npr--2020-07-17--What Accounts For High Coronavirus Positivity Rates Among Florida Kids?

What Accounts For High Coronavirus Positivity Rates Among Florida Kids ?
Amid all the COVID-19 figures released by Florida 's Department of Health , one number might come as a head-scratcher : A whopping 31.1 % coronavirus positivity rate among those under 18 who are tested for the virus , according to the state 's most recent pediatric report .
Meanwhile , Florida 's overall positivity rate is currently 18.1 % .
What gives ?
Are kids really getting the virus at a higher rates than adults ?
Not likely , says Meghan Delaney , chief of the Division of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Hospital in Washington , D.C .
While that high number might be surprising , Delaney says there are a few likely explanations .
One is that children have so far not been a big focus of testing .
Two , kids who do get tested are often those who show symptoms of the disease .
Especially when and where testing has been difficult to access , older people and those with underlying conditions were the focus of available tests .
As a result , fewer children have been tested , and youths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often test positive .
`` If you 're not testing that many people , you tend to test the sick ones first .
That can lead to a higher rate , '' Delaney says .
`` It 's not like 31 % of 100 % of the children in the state [ of Florida ] have COVID .
It 's more of a reflection of 31 % of the children with illness probably would have COVID . ''
And Florida is not alone in seeing such numbers .
The D.C. region had similarly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus earlier this year , Delaney says .
In late March , Children 's National opened a drive-up testing site just to test children .
That site operated for a few months , Delaney says , and sometimes saw high positivity rates for the children it tested : `` It was actually above 45 % for one week and then came back down . ''
Natalie Dean , a biostatistician at the University of Florida , posits that Florida 's high positivity rate is likely because kids are not often tested unless they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or exposure to a known case .
`` Not to mention the procedure involves a kid sitting still to have a swab inserted up their nose , '' she adds. The Florida Department of Health did not respond to multiple NPR requests for insight into the figures .
So what do the data so far tell us in general about children and the coronavirus ?
Clearly children are getting the virus , though they are less likely than adults to experience a severe course of the disease .
According to state data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Florida epidemiologist Jason Salemi , Florida residents age 19 or under account for about 10 % of all cases in the state – but only 1.6 % of all hospitalizations , and four deaths .
Some children who get the coronavirus do end up with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children , or MIS-C – though it 's rare .
Florida 's pediatric report lists 13 known cases of MIS-C in the state .
If you think that your children have COVID-19 , it 's worthwhile to have them tested , Delaney says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes things .
It helps contact tracers be able to trace and find other people , and it helps prevent future transmission . ''
Testing people of all ages is crucial to getting the virus under control , she adds .
`` Florida should be commended on testing a lot of kids , and they should keep testing a lot of kids and a lot of adults because that 's how we find where this virus is , help those people to stay away and not transmit , '' she says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fight the pandemic right now . ''

What Accounts For High Coronavirus Positivity Rates Among Florida Kids?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Updated Aug. 10: The Florida Department of Health says that the high positivity rate among children described below was due to a "computer programming error" in producing the pediatric data report.
In a statement, the DOH says that due to the error, "a subset of negative pediatric test results were unintentionally excluded from the pediatric report. The coding error was identified and has been corrected."
The state's most recent pediatric report shows a positivity rate of 15.1% among Florida residents 18 and under.
Our original story:
Amid all the COVID-19 figures released by Florida's Department of Health, one number might come as a head-scratcher: A whopping 31.1% coronavirus positivity rate among those under 18 who are tested for the virus, according to the state's pediatric report for July 10.
Meanwhile, Florida's overall positivity rate is currently 18.1%.
What gives? Are kids really getting the virus at a higher rates than adults?
Not likely, says Meghan Delaney, chief of the Division of Pathology and Lab Medicine at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C.
While that high number might be surprising, Delaney says there are a few likely explanations.
One is that children have so far not been a big focus of testing. Two, kids who do get tested are often those who show symptoms of the disease.
Especially when and where testing has been difficult to access, older people and those with underlying conditions were the focus of available tests.
As a result, fewer children have been tested, and youths who are tested for the coronavirus more often test positive.
"If you're not testing that many people, you tend to test the sick ones first. That can lead to a higher rate," Delaney says. "It's not like 31% of 100% of the children in the state [of Florida] have COVID. It's more of a reflection of 31% of the children with illness probably would have COVID."
And Florida is not alone in seeing such numbers. The D.C. region had similarly high rates among children tested for the virus earlier this year, Delaney says.
In late March, Children's National opened a drive-up testing site just to test children. That site operated for a few months, Delaney says, and sometimes saw high positivity rates for the children it tested: "It was actually above 45% for one week and then came back down."
Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at the University of Florida, posits that Florida's high positivity rate is likely because kids are not often tested unless they have either distinct symptoms of the virus, or exposure to a known case.
"Not to mention the procedure involves a kid sitting still to have a swab inserted up their nose," she adds.
The Florida Department of Health did not respond to multiple NPR requests for insight into the figures.
So what do the data so far tell us in general about children and the coronavirus?
Clearly children are getting the virus, though they are less likely than adults to experience a severe course of the disease.
According to state data on a dashboard created by University of South Florida epidemiologist Jason Salemi, Florida residents age 19 or under account for about 10% of all cases in the state – but only 1.6% of all hospitalizations, and four deaths.
Some children who get the coronavirus do end up with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C – though it's rare. Florida's pediatric report lists 13 known cases of MIS-C in the state.
If you think that your children have COVID-19, it's worthwhile to have them tested, Delaney says. "Knowing that you're positive changes things. It helps contact tracers be able to trace and find other people, and it helps prevent future transmission."
Testing people of all ages is crucial to getting the virus under control, she adds. "Florida should be commended on testing a lot of kids, and they should keep testing a lot of kids and a lot of adults because that's how we find where this virus is, help those people to stay away and not transmit," she says. "That is one of our main tools to fight the pandemic right now."


npr--2020-07-17--Justice Department Executes 3rd Federal Prisoner In A Week

The Justice Department has executed Dustin Lee Honken in Terre Haute , Ind.
, the third federal inmate put to death by the government this week .
Honken , 52 , was sentenced to die in October 2005 after being convicted of numerous offenses , including five counts of murder — among them two small children — during the course of a continuing criminal enterprise .
A coroner pronounced him dead by lethal injection at 4:36 p.m .
ET Friday .
At the time of his death , Honken had served more than 22 years in an Indiana prison .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the writings of a Jesuit priest , Gerard Manley Hopkins , reciting lines from the poem Heaven-Haven .
Department of Justice spokesperson Kerri Kupec said ending Honken 's life was the culmination of `` just punishment '' being carried out .
`` Nearly three decades after Honken coldly ended the lives of five people , including two young girls , all in an effort to protect himself and his criminal enterprise , he has finally faced justice , '' Kupec said in a statement .
She described Honken as a meth kingpin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , fatally shot , and buried Lori Duncan , a single , working mother , Duncan 's two young daughters — 10-year-old Kandi and 6-year-old Amber — and Greg Nicholson , a government informant who testified against Honken on federal drug trafficking charges . ''
Honken also murdered Terry DeGeus , another possible witness against him , by beating him with a bat and shooting him .
While he did not offer an apology to his victims ' families , his attorney , Shawn Nolan , said the former drug ring leader had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognized and repented for the crimes he had committed , and spent his time in prison atoning for them , '' Nolan said in a statement .
He added : `` There was no reason for the government to kill him , in haste or at all .
In any case , they failed .
The Dustin Honken they wanted to kill is long gone .
The man they killed today was a human being , who could have spent the rest of his days helping others and further redeeming himself .
May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General William Barr relaunched executions this week for the first time since 2003 .
He has scheduled another execution in late August .

