npr--2020-08-03--Census, Cut Short A Month, Rushes To Finish All Counting Efforts By Sept. 30

Census , Cut Short A Month , Rushes To Finish All Counting Efforts By Sept. 30 The Census Bureau is ending all counting efforts for the 2020 census on Sept. 30 , a month shorter than previously announced , the bureau 's director confirmed Monday in a statement .
That includes critical door-knocking efforts and collecting responses online , over the phone and by mail .
The latest updates to the bureau 's plans are part of efforts to `` accelerate the completion of data collection and apportionment counts by our statutory deadline of December 31 , 2020 , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary of Commerce , '' who oversees the bureau , Director Steven Dillingham said in the written statement posted on the bureau 's website .
These last-minute changes to the constitutionally mandated count of every person living in the U.S. threaten the accuracy of population numbers used to determine the distribution of political representation and federal funding for the next decade .
With roughly 4 out of 10 households nationwide yet to be counted and already delayed by the coronavirus pandemic , the bureau now has less than two months left to try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , renters , rural residents and other members of historically undercounted groups who are not likely to fill out a census form on their own .
The bureau 's announcement comes after NPR first reported that the agency had decided to cut short door-knocking efforts for the 2020 census .
Those in-person interviews with unresponsive households started last month in some parts of the country and are set to expand nationwide on Aug. 11 .
For days , the bureau has been sending mixed signals about its plans by quietly removing references to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date for all counting efforts — from its website .
Before the pandemic hit , counting for the 2020 census was originally supposed to be finished by the end of July .
But in April , the bureau , with public support from President Trump , announced that it needed to extend its timeline , including pushing back the end of counting to Oct. 31 .
But during a hearing last week before the House Oversight and Reform Committee , Dillingham signaled a shift in plans by telling members of Congress that `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to proceed as rapidly as possible . ''
The bureau also asked Congress to push back by four months the legal deadline of Dec. 31 for reporting the latest state population counts to the president .
Delaying that deadline would allow the bureau to keep counting through Oct. 31 to `` ensure the completeness and accuracy of the 2020 Census , '' Dillingham and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement released in April .
Democrats in Congress and many census advocates have become increasingly concerned that the White House is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to benefit Republicans when House seats are reapportioned and voting districts are redrawn .
As early as May , top career officials at the bureau have said the bureau has already `` passed the point '' of meeting the current census deadlines .
As negotiations over the latest coronavirus relief package continue , there is a window for lawmakers to include a provision that would give the bureau more time .
So far , however , only Democrats have introduced legislation that would extend deadlines , and Republicans have released no @ @ @

Census Cuts All Counting Efforts Short By A Month
Enlarge this image toggle caption LM Otero/AP LM Otero/AP
Updated at 5:58 p.m. ET Thursday
The U.S. Census Bureau is ending all counting efforts for the 2020 census on Sept. 30, a month sooner than previously announced, the bureau's director confirmed Monday in a statement. That includes critical door-knocking efforts and collecting responses online, over the phone and by mail.
The latest updates to the bureau's plans are part of efforts to "accelerate the completion of data collection and apportionment counts by our statutory deadline of December 31, 2020, as required by law and directed by the Secretary of Commerce" who oversees the bureau, Director Steven Dillingham said in the written statement posted on the bureau's website.
These last-minute changes to the constitutionally mandated count of every person living in the U.S. threaten the accuracy of population numbers used to determine the distribution of political representation and federal funding for the next decade.
With roughly 4 out of 10 households nationwide yet to be counted, and already delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, the bureau now has less than two months left to try to reach people of color, immigrants, renters, rural residents and other members of historically undercounted groups who are not likely to fill out a census form on their own.
The bureau's announcement comes after NPR first reported that the agency had decided to cut short door-knocking efforts, which make up the largest and most expensive operation for a head count that is estimated to cost around $16 billion. Those in-person interviews with unresponsive households started last month in some parts of the country and are set to expand nationwide on Aug. 11.
In a statement released Tuesday, four former Census Bureau directors warn that not extending census reporting deadlines "will result in seriously incomplete enumerations in many areas across our country."
They're calling for Congress to appoint an independent institution to determine ways to assess the quality of the 2020 census results and for the bureau to issue daily reports on its progress in the final months to "assure stakeholders that a fair and accurate enumeration is underway."
"We need the extra time to be able to ensure that the hardest-to-count communities are including in the count. That is what the Constitution requires," says Vanita Gupta, a former Obama administration official who now heads The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. "There is no other reason for the Trump administration to be rushing the census if they didn't have a partisan or illegitimate motive."
Keeping with the Dec. 31 legal deadline for producing the latest state population counts would guarantee that President Trump receives those numbers while still in office, even if he is not reelected.
With little authority, Trump is seeking to change those numbers by attempting to exclude unauthorized immigrants despite the Constitution's requirement to include the "whole number of persons in each state." The president's recent memo calling for that change has sparked multiple federal lawsuits from challengers who are asking courts to block the administration from carrying it out and declare it unconstitutional.
In order to have the first batch of census results ready by the end of this year, Dillingham said in his statement the bureau is planning to "streamline" the processing of responses it collects from households.
"To me, that means perhaps rush or use methods that may have not been proven to come up with the most accurate data," says Ditas Katague, a former chair of the Census Bureau's National Advisory Committee who now directs California Complete Count, the state's census outreach campaign. "That really causes some concern."
For days, the bureau has been sending mixed signals about its plans by quietly removing references to Oct. 31 — the previously announced end date for all counting efforts — from its website.
Before the pandemic hit, counting for the 2020 census was originally supposed to be finished by the end of July. But in April, with public support from President Trump, the bureau announced that it needed to extend its timeline, including pushing back the end of counting to Oct. 31.
But during a hearing last week before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Dillingham signaled a shift in plans by telling members of Congress that "the Census Bureau and others really want us to proceed as rapidly as possible."
The bureau also asked Congress to push back by four months the legal deadline of Dec. 31 for reporting the new state population counts to the president. Delaying that deadline would allow the bureau to keep counting through Oct. 31 to "ensure the completeness and accuracy of the 2020 Census," Dillingham and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement released in April.
Democrats in Congress and many census advocates have become increasingly concerned that the White House is pressuring the bureau to stop counting soon in order to benefit Republicans when House seats are reapportioned and voting districts are redrawn.
As early as May, top career officials at the bureau said the bureau had already "passed the point" of meeting the current census deadlines.
As negotiations over the latest coronavirus relief package continue, there is a window for lawmakers to include a provision that would give the bureau more time.
So far, however, only Democrats have introduced legislation that would extend deadlines, and Republicans have released no similar proposals.
Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican from Montana, however, did write this week to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in support of extending the census timeline.
"Given the rural nature of Montana, and the additional challenges brought about by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, reverting the deadline back to September 30, 2020 will leave tens of thousands of Montanans uncounted and underrepresented at the federal level," Daines wrote in the letter.
Hundreds of philanthropic groups, nonprofit organizations, professional associations and civic groups have written to Senate leaders, Ross and Dillingham to try to get the bureau more time for the census.
"There is no scientific rationale to curtail the data-collection period for this constitutionally mandated activity," the American Statistical Association's president-elect, Robert Santos, wrote in a letter to Senate leaders.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire — the top Democrat on the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds the bureau — has written to Dillingham expressing concern that the bureau is not "free of political meddling" and asked for the bureau to clarify whether it's still requesting Congress to extend census deadlines.
The top House appropriator for the bureau, Rep. José Serrano, D-N.Y., disclosed in a letter to Ross this week that the bureau recently stopped conducting weekly briefing calls about the 2020 census for House Appropriations Committee staff after the arrival of the Trump administration's two new political appointees — Deputy Director for Policy Nathaniel Cogley and Cogley's senior adviser, Adam Korzeniewski.
The Census Bureau's public information office has not responded to NPR's question about why the bureau stopped its weekly calls with the committee staff.
The chair of the House oversight committee — Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. — has requested that both Cogley and Korzeniewski, as well as top career officials at the bureau, appear virtually for transcribed interviews this month.


