npr--2020-11-12--Biden, Trump Want Donations For Legal Funds. But Where Is The Money Going?

Biden , Trump Want Donations For Legal Funds .
But Where Is The Money Going ?
Although Joe Biden was declared president-elect on Saturday , the Biden and Trump campaigns are still fundraising , sending dueling requests to supporters for donations billed to boost support for their respective legal efforts .
But the fine print of President Trump 's solicitations paints a different picture .
Trump , who has not conceded the race , was quick to ring the legal alarm as he began to fall behind in critical swing states , with his campaign filing various lawsuits alleging election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ litigate the election has resulted in each campaign mounting additional fundraising efforts .
`` We ca n't allow Trump to win any of these lawsuits just because we ca n't afford to fight back , '' a recent email sent to Biden supporters reads .
`` We need to be able to show up in court to defend Joe and Kamala 's victory ... and to do that we are counting on a surge of donations today into the Biden Fight Fund . ''
In turn , the Trump team has sent out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a little bit more .
`` President Trump has activated the Official Election Defense Fund , and we need YOU to step up and make sure we have the resources to FIGHT BACK against potential voter fraud , '' a recent mass email reads .
Given Trump 's rhetoric throughout the campaign , when he repeatedly cast doubt on the integrity of U.S. election systems , a post-election season of fundraising for legal action was likely .
`` Both President Trump and President-elect Biden have very enthusiastic donor bases , and these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and over again , '' says Michael Beckel , research director at Issue One , a bipartisan political reform organization .
`` And so , as both Trump and Biden anticipate additional expenses , they 're trying to get their loyal supporters to open their wallets one more time , give just one last dollar to be able to cover some of these legal expenses . ''
But Beckel says donors would be wise to scroll to the bottom of the donation requests to find out where their money would actually go .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the fundraising solicitation is the fine print at the end of it that says how the funds are going to be used , '' he said .
`` Ultimately , the politician and political groups that are part of these joint fundraising committees use a lot of complex algorithms and formulas to decide how to divvy up the money that comes in and so there could be a lot of different things paid for by these eleventh-hour campaign contributions . ''
Potential donors will find in italics at the bottom of Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donations primarily will go to the Democratic National Committee and secondarily to the Biden Fight Fund .
`` There 's nothing obviously misleading about the Biden fundraising appeals because ... all of that money can , and presumably would , be used for the post-election legal battles , '' says Brendan Fischer , director of the federal reform program at Campaign Legal Center .
But he says that 's not the case for Trump .
`` What 's different is that even though the Trump campaign has created a separate recount account and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its fundraising appeals , for the most part , the money has gone towards paying down the campaign 's outstanding debt and now towards President Trump 's newly created leadership PAC , '' Fischer explains .
Trump 's new political action committee is called Save America , and it will receive 60 % of every contribution to Trump 's Official Election Defense Fund .
The remaining 40 % of each contribution goes to the Republican National Committee .
`` It 's only if a contributor has reached the $ 5,000 legal limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of their contribution would go to Trump 's recount fund , '' Fischer said .
He says that means the average small donor reacting to Trump 's plea to fuel his legal defense is n't actually helping to offset the costs of recounts or other legal expenses .
And a leadership PAC , unlike an official campaign committee , enjoys a lot more leeway when it comes to how its money can be spent .
`` This can help further [ Trump 's ] political agenda , '' Beckel says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dole out money to like-minded candidates and includes spending money for expenditures that would be prohibited if it was campaign cash , because campaign cash can not be used for personal use . ''
Fischer says the language of the Trump campaign 's fundraising emails could severely mislead his supporters .
`` This is getting close to scam PAC territory .
Typically where you see such misleading fundraising appeals from non-candidate PACs run by shady political operator , '' he says .
`` Usually , candidates feel like they have to maintain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and with their donors because they rely on them for support .
It 's usually not in a candidate 's interest to significantly mislead their supporters , but that appears to be what 's happening with President Trump right now . ''

Biden, Trump Want Donations For Legal Funds. But Where Is The Money Going?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Although Joe Biden was declared president-elect on Saturday, the Biden and Trump campaigns are still fundraising, sending dueling requests to supporters for donations billed to boost support for their respective legal efforts. But the fine print of President Trump's solicitations paints a different picture.
Trump, who has not conceded the race, was quick to ring the legal alarm as he began to fall behind in critical swing states, with his campaign filing various lawsuits alleging election fraud.
His choice to attempt to litigate the election has resulted in each campaign mounting additional fundraising efforts.
"We can't allow Trump to win any of these lawsuits just because we can't afford to fight back," a recent email sent to Biden supporters reads. "We need to be able to show up in court to defend Joe and Kamala's victory ... and to do that we are counting on a surge of donations today into the Biden Fight Fund."
In turn, the Trump team has sent out its own emails entreating supporters to give just a little bit more.
"President Trump has activated the Official Election Defense Fund, and we need YOU to step up and make sure we have the resources to FIGHT BACK against potential voter fraud," a recent mass email reads.
Is fundraising post-election normal?
Given Trump's rhetoric throughout the campaign, when he repeatedly cast doubt on the integrity of U.S. election systems, a post-election season of fundraising for legal action was likely.
"Both President Trump and President-elect Biden have very enthusiastic donor bases, and these are people who have given money over and over again," says Michael Beckel, research director at Issue One, a bipartisan political reform organization. "And so, as both Trump and Biden anticipate additional expenses, they're trying to get their loyal supporters to open their wallets one more time, give just one last dollar to be able to cover some of these legal expenses."
But Beckel says donors would be wise to scroll to the bottom of the donation requests to find out where their money would actually go.
"The only text that really matters in the fundraising solicitation is the fine print at the end of it that says how the funds are going to be used," he said.
"Ultimately, the politician and political groups that are part of these joint fundraising committees use a lot of complex algorithms and formulas to decide how to divvy up the money that comes in and so there could be a lot of different things paid for by these eleventh-hour campaign contributions."
Potential donors will find in italics at the bottom of Biden's fundraising emails a disclaimer stating the donations primarily will go to the Democratic National Committee and secondarily to the Biden Fight Fund.
"There's nothing obviously misleading about the Biden fundraising appeals because ... all of that money can, and presumably would, be used for the post-election legal battles," says Brendan Fischer, director of the federal reform program at Campaign Legal Center.
But he says that's not the case for Trump.
"What's different is that even though the Trump campaign has created a separate recount account and is citing the cost of post-election litigation in its fundraising appeals, for the most part, the money has gone towards paying down the campaign's outstanding debt and now towards President Trump's newly created leadership PAC," Fischer explains.
Bolstering Trump's new PAC
Trump's new political action committee is called Save America, and it will receive 60% of every contribution to Trump's Official Election Defense Fund.
The remaining 40% of each contribution goes to the Republican National Committee.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Trump campaign email Trump campaign email
"It's only if a contributor has reached the $5,000 legal limit in contributions to Save America that any part of their contribution would go to Trump's recount fund," Fischer said.
He says that means the average small donor reacting to Trump's plea to fuel his legal defense isn't actually helping to offset the costs of recounts or other legal expenses.
And a leadership PAC, unlike an official campaign committee, enjoys a lot more leeway when it comes to how its money can be spent.
"This can help further [Trump's] political agenda," Beckel says. "It is something that he could use to dole out money to like-minded candidates and includes spending money for expenditures that would be prohibited if it was campaign cash, because campaign cash cannot be used for personal use."
Fischer says the language of the Trump campaign's fundraising emails could severely mislead his supporters.
"This is getting close to scam PAC territory. Typically where you see such misleading fundraising appeals from non-candidate PACs run by shady political operator," he says.
"Usually, candidates feel like they have to maintain some level of trust with their supporters and with their donors because they rely on them for support. It's usually not in a candidate's interest to significantly mislead their supporters, but that appears to be what's happening with President Trump right now."


npr--2020-11-12--Appeals Court Rules Harvard Doesn't Discriminate Against Asian American Applicants

A federal appeals court in Boston has ruled Harvard does n't intentionally discriminate against Asian American applicants in its admissions process .
The panel of judges upheld a federal district court 's decision from last year , teeing up a possible case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court .
Circuit Judge Sandra Lynch , who wrote Thursday 's decision , agreed with the lower court that `` the statistical evidence did not show that Harvard intentionally discriminated against Asian Americans . ''
Students for Fair Admissions , an advocacy group , first filed its lawsuit in 2014 , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discriminated against Asian American students in process .
`` Today 's decision once again finds that Harvard 's admissions policies are consistent with Supreme Court precedent , and lawfully and appropriately pursue Harvard 's efforts to create a diverse campus that promotes learning and encourages mutual respect and understanding in our community , '' a spokeswoman for Harvard told NPR .
`` As we have said time and time again , now is not the time to turn back the clock on diversity and opportunity . ''
Proponents of ending race-based considerations at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision and plan to bring the case to the Supreme Court , according to Edward Blum , the conservative strategist behind SFFA .
Blum said in a statement to NPR member station GBH that he plans to ask the Supreme Court to end the consideration of race in admissions at Harvard and all other universities .
The question of how much race should be a factor in college applicants is a hotly contested one .
President Trump 's administration has challenged colleges on using race in admissions policies , claiming such practices violate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Yale University , saying its policies violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964 .
Yale has said the lawsuit is `` baseless . ''
Wen Fa , an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation , which filed an amicus brief in the Harvard case , said Asian Americans are harmed by the school 's admissions rules .
`` The Supreme Court 's intervention is needed so that universities comport with '' federal law , Fa said .
Stella Flores , an associate professor of higher education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopes the court will rely on decades of research and data that show the benefits of such policies .
Race is but one factor within the broad and `` holistic admissions policy '' at Harvard and other schools , she said .
Flores and Fa say the new conservative majority of the Supreme Court makes predicting whether the justices will take up the case difficult .
The court has previously decided on similar questions .
It upheld race-based admissions policies in the 2003 case Grutter v. Bollinger , as well as the 2013 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas at Austin decisions .
In Grutter , the justices were asked to determine whether the University of Michigan Law School 's use of racial preferences in student admissions violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment or Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 .
In the 5-4 Grutter opinion , Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said race-based admissions policies should be for a limited time only , Fa said .
That phrasing may be enough for the current court to take up the case , he said .