Justice Department Executes 3rd Federal Prisoner In A Week
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Conroy/AP Michael Conroy/AP
The Justice Department has executed Dustin Lee Honken in Terre Haute, Ind., the third federal inmate put to death by the government this week.
Honken, 52, was sentenced to die in October 2005 after being convicted of numerous offenses, including five counts of murder — among them two small children — during the course of a continuing criminal enterprise.
A coroner pronounced him dead by lethal injection at 4:36 p.m. ET Friday.
At the time of his death, Honken had served more than 22 years in an Indiana prison.
For his last words, he turned to the writings of a Jesuit priest, Gerard Manley Hopkins, reciting lines from the poem Heaven-Haven.
Department of Justice spokesperson Kerri Kupec said ending Honken's life was the culmination of "just punishment" being carried out.
"Nearly three decades after Honken coldly ended the lives of five people, including two young girls, all in an effort to protect himself and his criminal enterprise, he has finally faced justice," Kupec said in a statement.
She described Honken as a meth kingpin, who in 1993, "kidnapped, fatally shot, and buried Lori Duncan, a single, working mother, Duncan's two young daughters — 10-year-old Kandi and 6-year-old Amber — and Greg Nicholson, a government informant who testified against Honken on federal drug trafficking charges."
Honken also murdered Terry DeGeus, another possible witness against him, by beating him with a bat and shooting him.
While he did not offer an apology to his victims' families, his attorney, Shawn Nolan, said the former drug ring leader had repented for his crimes.
"He recognized and repented for the crimes he had committed, and spent his time in prison atoning for them," Nolan said in a statement.
He added: "There was no reason for the government to kill him, in haste or at all. In any case, they failed. The Dustin Honken they wanted to kill is long gone. The man they killed today was a human being, who could have spent the rest of his days helping others and further redeeming himself. May he rest in peace."
Early Friday morning, a federal appeals court denied Honken's last-ditch request to block the execution.
Attorney General William Barr relaunched executions this week for the first time since 2003. He has scheduled another execution in late August.
NPR's Carrie Johnson contributed to this report.


npr--2020-07-17--Coronavirus FAQ: What's The Best Way To Care For A Loved One With COVID-19?

Coronavirus FAQ : What 's The Best Way To Care For A Loved One With COVID-19 ?
Each week , we answer `` frequently asked questions '' about life during the coronavirus crisis .
If you have a question you 'd like us to consider for a future post , email us at goatsandsoda @ npr.org with the subject line : `` Weekly Coronavirus Questions . ''
The best laid plans of coronavirus caregivers can go kaflooey .
When Marie Loveheim was recovering from COVID-19 , alone in her apartment in Washington , D.C. , she did n't have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one .
Thermometer number two came from her daughter , who ordered it as part of a grocery delivery from a supermarket .
But what came was a meat thermometer .
Lovenheim 's sister suggested she check to see if she measured `` medium-rare . ''
When a loved one gets sick , our gut response kicks in like second nature : Provide as much care and comfort as possible .
Send a thermometer , a soup , you pick : It feels like a no-brainer .
But how do you care for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus that means it 's high risk to have face-to-face contact with a patient lest you get sick yourself ?
NPR spoke to medical professionals and COVID-19 recoverees about the trial and error of caregiving : What works , what does n't and what might provide hope and humor even at the unlikeliest of moments .
To begin , there are the practical considerations .
Dr. Paul Sax , clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women 's Hospital , says if a loved one has COVID-19 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible , the infected family member should remain quarantined in a separate room where they will eat and sleep , and they should use a separate bathroom .
It 's OK to go into the infected party 's room to drop off food , Sax advises , but both the patient and the caregiver should wear a mask , and if possible , an inexpensive plastic face shield or lab goggles to cover your eyes in addition to your nostrils and mouth — eyes are a potential entry point for the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ any verified therapy that we can give people early on in the course , our main management is focused on symptomatic relief for coughs , fevers , muscle pains and the like , '' says Harvard Medical School physician Dr. Abraar Karan .
`` Over-the-counter Tylenol for fevers and pain , or anti-cough medications are both options for people who do n't have significant medical conditions that would prevent them from taking these medications . ''
Sax says it 's a good idea to go into your loved one 's room three or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and see how they 're doing .
It 's `` completely fine '' to prepare food for them ; just make sure to wash the dishes and your hands afterward with soapy water .
You should check temperatures twice a day and expect a higher number in the afternoon than early morning .
Another helpful tool is a pulse oximeter , which can be used to measure oxygen levels .
Look for numbers in the high 90s to 100s when monitoring your loved one .
A number in the low 90s is alarming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if those are the results you 're noticing , seek medical attention for your loved one .
But you should n't be falsely reassured by good numbers either , medical experts warn—and there are some noted problems with getting good readings to begin with .
Dr. James Aisenberg , a gastroenterologist and clinical professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , was diagnosed with COVID-19 in March and has since recovered .
For him , it was important to keep the communication flowing with his physician and keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress .
`` The caregiver should have a physician or a health-care contact whom they can email because it 's a bumpy and long recovery process , '' Aisenberg says .
`` It 's very helpful to have someone to reach out to for reassurance and counsel who knows the natural history of the coronavirus infection , who can say 'That 's a red flag , come to the hospital ' . ''
Sax says that at home , there are some clear things to watch out for when it comes to symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harder time breathing , if fever is spiking ( especially in older people ) , if there 's delirium or signs of dehydration like fatigue , dizziness or overly-yellow urine .
Because the recovery process is slow , taxing and done in isolation , Aisenberg says it was important for him to find nourishing moments of human connection with family between the stretches of alone time .
`` You want to be together in a moment where you can not touch each other ; to be close at a moment where you ca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notes .
`` Because both parties — the patient and the family — need that closeness .
So the most important thing for a caregiver is to be `` attentive , supportive and present—but observe social distancing ( at least 6 feet even with a mask on ) and hygiene . ''
Though it may be hard to physically connect while you have the virus , our sources who 'd coped with COVID-19 found moments of joy in video chats , phone calls and other expressions of love and care , from cards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and flowers .
Dr. Jasmine Eugenio , a pediatrician in Los Angeles , California , who recovered from COVID-19 , says she was brought to tears when people drove past her bedroom window to wave hello .
And when she got a mango , it was an epiphany !
`` I lost my sense of taste until Day 6 when I asked for a mango and the taste exploded in my mouth , '' Eugenio says .
That led her to fresh fruit and popsicles .
Dr. Madhuri Reddy , a geriatrician at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stresses it 's important for caregivers to take care of themselves too , '' Be easy on yourself , '' says Reddy .
`` This is a difficult time for everybody — and caretakers provide such an immense service . ''
Pranav Baskar is a freelance journalist and U.S. national born in Mumbai .

Coronavirus FAQ: What's The Best Way To Care For A Loved One With COVID-19?
Enlarge this image Malaka Gharib/ NPR Malaka Gharib/ NPR
Each week, we answer "frequently asked questions" about life during the coronavirus crisis. If you have a question you'd like us to consider for a future post, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: "Weekly Coronavirus Questions."
The best laid plans of coronavirus caregivers can go kaflooey.
When Marie Loveheim was recovering from COVID-19, alone in her apartment in Washington, D.C., she didn't have a thermometer. So her son bought her one.
It registered a fever of 107.
"Was I dead?" she wondered.
Thermometer number two came from her daughter, who ordered it as part of a grocery delivery from a supermarket.
But what came was a meat thermometer. Lovenheim's sister suggested she check to see if she measured "medium-rare."
When a loved one gets sick, our gut response kicks in like second nature: Provide as much care and comfort as possible. Send a thermometer, a soup, you pick: It feels like a no-brainer.
But how do you care for a loved one struck by a fast-spreading virus that means it's high risk to have face-to-face contact with a patient lest you get sick yourself?
NPR spoke to medical professionals and COVID-19 recoverees about the trial and error of caregiving: What works, what doesn't and what might provide hope and humor even at the unlikeliest of moments.
To begin, there are the practical considerations.
Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital, says if a loved one has COVID-19, the first step is home isolation. If possible, the infected family member should remain quarantined in a separate room where they will eat and sleep, and they should use a separate bathroom.
It's OK to go into the infected party's room to drop off food, Sax advises, but both the patient and the caregiver should wear a mask, and if possible, an inexpensive plastic face shield or lab goggles to cover your eyes in addition to your nostrils and mouth — eyes are a potential entry point for the virus.
For milder cases, at-home treatment largely addresses the symptoms.
"Given that we don't have any verified therapy that we can give people early on in the course, our main management is focused on symptomatic relief for coughs, fevers, muscle pains and the like," says Harvard Medical School physician Dr. Abraar Karan. "Over-the-counter Tylenol for fevers and pain, or anti-cough medications are both options for people who don't have significant medical conditions that would prevent them from taking these medications."
Sax says it's a good idea to go into your loved one's room three or four times a day, say hi and see how they're doing. It's "completely fine" to prepare food for them; just make sure to wash the dishes and your hands afterward with soapy water. You should check temperatures twice a day and expect a higher number in the afternoon than early morning.
Another helpful tool is a pulse oximeter, which can be used to measure oxygen levels. Look for numbers in the high 90s to 100s when monitoring your loved one. A number in the low 90s is alarming, Sax and Karan say, and if those are the results you're noticing, seek medical attention for your loved one. But you shouldn't be falsely reassured by good numbers either, medical experts warn—and there are some noted problems with getting good readings to begin with.
Dr. James Aisenberg, a gastroenterologist and clinical professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, was diagnosed with COVID-19 in March and has since recovered. For him, it was important to keep the communication flowing with his physician and keep meticulous notes on his condition and recovery progress.
"The caregiver should have a physician or a health-care contact whom they can email because it's a bumpy and long recovery process," Aisenberg says. "It's very helpful to have someone to reach out to for reassurance and counsel who knows the natural history of the coronavirus infection, who can say 'That's a red flag, come to the hospital'."
Sax says that at home, there are some clear things to watch out for when it comes to symptoms: if your loved one has a harder time breathing, if fever is spiking (especially in older people), if there's delirium or signs of dehydration like fatigue, dizziness or overly-yellow urine.
Because the recovery process is slow, taxing and done in isolation, Aisenberg says it was important for him to find nourishing moments of human connection with family between the stretches of alone time.
"You want to be together in a moment where you cannot touch each other; to be close at a moment where you can't physically be close," he notes. "Because both parties — the patient and the family — need that closeness. So the most important thing for a caregiver is to be "attentive, supportive and present—but observe social distancing (at least 6 feet even with a mask on) and hygiene."
Though it may be hard to physically connect while you have the virus, our sources who'd coped with COVID-19 found moments of joy in video chats, phone calls and other expressions of love and care, from cards to homemade soup to gifts of food and flowers.
Dr. Jasmine Eugenio, a pediatrician in Los Angeles, California, who recovered from COVID-19, says she was brought to tears when people drove past her bedroom window to wave hello. And when she got a mango, it was an epiphany!
"I lost my sense of taste until Day 6 when I asked for a mango and the taste exploded in my mouth," Eugenio says. That led her to fresh fruit and popsicles.
Dr. Madhuri Reddy, a geriatrician at Harvard Medical School and Hebrew SeniorLife, stresses it's important for caregivers to take care of themselves too,
"Be easy on yourself," says Reddy. "This is a difficult time for everybody — and caretakers provide such an immense service."
Pranav Baskar is a freelance journalist and U.S. national born in Mumbai.


