npr--2020-05-19--Shakespeare's Globe May Not Survive Pandemic, U.K. Lawmakers Warn

A short plea on the website of Shakespeare 's Globe theater underscores a bleak truth : `` As a charity that receives no regular government subsidy , we desperately need your support , more than ever before . ''
The British cultural staple is in danger of closing permanently if it does not receive adequate funding to make up for losses from coronavirus-related lockdowns , according to the theater 's leadership and documents from Parliament 's Digital , Culture , Media and Sport Committee .
The theater is a replica of the original Globe Theatre , built in the late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Shakespeare belonged .
The venue saw the debut of many of the Bard 's plays , but it burned down in 1613 .
The current Globe is near the site of the original , on the banks of the River Thames , and has been a London icon and tourist destination since its opening in 1997 .
Because the Globe is not funded by the country 's Arts Council England , it has been unable to qualify for any of the 160 million pounds ( nearly $ 200 million ) of emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Instead , the theater depends on ticket sales , workshops and other revenue streams that require in-person contact .
`` A little bit like every freelancer , it 's very hand to mouth , '' the Globe 's artistic director , Michelle Terry , told BBC Radio .
`` So when that income stops , we have the few reserves we 've got in the bank .
It 's sort of like whatever savings you 've got , that 's how long you 'll last . ''
In Parliament , Julian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Culture , Media and Sport Committee , has raised alarm bells about the impact of COVID-19 closures on many of the country 's cultural institutions .
Knight expressed concern for Shakespeare 's Globe in a letter Monday to Oliver Dowden , the secretary of state for digital , culture , media and sport .
`` Today the DCMS Committee is publishing evidence that lays bare the scale of the challenge facing the cultural sector , particularly [ theaters ] , '' Knight wrote in the letter .
`` The threat to the UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freelance producers who are 'falling through the cracks ' of the Government 's support for the self-employed and Arts Council England 's emergency funding , to world-renowned institutions such as Shakespeare 's Globe warning of insolvency and closure . ''
In response , the theater tweeted a statement from its CEO , Neil Constable .
Constable expressed gratitude for Parliament 's attention and urged the need for government support for many cultural institutions to stay open .
`` We are proudly a part of the UK 's national identity and cultural landscape , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depends on help from the Government to get us through this lockdown period , '' his statement said .
`` As we receive no regular public funding , like other independent organizations ... we are in a very precarious position financially . ''
The Globe is streaming several of its plays for free on YouTube , including its most recent rendition of `` Macbeth , '' which had just begun performances when the theater was forced to close in March .

Shakespeare's Globe May Not Survive Pandemic, U.K. Lawmakers Warn
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
A short plea on the website of Shakespeare's Globe theater underscores a bleak truth: "As a charity that receives no regular government subsidy, we desperately need your support, more than ever before."
The British cultural staple is in danger of closing permanently if it does not receive adequate funding to make up for losses from coronavirus-related lockdowns, according to the theater's leadership and documents from Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
The theater is a replica of the original Globe Theatre, built in the late 16th century by the theater company to which Shakespeare belonged. The venue saw the debut of many of the Bard's plays, but it burned down in 1613. The current Globe is near the site of the original, on the banks of the River Thames, and has been a London icon and tourist destination since its opening in 1997.
Because the Globe is not funded by the country's Arts Council England, it has been unable to qualify for any of the 160 million pounds (nearly $200 million) of emergency funding designed to support venues such as it. Instead, the theater depends on ticket sales, workshops and other revenue streams that require in-person contact.
"A little bit like every freelancer, it's very hand to mouth," the Globe's artistic director, Michelle Terry, told BBC Radio. "So when that income stops, we have the few reserves we've got in the bank. It's sort of like whatever savings you've got, that's how long you'll last."
In Parliament, Julian Knight, chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, has raised alarm bells about the impact of COVID-19 closures on many of the country's cultural institutions. Knight expressed concern for Shakespeare's Globe in a letter Monday to Oliver Dowden, the secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport.
"Today the DCMS Committee is publishing evidence that lays bare the scale of the challenge facing the cultural sector, particularly [theaters]," Knight wrote in the letter. "The threat to the UK's cultural landscape is stark, from freelance producers who are 'falling through the cracks' of the Government's support for the self-employed and Arts Council England's emergency funding, to world-renowned institutions such as Shakespeare's Globe warning of insolvency and closure."
In response, the theater tweeted a statement from its CEO, Neil Constable. Constable expressed gratitude for Parliament's attention and urged the need for government support for many cultural institutions to stay open.
"We are proudly a part of the UK's national identity and cultural landscape, and our survival as an organization largely depends on help from the Government to get us through this lockdown period," his statement said. "As we receive no regular public funding, like other independent organizations ... we are in a very precarious position financially."
The Globe is streaming several of its plays for free on YouTube, including its most recent rendition of "Macbeth," which had just begun performances when the theater was forced to close in March.


npr--2020-05-19--U.S., Canada Agree To Keep Border Partly Closed For Another 30 Days

U.S. , Canada Agree To Keep Border Partly Closed For Another 30 Days The U.S. and Canada have extended an order closing their shared border to nonessential traffic .
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the decision Tuesday , prolonging for a second time an agreement was initially reached in March .
The move delays the border 's reopening by another 30 days , until June 21 .
The prime minister also made clear that another delay after that may well be in the cards .
`` As we 've seen , the decisions that we 're taking are very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The situation is changing rapidly , and we 're adjusting constantly to get that balance right , between keeping people safe and restoring a semblance of normality and economic activity that we all rely on , '' Trudeau added during a news conference outside the prime minister 's residence in Ottawa .
`` We 're gon na keep making those decisions as time goes on . ''
President Trump appeared to confirm the agreement in his comments after a separate event Tuesday at the White House — but expressed an eagerness to reopen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clean up in terms of the plague . ''
`` We 're both going to want to do the normal , '' he told reporters .
`` We want to get back everything .
We want to get back to normal . ''
It has been roughly two months since travelers could cross the U.S.-Canada border as tourists because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Since the restrictions took effect by mutual agreement on March 21 , only emergency personnel and people crossing for things like work , education or immediate medical care have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. and Mexico have a similar deal in place along their own shared border .
During his briefing Tuesday , Trudeau said that officials in both Canada and the U.S. will be using the delay to mull what their options are for lifting the travel restrictions and widely reopening business .
Currently the U.S. , which is suffering the world 's largest outbreak , outpaces its northern neighbor in number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus — roughly 1.5 million to 80,000 , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we need to do more to ensure that travelers who are coming back from overseas or from the United States , as Canadians , are properly followed up on , are properly isolated and do n't become further vectors for the spread of COVID-19 , '' the Canadian leader said , adding : `` We need to have strong measures in place , and we 're looking at those closely . ''

U.S., Canada Agree To Keep Border Partly Closed For Another 30 Days
Enlarge this image toggle caption Elaine Thompson/AP Elaine Thompson/AP
Updated at 3:35 p.m. ET
The U.S. and Canada have extended an order closing their shared border to nonessential traffic. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the decision Tuesday, prolonging for a second time an agreement was initially reached in March.
The move delays the border's reopening by another 30 days, until June 21. The prime minister also made clear that another delay after that may well be in the cards.
"As we've seen, the decisions that we're taking are very much made week-to-week in this crisis. The situation is changing rapidly, and we're adjusting constantly to get that balance right, between keeping people safe and restoring a semblance of normality and economic activity that we all rely on," Trudeau added during a news conference outside the prime minister's residence in Ottawa.
"We're gonna keep making those decisions as time goes on."
President Trump appeared to confirm the agreement in his comments after a separate event Tuesday at the White House — but expressed an eagerness to reopen the border "as soon as things clean up in terms of the plague."
"We're both going to want to do the normal," he told reporters. "We want to get back everything. We want to get back to normal."
It has been roughly two months since travelers could cross the U.S.-Canada border as tourists because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the restrictions took effect by mutual agreement on March 21, only emergency personnel and people crossing for things like work, education or immediate medical care have been able to pass through security.
The U.S. and Mexico have a similar deal in place along their own shared border.
During his briefing Tuesday, Trudeau said that officials in both Canada and the U.S. will be using the delay to mull what their options are for lifting the travel restrictions and widely reopening business. Currently the U.S., which is suffering the world's largest outbreak, outpaces its northern neighbor in number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus — roughly 1.5 million to 80,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
"Even now, we know that we need to do more to ensure that travelers who are coming back from overseas or from the United States, as Canadians, are properly followed up on, are properly isolated and don't become further vectors for the spread of COVID-19," the Canadian leader said, adding: "We need to have strong measures in place, and we're looking at those closely."


npr--2020-05-19--Years Before The Pandemic, War Games Predicted A 'Global Tempest'

