousands of miles from home where they can be exposed to the virus , '' said Joel Strasz , a public health officer in Bay County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` All of those conditions are going to really exacerbate the situation , spread the virus , '' he said .
The MidMichigan Medical Center thought the clean-up company it hired was taking steps to ensure worker safety , according to Julie Newton , an infection prevention nurse at the hospital .
`` I was told that they checked for symptoms and temperatures every day , '' Newton said .
`` And if someone had symptoms or temperature , they were sent to be tested and were not allowed to work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were wearing masks and gloves , and that she did n't talk to the workers directly because she does n't speak Spanish , either .
`` It did n't occur to me to go through and ask a bunch of questions '' about whether workers were wearing masks , or how many people were staying in a hotel room , Newton said .
`` I just expected that they were making sure that those things were happening . ''
Servpro is a disaster recovery company with franchises around the country , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the clean-up effort .
Neither Servpro nor the local franchise responded to requests for comment .
( Editor 's note : Servpro is an NPR underwriter . )
Servpro 's website says its workers always adhere to `` cleaning and decontamination standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local authorities . ''
BTN Services , a Houston-based company that provides cleaning and staffing services , was a subcontractor on the hospital job .
CEO Alejandro Fernandez told NPR that there was `` a whole bunch of misinformation going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and did not respond to interview requests .
The structure of the industry , with multiple layers of contractors and subcontractors , makes it easier for employers to avoid accountability , says Soni from Resilience Force .
`` That 's a huge problem , '' Soni said .
`` It means no one owns and pays for the standards to be enforced .
No one is ultimately accountable . ''
The workers on the hospital job say they asked for the work site 's COVID-19 preparedness plan , as required by the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the governor .
But the workers say they never saw one .
Once workers in Michigan began testing positive for coronavirus , they say they were put on vans that drove them back to Florida and Texas .
Several workers said they asked to be quarantined in Michigan but were told they 'd have to pay for their own housing if they stayed .
Bellaliz Gonzalez recorded a video on her phone in Michigan , just before the workers packed into vans to go home .
`` We are all sick , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not been tested but have symptoms , '' she said in the video .
One of the workers who got sick was Armando Negron .
He said he worked in the hospital morgue without a mask before testing positive for COVID-19 .
He headed home to Florida , where he landed in the hospital for six days .
Negron , who was born in Puerto Rico , is 56 and has survived two heart attacks .
`` I was coughing so hard for 10 to 15 minutes nonstop , I felt that my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Negron said in Spanish through an interpreter .
`` This virus feels like a fire that gets inside your body .
You do n't feel good sitting down , standing or laying down .
It 's debilitating and I feel very tired , I do n't feel normal , '' he said .
Meanwhile , the demand for disaster clean-up continues in spite of the coronavirus .
Negron says that half a dozen people he worked with in the morgue went directly from Midland to another job site in the Midwest .
Two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick and have been hospitalized .

