npr--2020-08-12--How The Coronavirus Has Upended College Admissions

How The Coronavirus Has Upended College Admissions As stressful as it always is for students applying to college , this year it 's all that — and then some — for the admissions officials trying to decide whether to admit them .
Because of the pandemic , many students will be applying without standardized test scores and several other metrics admissions officers at selective schools have long relied on , leaving colleges scrambling to figure out what else they might consider instead .
`` So many things that were sacred in the college admissions process may not be sacred anymore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling , and former head of admissions at Trinity College in Connecticut .
`` Colleges and universities are reinventing a process that has n't changed in over 50 years in the span of a couple of months [ ... ] and they do n't have another choice . ''
Indeed , students ' applications may be missing not only SAT and ACT scores , but also a semester or two of grades , since schools switched to pass/fail grading when they went online , or closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make do without a semester 's worth or more of extracurricular activities — sports , band , theater , volunteering and anything else that would help distinguish applicants from one another .
The near-panic is reverberating on campuses around the nation , where deans are used to taking much more staid and studied steps .
`` This definitely is a little bit of a revolution , '' said Shawn Abbott , vice provost for admissions , financial aid and enrollment management at Temple University .
`` We 're careening down a very different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're not used to , at the same time that the ground is still shifting underneath us , '' said Kedra Ishop , who just left her post heading up admissions for the University of Michigan to become vice president for enrollment management at the University of Southern California .
`` I do n't even know where to begin , '' Jeff Schiffman , director of undergraduate admissions at Tulane University , said with a sigh .
`` We 're going to have to hit the reset button hard on this one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ retraining of how we review applications and what we 're looking for .
We 're kind of figuring it out as we go . ''
Further complicating the question , students will be missing different pieces of applications , so the review wo n't be the same for everyone .
And while not having test scores wo n't hurt a student , schools said , having good scores could certainly help .
`` We 've asked students to give us what they might have available to them , '' Ishop said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Advanced Placement ] scores , or writing samples , but we 've told the students give us what you think best represents you in an academic space and let us see what we can do with that . ''
By most accounts , students ' recommendations and their essays will get a closer read .
And admissions officers will pour over transcripts looking for academic rigor and any patterns that help bear out a student 's academic profile .
They 'll be working overtime trying to triangulate each piece of the application they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they do n't .
`` The time and intensity that will be involved in the upcoming year is terrifying , '' Abbott said .
With some 35,000 applications expected to come in without standardized test scores or `` a nice , easy , clean grade-point average that we can hang our hat on , '' admissions officers will have to `` take a deeper dive into each file and dig deeper into each candidate . ''
But here 's a tip for students thinking about their essays this year : Schools said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on `` How I Spent My COVID-19 Staycation . ''
As Tulane 's Schiffman cautioned , COVID fatigue is real .
`` I 'll use myself as example .
I 've had to cancel my wedding four times , '' he said , with a laugh .
`` Everyone is going through something , so I do n't think [ admissions ] folks are going to want to relive it over and over and over again with 45,000 applications . ''
Schiffman is quick to add , however , that admissions officers understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for many students , and they will be paying close attention to a new short question about how it 's affected students that has been added to this year 's Common Application .
`` We 're real people who are also experiencing COVID , '' said Whitney Soule , senior vice president , dean of admissions and student aid at Bowdoin College in Maine .
`` We 're also worried about people we love who are sick .
We 're also not able to see people that we need to see or go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 're living with a lot of the same stresses .
So we understand what [ students ] will be telling us , and we 're sensitive to it , and we care about it . ''
Some schools , such as Tulane , are adding a new interview option , hoping to fill in for the face-to-face encounters that used to happen at college fairs and recruiting trips to schools .
Other colleges , such as Bowdoin , are leaning on more innovative options .
Fortuitously , it recently launched a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chance to give an impromptu answer to a short question , such as `` When is the last time you felt inspired and how did you proceed ? ''
or `` If you had no Internet or phone for the afternoon , what would you do ? ''
When the app flashes the question , students have 30 seconds to think , and two minutes to answer , as the app video records the whole thing .
As intimidating as it sounds , students generally take a laid-back approach , videotaping in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , outside sporting a Bowdoin sweatshirt , or even kicking back in bed .
`` They 're 17-year-olds who are answering a question on the fly , '' Soule said .
`` They ca n't prepare for it .
They ca n't get advice .
They ca n't polish it . ''
Her team loves having such an authentic glimpse into how students think , what motivates them or their sense of humor .
`` It 's really hard to bomb , '' Soule said , and every video tells the team a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mere fact that a student 's willing to do it is impressive , '' she said .
`` That in itself says something important about the student . ''
With that kind of extra tool , and as one of those colleges that had already made SAT and ACT test scores optional , Bowdoin is a step ahead of many other schools forced to go cold turkey this year .
`` I just got off a Zoom [ call ] with most of my admissions directors , and they 're all looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what 's before them , '' said Jonathan Burdick , vice provost for enrollment at Cornell University .
The admissions team will be hunkered down for a couple of months of training , he said .
But ultimately , Burdick said he believes the pandemic-forced experiment , along with the current national focus on racial equality and justice , is going to turn out to be `` a true blessing '' for admissions .
`` I think there 's actually a tremendous opportunity here to wed the deep interest in a more diverse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opportunity to reconsider afresh what makes a student outstanding and well-prepared for Cornell , '' he said .
`` That 's a good revolution . ''
One change many colleges are considering is to put more focus on students ' character .
The `` character movement '' has been growing for a while , but the pandemic is fueling interest among many , including Abbott .
`` We 're thinking about how we might extract characteristics that we would value at Temple , something perhaps like citizenship , or social justice , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I think probably every college and university in America right now is having that kind of soul-searching conversation . ''
Indeed , this past spring , the agenda planned for the annual conference of the Common Application was quickly scrapped and replaced with sessions for admissions officials on how to consider `` personal qualities '' in the application process .
The keynote speaker was Angela Duckworth , the University of Pennsylvania professor famous for her work on `` grit '' and other `` character skills , '' `` life skills '' or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you call them , the take-home message is these things matter , and in some cases , matter as much as IQ , '' she told the gathering over Zoom .
Duckworth urged schools to pinpoint first what character skills they value most and then advised how they might begin to mine students ' applications for hints of those , such as through extracurricular activities and teacher recommendations .
But she also warned them not to count on any convenient character yardstick anytime soon .
`` I think challenges are enormous , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the early , early stages of the measurement of personal qualities , and there is no panacea . ''
That 's been frustrating for schools that have been early adherents to the character movement , such as Swarthmore College , which has been trying to suss out students with intellectual curiosity , for example , and creativity , generosity and problem-solving skills .
Jim Bock , vice president and dean of admissions , said so far it 's based on more of a `` feel '' than any real measure .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ]
But how do you grade it ?
We struggle with that . ''
Pérez of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling said he is optimistic better tools will come , and more schools will buy into the idea that students deserve credit for skills such as persistence , willingness to take risks and the ability to overcome adversity .
In the long term , it 's key to his hopes for a `` complete reinvention '' of the admissions process that will expand college access and diversity in admissions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that schools can pivot faster than many thought , and he hopes that ultimately hastens further changes .
For the short term , however , he worries .
`` My biggest concern for next year is 'Are we going to widen the gap in higher education for those students that are disadvantaged in our society ? '
And I think the answer is 'yes , ' `` Pérez said .
It 's true , Pérez noted , that some changes this year may make the playing field a bit more level .
Among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which many see as biased , and the move to virtual visits , which erases the edge long enjoyed by students who could afford to travel for campus tours , and those fortunate enough to attend the high schools that college recruiters tend to visit .
But , on the other hand , wide discrepancies in access to the Internet , and to college guidance counselors tend to exacerbate inequities .
Already , it seems to have driven a drop in students filing for federal student aid .
USC 's Ishop said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure those students are engaged and supported .
`` It 'd be easy to take the easy way out , which is [ to say ] , 'That does n't work in this environment , and so we 're not going to do it . '
Instead , we really do have to double down on those efforts , even though they may be a bit more difficult , '' Ishop said .
Another challenge for schools this year may be managing what could be a significant aberration in the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's unclear if applications will go up or down , Swarthmore 's Bock said .
`` Students [ may ] submit less because they could n't actually see campuses [ in person ] , '' he said , or because of financial constraints due to the pandemic .
Or , they may `` hedge their bets and submit more . ''
Temple 's Abbott said he thinks it may be the latter .
Without ACTs or SATs as a `` reality check , '' he said he believes more students may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to `` throw their hat into the ring '' at more `` reach '' schools .
Given all the uncertainty , colleges said they may look more closely for signs that a student is truly interested in their school .
And some said they may lean more heavily on early decision applicants this year .
But even that is uncertain .
The early applicant pool may be more competitive this year , if it swells with students who are also sick of uncertainty .
And some colleges said they may be more skittish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what 's already missing from students ' transcripts , they may end up deferring more early applicants , and waiting for their fall semester grades , just to be sure .
Still , schools said students may emerge the winners from all this turmoil .
While schools are bracing for a rough year , the net-net for students may be a unique opportunity , as those who might have been `` prematurely judged '' on less-than-stellar SAT or ACT scores may now get a more careful consideration .
`` We really have n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detail in evaluating one 's candidacy for admission , '' Abbott said .
`` Now , we 're sort of going to have to , and [ students are ] going to get a closer look and a chance to stand out in [ the ] admissions process through other attributes . ''
Mike Riley , executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers , agrees .
He said he does n't expect colleges to `` get this right in one admissions cycle . ''
But he said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and also hopes this year 's forced experiment will bring longer-lasting changes .
`` Once campuses find that those students do just fine , and the sky does n't fall without standardized tests , this could eventually become the norm , '' Riley said .