npr--2020-07-17--Federal Court Orders Trump Administration To Accept New DACA Applications

A federal court has ordered the Trump administration to begin accepting new applications to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program , which protects young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children from deportation .
As NPR reported earlier this week , the Trump administration has not been accepting new applicants even after the Supreme Court ruled last month that the administration did n't go about ending the program correctly .
The administration has only been processing DACA renewals .
`` This means that the administration not only must continue protections for current recipients , but that that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Ali Noorani , president and CEO of the National Immigration Forum .
`` Ignoring this decision puts the administration directly at odds with the rule of law , and leaves DREAMers steeped in even more uncertainty about their futures . ''
The U.S. District Court in Maryland ruled on Friday that the DACA policy must be restored to what it was before the Trump administration rescinded it in September 2017 .
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra , who led the multistate coalition suing to restore DACA , said : `` From the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made it clear : DACA stands , and now its doors are open to new DREAMers to apply .
That 's a fact and that 's what matters .
I urge all DREAMers to enter DACA . ''
U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services has been renewing DACA status for about 650,000 people who already have it but rejecting new applicants .
An estimated 300,000 young immigrants are eligible for the program and still waiting for a chance to apply .
A notice on the agency 's website for months has said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals who have never before been granted deferred action under DACA . ''
And immigration lawyers said clients who applied for DACA for the first time after the recent Supreme Court ruling were denied .
After the high court decision , Trump said he would move quickly to terminate the program again — this time in a way that would pass muster with the Supreme Court .
But in recent days , Trump has softened his stance .
On July 10 , the president promised a `` road to citizenship '' for DACA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House walked that back .
Then , earlier this week , Trump said he would be `` taking care '' of DACA recipients .
`` We 're going to work on DACA because we want to make people happy , '' Trump said during a press conference in the White House Rose Garden where President Barack Obama first announced the program eight years earlier .

Federal Court Orders Trump Administration To Accept New DACA Applications
Enlarge this image toggle caption Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
A federal court has ordered the Trump administration to begin accepting new applications to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children from deportation.
As NPR reported earlier this week, the Trump administration has not been accepting new applicants even after the Supreme Court ruled last month that the administration didn't go about ending the program correctly. The administration has only been processing DACA renewals.
"This means that the administration not only must continue protections for current recipients, but that that it must also accept new applications," said Ali Noorani, president and CEO of the National Immigration Forum. "Ignoring this decision puts the administration directly at odds with the rule of law, and leaves DREAMers steeped in even more uncertainty about their futures."
The U.S. District Court in Maryland ruled on Friday that the DACA policy must be restored to what it was before the Trump administration rescinded it in September 2017.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who led the multistate coalition suing to restore DACA, said: "From the Supreme Court down, the courts have made it clear: DACA stands, and now its doors are open to new DREAMers to apply. That's a fact and that's what matters. I urge all DREAMers to enter DACA."
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has been renewing DACA status for about 650,000 people who already have it but rejecting new applicants. An estimated 300,000 young immigrants are eligible for the program and still waiting for a chance to apply.
A notice on the agency's website for months has said: "USCIS is not accepting requests from individuals who have never before been granted deferred action under DACA." And immigration lawyers said clients who applied for DACA for the first time after the recent Supreme Court ruling were denied.
After the high court decision, Trump said he would move quickly to terminate the program again — this time in a way that would pass muster with the Supreme Court. But in recent days, Trump has softened his stance.
On July 10, the president promised a "road to citizenship" for DACA recipients during an interview with Telemundo before the White House walked that back. Then, earlier this week, Trump said he would be "taking care" of DACA recipients.
"We're going to work on DACA because we want to make people happy," Trump said during a press conference in the White House Rose Garden where President Barack Obama first announced the program eight years earlier.


npr--2020-07-17--Washington NFL Owner Says Reported Harassment 'Has No Place' in Franchise

Washington NFL Owner Says Reported Harassment 'Has No Place ' in Franchise The NFL and Washington team owner Dan Snyder are pledging to take action , a day after a Washington Post story reported multiple cases of harassment and verbal abuse toward women employed by the team .
Citing accounts from 15 women – most of whom remained anonymous — the Post reported Thursday on several allegations spanning from 2006 to 2019 involving sexual overtures and comments on the appearances of female employees .
The women interviewed by the paper named franchise executives as taking part in this behavior .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Snyder issued a statement on Friday , saying the alleged behavior `` has no place in our franchise or society . ''
Snyder – who was franchise owner at the time of the reported allegations – also affirmed a `` commitment to setting a new culture and standard for our team . ''
The statement also mentions Washington attorney Beth Wilkinson , whose firm had been retained by the franchise , member station WAMU confirmed on Thursday .
According to her firm 's website , Wilkinson has counted the NCAA , Bayer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She also previously represented the NFL as a lead trial counsel .
Snyder said Wilkinson and her firm would conduct a `` full , unbiased investigation '' and make recommendations .
`` Upon completion of [ Wilkinson 's ] work , we will institute new policies and procedures and strengthen our human resources infrastructure to not only avoid these issues in the future but most importantly create a team culture that is respectful and inclusive of all , '' the statement said .
Earlier in the day , the NFL said the alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ values and promised to take action based on any conclusions reached by Wilkinson and her firm .
`` The club has pledged that it will give its full cooperation to the investigator and we expect the club and all employees to do so , '' the statement read .
The Post report comes as the team has worked to settle a long-time controversy over its name , viewed as a slur against Native Americans .
On Monday , the franchise announced that it would drop its nickname and logo after completion of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure from corporate backers including FedEx , whose name is on the team 's stadium .