npr--2020-08-03--Mississippi On Track To Become No. 1 State For New Coronavirus Cases Per Capita

Mississippi On Track To Become No .
1 State For New Coronavirus Cases Per Capita Mississippi is heading for a title that no state would want : It is on track to overtake Florida to become the No .
1 state for new coronavirus infections per capita , according to researchers at Harvard .
The state already faces high levels of diabetes , hypertension , heart disease and obesity .
As a result , the challenges specific to the coronavirus pandemic are `` layered on top of our existing challenges , '' says Dr. LouAnn Woodward , who is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medical Center .
By multiple measures , the coronavirus situation in the state will continue to worsen , Woodward tells All Things Considered .
Most of the state 's major hospitals have had challenges with capacity , particularly ICU capacity , in recent weeks , says Woodward , who is also dean of the University of Mississippi 's medical school and an emergency medicine doctor .
As of July 31 , only 17 % of the state 's 904 ICU beds were available , according to the state health department .
She supports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor has imposed certain mask requirements on 37 of Mississippi 's 82 counties but has not implemented a statewide mandate .
Here are excerpts from the full interview .
When you say this is challenging for hospitals and it 's going to get worse , what does that actually look like in the ICU ?
So our ICUs [ at the hospital ] are full .
I mean , that is the bottom line .
We have been full for several weeks .
When other hospitals around the state call us for help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients .
We 've had to assist a number of times in having patients transferred actually out of state .
The patients with COVID are staying typically longer than many of our critical care patients , so they are tying up beds for a longer period of time .
As the time goes on , we 're also seeing the fatigue that our own , particularly critical care teams , but also emergency department teams and our COVID units , are experiencing .
And part of that challenge is we do n't know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not forever .
We know that there is a term limit on our acute dealings with this virus in this pandemic .
But it is unknown at this point .
And so that adds to the fatigue and to the concern that I have for our staff .
Do you feel like state officials are your partners in this ?
There is no statewide mask requirement .
Restaurants and bars are open .
Does it feel like politicians in the state are listening to you when you say how dire the situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a group of citizens , in Mississippi , there is a lot of value that is placed on the individual 's ability to make decisions about their own life .
The citizens in Mississippi very much value that freedom to make their own decisions and not be told what to do based on hot spots and based on numbers identified throughout the state .
The governor is practically on a daily basis adding new counties to the mask mandate as we have an increase of cases in particular counties .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statewide mask mandate .
But there are a lot of citizens ... that would not support that .
So our state officials are in a pickle , honestly , because they are in a bind between what the medical profession is telling them and what they know would be the opinion of a lot of the people in the state of Mississippi who would prefer to not be told , but prefer to wear the mask if they feel that they should .
Speaking from a medical standpoint , if you look at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing has not changed the trajectory of our number of hospitalizations , the number of new cases , etc .
We need to do something different .
NPR 's Justine Kenin and Elena Burnett edited and produced the audio version of this interview .

Mississippi On Track To Become No. 1 State For New Coronavirus Cases Per Capita
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Ellis/UMMC Photography Joe Ellis/UMMC Photography
Mississippi is heading for a title that no state would want: It is on track to overtake Florida to become the No. 1 state for new coronavirus infections per capita, according to researchers at Harvard.
The state already faces high levels of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and obesity.
As a result, the challenges specific to the coronavirus pandemic are "layered on top of our existing challenges," says Dr. LouAnn Woodward, who is the top executive at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
By multiple measures, the coronavirus situation in the state will continue to worsen, Woodward tells All Things Considered.
Most of the state's major hospitals have had challenges with capacity, particularly ICU capacity, in recent weeks, says Woodward, who is also dean of the University of Mississippi's medical school and an emergency medicine doctor.
As of July 31, only 17% of the state's 904 ICU beds were available, according to the state health department.
She supports a statewide mask mandate. Mississippi's governor has imposed certain mask requirements on 37 of Mississippi's 82 counties but has not implemented a statewide mandate.
Here are excerpts from the full interview.
When you say this is challenging for hospitals and it's going to get worse, what does that actually look like in the ICU?
So our ICUs [at the hospital] are full. I mean, that is the bottom line. We have been full for several weeks. When other hospitals around the state call us for help, we're unable to take their patients. We've had to assist a number of times in having patients transferred actually out of state.
The patients with COVID are staying typically longer than many of our critical care patients, so they are tying up beds for a longer period of time. As the time goes on, we're also seeing the fatigue that our own, particularly critical care teams, but also emergency department teams and our COVID units, are experiencing. And part of that challenge is we don't know the endpoint. ...
We know this is not forever. We know that there is a term limit on our acute dealings with this virus in this pandemic. But it is unknown at this point. And so that adds to the fatigue and to the concern that I have for our staff.
Do you feel like state officials are your partners in this? There is no statewide mask requirement. Restaurants and bars are open. Does it feel like politicians in the state are listening to you when you say how dire the situation is?
It is very difficult because as a group of citizens, in Mississippi, there is a lot of value that is placed on the individual's ability to make decisions about their own life. The citizens in Mississippi very much value that freedom to make their own decisions and not be told what to do based on hot spots and based on numbers identified throughout the state. The governor is practically on a daily basis adding new counties to the mask mandate as we have an increase of cases in particular counties. And I wish that he would proceed to a statewide mask mandate.
But there are a lot of citizens ... that would not support that. So our state officials are in a pickle, honestly, because they are in a bind between what the medical profession is telling them and what they know would be the opinion of a lot of the people in the state of Mississippi who would prefer to not be told, but prefer to wear the mask if they feel that they should.
Speaking from a medical standpoint, if you look at the data, what we have been doing has not changed the trajectory of our number of hospitalizations, the number of new cases, etc. We need to do something different.
NPR's Justine Kenin and Elena Burnett edited and produced the audio version of this interview.


npr--2020-08-03--'We Have Made Mistakes': Norway Cruise Company Reports COVID-19 Outbreak

At least 36 crew members from a Norwegian cruise ship have tested positive for COVID-19 , according to Hurtigruten , the company that owns the ship .
Several passengers have also tested positive in what the cruise line describes as an `` outbreak '' onboard the MS Roald Amundsen .
Four patients were admitted to a hospital in the northern Norwegian city of Tromso where the ship is now docked .
More than 9,000 people in the country have tested positive for the coronavirus , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Hurtigruten had previously canceled dozens of other expeditions because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspended all cruises aboard the Amundsen and two other vessels .
On its most recent voyage , the ship traveled up Norway 's fjord-lined coast towards the Arctic island of Svalbard .
The route has raised concerns about infections off the ship , as the Associated Press reports : Norwegian authorities are reportedly scrambling to contact passengers who had left the ship .
`` We are working hard to contain this outbreak in order to limit the spread in the general population , '' Tromso health official Kathrine Kristoffersen told reporters .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO Daniel Skjeldam said in a statement .
`` A preliminary evaluation shows that there has been a failure in several of our internal procedures . ''
One hundred-sixty crew members and 177 passengers were on board the 530-passenger capacity ship .
Hurtigruten 's website highlights increased safety protocols , including UV-light disinfection and social-distancing guidelines .
But cruise ships have become coronavirus hot spots .
In May , a congressional investigation was opened into Carnival Cruise Line after more dozens of deaths and more than 1,500 COVID-19 infections aboard its ships .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ships also left an estimated 100,000 employees globally stuck offshore for extended periods , as the Miami Herald reported .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has barred all cruises in U.S. waters through the end of September .