How The Coronavirus Has Upended College Admissions
LA Johnson/NPR
As stressful as it always is for students applying to college, this year it's all that — and then some — for the admissions officials trying to decide whether to admit them. Because of the pandemic, many students will be applying without standardized test scores and several other metrics admissions officers at selective schools have long relied on, leaving colleges scrambling to figure out what else they might consider instead.
"So many things that were sacred in the college admissions process may not be sacred anymore," said Angel Pérez, CEO of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, and former head of admissions at Trinity College in Connecticut. "Colleges and universities are reinventing a process that hasn't changed in over 50 years in the span of a couple of months [...] and they don't have another choice."
Indeed, students' applications may be missing not only SAT and ACT scores, but also a semester or two of grades, since schools switched to pass/fail grading when they went online, or closed altogether. Schools will also have to make do without a semester's worth or more of extracurricular activities — sports, band, theater, volunteering and anything else that would help distinguish applicants from one another.
Education Colleges Begin New Academic Year As Pandemic Continues Colleges Begin New Academic Years As Pandemic Continues Listen · 4:59 4:59
The near-panic is reverberating on campuses around the nation, where deans are used to taking much more staid and studied steps.
"This definitely is a little bit of a revolution," said Shawn Abbott, vice provost for admissions, financial aid and enrollment management at Temple University.
"We're careening down a very different path of the mountain, that we're not used to, at the same time that the ground is still shifting underneath us," said Kedra Ishop, who just left her post heading up admissions for the University of Michigan to become vice president for enrollment management at the University of Southern California.
"I don't even know where to begin," Jeff Schiffman, director of undergraduate admissions at Tulane University, said with a sigh. "We're going to have to hit the reset button hard on this one. It's going to take a compete retraining of how we review applications and what we're looking for. We're kind of figuring it out as we go."
Further complicating the question, students will be missing different pieces of applications, so the review won't be the same for everyone. And while not having test scores won't hurt a student, schools said, having good scores could certainly help.
"We've asked students to give us what they might have available to them," Ishop said. "So we may not normally use [Advanced Placement] scores, or writing samples, but we've told the students give us what you think best represents you in an academic space and let us see what we can do with that."
By most accounts, students' recommendations and their essays will get a closer read. And admissions officers will pore over transcripts looking for academic rigor and any patterns that help bear out a student's academic profile. They'll be working overtime trying to triangulate each piece of the application they have, to make up for what they don't.
"The time and intensity that will be involved in the upcoming year is terrifying," Abbott said. With some 35,000 applications expected to come in without standardized test scores or "a nice, easy, clean grade-point average that we can hang our hat on," admissions officers will have to "take a deeper dive into each file and dig deeper into each candidate."
But here's a tip for students thinking about their essays this year: Schools said they should think twice before submitting 650 words on "How I Spent My COVID-19 Staycation." As Tulane's Schiffman cautioned, COVID fatigue is real.
Education Colleges Face Financial Crisis As They Struggle In A Pandemic Colleges Face Financial Crisis As They Struggle To Operate In A Pandemic Listen · 3:34 3:34
"I'll use myself as example. I've had to cancel my wedding four times," he said, with a laugh. "Everyone is going through something, so I don't think [admissions] folks are going to want to relive it over and over and over again with 45,000 applications."
Schiffman is quick to add, however, that admissions officers understand the pandemic has created truly extenuating circumstances for many students, and they will be paying close attention to a new short question about how it's affected students that has been added to this year's Common Application.
"We're real people who are also experiencing COVID," said Whitney Soule, senior vice president, dean of admissions and student aid at Bowdoin College in Maine. "We're also worried about people we love who are sick. We're also not able to see people that we need to see or go places we really need to go. We're living with a lot of the same stresses. So we understand what [students] will be telling us, and we're sensitive to it, and we care about it."
Some schools, such as Tulane, are adding a new interview option, hoping to fill in for the face-to-face encounters that used to happen at college fairs and recruiting trips to schools.
Other colleges, such as Bowdoin, are leaning on more innovative options. Fortuitously, it recently launched a new element to its application, offering students the chance to give an impromptu answer to a short question, such as "When is the last time you felt inspired and how did you proceed?" or "If you had no Internet or phone for the afternoon, what would you do?"
When the app flashes the question, students have 30 seconds to think, and two minutes to answer, as the app video records the whole thing. As intimidating as it sounds, students generally take a laid-back approach, videotaping in their kitchen as their mom walks by, outside sporting a Bowdoin sweatshirt, or even kicking back in bed.
"They're 17-year-olds who are answering a question on the fly," Soule said. "They can't prepare for it. They can't get advice. They can't polish it."
Her team loves having such an authentic glimpse into how students think, what motivates them or their sense of humor. "It's really hard to bomb," Soule said, and every video tells the team a lot about an applicant.
"Just the mere fact that a student's willing to do it is impressive," she said. "That in itself says something important about the student."
With that kind of extra tool, and as one of those colleges that had already made SAT and ACT test scores optional, Bowdoin is a step ahead of many other schools forced to go cold turkey this year.
"I just got off a Zoom [call] with most of my admissions directors, and they're all looking a little green at the prospect of what's before them," said Jonathan Burdick, vice provost for enrollment at Cornell University. The admissions team will be hunkered down for a couple of months of training, he said. But ultimately, Burdick said he believes the pandemic-forced experiment, along with the current national focus on racial equality and justice, is going to turn out to be "a true blessing" for admissions.
"I think there's actually a tremendous opportunity here to wed the deep interest in a more diverse, more interesting student body, and the opportunity to reconsider afresh what makes a student outstanding and well-prepared for Cornell," he said. "That's a good revolution."
One change many colleges are considering is to put more focus on students' character. The "character movement" has been growing for a while, but the pandemic is fueling interest among many, including Abbott.
"We're thinking about how we might extract characteristics that we would value at Temple, something perhaps like citizenship, or social justice, or tenacity," he said. "I think probably every college and university in America right now is having that kind of soul-searching conversation."
Indeed, this past spring, the agenda planned for the annual conference of the Common Application was quickly scrapped and replaced with sessions for admissions officials on how to consider "personal qualities" in the application process. The keynote speaker was Angela Duckworth, the University of Pennsylvania professor famous for her work on "grit" and other "character skills," "life skills" or "noncognitive skills."
"Whatever you call them, the take-home message is these things matter, and in some cases, matter as much as IQ," she told the gathering over Zoom. Duckworth urged schools to pinpoint first what character skills they value most and then advised how they might begin to mine students' applications for hints of those, such as through extracurricular activities and teacher recommendations. But she also warned them not to count on any convenient character yardstick anytime soon.
"I think challenges are enormous," Duckworth said. "We're really in the early, early stages of the measurement of personal qualities, and there is no panacea."
That's been frustrating for schools that have been early adherents to the character movement, such as Swarthmore College, which has been trying to suss out students with intellectual curiosity, for example, and creativity, generosity and problem-solving skills. Jim Bock, vice president and dean of admissions, said so far it's based on more of a "feel" than any real measure. "We've always valued [those characteristics.] But how do you grade it? We struggle with that."
Planet Money College Fails College Fails Listen · 18:27 18:27
Pérez of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling said he is optimistic better tools will come, and more schools will buy into the idea that students deserve credit for skills such as persistence, willingness to take risks and the ability to overcome adversity. In the long term, it's key to his hopes for a "complete reinvention" of the admissions process that will expand college access and diversity in admissions. He said the pandemic has already proven that schools can pivot faster than many thought, and he hopes that ultimately hastens further changes. For the short term, however, he worries.
"My biggest concern for next year is 'Are we going to widen the gap in higher education for those students that are disadvantaged in our society?' And I think the answer is 'yes,' " Pérez said.
It's true, Pérez noted, that some changes this year may make the playing field a bit more level. Among them are the de-emphasis on standardized tests, which many see as biased, and the move to virtual visits, which erases the edge long enjoyed by students who could afford to travel for campus tours, and those fortunate enough to attend the high schools that college recruiters tend to visit.
But, on the other hand, wide discrepancies in access to the Internet, and to college guidance counselors tend to exacerbate inequities. Already, it seems to have driven a drop in students filing for federal student aid. USC's Ishop said schools need to work out new ways to make sure those students are engaged and supported.
"It'd be easy to take the easy way out, which is [to say], 'That doesn't work in this environment, and so we're not going to do it.' Instead, we really do have to double down on those efforts, even though they may be a bit more difficult," Ishop said.
Another challenge for schools this year may be managing what could be a significant aberration in the number or quality of applications they get. It's unclear if applications will go up or down, Swarthmore's Bock said. "Students [may] submit less because they couldn't actually see campuses [in person]," he said, or because of financial constraints due to the pandemic. Or, they may "hedge their bets and submit more."
Temple's Abbott said he thinks it may be the latter. Without ACTs or SATs as a "reality check," he said he believes more students may have inflated ambitions and may be more tempted to "throw their hat into the ring" at more "reach" schools.
Given all the uncertainty, colleges said they may look more closely for signs that a student is truly interested in their school. And some said they may lean more heavily on early decision applicants this year. But even that is uncertain. The early applicant pool may be more competitive this year, if it swells with students who are also sick of uncertainty.
And some colleges said they may be more skittish about early acceptances this year; given what's already missing from students' transcripts, they may end up deferring more early applicants, and waiting for their fall semester grades, just to be sure.
Still, schools said students may emerge the winners from all this turmoil. While schools are bracing for a rough year, the net-net for students may be a unique opportunity, as those who might have been "prematurely judged" on less-than-stellar SAT or ACT scores may now get a more careful consideration.
"We really haven't historically gone to that level of minutia detail in evaluating one's candidacy for admission," Abbott said. "Now, we're sort of going to have to, and [students are] going to get a closer look and a chance to stand out in [the] admissions process through other attributes."
Mike Reilly, executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, agrees. He said he doesn't expect colleges to "get this right in one admissions cycle." But he said he takes heart in the progress already underway and also hopes this year's forced experiment will bring longer-lasting changes.
"Once campuses find that those students do just fine, and the sky doesn't fall without standardized tests, this could eventually become the norm," Reilly said.