'We Were Treated Worse Than Animals': Disaster Recovery Workers Confront COVID-19
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gregory Shamus/Getty Images Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Two crises collided this spring in Michigan. The state was already under a coronavirus lockdown when a catastrophic storm hit and a pair of dams failed, flooding the city of Midland.
The local hospital, MidMichigan Medical Center — Midland, hired a disaster recovery company to clean up the mess, including a water-logged basement and morgue. More than 100 workers — many of them recent immigrants — were brought from as far away as Texas and Florida. Bellaliz Gonzalez was one of them.
"There were cracks in the safety protocols," Gonzalez, an asylum-seeker from Venezuela, said in Spanish through an interpreter. "We would start working without masks and then the supervisors would say, 'We're going to go look for masks,' when we were already working inside!"
"It smelled like something rotten, decomposed," she added. "Like something putrid, pungent. It was horrible."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bellaliz Gonzalez Bellaliz Gonzalez
Michigan had strict rules in place for essential workers during the pandemic, but Gonzalez and other workers interviewed by NPR said those rules weren't followed. The workers said they were put up in cramped hotel rooms and weren't given enough protective equipment.
Many of the disaster recovery workers who came to Midland did get sick. A cluster of roughly 20 confirmed cases of the coronavirus drew the attention of local health officials. It also shined a light on a multibillion-dollar industry that's growing fast as climate-driven disasters become more frequent and more expensive.
"These workers are essential, but no one behaves like it," said Saket Soni, the founder and director of a nonprofit group called Resilience Force, which advocates for recovery workers.
Like workers in other industries hit hard by the coronavirus, Soni said recovery workers risk getting and spreading the virus — not just to each other and to their families but to the communities where they live and work.
"In a sense, they're like the farmworkers and meat packers ... with one difference," Soni said. "This is a workforce on the go ... that spends most of the year traveling from place to place, fixing up towns, cities, homes and buildings. And that's an additional vulnerability."
Soni said the pandemic has revealed longstanding problems in how the disaster recovery industry treats a workforce that cleans up and rebuilds after hurricanes, wildfires and flooding. Many of the workers are asylum-seekers or undocumented immigrants who don't speak much English and are afraid to complain about working conditions.
Gonzalez, who is 54, worked as an environmental engineer in her native Venezuela before fleeing to the U.S. to seek asylum two years ago. She said she got sick with a high fever in Michigan but tested negative for the coronavirus.
Gonzalez said she was appalled at the working conditions. The first day on the job, she said she asked if there were going to be temperature checks and was told there were no thermometers.
"We were treated worse than animals," Gonzalez said. "They didn't care about our well-being and our lives, they didn't care that we are in the middle of a pandemic."
After the outbreak in Michigan, the finger pointing began.
"We had some people from out of state come in to help, and we are grateful for help, but they brought COVID-19 with them," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in an interview with member station WDET in Detroit last month.
No one knows for sure whether the workers brought the coronavirus to Michigan, or caught it there. But we do know what happened next: The workers left town, taking the virus with them.
"We would have preferred if they would have quarantined here in Michigan, but they traveled home," Whitmer said.
Public health workers there say they weren't able to communicate directly with the recovery workers because no one on the contact-tracing team speaks Spanish.
"You really shouldn't cram four and five people into a hotel room that aren't necessarily family members, or put them in a situation where they're thousands of miles from home where they can be exposed to the virus," said Joel Strasz, a public health officer in Bay County, Mich., where the workers were staying.
"All of those conditions are going to really exacerbate the situation, spread the virus," he said.
The MidMichigan Medical Center thought the cleanup company it hired was taking steps to ensure worker safety, according to Julie Newton, an infection prevention nurse at the hospital.
"I was told that they checked for symptoms and temperatures every day," Newton said. "And if someone had symptoms or temperature, they were sent to be tested and were not allowed to work."
Newton said the workers she saw were wearing masks and gloves, and that she didn't talk to the workers directly because she doesn't speak Spanish, either.
"It didn't occur to me to go through and ask a bunch of questions" about whether workers were wearing masks, or how many people were staying in a hotel room, Newton said. "I just expected that they were making sure that those things were happening."
Servpro is a disaster recovery company with franchises around the country, including the one in Michigan hired by the hospital for the cleanup effort. Neither Servpro nor the local franchise responded to requests for comment.(Editor's note: Servpro is an NPR underwriter.)
Servpro's website says its workers always adhere to "cleaning and decontamination standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local authorities."
BTN Services, a Houston-based company that provides cleaning and staffing services, was a subcontractor on the hospital job. CEO Alejandro Fernandez told NPR that there was "a whole bunch of misinformation going around" but declined to elaborate and did not respond to interview requests.
The structure of the industry, with multiple layers of contractors and subcontractors, makes it easier for employers to avoid accountability, said Soni from Resilience Force.
"That's a huge problem," Soni said. "It means no one owns and pays for the standards to be enforced. No one is ultimately accountable."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Armando Negron Armando Negron
The workers on the hospital job say they asked for the work site's COVID-19 preparedness plan, as required by the state under a series of executive orders signed by the governor. But the workers say they never saw one.
Once workers in Michigan began testing positive for the coronavirus, they say they were put on vans that drove them back to Florida and Texas. Several workers said they asked to be quarantined in Michigan but were told they'd have to pay for their own housing if they stayed.
Bellaliz Gonzalez recorded a video on her phone in Michigan just before the workers packed into vans to go home. "We are all sick, some have tested positive, others have not been tested but have symptoms," she said in the video.
One of the workers who got sick was Armando Negron. He said he worked in the hospital morgue without a mask before testing positive for the coronavirus. He headed home to Florida, where he landed in the hospital for six days. Negron, who was born in Puerto Rico, is 56 and has survived two heart attacks.
"I was coughing so hard for 10 to 15 minutes nonstop, I felt that my chest was going to explode," Negron said in Spanish through an interpreter.
"This virus feels like a fire that gets inside your body. You don't feel good sitting down, standing or lying down. It's debilitating and I feel very tired, I don't feel normal," he said.
Meanwhile, the demand for disaster cleanup continues in spite of the coronavirus. Negron said that half a dozen people he worked with in the morgue went directly from Midland to another job site in the Midwest. Two of them, he said, got sick and have been hospitalized.


npr--2020-07-09--When It Comes To Reopening Schools, 'The Devil's In The Details,' Educators Say