Washington NFL Owner Says Reported Harassment 'Has No Place' In Franchise
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mike Stewart/AP Mike Stewart/AP
The NFL and Washington team owner Dan Snyder are pledging to take action, a day after a Washington Post story reported multiple cases of harassment and verbal abuse toward women employed by the team.
Citing accounts from 15 women – most of whom remained anonymous — the Post reported Thursday on several allegations spanning from 2006 to 2019 involving sexual overtures and comments on the appearances of female employees. The women interviewed by the paper named franchise executives as taking part in this behavior.
NPR has not independently verified these reports.
Snyder issued a statement on Friday, saying the alleged behavior "has no place in our franchise or society." Snyder – who was franchise owner at the time of the reported allegations – also affirmed a "commitment to setting a new culture and standard for our team."
The statement also mentions Washington attorney Beth Wilkinson, whose firm had been retained by the franchise, member station WAMU confirmed on Thursday.
According to her firm's website, Wilkinson has counted the NCAA, Bayer and Philip Morris among her clients. She also previously represented the NFL as a lead trial counsel. Snyder said Wilkinson and her firm would conduct a "full, unbiased investigation" and make recommendations.
"Upon completion of [Wilkinson's] work, we will institute new policies and procedures and strengthen our human resources infrastructure to not only avoid these issues in the future but most importantly create a team culture that is respectful and inclusive of all," the statement said.
Earlier in the day, the NFL said the alleged abuse was contrary to the organization's values and promised to take action based on any conclusions reached by Wilkinson and her firm.
"The club has pledged that it will give its full cooperation to the investigator and we expect the club and all employees to do so," the statement read.
The Post report comes as the team has worked to settle a long-time controversy over its name, viewed as a slur against Native Americans.
On Monday, the franchise announced that it would drop its nickname and logo after completion of a review. The decision came amid mounting pressure from corporate backers including FedEx, whose name is on the team's stadium.


npr--2020-07-17--With CDC Out Of Data Collection, Some State Hospital Groups Can't Get COVID-19 Info

With CDC Out Of Data Collection , Some State Hospital Groups Ca n't Get COVID-19 Info Just as the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 approaches new highs in some parts of the country , hospital data in Kansas and Missouri is suddenly incomplete or missing .
The Missouri Hospital Association reports that it no longer has access to the data it uses to guide statewide coronavirus mitigation efforts , and the Kansas Hospital Association says its hospital data reports may be delayed .
The Trump administration this week directed hospitals to change how they report data to the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made available .
In an email , Missouri Hospital Association spokesperson Dave Dillon called the move `` a major disruption . ''
`` All evidence suggests that Missouri 's numbers are headed in the wrong direction , '' Dillon wrote .
`` And , for now , we will have very limited situational awareness .
That 's all very bad news . ''
The absence of the data will make it harder for health and public officials , as well as the general public , to understand how the virus is spreading .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Dr. Karen Maddox , a public health researcher at Washington University in St. Louis .
`` The only way that we know where things are going up and where things are going down and where we need to be putting resources and where we need to be planning is because of those data . ''
The White House instructed hospitals to report data to the Department of Health and Human Services through a new system created by a Pennsylvania-based company , TeleTracking , instead of sending the information to the Centers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been doing .
The directive came as a surprise to hospitals , according to Kansas Hospital Association spokesperson Cindy Samuelson .
`` From our perspective , these changes are big , '' Samuelson says .
`` We only found out Tuesday , and we had to update the data by Wednesday night — so , less than 48 hours . ''
The Missouri Hospital Association currently does not have access to the new HHS system , according to Dillon .
He says the new system is also significantly different from the CDC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting are not identical and , in several cases , are ill-defined , '' Dillon says .
`` That has complicated hospitals ' efforts . ''
In the wake of the announcement , the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services posted a notice on its website this week that the daily and weekly updates on hospitals , including the numbers of people hospitalized and the availability of standard hospital beds , ICU beds and ventilators , would be temporarily halted .
`` Missouri Hospital Association ( MHA ) and the State of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitalization data during the transition .
While we are working to collect interim data , situational awareness will be limited , '' the notice , also on the MHA website , says .
Dillon says the hospital association hopes to have `` within a few days or weeks '' the hospital and coronavirus data that had been available through the CDC .
`` However , in the short term , we 'll be very much in the dark , '' Dillon says .
The hospital association will create an alternative reporting system for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it plans to continue producing weekly reports , despite the uncertainty about data .
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services did not respond to inquiries regarding the data .
Kansas health officials are still able to access hospital and coronavirus data through the CDC and TeleTracking , according to Kansas Department of Health and Environment spokesperson Kristi Zears .
However , the Kansas Hospital Association says the Kansas hospital data may be delayed if it is incomplete .
`` If we 're not able to get a bulk of our members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure we want to show it because then it will look like things have gotten a lot better , '' says Cindy Samuelson , the KHA spokeswoman .
In Missouri , the most recent data shows that as of July 12 , 875 residents were hospitalized with COVID-19 , among the highest reported numbers since an earlier peak in May of 984 .
The most recent data for Kansas shows 1,393 people have been hospitalized with the disease .
The Trump administration had said the reporting change was needed because of reporting delays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the move has been widely criticized for being disruptive , especially as COVID-19 infection numbers reach new highs and hospitals in some areas of the country are reaching capacity .
`` By now , we should have a foolproof , streamlined reporting system for COVID , '' Maddox says .
`` And this change — midstream — is not going to do anything to help our ability to fight the disease . ''
This story comes from NPR 's reporting partnership with KCUR and Kaiser Health News .

With CDC Sidelined, Some States Lose Access To Timely COVID-19 Hospital Data
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Hanna/AP John Hanna/AP
Just as the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 approaches new highs in some parts of the country, hospital data in Kansas and Missouri is suddenly incomplete or missing.
The Missouri Hospital Association reports that it no longer has access to the data it uses to guide statewide coronavirus planning, and the Kansas Hospital Association says its hospital data reports may be delayed.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration directed hospitals to change how they report data to the federal government and how that data will be made available.
Missouri Hospital Association spokesperson Dave Dillon called the move "a major disruption."
In Missouri, the hospital industry works with the state to track the information, such as the numbers of people hospitalized, and the availability of regular hospital beds, ICU beds and ventilators. The Missouri Hospital Association collects and presents the official state data on the Department of Health and Human Services website.
"All evidence suggests that Missouri's numbers are headed in the wrong direction," Dillon wrote in an email. "And, for now, we will have very limited situational awareness. That's all very bad news."
The absence of the data will make it harder for health and public officials, as well as the general public, to understand how the virus is spreading.
"It's hugely problematic," says Dr. Karen Maddox, a public health researcher at Washington University in St. Louis. "The only way that we know where things are going up and where things are going down and where we need to be putting resources and where we need to be planning is because of those data."
The White House instructed hospitals to report data to the Department of Health and Human Services through a new system created by a Pennsylvania-based company, TeleTracking, instead of sending the information to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as they had been doing.
The directive came as a surprise to hospitals, according to Kansas Hospital Association spokesperson Cindy Samuelson.
"From our perspective, these changes are big," Samuelson says. "We only found out Tuesday, and we had to update the data by Wednesday night — so, less than 48 hours."
The Missouri Hospital Association currently does not have access to the new HHS system, according to Dillon. He says the new system is also significantly different from the CDC system.
"The new datasets for reporting are not identical and, in several cases, are ill-defined," Dillon says. "That has complicated hospitals' efforts."
In the wake of the announcement, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services posted a notice on its website warning that the daily and weekly hospital metrics would be temporarily halted.
"The State of Missouri will be unable to access critical hospitalization data during the transition. While we are working to collect interim data, situational awareness will be limited," the notice says. (The notice is also posted on the Missouri Hospital Association website.)
Dillon says the hospital association hopes to have "within a few days or weeks" the hospital and coronavirus data that had been available through the CDC.
"However, in the short term, we'll be very much in the dark," Dillon says.
The hospital association will create an alternative reporting system for hospitals, according to Dillon, and it plans to continue producing weekly reports, despite the uncertainty about data.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services did not respond to further inquiries regarding the data.
In Kansas, health officials are still able to access hospital and coronavirus data, but there have been problems with the reporting process, according to to Kansas Department of Health and Environment spokesperson Kristi Zears.
When asked if the federal reporting changes had created obstacles for the state health department to have complete, current data on hospitalizations, Zears replied in an email: "It has required hospitals to change which platform they are reporting to and, as with any change, there are delays and difficulties in making sure that the information gets into the new repository in a timely and accurate manner."
The Kansas Hospital Association warned the Kansas hospital data may be delayed if it is incomplete.
"If we're not able to get a bulk of our members converted and uploading, I'm not sure we want to show it [to the public] because then it will look like things have gotten a lot better," says Cindy Samuelson, the KHA spokeswoman.
In Missouri, the most recent data shows that as of July 12, 875 residents were hospitalized with COVID-19, among the highest reported numbers since an earlier peak in May of 984. The most recent data for Kansas shows 1,393 people have been hospitalized with the disease.
The Trump administration had said the reporting change was needed because of reporting delays and other problems with the CDC.
But the move has been widely criticized for being disruptive, especially as COVID-19 infection numbers reach new highs and hospitals in some areas of the country are reaching capacity.
"By now, we should have a foolproof, streamlined reporting system for COVID," Maddox says. "And this change — midstream — is not going to do anything to help our ability to fight the disease."
This story comes from NPR's reporting partnership with KCUR and Kaiser Health News.