Appeals Court Rules Harvard Doesn't Discriminate Against Asian American Applicants
Enlarge this image toggle caption Maddie Meyer/Getty Images Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Updated at 3:28 p.m. ET
A federal appeals court in Boston has ruled Harvard doesn't intentionally discriminate against Asian American applicants in its admissions process.
The panel of judges upheld a federal district court's decision from last year, teeing up a possible case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Circuit Judge Sandra Lynch, who wrote Thursday's decision, agreed with the lower court that "the statistical evidence did not show that Harvard intentionally discriminated against Asian Americans."
Students for Fair Admissions, an advocacy group, first filed its lawsuit in 2014, saying that Harvard's race-based considerations for applicants discriminated against Asian American students in process.
"Today's decision once again finds that Harvard's admissions policies are consistent with Supreme Court precedent, and lawfully and appropriately pursue Harvard's efforts to create a diverse campus that promotes learning and encourages mutual respect and understanding in our community," a spokeswoman for Harvard told NPR."As we have said time and time again, now is not the time to turn back the clock on diversity and opportunity."
Proponents of ending race-based considerations at U.S. universities were unfazed by Thursday's decision and plan to bring the case to the Supreme Court, according to Edward Blum, the conservative strategist behind SFFA.
Blum said in a statement to NPR member station GBH that he plans to ask the Supreme Court to end the consideration of race in admissions at Harvard and all other universities.
The question of how much race should be a factor in college applicants is a hotly contested one. President Trump's administration has challenged colleges on using race in admissions policies, claiming such practices violate federal law. Last month, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Yale University, saying its policies violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Yale has said the lawsuit is "baseless."
Wen Fa, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, which filed an amicus brief in the Harvard case, said Asian Americans are harmed by the school's admissions rules.
"The Supreme Court's intervention is needed so that universities comport with" federal law, Fa said.
Stella Flores, an associate professor of higher education at New York University, said she hopes the court will rely on decades of research and data that show the benefits of such policies. Race is but one factor within the broad and "holistic admissions policy" at Harvard and other schools, she said.
Flores and Fa say the new conservative majority of the Supreme Court makes predicting whether the justices will take up the case difficult.
The court has previously decided on similar questions. It upheld race-based admissions policies in the 2003 case Grutter v. Bollinger, as well as the 2013 and 2016 Fisher v. Univ. of Texas at Austin decisions.
In Grutter, the justices were asked to determine whether the University of Michigan Law School's use of racial preferences in student admissions violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment or Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
In the 5-4 Grutter opinion, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said race-based admissions policies should be for a limited time only, Fa said.
That phrasing may be enough for the current court to take up the case, he said.


npr--2020-11-13--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak On Sept. 28 , the world marked a tragic milestone : 1 million deaths from COVID-19 .
That 's according to a tally maintained by Johns Hopkins University .
And public health experts believe the actual toll – the recorded deaths plus the unrecorded deaths – is much higher .
While the number of cases has slowed in many countries that were hit hard early on by coronavirus , the number of new cases continues to increase .
Since early July , new daily cases averaged over 200,000 worldwide .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January .
At over 9 million cases , the United States leads the world 's COVID-19 crisis .
In late spring and early summer , new COVID-19 cases were largely driven by cases in the Americas .
While the U.S. has consistently had the most new daily cases of coronavirus in the region , Brazil 's new daily cases increased rapidly between May and August .
However , in September , several countries that had previously flattened their curve saw a resurgence in cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , daily case counts have risen swiftly since June , without signs of slowing down .
Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time .
The first chart compares each continent to each other , while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region .
To compare country outbreaks , the chart below graphs trend lines for average new daily cases and deaths against each country 's totals to date .
This type of visualization highlights a state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In countries like Israel , which is seeing a second wave of case growth after an initial wave in April , the line forms a V-shape , as the initially bent curve spikes upwards again .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on @ @ @ @ @

Coronavirus world map: We've now passed the 600 million mark for infections
Editor's note: This page is no longer being updated. The last update was Sept. 5, 2022. For current data about COVID-19 cases and deaths around the world, Johns Hopkins University and Our World in Data are useful resources.
In late January 2020 only a few dozen COVID-19 infections had been identified outside of China. A year later, the world tallied its first 100 million cases. It took the globe just 7 more months to pass the 200 million mark— then another 5 months to hit 300 million, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Now the virus has spread to every corner of the globe and has been blamed for more than 6 million deaths.
The United States, India and Brazil in that order have had the most COVID cases and the three nations collectively account for almost half of all recorded infections so far in the pandemic.
Explore the chart below to find a country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January 2020.
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Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time. The first chart compares each continent to each other, while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region.
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This story was originally published on March 30, 2020.


npr--2020-11-13--Coronavirus Is Surging: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Is Surging : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 10 million people in the U.S. have had confirmed coronavirus infections and more than 240,000 have died of COVID-19 .
Tens of thousands of new cases are reported daily nationwide .
In the graphics below , explore the trends in your state .
View the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , curve charts , a table of state-by-state trends over four weeks , or a map of total cases and deaths .
The map above shows the risk of infection in each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capita .
The consortium of researchers and public health experts who developed these risk levels advises states in the red category to issue stay-home orders .
They advise orange states to consider stay-home orders , along with increased testing and contact tracing .
Yellow states need to keep up social distancing and mask usage , and all states should continue testing and contact tracing .
To compare state outbreaks , the chart above graphs trend lines for average new daily cases and deaths against each state 's totals to date .
This type @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growth or decline relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In New York , the curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
New cases fell from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 900 a day most of the summer , before starting to rise in the fall .
Explore the map above to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country for both new confirmed cases and reported deaths from COVID-19 .
New York was the original epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. As of mid October , California , Florida and Texas surpass New York for total cases to date , though New York still has the highest death total .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
To show trends , the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state , week over week for the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of red have growing outbreaks ; those in shades of green , are declining .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases and or update their methodologies .
For example , in early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's daily numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reconcile the historical data .
On June 25 , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
On Sept. 2 , Massachusetts changed its methodology for counting probable cases , which lowered its overall case and death numbers .
The JHU team maintains a list of such changes .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
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Note: This page was last updated on Feb. 1, 2023. It will no longer be updated. For current data on COVID cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Feb. 1, there have been more than 101 million confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. and more than 1 million people have died of COVID-19. In the graphics below, explore the trends in your state.
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The above charts show average new cases per 100,000 people for each state over the last 12 months.
Note: Actual cases may be substantially higher, since many who test positive with at-home tests don't report their cases.
For additional data about COVID-19 in the U.S, including cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
To show trends, the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state, week over week for the last 28 days. States marked in shades of red have growing outbreaks; those in shades of green, are declining.
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Methodology
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the World Health Organization; national, state and local government health departments; 1point3acres; and local media reports.
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies. This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds. There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department's website. Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships.
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases, process testing backlogs or update their methodologies. The JHU team maintains a list of such changes.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2020. Elena Renken was a co-author on that version. Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story. Carmel Wroth edited this story.