'We Have Made Mistakes': Norway Cruise Company Reports COVID-19 Outbreak
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ruen Stoltz Bertinussen/NTB Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images Ruen Stoltz Bertinussen/NTB Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images
At least 36 crew members from a Norwegian cruise ship have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Hurtigruten, the company that owns the ship. Several passengers have also tested positive in what the cruise line describes as an "outbreak" onboard the MS Roald Amundsen.
Four patients were admitted to a hospital in the northern Norwegian city of Tromso where the ship is now docked.
More than 9,000 people in the country have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University. Hurtigruten had previously canceled dozens of other expeditions because of the pandemic, and has now suspended all cruises aboard the Amundsen and two other vessels.
On its most recent voyage, the ship traveled up Norway's fjord-lined coast towards the Arctic island of Svalbard. The route has raised concerns about infections off the ship, as the Associated Press reports:
"Health authorities fear the ship also could have spread the virus to dozens of towns and villages along Norway's western coast ... since the cruise line often acts like a local ferry, traveling from port to port along Norway's western coast, the virus may not have been contained onboard. Some passengers disembarked along the route and may have spread the virus to their local communities."
Norwegian authorities are reportedly scrambling to contact passengers who had left the ship.
"We are working hard to contain this outbreak in order to limit the spread in the general population," Tromso health official Kathrine Kristoffersen told reporters.
"We have made mistakes," Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam said in a statement. "A preliminary evaluation shows that there has been a failure in several of our internal procedures."
One hundred-sixty crew members and 177 passengers were on board the 530-passenger capacity ship. Hurtigruten's website highlights increased safety protocols, including UV-light disinfection and social-distancing guidelines.
But cruise ships have become coronavirus hot spots.
In May, a congressional investigation was opened into Carnival Cruise Line after more dozens of deaths and more than 1,500 COVID-19 infections aboard its ships. Fears of transmission from outbreaks onboard cruise ships also left an estimated 100,000 employees globally stuck offshore for extended periods, as the Miami Herald reported.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has barred all cruises in U.S. waters through the end of September.


npr--2020-08-03--'I Was Asked If I Stole My Car': Black Diplomats Describe Harassment At U.S. Borders

' I Was Asked If I Stole My Car ' : Black Diplomats Describe Harassment At U.S .
Borders In April 2018 , Tianna Spears joined the State Department , looking forward to the promise of a fulfilling career .
Then 26 , she had spent three years learning Spanish in the Dominican Republic and Spain to help land a position in the Foreign Service .
`` I was super-excited to start , '' she says .
`` I had dreams of being a diplomat and living in several places in Latin America . ''
Spears ' first posting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez , just across the border from El Paso , Texas .
Everything started off well , she says , and she quickly settled into her new life and job .
Spears would often cross back into the U.S. to shop or meet friends for coffee .
But she quickly noticed a trend : When she made those border crossings , she was regularly pulled over by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers for secondary inspection .
Spears is Black .
She is one of a growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service officers to speak out recently about the special challenges they face as diplomats .
This comes as the State Department is under pressure to diversify its ranks .
The Foreign Service is overwhelmingly white .
Just 6 % of foreign service officers are African-American , according to the American Foreign Service Association .
Spears says while crossing the border , she showed the CBP agents her diplomatic passport and other official forms of identification — and was startled at the line of questioning she then underwent .
`` I was asked if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
`` One time , I was even accused of having counterfeit documents , as in my diplomatic passport ...
I was regularly questioned on if I truly worked at the consulate in Ciudad Juarez . ''
In the six months that she worked in the consulate , Spears says she was pulled aside more than 20 times .
Each time , she says , the harassment escalated .
`` One time , I was told not to look at the officer in the eyes when I spoke to him , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I needed to look down at the ground . ''
Spears says she was left feeling that they `` wanted to make me feel small . ''
CBP denies Spears ' allegations , saying its own video footage contradicts some of her claims — including an incident in which Spears has alleged that an officer stood in front of her with his hand on his gun , his finger on the trigger .
In a statement , the agency calls that allegation `` completely unsubstantiated . ''
It tells NPR that Spears was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with her address triggered an automatic second check .
CBP says it found no evidence of officers ' misconduct in Spears ' case , and so there was no disciplinary action .
Spears still maintains that she was harassed and intimidated by CBP officers because she is Black .
She says several times she complained to CBP supervisors at the border .
One supervisor handed her a pamphlet with a hotline number to call , she says , and told her that the officers would not be disciplined .
Spears also took her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Consulate .
There , she says , `` I was just met with pure denial and gaslighting about how this was n't racism , this was n't discrimination .
Essentially , you know , it was downplayed and brushed under the rug . ''
Spears was transferred to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City , but the experience stayed with her .
She was diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder .
She left the State Department last October , less than two years after she joined .
In May , shortly after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote about her experiences on her blog .
Charles Ray , a retired U.S. diplomat who served as ambassador to Cambodia and Zimbabwe , and as the first U.S. consul general in Ho Chi Minh City , says he was stunned when he read Spears ' account .
`` I was beside myself for a couple of hours , thinking I can not believe crap like that is still happening , '' he says .
Ray , who is also Black , says he too experienced harassment at U.S. borders during his 30-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He says he learned to just put up with it because no one particularly cared — back then or now .
`` No one 's going to stick their head above their desk and make an issue of it if they value their job , if they feel that the senior leadership does n't care , '' he says .
`` And frankly , my personal opinion is that the senior leadership really does not care . ''
A State Department spokesperson who did not want to be named tells NPR that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and is in talks with the CBP to `` improve the experience '' of diplomats at U.S. borders .
Alonzo Fulgham , a former senior official with the U.S. Agency for International Development , says progress is slow .
He mentors young Black foreign service officers , many of whom do not want to create waves and jeopardize their future by complaining about harassment at borders .
But Fulgham says he hopes Spears ' account will help force change with the way minority U.S. diplomats are treated at U.S. border crossings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with these young people because they 're much more informed ... they blog and they talk to each other , '' he says .
`` And that 's I think that 's going to be helpful to getting more people to speak up . ''
Spears — who is now finishing work on a master 's degree in international relations and hopes to work `` to promote change in Black and brown communities by focusing on economic issues and promoting activism '' — says writing about her experiences was cathartic .
`` You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get there , '' she says .
`` And I did not want this to be taken from me .
And that 's what eventually happened in the end . ''