When It Comes To Reopening Schools , 'The Devil 's In The Details , ' Educators Say Jeanne Norris is a teacher , the wife of a teacher and the mother of an 8-year-old in St. Louis .
She 'd love to send her son back to school in August .
But , she says , `` I feel like my government and my fellow citizens have put me in a position where it 's not really in the best interests of our family . ''
Norris has a long list of reasons why .
She says she has personally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outdated and malfunctioning , and even soap for handwashing is in short supply .
In June , Missouri cut K-12 education funding by more than $ 100 million , amid the pandemic-induced recession .
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities anticipates state budget shortfalls of 25 % this fiscal year as a result of that recession .
Education leaders have said schools may need more than $ 200 billion in new federal education funding to stop these gaps and meet the new need .
The House passed a bill in May with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Republican-controlled Senate has not yet acted on it , though the president has recently weighed in heavily in favor of reopening schools .
Jeanne Norris says she 's disappointed by her state 's response to the virus , and she 's worried about the risk to her son 's teachers too .
`` You know , a third of teachers are over the age of 50 , I believe .
... You want to talk about social-emotional impacts ?
Thinking about my child experiencing somebody die because of coronavirus ?
Sounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Dozens of teachers , parents and district leaders around the country told NPR that the back-to-school season — that beloved annual ritual -- has fogged over with confusion .
States , districts and the federal government are pushing and pulling in different directions .
Scientists are updating their advice to reflect emerging research and the changing course of the pandemic .
And parents and educators are finding it hard to make decisions in the murk .
What 's at stake : An unknown number of lives , the futures of tens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their caregivers , the working conditions of millions of educators , and people 's trust in a fundamental American institution .
Thomas Jefferson , the scribe of the Declaration of Independence , was among the first Americans to propose a system of universal , publicly funded education in 1779 .
Since then , besides providing an education , public schools became by far the physically safest places for the nation 's more than 50 million schoolchildren .
They fed about 30 million children meals they might have missed otherwise , and offered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mental health .
Schools closed abruptly due to the coronavirus pandemic , in the U.S. and almost everywhere .
At one point , 90 % of the world 's schoolchildren were out of class .
Now , across Europe and Asia , dozens of school systems have already reopened , with precautions in place , and few virus spikes seen as a result .
But in the U.S. , where the pandemic continues to rage , that version of normal is not being contemplated in most places .
One notable exception , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start back with full-time in-person instruction at least five days a week .
This , in a state with one of the worst outbreaks in the country .
`` To be perfectly honest , it 's terrifying , '' says Kirk Hansen , a middle school social studies teacher in Lakeland , Fla. `` We 've worked with very little before .
The history of public education is inadequate funding .
And we are supposed to come back to an environment where we do n't know what 's happening and we 're supposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I think it 's just — it 's going to be a fiasco . ''
Back to school , not back to normal Many parents and teachers echoed Hansen 's anxiety .
Across the United States , each district is making its own decisions based on guidance — not directives — from the federal government , states , experts , educators , parents and local health authorities .
Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls for social distancing , and grouping kids into small pods , to limit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means a drastic reduction in class sizes everywhere .
In the absence of funds for more space and more staff , that 's driving schools to cut back on in-person class time .
The state of California , for example , recommends splitting up students into smaller cohorts that attend two days a week , every other week , or mornings and afternoons , while offering remote instruction the rest of the time .
We 're hearing versions of this limited-time plan everywhere from New York City — the nation 's largest school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seattle and West Bloomfield , Mich. At the same time , districts are surveying parents and teachers to find out if they are willing to go back at all .
One national survey by the American Federation of Teachers found about 1 in 4 educators were not willing to come back even with precautions , and a survey of parents found two-thirds were nervous about the prospect .
That means many districts are offering remote learning at the same time , which is essentially a whole other job for schools and teachers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some parts of the country , while other places like New York are vigilant based on past experience .
Districts are taking time to sort through all the information .
The delays in communication , in turn , make it harder for families to make plans .
This convoluted , decentralized process around reopening schools is also pitting stakeholders against each other .
In San Mateo , in the Bay Area , some teachers want to start the year remote-only , while parents and administrators are pushing for more face time .
Jinna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mateo High School , says she ca n't create a warm , accepting classroom culture when everyone is wearing masks and she must enforce physical distancing .
Face masks will also be an obstacle for English language learners , Hwang says .
She 's not sure how she 'll find time to teach her in-person lessons — multiple times over , to different cohorts of students — while also planning and executing remote teaching at the same time .
On the other hand , she says , if schools stick with remote-only , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have difficulty learning online ?
What do you do about kids who are entering depression and need their wellness counselor ? ''
Questions like these abound .
After New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy released that state 's `` Restart and Recovery Plan for Education , '' educators crowdsourced a list of nearly 400 unanswered questions and concerns .
Among them : How can we safely toilet train students with autism ?
How can students in band play a trumpet with a mask on ?
Will substitute teachers get paid more since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and who pays for their health insurance if they get sick on the job ?
`` The devil 's in the details , '' sums up Hwang .
As difficult as reopening plans are , they are just the beginning .
As Dr. Anthony Fauci emphasized in recent Senate testimony , local coronavirus infection rates are a key factor driving schools ' ability to not just open up , but to stay open .
Mike Looney , the superintendent of Fulton County Schools , a large district in the Atlanta area , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His schools are set to open Aug. 17 , and he says he 's been letting parents know : The rest is in their hands .
`` I have been doing my very best to communicate to our families that they really are in control of whether or not the school district opens up as planned — because the school district has to respond to the community spread . ''
Looney 's district is unusual in having already released not just a reopening plan but a detailed re-closing decision matrix .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close a school if someone at the school tests positive for the coronavirus .
For example , explains Looney , if there is low community spread and one person at a school tests positive , that school will close for up to 24 hours for cleaning and contact tracing .
But if there are more or rising cases throughout the community , the closure for that single case will last for 72 hours .
Conversely , even with few cases in the broader community , if there are five or more positive tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could last at least two weeks to give people time to isolate and recover .
The math around contact tracing and risk reduction can be head-spinning .
And that 's exactly why Michelle Hoffmann , in High Bridge , N.J. , is planning to homeschool her 6-year-old son this year .
Hoffmann has been working as a contact tracer , following up with people who test positive for the coronavirus so that their close contacts can be notified to try to stop the spread of the virus .
She anticipates schools closing down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And she does n't see the utility of rotating cohorts of students as long as they share the same teacher .
`` If a teacher came in and said , 'Hey , I just found out my sister tested positive for COVID and we saw her over the weekend , ' both groups of students are going to have to stay home . ''
It might work better if each tiny group of students had a different teacher , she says .
`` But again , who has the resources for that ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers .
That 's just not a thing . ''
Hoffmann feels prepared to take on home schooling .
For one thing , her wife is an educator who may be laid off — New Jersey , too , is cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from education this year .
Hoffmann 's mother has been teaching her son Korean .
And she has friends who work in technical fields who are willing to pitch in , guiding her son with science projects over Skype .
All of which seems preferable to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says .
`` I do n't want to scramble .
I 'm very much a planner , so I want to have a plan in place . ''
But many families do n't have the resources to make a plan like this .
And online-only learning , the fallback option , is n't making many folks happy either .
`` We 're all horrible teachers , '' Ashley Ruiz , a mother of two in south Florida , says of her and her friends ' experiences with remote learning .
Her 7-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and relies on her school for speech and social skills therapy , and help with reading , none of which are really replicable online .
`` We now all recognize that teachers need to be paid a million dollars in cash , tax free , because of what they do , '' Ruiz says .
Nicol Turner Lee , an expert on educational technology and digital divides at the Brookings Institution , is in frequent consultation with districts around the country .
She calls this past spring 's attempt at emergency remote learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Research shows students who struggle tend to do even worse with distance learning .
Some districts are investing in training teachers to raise the quality of remote teaching , and working to get special education students and English language learners the support they need .
Yet simple access is still a big problem .
Turner Lee says an estimated 12 to 15 million students still do not have broadband Internet at home .
And an estimated one-third of low-income students have to share devices with family members .
Can schools do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think we have run out of time , '' says Turner Lee .
Some localities , like Chicago , D.C. and Maryland , are working , sometimes with private donors , to get equipment and connectivity to students at a larger scale .
And public libraries are boosting their Wi-Fi signals to allow students to gather and do their homework in the parking lot .
But , she says , these are ultimately stopgaps , and they wo n't go far without massive federal aid .
She says overall , efforts to meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day late and a dollar short . ''