npr--2020-11-13--How The Coronavirus Has Affected Individual Members Of Congress

How The Coronavirus Has Affected Individual Members Of Congress Updated on November 13 at 8:10 a.m .
ET The coronavirus pandemic continues to upend the daily work of Congress , which has seen a series of outbreaks .
Most recently , President Trump , First Lady Melania Trump and several others tested positive following a White House Rose Garden ceremony to announce his nominee , Judge Amy Coney Barrett , as Supreme Court justice .
At least nine Republican members of Congress attended , and several individuals tested positive for the coronavirus infection or were sidelined in quarantines in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sens .
Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina , who had attended Senate business the week after the ceremony , then tested positive .
Soon after , Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson , who was n't at the Rose Garden event , also tested positive .
Several more members tested negative , but entered quarantines after exposure at the event , including Sens .
Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Ted Cruz of Texas and Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson .
The new outbreak forced the Senate to recess for two weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full chamber vote to allow Republicans to confirm Barrett .
The House was already slated to be away .
This is n't the first spread of the illness for Capitol Hill .
The pandemic sidelined Congress since its March beginnings , as House and Senate leaders delayed bringing back members for several weeks in light of public health guidelines recommending social distancing .
The Senate returned in May , but the much larger House still stayed mostly away as a result of advice from the attending physician to Congress .
That same month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowing remote voting and hearings .
So far , the virus has infected about 20 lawmakers and forced dozens more to self-quarantine .
More than 100 members of their staffs and Capitol Hill workers have tested positive .
The initial rash of cases began March 8 , when two Republican lawmakers , Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona , were the first members of Congress to announce self-quarantines .
Both had attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor , Md.
, where an attendee at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , the first two members of Congress said they tested positive for the coronavirus .
Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida and Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams of Utah both said they developed symptoms after a March 14 vote on a coronavirus relief package .
By October , more than 120 Capitol workers reported a positive test or were presumed so , including more than 40 members of the U.S. Capitol Police .
Earlier this summer , Gary Tibbetts , a longtime staffer for Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida , died from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers have taken antibody tests to see if they were previously ill .
Among them , Democratic Sens .
Tim Kaine of Virginia and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania both said they tested positive months after experiencing symptoms in the spring .
To stem the flow of new cases , both chambers issued new social distancing guidance .
Also , the U.S. Capitol remains closed to public tours and open only to members , staff , press and official business visitors .
In late July , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also issued a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R-Texas , who has often rejected mask protocols , tested positive for the coronavirus .
Gohmert had attended several hearings a day before testing and returned to the Capitol following a White House screening that caught his infection .
Gohmert 's case triggered quarantines for five House members , including Arizona Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva .
Days later , Grijalva tested positive , but fully recovered symptom free .
Now , members can be forcibly removed by Capitol Police from House hearings and the floor if they are not wearing masks .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 .

Congress and COVID-19: members' cases and quarantines
Enlarge this image toggle caption Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Editor's note: This page is no longer updating as of Dec. 31, 2021.
A number of congressional lawmakers experienced breakthrough COVID-19 infections as coronavirus cases rose nationwide with the spread of the omicron variant.
Earlier in 2021, Congress went months with no coronavirus cases among its members. That came a halt amid a national surge driven by the delta variant, when Republican Reps. Vern Buchanan of Florida and Clay Higgins of Louisiana reported infections in July. Buchanan says he was fully vaccinated, but that was less clear for Higgins.
At least another dozen members followed throughout the fall with news they had also tested positive for coronavirus; many of those infections involving vaccinated Senate and House members.
Before these latest waves, Congress' nearly six-month case pause came after a majority of more than 500 lawmakers were fully vaccinated by January. The Capitol's attending physician then lifted much of the mask mandates that dominated the past year. However, a minority of House Republican members have refused to seek vaccination.
Lawmakers impact by the coronavirus
This new threat arrives after the coronavirus already exacted a large toll on the Capitol.
Last year, the pandemic upended daily work for months, sickening dozens of members and hundreds of workers. A sitting congressman, a member-elect and an aide died.
By February 2021, more than 60 lawmakers and 360 Capitol Hill workers had tested positive, or were presumed so, for the coronavirus, according to NPR's tracker and congressional aides.
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See a list of all members who tested positive or quarantined.
That same month, Rep. Ron Wright, R-Texas, became the first sitting member of Congress to die after a more than two-week battle with COVID-19. In December, Rep.-elect Luke Letlow of Louisiana died days before he was due to be sworn in for a seat that was later filled in April by his widow, Rep. Julia Letlow, following a special election.
And last summer, an aide to Buchanan died from COVID-19.
The rash of infections among members continued at a consistent pace since the pandemic began, with the longest stretch without any such cases lasting about three weeks during recess periods away from Washington, D.C.
But this past March, Capitol Hill began its first month-long stretch without any reported cases or quarantines among members. The most recent positive case before July was reported by Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., on Jan. 29, despite his having received his second dose of the vaccine days earlier.
Another member, House Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., reported that she quarantined on Feb. 1. It ended Feb. 8 without a report of a positive test.
January 6 insurrection caused spike in cases on Capitol Hill
Up until this summer, the most recent outbreak of cases on Capitol Hill for members was triggered by the Jan. 6 insurrection, which forced members to cluster together in rooms for several hours. Some House Republicans were seen refusing to wear masks during the ordeal.
Later, Monahan told Congress that at least one of these holding rooms for House members included a lawmaker who was already positive.
More than a half-dozen members quarantined as a result, and several tested positive, including Democratic Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey and Brad Schneider of Illinois.
In all, January proved to be one of members' worst month for the coronavirus, with at least 16 lawmakers testing positive. Before the insurrection, the House met to launch a new session before reinstating rules allowing proxy voting.
This, as congressional leaders and lawmakers received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which became available to members in December. The doses were provided to meet long-standing requirements for continuity of government operations, Monahan told members in a Dec. 17 note.
Pandemic impacted congressional operations
Ahead of the vaccinations, both chambers of Congress recessed multiple times last year as the Capitol went largely without a widespread testing program.
The Democratic-controlled House installed emergency proxy voting and remote hearings in May 2020, and Pelosi extended the covered period several times due to the pandemic. It remains in place until at least until mid-August.
In November, Pelosi triggered a broader coronavirus testing program for Congress following new requirement for travelers to the Washington, D.C., area.
Pelosi has previously said with about 75% of House members vaccinated, and several Republicans who refuse to do so, she's unclear when Congress will fully get back to normal.
"One of the most substantial steps that can be taken is that everybody should be vaccinated," Pelosi told reporters in March, later adding, "We need 100% of the members vaccinated, because it just takes one to endanger others."
The pandemic delayed other rituals, such as President Biden's first address before a joint session of Congress, which was held with only 200 socially distanced guests on April 28.
Last year remains a reminder of how quickly outbreaks spiraled out of control among lawmakers.
In December, at least nine House members, including six Republicans, tested positive for the coronavirus. And November proved to be another one of the worst months of the pandemic for Congress, when at least 15 lawmakers said they were infected, including two of the oldest, Republicans Rep. Don Young of Alaska and Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.
A previous outbreak in September was tied to a White House Rose Garden ceremony to announce Amy Coney Barrett as then-President Donald Trump's Supreme Court justice nominee. Trump, then-first lady Melania Trump and dozens of others in attendance tested positive, including Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
It was one of several instances forcing leaders to change the congressional schedule.
Starting in the first month of the pandemic, in March 2020, House and Senate leaders delayed bringing back members in light of public health guidelines recommending social distancing.
The Senate returned in May 2020, but the much larger House remained mostly away under the advice of Monahan, the Capitol's attending physician. That same month, the House approved its historic rule changes to allow remote voting and hearings.
The first spate of cases began March 8, 2020, when two Republican lawmakers, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, were the first members of Congress to announce self-quarantines. Both attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md., where another guest fell ill.
The following week, the first two members of Congress said they tested positive for the coronavirus. Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida and then-Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams of Utah both said they developed symptoms after a March 14 floor vote on a coronavirus relief package.
By last summer, dozens of Capitol workers reported a positive test or were presumed so, and Gary Tibbetts, a longtime staffer for Buchanan died from COVID-19 on July 24.
Some lawmakers also took antibody tests to see if they were previously infected. They include Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, who both said they tested positive months after experiencing symptoms in the spring.
To stem the flow of new cases, both chambers early on issued new social distancing guidance. Also, the U.S. Capitol closed to public tours and remained open only to members, staff, the press and official business visitors, and aside from the Jan. 6 breach by pro-Trump extremists, it has remained so.
In late July 2020, Pelosi also issued a temporary, new mask mandate after Texas GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert, who often rejected such protocols, tested positive. Gohmert had attended several hearings a day earlier and returned to the Capitol following a White House screening that caught his infection.
Gohmert's case triggered quarantines for five House members, including Arizona Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva. Days later, Grijalva tested positive but fully recovered symptom free. Until recent changes lifting the mask mandates, members could be fined or be forcibly removed by Capitol Police if they are not wearing masks.