One day in early March , as the coronavirus was spreading across the country , Margaret McCown was in her office at the Pentagon figuring out how her staff could work from home .
As McCown went over the logistics , she began to feel a sense of déjà vu .
A pandemic .
Government on alert .
Schools and offices closing .
It was a scenario she had seen before .
Just not in real life .
`` That was that uncomfortable moment where you find yourself a little bit living in your own war game , '' McCown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was a war gamer at the National Defense University , McCown spent two years running pandemic simulations for senior policymakers .
The scenario : A novel flu strain is racing across the planet .
The virus is deadly and highly contagious ; U.S. officials are trying to contain the outbreak before it hits the United States .
( Spoiler : They do n't succeed . )
McCown called the first exercise `` Global Tempest . ''
In the office that day in March , she dug out an article she 'd written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The title was `` Wargaming the Flu . ''
`` As I looked through it , I was realizing the extent to which it had really identified some of the things that we were living and some of the debates I was seeing on TV , '' she said .
In McCown 's simulations , as in several others in the early 2000s , participants foresaw an overwhelmed health care industry struggling to respond to unprecedented demand .
McCown 's teams worried about the number of ventilators and hospital beds .
What 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gamers also identified the many ways a pandemic could disrupt ordinary life .
`` People 's ability to take time off work or having sick leave would impact their ability to abide by social distancing , '' McCown said .
`` And that decisions like when you close schools and so forth would come to be important . ''
McCown 's pandemic series involved senior leaders from federal agencies , Congress and the Pentagon .
Those and other games of that era predicted , in detail , much of the fallout the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question is : Where 's the disconnect between years of gaming out pandemic strategies and the chaotic response on display now ?
War gamers say it 's not their job to tell leaders what to do – they just shepherd officials through their options , trying to get them to think strategically about the potential consequences of different policies .
In the end , the decisions on national security priorities are up to those in power .
And for a number of reasons , current and former officials say , the specter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top of the list .
Administrations came and went , each with its own national security agenda .
And in the years after the Sept. 11 attacks , the focus was on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq , and terrorist groups such as al-Qaida and , later , ISIS .
Unlike a virus , those threats were visible and tangible .
`` Pandemic may not have waned in importance , but other national security issues kind of crowded attention more , '' McCown said .
McCown 's flu series was part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rose in the decade after the Sept. 11 attacks .
The exercises had ominous names : Dark Winter , Clade X , Atlantic Storm .
And they did n't end well .
Some teams faced catastrophic death tolls and riots in the streets .
The participants in McCown 's games grew pessimistic that medical interventions could catch up with the damage caused by the virus .
By the end of the series , she said , the teams were `` focusing more on what would you do if none of those worked or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
They discussed nightmare scenarios of poultry culling and civil unrest .
`` All told , exercises moved away from what could be characterized as an emergency response understanding of the problem toward a more public health understanding , '' McCown concluded in her report .
Sen. Pat Roberts , a Kansas Republican who 's been in Congress nearly 40 years , took part in some of the earliest pandemic games , including McCown 's series .
Through the Senate Agriculture Committee , he 's also helped shape U.S. responses to real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , he recognized the severity right away .
It was the big one he 'd been dreading for years .
`` We worked on African swine fever — that 's H1N1 — and also the avian flu , and now we 're working very hard on COVID-19 , '' Roberts said .
`` So , yeah , this is not my first rodeo . ''
Roberts said each experience was instructive – and alarming .
It became clear to him that the nation needed to prepare for a potentially catastrophic pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bioterrorism or a virus transmitted from animals to humans .
`` From time to time , there were all these warnings , and we were trying to get the attention of all the intelligence agencies : Move this to the top of the line , '' Roberts said .
`` I do n't know how many times I asked the CIA when I was the intel chairman . ''
The senator said he ca n't divulge the CIA 's specific response , but he said the outbreak threat just never stuck as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it : `` You could never get it in the top 10 . ''
The Pentagon 's McCown said there are lessons and limits to war games .
No simulation can prevent a deadly new virus from snowballing into a pandemic .
But she said there 's value in `` creating that space for people to think through problems in a hypothetical set of circumstances . ''
Fourteen years after her first pandemic simulation , McCown said , the experience is coming in handy at work and at home .
`` When I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down my doorknob and picking up delivery groceries and so forth , '' she said , `` I 'm thinking through [ the ] big picture of why am I doing this , and , you know , not just the nuisance factor . ''

Years Before The Pandemic, War Games Predicted A 'Global Tempest'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
One day in early March, as the coronavirus was spreading across the country, Margaret McCown was in her office at the Pentagon figuring out how her staff could work from home.
As McCown went over the logistics, she began to feel a sense of déjà vu.
A pandemic. Government on alert. Schools and offices closing. It was a scenario she had seen before. Just not in real life.
"That was that uncomfortable moment where you find yourself a little bit living in your own war game," McCown said.
Starting in 2006, when she was a war gamer at the National Defense University, McCown spent two years running pandemic simulations for senior policymakers. The scenario: A novel flu strain is racing across the planet. The virus is deadly and highly contagious; U.S. officials are trying to contain the outbreak before it hits the United States. (Spoiler: They don't succeed.)
McCown called the first exercise "Global Tempest." In the office that day in March, she dug out an article she'd written about it for a defense journal. The title was "Wargaming the Flu."
"As I looked through it, I was realizing the extent to which it had really identified some of the things that we were living and some of the debates I was seeing on TV," she said.
In McCown's simulations, as in several others in the early 2000s, participants foresaw an overwhelmed health care industry struggling to respond to unprecedented demand. McCown's teams worried about the number of ventilators and hospital beds.
What's more interesting to McCown is that the gamers also identified the many ways a pandemic could disrupt ordinary life.
"People's ability to take time off work or having sick leave would impact their ability to abide by social distancing," McCown said. "And that decisions like when you close schools and so forth would come to be important."
McCown's pandemic series involved senior leaders from federal agencies, Congress and the Pentagon. Those and other games of that era predicted, in detail, much of the fallout the government is struggling with now. So the question is: Where's the disconnect between years of gaming out pandemic strategies and the chaotic response on display now?
War gamers say it's not their job to tell leaders what to do – they just shepherd officials through their options, trying to get them to think strategically about the potential consequences of different policies. In the end, the decisions on national security priorities are up to those in power. And for a number of reasons, current and former officials say, the specter of a pandemic never made it to the top of the list.
Administrations came and went, each with its own national security agenda. And in the years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the focus was on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and terrorist groups such as al-Qaida and, later, ISIS. Unlike a virus, those threats were visible and tangible.
"Pandemic may not have waned in importance, but other national security issues kind of crowded attention more," McCown said.
McCown's flu series was part of a trend in pandemic war gaming that rose in the decade after the Sept. 11 attacks. The exercises had ominous names: Dark Winter, Clade X, Atlantic Storm. And they didn't end well. Some teams faced catastrophic death tolls and riots in the streets.
The participants in McCown's games grew pessimistic that medical interventions could catch up with the damage caused by the virus. By the end of the series, she said, the teams were "focusing more on what would you do if none of those worked or took a long time to become available." They discussed nightmare scenarios of poultry culling and civil unrest.
"All told, exercises moved away from what could be characterized as an emergency response understanding of the problem toward a more public health understanding," McCown concluded in her report.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times via AP Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times via AP
Sen. Pat Roberts, a Kansas Republican who's been in Congress nearly 40 years, took part in some of the earliest pandemic games, including McCown's series. Through the Senate Agriculture Committee, he's also helped shape U.S. responses to real outbreaks. When the coronavirus hit, he said, he recognized the severity right away. It was the big one he'd been dreading for years.
"We worked on African swine fever — that's H1N1 — and also the avian flu, and now we're working very hard on COVID-19," Roberts said. "So, yeah, this is not my first rodeo."
Roberts said each experience was instructive – and alarming. It became clear to him that the nation needed to prepare for a potentially catastrophic pandemic, whether caused by an act of bioterrorism or a virus transmitted from animals to humans.
Europe Trump's Criticisms Of NATO Not Apparent As It Holds Largest War Games Since Cold War Trump's Criticisms Of NATO Not Apparent As It Holds Largest War Games Since Cold War Listen · 3:18 3:18
"From time to time, there were all these warnings, and we were trying to get the attention of all the intelligence agencies: Move this to the top of the line," Roberts said. "I don't know how many times I asked the CIA when I was the intel chairman."
The senator said he can't divulge the CIA's specific response, but he said the outbreak threat just never stuck as a national security priority. As Roberts put it: "You could never get it in the top 10."
The Pentagon's McCown said there are lessons and limits to war games. No simulation can prevent a deadly new virus from snowballing into a pandemic. But she said there's value in "creating that space for people to think through problems in a hypothetical set of circumstances."
Fourteen years after her first pandemic simulation, McCown said, the experience is coming in handy at work and at home.
"When I'm Cloroxing my car keys and wiping down my doorknob and picking up delivery groceries and so forth," she said, "I'm thinking through [the] big picture of why am I doing this, and, you know, not just the nuisance factor."


npr--2020-05-19--Facebook Launches Virtual Shopping Mall, Saying It Will Help Small Businesses