When It Comes To Reopening Schools, 'The Devil's In The Details,' Educators Say
Enlarge this image toggle caption Karen Ducey/Getty Images Karen Ducey/Getty Images
Jeanne Norris is a teacher, the wife of a teacher and the mother of an 8-year-old in St. Louis. She'd love to send her son back to school in August. But, she says, "I feel like my government and my fellow citizens have put me in a position where it's not really in the best interests of our family."
Norris has a long list of reasons why. She says she has taught in buildings where ventilation systems are outdated and malfunctioning, and even soap for hand-washing is in short supply.
In June, Missouri cut K-12 education funding by more than $100 million amid the pandemic-induced recession. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities anticipates state budget shortfalls of 25% this fiscal year as a result of that recession. Education leaders have said schools may need more than $200 billion in new federal education funding to stop these gaps and meet the new need. The House passed a bill in May with $58 billion for school districts, and the Republican-controlled Senate has not yet acted on it, though the president has recently weighed in heavily in favor of reopening schools.
Norris says she's disappointed by her state's response to the virus, and she's worried about the risk to her son's teachers, too.
"You know, a third of teachers are over the age of 50, I believe. ... You want to talk about social-emotional impacts? Thinking about my child experiencing somebody die because of coronavirus? Sounds like a pretty heavy burden to bear."
Dozens of teachers, parents and district leaders around the country told NPR that the back-to-school season — that beloved annual ritual — has fogged over with confusion. States, districts and the federal government are pushing and pulling in different directions. Scientists are updating their advice to reflect emerging research and the changing course of the pandemic. And parents and educators are finding it hard to make decisions in the murk.
What's at stake: An unknown number of lives, the futures of tens of millions of children, the livelihoods of their caregivers, the working conditions of millions of educators and people's trust in a fundamental American institution.
Thomas Jefferson, the scribe of the Declaration of Independence, was among the first Americans to propose a system of universal, publicly funded education in 1779. Since then, besides providing an education, public schools became by far the physically safest places for the nation's more than 50 million schoolchildren. They fed about 30 million children meals they might have missed otherwise, and offered crucial assistance with housing, health care and mental health.
Until this past spring.
Schools closed abruptly amid the coronavirus pandemic, in the U.S. and almost everywhere. At one point, 90% of the world's schoolchildren were out of class. Now, across Europe and Asia, dozens of school systems have already reopened, with precautions in place, and few virus spikes have been seen as a result. But in the U.S., where the pandemic continues to rage, that version of normal is not being contemplated in most places.
One notable exception, Florida, has just ordered schools to start back with full-time in-person instruction at least five days a week. This, in a state with one of the worst outbreaks in the country.
"To be perfectly honest, it's terrifying," says Kirk Hansen, a middle school social studies teacher in Lakeland, Fla. "We've worked with very little before. The story of public education is inadequate funding. And we are supposed to come back to an environment where we don't know what's happening and we're supposed to do it on limited funds. And I think it's just — it's going to be a fiasco."
Back to school, not back to normal
Many parents and teachers echoed Hansen's anxiety. Across the United States, each district is making its own decisions based on guidance — not directives — from the federal government, states, experts, educators, parents and local health authorities.
Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls for social distancing, and grouping kids into small pods, to limit the spread of a potential infection. That means a drastic reduction in class sizes everywhere. In the absence of funds for more space and more staff, that's driving schools to cut back on in-person class time. The state of California, for example, recommends splitting up students into smaller cohorts that attend two days a week, every other week, or mornings and afternoons, while offering remote instruction the rest of the time. We're hearing versions of this limited-time plan everywhere from New York City — the nation's largest school district — to Omaha, Neb., Seattle and West Bloomfield, Mich.
At the same time, districts are surveying parents and teachers to find out if they are willing to go back at all. One national survey by the American Federation of Teachers found about 1 in 4 educators were not willing to come back even with precautions, and a survey of parents found two-thirds were nervous about the prospect. That means many districts are offering remote learning at the same time, which is essentially a whole other job for schools and teachers.
Meanwhile, the pandemic is spiking in some parts of the country, while other places like New York are vigilant based on past experience.
Districts are taking time to sort through all the information. The delays in communication, in turn, make it harder for families to make plans.
This convoluted, decentralized process around reopening schools is also pitting stakeholders against each other. In San Mateo, in the Bay Area, some teachers want to start the year remote-only, while parents and administrators are pushing for more face time. Jinna Hwang, who teaches math at San Mateo High School, says she can't create a warm, accepting classroom culture when everyone is wearing masks and she must enforce physical distancing. Face masks will also be an obstacle for English language learners, Hwang says. She's not sure how she'll find time to teach her in-person lessons — multiple times over, to different cohorts of students — while also planning and executing remote teaching at the same time.
On the other hand, she says, if schools stick with remote-only, "What do you do with kids who have difficulty learning online? What do you do about kids who are entering depression and need their wellness counselor?"
Questions like these abound. After New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy released that state's "Restart and Recovery Plan for Education," educators crowdsourced a list of nearly 400 unanswered questions and concerns. Among them: How can we safely toilet train students with autism? How can students in band play a trumpet with a mask on? Will substitute teachers get paid more since their job is now high risk, and who pays for their health insurance if they get sick on the job?
"The devil's in the details," sums up Hwang.
Reopening followed by re-closing?
As difficult as reopening plans are, they are just the beginning. As Dr. Anthony Fauci emphasized in recent Senate testimony, local coronavirus infection rates are a key factor driving schools' ability to not just open up, but to stay open.
Mike Looney, the superintendent of Fulton County Schools, a large district in the Atlanta area, has been grappling with the uncertainty around reopening. His schools are set to open Aug. 17, and he says he's been letting parents know: The rest is in their hands.
"I have been doing my very best to communicate to our families that they really are in control of whether or not the school district opens up as planned — because the school district has to respond to the community spread."
Looney's district is unusual in having already released not just a reopening plan but a detailed re-closing decision matrix. It gives 12 options for how long to close a school if someone at the school tests positive for the coronavirus. For example, explains Looney, if there is low community spread and one person at a school tests positive, that school will close for up to 24 hours for cleaning and contact tracing. But if there are more or rising cases throughout the community, the closure for that single case will last for 72 hours. Conversely, even with few cases in the broader community, if there are five or more positive tests in a single school, that closure could last at least two weeks to give people time to isolate and recover.
The math around contact tracing and risk reduction can be head-spinning. And that's exactly why Michelle Hoffmann in High Bridge, N.J., is planning to home-school her 6-year-old son this year.
Hoffmann has been working as a contact tracer, following up with people who test positive for the coronavirus so that their close contacts can be notified to try to stop the spread of the virus. She anticipates schools closing down quickly and repeatedly after they open. And she doesn't see the utility of rotating cohorts of students as long as they share the same teacher.
"If a teacher came in and said, 'Hey, I just found out my sister tested positive for COVID and we saw her over the weekend,' both groups of students are going to have to stay home."
It might work better if each tiny group of students had a different teacher, she says. "But again, who has the resources for that? There is no unlimited supply of substitute teachers. That's just not a thing."
Hoffmann feels prepared to take on home-schooling. For one thing, her wife is an educator who may be laid off — New Jersey, too, is cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from education this year. Hoffmann's mother has been teaching her son Korean. And she has friends who work in technical fields who are willing to pitch in, guiding her son with science projects over Skype. All of which seems preferable to the disruptions of repeated openings and re-closings, she says. "I don't want to scramble. I'm very much a planner, so I want to have a plan in place."
But many families don't have the resources to make a plan like this. And online-only learning, the fallback option, isn't making many folks happy either.
"We're all horrible teachers," Ashley Ruiz, a mother of two in south Florida, says of her and her friends' experiences with remote learning. Her 7-year-old son is on the autism spectrum, and relies on her school for speech and social skills therapy, and help with reading, none of which are really replicable online.
"We now all recognize that teachers need to be paid a million dollars in cash, tax-free, because of what they do," Ruiz says.
Nicol Turner Lee, an expert on educational technology and digital divides at the Brookings Institution, is in frequent consultation with districts around the country. She calls this past spring's attempt at emergency remote learning "an abject failure for our children."
Research shows students who struggle tend to do even worse with distance learning. Some districts are investing in training teachers to raise the quality of remote teaching, and working to get special education students and English language learners the support they need. Yet simple access is still a big problem. Turner Lee says an estimated 12 to 15 million students still do not have broadband Internet at home. And an estimated one-third of low-income students have to share devices with family members.
Can schools do better this coming year? "I think we have run out of time," says Turner Lee.
Some localities, such as Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Maryland, are working, sometimes with private donors, to get equipment and connectivity to students at a larger scale. And public libraries are boosting their Wi-Fi signals to allow students to gather and do their homework in the parking lot. But, she says, these are ultimately stopgaps, and they won't go far without massive federal aid. She says overall, efforts to meet the challenges facing public schools are "a day late and a dollar short."