npr--2020-11-13--How A Record Number Of Republican Women Got Elected To Congress

How A Record Number Of Republican Women Got Elected To Congress Minnesota 's sprawling , rural 7th Congressional District has been represented by conservative Democrat Collin Peterson for 30 years .
It was considered one of Democrats ' most vulnerable seats going into this year 's election , and the GOP flipped it when Michelle Fischbach won by 13 points .
Rep.-elect Fischbach credited one particular Republican with helping her win : Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York. '' Whenever advice was needed , I always was able to call and talk to her about whatever kinds of bumps or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fischbach said .
`` But in addition to that , she provided fundraising and dollars to the campaign , which is so important . ''
Now , Fischbach is one of a record 35 Republican women who will serve in Congress next year , breaking the previous record of 30 and a sharp increase from the 13 GOP women elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 .
This year 's number could still grow as more races are called .
The Republican Party is celebrating that as a win , just two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year electing women .
Stefanik has become the face of efforts to boost Republican women in Congress .
She was in charge of recruitment for House Republicans in 2018 , an abysmal year for GOP women .
Among the 13 women elected to the House from the Republican Party in the midterms , there was just one nonincumbent candidate .
After that , Stefanik clashed with National Republican Congressional Committee chair Tom Emmer over whether the party should do more to boost women in primaries .
Emmer told a reporter that would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for her part , focused her energy on building up her leadership PAC , E-PAC .
Her committee promoted more than two dozen candidates and gave $ 415,000 to Republican women , including Fischbach .
Stefanik credits the candidates with their wins , but she also feels that she played a key role .
`` What I believe is different this cycle is I publicly made this a priority for the Republicans I served with in Congress , '' Stefanik said .
`` I very publicly said at the end of the midterms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better . ''
Even while setting a new record , the GOP is set to have around one-third the number of women that Democrats will have in Congress next session , according to data compiled by Rutgers University 's Center for American Women and Politics .
Republicans will also have around one-tenth Democrats ' number of women of color .
( Those numbers may yet shift somewhat as several races have yet to be called . )
Altogether , according to the latest numbers , that means women will account for nearly 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared with less than 15 % on the Republican side .
In that light , University of Virginia political science professor Jennifer Lawless explained why she thinks GOP women 's success this year is important .
`` It 's a big deal in that the Republicans have demonstrated that when they make some effort to recruit female candidates , they see an increase in women 's representation , '' Lawless said .
`` But we have n't not known that .
Since the 1980s , when women run for office , whether as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 're as likely as men to win elections . ''
Lawless pointed out that Republican groups like E-PAC , though growing , are dwarfed by groups on the Democratic side like EMILY 's List , which recruits and promotes Democratic women who support abortion rights .
The crop of Republican candidates this year was different from past years , not just quantitatively but qualitatively , according to Republican pollster Christine Matthews .
That 's because of longer-term partisan demographic realignment , with women — and particularly college-educated women — increasingly identifying as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may in fact be related to increasing polarization .
Matthews says that realignment has changed which women run and what issues they run on .
`` As , increasingly , college-educated women and men are leaving the Republican Party to becoming more rural , more non-college educated , male , [ and ] older , one way to appeal to that type of electorate is not anymore to be the Chamber of Commerce Republican woman , but to be the Second Amendment Republican woman , '' she said .
Among the women who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taylor Greene and Colorado 's Lauren Boebert , who not only ran on opposition to gun control , but have in the past expressed support for the baseless , far-right conspiracy theory QAnon .
( E-PAC , for its part , lists Boebert but not Greene among its promoted candidates . )
Promoting women politicians in particular can mean walking a tricky line in the GOP .
Republican voters often say they are voting for the best candidate , regardless of gender or race .
And there were echoes of that when NPR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee chair , if celebrating women 's victories qualifies as so-called `` identity politics . ''
`` These people are not going to be great representatives just because of their gender , their race .
These are people with incredible backgrounds , '' he said .
`` And I 'll tell you that we wanted the best candidates .
That 's what we were looking for across this country . ''
On the other hand , while Stefanik stressed that she worked to back high-quality candidates , she also stressed that it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make its lawmakers look more like the party itself .
She also believes she 's proven something to her party leadership. '' I was really proud that [ Minority Leader ] Kevin McCarthy , [ Minority Whip ] Steve Scalise and many of my male colleagues embraced this effort , including Tom Emmer , who learned pretty quickly that it 's important to prioritize recruitment of women candidates and nontraditional candidates , '' she said .
It 's not clear what this will mean for how Congress legislates .
Recent research has cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates are more bipartisan than men .
And while there 's limited evidence that women legislators tend to focus on different issues than men , it remains to be seen what effect a bigger number of women will have on the GOP 's actions .
Lawmakers , like voters , vote based on party , not gender .

How A Record Number Of Republican Women Got Elected To Congress
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jacquelyn Martin/AP Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Minnesota's sprawling, rural 7th Congressional District has been represented by conservative Democrat Collin Peterson for 30 years. It was considered one of Democrats' most vulnerable seats going into this year's election, and the GOP flipped it when Michelle Fischbach won by 13 points.
Rep.-elect Fischbach credited one particular Republican with helping her win: Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York.
"Whenever advice was needed, I always was able to call and talk to her about whatever kinds of bumps or things you would run into," Fischbach said. "But in addition to that, she provided fundraising and dollars to the campaign, which is so important."
Now, Fischbach is one of a record 35 Republican women who will serve in Congress next year, breaking the previous record of 30 and a sharp increase from the 13 GOP women elected to the House of Representatives in 2018.
This year's number could still grow as more races are called. The Republican Party is celebrating that as a win, just two years after Democrats had their own record-setting year electing women.
Stefanik's role in 2020
Stefanik has become the face of efforts to boost Republican women in Congress. She was in charge of recruitment for House Republicans in 2018, an abysmal year for GOP women. Among the 13 women elected to the House from the Republican Party in the midterms, there was just one nonincumbent candidate.
After that, Stefanik clashed with National Republican Congressional Committee chair Tom Emmer over whether the party should do more to boost women in primaries. Emmer told a reporter that would be a "mistake." Stefanik, for her part, focused her energy on building up her leadership PAC, E-PAC.
Her committee promoted more than two dozen candidates and gave $415,000 to Republican women, including Fischbach.
Stefanik credits the candidates with their wins, but she also feels that she played a key role.
"What I believe is different this cycle is I publicly made this a priority for the Republicans I served with in Congress," Stefanik said. "I very publicly said at the end of the midterms in 2018 that we needed to do better."
A giant partisan gender gap
Even while setting a new record, the GOP is set to have around one-third the number of women that Democrats will have in Congress next session, according to data compiled by Rutgers University's Center for American Women and Politics.
Republicans will also have around one-tenth Democrats' number of women of color. (Those numbers may yet shift somewhat as several races have yet to be called.)
Altogether, according to the latest numbers, that means women will account for nearly 40% of Democrats on Capitol Hill, compared with less than 15% on the Republican side.
In that light, University of Virginia political science professor Jennifer Lawless explained why she thinks GOP women's success this year is important.
"It's a big deal in that the Republicans have demonstrated that when they make some effort to recruit female candidates, they see an increase in women's representation," Lawless said. "But we haven't not known that. Since the 1980s, when women run for office, whether as Democrats or Republicans, we know that they're as likely as men to win elections."
Lawless pointed out that Republican groups like E-PAC, though growing, are dwarfed by groups on the Democratic side like EMILY's List, which recruits and promotes Democratic women who support abortion rights.
Changing candidates for a changed GOP
The crop of Republican candidates this year was different from past years, not just quantitatively but qualitatively, according to Republican pollster Christine Matthews.
That's because of longer-term partisan demographic realignment, with women — and particularly college-educated women — increasingly identifying as Democrats. It's a trend that may in fact be related to increasing polarization.
Matthews says that realignment has changed which women run and what issues they run on.
"As, increasingly, college-educated women and men are leaving the Republican Party to becoming more rural, more non-college educated, male, [and] older, one way to appeal to that type of electorate is not anymore to be the Chamber of Commerce Republican woman, but to be the Second Amendment Republican woman," she said.
Among the women who won this year are Georgia's Marjorie Taylor Greene and Colorado's Lauren Boebert, who not only ran on opposition to gun control, but have in the past expressed support for the baseless, far-right conspiracy theory QAnon. (E-PAC, for its part, lists Boebert but not Greene among its promoted candidates.)
"Identity politics" in the GOP
Promoting women politicians in particular can mean walking a tricky line in the GOP. Republican voters often say they are voting for the best candidate, regardless of gender or race.
And there were echoes of that when NPR asked Emmer, the National Republican Congressional Committee chair, if celebrating women's victories qualifies as so-called "identity politics."
"These people are not going to be great representatives just because of their gender, their race. These are people with incredible backgrounds," he said. "And I'll tell you that we wanted the best candidates. That's what we were looking for across this country."
On the other hand, while Stefanik stressed that she worked to back high-quality candidates, she also stressed that it's important for the party to try to make its lawmakers look more like the party itself. She also believes she's proven something to her party leadership.
"I was really proud that [Minority Leader] Kevin McCarthy, [Minority Whip] Steve Scalise and many of my male colleagues embraced this effort, including Tom Emmer, who learned pretty quickly that it's important to prioritize recruitment of women candidates and nontraditional candidates," she said.
It's not clear what this will mean for how Congress legislates. Recent research has cast doubt on the popular view that women candidates are more bipartisan than men.
And while there's limited evidence that women legislators tend to focus on different issues than men, it remains to be seen what effect a bigger number of women will have on the GOP's actions. Lawmakers, like voters, vote based on party, not gender.


npr--2020-11-13--Hospitals In Montana Strain Under COVID-19 Spike

NPR 's Noel King speaks to Dr. Jamie Riha , a critical care specialist at the Billings Clinic in Montana @ @ @ @ @ 150 % over capacity .