Facebook Launches Virtual Shopping Mall , Saying It Will Help Small Businesses Facebook is making a big push into online shopping by letting businesses set up free storefronts on its social network and Instagram .
Businesses can feature items in their shops , advertise them to users , and communicate with customers through the company 's messaging services .
Shops will eventually be integrated across Facebook 's apps , including WhatsApp and Messenger .
Shoppers can buy products either through links to the businesses ' own websites or by using Instagram 's checkout feature , which enables purchasing within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook in the future .
The company has been looking to make commerce a bigger part of its business in a bid to capture users ' time and new sources of revenue .
CEO Mark Zuckerberg said those efforts have ramped up because of the coronavirus pandemic , which has left many of the 160 million small businesses that use Facebook 's apps struggling .
`` We 're seeing a lot of small businesses that never had online presences get online for the first time , and we 're seeing small businesses that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary way of doing business , '' he said in a livestreamed announcement Tuesday .
`` For lots of small businesses during this period , this is the difference between staying afloat and going under . ''
Facebook will not charge businesses to create virtual storefronts , Zuckerberg said .
`` We know that if [ Facebook ] Shops are valuable for businesses they 're going to in general want to bid more for ads .
We 'll eventually make money that way , '' he said , noting that small businesses make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook advertisers .
Facebook first launched the checkout feature last year on Instagram in the U.S. , letting people stay in the app to complete their purchases .
Instagram takes a cut of each sale .
Editor 's note : Facebook is among NPR 's financial supporters .

Facebook Launches Virtual Shopping Mall, Saying It Will Help Small Businesses
Enlarge this image toggle caption Facebook Facebook
Facebook is making a big push into online shopping by letting businesses set up free storefronts on its social network and Instagram.
Businesses can feature items in their shops, advertise them to users, and communicate with customers through the company's messaging services. Shops will eventually be integrated across Facebook's apps, including WhatsApp and Messenger.
Shoppers can buy products either through links to the businesses' own websites or by using Instagram's checkout feature, which enables purchasing within the app. Checkout will become available on Facebook in the future.
The company has been looking to make commerce a bigger part of its business in a bid to capture users' time and new sources of revenue. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said those efforts have ramped up because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has left many of the 160 million small businesses that use Facebook's apps struggling.
"We're seeing a lot of small businesses that never had online presences get online for the first time, and we're seeing small businesses that had online presences now make them their primary way of doing business," he said in a livestreamed announcement Tuesday. "For lots of small businesses during this period, this is the difference between staying afloat and going under."
Facebook will not charge businesses to create virtual storefronts, Zuckerberg said.
"We know that if [Facebook] Shops are valuable for businesses they're going to in general want to bid more for ads. We'll eventually make money that way," he said, noting that small businesses make up "the vast majority" of Facebook advertisers.
Facebook first launched the checkout feature last year on Instagram in the U.S., letting people stay in the app to complete their purchases. Instagram takes a cut of each sale.
Editor's note: Facebook is among NPR's financial supporters.


npr--2020-05-19--Maryland Reports Largest Rise Yet In Coronavirus Cases 4 Days After Reopening

Maryland Reports Largest Rise Yet In Coronavirus Cases 4 Days After Reopening The Maryland Department of Health reported 1,784 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday , setting a new high mark four days after the state began reopening its economy .
Maryland is now reporting 41,546 cases , including nearly 2,000 people who have died from the disease .
Along with the new positive tests , 5,368 people tested negative for the coronavirus in the 24 hours leading up to 10 a.m .
ET — meaning roughly 25 % of the 7,152 tests in that period resulted in positive diagnoses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than two weeks after Maryland 's previous high of 1,730 cases , The Baltimore Sun reported .
The overall number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Maryland fell by 26 to 1,421 , the health department said .
Of that number , 537 people are in intensive care .
Maryland remains under a state of emergency .
But as of Friday afternoon , retailers , hair salons and churches were allowed to reopen at 50 % of their maximum occupancy under a `` Safer at Home '' policy .
When Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maryland 's reopening day , he said in an executive order that he was easing the shutdown because two key statistics — total hospitalizations and the use of hospital beds — were either stable or decreasing .
In that order from last week , Hogan said Maryland was able `` to trace the contacts of up to 1,000 new cases per day '' — a mark far surpassed by Tuesday 's testing results .
Hours after the coronavirus numbers were released , Hogan announced a new push to increase testing in Maryland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow licensed pharmacists to order and conduct tests .
`` Beginning this week , we are able to offer appointment-free # COVID19 testing across the state , including for those who do not have symptoms , marking a critical milestone in Maryland 's long-term testing strategy , '' Hogan said via Twitter .
He added , `` We are also authorizing and actively encouraging the state 's hundreds of pharmacies to directly order and administer # COVID19 tests . ''
Many of Maryland 's cases are along a broad corridor stretching from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More than 12,000 cases have been confirmed in Prince George 's County , east of the District .
Montgomery County , which includes Bethesda , has nearly 9,000 cases .
Baltimore County has nearly 5,000 .

Maryland Reports Largest Rise Yet In Coronavirus Cases 4 Days After Reopening
Enlarge this image toggle caption Leah Millis/Reuters Leah Millis/Reuters
The Maryland Department of Health reported 1,784 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, setting a new high mark four days after the state began reopening its economy. Maryland is now reporting 41,546 cases, including nearly 2,000 people who have died from the disease.
Along with the new positive tests, 5,368 people tested negative for the coronavirus in the 24 hours leading up to 10 a.m. ET — meaning roughly 25% of the 7,152 tests in that period resulted in positive diagnoses.
The spike in new cases comes more than two weeks after Maryland's previous high of 1,730 cases, The Baltimore Sun reported.
The overall number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Maryland fell by 26 to 1,421, the health department said. Of that number, 537 people are in intensive care.
Maryland remains under a state of emergency. But as of Friday afternoon, retailers, hair salons and churches were allowed to reopen at 50% of their maximum occupancy under a "Safer at Home" policy.
When Gov. Larry Hogan set May 15 as Maryland's reopening day, he said in an executive order that he was easing the shutdown because two key statistics — total hospitalizations and the use of hospital beds — were either stable or decreasing.
In that order from last week, Hogan said Maryland was able "to trace the contacts of up to 1,000 new cases per day" — a mark far surpassed by Tuesday's testing results.
Hours after the coronavirus numbers were released, Hogan announced a new push to increase testing in Maryland, dropping criteria and issuing an emergency order to allow licensed pharmacists to order and conduct tests.
"Beginning this week, we are able to offer appointment-free #COVID19 testing across the state, including for those who do not have symptoms, marking a critical milestone in Maryland's long-term testing strategy," Hogan said via Twitter.
He added, "We are also authorizing and actively encouraging the state's hundreds of pharmacies to directly order and administer #COVID19 tests."
Many of Maryland's cases are along a broad corridor stretching from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore. More than 12,000 cases have been confirmed in Prince George's County, east of the District. Montgomery County, which includes Bethesda, has nearly 9,000 cases. Baltimore County has nearly 5,000.


npr--2020-05-19--Senators Clash Over How Soon To Reopen The Economy

Senators Clash Over How Soon To Reopen The Economy Members of the Senate Banking Committee squabbled Tuesday over how quickly the U.S. economy can rebound from the coronavirus shutdown and whether the federal government is doing enough to support struggling families and businesses in the meantime .
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell defended the government 's multi-trillion-dollar relief efforts to date .
Powell stressed additional measures may be necessary to prevent lasting economic damage .
The challenges of reopening parts of the economy were underscored by the hearing 's format .
It was held virtually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ videoconference , though Mnuchin said he would have been willing to testify in person .
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown , the ranking Democrat on the committee , accused the Trump administration of pushing businesses to reopen prematurely , without adequate safeguards for workers .
`` How many workers should give their lives to increase our GDP by half a percent ? ''
Brown asked .
Sen. Pat Toomey , R-Pa. , countered : `` The longer that we continue a shutdown — when weeks turn into months — does n't that necessarily increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some jobs wo n't be there to go back to ? ''
Mnuchin and Powell said the Fed 's emergency lending programs for midsize businesses and for state and local governments should be up and running by the end of this month .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren , D-Mass.
, complained that those programs — authorized by Congress with some $ 450 billion in seed money — do not including binding requirements that loan recipients keep workers on the payroll .
`` We 're in a situation where 35 million Americans have filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` You 're in charge of half a trillion dollars .
You 're boosting your Wall Street buddies and you are leaving Americans behind . ''
Mnuchin disputed that characterization and said the terms of the lending programs had been negotiated with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress .
The treasury secretary also said the government is willing to take some risks in financing the emergency loans .
`` We are fully prepared to take losses in certain scenarios , '' Mnuchin said .
Powell reiterated his view that Congress may have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , businesses and cash-strapped state and local governments afloat until the virus is under control .
`` What Congress has done to date has been remarkably timely and forceful , '' the Fed chairman said .
`` I do think we need to take a step back and ask , over time , is it enough ?
And we need to be prepared to act further . ''
In addition to the Fed 's lending programs , the government has made hundreds of billions of dollars worth of loans to small businesses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of the money is used for payroll .
Mnuchin said he 's eager to work with lawmakers to give borrowers in that program more flexibility .