npr--2020-07-09--U.S. Broadcasting Agency Will Not Extend Visas For Its Foreign Journalists

U.S. Broadcasting Agency Will Not Extend Visas For Its Foreign Journalists Dozens of foreign nationals working as journalists in the U.S. for Voice of America , the federal government 's international broadcaster , will not have their visas extended once they expire , according to three people with knowledge of the decision .
Those with knowledge of the decision say the new CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media , Michael Pack , signaled he will not approve the visa extensions .
Also Wednesday , according to those with knowledge of the decision , Pack ordered the dismissal of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whom Pack had previously demoted .
The sources asked not to be identified because of a fear of retaliation .
The foreign journalists are particularly valued for their language skills , which are crucial to VOA 's mission as an international broadcaster .
One VOA journalist who asked not to be named because of a fear of retaliation , said some of the foreign journalists forced to return home would likely face repercussions from regimes hostile to the U.S .
The decision conforms with the administration 's general policy of seeking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a stated concern they take jobs away from Americans .
The policy is opposed by many businesses which rely on the expertise of foreign employees .
A spokesman for the agency did not respond to requests for comment .
President Trump nominated Pack , a documentary filmmaker allied with the president , two years ago to be CEO of the international broadcasting agency but was only confirmed by the Senate last month .
Upon taking office Pack dismissed the directors of all the agency 's divisions : Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Broadcasting , which oversees Radio and Television Martí ; Middle East Broadcasting Networks , which runs Alhurra and Radio Sawa ; and the Open Technology Fund , which promotes Internet access around the world , even though the fund 's director had planned to retire in July .
The director and deputy director of Voice of America resigned shortly before Pack took office , saying he should be able to appoint his own executives to run the broadcaster .
Trump and his administration have been increasingly critical of Voice of America .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bannon , in a 2018 interview with the Los Angeles Times said , `` VOA is a rotten fish from top to bottom . ''
He added , `` It 's now totally controlled by the deep-state apparatus . ''
The White House claimed in a formal statement in April that VOA had `` amplified Beijing 's propaganda '' by running an Associated Press article about COVID-19 policies in China .
Prominent Democrats , including House Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Eliot Engel of New York , had warned Pack against politicizing the agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued federal rules on June 11 stating with more specificity the firewall and journalistic standards intended to protect the news services ' reports .
It now stands as federal policy .
That board , however , was dissolved as Pack took over as CEO .
Disclosure : This story was reported by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by NPR 's Mark Katkov .
Due to NPR CEO John Lansing 's prior role as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media , no senior news executive or corporate executive at NPR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