Montana Doctor Says Hospital Is 'Strapped Thin'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Lynn Donaldson/Bloomberg via Getty Images Lynn Donaldson/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The coronavirus pandemic is hitting the Midwest and mountain states hard right now, including Montana, where some hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.
After largely stable numbers in the double digits for most of the summer, daily new cases in Montana started an upward spike in late September. The state averaged 866 cases per day this week. Nearly 500 people in Montana have died.
Dr. Jamie Riha, a critical care specialist at the Billings Clinic in Billings, tells NPR's Morning Edition the facility has "a critical level of patients in our ICU."
In response, she says the hospital has multiple or double occupancy, which means more than one patient can be in one room of the ICU. They're also holding ICU patients outside of the normal area.
"Our hospital is strapped thin," she says. "We've come up with great out-of-the-box solutions and we're continuing to be able to care for patients at a very high level. But if the pandemic continues accelerating at the rate it's at, things are going to be getting very, very limited and tough decisions will have to be made."
Riha implores everyone to wear masks to "help get this pandemic under better control."
NPR's Noel King spoke to Riha about how her patients are doing, how the staff is coping and what Americans can do to help.
Interview Highlights
On how the patients are doing
The patients are unfortunately very, very sick and they are very frightened. The United States has been living with this pandemic for a long time. People know what the virus can do. And they, unfortunately, once they reach the intensive care level, they know that there's a very good chance they may unfortunately not survive, and so patients are very scared.
And it's one of the biggest challenges — emotional challenges, I should say — for physicians and nurses ... caring for these patients is that we are so strapped right now. And so tight and trying to cover all of the ICU patients that we are not able to spend lengthy amounts of time with these patients, comforting them or providing the emotional support that they need.
And so it is very challenging for the patients. They are able to connect with their families via cellphones. And we also do have iPads so that patients can connect with them via FaceTime or Zoom as well. But it still is a very lonely, isolating disease for the patients in the hospital.
On one particular experience she can't get out of her mind
There's multiple patients that have impacted me deeply. But the one that has impacted me the most was a woman. She was just around 50 years old, otherwise healthy, and was admitted to the hospital earlier this fall with low levels of oxygen due to COVID. She'd been in the hospital for only about two days and the condition of her lungs declined significantly enough to the point of requiring ICU level care. She was transferred to the ICU when I was working a night shift. And unfortunately, despite arriving to the ICU talking, approximately three or four hours later, she died very quickly due to complications from COVID. And I had to go out and tell her husband and her two teenage children who we had called in, that his wife and their mother had died.
And it was one of the most traumatic experiences for me, as well as multiple members of the team, because those two kids lost their mom. And it really impacted me, not just because I had to look at the grief and loss that her family and her children were experiencing, but because she was truly an otherwise healthy female. And I think so many people believe that this disease only threatens the lives of the elderly or those with really sick chronic medical conditions. And it's not true. It can take the life of anyone.
On how she is coping
I will be honest. It's a challenge. I'm emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted. I try when I'm off work to separate as much as possible. I exercise. I spend time with my husband and my two young children, but it's a challenge.
Ashley Westerman and Simone Popperl produced and edited the audio interview. Christianna Silva produced for the Web.


npr--2020-11-13--Lessons From Europe, Where Cases Are Rising But Schools Are Open

Lessons From Europe , Where Cases Are Rising But Schools Are Open Mahua Barve lives in Frankfurt , Germany , with her husband , a son in first grade and twin daughters in kindergarten .
All three children are currently attending school full-time and in-person .
That 's despite a coronavirus surge that has led Germany to shut down restaurants , bars , theaters , gyms , tattoo parlors and brothels ( which are legal in the country ) for the month of November .
Schools were allowed to remain open .
Barve says despite the resurgence of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety strategies give her confidence .
Each `` pod '' of kids goes to recess at 10 minute intervals , for example , so they do n't mix in the hallways .
`` When I see all the parents who are coming to pick up and drop off , they 're wearing masks .
The teachers are always wearing masks .
They 're doing their best to minimize risk .
And as soon as something is detected , they are quarantining . ''
Barve says everyone is doing their part : `` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but if people are swimming in their own lanes , there 's less likelihood of a disturbance . ''
Across Europe , schools and childcare centers are staying open even as much of the continent reports rising coronavirus cases , and even as many businesses and gathering places are shut or restricted .
Countries like France , the U.K. , Germany and Italy appear to be following the emerging evidence that schools have not been major centers of transmission of the virus , especially for young children .
And experts say these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoiding the worst impacts of the pandemic on children .
The U.S. has taken a different approach .
As new cases climb above 100,000 per day , there are very few places in the U.S. where classrooms have remained full even as restaurants and bars are empty .
In cities like Boston and Washington , D.C. , schools are remote but indoor dining is allowed .
This week , Detroit announced it was closing its schools through January , while indoor dining and bars there remain open at 50 % capacity .
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , schools , along with most businesses , have stayed open , even with very high and rising case rates .
Andreas Schleicher has a global view on education from his position in Paris overseeing the PISA international assessment program at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development .
He says that while schools in Europe were initially shut out of an abundance of caution , `` Research has shown that if you put social distancing protocols in place , school is actually quite a safe environment , certainly safer than having children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time , he says that in Europe , `` I do think people have understood fairly quickly how much damage the school closures have done , particularly to disadvantaged learners . ''
He says the science especially favors opening elementary schools , with young children both less likely to spread the disease and less able to benefit from remote learning .
Dr. Randa Grob-Zakhary of the group Insights for Education recently analyzed school reopening patterns across the world .
When it comes to European countries , she says for the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closures based on numbers of cases . ''
For example , at Barve 's children 's school in Germany , sometimes just a single `` pod '' of about 20 children and teachers will be sent home to quarantine because of a case .
Dr. Johannes Huebner , the head of the pediatric infectious disease department at the Ludwig-Maximilians University Hospital in Munich , Germany , recently told NPR correspondent Rob Schmitz that scientific studies have not detected high rates of transmission in schools .
`` Most of the infections are brought into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and then spread among kids .
But most of the time , it 's only single cases .
It 's two , three kids , five maybe that get positive . ''
Grob-Zakhary says , `` I think five , six months ago there was a view that we do n't know what the heck we 're dealing with and we better keep our kids safe no matter what .
And now there 's a view that , yes , it 's dangerous , but we know so much more about how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools are open , it does n't mean everyone feels safe .
In the U.K. , teacher unions have raised safety concerns .
And in Switzerland , one of the worst coronavirus hotspots in Europe , parent Anindita Basu Sempere is keeping her 6-year-old son home from school .
It worries her that local health authorities do n't require children under 12 to wear a mask .
She is seeking a doctor 's authorization to keep her son out of school as long as the current surge continues .
She says her son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends , but he 's told her , `` it feels weird to not change what we 're doing when everything else is changing . ''
President-elect Joe Biden has called school closures `` a national emergency . ''
Some members of his newly appointed COVID-19 task force — including former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy , epidemiologist Michael Osterholm and oncologist and bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel — have spoken cautiously in favor of reopening schools , but only with proper mitigation measures in place like testing , contact tracing , social distancing and masking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the resources to do currently .
Murthy and Emanuel have written that schools should only be open where the virus is controlled .
Other American observers are adamant that the United States ought to make a different calculation of the society-wide impact of school closures , even when virus spread is high .
Dimitri Christakis , a pediatrician at Seattle Children 's Hospital and editor of the journal JAMA Pediatrics , has just published a paper that estimates 5.53 million years of life could be lost as a result of school closures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is based on research showing that missing months of school lowers a child 's chances of graduating high school .
Lower educational attainment , in turn , is well established to lower life expectancy because people with less education are more likely to smoke , more likely to drink heavily , more likely to suffer from heart disease , and more likely to perform more hazardous work , among other reasons .
`` When you frame it in terms of school versus lives , it becomes a no-brainer , '' says Christakis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ca n't send kids to school if it 's going to cost lives . '
But in fact , not sending kids to school also costs lives . ''
Lala Tanmoy Das , an M.D.-Ph.D. student at Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Memorial Sloan Kettering , is familiar with the kind of modeling Christakis used , and calls the paper `` fairly robust . ''
But Das also points out that the virus is more dangerous for Black children , Latino children and those with preexisting conditions , and that we do n't know enough about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to capture the full impacts on health .
He also notes that many school districts in the U.S. have faced budget cuts that make it hard to do mitigation measures , like regular disinfection , or put proper social distancing protocols in place .
Still , Das agrees with Christakis that schools should n't be closed preferentially over other restrictions , particularly for younger children .
`` In New York somehow restaurants and bars are open but we 're talking about closing schools .
That just does n't make a lot of sense @ @