npr--2020-08-12--Multnomah County DA: Most Portland Protesters Won't Face Charges, Deserve To Be Heard

Multnomah County DA : Most Portland Protesters Wo n't Face Charges , Deserve To Be Heard Flanked by more than a dozen community leaders , Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced Tuesday that his office will not pursue cases against most Portland protesters .
The new policy states that only demonstrators who were involved in `` deliberate property damage , theft or force against another person or threats of force '' may face charges .
Schmidt said the prosecution of cases `` relating solely to protest activities , '' including interfering with police , disorderly conduct , or criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further criminality . ''
He also suggested their prosecution unnecessarily siphons crucially needed resources from within the district attorney 's office .
`` We recognize that we undermine public safety , not promote it , if we leverage the force of our criminal justice system against peaceful protesters who are demanding to be heard , '' he added .
Over more than 70 days of nightly protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis , about 550 cases have been referred to Schmidt 's office for misdemeanor or felony prosecution , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallies in Portland had begun to lose momentum before July .
But President Trump 's deployment of federal agents to guard a downtown federal courthouse in early July reinvigorated the demonstrations that often end in violent clashes .
U.S .
Marshals , Border Patrol officers and other federal agents regularly fire tear gas , rubber bullets and other projectiles at crowds that gather in front of the courthouse .
In the late hours of the night , demonstrators often rattle a series of temporary gates surrounding the building .
They have on several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be given to the chaos of a protesting environment , especially after tear gas or other less-lethal munitions have been deployed against protesters en masse , '' Schmidt said .

Multnomah County DA: Most Portland Protesters Won't Face Charges, Deserve To Be Heard
Enlarge this image toggle caption Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
Flanked by more than a dozen community leaders, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced Tuesday that his office will not pursue cases against most Portland protesters.
The new policy states that only demonstrators who were involved in "deliberate property damage, theft or force against another person or threats of force" may face charges.
Schmidt said the prosecution of cases "relating solely to protest activities," including interfering with police, disorderly conduct, or criminal trespass "have a weak nexus to further criminality." He also suggested their prosecution unnecessarily siphons crucially needed resources from within the district attorney's office.
"We recognize that we undermine public safety, not promote it, if we leverage the force of our criminal justice system against peaceful protesters who are demanding to be heard," he added.
Over more than 70 days of nightly protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, about 550 cases have been referred to Schmidt's office for misdemeanor or felony prosecution, or a combination of the two.
The rallies in Portland had begun to lose momentum before July. But President Trump's deployment of federal agents to guard a downtown federal courthouse in early July reinvigorated the demonstrations that often end in violent clashes.
U.S. Marshals, Border Patrol officers and other federal agents regularly fire tear gas, rubber bullets and other projectiles at crowds that gather in front of the courthouse. In the late hours of the night, demonstrators often rattle a series of temporary gates surrounding the building. They have on several occasions broken through.
"Consideration should be given to the chaos of a protesting environment, especially after tear gas or other less-lethal munitions have been deployed against protesters en masse," Schmidt said.


npr--2020-08-12--Airbnb Sues Guest Whose Sacramento Party Drew Gunfire Injuring 3

Airbnb is going through a rough patch just as the rental home-sharing company is reportedly on the cusp of filing for an IPO later this month .
The company 's latest challenge is dealing with a party-throwing renter whose large shindig ended with a shooting and three people injured .
Now , Airbnb says that for the first time , it will pursue legal measures against a guest for violating its party-house ban .
In a statement , the San Francisco-based company said the unnamed customer booked the short-term rental in Sacramento County under false pretenses and that in throwing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders in place amid the coronavirus pandemic as well as Airbnb 's community standards .
`` This marks the first time Airbnb has taken affirmative steps to initiate legal proceedings against a booking guest for throwing an unauthorized party , '' the company said in a statement , adding that the rule-breaker has been banned from the platform .
In the run-up to Airbnb 's imminent IPO filing , it has implemented a series of policies to help repair the company 's reputation within communities that oppose the constant turnover of strangers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it is contributing to a housing shortage .
Last year , after a similar shooting at a short-term rental where five people were killed , the company banned `` party houses , '' pledging to expand `` manual screening of high-risk reservations . ''
The company also created a 24-hour hotline to deal with complaints from neighbors .
More recently , it prohibited some guests under 25 from booking entire home listings in their local area .
The initial public offering of the company 's stock has been delayed due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , according to the Wall Street Journal .
Its current valuation is in the neighborhood of $ 18 billion dollars — a $ 13 billion drop from 2017 .
Additionally , the company expects this year 's sales to be , at best , half of what they were last year .
It has also cut 25 % of its workforce and laid off hundreds of contract workers as it tries to squeeze costs while borrowing $ 2 billion dollars .
With regard to the lawsuit in Sacramento , the company says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a local non-profit fighting against gun violence .

Airbnb Sues Guest Whose Sacramento Party Drew Gunfire Injuring 3
Enlarge this image toggle caption Yuriko Nakao/Getty Images Yuriko Nakao/Getty Images
Airbnb is going through a rough patch just as the rental home-sharing company is reportedly on the cusp of filing for an IPO later this month.
The company's latest challenge is dealing with a party-throwing renter whose large shindig ended with a shooting and three people injured.
Now, Airbnb says that for the first time, it will pursue legal measures against a guest for violating its party-house ban.
In a statement, the San Francisco-based company said the unnamed customer booked the short-term rental in Sacramento County under false pretenses and that in throwing the rager, they violated local health orders in place amid the coronavirus pandemic as well as Airbnb's community standards.
"This marks the first time Airbnb has taken affirmative steps to initiate legal proceedings against a booking guest for throwing an unauthorized party," the company said in a statement, adding that the rule-breaker has been banned from the platform.
In the run-up to Airbnb's imminent IPO filing, it has implemented a series of policies to help repair the company's reputation within communities that oppose the constant turnover of strangers in their neighborhoods, and to address accusations that it is contributing to a housing shortage.
Last year, after a similar shooting at a short-term rental where five people were killed, the company banned "party houses," pledging to expand "manual screening of high-risk reservations." The company also created a 24-hour hotline to deal with complaints from neighbors.
More recently, it prohibited some guests under 25 from booking entire home listings in their local area.
The initial public offering of the company's stock has been delayed due to the pandemic but is now expected later this month, according to the Wall Street Journal. Its current valuation is in the neighborhood of $18 billion dollars — a $13 billion drop from 2017. Additionally, the company expects this year's sales to be, at best, half of what they were last year.
It has also cut 25% of its workforce and laid off hundreds of contract workers as it tries to squeeze costs while borrowing $2 billion dollars.
With regard to the lawsuit in Sacramento, the company says it plans to donate any money recovered to a local non-profit fighting against gun violence.