U.S. Broadcasting Agency Will Not Extend Visas For Its Foreign Journalists
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP
Updated at 2 p.m. ET
Dozens of foreign nationals working as journalists in the U.S. for Voice of America, the federal government's international broadcaster, will not have their visas extended once they expire, according to three people with knowledge of the decision.
Those people — each with current or past ties to the agency — said the new CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, Michael Pack, signaled he will not approve the visa extensions.
Enlarge this image toggle caption U.S. Agency for Global Media U.S. Agency for Global Media
"That is horrible," Matt Armstrong, a former member of the governing board over the agency, told NPR. "Many are likely to face repercussions, some very severe." (That board, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, no longer exists.)
A spokesman for the agency did not respond to requests for comment.
Also Wednesday, according to several people with knowledge, Pack had former Radio Free Asia chief Bay Fang fired. Pack had demoted her earlier when firing the presidents of other broadcasters overseen by the agency. The sources asked not to be identified because of a fear of retaliation.
The foreign journalists affected by the visa decision are particularly valued for their language skills, which are crucial to VOA's mission as an international broadcaster covering news in many countries that do not have a free or robust press. One VOA journalist, who asked not to be named because of a fear of retaliation, said it could lead to the departure of more than 100 staffers in the foreign language services.
It was not immediately clear if the decision would be extended to the other broadcasters overseen by the agency.
The decision conforms with the Trump administration's general policy of seeking to limit work visas for the U.S. out of a stated concern they take jobs away from Americans. The policy is opposed by many businesses that rely on the expertise of foreign employees. Voice of America typically hires citizens from other nations with both broadcast and specifically language expertise only when it cannot hire U.S. citizens to fill the jobs.
President Trump nominated Pack, a documentary filmmaker allied with the president, two years ago to be CEO of the international broadcasting agency, but the Senate only confirmed him last month. Upon taking office in June, Pack dismissed the directors of all the agency's divisions: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; Radio Free Asia; Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which oversees Radio and Television Martí; Middle East Broadcasting Networks, which runs Alhurra and Radio Sawa; and the Open Technology Fund, which promotes Internet access around the world, even though the fund's director had planned to retire this month.
The director and deputy director of Voice of America resigned shortly before Pack took office, saying he should be able to appoint his own executives to run the broadcaster.
Trump and his administration have been increasingly critical of VOA. Trump ally and former White House official Steve Bannon, in a 2018 interview with the Los Angeles Times, said, "VOA is a rotten fish from top to bottom." He added, "It's now totally controlled by the deep-state apparatus."
The White House claimed in a formal statement in April that VOA had "amplified Beijing's propaganda" by running an Associated Press article about COVID-19 policies in China.
Prominent Democrats, including House Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Eliot Engel of New York, had warned Pack against politicizing the agency before he took over. Last week, a bipartisan group of senators wrote to Pack to say they would conduct a review of the agency's funding, citing concerns about the dismissals of the broadcasting chiefs.
The agency's previous bipartisan board had issued federal rules on June 11 stating with more specificity the firewall and journalistic standards intended to protect the news services' reports. It now stands as federal policy.
That board, however, was dissolved as Pack took over as CEO.
Disclosure: This story was reported by NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by NPR's Mark Katkov. Due to NPR CEO John Lansing's prior role as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, no senior news executive or corporate executive at NPR reviewed this story before it was published.


npr--2020-07-08--Brazil's Bolsonaro Sued For Unmasking As He Announced Positive Test For COVID-19