Lessons From Europe, Where Cases Are Rising But Schools Are Open
Enlarge this image toggle caption Serge Haouzi/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images Serge Haouzi/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images
Updated on Jan. 30 at 7:47 p.m. ET
Mahua Barve lives in Frankfurt, Germany, with her husband, a son in first grade and twin daughters in kindergarten. All three children are currently attending school full time and in person. That's despite a coronavirus surge that has led Germany to shut down restaurants, bars, theaters, gyms, tattoo parlors and brothels (which are legal in the country) for November. Schools were allowed to remain open.
Despite the resurgence of the virus, Barve says, her children's school's careful safety strategies give her confidence. Each "pod" of kids goes to recess at 10 minute intervals, for example, so they don't mix in the hallways.
"When I see all the parents who are coming to pick up and drop off, they're wearing masks. The teachers are always wearing masks. They're doing their best to minimize risk. And as soon as something is detected, they are quarantining."
Barve says everyone is doing their part: "It's a little bit of choppy water, but if people are swimming in their own lanes, there's less likelihood of a disturbance."
Across Europe, schools and child care centers are staying open even as much of the continent reports rising coronavirus cases, and even as many businesses and gathering places are shut or restricted. Countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy appear to be following the emerging evidence that schools have not been major centers of transmission of the virus, especially for young children. And experts say these nations are also demonstrating a commitment to avoiding the worst impacts of the pandemic on children.
The U.S. has taken a different approach. As new cases climb above 100,000 per day, there are very few places in the U.S. where classrooms have remained full even as restaurants and bars are empty. In cities such as Boston and Washington, D.C., schools are remote, but indoor dining is allowed. This week, Detroit announced it was closing its schools through January, while indoor dining and bars there remain open at 50% capacity. Meanwhile, in states like Florida and Texas, schools — along with most businesses — have stayed open, even with very high and rising case rates.
Andreas Schleicher has a global view on education from his position in Paris overseeing the PISA international assessment program at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. He says that while schools in Europe were initially closed out of an abundance of caution, "Research has shown that if you put social distancing protocols in place, school is actually quite a safe environment, certainly safer than having children running around outside school."
At the same time, he says that in Europe, "I do think people have understood fairly quickly how much damage the school closures have done, particularly to disadvantaged learners." He says the science especially favors opening elementary schools, with young children both less likely to spread the disease and less able to benefit from remote learning.
Randa Grob-Zakhary of the group Insights for Education recently analyzed school reopening patterns across the world. When it comes to European countries, she says for the most part, "They have ... localized closures based on numbers of cases." For example, at Barve's children's school in Germany, sometimes just a single "pod" of about 20 children and teachers will be sent home to quarantine because of a case.
Johannes Huebner, the head of the pediatric infectious disease department at the Ludwig-Maximilians University Hospital in Munich, recently told NPR correspondent Rob Schmitz that scientific studies have not detected high rates of transmission in schools. "Most of the infections are brought into the schools by adults, by teachers, and then spread among kids. But most of the time, it's only single cases. It's two, three kids, five maybe that get positive."
Grob-Zakhary says, "I think five, six months ago there was a view that we don't know what the heck we're dealing with and we better keep our kids safe no matter what. And now there's a view that, yes, it's dangerous, but we know so much more about how to handle it."
Even where schools are open, it doesn't mean everyone feels safe. In the U.K., teachers unions have raised safety concerns. And in Switzerland, one of the worst coronavirus hot spots in Europe, parent Anindita Basu Sempere is keeping her 6-year-old son home from school. It worries her that local health authorities don't require children under 12 to wear a mask. She is seeking a doctor's authorization to keep her son out of school as long as the current surge continues. She says her son is sad to be away from his friends, but he's told her "it feels weird to not change what we're doing when everything else is changing."
President-elect Joe Biden has called school closures "a national emergency." Some members of his newly appointed COVID-19 task force — including former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, epidemiologist Michael Osterholm and oncologist and bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel — have spoken cautiously in favor of reopening schools, but only with proper mitigation measures in place such as testing, contact tracing, social distancing and masking, which not all schools or locations have the resources to do currently. Murthy and Emanuel have written that schools should be open only where the virus is controlled.
Other American observers are adamant that the United States ought to make a different calculation of the societywide impact of school closures, even when virus spread is high. Dimitri Christakis, a pediatrician at Seattle Children's Hospital and editor of the journal JAMA Pediatrics, has published a paper that estimates millions of years of life could be lost as a result of school closures in the United States.
The calculation, which was corrected post-publication and has been critiqued by some researchers, is based on studies showing that missing months of school lowers a child's chances of graduating from high school. Lower educational attainment, in turn, is well established to lower life expectancy because people with less education are more likely to smoke, more likely to drink heavily, more likely to suffer from heart disease, and more likely to perform more hazardous work, among other reasons.
"When you frame it in terms of school versus lives, it becomes a no-brainer," says Christakis. "And everybody says, 'Well, we can't send kids to school if it's going to cost lives.' But in fact, not sending kids to school also costs lives."
Lala Tanmoy Das, an M.D.-Ph.D. student at Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Memorial Sloan Kettering, is familiar with the kind of modeling Christakis used, and calls the paper "fairly robust." But Das also points out that the virus is more dangerous for Black children, Latino children and those with preexisting conditions, and that we don't know enough about its long-term effects on children or adults to capture the full impacts on health. He also notes that many school districts in the U.S. have faced budget cuts that make it hard to do mitigation measures, like regular disinfection, or put proper social distancing protocols in place.
Still, Das agrees with Christakis that schools shouldn't be closed preferentially over other restrictions, particularly for younger children.
"In New York somehow restaurants and bars are open but we're talking about closing schools. That just doesn't make a lot of sense."
This story has been updated to reflect a correction to a research paper authored by pediatrician Dimitri Christakis.


npr--2020-11-13--After Days Of Silence, China Congratulates Biden And Harris

After Days Of Silence , China Congratulates Biden And Harris China became one of the last major nations to acknowledge Joe Biden 's victory in the U.S. presidential race Friday , offering congratulations to the president-elect and his running mate Kamala Harris .
`` We respect the choice of the American people , '' foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at his regular daily briefing .
`` We congratulate Mr. Biden and Ms .
Harris . ''
`` At the same time , '' he added , `` the result will be confirmed according to U.S. laws and procedures .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports the spokesman 's qualification is an apparent nod to the fact President Trump has still not conceded .
She notes that still missing is Chinese President Xi Jinping 's personal congratulations to Biden .
`` Analysts , '' reports Feng , `` say China is hesitant to endorse a Biden victory because Trump remains in office for the next two months and could further sanction China if angered . ''
Both China and Russia remained silent as many other nations offered congratulations to Biden after his victory was called last Saturday by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not acknowledged the results of the U.S. presidential race .

After Days Of Silence, China Congratulates Biden And Harris
Enlarge this image toggle caption Carolyn Kaster/AP Carolyn Kaster/AP
China became one of the last major nations to acknowledge Joe Biden's victory in the U.S. presidential race Friday, offering congratulations to the president-elect and his running mate Kamala Harris.
"We respect the choice of the American people," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at his regular daily briefing. "We congratulate Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris."
"At the same time," he added, "the result will be confirmed according to U.S. laws and procedures.
NPR's Emily Feng in Beijing reports that the spokesman's qualification is an apparent nod to the fact that President Trump has not conceded. She notes that still missing is Chinese President Xi Jinping's personal congratulations to Biden.
"Analysts," reports Feng, "say China is hesitant to endorse a Biden victory because Trump remains in office for the next two months and could further sanction China if angered."
Both China and Russia remained silent as many other nations offered congratulations to Biden after his victory was called last Saturday by U.S. news organizations. Russia still has not acknowledged the results of the U.S. presidential race.


npr--2020-11-13--Vaccine Could Unlock Trillions In Spending, Leading To 'Biden Boom'