Senators Clash Over How Soon To Reopen The Economy
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP
Members of the Senate Banking Committee squabbled Tuesday over how quickly the U.S. economy can rebound from the coronavirus shutdown and whether the federal government is doing enough to support struggling families and businesses in the meantime.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell defended the government's multi-trillion-dollar relief efforts to date. Powell stressed additional measures may be necessary to prevent lasting economic damage.
The challenges of reopening parts of the economy were underscored by the hearing's format. It was held virtually, with both witnesses and senators on videoconference, though Mnuchin said he would have been willing to testify in person.
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, the ranking Democrat on the committee, accused the Trump administration of pushing businesses to reopen prematurely, without adequate safeguards for workers.
"How many workers should give their lives to increase our GDP by half a percent?" Brown asked.
Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., countered: "The longer that we continue a shutdown — when weeks turn into months — doesn't that necessarily increase the risk that some businesses will fail, some jobs won't be there to go back to?"
The treasury secretary agreed.
Mnuchin and Powell said the Fed's emergency lending programs for midsize businesses and for state and local governments should be up and running by the end of this month.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., complained that those programs — authorized by Congress with some $450 billion in seed money — do not including binding requirements that loan recipients keep workers on the payroll.
"We're in a situation where 35 million Americans have filed for unemployment," Warren said. "You're in charge of half a trillion dollars. You're boosting your Wall Street buddies and you are leaving Americans behind."
Mnuchin disputed that characterization and said the terms of the lending programs had been negotiated with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.
The treasury secretary also said the government is willing to take some risks in financing the emergency loans.
"We are fully prepared to take losses in certain scenarios," Mnuchin said.
Powell reiterated his view that Congress may have to authorize additional relief spending to keep families, businesses and cash-strapped state and local governments afloat until the virus is under control.
"What Congress has done to date has been remarkably timely and forceful," the Fed chairman said. "I do think we need to take a step back and ask, over time, is it enough? And we need to be prepared to act further."
In addition to the Fed's lending programs, the government has made hundreds of billions of dollars worth of loans to small businesses, which can be forgiven so long as most of the money is used for payroll. Mnuchin said he's eager to work with lawmakers to give borrowers in that program more flexibility.


npr--2020-05-19--Many Of Colombia's Ex-Rebel Fighters Rearm And Turn To Illegal Drug Trade

Many Of Colombia 's Ex-Rebel Fighters Rearm And Turn To Illegal Drug Trade It did n't take long for Huber , a former Marxist guerrilla , to give up on peace .
A former member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia , known as FARC , Huber disarmed under the country 's 2016 peace treaty .
But he says the government failed to help former fighters transition to civilian life and that many have been killed .
All this prompted Huber , who asked to be identified only by his first name , and other disgruntled ex-rebels to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are going to try to kill me , I have to defend myself , '' Huber says from his hideout in a sprawling slum in Tumaco , a Pacific coast city near the Ecuadorian border .
Besides dealing with the coronavirus outbreak , Colombian authorities are trying to keep a fragile peace process on track .
Under the peace treaty some 13,000 FARC guerrillas have turned in their weapons , ending a half-century of fighting that killed 220,000 people .
But almost immediately , some former rebels began drifting back into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than two dozen armed groups totaling about 2,300 members , though not all are ex-FARC guerrillas , according to news reports citing Colombia 's military .
For decades the FARC attacked army and police patrols in its quest to overthrow the Colombian government .
But the new groups focus on drug trafficking , extortion and illegal gold mining , said Gen. Adolfo Hernández , the army commander in Tumaco , which is a jumping off point for cocaine-laden boats bound for Central America and Mexico .
In an interview , Hernández pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped the FARC fund its insurgency .
He said the rearmed rebels `` want to go back to doing what they 've always done . ''
Fueling this exit from the peace process is the fact that many former rebels have few job skills to flourish as civilians .
One example is Robinson Araujo , who dropped out of school after fifth grade and joined the FARC as a teenager .
He told NPR that he spent much of the war as an urban militiaman in Tumaco , collecting cash from drug traffickers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas in exchange for regular payments .
Since the peace treaty was signed , Araujo , 48 , has been in and out of jail on drug-trafficking charges and briefly joined a group of rearmed FARC rebels who made headlines in 2018 for kidnapping and killing three Ecuadorian journalists .
Along the way , Araujo fathered 16 children .
In the interview , he acknowledges making mistakes but also blamed the government for ignoring the demobilized rebels .
Speaking from a waterside slum in Tumaco as helicopters from the nearby army base flew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promised to generate jobs and education but we are still waiting . ''
Other places transitioning from war to peace have faced similar problems .
From Nicaragua to Northern Ireland , a small percentage of demobilized guerrillas and paramilitary forces have rejected peace accords and rearmed , at least temporarily .
Colombia 's 300-page peace treaty is one of the most ambitious because it goes far beyond the initial task of disarming the guerrillas .
It has allowed the FARC to set up a legal political party while its commanders can avoid prison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , massacres and other war crimes .
For former rebel foot soldiers , meanwhile , the treaty mandates temporary monthly cash stipends , job training and education .
The government also promised to protect them from revenge killings and to build roads , schools and hospitals in regions once controlled by the rebels .
In a report last year , the University of Notre Dame 's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies , which monitors peace agreements in 34 countries , described the level of treaty compliance in Colombia as `` comparable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both the government and the FARC have been derelict in some of their duties .
Many former rebel leaders have refused to cooperate with a special transitional justice court .
The government , in turn , has been slow on its commitment to build roads , schools and hospitals in former rebel territory .
And although government bodyguards accompany some former rebels , about 200 have been killed , according to a United Nations team monitoring Colombia 's peace process , often in revenge killings since the peace treaty was signed .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Luciano Marín — better known by his nom de guerre , Iván Márquez — who spent four years in Cuba negotiating the peace treaty with Colombian government envoys .
In a video released last year , Márquez — dressed in combat fatigues and surrounded by rifle-toting colleagues — declared : `` The guerrilla struggle continues because the government has betrayed the peace accord . ''
Still , Márquez may have had other motives for rearming .
Although he was given a temporary seat in Colombia 's senate under the peace accord , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in and went into hiding in 2018 when his nephew was extradited to the U.S. on drug smuggling charges .
Soon after , the U.S. State Department revealed that Márquez himself was under investigation for cocaine trafficking .
Amid the coronavirus lockdown , cocaine production in some areas of Colombia are being squeezed while flight cancellations and border closures have made life more difficult for smugglers , according to a new U.N. report .
But noting major seizures at European ports , the report said that cocaine is increasingly being moved by sea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shipments of cocaine is still ongoing . ''
One cog in this drug supply chain is Huber , the former FARC fighter in Tumaco who gave up on the peace process .
Several factors prompted his conclusion that life as a civilian was n't working .
A high school dropout , he had few job qualifications .
He also received threats for having worked for 10 years securing food , medicine and ammunition for the guerrillas .
So Huber and several other ex-FARC members formed a new armed group called the Alfonso Cano @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former top rebel commander .
In a brief interview , Huber , who wore civilian clothes and was unarmed , described the new organization as a self-defense group .
But Colombian officials call it a drug-trafficking gang and have issued a warrant for Huber 's arrest .
`` A lot of it comes down to the lack of opportunity and the lure of the drug trade , '' said Kyle Johnson , who spent months in Tumaco interviewing rearmed rebels for the International Crisis Group .
`` That leaves a lot of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and one foot in the drug trade . ''