npr--2020-08-12--Puerto Rico's Arecibo Radio Telescope Damaged By Falling Cable

A broken cable at Puerto Rico 's Arecibo Observatory has torn a gaping 100-foot hole in the dish of one of the largest radio telescopes in the world , taking the instrument offline until repairs can be made .
Arecibo 's massive reflector dish , which is built inside a sinkhole in northern Puerto Rico , was damaged when a 3-inch diameter support cable unexpectedly snapped before dawn on Monday , according to the University of Central Florida , which manages the observatory .
In a photo of the damage , twisted panels that make up the 1,000-foot dish can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lying on the ground beneath it .
When the cable fell , it also damaged several panels on the Gregorian Dome that is suspended above the dish and houses sensitive receivers to collect signals from space .
`` We have a team of experts assessing the situation , '' Francisco Cordova , director of the observatory , said in a statement emailed to NPR .
`` Our focus is assuring the safety of our staff , protecting the facilities and equipment , and restoring the facility to full operations as soon as possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientists around the world . ''
The statement said it is not yet clear what caused the cable to break and it did not give a timetable for repairs .
In an email to NPR , Ramon Lugo III , director of the University of Central Florida 's Florida Space Institute , said that `` the removal of the damaged cable and the procurement of a cable to replace the damaged cable '' were under assessment .
`` We are also working on a determination of the cause of this failure , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said , adding that after a full assessment , `` we will develop a recovery plan , schedule and budget . ''
Since its completion in 1963 , Arecibo has played a key role in discoveries ranging from new insights into pulsars to detecting planets outside our solar system .
It has figured prominently in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence , or SETI .
The observatory was also featured in the film Contact and the James Bond movie GoldenEye .
The observatory held the record for the world 's largest radio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instrument of similar design , known as the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope , was completed in southern China .
After testing , FAST officially went online last year .
In 2017 , one of Arecibo 's much smaller dishes and a few panels on the main dish were damaged when Category 4 Hurricane Maria raked the island .

Puerto Rico's Arecibo Radio Telescope Damaged By Falling Cable
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images
A broken cable at Puerto Rico's Arecibo Observatory has torn a gaping 100-foot hole in the dish of one of the largest radio telescopes in the world, taking the instrument offline until repairs can be made.
Arecibo's massive reflector dish, which is built inside a sinkhole in northern Puerto Rico, was damaged when a 3-inch diameter support cable unexpectedly snapped before dawn on Monday, according to the University of Central Florida, which manages the observatory.
In a photo of the damage, twisted panels that make up the 1,000-foot dish can be seen hanging from the structure or lying on the ground beneath it.
When the cable fell, it also damaged several panels on the Gregorian Dome that is suspended above the dish and houses sensitive receivers to collect signals from space.
"We have a team of experts assessing the situation," Francisco Cordova, director of the observatory, said in a statement emailed to NPR. "Our focus is assuring the safety of our staff, protecting the facilities and equipment, and restoring the facility to full operations as soon as possible, so it can continue to assist scientists around the world."
The statement said it is not yet clear what caused the cable to break and it did not give a timetable for repairs.
In an email to NPR, Ramon Lugo III, director of the University of Central Florida's Florida Space Institute, said that "the removal of the damaged cable and the procurement of a cable to replace the damaged cable" were under assessment.
"We are also working on a determination of the cause of this failure, including non-destructive testing of the remaining cables," he said, adding that after a full assessment, "we will develop a recovery plan, schedule and budget."
Since its completion in 1963, Arecibo has played a key role in discoveries ranging from new insights into pulsars to detecting planets outside our solar system. It has figured prominently in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, or SETI. The observatory was also featured in the film Contact and the James Bond movie GoldenEye.
The observatory held the record for the world's largest radio telescope until 2016 when an even larger instrument of similar design, known as the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope, was completed in southern China. After testing, FAST officially went online last year.
In 2017, one of Arecibo's much smaller dishes and a few panels on the main dish were damaged when Category 4 Hurricane Maria raked the island.


npr--2020-08-12--Big 12 Is Moving Ahead With Fall Football Season

The Big 12 Conference is moving ahead with its football season , announcing that fall sports will continue – with teams following safety precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The conference hopes to hold its title game in December , as it normally would .
`` Our student-athletes want to compete , and it is the Board 's collective opinion that sports can be conducted safely and in concert with the best interests of their well-being , '' said Big 12 Board of Directors chair Victor Boschini , who is also the chancellor at Texas Christian University .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of Texas at Austin , Oklahoma University and West Virginia University .
The board announced its decision on Wednesday , a day after the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences officially postponed their fall football seasons out of coronavirus safety concerns .
Later on Wednesday , the Big East Conference said it was canceling fall competitions .
The other Power Five conferences , the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference , issued statements on Tuesday saying they were monitoring the situation but had no plans to cancel fall football at that time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to classes and sports as the coronavirus pandemic rages on , with the U.S. surpassing 5 million cases this week .
Many of the hardest-hit states are in the South and West .
A rare heart condition that could be linked to the virus is also a source of unease , especially since little is known about its long-term effects .
Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said that the board had been meeting with medical experts for several months , as recently as Tuesday night , to discuss whether to proceed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safely in the absence of a vaccine .
According to the Big 12 board of directors , member institutions are scaling up their COVID-19 testing and safety protocols .
For high contact sports like football , volleyball and soccer , players will be tested three times a week .
Non-conference football opponents must also adhere to protocols `` that conform to Big 12 standards '' in the week leading up to competition .
`` We are comfortable in our institutions ' ability to provide a structured training environment , rigorous testing and surveillance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that optimize the health and safety of our student-athletes , '' said Bowlsby .
Officials noted that their plans may be subject to change , especially as more information about the virus comes to light .
`` If at any point our scientists and doctors conclude that our institutions can not provide a safe and appropriate environment for our participants , we will change course , '' Boschini said .
According to the Big 12 's revised 2020 schedule , released on Wednesday , conference play will start on Sept. 26 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine conference games and one non-conference , along with giving each team a minimum of two bye dates , with a potential third later in the season .
The championship game is scheduled for either Dec. 12 or Dec. 19 .
Stands are likely to be less crowded than usual .
The conference said that stadium capacities will be determined by each member school , working with government officials , in compliance with local and state health ordinances .

Big 12 Is Moving Ahead With Fall Football Season
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Updated at 6:56 p.m. ET
The Big 12 Conference is moving ahead with its football season, announcing that fall sports will continue – with teams following safety precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference hopes to hold its title game in December, as it normally would.
"Our student-athletes want to compete, and it is the Board's collective opinion that sports can be conducted safely and in concert with the best interests of their well-being," said Big 12 Board of Directors chair Victor Boschini, who is also the chancellor at Texas Christian University.
The Big 12 includes schools such as the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Oklahoma and West Virginia University.
The board announced its decision on Wednesday, a day after the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences officially postponed their fall football seasons out of coronavirus safety concerns. Later on Wednesday, the Big East Conference said it was canceling fall competitions.
The other Power Five conferences, the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference, issued statements on Tuesday saying they were monitoring the situation but had no plans to cancel fall football at that time.
Institutions of higher education are navigating a return to classes and sports as the coronavirus pandemic rages on, with the U.S. surpassing 5 million cases this week. Many of the hardest-hit states are in the South and West.
A rare heart condition that could be linked to the virus is also a source of unease, especially since little is known about its long-term effects.
Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said that the board had been meeting with medical experts for several months, as recently as Tuesday night, to discuss whether to proceed with the season and how to do so safely in the absence of a vaccine.
According to the Big 12 board of directors, member institutions are scaling up their COVID-19 testing and safety protocols. For high contact sports like football, volleyball and soccer, players will be tested three times a week.
Non-conference football opponents must also adhere to protocols "that conform to Big 12 standards" in the week leading up to competition.
"We are comfortable in our institutions' ability to provide a structured training environment, rigorous testing and surveillance, hospital quality sanitation and mitigation practices that optimize the health and safety of our student-athletes," said Bowlsby.
Officials noted that their plans may be subject to change, especially as more information about the virus comes to light.
"If at any point our scientists and doctors conclude that our institutions cannot provide a safe and appropriate environment for our participants, we will change course," Boschini said.
According to the Big 12's revised 2020 schedule, released on Wednesday, conference play will start on Sept. 26.
The conference is using a scheduling model of nine conference games and one non-conference, along with giving each team a minimum of two bye dates, with a potential third later in the season.
The championship game is scheduled for either Dec. 12 or Dec. 19.
Stands are likely to be less crowded than usual. The conference said that stadium capacities will be determined by each member school, working with government officials, in compliance with local and state health ordinances.


npr--2020-08-12--Report: 59 Confederate Symbols Removed Since George Floyd's Death