Vaccine Could Unlock Trillions In Spending , Leading To 'Biden Boom' What Brandon Fritze misses most this year is belting out Coldplay 's `` Yellow '' at karaoke sessions with his friends .
`` I was a big karaoke guy , '' said Fritze .
`` I 'd be going to the karaoke bar pretty much every night .
But since the pandemic started , the bar 's been shut down and that was n't an option .
I do n't think I 've sung in eight months now . ''
Fritze , an Indianapolis accountant , is among millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money in savings this year as the coronavirus pandemic has put an end to many activities — like going to the gym , restaurants or bars — that were common before the pandemic .
The savings reach $ 2 trillion , or roughly 10 % of the economy .
With a successful vaccine , all that money could be steered toward spending , according to economist Ian Shepherdson , ushering in what he calls the `` Biden Boom '' by the time spring arrives .
`` President-elect Biden is arriving in Washington at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who 's the chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics .
`` The COVID news at the point where he 's inaugurated is likely to be horrific .
But it wo n't be for much longer after that . ''
Not all of that saved-up money will come flooding into the economy at once .
Household habits could have changed , and some activities that were skimped on during the pandemic will never be made up , like missed baseball games or haircuts .
`` I went quite a long time without getting my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chief U.S. economist for the forecasting firm IHS Markit .
`` I 'm not going to get three extra haircuts to make up for the ones that I missed during the summer . ''
It also remains unclear how rough the upcoming winter will be because of surging COVID-19 cases .
Although Pfizer and partner BioNTech this week announced an experimental COVID-19 vaccine that was more than 90 % effective , it still needs to clear a lot of hurdles before it becomes widely available .
In the meantime , millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Congress has been slow to extend additional relief .
That has led IHS analyst Prakken to lower his forecast for economic growth next year from 3.7 % to 3.1 % .
Prakken thinks it will be two more years before Americans spend on travel , entertainment and other services at pre-pandemic levels .
What 's more , even when a vaccine is widely available , it may take time before people feel safe going out and spending money again .
`` It would be great in 2021 if all the venues were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go see some bands , '' said Pittsburgh librarian Dana Farabaugh .
`` But I think it 's going to be a while before , mentally , I feel OK being in a crowd of people like that again , not wearing masks . ''
Christie Vezzola , who works for an aircraft-parts company in New Haven , Conn. , and her husband have spent more on ice cream and alcohol during the pandemic , but less on everything else .
`` We 're certainly not spending on any sort of entertainment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to the movies .
We 're not paying for gym memberships or to participate in sports leagues , '' she said .
Still , there 's a lot of other activities that Americans could resume with a vaccine , and that would give a boost to the economy .
Shepherdson thinks that spending could be `` the likes of which we 've never seen before . ''
`` I do n't want to minimize how bad things could be over the next two or three months , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible to hold the other idea in your head , which is that when spring comes , it 's going to be a different planet , really . ''
And Americans who are ready to spend again would benefit a broad swath of businesses — karaoke establishments , for example .
`` The karaoke crowd is kind of a family , '' said Fritze , the Coldplay crooner .
`` So it would be nice to get out and see them again . ''

Vaccine Could Unlock Trillions In Spending, Leading To 'Biden Boom'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jae C. Hong/AP Jae C. Hong/AP
What Brandon Fritze misses most this year is belting out Coldplay's "Yellow" at karaoke sessions with his friends.
"I was a big karaoke guy," said Fritze. "I'd be going to the karaoke bar pretty much every night. But since the pandemic started, the bar's been shut down and that wasn't an option. I don't think I've sung in eight months now."
Fritze, an Indianapolis accountant, is among millions of Americans who have squirreled away their money in savings this year as the coronavirus pandemic has put an end to many activities — like going to the gym, restaurants or bars — that were common before the pandemic.
The savings reach $2 trillion, or roughly 10% of the economy. With a successful vaccine, all that money could be steered toward spending, according to economist Ian Shepherdson, ushering in what he calls the "Biden Boom" by the time spring arrives.
"President-elect Biden is arriving in Washington at the right time," said Shepherdson, who's the chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. "The COVID news at the point where he's inaugurated is likely to be horrific. But it won't be for much longer after that."
Not all of that saved-up money will come flooding into the economy at once. Household habits could have changed, and some activities that were skimped on during the pandemic will never be made up, like missed baseball games or haircuts.
"I went quite a long time without getting my hair cut," said Joel Prakken, chief U.S. economist for the forecasting firm IHS Markit. "I'm not going to get three extra haircuts to make up for the ones that I missed during the summer."
It also remains unclear how rough the upcoming winter will be because of surging COVID-19 cases.
Although Pfizer and partner BioNTech this week announced an experimental COVID-19 vaccine that was more than 90% effective, it still needs to clear a lot of hurdles before it becomes widely available.
In the meantime, millions of Americans are still out of work, and Congress has been slow to extend additional relief. That has led IHS analyst Prakken to lower his forecast for economic growth next year from 3.7% to 3.1%.
Prakken thinks it will be two more years before Americans spend on travel, entertainment and other services at pre-pandemic levels.
What's more, even when a vaccine is widely available, it may take time before people feel safe going out and spending money again.
"It would be great in 2021 if all the venues were up and operating again and we could go see some bands," said Pittsburgh librarian Dana Farabaugh. "But I think it's going to be a while before, mentally, I feel OK being in a crowd of people like that again, not wearing masks."
Christie Vezzola, who works for an aircraft-parts company in New Haven, Conn., and her husband have spent more on ice cream and alcohol during the pandemic, but less on everything else.
"We're certainly not spending on any sort of entertainment," she said. "We're not going to the movies. We're not paying for gym memberships or to participate in sports leagues," she said.
Still, there's a lot of other activities that Americans could resume with a vaccine, and that would give a boost to the economy.
Shepherdson thinks that spending could be "the likes of which we've never seen before."
"I don't want to minimize how bad things could be over the next two or three months," he said. "But I think it's also possible to hold the other idea in your head, which is that when spring comes, it's going to be a different planet, really."
And Americans who are ready to spend again would benefit a broad swath of businesses — karaoke establishments, for example.
"The karaoke crowd is kind of a family," said Fritze, the Coldplay crooner. "So it would be nice to get out and see them again."


npr--2020-11-13--News Brief: Bolton's Message To Republicans, Biden's Economy, COVID-19 Vaccine

John Bolton urges Republicans to accept a Biden presidency .
Biden could see a boom in the economy with the @ @ @ @ @ .
And , poorer countries might not receive a vaccine until 2023 .