npr--2020-07-17--C.T. Vivian, Civil Rights Leader And Champion Of Nonviolent Action, Dies At 95

C.T .
Vivian , Civil Rights Leader And Champion Of Nonviolent Action , Dies At 95 For the Rev .
C.T .
Vivian , a jail cell was about as familiar as a police officer 's fist .
For his work during the height of the civil rights movement , the minister and activist was arrested more times than he cared to count and suffered several brutal beatings at the hands of officers throughout the South .
All the while , he held fast to one principle : `` In no way would we allow nonviolence to be destroyed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oral history recorded in 2011 .
Vivian , who died Friday in Atlanta at the age of 95 , was a proselytizer of nonviolent resistance .
From Peoria , Ill. , where he organized some of the civil rights movement 's first sit-ins in the late 1940s , to Selma , Ala. , where a sheriff sucker-punched him on camera in 1965 , Vivian bore the same message : Change must come , and nonviolent direct action is necessary to bring it about .
`` He was one of the tallest trees in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jesse Jackson tweeted Friday , calling Vivian a mentor .
`` He never stopped dreaming .
He never stopped fighting .
We are better because he came this way . ''
Born Cordy Tindell Vivian , he cut his teeth as a young man organizing direct actions in Illinois before heading to Nashville .
It was while he was there , in the mid- to late 1950s , that Vivian first worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and led a series of campaigns against segregation in the Tennessee capital .
Over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Chattanooga , Tenn. , Jackson Miss.
, and Birmingham , Ala. , among other cities throughout the South .
He was a leading member of the Freedom Riders , a loose collection of activists who took rode interstate buses to protest segregated bus terminals — and often suffered beatings and arrests as a result .
Beginning in 1963 , he served as the national director of affiliates for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference .
In that role , he became a key ally of Martin Luther King Jr. and a major organizer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` If it had Martin 's name on it or if it was SCLC-affiliated , I was over that and having to take care of it and deal with it , '' he explained in 2011 .
`` He was one of those people who talked about strategy , '' civil rights activist Josie Johnson told NPR 's Morning Edition , `` talked about methods , talked about the rationale for having a plan .
Not just acting , but understanding why you 're acting and then being consistent . ''
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of affiliates for SCLC that Vivian had perhaps his best-known confrontation with authorities .
He had traveled to Selma to press for voting rights .
There , on the steps of the Dallas County courthouse in February 1965 , segregationist Sheriff Jim Clark blocked his path into the building .
So Vivian used the moment as an opportunity for a sermon of sorts .
`` You can turn your back on me , but you can not turn your back upon the idea of justice .
You can turn your back now and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand , but you can not beat down justice , '' he told Clark , as the media recorded the encounter and several dozen protesters looked on behind him .
`` And we will register to vote , because as citizens of these United States we have the right to do it . ''
Clark responded to Vivian with a punch in the mouth , knocking him to the ground .
Vivian did not retaliate physically , but pulled himself to his feet and kept speaking as police shoved aside and ultimately arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aired on national television , thousands of people gathered for the famous march from Selma to Montgomery .
And before the year was out , Congress had passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 .
Vivian received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work in 2013 .
But in an interview recorded for the honor , Vivian reiterated his call to action , saying that the work for racial and social justice was far from finished .
`` Do what you can do and do it well , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Is it serving people ? ''

C.T. Vivian, Civil Rights Leader And Champion Of Nonviolent Action, Dies At 95
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Goldman/AP David Goldman/AP
For the Rev. C.T. Vivian, a jail cell was about as familiar as a police officer's fist. For his work during the height of the civil rights movement, the minister and activist was arrested more times than he cared to count and suffered several brutal beatings at the hands of officers throughout the South.
All the while, he held fast to one principle: "In no way would we allow nonviolence to be destroyed by violence," he recalled in an oral history recorded in 2011.
Vivian, who died Friday in Atlanta at the age of 95, was a proselytizer of nonviolent resistance. From Peoria, Ill., where he organized some of the civil rights movement's first sit-ins in the late 1940s, to Selma, Ala., where a sheriff sucker-punched him on camera in 1965, Vivian bore the same message: Change must come, and nonviolent direct action is necessary to bring it about.
"He was one of the tallest trees in the civil rights forest," Rev. Jesse Jackson tweeted Friday, calling Vivian a mentor. "He never stopped dreaming. He never stopped fighting. We are better because he came this way."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Horace Cort/AP Horace Cort/AP
Born Cordy Tindell Vivian, he cut his teeth as a young man organizing direct actions in Illinois before heading to Nashville. It was while he was there, in the mid- to late 1950s, that Vivian first worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and led a series of campaigns against segregation in the Tennessee capital.
Over the following decade, his efforts took him to Chattanooga, Tenn., Jackson Miss., and Birmingham, Ala., among other cities throughout the South.
He was a leading member of the Freedom Riders, a loose collection of activists who took rode interstate buses to protest segregated bus terminals — and often suffered beatings and arrests as a result.
Beginning in 1963, he served as the national director of affiliates for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In that role, he became a key ally of Martin Luther King Jr. and a major organizer of civil rights actions across the South.
"If it had Martin's name on it or if it was SCLC-affiliated, I was over that and having to take care of it and deal with it," he explained in 2011.
Obituaries Remembering Civil Rights Leader C.T. Vivian Civil Rights Leader C.T. Vivian Dies At 95 Listen · 3:46 3:46
"He was one of those people who talked about strategy," civil rights activist Josie Johnson told NPR's Morning Edition, "talked about methods, talked about the rationale for having a plan. Not just acting, but understanding why you're acting and then being consistent."
It was also in his role as director of affiliates for SCLC that Vivian had perhaps his best-known confrontation with authorities. He had traveled to Selma to press for voting rights. There, on the steps of the Dallas County courthouse in February 1965, segregationist Sheriff Jim Clark blocked his path into the building.
So Vivian used the moment as an opportunity for a sermon of sorts.
YouTube
"You can turn your back on me, but you cannot turn your back upon the idea of justice. You can turn your back now and you can keep the club in your hand, but you cannot beat down justice," he told Clark, as the media recorded the encounter and several dozen protesters looked on behind him. "And we will register to vote, because as citizens of these United States we have the right to do it."
Clark responded to Vivian with a punch in the mouth, knocking him to the ground. Vivian did not retaliate physically, but pulled himself to his feet and kept speaking as police shoved aside and ultimately arrested him.
Just weeks after the incident aired on national television, thousands of people gathered for the famous march from Selma to Montgomery. And before the year was out, Congress had passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Vivian received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work in 2013. But in an interview recorded for the honor, Vivian reiterated his call to action, saying that the work for racial and social justice was far from finished.
"Do what you can do and do it well," he said. "But always ask your question: Is it serving people?"


npr--2020-07-17--Florida Sees Its 4th Day Running With More Than 100 COVID-19 Deaths

Florida Sees Its 4th Day Running With More Than 100 COVID-19 Deaths In Florida , hospitals are being stressed by the surge of coronavirus cases .
Florida reported 11,466 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday and 128 deaths of residents .
It was the fourth day running the state saw more than 100 deaths .
The spike in cases is most acute in the Miami area .
Miami-Dade County accounts for nearly a quarter of Florida 's 327,241 cases .
On Friday , Miami-Dade County 's daily `` dashboard '' report showed the number of patients admitted with COVID-19 at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity .
But Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said ICUs still have beds available .
`` Hospitals have the ability to add hundreds of ICU beds , '' he said , by discontinuing elective surgeries and converting recovery rooms into ICU rooms .
`` We have 450 ICU beds normally , but you have the ability to add another 500 .
Hospitals are adjusting on a daily basis . ''
Gimenez said there are no plans , for now , to activate a 450-bed field hospital set up at a convention center in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen new COVID-19 admissions stay steady in recent days , a sign he hopes that cases may be peaking .
In the meantime , the county is working to enforce public health rules , including mandatory face coverings .
This week , it adopted an ordinance allowing police and code enforcement officers to issue $ 100 citations .
`` That means you must wear a mask inside public places and outdoors , '' Gimenez said , `` you must social distance or you may get fined . ''
In the hours after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they handed out dozens of citations and closed three businesses .
Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis said he supports guidelines requiring face masks in Miami-Dade and other counties .
But for weeks as cases have surged statewide , DeSantis has resisted calls that he issue a statewide order requiring face coverings .
On Friday , 12 Democratic members of Florida 's congressional delegation sent a letter to DeSantis calling again for a statewide mask order and stay-at-home orders in the hardest-hit counties .
In their letter , the lawmakers , including Reps. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that `` closing part of Florida 's economy again would be painful . ''
But `` if we continue with the rate of infection we currently have in Florida , our economy will contract and shutter on its own . ''
In Miami-Dade County , Gimenez said he 's waiting to see if stepped-up enforcement and other measures , including a late-night curfew , are effective at stopping large gatherings and other behavior that public health experts said are driving the surge in Florida and elsewhere .
Any decisions to order further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on data , especially hospitalizations .
`` This is a balancing act , '' Gimenez said .
`` Starting to shut down again could cause irreparable damage , irreparable harm to people and their livelihoods on a permanent basis . ''