Brazil 's Bolsonaro Sued For Unmasking As He Announced Positive Test For COVID-19 A group representing Brazilian journalists says it will file suit against the country 's president , Jair Bolsonaro , after he took off a protective mask as he spoke with reporters about his COVID-19 diagnosis .
The Brazilian Press Association , or ABI , said in a statement that Bolsonaro had unnecessarily endangered a small group of journalists who interviewed him at his official residence .
At one point during the interview on Tuesday , Bolsonaro , who is 65 , backed away from reporters and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he was doing well .
`` Despite knowing he was infected with COVID-19 , President Jair Bolsonaro continues to act in a criminal manner and endanger the lives of others , '' ABI President Paulo Jeronimo de Sousa said in a statement .
`` The country can not watch continued behavior that is beyond irresponsible and constitutes clear crimes against public health , without reacting , '' he said .
ABI said the Brazilian president had violated a section of the country 's criminal code that prohibits knowingly transmitting a serious disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause contagion .
Bolsonaro told reporters that he had undergone a lung X-ray after feeling feverish and experiencing muscle aches and malaise .
As of Tuesday , he said that his fever was down , and he credited hydroxychloroquine , an anti-malarial drug that was also touted by President Trump as a treatment , but that has failed to show any efficacy in several studies .
Health experts have also warned about the drug 's potentially deadly side effects .
Following the announcement of his test results , Bolsonaro posting a video to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For those who root against hydroxychloroquine , but do n't present alternatives , I regret to inform you that I 'm very well with its use and , with God 's grace , I will live for a long time still , '' he said .
Bolsonaro , who has for months downplayed the COVID-19 pandemic , presides over a country with an infection and death rate from the disease second only to the U.S. , which leads the world .
According to a tally maintained by Johns Hopkins University , more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and nearly 68,000 have died from the disease .
He has dismissed COVID-19 as a `` little flu , '' and often appears in public , shaking hands and without a mask .
Bolsonaro has also said that the economic damage from COVID-19 is worse than the lives lost to the disease and said there is no way to prevent 70 % of the country 's 210 million people from contracting the virus .
Separately , Facebook on Wednesday suspended a network of social media accounts indirectly tied to Bolsonaro and his two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread the president 's claims that COVID-19 risks are exaggerated .
Facebook said it found links between the fake accounts and the staff of Bolsonaro , his two sons , Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro , and two Brazilian lawmakers .
Nathaniel Gleicher , Facebook 's head of cybersecurity policy , told Reuters that the accounts were used for `` coordinated inauthentic behavior '' to , among other things , amplify Bolsonaro 's views on COVID-19 .

Brazil's Bolsonaro Faces Suit For Unmasking As He Announced Coronavirus Diagnosis
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eraldo Peres/AP Eraldo Peres/AP
A group representing Brazilian journalists says it will file suit against the country's president, Jair Bolsonaro, after he took off a protective mask as he spoke with reporters about his COVID-19 diagnosis.
The Brazilian Press Association, or ABI, said in a statement that Bolsonaro had unnecessarily endangered a small group of journalists who interviewed him at his official residence. At one point during the interview on Tuesday, Bolsonaro, who is 65, backed away from reporters and then removed his mask, ostensibly to show that he was doing well.
Vamos mostrar a verdade https://t.co/mVTdd7Ca09 — Lu Sapori (@ALLuSapore) July 7, 2020
"Despite knowing he was infected with COVID-19, President Jair Bolsonaro continues to act in a criminal manner and endanger the lives of others," ABI President Paulo Jeronimo de Sousa said in a statement.
"The country cannot watch continued behavior that is beyond irresponsible and constitutes clear crimes against public health, without reacting," he said.
ABI said the Brazilian president had violated a section of the country's criminal code that prohibits knowingly transmitting a serious disease to others or any act that may cause contagion.
Bolsonaro told reporters that he had undergone a lung X-ray after feeling feverish and experiencing muscle aches and malaise. As of Tuesday, he said that his fever was down, and he credited hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug that was also touted by President Trump as a treatment but that has failed to show any efficacy in several studies. Health experts have also warned about the drug's potentially deadly side effects.
Following the announcement of his test results, Bolsonaro posted a video to Facebook showing him taking hydroxychloroquine.
"For those who root against hydroxychloroquine, but don't present alternatives, I regret to inform you that I'm very well with its use and, with God's grace, I will live for a long time still," he said.
Bolsonaro, who has for months downplayed the COVID-19 pandemic, presides over a country with an infection and death rate from the disease second only to the U.S., which leads the world. According to a tally maintained by Johns Hopkins University, more than 1.7 million Brazilians have been confirmed infected and nearly 68,000 have died from the disease.
He has dismissed COVID-19 as a "little flu" and often appears in public, shaking hands and without a mask. Bolsonaro has also said that the economic damage from COVID-19 is worse than the lives lost to the disease and said there is no way to prevent 70% of the country's 210 million people from contracting the virus.
Separately, Facebook on Wednesday suspended a network of social media accounts indirectly tied to Bolsonaro and his two sons that it said were used to spread the president's claims that COVID-19 risks are exaggerated.
Facebook said it found links between the fake accounts and the staff of Bolsonaro, his two sons, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro and Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, and two Brazilian lawmakers.
Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy, told Reuters that the accounts were used for "coordinated inauthentic behavior" to, among other things, amplify Bolsonaro's views on COVID-19.


npr--2020-07-08--New York City Schools To Open In Fall With Some In-Person Instruction

New York City Schools To Open In Fall With Some In-Person Instruction New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio said on Wednesday that the city 's schools will open in the fall , but with a mix of in-person and remote learning options .
The plan will likely put students in school twice a week , according to a statement released by the mayor and city Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza on Wednesday .
De Blasio also noted that 75 % of NYC families wanted their kids back in school .
`` Getting our kids back to school successfully and safely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our city , '' de Blasio said in the statement .
`` Parents have spoken clearly – they want their children back in school buildings to the greatest extent possible .
Our approach for the fall maximizes in person instruction while protecting health and safety of our students and educators . ''
Calling the strategy `` blended learning , '' the officials said the city will distribute over 300,000 iPads .
It will also provide three different scheduling models for schools to potentially use in opening , separating students into groups .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing , masks and extra access to hand sanitizer .
It also noted that spaces will be reconfigured for social distancing , lunch will be held in classrooms , and buildings will be disinfected nightly .
Yesterday , the state of Florida announced that it would open schools fully in the fall .
The move stirred some controversy , as case numbers continue to balloon .
New York City was once the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in America .
However , in recent weeks the total number of cases reported has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dipped into the single digits .
New York State has also seen a big dip in coronavirus numbers .