'I Was Asked If I Stole My Car': Black Diplomats Describe Harassment At U.S. Borders
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kennedi Carter for NPR Kennedi Carter for NPR
In April 2018, Tianna Spears joined the State Department, looking forward to the promise of a fulfilling career. Then 26, she had spent three years learning Spanish in the Dominican Republic and Spain to help land a position in the Foreign Service.
"I was super-excited to start," she says. "I had dreams of being a diplomat and living in several places in Latin America."
Spears' first posting, in October that same year, was at the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, just across the border from El Paso, Texas. Everything started off well, she says, and she quickly settled into her new life and job. Spears would often cross back into the U.S. to shop or meet friends for coffee.
But she quickly noticed a trend: When she made those border crossings, she was regularly pulled over by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers for secondary inspection.
Spears is Black. She is one of a growing number of current and former minority foreign service officers to speak out recently about the special challenges they face as diplomats.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kennedi Carter for NPR Kennedi Carter for NPR
This comes as the State Department is under pressure to diversify its ranks. The Foreign Service is overwhelmingly white. Just 6% of foreign service officers are African-American, according to the American Foreign Service Association.
Spears says while crossing the border, she showed the CBP agents her diplomatic passport and other official forms of identification — and was startled at the line of questioning she then underwent.
Race Government Accountability Office Says State Department Lacks Diversity Government Accountability Office Says State Department Lacks Diversity Listen · 3:46 3:46
"I was asked if I stole my car," she says. "One time, I was even accused of having counterfeit documents, as in my diplomatic passport ... I was regularly questioned on if I truly worked at the consulate in Ciudad Juarez."
In the six months that she worked in the consulate, Spears says she was pulled aside more than 20 times. Each time, she says, the harassment escalated.
"One time, I was told not to look at the officer in the eyes when I spoke to him," she says. "I was told I needed to look down at the ground."
Spears says she was left feeling that they "wanted to make me feel small."
CBP denies Spears' allegations, saying its own video footage contradicts some of her claims — including an incident in which Spears has alleged that an officer stood in front of her with his hand on his gun, his finger on the trigger.
In a statement, the agency calls that allegation "completely unsubstantiated." It tells NPR that Spears was pulled over a dozen times because inconsistencies with her address triggered an automatic second check. CBP says it found no evidence of officers' misconduct in Spears' case, and so there was no disciplinary action.
Spears still maintains that she was harassed and intimidated by CBP officers because she is Black. She says several times she complained to CBP supervisors at the border. One supervisor handed her a pamphlet with a hotline number to call, she says, and told her that the officers would not be disciplined.
Spears also took her concerns to her superiors at the U.S. Consulate.
There, she says, "I was just met with pure denial and gaslighting about how this wasn't racism, this wasn't discrimination. Essentially, you know, it was downplayed and brushed under the rug."
Spears was transferred to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, but the experience stayed with her. She was diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. She left the State Department last October, less than two years after she joined.
In May, shortly after the death of George Floyd, Spears wrote about her experiences on her blog. Charles Ray, a retired U.S. diplomat who served as ambassador to Cambodia and Zimbabwe, and as the first U.S. consul general in Ho Chi Minh City, says he was stunned when he read Spears' account.
"I was beside myself for a couple of hours, thinking I cannot believe crap like that is still happening," he says.
Ray, who is also Black, says he too experienced harassment at U.S. borders during his 30-year career, which ended in 2012. He says he learned to just put up with it because no one particularly cared — back then or now.
"No one's going to stick their head above their desk and make an issue of it if they value their job, if they feel that the senior leadership doesn't care," he says. "And frankly, my personal opinion is that the senior leadership really does not care."
A State Department spokesperson who did not want to be named tells NPR that the department is taking Spears' allegations seriously, and is in talks with the CBP to "improve the experience" of diplomats at U.S. borders.
Alonzo Fulgham, a former senior official with the U.S. Agency for International Development, says progress is slow. He mentors young Black foreign service officers, many of whom do not want to create waves and jeopardize their future by complaining about harassment at borders.
But Fulgham says he hopes Spears' account will help force change with the way minority U.S. diplomats are treated at U.S. border crossings.
"I do think there's hope with these young people because they're much more informed ... they blog and they talk to each other," he says. "And that's I think that's going to be helpful to getting more people to speak up."
Spears — who is now finishing work on a master's degree in international relations and hopes to work "to promote change in Black and brown communities by focusing on economic issues and promoting activism" — says writing about her experiences was cathartic.
"You have to understand how hard I worked to get there," she says. "And I did not want this to be taken from me. And that's what eventually happened in the end."


npr--2020-08-03--One Year After Walmart Massacre, El Paso Mourns — At A Distance

One Year After Walmart Massacre , El Paso Mourns — At A Distance Adria Gonzalez still remembers the blood , the screaming , the bodies .
On August 3 , 2019 , she was shopping with her mother at a Walmart Supercenter in El Paso , Texas , when a gunman opened fire with an AK-47 , killing 23 people and leaving more than two dozen others wounded .
`` It was terrible , '' Gonzalez told Lulu Garcia-Navarro of NPR 's Weekend Edition .
`` But that 's when I started to see people not knowing where to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in English vamonos , vamonos , let 's go ... and people were following me . ''
Gonzalez is credited with saving dozens of lives .
On Monday , she and El Paso are marking the anniversary of what authorities called the deliberate targeting of Latinos .
Federal prosecutors have charged a suspect with hate crimes ; he has pleaded not guilty .
Authorities say he wrote a racist and xenophobic screed before driving hundreds of miles to target the city where 80 % of residents are of Mexican descent .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's family , '' Gonzalez said .
`` I knew a lot of people who passed away in this tragic morning .
That 's how connected we are in El Paso . ''
El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said a family resilience center established after the shooting estimates the massacre directly affected more than 30,000 people in the border community .
On the day of the shooting , the Walmart was crowded with senior citizens , many of whom were depositing benefits checks that had just arrived , Angela Kocherga of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than half of the victims were over the age of 60 .
On Monday , in front of a row of hand-painted crosses bearing the names of the victims , 23 white doves were released in honor of those killed .
Other makeshift memorials have been designed to maintain physical distancing guidelines as the city mourns in the middle of a global pandemic .
Almost a half-million Texans have tested positive for the coronavirus .
Some mourners who live in Mexico have been unable to visit memorials or attend services because of coronavirus-related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paso Times .
`` Our standard greeting is an abrazo , '' Margo told CNN , using the Spanish word for embrace .
`` This pandemic says you ca n't do that , and it 's complicating who we are , our normal nature and culture . ''
Among the victims was David Johnson , who was killed as he tried to protect his granddaughter , Kaitlyn .
Her mother , Stephanie Melendez , told The Associated Press that Kaitlyn was planning on going to a summer camp for kids with post-traumatic stress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
`` You 're like , 'How can I do this again ? '
`` Melendez told the AP .
`` We survived one thing and then we get hit with something else . ''
Latinos have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus , and have been hospitalized at a rate four times higher than white Americans , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The pandemic , however , has given Gonzalez and her mother a new way to help the community .
She bought her mom a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an activity she describes as a kind of meditative therapy .
But fear persists .
As NPR 's Hannah Allam has reported , experts described the manifesto written by the suspect as a call-to-arms for white nationalists , part of a wave of racially motivated violence in recent years .
`` Our therapist tells us , you have to get out a little bit .
And we do , '' Gonzalez said .
`` But we sometimes are worried about , you know , who is going to attack us or who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if this is going to happen again . ''