Florida Sees Its 4th Day Running With More Than 100 COVID-19 Deaths
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images
In Florida, hospitals are being stressed by the surge of coronavirus cases. Florida reported 11,466 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday and 128 deaths of residents. It was the fourth day running the state saw more than 100 deaths.
The spike in cases is most acute in the Miami area. Miami-Dade County accounts for nearly a quarter of Florida's 327,241 cases.
On Friday, Miami-Dade County's daily "dashboard" report showed the number of patients admitted with COVID-19 at nearly 120% of intensive care unit capacity.
But Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said ICUs still have beds available. "Hospitals have the ability to add hundreds of ICU beds," he said, by discontinuing elective surgeries and converting recovery rooms into ICU rooms. "We have 450 ICU beds normally, but you have the ability to add another 500. Hospitals are adjusting on a daily basis."
Gimenez said there are no plans, for now, to activate a 450-bed field hospital set up at a convention center in Miami Beach.
Gimenez said hospitals have seen new COVID-19 admissions stay steady in recent days, a sign he hopes that cases may be peaking. In the meantime, the county is working to enforce public health rules, including mandatory face coverings. This week, it adopted an ordinance allowing police and code enforcement officers to issue $100 citations.
"That means you must wear a mask inside public places and outdoors," Gimenez said, "you must social distance or you may get fined."
In the hours after the order was passed, Miami-Dade County officials said they handed out dozens of citations and closed three businesses.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he supports guidelines requiring face masks in Miami-Dade and other counties. But for weeks as cases have surged statewide, DeSantis has resisted calls that he issue a statewide order requiring face coverings.
On Friday, 12 Democratic members of Florida's congressional delegation sent a letter to DeSantis calling again for a statewide mask order and stay-at-home orders in the hardest-hit counties. In their letter, the lawmakers, including Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Donna Shalala, said that "closing part of Florida's economy again would be painful." But "if we continue with the rate of infection we currently have in Florida, our economy will contract and shutter on its own."
In Miami-Dade County, Gimenez said he's waiting to see if stepped-up enforcement and other measures, including a late-night curfew, are effective at stopping large gatherings and other behavior that public health experts said are driving the surge in Florida and elsewhere. Any decisions to order further shutdowns, he said, will be based on data, especially hospitalizations.
"This is a balancing act," Gimenez said. "Starting to shut down again could cause irreparable damage, irreparable harm to people and their livelihoods on a permanent basis."


npr--2020-07-17--Judge Dismisses Troubled Sanctions Case, Could Probe Prosecutors' Credibility

A federal judge has dismissed the case against a man accused of violating American sanctions laws , bringing to a close a troubled prosecution that ended with government attorneys on the hot seat .
U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan said the jury 's guilty verdict would be vacated , `` and has no legal effect , '' in an order Friday .
Earlier , the U.S. Attorney 's Office for the Southern District of New York had concluded that `` it would not be in the interests of justice to further prosecute this case . ''
The unusual saga featured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already won , after disclosures that federal prosecutors and agents had failed to turn over evidence that could have helped Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad mount a defense .
More than three months after the trial , and two years after the indictment , the U.S. Attorney 's office revealed an email exchange where one prosecutor suggested , in the middle of trial , that they might `` bury '' a document in a stack of other papers they were giving Sadr 's lawyers .
Authorities said the paper was not , in fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than 24 hours later .
Defense attorneys Reid Weingarten and Brian Heberlig said they were even more surprised about misrepresentations the Justice Department made before the trial began , about the way in which the FBI searched Sadr 's emails .
Had those facts been known , they said , a trial never would have taken place , as the government 's chief evidence would have been tossed out .
Sadr had been accused of violating American sanctions laws against Iran by moving millions of dollars in payments for his family business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal case against him could have had serious implications for his liberty and his immigration status .
`` The misguided prosecution of Ali Sadr came to an end today , when the Court granted the extraordinary request of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York to dismiss the case , which recognized that the prosecutors ' egregious suppression of Brady exculpatory evidence until after the verdict deprived Sadr of a fair trial , '' Weingarten and Heberlig said in a statement Friday .
`` The Court 's order set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and void and dismissed the case with prejudice , with no possibility of retrial or appeal . ''
A spokesman for Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss declined to comment .
Earlier this month , authorities said the mistakes were not a result of `` bad faith '' or intentional flouting of the rules .
They said they were conducting their own investigation into what went wrong .
The matter may not end here , however .
Judge Nathan had demanded information about which government lawyers and supervisors played a role in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8 order , she signaled she might use her power to investigate and punish the government for what she called `` the litany of issues that have arisen in this case . ''
In that order , the judge left open the possibility she would hold a hearing to assess `` the credibility of the assurances of unintentional error made by the line prosecutors involved in this case . ''

Judge Dismisses Troubled Sanctions Case, Could Probe Prosecutors' Credibility
Enlarge this image toggle caption VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty
A federal judge has dismissed the case against a man accused of violating American sanctions laws, bringing to a close a troubled prosecution that ended with government attorneys on the hot seat.
U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan said the jury's guilty verdict would be vacated, "and has no legal effect," in an order Friday. Earlier, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York had concluded that "it would not be in the interests of justice to further prosecute this case."
The unusual saga featured the government abandoning a prosecution it had already won, after disclosures that federal prosecutors and agents had failed to turn over evidence that could have helped Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad mount a defense.
More than three months after the trial, and two years after the indictment, the U.S. Attorney's office revealed an email exchange where one prosecutor suggested, in the middle of trial, that they might "bury" a document in a stack of other papers they were giving Sadr's lawyers. Authorities said the paper was not, in fact, buried because they handed it over less than 24 hours later.
Defense attorneys Reid Weingarten and Brian Heberlig said they were even more surprised about misrepresentations the Justice Department made before the trial began, about the way in which the FBI searched Sadr's emails. Had those facts been known, they said, a trial never would have taken place, as the government's chief evidence would have been tossed out.
Sadr had been accused of violating American sanctions laws against Iran by moving millions of dollars in payments for his family business through the U.S. financial system. The criminal case against him could have had serious implications for his liberty and his immigration status.
"The misguided prosecution of Ali Sadr came to an end today, when the Court granted the extraordinary request of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York to dismiss the case, which recognized that the prosecutors' egregious suppression of Brady exculpatory evidence until after the verdict deprived Sadr of a fair trial," Weingarten and Heberlig said in a statement Friday. "The Court's order set aside the unlawfully obtained verdict as null and void and dismissed the case with prejudice, with no possibility of retrial or appeal."
A spokesman for Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss declined to comment. Earlier this month, authorities said the mistakes were not a result of "bad faith" or intentional flouting of the rules. They said they were conducting their own investigation into what went wrong.
The matter may not end here, however. Judge Nathan had demanded information about which government lawyers and supervisors played a role in the case. And, in a July 8 order, she signaled she might use her power to investigate and punish the government for what she called "the litany of issues that have arisen in this case."
In that order, the judge left open the possibility she would hold a hearing to assess "the credibility of the assurances of unintentional error made by the line prosecutors involved in this case."


npr--2020-07-17--NCAA President Warns 'The Data Point In The Wrong Direction' For Fall College Sports