News Brief: Bolton's Message To Republicans, Biden's Economy, COVID-19 Vaccine
John Bolton urges Republicans to accept a Biden presidency. Biden could see a boom in the economy with the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine. And, poorer countries might not receive a vaccine until 2023.
NOEL KING, HOST:
The federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency does exactly what its name suggests. That agency put out a remarkable statement last night.
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
Right. It said the November 3 election was, quote, "the most secure in American history." The statement says there is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes or was in any way compromised. The agency has been fighting disinformation about the election, false claims for which President Trump is a super spreader. Many Republican officials went along with Trump's televised lie that he won the election and have not called out his baseless claims of fraud. But John Bolton, the president's former national security adviser, says it's time to stop enabling him.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
JOHN BOLTON: The arguments that Trump and his campaign are making on the conspiracy to deny him reelection is this conspiracy is so vast and so successful that apparently there's no evidence of it.
GREENE: Bolton, who has many supporters in Congress, says it's in the national interest and the party's interest to abandon the president.
KING: John Bolton talked to our co-host Steve, who's on the line with me now. Hey, Steve.
STEVE INSKEEP, BYLINE: Good morning.
KING: So how, in Bolton's mind, would Republicans separate themselves from Trump when so many of them have just supported him all the way?
INSKEEP: Yeah, we are talking about a figure who's extremely popular with Republican voters. But Bolton says Trump is pursuing his own interests here, fundraising off of his baseless claims, which Bolton calls a con game. And he says Republican leaders could at least press the president to give Joe Biden aides access to key departments.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
BOLTON: Showing disagreement with the president is not fatal to your political future. I'm not asking anybody to climb Mount Suribachi and plant the American flag on top of it. I'm just saying, for example, agree that Biden and key people on his transition team should have full access to intelligence briefings.
INSKEEP: And by the way, if you're scratching your head, Noel, on Mount Suribachi, I had to look it up to remind myself, too. It's a mountain on the island of Iwo Jima, where U.S. Marines famously raised a flag in World War II.
KING: It was a good reference.
Are any Republicans, Steve, who are currently in office leaning on Trump at all?
INSKEEP: Well, some have done it. Senator Jim Lankford, who's a regular guest on this program, set today as a kind of deadline for Trump to cooperate with the transition. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, one of the supposedly contested states, has said Trump should cooperate with the transition. But others, like Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, have not acknowledged reality. And Lindsey Graham was asked if Joe Biden should receive transition help yesterday, and he said, I think so. But when he was on Fox recently, he was a lot more definite about spreading disinformation.
KING: This makes me think about the two Republicans who are facing Senate runoffs in Georgia because they have both made baseless election claims against their own party's secretary of state.
INSKEEP: Yeah, both of them demanded that the Georgia secretary of state resign and gave no specific reasons at all. And, of course, lawsuits about the Georgia results have so far completely failed.
KING: We should mention - and you've done a lot of interviews on this - John Bolton left office as one of the president's critics. What does he think of Joe Biden?
INSKEEP: He said he wasn't going to vote for Joe Biden but not for Trump either. He does, however, think that Biden can help the country.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
BOLTON: I think Trump has caused damage, but I think it can be repaired. In fact, I'm optimistic it can be repaired fairly quickly. That's not to say I'm going to come close to agreeing with Biden administration policies in many respects. I would not be surprised if by the 21 of January, the day after Biden's inauguration, I'll be criticizing his foreign policy.
INSKEEP: But Bolton says that under Biden, it would be a more normal American debate, which will be good for America's standing in the world.
KING: UP FIRST co-host Steve Inskeep.
Thanks for bringing us this, Steve.
INSKEEP: You're welcome.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
KING: All right. There are some bright spots in the U.S. economy.
GREENE: Yeah, markets responded well to the news that Joe Biden won the presidential election. They surged again on news that the pharmaceutical company Pfizer has developed a vaccine that, so far, is 90% effective. That said, markets don't tell us how people are doing during the coronavirus recession.
KING: But NPR's Scott Horsley can. He's been talking to people around the country.
Good morning, Scott.
SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE: Good morning, Noel.
KING: Let's start at 10,000 feet first. What has President-elect Biden said about what he's going to do to fix the economy?
HORSLEY: Job one for fixing the economy, of course, is getting a handle on the pandemic. And President-elect Biden has promised a more robust and more coordinated federal role in that effort. Of course, the numbers right now are really frightening. Infections are climbing at an alarming level. Hospitals across the country are stretched thin. That's not only a health care crisis, it's also going to cause economic problems because as cities and states once again impose restrictions on restaurants and gyms and as cautious consumers just decide to stay home.
Biden came into office as vice president a dozen years ago under the weight of the financial crisis, and now he's going to be facing another uphill battle. But Ian Shepherdson, who's with Pantheon Macroeconomics, says this crisis could turn around more quickly.
IAN SHEPHERDSON: President-elect Biden is arriving in Washington at the right time. The COVID news at the point where he's inaugurated is likely to be horrific, but it won't be for much longer after that.
HORSLEY: Shepherdson says, with a successful vaccine, the springtime could see a flowering of the economy fueled by pent-up demand for all the kinds of stuff that's been off limits for so long.
KING: That's a nice thing to think about.
Millions of people, of course, lost their jobs this year, but not everyone did. What have the people who are still working been doing with their money?
HORSLEY: People who are lucky enough to still have a job are buying a lot of stuff. You know, spending on goods has actually recovered to pre-pandemic levels and then some. But they're spending less on services as they avoid travel and crowds and in-person entertainment. Brandon Fritze in Indianapolis is one example. He spent an awful lot of time this past year more or less stuck in his apartment. And he misses going out to buffet restaurants and doing all the things he used to enjoy.
BRANDON FRITZE: I was a big karaoke guy. I'd be going to the karaoke bar pretty much every night. But since the pandemic started, I don't think I've sung in eight months now.
HORSLEY: Coldplay's "Yellow" was Brandon's go-to song. All told, cautious consumers like him have squirreled away some $2 trillion during the pandemic. And that's money that could fuel a pretty big economic revival if and when people feel safe again going out to concerts and restaurants and karaoke bars.
KING: All right. So Joe Biden will be inaugurated in January. Let's say a vaccine rolls out widely sometime in the spring or in the summer. How long will it be before the economy stabilizes? Do we know?
HORSLEY: That's the $2 trillion question. Obviously, the vaccine still needs final safety tests. And then getting it out to hundreds of millions of people is a huge challenge. And even when the vaccine is widely available, it could take time to rebuild people's confidence. You know, I spoke to a woman in Pittsburgh who says she still gets freaked out watching period dramas on TV when the characters aren't socially distancing.
KING: (Laughter).
HORSLEY: So even though she wants to go out and see live music, she says it could take a while. Shepherdson thinks it could be a fairly rapid rebound; other economists say it could be a couple of years.
KING: NPR's chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley.
Thank you, Scott.
HORSLEY: You're welcome.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
KING: All right. So for the past few weeks, we have given you so many numbers about coronavirus - cases, deaths, hospitalizations. And we understand that it's hard to keep them straight, but today we have two big ones.
GREENE: Yeah, significant numbers, right? Fifteen hundred people died in a single day this week from coronavirus, and there were more than 150,000 new cases on Thursday alone. There is one thing that nearly everyone agrees on - we need a vaccine badly. Dr. Anthony Fauci had some hopeful news on that front earlier this week. Here he is.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
ANTHONY FAUCI: The vaccine is on its way, folks...
(CHEERING)
FAUCI: ...So hang in there. Hang tough. We're going to get over this together. Thank you very much.
GREENE: Yeah. Earlier this week, pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced that their experimental vaccine seems to be highly effective. Health officials hope to start vaccinating some Americans within a few months. But what about the rest of the world?
KING: NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff has been looking into that. Good morning, Michaeleen.
MICHAELEEN DOUCLEFF, BYLINE: Good morning.
KING: So this is a global pandemic, obviously. Every country in the world is going to need vaccines. Who's going to get them first?
DOUCLEFF: Yeah. So for the past few months now, countries all around the world have been rapidly purchasing or trying to purchase vaccines - experimental vaccines before they even finished clinical trials. So it's not just Pfizer that's there, right? There are several other candidate vaccines out there. And right now, rich countries like the U.S., the U.K. and Canada have claimed way more doses than they potentially will need. So, for example, the U.S. could potentially have enough doses to vaccinate its entire population four times over. Canada could have enough to vaccinate its population five times over.
KING: That sounds a little like rich countries are hoarding vaccine doses.
DOUCLEFF: Yeah. On the surface, it does appear that way. But Noel, here's the problem. No one knows which one of these vaccines will work, so countries are hedging their bets. By pre-purchasing several different versions, they're increasing the chances that they'll get one that actually works. Now, that's great news for people in the U.S. or are other rich countries, but these vaccines have limited supplies. And so it leaves very little for the rest of the world and will likely greatly delay distribution in some poor and middle-income countries.
So take, for instance, the Pfizer vaccine, right? The company expects to manufacture about 1.3 billion doses next year, which sounds like a lot, right? But Rachel Silverman at the Center for Global Development says wealthy countries have already claimed more than 80% of those doses.
RACHEL SILVERMAN: What's left in that pie is not a lot. The takeaway messages for most people in low- and middle-income countries - this vaccine is not likely to be available at least by the end of next year.
DOUCLEFF: Some researchers estimate, Noel, that in many places, people probably won't get vaccinated until 2023, even 2024.
KING: Why can't companies, which are in business to make money and would certainly make money off a vaccine - why can't they just increase production?
DOUCLEFF: Yeah. So they can, and they will. But production in many parts of the world isn't the only problem. Storage - Silverman says that storage is a major issue, especially with new technologies like this Pfizer vaccine.
SILVERMAN: It needs to be maintained, stored, transported at extraordinarily low temperatures. And when I say extraordinarily low, I mean negative 80 degrees Celsius.
DOUCLEFF: That's much, much, much lower than a typical freezer and requires a specialized piece of equipment that's not available in many hospitals here. Actually, here, hospitals are rushing to acquire this piece of equipment.
KING: It all comes down to the cold chain.
NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff, thank you.
DOUCLEFF: Thank you, Noel.
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npr--2020-11-13--Inside The World Of A Jordanian Nurse Doing Essential Work In The Pandemic

Inside The World Of A Jordanian Nurse Doing Essential Work In The Pandemic A nurse in Jordan struggles to care @ @ @ @ @ parents and stay free of COVID-19 while she treats patients infected with the virus .

Inside The World Of A Jordanian Nurse Doing Essential Work In The Pandemic
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jane Arraf/NPR Jane Arraf/NPR
Samah Ibrahim Tanieub is at home on break between nursing shifts in the Jordanian capitol, Amman – two weeks on the COVID-19 isolation ward and then another two weeks in quarantine before she can come home.
The long shifts are particularly difficult for Tanieub because she's a divorced single mother with four children, the youngest just five years old. The work doesn't pay more than her regular salary of about $650 a month but she volunteered for COVID-19 duty and says she loves her job as a nurse.
Her routine at work now includes putting on an N-95 mask, a double layer of gloves, protective overalls and eye goggles that leave sweat running into her eyes. But she is known for her engaging bedside manner – so much so that thank-you letters from her patients prompted a public thank you from Jordan's health minister.
"Sometimes you know patients are depressed and under stress – they're in a room for 16 days – and lonely," says Tuneiub, 33. "I talk with them and joke with them. I say think of me like your sister, or your daughter. If you want anything I am here."
In Jordan and other Arab countries, many conservative families look down on nursing as a profession for their daughters because it requires contact with strange men and working nights. But the pandemic is beginning to change that perception.
"Many, many people say 'thank you for working with corona patients' even on the bus," Tuneiub says. "I feel very good inside. It helps me respect myself also."
For poor families like Tuneiub's, nursing can be a step up. Tuneiub's mother, Helima Deeb Salam, takes care of the children when her daughter is at work.
Salam pushed Tuneiub to get married at the age of 15 – to a man almost twice her age – but says she now realizes she was wrong. A few months after the marriage, Salam helped her daughter re-enroll in tenth grade, hiding the fact she was pregnant.
Tuneiub graduated with a 98 percent average. She worked through high school and college to pay for her studies.
Her mother, who had dreamed of becoming a nurse herself, says her daughter has made her proud. And Tuneiub says she has no regrets about working in the COVID-19 ward.
"Nurses all over the world work with these patients," she says. "If I don't do it, who will?"