One Year After Walmart Massacre, El Paso Mourns — At A Distance
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mario Tama/Getty Images Mario Tama/Getty Images
Adria Gonzalez still remembers the blood, the screaming, the bodies.
On August 3, 2019, she was shopping with her mother at a Walmart Supercenter in El Paso, Texas, when a gunman opened fire with an AK-47, killing 23 people and leaving more than two dozen others wounded.
"It was terrible," Gonzalez told Lulu Garcia-Navarro of NPR's Weekend Edition. "But that's when I started to see people not knowing where to go, and I started yelling in Spanish and in English vamonos, vamonos, let's go ... and people were following me."
Gonzalez is credited with saving dozens of lives.
On Monday, she and El Paso are marking the anniversary of what authorities called the deliberate targeting of Latinos. Federal prosecutors have charged a suspect with hate crimes; he has pleaded not guilty. Authorities say he wrote a racist and xenophobic screed before driving hundreds of miles to target the city where 80% of residents are of Mexican descent.
"I always say El Paso is familia. It's family," Gonzalez said. "I knew a lot of people who passed away in this tragic morning. That's how connected we are in El Paso."
El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said a family resilience center established after the shooting estimates the massacre directly affected more than 30,000 people in the border community. On the day of the shooting, the Walmart was crowded with senior citizens, many of whom were depositing benefits checks that had just arrived, Angela Kocherga of NPR member station KTEP reported. More than half of the victims were over the age of 60.
On Monday, in front of a row of hand-painted crosses bearing the names of the victims, 23 white doves were released in honor of those killed. Other makeshift memorials have been designed to maintain physical distancing guidelines as the city mourns in the middle of a global pandemic. Almost a half-million Texans have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Some mourners who live in Mexico have been unable to visit memorials or attend services because of coronavirus-related border restrictions, according to the El Paso Times.
"Our standard greeting is an abrazo," Margo told CNN, using the Spanish word for embrace. "This pandemic says you can't do that, and it's complicating who we are, our normal nature and culture."
Among the victims was David Johnson, who was killed as he tried to protect his granddaughter, Kaitlyn. Her mother, Stephanie Melendez, told The Associated Press that Kaitlyn was planning on going to a summer camp for kids with post-traumatic stress disorder when she tested positive for the coronavirus.
"You're like, 'How can I do this again?' " Melendez told the AP. "We survived one thing and then we get hit with something else."
Latinos have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus, and have been hospitalized at a rate four times higher than white Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The pandemic, however, has given Gonzalez and her mother a new way to help the community. She bought her mom a used sewing machine to make face coverings, an activity she describes as a kind of meditative therapy.
But fear persists. As NPR's Hannah Allam has reported, experts described the manifesto written by the suspect as a call-to-arms for white nationalists, part of a wave of racially motivated violence in recent years.
"Our therapist tells us, you have to get out a little bit. And we do," Gonzalez said. "But we sometimes are worried about, you know, who is going to attack us or who's going to judge us or what if this is going to happen again."


npr--2020-08-03--Airline Food For Sale. No Plane Ticket Required

Miss international travel ?
Why not recreate the experience in the comfort of your own home with some airplane food ?
A leading airline food company in Israel is offering its in-flight meals to the general public as a low-cost delivery option during the pandemic .
Tamam Kitchen , which services Israel 's El Al airlines , Turkish Airlines and other international carriers flying out of Tel Aviv , piloted the idea in late July as a way to stay in business .
The pandemic is still keeping most flights grounded and many of the company 's 550 workers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curve this spring , Tamam cooks were back into the kitchen stocking up for what they expected to be a busy summer travel season , but got stuck with lots of tiny meal trays instead .
`` We have to rethink and reinvent ourselves , '' said Nimrod Demajo , vice president of operations at Tamam , which is headquartered at Israel 's international airport in Tel Aviv .
`` We came up with this idea , and it was like , you know , like lightning strikes us . ''
The company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food trays gliding over a cloudy blue sky .
`` Fly to order ! ''
it says in Hebrew .
The meals are priced at as little as $ 3 a tray .
`` It 's a simple food , not , you know , so fancy , '' even though people enjoy it , said Demajo .
`` You stick it in the microwave , warm it up for five minutes , and then you have a meal . ''
Local media picked up on the story , and Israeli spoon-bending illusionist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his fans while unpacking his vegetarian and vegan trays .
`` Why not help a company in need ? ''
he said .
The company reports around 100 orders a day .
Customers include a Google employee working from home who bought kids meals for her children , a metal factory whose cafeteria supplier went out of business during the pandemic , an elder care facility that closed its dining room for social distancing , and a major company that bought meals for its employees to spice up an online video conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers , the company says , are senior citizens who have been isolated at home for months and are looking for cheap and easy meals , like London native Angie Elfassi .
`` I bought today chicken quarters with potatoes , peas and carrots in one tray .
Now , that 's a good lunch , '' she said in a telephone interview .
Trays for sale include fish cutlets in tomato sauce and couscous , sweet potato ravioli with green beans and black lentils , beef cutlets in mushroom sauce with rice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schnitzel bathed in a curry sauce .
Many come in the original packaging with the El Al logo imprinted on the peel-away plastic cover .
Tiny bottles of wine are not included .
Demajo , who used to work as a flight attendant , said the company 's most popular meals are the classic options he used to offer passengers flying economy : `` Chicken or beef ? ''

Airline Food For Sale. No Plane Ticket Required
Enlarge this image toggle caption Daniel Estrin/NPR Daniel Estrin/NPR
Miss international travel? Why not recreate the experience in the comfort of your own home with some airplane food?
A leading airline food company in Israel is offering its in-flight meals to the general public as a low-cost delivery option during the pandemic.
Tamam Kitchen, which services Israel's El Al airlines, Turkish Airlines and other international carriers flying out of Tel Aviv, piloted the idea in late July as a way to stay in business.
The pandemic is still keeping most flights grounded and many of the company's 550 workers are furloughed. After Israel flattened its coronavirus curve this spring, Tamam cooks were back into the kitchen stocking up for what they expected to be a busy summer travel season, but got stuck with lots of tiny meal trays instead.
"We have to rethink and reinvent ourselves," said Nimrod Demajo, vice president of operations at Tamam, which is headquartered at Israel's international airport in Tel Aviv. "We came up with this idea, and it was like, you know, like lightning strikes us."
The company's cheery video ad on Facebook features food trays gliding over a cloudy blue sky. "Fly to order!" it says in Hebrew. The meals are priced at as little as $3 a tray.
"It's a simple food, not, you know, so fancy," even though people enjoy it, said Demajo. "You stick it in the microwave, warm it up for five minutes, and then you have a meal."
Local media picked up on the story, and Israeli spoon-bending illusionist Uri Geller filmed a video message online for his fans while unpacking his vegetarian and vegan trays. "Why not help a company in need?" he said.
The company reports around 100 orders a day. Customers include a Google employee working from home who bought kids meals for her children, a metal factory whose cafeteria supplier went out of business during the pandemic, an elder care facility that closed its dining room for social distancing, and a major company that bought meals for its employees to spice up an online video conference.
A large portion of the new customers, the company says, are senior citizens who have been isolated at home for months and are looking for cheap and easy meals, like London native Angie Elfassi.
"I bought today chicken quarters with potatoes, peas and carrots in one tray. Now, that's a good lunch," she said in a telephone interview.
Trays for sale include fish cutlets in tomato sauce and couscous, sweet potato ravioli with green beans and black lentils, beef cutlets in mushroom sauce with rice topped with black beans, and chicken schnitzel bathed in a curry sauce. Many come in the original packaging with the El Al logo imprinted on the peel-away plastic cover. Tiny bottles of wine are not included.
Demajo, who used to work as a flight attendant, said the company's most popular meals are the classic options he used to offer passengers flying economy: "Chicken or beef?"


npr--2020-08-03--'They Know What A Pandemic Is': HIV Survivors See Similarities To AIDS Epidemic