Many Of Colombia's Ex-Rebel Fighters Rearm And Turn To Illegal Drug Trade
Enlarge this image toggle caption AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images
It didn't take long for Huber, a former Marxist guerrilla, to give up on peace.
A former member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, Huber disarmed under the country's 2016 peace treaty. But he says the government failed to help former fighters transition to civilian life and that many have been killed.
All this prompted Huber, who asked to be identified only by his first name, and other disgruntled ex-rebels to take up arms once again.
"If people are going to try to kill me, I have to defend myself," Huber says from his hideout in a sprawling slum in Tumaco, a Pacific coast city near the Ecuadorian border.
Besides dealing with the coronavirus outbreak, Colombian authorities are trying to keep a fragile peace process on track. Under the peace treaty some 13,000 FARC guerrillas have turned in their weapons, ending a half-century of fighting that killed 220,000 people.
But almost immediately, some former rebels began drifting back into the mountains and jungles. They have formed more than two dozen armed groups totaling about 2,300 members, though not all are ex-FARC guerrillas, according to news reports citing Colombia's military.
For decades the FARC attacked army and police patrols in its quest to overthrow the Colombian government. But the new groups focus on drug trafficking, extortion and illegal gold mining, said Gen. Adolfo Hernández, the army commander in Tumaco, which is a jumping off point for cocaine-laden boats bound for Central America and Mexico.
In an interview, Hernández pointed out that proceeds from drug trafficking long helped the FARC fund its insurgency. He said the rearmed rebels "want to go back to doing what they've always done."
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Otis for NPR John Otis for NPR
Fueling this exit from the peace process is the fact that many former rebels have few job skills to flourish as civilians.
One example is Robinson Araujo, who dropped out of school after fifth grade and joined the FARC as a teenager. He told NPR that he spent much of the war as an urban militiaman in Tumaco, collecting cash from drug traffickers who were allowed to operate in FARC-controlled areas in exchange for regular payments.
Since the peace treaty was signed, Araujo, 48, has been in and out of jail on drug-trafficking charges and briefly joined a group of rearmed FARC rebels who made headlines in 2018 for kidnapping and killing three Ecuadorian journalists. Along the way, Araujo fathered 16 children.
In the interview, he acknowledges making mistakes but also blamed the government for ignoring the demobilized rebels. Speaking from a waterside slum in Tumaco as helicopters from the nearby army base flew overhead, Araujo said: "They promised to generate jobs and education but we are still waiting."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ivan Valencia/Bloomberg via Getty Images Ivan Valencia/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Other places transitioning from war to peace have faced similar problems. From Nicaragua to Northern Ireland, a small percentage of demobilized guerrillas and paramilitary forces have rejected peace accords and rearmed, at least temporarily.
Colombia's 300-page peace treaty is one of the most ambitious because it goes far beyond the initial task of disarming the guerrillas. It has allowed the FARC to set up a legal political party while its commanders can avoid prison if they tell the truth about kidnappings, massacres and other war crimes.
For former rebel foot soldiers, meanwhile, the treaty mandates temporary monthly cash stipends, job training and education. The government also promised to protect them from revenge killings and to build roads, schools and hospitals in regions once controlled by the rebels.
In a report last year, the University of Notre Dame's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, which monitors peace agreements in 34 countries, described the level of treaty compliance in Colombia as "comparable to other comprehensive peace agreements."
But both the government and the FARC have been derelict in some of their duties.
Many former rebel leaders have refused to cooperate with a special transitional justice court. The government, in turn, has been slow on its commitment to build roads, schools and hospitals in former rebel territory. And although government bodyguards accompany some former rebels, about 200 have been killed, according to a United Nations team monitoring Colombia's peace process, often in revenge killings since the peace treaty was signed.
The most high-profile former FARC commander to rearm is Luciano Marín — better known by his nom de guerre, Iván Márquez — who spent four years in Cuba negotiating the peace treaty with Colombian government envoys. In a video released last year, Márquez — dressed in combat fatigues and surrounded by rifle-toting colleagues — declared: "The guerrilla struggle continues because the government has betrayed the peace accord."
Still, Márquez may have had other motives for rearming. Although he was given a temporary seat in Colombia's senate under the peace accord, he never showed up to be sworn in and went into hiding in 2018 when his nephew was extradited to the U.S. on drug smuggling charges. Soon after, the U.S. State Department revealed that Márquez himself was under investigation for cocaine trafficking.
Amid the coronavirus lockdown, cocaine production in some areas of Colombia are being squeezed while flight cancellations and border closures have made life more difficult for smugglers, according to a new U.N. report. But noting major seizures at European ports, the report said that cocaine is increasingly being moved by sea and that "the trafficking of large shipments of cocaine is still ongoing."
One cog in this drug supply chain is Huber, the former FARC fighter in Tumaco who gave up on the peace process. Several factors prompted his conclusion that life as a civilian wasn't working. A high school dropout, he had few job qualifications. He also received threats for having worked for 10 years securing food, medicine and ammunition for the guerrillas.
So Huber and several other ex-FARC members formed a new armed group called the Alfonso Cano Western Block, in honor of a former top rebel commander. In a brief interview, Huber, who wore civilian clothes and was unarmed, described the new organization as a self-defense group.
But Colombian officials call it a drug-trafficking gang and have issued a warrant for Huber's arrest.
"A lot of it comes down to the lack of opportunity and the lure of the drug trade," said Kyle Johnson, who spent months in Tumaco interviewing rearmed rebels for the International Crisis Group. "That leaves a lot of people with one foot in the peace process and one foot in the drug trade."


npr--2020-05-19--U.S. Authorities Say Hobby Lobby's Gilgamesh Tablet Is 'Stolen,' Must Go Back To Iraq

U.S .
Authorities Say Hobby Lobby 's Gilgamesh Tablet Is 'Stolen , ' Must Go Back To Iraq U.S. federal prosecutors are seeking the return to Iraq of a roughly 3,500-year-old clay tablet purchased by the Hobby Lobby arts and crafts store chain for display in the Washington , D.C.-based Museum of the Bible .
The cuneiform tablet is described as `` stolen Iraqi property '' in a civil complaint filed Monday .
The complaint details part of the journey of this fragment of the oldest known creation tale — from a palace library in ancient Mesopotamia to its present @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warehouse in Queens , New York .
It alleges that a major international auction house , unnamed in the complaint , obscured the provenance of the tablet , known as the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet , when it sold the tablet to Hobby Lobby in 2014 .
Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 's Homeland Security Investigations seized the tablet last year from the Museum of the Bible , which , it said , cooperated with the investigation .
Hobby Lobby 's owners are the founders of the Museum of the Bible .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Hobby Lobby purchased for more than $ 1.6 million , is considered the property of the Iraqi government and should be returned .
`` Whenever looted cultural property is found in this country , the United States government will do all it can to preserve heritage by returning such artifacts where they belong , '' Richard Donoghue , U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York , said in a statement .
`` In this case , a major auction house failed to meet its obligations by minimizing its concerns that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was fabricated , and withheld from the buyer information that undermined the provenance 's reliability . ''
The Gilgamesh epic is a Sumerian poem believed to have been written at least 4,000 years ago .
Sections of it mirror details of the Great Flood and the Garden of Eden stories from the Old Testament , which it predates .
A 12-tablet version of the poem , written in the Akkadian language , was discovered in the ruins of the library in a palace of Nineveh in present-day Mosul , Iraq .
The Gilgamesh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dreams to his mother , who says they predict the arrival of a new friend .
`` You will see him and your heart will laugh , '' she tells him .
According to the complaint , the tablet surfaced in or before 2001 , when an unnamed U.S. antiquities dealer examined it , laid out with other pieces on the floor of the London apartment of a Jordanian antiquities dealer known to acquire directly from the Middle East .
Two years later , the U.S. dealer returned with a cuneiform expert , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encrustations that made it difficult to read , the tablet was likely a piece of ancient literature — `` potentially rare and valuable '' — rather than a more common commercial and legal document .
The U.S. dealer bought several pieces , including the Gilgamesh tablet , for $ 50,350 .
It resurfaced in 2007 , when it was sold to two other buyers , one of whom included it in a sales catalog , claiming the tablet had been with a single U.S. owner for the previous 25 years .
The asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It came with a false letter of provenance , claiming it had been acquired at a 1981 San Francisco auction in a box of bronze fragments , according to the U.S. complaint .
In 2013 , the complaint says , a new owner of the tablet contacted the London office of the international auction house , wanting to sell it .
But the U.S. antiquities dealer told the auction house 's antiquities department head that the object 's provenance would not stand up to scrutiny and it would not be suitable for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hobby Lobby bought the tablet in a private sale , after a Hobby Lobby representative viewed the tablet in London .
The auction house shipped the tablet to its New York office and , from there , hand-carried it to Hobby Lobby 's headquarters in Oklahoma City , `` so that Hobby Lobby could avoid incurring a New York sales tax , '' according to prosecutors .
Hobby Lobby was fined $ 3 million in 2017 for failing to conduct due diligence after federal authorities said it bought thousands of artifacts that had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the items on display at the Museum of the Bible had been looted from previously unknown archaeological sites .
In a statement in March , museum board chairman Steve Green said the institution had identified a further 5,000 papyrus fragments and 6,500 clay objects with insufficient provenance that would be returned to Egypt and Iraq .
In the 2017 settlement with federal authorities , Green committed to the museum exercising more oversight .
Later that same year , the Museum of the Bible contacted the auction house to verify information about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors say the auction house withheld information .
Iraq 's ministry of antiquities told NPR that it is trying to determine whether the Gilgamesh tablet was among thousands of items stolen from one of its regional museums in 1991 .
After Saddam Hussein 's invasion of Kuwait the previous year , the regime lost control of certain parts of Iraq .
At least nine of the country 's 13 regional museums were looted in the turmoil .