NCAA President Warns 'The Data Point In The Wrong Direction ' For Fall College Sports The NCAA released new guidelines on Thursday for colleges and universities looking to resume sports in the fall .
The big message : The outlook is getting worse , not better .
`` When we made the extremely difficult decision to cancel last spring 's championships it was because there was simply no way to conduct them safely , '' said NCAA President Mark Emmert in a statement .
`` This document lays out the advice of health care professionals as to how to resume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment where COVID-19 rates are manageable .
Today , sadly , the data point in the wrong direction .
If there is to be college sports in the fall , we need to get a much better handle on the pandemic . ''
Among the measures the NCAA calls for : • Daily self-health checks by all athletes and athletics staff • Training outdoors whenever possible , and avoiding poorly ventilated indoor environments The governing body says that when it released its first two publications on the subject in May , it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States .
It included a graph that shows what the NCAA had expected when it made its earlier guidelines , and what has happened instead : The new guidelines say a return to college sports had earlier assumed that national testing strategies and enhanced contact tracing , among other things , would be in place .
Although testing and contact tracing infrastructure have expanded , `` the variations in approach to reopening America for business and recreation have correlated with a considerable spike in cases in recent weeks . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that testing must be a part of the strategy for returning to contact sports .
It also notes the risks that returning to the athletic fields present : `` group practice activities have the potential to significantly increase the risk of COVID-19 spread if proper distancing and/or masking practices are not implemented , and if air flow/ventilation is compromised . ''
It also notes that asymptomatic spread is a particular concern for NCAA sports : most of the athletes are young adults who may not show symptoms themselves , but can spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable to COVID-19 .
Already there have been outbreaks of the virus among college athletes who returned to campuses for training .
As infection rates continue to spike across the U.S. , college sports conferences are beginning to alter their plans .
The Big Ten Conference says it will play a conference-only schedule this season , including football .
The Ivy League said last week that it would not participate in fall sports at all .
The Southeastern Conference , which includes many powerhouse football teams in the South , says it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July .
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said this week that `` the fact that we have seen an increase of cases in the last few weeks across our region is not a positive indicator . ''

NCAA President Warns 'The Data Point In The Wrong Direction' For Fall College Sports
Enlarge this image toggle caption Maddie Meyer/Getty Images Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
The NCAA released new guidelines on Thursday for colleges and universities looking to resume sports in the fall. The big message: The outlook is getting worse, not better.
"When we made the extremely difficult decision to cancel last spring's championships it was because there was simply no way to conduct them safely," said NCAA President Mark Emmert in a statement. "This document lays out the advice of health care professionals as to how to resume college sports if we can achieve an environment where COVID-19 rates are manageable. Today, sadly, the data point in the wrong direction. If there is to be college sports in the fall, we need to get a much better handle on the pandemic."
Among the measures the NCAA calls for:
Coronavirus testing strategies
Physical distancing and face coverings whenever feasible
Universal masking on all sidelines
Daily self-health checks by all athletes and athletics staff
Training outdoors whenever possible, and avoiding poorly ventilated indoor environments
The governing body says that when it released its first two publications on the subject in May, it had anticipated a downward rate of COVID-19 infection in the United States.
It included a graph that shows what the NCAA had expected when it made its earlier guidelines, and what has happened instead:
toggle caption NCAA
The new guidelines say a return to college sports had earlier assumed that national testing strategies and enhanced contact tracing, among other things, would be in place. Although testing and contact tracing infrastructure have expanded, "the variations in approach to reopening America for business and recreation have correlated with a considerable spike in cases in recent weeks."
The result, says the NCAA, is that testing must be a part of the strategy for returning to contact sports. It also notes the risks that returning to the athletic fields present: "group practice activities have the potential to significantly increase the risk of COVID-19 spread if proper distancing and/or masking practices are not implemented, and if air flow/ventilation is compromised."
It also notes that asymptomatic spread is a particular concern for NCAA sports: most of the athletes are young adults who may not show symptoms themselves, but can spread the virus to others who are more vulnerable to COVID-19.
Already there have been outbreaks of the virus among college athletes who returned to campuses for training.
As infection rates continue to spike across the U.S., college sports conferences are beginning to alter their plans.
The Big Ten Conference says it will play a conference-only schedule this season, including football. The Ivy League said last week that it would not participate in fall sports at all.
The Southeastern Conference, which includes many powerhouse football teams in the South, says it will won't make scheduling decisions until late July.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said this week that "the fact that we have seen an increase of cases in the last few weeks across our region is not a positive indicator."


npr--2020-07-17--Colombia Sees Bouts Of Looting As Coronavirus Fallout Puts People Out Of Work

Colombia Sees Bouts Of Looting As Coronavirus Fallout Puts People Out Of Work In Colombia , a spike in coronavirus cases has forced many towns and cities that had been reopening — including Bogotá and Medellín — to issue new lockdown orders .
That 's making life especially difficult for poor people who need to work in order to eat .
And in some communities , they have turned to looting .
The most dramatic case occurred July 6 in the Caribbean coast village of Tasajera when a scramble to steal gasoline ended in a hellish fireball .
As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driver swerved to miss a crocodile , he later told reporters .
His truck overturned and people swarmed the vehicle to pilfer the gas .
But when one of the raiders tried to steal the truck 's battery , a spark set off a massive explosion .
A video posted on social media shows several men running from the burning tanker with their clothes on fire .
Forty people have died from burns , according to national news reports .
One survivor , Daniel Benites , told NPR that he had just filled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tanker exploded .
`` The impact of the explosion blew me into a puddle of water , '' he said .
That offered some protection but he suffered burns on his arms and face .
Sporadic episodes of looting have broken out elsewhere in Colombia , too .
Four days after the gas tanker exploded , a truck loaded with fish overturned on a highway near Cartagena .
Police fired shots but the looters ignored them and picked the truck clean .
In Medellín in April , residents stole from a vehicle carrying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic fallout from the coronavirus hits Colombia .
Around the country government food donations have been sporadic .
And while some towns and cities have partially reopened , the economy contracted by 20 % in April and has yet to rebound .
Unemployment has jumped to 21 % , up from 12 % at the start of the year .
After hungry residents tried to loot stores in March when Bogotá 's lockdown began , city council member Heidi Sánchez tweeted : `` The COVID-19 crisis has widened inequalities in our city and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Even before the outbreak , Tasajera was depressed .
It sits on a narrow strip of land between the Caribbean Sea and a mosquito-infested swamp .
Many residents live in huts built atop trash heaps that serve as makeshift dykes .
Besides fishing , about the only way to make a buck is by selling soft drinks to motorists on the highway , but there 's no longer much traffic due to the pandemic .
That may be why residents were willing to risk their lives to steal fuel , says Edilbert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ village and lost four relatives in the explosion .
Ariza says his loved ones were just scraping by and figured they could make some easy money by selling the gas .
Shaking his head , Ariza says : `` Look at the consequences . ''

Colombia Sees Bouts Of Looting As Coronavirus Fallout Puts People Out Of Work
Enlarge this image toggle caption Fernando Vergara/AP Fernando Vergara/AP
In Colombia, a spike in coronavirus cases has forced many towns and cities that had been reopening — including Bogotá and Medellín — to issue new lockdown orders. That's making life especially difficult for poor people who need to work in order to eat. And in some communities, they have turned to looting.
The most dramatic case occurred July 6 in the Caribbean coast village of Tasajera when a scramble to steal gasoline ended in a hellish fireball.
As a gasoline tanker approached the village, the driver swerved to miss a crocodile, he later told reporters. His truck overturned and people swarmed the vehicle to pilfer the gas. But when one of the raiders tried to steal the truck's battery, a spark set off a massive explosion.
A video posted on social media shows several men running from the burning tanker with their clothes on fire. Forty people have died from burns, according to national news reports.
One survivor, Daniel Benites, told NPR that he had just filled a plastic jug with gasoline when the tanker exploded. "The impact of the explosion blew me into a puddle of water," he said. That offered some protection but he suffered burns on his arms and face.
Sporadic episodes of looting have broken out elsewhere in Colombia, too. Four days after the gas tanker exploded, a truck loaded with fish overturned on a highway near Cartagena. Police fired shots but the looters ignored them and picked the truck clean. In Medellín in April, residents stole from a vehicle carrying humanitarian aid.
The incidents come as economic fallout from the coronavirus hits Colombia. Around the country government food donations have been sporadic. And while some towns and cities have partially reopened, the economy contracted by 20% in April and has yet to rebound. Unemployment has jumped to 21%, up from 12% at the start of the year.
After hungry residents tried to loot stores in March when Bogotá's lockdown began, city council member Heidi Sánchez tweeted: "The COVID-19 crisis has widened inequalities in our city and our country. Hunger also kills!"
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Otis for NPR John Otis for NPR
Even before the outbreak, Tasajera was depressed. It sits on a narrow strip of land between the Caribbean Sea and a mosquito-infested swamp. Many residents live in huts built atop trash heaps that serve as makeshift dykes.
Besides fishing, about the only way to make a buck is by selling soft drinks to motorists on the highway, but there's no longer much traffic due to the pandemic. That may be why residents were willing to risk their lives to steal fuel, says Edilbert Ariza, who grew up in the village and lost four relatives in the explosion.
Ariza says his loved ones were just scraping by and figured they could make some easy money by selling the gas. Shaking his head, Ariza says: "Look at the consequences."