New York City Schools To Open In Fall With Some In-Person Instruction
New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio said on Wednesday that the city's schools will open in the fall, but with a mix of in-person and remote learning options.
The plan will likely put students in school twice a week, according to a statement released by the mayor and city Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza on Wednesday. De Blasio also noted that 75% of NYC families wanted their kids back in school.
"Getting our kids back to school successfully and safely is the single biggest part of restarting our city," de Blasio said in the statement. "Parents have spoken clearly – they want their children back in school buildings to the greatest extent possible. Our approach for the fall maximizes in person instruction while protecting health and safety of our students and educators."
Calling the strategy "blended learning," the officials said the city will distribute over 300,000 iPads. It will also provide three different scheduling models for schools to potentially use in opening, separating students into groups.
The statement also noted that schools will require social distancing, masks and extra access to hand sanitizer. It also noted that spaces will be reconfigured for social distancing, lunch will be held in classrooms, and buildings will be disinfected nightly.
Yesterday, the state of Florida announced that it would open schools fully in the fall. The move stirred some controversy, as case numbers continue to balloon.
New York City was once the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in America. However, in recent weeks the total number of cases reported has slowed significantly and deaths per day have dipped into the single digits. New York State has also seen a big dip in coronavirus numbers.


npr--2020-07-08--Houston Mayor Cancels Texas GOP's In-Person Convention, Citing Public Health Concerns

A week before the Texas Republican Party 's in-person convention was set to draw thousands to Houston , city officials have hit the brakes .
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner canceled the event on Wednesday , citing safety concerns as the coronavirus continues its record-breaking spread in the region .
`` The public health concern for our first responders , convention workers , and those who would have attended weighed heavily in our decision making , '' he said .
`` Houston is in the midst of a global health crisis and we are doing everything in our power to combat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was scheduled to take place at the George R. Brown Convention Center from July 16 to 18 .
City officials expected it to draw 6,000 participants .
The State Republican Executive Committee passed a resolution on July 3 reinforcing its support for the party 's in-person convention and noting increased health and safety precautions .
Still , state Republican leaders including Gov .
Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick planned to give their speeches virtually .
The convention center is owned and operated by Houston First , a local government corporation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP officials on Wednesday terminating their hosting agreement , citing the severity of the pandemic and the risk of large indoor gatherings .
`` Houston has experienced a significant increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases since Memorial Day Weekend , straining the availability of healthcare resources , and there is no indication that the current crisis will slow or reverse course , '' they wrote .
The city 's health department reported 204 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday , but noted a computer glitch is likely understating the number .
Overall , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths .
James Dickey , chairman of the Republican Party of Texas , criticized the move in a statement issued Wednesday and said the party 's legal team is `` assessing the ability of the City to act at this time in this manner and weighing our legal options . ''
He added that Turner had allowed protesters to peaceably assemble in the city , and argued the convention should be equally protected .
Houston , the hometown of George Floyd , saw crowds gather in June for his memorial service as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brutality .
Mounting evidence suggests that protests do not spread the disease in the same way as gatherings where people do not wear masks .
Turner addressed this in a tweet .
`` It is one thing to be talking about an indoor convention where people are in close proximity with each other for a substantial amount of time rather than walking outside in a protest , '' he wrote .
`` When people are marching and protesting , no one is making lunch/dinner , cleaning up behind them . ''
The cancellation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas Democratic Party applauded the decision , and Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw called it a `` prudent move for public health . ''

Houston Mayor Cancels Texas GOP's In-Person Convention, Citing Public Health Concerns
Enlarge this image toggle caption David J. Phillip/AP David J. Phillip/AP
A week before the Texas Republican Party's in-person convention was set to draw thousands to Houston, city officials have hit the brakes.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner canceled the event on Wednesday, citing safety concerns as the coronavirus continues its record-breaking spread in the region.
"The public health concern for our first responders, convention workers, and those who would have attended weighed heavily in our decision making," he said. "Houston is in the midst of a global health crisis and we are doing everything in our power to combat [COVID-19]."
The convention was scheduled to take place at the George R. Brown Convention Center from July 16 to 18. City officials expected it to draw 6,000 participants.
The State Republican Executive Committee passed a resolution on July 3 reinforcing its support for the party's in-person convention and noting increased health and safety precautions. Still, state Republican leaders including Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick planned to give their speeches virtually.
The convention center is owned and operated by Houston First, a local government corporation.
Houston First sent a letter to GOP officials on Wednesday terminating their hosting agreement, citing the severity of the pandemic and the risk of large indoor gatherings.
"Houston has experienced a significant increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases since Memorial Day Weekend, straining the availability of healthcare resources, and there is no indication that the current crisis will slow or reverse course," they wrote.
The city's health department reported 204 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, but noted a computer glitch is likely understating the number. Overall, the city has recorded 25,600 cases and 245 deaths.
James Dickey, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, criticized the move in a statement issued Wednesday and said the party's legal team is "assessing the ability of the City to act at this time in this manner and weighing our legal options."
He added that Turner had allowed protesters to peaceably assemble in the city, and argued the convention should be equally protected.
Houston, the hometown of George Floyd, saw crowds gather in June for his memorial service as well as several protests against racism and police brutality.
Mounting evidence suggests that protests do not spread the disease in the same way as gatherings where people do not wear masks. Turner addressed this in a tweet.
"It is one thing to be talking about an indoor convention where people are in close proximity with each other for a substantial amount of time rather than walking outside in a protest," he wrote. "When people are marching and protesting, no one is making lunch/dinner, cleaning up behind them."
The cancellation has drawn bipartisan support elsewhere: The Texas Democratic Party applauded the decision, and Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw called it a "prudent move for public health."