After George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis in late May , waves of anguished and outraged Americans took to the streets , to livestreamed city council meetings and to social media to denounce racism .
Protesters called for police reform , defunding or outright abolition ; for an end to qualified immunity for officers ; for reinvestment in underfunded communities ; for schools , companies and communities to address their own complicity in racial inequity .
And they called for Confederate monuments to come down .
Some changes are hard to quantify .
But that last one is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 59 Confederate symbols have been removed or replaced , according to an updated report from the Southern Poverty Law Center .
That 's a significant increase over past years : Just 16 Confederate symbols were removed or renamed in all of 2019 , according to SPLC data .
Hundreds more monuments remain standing , the group says .
Some statues have been literally brought down by protesters , while other symbols were removed by local governments or institutions in response to the outcry .
All told , 38 Confederate monuments were taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relocated , while 16 schools , parks and other locations were renamed .
The state of Mississippi also retired its flag , which featured the Confederate battle flag , and a town in South Dakota has removed the Confederate battle flag from its police badge .
Confederate symbols are not the only ones that have come down as the nation turned renewed attention to symbols of bigotry .
In La Crosse , Wis. , a statue of Hiawatha is being removed ; local community members had long objected that the statue misrepresented Indigenous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ football team will no longer use a racial slur for its team name .
Statues of Christopher Columbus have been pulled down in multiple cities by critics characterizing them as monuments to violent colonization .
Boston has decided to remove a statue of Abraham Lincoln , commemorating emancipation , from Park Square , because of what Mayor Martin Walsh called a `` reductive representation '' of a kneeling black man .
The original of that statue stands in Lincoln Park in Washington , D.C. ; it was funded largely by former enslaved people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the monument symbolizes today .
The societal shift has stretched outside of America , too .
In the U.K. , a statue of a slave trader came down .
In Belgium , monuments to King Leopold II , who brutally exploited the Congo , have been targeted .
And the Netherlands is reevaluating `` Black Pete , '' a racist Christmas character .
Even some uncontroversial monuments have been toppled , at least temporarily .
A statue of Frederick Douglass was torn down by unknown vandals in Rochester , N.Y. , and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women 's suffrage and abolition were torn down by protesters in Madison , Wis. , with plans to replace them .
But the Confederate icons have received the most attention , in part because they are so widespread across the U.S. and have been the subject of many years of high-profile protest .
Critics of the monuments point out that most of these tributes to a defeated pro-slavery secessionist movement were erected well after the Civil War , either in the dawn of the Jim Crow era or at the height of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monuments have said that removing or relocating them is an assault on history itself .
`` Nearly 1,800 Confederate symbols remain on public land , '' The Southern Poverty Law Center writes in the updated report .
`` 725 of those symbols are monuments . ''
The center has long been known for its work monitoring hate groups .
But some conservative organizations have strongly objected to the SPLC designation of them as hate groups alongside neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan .
In addition , the Southern Poverty Law Center has faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , allegations surfaced that the center had a toxic culture that discriminated against women and people of color .
After these allegations were made public , the SPLC co-founder was fired , and its president and legal director resigned .

Report: 59 Confederate Symbols Removed Since George Floyd's Death
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eze Amos/Getty Images Eze Amos/Getty Images
After George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis in late May, waves of anguished and outraged Americans took to the streets, to livestreamed city council meetings and to social media to denounce racism.
Protesters called for police reform, defunding or outright abolition; for an end to qualified immunity for officers; for reinvestment in underfunded communities; for schools, companies and communities to address their own complicity in racial inequity.
And they called for Confederate monuments to come down.
Some changes are hard to quantify. But that last one is easier to count.
Since Floyd died, 59 Confederate symbols have been removed or replaced, according to an updated report from the Southern Poverty Law Center. That's a significant increase over past years: Just 16 Confederate symbols were removed or renamed in all of 2019, according to SPLC data. Hundreds more monuments remain standing, the group says.
Some statues have been literally brought down by protesters, while other symbols were removed by local governments or institutions in response to the outcry.
All told, 38 Confederate monuments were taken down this summer, and five more relocated, while 16 schools, parks and other locations were renamed.
The state of Mississippi also retired its flag, which featured the Confederate battle flag, and a town in South Dakota has removed the Confederate battle flag from its police badge.
Confederate symbols are not the only ones that have come down as the nation turned renewed attention to symbols of bigotry.
In La Crosse, Wis., a statue of Hiawatha is being removed; local community members had long objected that the statue misrepresented Indigenous people. The Washington, D.C., football team will no longer use a racial slur for its team name. Statues of Christopher Columbus have been pulled down in multiple cities by critics characterizing them as monuments to violent colonization.
Boston has decided to remove a statue of Abraham Lincoln, commemorating emancipation, from Park Square, because of what Mayor Martin Walsh called a "reductive representation" of a kneeling black man. The original of that statue stands in Lincoln Park in Washington, D.C.; it was funded largely by former enslaved people and has prompted local debate about what the monument symbolizes today.
The societal shift has stretched outside of America, too. In the U.K., a statue of a slave trader came down. In Belgium, monuments to King Leopold II, who brutally exploited the Congo, have been targeted. And the Netherlands is reevaluating "Black Pete," a racist Christmas character.
Even some uncontroversial monuments have been toppled, at least temporarily. A statue of Frederick Douglass was torn down by unknown vandals in Rochester, N.Y., and has since been replaced, while monuments to women's suffrage and abolition were torn down by protesters in Madison, Wis., with plans to replace them.
But the Confederate icons have received the most attention, in part because they are so widespread across the U.S. and have been the subject of many years of high-profile protest.
Critics of the monuments point out that most of these tributes to a defeated pro-slavery secessionist movement were erected well after the Civil War, either in the dawn of the Jim Crow era or at the height of the civil rights movement. Defenders of these monuments have said that removing or relocating them is an assault on history itself.
"Nearly 1,800 Confederate symbols remain on public land," The Southern Poverty Law Center writes in the updated report. "725 of those symbols are monuments."
The center has long been known for its work monitoring hate groups. But some conservative organizations have strongly objected to the SPLC designation of them as hate groups alongside neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan.
In addition, the Southern Poverty Law Center has faced controversy over its own practices. Last year, allegations surfaced that the center had a toxic culture that discriminated against women and people of color. After these allegations were made public, the SPLC co-founder was fired, and its president and legal director resigned.


npr--2020-08-12--Eagles And Mockingbirds Catch A Break As Judge Strikes Down Trump Bird Opinion

Eagles And Mockingbirds Catch A Break As Judge Strikes Down Trump Bird Opinion A federal judge in New York struck down a Trump administration decision to scale back U.S. government protections for migratory birds .
The change by the administration would have allowed companies that accidentally kill migratory birds during the course of their work no longer to face the possibility of criminal prosecution .
In a 31-page document , U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni cited the novel To Kill a Mockingbird to support her decision .
`` It is not only a sin to kill a mockingbird , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
`` That has been the letter of the law for the past century .
But if the Department of the Interior has its way , many mockingbirds and other migratory birds that delight people and support ecosystems throughout the country will be killed without legal consequence . ''
Just before leaving office , the Obama administration issued a legal opinion saying that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act does include the incidental killing of birds .
In 2017 , the Trump administration suspended that opinion pending review .
Later it released a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecute such killings .
Caproni was clear in her ruling , striking down the administration 's interpretation of `` takings '' and `` killings '' of birds as applicable only if the animals are targeted specifically .
`` There is nothing in the text of the [ Migratory Bird Treaty Act ] that suggests that in order to fall within its prohibition , activity must be directed specifically at birds , '' Caproni said .
`` Nor does the statute prohibit only intentionally killing migratory birds .
And it certainly does not say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
In 2018 , the National Audubon Society and other conservation groups , along with eight states , filed lawsuits against the Trump administration 's legal opinion , which the court joined into one .
`` This is a huge victory for birds and it comes at a critical time , '' Sarah Greenberger , interim chief conservation officer for the National Audubon Society , said in a press release .
`` Science tells us that we 've lost 3 billion birds in less than a human lifetime and that two-thirds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extinction due to climate change . ''
According to the U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service , tens of millions of birds every year are killed by human-caused threats , involving flying into communication towers and wind turbines , as well as oil spills .
Environmental groups assert that if the Trump administration 's legal opinion had been in place in 2010 when BP caused the Deepwater Horizon oil spill , the company would have faced no consequences under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for the 1 million birds killed .
`` For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incentive to remind companies to do the right thing for wildlife , '' Greenberger said .
Interior Department spokesperson Conner Swanson defended the administration rule change to The Washington Post on Tuesday .
`` Today 's opinion undermines a common sense interpretation of the law and runs contrary to recent efforts , shared across the political spectrum , to decriminalize unintentional conduct , '' Swanson wrote in an email to the Post .
The Department of the Interior did not respond to NPR 's request for comment in time for publication .
Critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as energy companies , have opposed the law as too broad , according to Reuters .
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act was enacted in 1918 .
Today , any violation of the act is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $ 15,000 and imprisonment for up to six months .
The Fish and Wildlife Service keeps a list of birds protected by the law , including eagles , owls , mockingbirds and vultures .