U.S. Authorities Say Hobby Lobby's Gilgamesh Tablet Is 'Stolen,' Must Go Back To Iraq
Enlarge this image toggle caption Immigration and Customs Enforcement Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. federal prosecutors are seeking the return to Iraq of a roughly 3,500-year-old clay tablet purchased by the Hobby Lobby arts and crafts store chain for display in the Washington, D.C.-based Museum of the Bible. The cuneiform tablet is described as "stolen Iraqi property" in a civil complaint filed Monday.
The complaint details part of the journey of this fragment of the oldest known creation tale — from a palace library in ancient Mesopotamia to its present location in a Department of Homeland Security warehouse in Queens, New York.
It alleges that a major international auction house, unnamed in the complaint, obscured the provenance of the tablet, known as the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, when it sold the tablet to Hobby Lobby in 2014.
Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations seized the tablet last year from the Museum of the Bible, which, it said, cooperated with the investigation. Hobby Lobby's owners are the founders of the Museum of the Bible.
The prosecutors said the 5-by-6-inch tablet, which Hobby Lobby purchased for more than $1.6 million, is considered the property of the Iraqi government and should be returned.
"Whenever looted cultural property is found in this country, the United States government will do all it can to preserve heritage by returning such artifacts where they belong," Richard Donoghue, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement. "In this case, a major auction house failed to meet its obligations by minimizing its concerns that the provenance of an important Iraqi artifact was fabricated, and withheld from the buyer information that undermined the provenance's reliability."
The Gilgamesh epic is a Sumerian poem believed to have been written at least 4,000 years ago. Sections of it mirror details of the Great Flood and the Garden of Eden stories from the Old Testament, which it predates. A 12-tablet version of the poem, written in the Akkadian language, was discovered in the ruins of the library in a palace of Nineveh in present-day Mosul, Iraq.
The Gilgamesh Dream Tablet recounts the hero describing his dreams to his mother, who says they predict the arrival of a new friend. "You will see him and your heart will laugh," she tells him.
According to the complaint, the tablet surfaced in or before 2001, when an unnamed U.S. antiquities dealer examined it, laid out with other pieces on the floor of the London apartment of a Jordanian antiquities dealer known to acquire directly from the Middle East. Two years later, the U.S. dealer returned with a cuneiform expert, who determined that, despite the salt encrustations that made it difficult to read, the tablet was likely a piece of ancient literature — "potentially rare and valuable" — rather than a more common commercial and legal document.
The U.S. dealer bought several pieces, including the Gilgamesh tablet, for $50,350.
It resurfaced in 2007, when it was sold to two other buyers, one of whom included it in a sales catalog, claiming the tablet had been with a single U.S. owner for the previous 25 years. The asking price in the catalog was $450,000. It came with a false letter of provenance, claiming it had been acquired at a 1981 San Francisco auction in a box of bronze fragments, according to the U.S. complaint.
In 2013, the complaint says, a new owner of the tablet contacted the London office of the international auction house, wanting to sell it. But the U.S. antiquities dealer told the auction house's antiquities department head that the object's provenance would not stand up to scrutiny and it would not be suitable for public auction.
The following year, Hobby Lobby bought the tablet in a private sale, after a Hobby Lobby representative viewed the tablet in London. The auction house shipped the tablet to its New York office and, from there, hand-carried it to Hobby Lobby's headquarters in Oklahoma City, "so that Hobby Lobby could avoid incurring a New York sales tax," according to prosecutors.
Hobby Lobby was fined $3 million in 2017 for failing to conduct due diligence after federal authorities said it bought thousands of artifacts that had been smuggled out of Iraq. Some of the items on display at the Museum of the Bible had been looted from previously unknown archaeological sites.
In a statement in March, museum board chairman Steve Green said the institution had identified a further 5,000 papyrus fragments and 6,500 clay objects with insufficient provenance that would be returned to Egypt and Iraq.
In the 2017 settlement with federal authorities, Green committed to the museum exercising more oversight. Later that same year, the Museum of the Bible contacted the auction house to verify information about the origins of the Gilgamesh tablet. U.S. prosecutors say the auction house withheld information.
Iraq's ministry of antiquities told NPR that it is trying to determine whether the Gilgamesh tablet was among thousands of items stolen from one of its regional museums in 1991. After Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait the previous year, the regime lost control of certain parts of Iraq. At least nine of the country's 13 regional museums were looted in the turmoil.


npr--2020-05-19--Democrats Bet Health Care Will Deliver 2020 Victories

A coalition of Democratic committees representing governors , attorneys general , senators and members of Congress released a strategy memo Tuesday outlining that their collective strategy for the 2020 elections is to focus on health care .
`` Democrats are betting that Americans will vote for the party of health care over the party of drinking bleach , '' Rep. Cheri Bustos , D-Ill. , told NPR in an interview , referring to President Trump 's suggestion in April that doctors look into injecting disinfectants into COVID-19 patients .
Bustos is running the House Democrats ' campaign operation this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urgency of our efforts to protect Americans ' access to affordable health care , '' the memo states .
It is co-authored by Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez ; Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto , D-Nev. ; Democratic Governors Association Chair Gov .
Phil Murphy , D-N.J. ; Democratic Attorneys General Association Co-Chairs Maura Healey and Ellen Rosenblum ; and Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Chair Andrea Stewart-Cousins , who is the majority leader of the New York Senate .
The issue has historically been a winner for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 midterms that delivered a House majority — so the continued focus is no political surprise , particularly as the Trump administration continues its legal effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act , also known as Obamacare .
`` Republicans at all levels own this lawsuit 's attacks on Americans ' health care and they will be held responsible for their party-wide obsession with throwing our health care system into chaos and stripping health care from 20 million Americans during a global pandemic , '' the memo states .
The Supreme Court is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall .
Democrats ' internal polling , as well as public polling , regularly lists health care as a top issue for voters .
Bustos said that includes congressional districts won by Donald Trump in 2016 .
On the congressional level , Democrats intend to campaign against Republicans who voted in favor of repealing the ACA .
On the gubernatorial and state legislative level , Democrats say they will focus on GOP opposition to Medicaid expansion .
Bustos says Democrats will campaign in favor of making health care more accessible and affordable and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` There could n't be a clearer differentiation between what we are fighting for and what they are fighting against , '' she said .
The memo sidesteps the more divisive debate inside the Democratic Party over what the future of health care should look like — a debate that defined the Democratic presidential contest .
On one end was the progressive wing led by Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , arguing for a government-run `` Medicare for All '' system , and on the other the centrist wing led by former Vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect and expand the ACA .
Bustos said that debate will continue but noted that defending the health care law delivered victory in 2018 .
`` We all come from different camps .
We all come from different parts of the country , '' she said .
`` But we know that we have been successful — again , flipping 40 seats in 2018 — by talking about expanding the Affordable Care Act and making sure we 're fighting for people with preexisting conditions . ''
Democrats are also expected to highlight some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic in their campaigns .
`` They are led by President Trump who just this week talked about taking hydroxychloroquine when the medical evidence is clear that that is not what a person should be doing right now ... and he 's advocating for that and bragging about that , '' she said .
`` That 's the leader of their party , who talked about injecting bleach or Lysol .
That is the leader of their party , and that 's how they talk about health care . ''
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to kill the virus were sarcastic .
While Republicans broadly support repealing the ACA , the party has never coalesced around an alternative policy to cover the uninsured .
Health care remains a priority for the president , who has promised to offer a `` phenomenal '' health plan during his reelection campaign that will remake the GOP as `` the party of health care . ''
It has not been released yet .

Democrats Bet Health Care Will Deliver 2020 Victories
Enlarge this image toggle caption Susan Walsh/AP Susan Walsh/AP
A coalition of Democratic committees representing governors, attorneys general, senators and members of Congress released a strategy memo Tuesday outlining that their collective strategy for the 2020 elections is to focus on health care.
"Democrats are betting that Americans will vote for the party of health care over the party of drinking bleach," Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., told NPR in an interview, referring to President Trump's suggestion in April that doctors look into injecting disinfectants into COVID-19 patients.
Bustos is running the House Democrats' campaign operation this year.
"The COVID-19 epidemic underscores the urgency of our efforts to protect Americans' access to affordable health care," the memo states.
It is co-authored by Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez; Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.; Democratic Governors Association Chair Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J.; Democratic Attorneys General Association Co-Chairs Maura Healey and Ellen Rosenblum; and Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Chair Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who is the majority leader of the New York Senate.
The issue has historically been a winner for the Democratic Party — most recently in the 2018 midterms that delivered a House majority — so the continued focus is no political surprise, particularly as the Trump administration continues its legal effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Read the full memo here.
"Republicans at all levels own this lawsuit's attacks on Americans' health care and they will be held responsible for their party-wide obsession with throwing our health care system into chaos and stripping health care from 20 million Americans during a global pandemic," the memo states. The Supreme Court is expecting to hear the ACA challenge this fall.
Democrats' internal polling, as well as public polling, regularly lists health care as a top issue for voters. Bustos said that includes congressional districts won by Donald Trump in 2016.
On the congressional level, Democrats intend to campaign against Republicans who voted in favor of repealing the ACA. On the gubernatorial and state legislative level, Democrats say they will focus on GOP opposition to Medicaid expansion.
Bustos says Democrats will campaign in favor of making health care more accessible and affordable and lowering the cost of prescription drugs. "There couldn't be a clearer differentiation between what we are fighting for and what they are fighting against," she said.
The memo sidesteps the more divisive debate inside the Democratic Party over what the future of health care should look like — a debate that defined the Democratic presidential contest. On one end was the progressive wing led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., arguing for a government-run "Medicare for All" system, and on the other the centrist wing led by former Vice President and presumptive nominee Joe Biden to protect and expand the ACA.
Bustos said that debate will continue but noted that defending the health care law delivered victory in 2018. "We all come from different camps. We all come from different parts of the country," she said. "But we know that we have been successful — again, flipping 40 seats in 2018 — by talking about expanding the Affordable Care Act and making sure we're fighting for people with preexisting conditions."
Democrats are also expected to highlight some of the president's more provocative statements during the pandemic in their campaigns.
"They are led by President Trump who just this week talked about taking hydroxychloroquine when the medical evidence is clear that that is not what a person should be doing right now ... and he's advocating for that and bragging about that," she said. "That's the leader of their party, who talked about injecting bleach or Lysol. That is the leader of their party, and that's how they talk about health care."
Trump later said his comments about using disinfectant to kill the virus were sarcastic.
While Republicans broadly support repealing the ACA, the party has never coalesced around an alternative policy to cover the uninsured. Health care remains a priority for the president, who has promised to offer a "phenomenal" health plan during his reelection campaign that will remake the GOP as "the party of health care." It has not been released yet.