'They Know What A Pandemic Is ' : HIV Survivors See Similarities To AIDS Epidemic In January , two weeks after Rick Solomon joined the YMCA near his home , he fell ill .
The 65-year-old Bay Area resident hoped to spend the month working out , instead he lay in bed wheezing , with crippling muscle aches .
He missed several days of work at a small publishing house .
`` I was sick for most of the month of February with a horrible cough like I 've never had before , '' said Solomon as he ran his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hair .
`` It went into my chest .
I used inhalers for the first time in my life . ''
He was never tested for the coronavirus because he had n't traveled overseas recently , which was one of the official requirements for testing at the time .
And although he has since tested negative for the virus ' antibodies , Solomon said he still believes he may have caught the bug .
`` The test the lab used was not FDA-approved , '' he said .
`` So who knows ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cold . ''
Solomon took the antibody test because he wanted to enroll in a study at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital looking at HIV-positive people infected with COVID-19 .
It 's a topic of special interest to researchers .
`` COVID is going to have a major impact on the trajectory of the HIV epidemic , '' said Dr. Steven Deeks , a University of California , San Francisco professor of medicine and HIV researcher .
`` We just do n't know how . ''
Infectious disease doctors assumed people with HIV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the novel coronavirus due to a weakened immune system .
Plus , the majority of HIV-positive people in the U.S. are older , and many struggle with underlying conditions such as heart disease and diabetes , which make illness from COVID-19 infection more severe .
Early in the outbreak , four of Dr. Edward `` Lalo '' Cachay 's patients were hospitalized for complications with COVID-19 .
Cachay , a professor of medicine at the University California , San Diego , said he feared the worst .
`` You could potentially have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and social determinants of health , '' Cachay said .
HIV patients are not only immunocompromised , but many also face psycho-social barriers such as poor health insurance and mental health issues .
But not only did Cachay 's four patients experience good outcomes , this positive trend is playing out across the globe .
`` People with HIV are radically underrepresented in the different cohorts coming from Europe and China with very advanced , severe forms of COVID-19 , '' Cachay said .
Two small studies from Spain and Italy show that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fare worse than those without HIV .
Scientists are not sure why .
`` The bottom line is we have no idea , '' Deeks said .
`` We have lots of interesting questions , lots of important questions and lots of anecdotes .
But at the end of day , we do n't have much data at all . ''
Cachay said he hopes a study he is involved in will offer concrete answers .
He 's partnering with scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factors might predict which HIV patients are most at risk ?
Do HIV patients who contract COVID-19 suffer severe illness ?
And are mortality rates higher in HIV patients who contract the novel coronavirus ?
`` I hope this study will help us disentangle the data more , '' Cachay said .
Some experts theorize daily HIV medications might offer some protection against the coronavirus .
Others wonder if the immune system of people with HIV is altered in a way that offers some resilience .
Or , perhaps , experience helps .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients , my older , primarily gay men who survived the '80s and '90s , were the first to effectively shelter in place because they know what a pandemic is , '' Deeks said .
`` They know how a virus can ravage a community .
They know how important social distancing is . ''
Dr. Michael Gottlieb , a UCLA HIV physician who identified the first cluster of HIV cases in 1981 , agrees .
`` They 've survived one virus , '' he said .
`` They do n't want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lessons learned in the '80s apply now John Schumacher , a 63-year-old soft spoken gay male , is a case in point .
Over the years , the long-term HIV survivor and community volunteer has faced many perilous moments with his health .
`` I 've learned to err on the side of caution , '' Schumacher said .
`` You know , to wear a condom if someone else wants to , wear gloves , to do what is safer or what seems safe , even if I may not agree .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he started washing his hands diligently and wore a mask before it was widely recommended .
He always carries hand sanitizer , and he said the same is true for his 31 housemates who are also HIV-positive .
The group shares a community house in San Francisco .
Fortunately , no one has tested positive for the coronavirus .
`` We think we had the training to do better in this pandemic , '' said Jesus Guillen of San Francisco .
`` We have experience at many of these things .
We know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For example , even though Guillen loves to socialize , he did n't balk when officials announced the stay-at-home directive because he understands all too well what 's at stake .
Over the years , the tall flamboyant Latino has lost many close friends , including his first American lover whom he met soon after crossing the Mexican border in 1984 .
`` I was with just one person , '' he sighs .
`` And sadly , he died one year later . ''
`` We got the real social distancing '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blond hair and a turquoise earring is a proud activist in San Francisco .
But when he first found out he was HIV-positive , he was a shy immigrant who did n't tell anyone .
`` In those times , they were not allowing people who were HIV-positive to stay in this country , '' he said .
But it was more than just fear of deportation that silenced Guillen .
In 1985 , a Los Angeles Times poll revealed a majority of Americans favored quarantining people with AIDS .
`` We got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a stigma , through homophobia , through all those things ; we got the real social distancing , '' he said .
At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak , memories from the '80s flooded back .
The Grand Princess cruise ship carrying passengers with COVID-19 was docking at the Port of Oakland when Guillen said he overheard a conversation on a bus .
`` She was a normal , average person saying , 'Why do they allow them to be right there in Oakland ?
They should be taking these people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` That took me back so much to the early '80s with HIV .
People wanted to put us in cages or places completely separate . ''
Four decades ago , no one could have imagined AIDS would kill more than 700,000 people in America , and more than 32 million people worldwide .
`` I thought that the very first case might just be a one-off phenomenon , '' said Gottlieb of UCLA .
`` We did n't even know that AIDS was caused by a virus .
We did n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the description of the first patients . ''
Scientists such as Gottlieb struggled to access funding to study HIV .
It took a couple of years before researchers understood how AIDS was transmitted .
Fear plagued gay neighborhoods such as the Castro in San Francisco .
People worried a cough or a toilet seat might be a death sentence .
`` You 'd go out in the street at night , and no one would be there , '' said Solomon , the 65-year-old Berkeley , Calif. , resident who is enrolled in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` And the bars were almost empty .
People did n't go out . ''
Throughout the '80s , Solomon kept a little notebook of names of people who died .
The list grew to more than 200 people .
He was not surprised when he tested positive in 1990 .
Even though HIV and the new coronavirus are not similar in genome , transmission or mortality , the experience of living through two plagues is hauntingly comparable .
`` The apocalyptic scenes of New York City ICUs overwhelmed with people with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days where patients with AIDS presented very late with pneumocystis pneumonia and required ventilators , '' Gottlieb said .
Other elements are also familiar .
Results from small studies are overblown .
Officials change course abruptly .
Public health is politicized .
Lives become statistics .
Headlines tout new cures .
Vaccines are promised .
And at the end of the day , individual actions save lives .
`` Back in the early '80s , the answer was condoms and fewer sexual partners , '' Gottlieb said .
`` Today , the answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change is essential in preventing the spread of both of these viruses . ''
But for many long-term HIV survivors the differences between the two pandemics shadow the similarities .
For years , HIV advocates and patients protested to garner government attention and funding .
`` We were literally fighting for our lives , '' Solomon said .
Today , many medical researchers said it 's difficult to find funding for projects that are n't the coronavirus .
Scientists mapped the entire COVID-19 genome and understood transmission within months , not years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , a few months into the coronavirus outbreak , some people have hit the streets demanding officials do less to protect society from the coronavirus .
`` In many ways , there 's no comparison , '' Guillen said , `` because in those days the reality is society in general did n't care . ''
Scientists may find a physiological reason HIV patients are weathering the coronavirus better than predicted .
But Guillen said he believes coping skills are playing a key role .
Long-term survivors have pushed up against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades , and yet `` we found ways to keep going , '' he said .