Eagles And Mockingbirds Catch A Break As Judge Strikes Down Trump Bird Opinion
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bruce Bennett/Getty Images Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
A federal judge in New York struck down a Trump administration decision to scale back U.S. government protections for migratory birds. The change by the administration would have allowed companies that accidentally kill migratory birds during the course of their work no longer to face the possibility of criminal prosecution.
In a 31-page document, U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni cited the novel To Kill a Mockingbird to support her decision.
"It is not only a sin to kill a mockingbird, it is also a crime," Caproni wrote. "That has been the letter of the law for the past century. But if the Department of the Interior has its way, many mockingbirds and other migratory birds that delight people and support ecosystems throughout the country will be killed without legal consequence."
Just before leaving office, the Obama administration issued a legal opinion saying that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act does include the incidental killing of birds. In 2017, the Trump administration suspended that opinion pending review. Later it released a legal memo saying it would not criminally prosecute such killings.
Caproni was clear in her ruling, striking down the administration's interpretation of "takings" and "killings" of birds as applicable only if the animals are targeted specifically.
"There is nothing in the text of the [Migratory Bird Treaty Act] that suggests that in order to fall within its prohibition, activity must be directed specifically at birds," Caproni said. "Nor does the statute prohibit only intentionally killing migratory birds. And it certainly does not say that only 'some' kills are prohibited."
In 2018, the National Audubon Society and other conservation groups, along with eight states, filed lawsuits against the Trump administration's legal opinion, which the court joined into one.
"This is a huge victory for birds and it comes at a critical time," Sarah Greenberger, interim chief conservation officer for the National Audubon Society, said in a press release. "Science tells us that we've lost 3 billion birds in less than a human lifetime and that two-thirds of North American birds are at risk of extinction due to climate change."
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, tens of millions of birds every year are killed by human-caused threats, involving flying into communication towers and wind turbines, as well as oil spills.
Environmental groups assert that if the Trump administration's legal opinion had been in place in 2010 when BP caused the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the company would have faced no consequences under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for the 1 million birds killed.
"For decades this law has been a proven incentive to remind companies to do the right thing for wildlife," Greenberger said.
Interior Department spokesperson Conner Swanson defended the administration rule change to The Washington Post on Tuesday.
"Today's opinion undermines a common sense interpretation of the law and runs contrary to recent efforts, shared across the political spectrum, to decriminalize unintentional conduct," Swanson wrote in an email to the Post.
The Department of the Interior did not respond to NPR's request for comment in time for publication.
Critics of the century-old Migratory Bird Treaty Act, such as energy companies, have opposed the law as too broad, according to Reuters.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act was enacted in 1918. Today, any violation of the act is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $15,000 and imprisonment for up to six months. The Fish and Wildlife Service keeps a list of birds protected by the law, including eagles, owls, mockingbirds and vultures.


npr--2020-08-12--Masters Tournament To Be 'Conducted Without Patrons Or Guests' In November

Masters Tournament To Be 'Conducted Without Patrons Or Guests ' In November One of golf 's most iconic tourneys , the Masters Tournament , will be played without spectators when the sport 's best players tee up in Augusta , Ga. , in the fall .
The competition was already postponed from its usual slot in April because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
The tournament , now scheduled for Nov. 12-15 , will be `` conducted without patrons or guests , '' officials said .
`` As we have considered the issues facing us , the health and safety of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been our first and most important priority , '' Fred Ridley , chairman of Augusta National Golf Club , said in a statement Wednesday .
After consulting with health officials and experts , Ridley said , `` Ultimately , we determined that the potential risks of welcoming patrons and guests to our grounds in November are simply too significant to overcome . ''
The decision to hold the tournament without fans is not much of a surprise , given that several American sports have resumed competition without spectators — with one notable exception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off its first major tournament , the PGA Championship , where Collin Morikawa 's drive on the 16th hole in the final round Sunday helped him win the title .
His shot would have surely drawn roars from the gallery if spectators had been allowed to watch in person .
Morikawa , 23 , smashed his 293-yard drive to within 7 feet of the hole .
He sank an eagle putt en route to winning by two shots .
Instead of cheers , the celebration consisted of him smiling and sharing a fist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials ' decision comes a day after both the Pac-12 and Big Ten college conferences announced they would postpone all fall sports , including football , due to virus concerns .
Last month , the United States Golf Association announced the U.S. Open , originally set for June but later rescheduled to mid-September , will be played without crowds in Mamaroneck , N.Y .
In the spring , Masters officials appeared to hold out hope that rescheduling the tournament to later in the year might allow for fans to return to Augusta .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Masters Tournament in the fall brings a moment of joy to the Augusta community and all those who love the sport , '' officials said in an April 6 statement postponing the event .
On that same day in April , officials with the British Open , golf 's oldest major tournament , said the 2020 tournament was canceled — the first time it had done so since World War II .

Masters Tournament To Be 'Conducted Without Patrons Or Guests' In November
Enlarge this image toggle caption David J. Phillip/AP David J. Phillip/AP
One of golf's most iconic tourneys, the Masters Tournament, will be played without spectators when the sport's best players tee up in Augusta, Ga., in the fall. The competition was already postponed from its usual slot in April because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tournament, now scheduled for Nov. 12-15, will be "conducted without patrons or guests," officials said.
"As we have considered the issues facing us, the health and safety of everyone associated with the Masters always has been our first and most important priority," Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, said in a statement Wednesday.
After consulting with health officials and experts, Ridley said, "Ultimately, we determined that the potential risks of welcoming patrons and guests to our grounds in November are simply too significant to overcome."
The decision to hold the tournament without fans is not much of a surprise, given that several American sports have resumed competition without spectators — with one notable exception being NASCAR.
Pro golf is coming off its first major tournament, the PGA Championship, where Collin Morikawa's drive on the 16th hole in the final round Sunday helped him win the title. His shot would have surely drawn roars from the gallery if spectators had been allowed to watch in person.
Morikawa, 23, smashed his 293-yard drive to within 7 feet of the hole. He sank an eagle putt en route to winning by two shots. Instead of cheers, the celebration consisted of him smiling and sharing a fist bump with his caddie.
The Masters officials' decision comes a day after both the Pac-12 and Big Ten college conferences announced they would postpone all fall sports, including football, due to virus concerns.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Cliff Welch/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Cliff Welch/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty
Last month, the United States Golf Association announced the U.S. Open, originally set for June but later rescheduled to mid-September, will be played without crowds in Mamaroneck, N.Y.
In the spring, Masters officials appeared to hold out hope that rescheduling the tournament to later in the year might allow for fans to return to Augusta.
"We hope the anticipation of staging the Masters Tournament in the fall brings a moment of joy to the Augusta community and all those who love the sport," officials said in an April 6 statement postponing the event.
On that same day in April, officials with the British Open, golf's oldest major tournament, said the 2020 tournament was canceled — the first time it had done so since World War II.


npr--2020-08-12--Florida Sheriff Orders Deputies And Staff Not To Wear Face Masks

Florida Sheriff Orders Deputies And Staff Not To Wear Face Masks The sheriff in a central Florida COVID-19 hot spot has issued a directive prohibiting deputies , staff and visitors to department offices from wearing protective face masks , an order that came as a local mayor and city council squared off over a mask ordinance for businesses .
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods sent an email Tuesday informing the approximately 900 people working in the department that `` when you are on-duty/working as my employee and representing my Office – masks will not be worn , '' the Ocala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective immediately , any individual walking in to any one of our lobbies ( which includes the main office and all district offices ) that is wearing a mask will be asked to remove it . ''
`` [ I ] n light of the current events when it comes to the sentiment and/or hatred toward law enforcement in our country today , this is being done to ensure there is clear communication and for identification purposes of any individual walking into a lobby , '' he said .
`` We can debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why not , '' Woods added .
`` The fact is , the amount of professionals that give the reason why we should , I can find the exact same amount of professionals that say why we should n't . ''
Marion County , with a population of about 370,000 , has had nearly 6,800 confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic , with 104 deaths .
Marion reported a single-day record of 13 deaths on Tuesday , county officials said .
According to the Star-Banner , 43 sheriff 's office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more than 200 inmates at the Marion County Jail have tested positive for coronavirus .
Woods ' office did not return calls from NPR seeking comment .
The sheriff 's order came one day after Kent Guinn , the mayor in the county seat of Ocala , vetoed a city council ordinance requiring all indoor establishments , including houses of worship and government buildings , to display signs asking people to wear masks or risk a $ 25 fine .
The council overrode Guinn 's veto on Wednesday .
`` My ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it .
We will never write a fine .
We 're just not going to do it , '' Guinn said on Monday , referring to Ocala Police Department Chief Greg Graham .
Speaking before the 4-1 vote to override the veto , City Council President Pro-Tem Justin Grabelle said it was `` sad '' that certain local officials refused to enforce city law .
Councilman Matthew Wardell , the mask rule 's sponsor , told NPR that he does n't understand the opposition by Guinn , a Republican , to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easy and simple . ''
`` All it requires of businesses is to put a sign in their window asking customers to wear a mask .
If the customer does n't , the business can ask politely , but if they 're refused , there 's really nothing more to be done , '' he said .
`` I think it goes back to the politics of the issue , '' Wardell told NPR .
`` You have to see if someone has an ' R ' or a 'D ' behind their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not . ''
Councilman Ire Bethea Sr. , who had recovered from COVID-19 , was among those voting for the mask ordinance .
`` We do not seem to understand that this thing is real , '' he told fellow council members .
`` This thing is very , very contagious right now , and it is running rampant . ''