npr--2020-05-19--Anxious? Meditation Can Help You 'Relax Into The Uncertainty' Of The Pandemic

Anxious ?
Meditation Can Help You 'Relax Into The Uncertainty ' Of The Pandemic In 2004 , ABC News correspondent Dan Harris was broadcasting live on the air on Good Morning America when he started experiencing a panic attack .
`` My lungs seized up , my palms started sweating , my mouth dried up .
I just could n't speak , '' he says .
`` I had to quit in the middle of my little newscast .
And it was really embarrassing . ''
Harris credits meditation with helping him work through the anxiety that caused that panic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a memoir , 10 % Happier , about his experiences with meditation , and he talks about the subject on his twice-weekly podcast .
He 's also been hosting a daily meditation online with different leaders in the community of people who study and teach mindfulness techniques .
Harris says that meditation is more important than ever during the global pandemic : `` I do n't think we should sugarcoat it : It 's scary , '' he says .
`` I 've taken to saying , if you 're not anxious right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Though he 's been trying to help people quiet their anxiety with meditation and mindfulness techniques , he 's careful to note that meditation is n't a `` silver bullet '' cure .
`` Meditation does n't make the uncertainty go away , '' he says .
`` It 's not like I meditate and I 'm walking through this pandemic like a unicorn barfing rainbows all the time . ''
Rather , Harris says , meditation allows people to `` relax into the uncertainty .
...
It just means that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear — like everything in the world — will come and go , and that if you just relax for a second , and breathe into it , it will come and go . ''
On how a leading meditation teacher recommended the loving-kindness meditation as the best support during this pandemic I had a very negative reaction to loving-kindness meditation [ at first ] .
First of all , the name itself .
I mean , could you come up with anything more treacly ?
And then it gets worse when you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So here 's how it works : You sit and close your eyes and you envision a series of beings , so people or animals .
Classically , you start with yourself and then you move on to a good friend , it can be your pet or kid , some easy person in your life that it 's very easy to generate warmth for .
Then you move on to a mentor , a benefactor or somebody who 's played a positive role in your life .
... And then you move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you often overlook .
And this is a poignant category right now , because the neutral people — the people manning the cash registers at the supermarkets and delivering our food and mail , and the neutral people for many of us that we often overlooked — are saving our lives quite literally now .
Then you move on to a difficult person — not hard to find for many of us .
And then finally , all beings .
In each case , you summon a mental image or a felt sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you repeat a series of phrases .
Usually the phrases are , `` May you be happy .
May you be safe .
May you be healthy .
May you live with ease . ''
...
There 's a lot of science that strongly suggests that this practice and its variance can produce really meaningful physiological , psychological and behavioral changes .
And if you think about it , this is a radical notion , the idea that warmth , friendliness , kindness , dare I say love — these are not factory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't wired a certain way when it comes to your interpersonal relations and unchangeable .
In fact , these are skills that you can develop .
And that is such a radical notion , that the mind is trainable .
I 've been doing this loving-kindness meditation now pretty intensively — including going on long retreats where that 's all you do — for several years .
And I 've found it 's made a big difference in terms of my inner weather , and how I relate to my own ugliness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the important difference between fear and panic I 'm largely stealing this from a rather brilliant woman I met right at the beginning of the pandemic .
The first pandemic-themed episode I did was in mid-March .
And one of the guests was a woman named Dr. Luana Marques .
She 's Brazilian by birth , but now works at Harvard as an anxiety expert .
And she told me about something called the — I think this is the right name — Yerkes-Dodson [ Law ] .
You can look this up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curve .
And it talks about this sort of utility of anxiety , which is an interesting concept .
And it kind of gives us permission to not feel bad about the fact that we 're feeling a certain amount of justifiable fear and anxiety .
And so at the beginning of the slope , right until you get to the top of the curve , the anxiety and fear that we may be feeling in the face of this pandemic or anything really , makes sense .
It motivates us to act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downhill .
And that 's when we tip into not very helpful panic , where we constrict and the physiological response is enfeebling and we 're not able to make good decisions .
That 's when we hoard toilet paper or we 're nasty to our neighbors or we spread misinformation on Twitter , whatever it may be .
So what we want is to be at the top of the Yerkes-Dodson curve with the appropriate amount of anxiety without tipping in to panic .
That is where I feel mindfulness meditation — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are familiar — that 's one of the areas where mindfulness meditation can be really helpful .
On how many people are experiencing vivid dreams during the pandemic I 've been having wild dreams — classic anxiety dreams where I 'm trying to get somewhere and I ca n't get there , or I 'm being chased or I 'm back in school .
This is being reported widely across our culture , across the globe , as I understand it , and I was talking to Dr. Mark Epstein about this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show originally and I was asking him , why do you think we 're having these crazy dreams ?
And , in typical fashion , he gave the disclaimer that he does n't really know , but his instinct is that we 're `` processing . ''
That 's what we 're doing in these dreams is we 're sort of flushing out , purging , processing the — this is his term , not mine — the collective trauma and the collective grief we 're all experiencing right now .
It can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but you might look at it as the functioning of a healthy brain and mind .
On how to practice mindfulness meditation You sit in a quiet enough spot and you then bring your full attention to the feeling of your breath coming in and going out .
You do n't have to breathe in any special way .
This is not actually a breathing exercise .
And there 's nothing special about the breath per se , we 're just picking something south of your neck to pay attention , we 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the swirling stories in your head and onto the raw data of your physical sensations .
So it can be your breath .
For some of us , the breath right now is triggering , given the fact that COVID-19 , has pulmonary consequences .
So you might want to pick just the feeling of your full body sitting or lying — or maybe your hands touching , or your bottom on your chair , just picking some physical anchor to where you can place your mind and you just kind of commit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'm going to pay attention to this for one to five to 10 minutes .
That 's the second step , and then the third step , the final step really , and this is the most important step — as soon as you try to do this , your mind will go into a mutiny mode .
You 're going to start thinking about , when can I get a haircut ?
Where do gerbils run wild ?
Why did Dances with Wolves beat Goodfellas for Best Picture in 1991 ?
Blah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole game is just to notice when you 've become distracted and to start again , and again , and again .
And this distraction , by the way , is not a failure .
It is not a malfunction .
It is part of the meditation .
The key part of meditation is to get distracted , to see the wildness of your own mind over and over and over again , and then to begin again and again and again .
...
It is the seeing of the wildness of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you see it , it does n't own you as much .
On why meditation is n't about controlling your mind It 's actually not about trying to tamp down on or control the way the mind works .
It 's about familiarization .
Just getting to know how nutty it is inside your brain , inside your mind , is incredibly important , because when you 've tipped over into panic or any other unhelpful , unskillful mind state — like greed or anger or hatred — then you might notice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice : Am I going to be owned by this panic right now or am I going to be owned by this anger right now ?
Or am I going to be so controlled by the anger that I 'm going to say something that 's going to ruin the next 48 hours of my marriage ?
Or am I going to eat the 75th Oreo ?
Having this self-awareness — otherwise known as mindfulness — which is what 's developed through the process of seeing your distractions and then beginning again ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , that is a game-changing skill .
Because ... this nonstop conversation ... is a central feature of your life — whether you know it or not , we 're all walking around with this inner narrator that if we broadcast loud , you would be locked up .
And when you 're unaware of this cacophony internally , it 's owning you all the time .
And what we 're doing in meditation is dragging all of this nonsense out of the shadows and into the light .
On why focusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the feelings of loneliness and despair during the pandemic Helping other people puts you back in touch with what is good about you .
And it can take you out of the black hole of self-obsession .
And those are two really useful benefits of helping other people .
It does n't have to be grandiose .
It does n't have to be giving away all of your money .
It can be running errands for your elderly neighbor .
It can be checking in on friends .
It can be making small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteering at a safe social distance with local nonprofit groups .
There are lots of ways to help out .
Adopting a cat , adopting a dog — many , many ways to get you out of the self-obsessed dialogue and put you in touch with your best characteristics , which are helping .
Radio producers Amy Salit and Therese Madden and web producers Bridget Bentz , Molly Seavy-Nesper and Deborah Franklin contributed to this story .