'They Know What A Pandemic Is': HIV Survivors See Similarities To AIDS Epidemic
toggle caption Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
In January, two weeks after Rick Solomon joined the YMCA near his home, he fell ill. The 65-year-old Bay Area resident hoped to spend the month working out, instead he lay in bed wheezing, with crippling muscle aches. He missed several days of work at a small publishing house.
"I was sick for most of the month of February with a horrible cough like I've never had before," said Solomon as he ran his fingers through his thick salt and pepper hair. "It went into my chest. I used inhalers for the first time in my life."
He was never tested for the coronavirus because he hadn't traveled overseas recently, which was one of the official requirements for testing at the time. And although he has since tested negative for the virus' antibodies, Solomon said he still believes he may have caught the bug.
Africa Kenyan Health Workers Manage COVID-19, HIV In Nairobi Kenyan Health Workers Manage COVID-19, HIV In Nairobi Listen · 3:52 3:52
"The test the lab used was not FDA-approved," he said. "So who knows? It was just a different kind of cold."
Solomon took the antibody test because he wanted to enroll in a study at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital looking at HIV-positive people infected with COVID-19. It's a topic of special interest to researchers.
"COVID is going to have a major impact on the trajectory of the HIV epidemic," said Dr. Steven Deeks, a University of California, San Francisco professor of medicine and HIV researcher. "We just don't know how."
Good outcomes for doctor's HIV-positive patients
Infectious disease doctors assumed people with HIV would be at higher risk for complications from the novel coronavirus due to a weakened immune system. Plus, the majority of HIV-positive people in the U.S. are older, and many struggle with underlying conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, which make illness from COVID-19 infection more severe.
Early in the outbreak, four of Dr. Edward "Lalo" Cachay's patients were hospitalized for complications with COVID-19. Cachay, a professor of medicine at the University California, San Diego, said he feared the worst.
"You could potentially have a very dangerous combination of both biological and social determinants of health," Cachay said.
HIV patients are not only immunocompromised, but many also face psycho-social barriers such as poor health insurance and mental health issues. But not only did Cachay's four patients experience good outcomes, this positive trend is playing out across the globe.
"People with HIV are radically underrepresented in the different cohorts coming from Europe and China with very advanced, severe forms of COVID-19," Cachay said.
Two small studies from Spain and Italy show that HIV-positive people infected with COVID-19 did not fare worse than those without HIV. Scientists are not sure why.
More questions than answers
"The bottom line is we have no idea," Deeks said. "We have lots of interesting questions, lots of important questions and lots of anecdotes. But at the end of day, we don't have much data at all."
Cachay said he hopes a study he is involved in will offer concrete answers. He's partnering with scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington to answer some key questions: What factors might predict which HIV patients are most at risk? Do HIV patients who contract COVID-19 suffer severe illness? And are mortality rates higher in HIV patients who contract the novel coronavirus?
"I hope this study will help us disentangle the data more," Cachay said.
Some experts theorize daily HIV medications might offer some protection against the coronavirus. Others wonder if the immune system of people with HIV is altered in a way that offers some resilience. Or, perhaps, experience helps.
"I am pretty sure that my patients, my older, primarily gay men who survived the '80s and '90s, were the first to effectively shelter in place because they know what a pandemic is," Deeks said. "They know how a virus can ravage a community. They know how important social distancing is."
Dr. Michael Gottlieb, a UCLA HIV physician who identified the first cluster of HIV cases in 1981, agrees.
"They've survived one virus," he said. "They don't want to be nabbed by this one."
Lessons learned in the '80s apply now
John Schumacher, a 63-year-old soft spoken gay male, is a case in point. Over the years, the long-term HIV survivor and community volunteer has faced many perilous moments with his health.
"I've learned to err on the side of caution," Schumacher said. "You know, to wear a condom if someone else wants to, wear gloves, to do what is safer or what seems safe, even if I may not agree."
When the coronavirus started spreading, he started washing his hands diligently and wore a mask before it was widely recommended. He always carries hand sanitizer, and he said the same is true for his 31 housemates who are also HIV-positive. The group shares a community house in San Francisco. Fortunately, no one has tested positive for the coronavirus.
"We think we had the training to do better in this pandemic," said Jesus Guillen of San Francisco. "We have experience at many of these things. We know how to push past barriers."
For example, even though Guillen loves to socialize, he didn't balk when officials announced the stay-at-home directive because he understands all too well what's at stake. Over the years, the tall flamboyant Latino has lost many close friends, including his first American lover whom he met soon after crossing the Mexican border in 1984.
"I was with just one person," he sighs. "And sadly, he died one year later."
"We got the real social distancing"
Today, the 65-year-old with spiky bleached blond hair and a turquoise earring is a proud activist in San Francisco. But when he first found out he was HIV-positive, he was a shy immigrant who didn't tell anyone.
"In those times, they were not allowing people who were HIV-positive to stay in this country," he said.
But it was more than just fear of deportation that silenced Guillen. In 1985, a Los Angeles Times poll revealed a majority of Americans favored quarantining people with AIDS.
"We got the social distancing through discrimination, through a stigma, through homophobia, through all those things; we got the real social distancing," he said.
At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, memories from the '80s flooded back. The Grand Princess cruise ship carrying passengers with COVID-19 was docking at the Port of Oakland when Guillen said he overheard a conversation on a bus.
"She was a normal, average person saying, 'Why do they allow them to be right there in Oakland? They should be taking these people to an island,' " he recounted. "That took me back so much to the early '80s with HIV. People wanted to put us in cages or places completely separate."
Hauntingly similar
Four decades ago, no one could have imagined AIDS would kill more than 700,000 people in America, and more than 32 million people worldwide.
"I thought that the very first case might just be a one-off phenomenon," said Gottlieb of UCLA. "We didn't even know that AIDS was caused by a virus. We didn't know that for two full years after the description of the first patients."
Scientists such as Gottlieb struggled to access funding to study HIV. It took a couple of years before researchers understood how AIDS was transmitted. Fear plagued gay neighborhoods such as the Castro in San Francisco. People worried a cough or a toilet seat might be a death sentence.
"You'd go out in the street at night, and no one would be there," said Solomon, the 65-year-old Berkeley, Calif., resident who is enrolled in a COVID-19 study at San Francisco General. "And the bars were almost empty. People didn't go out."
Throughout the '80s, Solomon kept a little notebook of names of people who died. The list grew to more than 200 people. He was not surprised when he tested positive in 1990.
Even though HIV and the new coronavirus are not similar in genome, transmission or mortality, the experience of living through two plagues is hauntingly comparable.
"The apocalyptic scenes of New York City ICUs overwhelmed with people with COVID-19 pneumonia remind me of our early days where patients with AIDS presented very late with pneumocystis pneumonia and required ventilators," Gottlieb said.
Other elements are also familiar. Results from small studies are overblown. Officials change course abruptly. Public health is politicized. Lives become statistics. Headlines tout new cures. Vaccines are promised. And at the end of the day, individual actions save lives.
"Back in the early '80s, the answer was condoms and fewer sexual partners," Gottlieb said. "Today, the answer is masks and social distancing. Behavior change is essential in preventing the spread of both of these viruses."
Piercing differences
But for many long-term HIV survivors the differences between the two pandemics shadow the similarities.
For years, HIV advocates and patients protested to garner government attention and funding.
"We were literally fighting for our lives," Solomon said.
Today, many medical researchers said it's difficult to find funding for projects that aren't the coronavirus. Scientists mapped the entire COVID-19 genome and understood transmission within months, not years, after initial infections broke out in China.
Now, a few months into the coronavirus outbreak, some people have hit the streets demanding officials do less to protect society from the coronavirus.
"In many ways, there's no comparison," Guillen said, "because in those days the reality is society in general didn't care."
Scientists may find a physiological reason HIV patients are weathering the coronavirus better than predicted. But Guillen said he believes coping skills are playing a key role. Long-term survivors have pushed up against disinterest, oppression and even disgust for decades, and yet "we found ways to keep going," he said.