npr--2020-07-17--Pentagon Chief Effectively Bars Display Of Confederate Battle Flag By U.S. Military

Pentagon Chief Effectively Bars Display Of Confederate Battle Flag By U.S. Military Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday unveiled a policy change that effectively blocks the public display of the Confederate battle flag at all U.S. military installations without specifically naming that controversial banner .
Esper 's announcement follows a lengthy internal debate as well as recent bans on displaying the flag by both the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy .
In an apparent attempt to avoid the ire of President Trump , who has criticized NASCAR 's ban of the Confederate flag , Esper 's two-page memo lists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be displayed on U.S. military property and that `` promote unity and esprit de corps . ''
Conspicuously absent from that list : the Confederate battle flag .
The Associated Press reported that an earlier version of the Pentagon policy memo had specifically banned the Confederate flag .
`` The flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline , treating all our people with dignity and respect , and rejecting divisive symbols , '' Esper wrote in the memo .
`` With this change in policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cohesion , and readiness of the force in defense of our great Nation . ''
The new policy would not prohibit displays of `` unauthorized flags '' — which would include the Confederate banner — on state-issued license plates , gravesites , monuments or museum displays , `` where the nature of the display or depiction can not reasonably be viewed as endorsement of the flag by the Department of Defense . ''
Esper had been under growing pressure from his military commanders to outlaw the symbol of the Confederacy from military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Marine Corps commandant , ordered an explicit ban on displays of the Confederate flag last month at all Marine installations worldwide .
In an April letter to the Marines he commands , Berger made clear his intention to banish the battle flag .
`` I have determined it is time to act to exclude from our Corps public displays of the battle flag carried by the Confederate Army during the American Civil War , '' Berger wrote .
`` This symbol has shown it has the power to inflame feelings of division @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside our Corps . ''
The highest-ranking naval officer took similar action last month .
`` The Chief of Naval Operations , Adm. Mike Gilday , has directed his staff to begin crafting an order , '' said Gilday 's spokesman , Cmdr .
Nate Christensen , `` that would prohibit the Confederate battle flag from all public spaces and work areas aboard Navy installations , ships , aircraft and submarines . ''
The Democrat who chairs the House Armed Services Committee praised Esper 's exclusion of the Confederate flag , calling it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right direction as our government and our military grapple with our shared history of racism . ''
`` By omitting the Confederate flag from the list of approved flags , '' U.S. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington wrote in an email , `` the guidance makes clear that there is no place for that symbol in public [ Department of Defense ] settings , which is an important change in policy that I strongly support . ''
Esper 's directive authorizes the U.S. military to display a broad array of flags , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of U.S. allies and the prisoner of war/missing in action flag .
In addition to the Confederate standard , the list excludes the rainbow-hued gay pride flag .
`` It 's absolutely outrageous that Defense Secretary Mark Esper would ban the Pride flag — the very symbol of inclusion and diversity , '' Modern Military Association of America 's Jennifer Dane said in a statement on the website of the group , which calls itself the voice of the LGBTQ military and veteran community .
`` This decision sends an alarming message to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future recruits . ''
There was no mention in Esper 's memo of the 10 U.S. military bases that continue to bear the names of Confederate leaders .
Both the House and Senate Armed Services committees have adopted amendments to their respective annual defense policy bills aimed at renaming those bases .
Gen. Mark Milley , who chairs the Joint Chiefs of Staff , told a House panel last week that he would be taking `` a hard look '' at changing the names of those 10 military installations .
He also deplored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named .
`` The Confederacy , the American Civil War was fought , and it was an act of rebellion , '' Milley told the House Armed Services Committee .
`` It was an act of treason at the time against the Union , against the Stars and Stripes , against the U.S. Constitution , and those officers turned their back on their oath . ''
Last month , Trump said he opposed renaming those bases .
`` My Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with . ''
Esper did not discuss his policy change to exclude Confederate flags from military installations at an hourlong virtual town hall meeting Friday afternoon .
He and Milley took questions at the Pentagon from American service members stationed at remote locations .
Neither Esper nor Milley has taken any on-the-record questions from reporters in the last 40 days .

Pentagon Chief Effectively Bars Display Of Confederate Battle Flag By U.S. Military
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Reynolds/Pool via AP Michael Reynolds/Pool via AP
Updated at 6:18 p.m. ET
Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday unveiled a policy change that effectively blocks the public display of the Confederate battle flag at all U.S. military installations without specifically naming that controversial banner.
Esper's announcement follows a lengthy internal debate as well as recent bans on displaying the flag by both the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy.
In an apparent attempt to avoid the ire of President Trump, who has criticized NASCAR's ban of the Confederate flag, Esper's two-page memo lists the various flags that are now authorized to be displayed on U.S. military property and that "promote unity and esprit de corps."
Conspicuously absent from that list: the Confederate battle flag.
The Associated Press reported that an earlier version of the Pentagon policy memo had specifically banned the Confederate flag.
"The flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect, and rejecting divisive symbols," Esper wrote in the memo. "With this change in policy, we will further improve the morale, cohesion, and readiness of the force in defense of our great Nation."
The new policy would not prohibit displays of "unauthorized flags" — which would include the Confederate banner — on state-issued license plates, gravesites, monuments or museum displays, "where the nature of the display or depiction cannot reasonably be viewed as endorsement of the flag by the Department of Defense."
Calls for Pentagon to act
Esper had been under growing pressure from his military commanders to outlaw the symbol of the Confederacy from military installations.
Gen. David Berger, the U.S. Marine Corps commandant, ordered an explicit ban on displays of the Confederate flag last month at all Marine installations worldwide.
In an April letter to the Marines he commands, Berger made clear his intention to banish the battle flag.
"I have determined it is time to act to exclude from our Corps public displays of the battle flag carried by the Confederate Army during the American Civil War," Berger wrote. "This symbol has shown it has the power to inflame feelings of division. I cannot have that division inside our Corps."
The highest-ranking naval officer took similar action last month.
"The Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Mike Gilday, has directed his staff to begin crafting an order," said Gilday's spokesman, Cmdr. Nate Christensen, "that would prohibit the Confederate battle flag from all public spaces and work areas aboard Navy installations, ships, aircraft and submarines."
A mixed response
The Democrat who chairs the House Armed Services Committee praised Esper's exclusion of the Confederate flag, calling it "a good first step in the right direction as our government and our military grapple with our shared history of racism."
"By omitting the Confederate flag from the list of approved flags," U.S. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington wrote in an email, "the guidance makes clear that there is no place for that symbol in public [Department of Defense] settings, which is an important change in policy that I strongly support."
Esper's directive authorizes the U.S. military to display a broad array of flags, from state and military service flags to those of U.S. allies and the prisoner of war/missing in action flag. In addition to the Confederate standard, the list excludes the rainbow-hued gay pride flag.
"It's absolutely outrageous that Defense Secretary Mark Esper would ban the Pride flag — the very symbol of inclusion and diversity," Modern Military Association of America's Jennifer Dane said in a statement on the website of the group, which calls itself the voice of the LGBTQ military and veteran community. "This decision sends an alarming message to LGBTQ service members, their families and future recruits."
Confederate-named bases
There was no mention in Esper's memo of the 10 U.S. military bases that continue to bear the names of Confederate leaders. Both the House and Senate Armed Services committees have adopted amendments to their respective annual defense policy bills aimed at renaming those bases.
Gen. Mark Milley, who chairs the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a House panel last week that he would be taking "a hard look" at changing the names of those 10 military installations. He also deplored the Confederates after whom the bases were named.
"The Confederacy, the American Civil War was fought, and it was an act of rebellion," Milley told the House Armed Services Committee. "It was an act of treason at the time against the Union, against the Stars and Stripes, against the U.S. Constitution, and those officers turned their back on their oath."
Last month, Trump said he opposed renaming those bases.
"My Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with."
Esper did not discuss his policy change to exclude Confederate flags from military installations at an hourlong virtual town hall meeting Friday afternoon. He and Milley took questions at the Pentagon from American service members stationed at remote locations.
Neither Esper nor Milley has taken any on-the-record questions from reporters in the last 40 days.