Florida Sheriff Orders Deputies And Staff Not To Wear Face Masks
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gerardo Mora/Getty Images Gerardo Mora/Getty Images
The sheriff in a central Florida COVID-19 hot spot has issued a directive prohibiting deputies, staff and visitors to department offices from wearing protective face masks, an order that came as a local mayor and city council squared off over a mask ordinance for businesses.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods sent an email Tuesday informing the approximately 900 people working in the department that "when you are on-duty/working as my employee and representing my Office – masks will not be worn," the Ocala Star-Banner reports.
Woods added that "effective immediately, any individual walking in to any one of our lobbies (which includes the main office and all district offices) that is wearing a mask will be asked to remove it."
"[I]n light of the current events when it comes to the sentiment and/or hatred toward law enforcement in our country today, this is being done to ensure there is clear communication and for identification purposes of any individual walking into a lobby," he said.
"We can debate and argue all day of why and why not," Woods added. "The fact is, the amount of professionals that give the reason why we should, I can find the exact same amount of professionals that say why we shouldn't."
Marion County, with a population of about 370,000, has had nearly 6,800 confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, with 104 deaths. Marion reported a single-day record of 13 deaths on Tuesday, county officials said.
According to the Star-Banner, 43 sheriff's office employees — including several patrol officers — and more than 200 inmates at the Marion County Jail have tested positive for coronavirus.
Woods' office did not return calls from NPR seeking comment.
The sheriff's order came one day after Kent Guinn, the mayor in the county seat of Ocala, vetoed a city council ordinance requiring all indoor establishments, including houses of worship and government buildings, to display signs asking people to wear masks or risk a $25 fine. The council overrode Guinn's veto on Wednesday.
"My (police) chief and I have talked about it. We will never write a fine. We're just not going to do it," Guinn said on Monday, referring to Ocala Police Department Chief Greg Graham.
Speaking before the 4-1 vote to override the veto, City Council President Pro-Tem Justin Grabelle said it was "sad" that certain local officials refused to enforce city law.
Councilman Matthew Wardell, the mask rule's sponsor, told NPR that he doesn't understand the opposition by Guinn, a Republican, to the ordinance, which he described as "easy and simple."
"All it requires of businesses is to put a sign in their window asking customers to wear a mask. If the customer doesn't, the business can ask politely, but if they're refused, there's really nothing more to be done," he said.
"I think it goes back to the politics of the issue," Wardell told NPR. "You have to see if someone has an 'R' or a 'D' behind their name to know if they like masks or not."
Councilman Ire Bethea Sr., who had recovered from COVID-19, was among those voting for the mask ordinance. "We do not seem to understand that this thing is real," he told fellow council members. "This thing is very, very contagious right now, and it is running rampant."


npr--2020-08-12--New Outbreak In New Zealand Leads To New Rules And Supermarket Runs

New Outbreak In New Zealand Leads To New Rules And Supermarket Runs After more than 100 days without any community spread of COVID-19 , New Zealand moved to an elevated alert level Wednesday with news of four new cases and another four probable ones .
The country had returned to normal life , but the mystery of the new outbreak 's source has led to increased restrictions and concern in the island nation .
The first four cases are members of the same family in the city of Auckland .
The new probable cases — based on symptoms but still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cases in the Auckland family .
`` Two are work colleagues and two are another related household that one of the cases had stayed at in the preceding week , '' Dr. Ashley Bloomfield , New Zealand 's director-general of health , said of the probable cases in a media conference Wednesday .
At noon Wednesday , New Zealand began a three-day period at alert level two , with Auckland at the higher level three .
The country had been at level one since June 9 when life had largely returned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions , most businesses and schools in Auckland are closed , and bars and restaurants may only offer takeout .
Elsewhere in the country , level two measures mean people can still go to work and school but are urged to take safety precautions , including social distancing and the wearing of masks .
Despite requests not to engage in panic buying and assurances that grocery stores would remain open for contactless pickup and delivery during the three-day period , Aucklanders formed long lines at supermarkets before the measures went into effect .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ city also saw long lines .
Bloomfield said 6,000 to 7,000 people were being tested in Auckland as well as in the cities of Christchurch , Wellington and Rotorua .
Special testing sites are available to those identified as close or casual contacts of the Auckland cluster .
The new probable cases announced Wednesday include three adults and one teenager .
`` They 're probables because there 's a clear epidemiological link [ to the other four cases ] and they 're symptomatic , '' Bloomfield said .
All four are in isolation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they await test results .
Bloomfield said four members of the family in the Auckland COVID-19 cluster had traveled in recent days to Rotorua , a city known for its geothermal features and Maori culture , where they visited tourist attractions and eateries .
Two members of the family subsequently tested positive for the virus , raising the possibility they could have spread it to Rotorua .
The government is conducting genome testing to identify the strain of the virus in the new cluster .
More than 200 contacts of the new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workplaces where the individuals who tested positive are employed .
One is Americold , a cool storage facility in Auckland .
That facility has been swabbed for the virus to investigate the possibility that the virus could have arrived in New Zealand via refrigerated freight .
Bloomfield ordered employees and contractors at Americold and a finance company called Finance Now , as well as their family members , to isolate at home and not go to work until they are contacted by contact tracers and given further direction .
Because Auckland is under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workplaces would be staying home anyway .
First , it 's now mandatory for any business or service to display prominently a QR code for the country 's NZ Covid Tracer smartphone app at all entry points .
That will enable Kiwis to use the app to scan the QR code and log the businesses they visit , making it easy for contact tracers to notify people of any possible exposures .
`` The ability to contact trace is one of the key tools we have to find new cases and get them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Ardern said .
`` Using the app is a big investment in keeping our businesses and economy open . ''
The prime minister said that more than 100,000 people had downloaded the app the previous night .
Second , people flying out of Auckland must now wear face coverings .
The only people traveling by plane from Auckland , she noted , are those who do n't live there and need to return home .
During this time , Auckland residents are asked but not required to wear face masks .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the national stockpile .
Ardern said the government is working with social service agencies to distribute 3 million masks to those who might struggle to afford or have access to them .
The new outbreak raises the possibility of postponing New Zealand 's upcoming election , scheduled for Sept. 19 .
Parliament was to be dissolved on Wednesday , but Ardern delayed that until at least Monday in case the body needs to meet in short order .
Under New Zealand law , the election could be postponed about two months , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now has 26 active cases .
None of the patients require hospital-level care .
Excepting the four cases and the four suspected in the Auckland cluster , the rest of the nation 's cases are in people arriving in the country ; they were all put immediately into managed isolation facilities or quarantine .
Every person arriving in New Zealand is required to be isolated from others in the country for a minimum of 14 days .
To illustrate the importance of taking the risk of spread seriously , Ardern pointed on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 300 new cases the previous day and more than 650 people hospitalized .
`` Our response to the virus so far has worked .
It opened our economy and our communities and gave New Zealanders freedoms that we cherished and we all want to get back there as soon as we can , '' Ardern said .
`` We know how to beat this , but we also know we do n't need to look far to see what it can mean if we do n't get on top of it .
@