npr--2020-08-03--Hurricane Isaias Expected To Make Landfall In Carolinas

The National Hurricane Center is warning residents of the Carolinas to brace for the effects of Isaias , which has regained hurricane strength and is expected to make landfall in northeastern South Carolina and southern North Carolina by Monday evening .
The storm is expected to linger in North Carolina on Monday , traveling inland through the night before swirling up the Mid-Atlantic coast and into the northeastern United States on Tuesday night .
`` Heavy rainfall along the East Coast , near the path of Isaias , will result in flash and urban flooding , some of which may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through Wednesday .
Widespread minor to moderate river flooding is possible across portions of the Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic .
Quick-responding rivers in Northeast will also be susceptible to minor river flooding , '' the National Hurricane Center said in its 8 p.m .
ET storm update .
The center warned that tornadoes are also possible over the coastal Carolinas through Tuesday evening and through eastern Virginia and New England on Tuesday as well .
The storm has already affected parts of Florida , having grazed the east coast of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , dumping some 2 to 4 inches of rain and knocking out power for a few hundred customers , according to the Miami Herald .
Officials are warning of a potentially more severe outcome in some parts of North and South Carolina , particularly in the stretch from the South Santee River in South Carolina to Surf City , N.C. , a region that 's under a hurricane warning .
Areas spanning from the coastal waters of Georgia up to the Virginia coast could see several feet of storm surge as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic .
In crowded storm shelters , it may be difficult to maintain social distancing to prevent the virus 's spread .
In a Sunday tweet , North Carolina Gov .
Roy Cooper acknowledged the complications of managing both a pandemic and a hurricane at the same time .
`` Our state has weathered more than our fair share of storms , '' he said .
`` We know how to plan , prepare & respond when it 's over .
Nothing about that has changed .
But this time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mask on .
Helping your neighbors & loved ones is even more important as this storm approaches . ''

Isaias Makes Landfall In North Carolina
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sean Rayford/Getty Images Sean Rayford/Getty Images
Updated at 5:10 a.m. ET Tuesday
The National Hurricane Center says Isaias came ashore near Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., on Monday just after 11 p.m. ET with sustained winds of 85 mph, but it lost some of its steam within hours, weakening into a tropical storm.
The system was expected to swirl up the Mid-Atlantic coast and into the northeastern United States on Tuesday night.
As of 5 a.m. ET Tuesday, the storm was located about 15 miles southeast of Roanoke Rapids, N.C., and 85 miles west-southwest of Norfolk, Va., with sustained winds of 70 mph.
"Heavy rainfall along the East Coast, near the path of Isaias, will result in flash and urban flooding, some of which may be significant in the eastern Carolinas, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through Wednesday. Widespread minor to moderate river flooding is possible across portions of the Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic. Quick-responding rivers in Northeast will also be susceptible to minor river flooding," the National Hurricane Center said.
The center warned that tornadoes are also possible over the coastal Carolinas through Tuesday evening and through eastern Virginia and New England on Tuesday as well.
The storm had already affected parts of Florida, having grazed the east coast of the state as a tropical storm on Sunday, dumping some 2 to 4 inches of rain and knocking out power for a few hundred customers, according to the Miami Herald.
Officials warned of a potentially more severe outcome in some parts of North and South Carolina, particularly in the stretch from the South Santee River in South Carolina to Surf City, N.C., a region that's under a hurricane warning.
Areas spanning from the coastal waters of Georgia up to the Virginia coast could see several feet of storm surge as the storm progresses.
Further complicating matters is the coronavirus pandemic. In crowded storm shelters, it may be difficult to maintain social distancing to prevent the virus's spread.
In a Sunday tweet, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper acknowledged the complications of managing both a pandemic and a hurricane at the same time.
"Our state has weathered more than our fair share of storms," he said. "We know how to plan, prepare & respond when it's over. Nothing about that has changed. But this time, we're gonna do it with a mask on. Helping your neighbors & loved ones is even more important as this storm approaches."


npr--2020-08-03--WHO Chief Warns 'There Might Never Be' A Silver Bullet For Coronavirus

WHO Chief Warns 'There Might Never Be ' A Silver Bullet For Coronavirus Despite progress made on a vaccine against COVID-19 , `` there 's no silver bullet at the moment and there might never be , '' the World Health Organization 's director-general warned on Monday .
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus ' words marked six months since the organization declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern .
Tedros said that at that point , on Jan. 30 , `` there were fewer than 100 cases and no deaths outside of China . ''
Three months later , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 and more than 200,000 deaths .
Six months on , the figures have only worsened : now 18.1 million global cases and more than 690,000 deaths , according to the tracker at Johns Hopkins University .
Tedros noted multiple vaccine candidates are in the third phase of clinical trials and expressed hope that a number of them will be effective to prevent infection by the coronavirus .
But until then , the world is reliant on `` the basics '' of disease control , he said : '' Testing , isolating and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their contacts .
Do it all .
`` Inform , empower and listen to communities .
Do it all .
`` For individuals , it 's about keeping physical distance , wearing a mask , cleaning hands regularly and coughing safely away from others .
Do it all .
`` The message to people and governments is clear : Do it all . ''
And when the disease is under control , he urged , `` Keep going ! ''
Phase three testing is designed to see if a vaccine candidate actually prevents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 31 , six vaccine candidates are in phase three .
Last week , the vaccine candidate made by the U.S. biotech company Moderna and developed in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health entered phase three of testing .
`` Up to 30,000 volunteers will be assigned to one of two groups , '' NPR 's Joe Palca explained .
`` One group will receive two injections spaced approximately 28 days apart of mRNA-1273 , as the vaccine is known .
The other group will receive an injection containing only salt water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administering the injection will know what 's in the syringe in order to avoid bias in favor of one outcome or another .
Of course , people running the trial will know who is getting what . ''
Researchers will then monitor both groups to see who , if any , gets sick .
So far , six vaccine candidates have joined Operation Warp Speed , the Trump administration 's push to have a coronavirus vaccine widely available by early 2021 .
Not all the candidates in Operation Warp Speed have reached phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already registered their interest in participating in clinical trials , the top U.S. infectious disease specialist said last week .
Dr. Anthony Fauci urged Americans to sign up at CoronavirusPreventionNetwork.org `` so that you can be part of the solution of this terrible scourge . ''

WHO Chief Warns 'There Might Never Be' A Silver Bullet For Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Fabrice Coffrini/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Fabrice Coffrini/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Despite progress made on a vaccine against COVID-19, "there's no silver bullet at the moment and there might never be," the World Health Organization's director-general warned on Monday.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus' words marked six months since the organization declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern. Tedros said that at that point, on Jan. 30, "there were fewer than 100 cases and no deaths outside of China." Three months later, the world had 3 million reported cases of COVID-19 and more than 200,000 deaths.
Six months on, the figures have only worsened: now 18.1 million global cases and more than 690,000 deaths, according to the tracker at Johns Hopkins University.
Tedros noted multiple vaccine candidates are in the third phase of clinical trials and expressed hope that a number of them will be effective to prevent infection by the coronavirus.
But until then, the world is reliant on "the basics" of disease control, he said:
"Testing, isolating and treating patients, and tracing and quarantining their contacts. Do it all. "Inform, empower and listen to communities. Do it all. "For individuals, it's about keeping physical distance, wearing a mask, cleaning hands regularly and coughing safely away from others. Do it all. "The message to people and governments is clear: Do it all."
And when the disease is under control, he urged, "Keep going!"
Phase three testing is designed to see if a vaccine candidate actually prevents disease. WHO reports that as of July 31, six vaccine candidates are in phase three.
Last week, the vaccine candidate made by the U.S. biotech company Moderna and developed in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health entered phase three of testing.
"Up to 30,000 volunteers will be assigned to one of two groups," NPR's Joe Palca explained. "One group will receive two injections spaced approximately 28 days apart of mRNA-1273, as the vaccine is known. The other group will receive an injection containing only salt water. Neither the volunteer nor the person administering the injection will know what's in the syringe in order to avoid bias in favor of one outcome or another. Of course, people running the trial will know who is getting what."
Researchers will then monitor both groups to see who, if any, gets sick.
So far, six vaccine candidates have joined Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration's push to have a coronavirus vaccine widely available by early 2021. Not all the candidates in Operation Warp Speed have reached phase three.
More than 250,000 people have already registered their interest in participating in clinical trials, the top U.S. infectious disease specialist said last week. Dr. Anthony Fauci urged Americans to sign up at CoronavirusPreventionNetwork.org "so that you can be part of the solution of this terrible scourge."