Anxious? Meditation Can Help You 'Relax Into The Uncertainty' Of The Pandemic
Enlarge this image Planet Flem/Getty Images Planet Flem/Getty Images
In 2004, ABC News correspondent Dan Harris was broadcasting live on the air on Good Morning America when he started experiencing a panic attack.
"My lungs seized up, my palms started sweating, my mouth dried up. I just couldn't speak," he says. "I had to quit in the middle of my little newscast. And it was really embarrassing."
Harris credits meditation with helping him work through the anxiety that caused that panic attack. He went on to write a memoir, 10% Happier, about his experiences with meditation, and he talks about the subject on his twice-weekly podcast. He's also been hosting a daily meditation online with different leaders in the community of people who study and teach mindfulness techniques.
Harris says that meditation is more important than ever during the global pandemic: "I don't think we should sugarcoat it: It's scary," he says. "I've taken to saying, if you're not anxious right now, you're not paying attention."
Though he's been trying to help people quiet their anxiety with meditation and mindfulness techniques, he's careful to note that meditation isn't a "silver bullet" cure.
"Meditation doesn't make the uncertainty go away," he says. "It's not like I meditate and I'm walking through this pandemic like a unicorn barfing rainbows all the time."
Rather, Harris says, meditation allows people to "relax into the uncertainty. ... It just means that you're able to see that the fear — like everything in the world — will come and go, and that if you just relax for a second, and breathe into it, it will come and go."
10% Happier How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-help That Actually Works: A True Story by Dan Harris Paperback, 237 pages | purchase close overlay Buy Featured Book Your purchase helps support NPR programming. How?
Interview Highlights
On how a leading meditation teacher recommended the loving-kindness meditation as the best support during this pandemic
I had a very negative reaction to loving-kindness meditation [at first]. First of all, the name itself. I mean, could you come up with anything more treacly? And then it gets worse when you actually hear what the practice entails. So here's how it works: You sit and close your eyes and you envision a series of beings, so people or animals. Classically, you start with yourself and then you move on to a good friend, it can be your pet or kid, some easy person in your life that it's very easy to generate warmth for. Then you move on to a mentor, a benefactor or somebody who's played a positive role in your life. ... And then you move on to a neutral person, somebody you often overlook. And this is a poignant category right now, because the neutral people — the people manning the cash registers at the supermarkets and delivering our food and mail, and the neutral people for many of us that we often overlooked — are saving our lives quite literally now.
Then you move on to a difficult person — not hard to find for many of us. And then finally, all beings. In each case, you summon a mental image or a felt sense of your targeted being, and then you repeat a series of phrases. Usually the phrases are, "May you be happy. May you be safe. May you be healthy. May you live with ease." ...
There's a lot of science that strongly suggests that this practice and its variance can produce really meaningful physiological, psychological and behavioral changes. And if you think about it, this is a radical notion, the idea that warmth, friendliness, kindness, dare I say love — these are not factory settings that are unalterable.
You aren't wired a certain way when it comes to your interpersonal relations and unchangeable. In fact, these are skills that you can develop. And that is such a radical notion, that the mind is trainable. I've been doing this loving-kindness meditation now pretty intensively — including going on long retreats where that's all you do — for several years. And I've found it's made a big difference in terms of my inner weather, and how I relate to my own ugliness, because we all have ugliness.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amy E. Price/Getty Images for SXSW Amy E. Price/Getty Images for SXSW
On the important difference between fear and panic
I'm largely stealing this from a rather brilliant woman I met right at the beginning of the pandemic. The first pandemic-themed episode I did was in mid-March. And one of the guests was a woman named Dr. Luana Marques. She's Brazilian by birth, but now works at Harvard as an anxiety expert. And she told me about something called the — I think this is the right name — Yerkes-Dodson [Law]. You can look this up on Google; it's a bell-shaped curve. And it talks about this sort of utility of anxiety, which is an interesting concept. And it kind of gives us permission to not feel bad about the fact that we're feeling a certain amount of justifiable fear and anxiety.
And so at the beginning of the slope, right until you get to the top of the curve, the anxiety and fear that we may be feeling in the face of this pandemic or anything really, makes sense. It motivates us to act. But then it starts to go downhill. And that's when we tip into not very helpful panic, where we constrict and the physiological response is enfeebling and we're not able to make good decisions. That's when we hoard toilet paper or we're nasty to our neighbors or we spread misinformation on Twitter, whatever it may be. So what we want is to be at the top of the Yerkes-Dodson curve with the appropriate amount of anxiety without tipping in to panic. That is where I feel mindfulness meditation — the kind of meditation with which most people are familiar — that's one of the areas where mindfulness meditation can be really helpful.
On how many people are experiencing vivid dreams during the pandemic
I've been having wild dreams — classic anxiety dreams where I'm trying to get somewhere and I can't get there, or I'm being chased or I'm back in school. This is being reported widely across our culture, across the globe, as I understand it, and I was talking to Dr. Mark Epstein about this. ... I had him on the show originally and I was asking him, why do you think we're having these crazy dreams? And, in typical fashion, he gave the disclaimer that he doesn't really know, but his instinct is that we're "processing." That's what we're doing in these dreams is we're sort of flushing out, purging, processing the — this is his term, not mine — the collective trauma and the collective grief we're all experiencing right now. It can be jarring to have these dreams, but you might look at it as the functioning of a healthy brain and mind.
The key part of meditation is to get distracted, to see the wildness of your own mind over and over and over again, and then to begin again — and again and again.
On how to practice mindfulness meditation
You sit in a quiet enough spot and you then bring your full attention to the feeling of your breath coming in and going out. You don't have to breathe in any special way. This is not actually a breathing exercise. And there's nothing special about the breath per se, we're just picking something south of your neck to pay attention, we're going to get your attention out of the swirling stories in your head and onto the raw data of your physical sensations.
So it can be your breath. For some of us, the breath right now is triggering, given the fact that COVID-19, has pulmonary consequences. So you might want to pick just the feeling of your full body sitting or lying — or maybe your hands touching, or your bottom on your chair, just picking some physical anchor to where you can place your mind and you just kind of commit to it, gently, that I'm going to pay attention to this for one to five to 10 minutes.
That's the second step, and then the third step, the final step really, and this is the most important step — as soon as you try to do this, your mind will go into a mutiny mode. You're going to start thinking about, when can I get a haircut? Where do gerbils run wild? Why did Dances with Wolves beat Goodfellas for Best Picture in 1991? Blah, blah, blah. And the whole game is just to notice when you've become distracted and to start again, and again, and again.
And this distraction, by the way, is not a failure. It is not a malfunction. It is part of the meditation. The key part of meditation is to get distracted, to see the wildness of your own mind over and over and over again, and then to begin again and again and again. ... It is the seeing of the wildness of the cacophony that is really important, because when you see it, it doesn't own you as much.
On why meditation isn't about controlling your mind
It's actually not about trying to tamp down on or control the way the mind works. It's about familiarization. Just getting to know how nutty it is inside your brain, inside your mind, is incredibly important, because when you've tipped over into panic or any other unhelpful, unskillful mind state — like greed or anger or hatred — then you might notice it. And then you have a choice: Am I going to be owned by this panic right now or am I going to be owned by this anger right now? Or am I going to be so controlled by the anger that I'm going to say something that's going to ruin the next 48 hours of my marriage? Or am I going to eat the 75th Oreo?
Having this self-awareness — otherwise known as mindfulness — which is what's developed through the process of seeing your distractions and then beginning again (gently over and over and over again), that is a game-changing skill. Because ... this nonstop conversation ... is a central feature of your life — whether you know it or not, we're all walking around with this inner narrator that if we broadcast loud, you would be locked up. And when you're unaware of this cacophony internally, it's owning you all the time. And what we're doing in meditation is dragging all of this nonsense out of the shadows and into the light.
On why focusing your energy on helping others can quiet the feelings of loneliness and despair during the pandemic
Helping other people puts you back in touch with what is good about you. And it can take you out of the black hole of self-obsession. And those are two really useful benefits of helping other people. It doesn't have to be grandiose. It doesn't have to be giving away all of your money. It can be running errands for your elderly neighbor. It can be checking in on friends. It can be making small donations to charity. It can be volunteering at a safe social distance with local nonprofit groups. There are lots of ways to help out. Adopting a cat, adopting a dog — many, many ways to get you out of the self-obsessed dialogue and put you in touch with your best characteristics, which are helping.
Radio producers Amy Salit and Therese Madden and web producers Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Deborah Franklin contributed to this story.