New Outbreak In New Zealand Leads To New Rules And Supermarket Runs
Enlarge this image toggle caption Fiona Goodall/Getty Images Fiona Goodall/Getty Images
After more than 100 days without any community spread of COVID-19, New Zealand moved to an elevated alert level Wednesday with news of four new cases and another four probable ones.
The country had returned to normal life, but the mystery of the new outbreak's source has led to increased restrictions and concern in the island nation.
The first four cases are members of the same family in the city of Auckland. The new probable cases — based on symptoms but still awaiting test results — are linked to the cases in the Auckland family.
"Two are work colleagues and two are another related household that one of the cases had stayed at in the preceding week," Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, New Zealand's director-general of health, said of the probable cases in a media conference Wednesday.
At noon Wednesday, New Zealand began a three-day period at alert level two, with Auckland at the higher level three. The country had been at level one since June 9 when life had largely returned to normal.
Under the tighter level three restrictions, most businesses and schools in Auckland are closed, and bars and restaurants may only offer takeout. Elsewhere in the country, level two measures mean people can still go to work and school but are urged to take safety precautions, including social distancing and the wearing of masks.
Despite requests not to engage in panic buying and assurances that grocery stores would remain open for contactless pickup and delivery during the three-day period, Aucklanders formed long lines at supermarkets before the measures went into effect.
Testing centers for the coronavirus throughout the city also saw long lines. Bloomfield said 6,000 to 7,000 people were being tested in Auckland as well as in the cities of Christchurch, Wellington and Rotorua. Special testing sites are available to those identified as close or casual contacts of the Auckland cluster.
The new probable cases announced Wednesday include three adults and one teenager. "They're probables because there's a clear epidemiological link [to the other four cases] and they're symptomatic," Bloomfield said. All four are in isolation, and contact tracing is underway as they await test results.
Bloomfield said four members of the family in the Auckland COVID-19 cluster had traveled in recent days to Rotorua, a city known for its geothermal features and Maori culture, where they visited tourist attractions and eateries. Two members of the family subsequently tested positive for the virus, raising the possibility they could have spread it to Rotorua.
The government is conducting genome testing to identify the strain of the virus in the new cluster.
More than 200 contacts of the new cases had been identified, mostly at two workplaces where the individuals who tested positive are employed. One is Americold, a cool storage facility in Auckland. That facility has been swabbed for the virus to investigate the possibility that the virus could have arrived in New Zealand via refrigerated freight.
Bloomfield ordered employees and contractors at Americold and a finance company called Finance Now, as well as their family members, to isolate at home and not go to work until they are contacted by contact tracers and given further direction. Because Auckland is under level three alert, people at those workplaces would be staying home anyway.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced two additional regulations on Wednesday.
First, it's now mandatory for any business or service to display prominently a QR code for the country's NZ Covid Tracer smartphone app at all entry points. That will enable Kiwis to use the app to scan the QR code and log the businesses they visit, making it easy for contact tracers to notify people of any possible exposures.
"The ability to contact trace is one of the key tools we have to find new cases and get them in isolation to avoid future lockdowns," Ardern said. "Using the app is a big investment in keeping our businesses and economy open." The prime minister said that more than 100,000 people had downloaded the app the previous night.
Second, people flying out of Auckland must now wear face coverings. The only people traveling by plane from Auckland, she noted, are those who don't live there and need to return home.
During this time, Auckland residents are asked but not required to wear face masks. The government has released 5 million additional masks from the national stockpile. Ardern said the government is working with social service agencies to distribute 3 million masks to those who might struggle to afford or have access to them.
The new outbreak raises the possibility of postponing New Zealand's upcoming election, scheduled for Sept. 19. Parliament was to be dissolved on Wednesday, but Ardern delayed that until at least Monday in case the body needs to meet in short order. Under New Zealand law, the election could be postponed about two months, The Associated Press reported.
New Zealand now has 26 active cases. None of the patients require hospital-level care. Excepting the four cases and the four suspected in the Auckland cluster, the rest of the nation's cases are in people arriving in the country; they were all put immediately into managed isolation facilities or quarantine. Every person arriving in New Zealand is required to be isolated from others in the country for a minimum of 14 days.
To illustrate the importance of taking the risk of spread seriously, Ardern pointed on Wednesday to neighboring Australia, which had more than 300 new cases the previous day and more than 650 people hospitalized.
"Our response to the virus so far has worked. It opened our economy and our communities and gave New Zealanders freedoms that we cherished and we all want to get back there as soon as we can," Ardern said. "We know how to beat this, but we also know we don't need to look far to see what it can mean if we don't get on top of it."


npr--2020-08-12--R. Kelly Associates Charged With Trying To Bribe, Intimidate His Accusers

R. Kelly Associates Charged With Trying To Bribe , Intimidate His Accusers Three associates of fallen R & B star R. Kelly were arrested and charged Tuesday by New York federal authorities .
The three are accused of attempting to harass , threaten , intimidate and bribe several of Kelly 's alleged victims of sexual abuse .
The men are 31-year-old Richard Arline Jr. a self-described friend of the singer ; Donnell Russell , 45 , a self-described `` manager , advisor and friend '' of Kelly ; and Michael Williams , 37 , who prosecutors say is a relative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The charges were filed in the Eastern District of New York .
According to prosecutors , Arline tried to bribe one of Kelly 's accusers earlier this year with a proposed payment of $ 500,000 , in order to keep her from cooperating with the government and testifying against Kelly at trial .
Prosecutors also say that Arline claimed that he has been in touch with Kelly , while he is being held in custody , via a three-way phone call .
Russell , prosecutors say , tried to harass and intimidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November 2018 and February of this year , after the accuser filed a civil lawsuit against the singer .
Russell is said to have threatened to release sexually explicit photos of the woman and to reveal elements of her sexual history if she did not withdraw the suit .
The prosecutors say that Russell , using an alias , also sent versions of those photos to producers and executives at Lifetime and A & E television on Dec. 4 , 2018 — the day that Lifetime was to hold an advance screening of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That screening and a panel discussion was canceled because of a gun threat that was called in shortly before the event was to take place .
Williams is charged with setting fire on June 11 to an SUV that was parked outside of a residence where one of Kelly 's accusers was staying in Florida ; the SUV was leased by the woman 's father .
According to prosecutors , investigators also found an accelerant around the residence .
Additionally , prosecutors say , Williams searched the Internet for information about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ materials about witness intimidation and tampering ; and information about countries that do not have extradition treaties with the U.S .
Almost immediately after the charges against the men were announced on Wednesday , one of Kelly 's attorneys , Steve Greenberg , posted on Twitter : `` Without question , Robert Kelly had nothing to do with any of these alleged acts by those charged .
He has n't attempted to intimidate anyone , or encouraged anyone else to do so .
No involvement whatsoever . ''
The New York prosecutors had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — including `` managers , bodyguards , drivers , personal assistants and runners for Kelly , as well as members of Kelly 's entourage '' — were acting as an organized crime ring .
They have also contended that Kelly obstructed justice by destroying evidence and bribing witnesses during his last criminal trial , which ended with a not guilty verdict in Chicago in 2008 .
Kelly is facing two sets of federal criminal charges : one in the Eastern District and the other in Illinois .
In total , these comprise 22 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women over the course of more than two decades , from 1994 to 2018 .

R. Kelly Associates Charged With Trying To Bribe, Intimidate His Accusers
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images
Three associates of fallen R&B star R. Kelly were arrested and charged Tuesday by New York federal authorities. The three are accused of attempting to harass, threaten, intimidate and bribe several of Kelly's alleged victims of sexual abuse.
The men are 31-year-old Richard Arline Jr., a self-described friend of the singer; Donnell Russell, 45, a self-described "manager, advisor and friend" of Kelly; and Michael Williams, 37, who prosecutors say is a relative of one of Kelly's former publicists.
The charges were filed in the Eastern District of New York. According to prosecutors, Arline tried to bribe one of Kelly's accusers earlier this year with a proposed payment of $500,000, in order to keep her from cooperating with the government and testifying against Kelly at trial. Prosecutors also say that Arline claimed that he has been in touch with Kelly, while he is being held in custody, via a three-way phone call.
Russell, prosecutors say, tried to harass and intimidate another Kelly accuser and her mother between November 2018 and February of this year, after the accuser filed a civil lawsuit against the singer. Russell is said to have threatened to release sexually explicit photos of the woman and to reveal elements of her sexual history if she did not withdraw the suit.
The prosecutors say that Russell, using an alias, also sent versions of those photos to producers and executives at Lifetime and A&E television on Dec. 4, 2018 — the day that Lifetime was to hold an advance screening of part of its Surviving R. Kelly docuseries. That screening and a panel discussion was canceled because of a gun threat that was called in shortly before the event was to take place.
Williams is charged with setting fire on June 11 to an SUV that was parked outside of a residence where one of Kelly's accusers was staying in Florida; the SUV was leased by the woman's father. According to prosecutors, investigators also found an accelerant around the residence. Additionally, prosecutors say, Williams searched the Internet for information about the flammability of fertilizer and diesel fuel; materials about witness intimidation and tampering; and information about countries that do not have extradition treaties with the U.S.
Almost immediately after the charges against the men were announced on Wednesday, one of Kelly's attorneys, Steve Greenberg, posted on Twitter: "Without question, Robert Kelly had nothing to do with any of these alleged acts by those charged. He hasn't attempted to intimidate anyone, or encouraged anyone else to do so. No involvement whatsoever."
The New York prosecutors had already alleged that Kelly and his associates — including "managers, bodyguards, drivers, personal assistants and runners for Kelly, as well as members of Kelly's entourage" — were acting as an organized crime ring.
They have also contended that Kelly obstructed justice by destroying evidence and bribing witnesses during his last criminal trial, which ended with a not guilty verdict in Chicago in 2008.
Kelly is facing two sets of federal criminal charges: one in the Eastern District and the other in Illinois. In total, these comprise 22 charges for allegedly abusing 11 girls and women over the course of more than two decades, from 1994 to 2018.