npr--2020-07-22--Timeline: The Unraveling Of U.S.-China Relations

In recent weeks , U.S.-China relations have unraveled with alarming speed , and some analysts say they are now at their worst since the two countries normalized diplomatic ties in 1979 .
On Tuesday , the Trump administration ordered China 's consulate in Houston to close , a step that significantly amps up the tension in already fraught relations between the world 's top two economies .
The administration has heaped blame on China for the coronavirus pandemic and restricted the number of Chinese journalists in the U.S .
It says its moves reciprocate the strict limits that China places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imposed a string of measures to punish China for alleged human rights abuses in Tibet and Xinjiang — and for a national security law written and passed in Beijing , which many believe effectively ends the high degree of autonomy promised to Hong Kong when it returned to China 's control in 1997 .
The Chinese government has responded in kind , deflecting blame for the pandemic , kicking out some U.S. journalists and putting pressure on those who remain .
It has also announced sanctions on U.S. lawmakers and at least one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further action from the White House , including possible financial sanctions , and with China turning into a key 2020 campaign issue , the downward spiral seems likely to continue .
Below is a timeline highlighting key developments that are reshaping U.S-China relations , starting with the most recent .
China 's Foreign Ministry says the U.S. ordered it to close its consulate in Houston by Friday , and calls the move an `` unprecedented escalation . ''
State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus says in a statement that the move , which came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intellectual property and American 's [ sic ] private information . ''
The Justice Department charges two suspected Chinese hackers who allegedly targeted U.S. companies conducting COVID-19 research , part of what the government called long-running efforts to steal American trade secrets and intellectual property .
The Commerce Department sanctions 11 Chinese companies for their connection with Xinjiang human rights abuses and forced labor programs .
The Departments of State and Treasury include four Chinese citizens and one Chinese biotech company under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act for their involvement in international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The U.S. imposes visa restrictions on employees from Chinese tech companies deemed to have provided `` material support to regimes engaging in human rights abuses globally , '' including the telecommunications firm Huawei .
President Trump signs the Hong Kong Autonomy Act , which mandates sanctions against foreign people or entities who are deemed to have helped erode rights and freedoms in Hong Kong .
He also signs an executive order revoking Hong Kong 's `` special status '' in relations with the United States .
China says it will sanction Lockheed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. arms sale to Chinese-claimed Taiwan .
Lockheed Martin is the main contractor for a $ 620 million upgrade for Taiwan 's Patriot surface-to-air missiles , which the U.S. government approved the previous week , according to Reuters .
The U.S. announces that China has no legal grounds for most of its maritime claims in the South China Sea , enunciating a policy stance previously unarticulated .
Washington 's stated neutrality on the territorial claims by China and other Southeast Asian nations remains unchanged .
China imposes sanctions on four U.S. lawmakers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rubio .
U.S. imposes visa and asset restrictions on Chinese officials linked to rights abuses in the Muslim-majority Xinjiang Autonomous Region .
Among those sanctioned is the Communist Party 's top official in Xinjiang , Chen Quanguo , marking the first time the U.S. explicitly sanctions a member of China 's elite Politburo .
The State Department imposes visa restrictions on Chinese government and Communist Party officials deemed to be `` substantially involved in the formulation or execution of policies related to access for foreigners to Tibetan areas . ''
The U.S. issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risks of doing business with companies in the restive far-western region of China .
The U.S. announces an end to exports of U.S.-origin defense equipment to Hong Kong .
It says it will impose the same restrictions on export of U.S. defense and dual-use technologies to Hong Kong as it does to China .
The State Department imposes visa restrictions on unidentified current and former Chinese Communist Party officials `` believed to be responsible for , or complicit in , undermining Hong Kong 's high degree of autonomy ... or undermining human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The State Department designates the U.S. operations of China Central Television , China News Service , the People 's Daily and the Global Times as `` foreign missions . ''
Entities designated as foreign missions must adhere to certain administrative requirements that also apply to foreign embassies and consulates in the United States .
President Trump issues a proclamation to block Chinese students at graduate or higher levels , specifically those associated with Chinese entities involved in China 's `` military-civil fusion '' strategy , amidst ongoing fears of transfer of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department decertifies Hong Kong as sufficiently autonomous from China , stating that the territory no longer warrants differential treatment from the rest of China under U.S. law .
China unveils plans to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong , announcing a draft proposal submitted to the leaders of the national parliament .
The U.S. condemns the proposal .
The Commerce Department issues a new rule , taking effect in September , to bar Huawei and its suppliers from using American technology and software .
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security announce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intellectual property and data related to COVID-19 research .
President Trump says he has a `` high degree of confidence '' the coronavirus may have originated in a Chinese virology lab in Wuhan .
He says he has seen evidence , but declines to give details .
Hong Kong police arrest 15 of the city 's highest-profile democracy activists on charges of illegal assembly when taking part in protests last year .
The State Department condemns the arrests .
China announces it will expel journalists from the Washington Post , New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens .
In a tweet , President Trump uses the term `` Chinese virus '' to describe the coronavirus , in what appears to be the first time he does so .
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian tweets : `` ...
It might be U.S. army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan , '' a statement analysts see as an attempt to push back against U.S. finger-pointing at China for the pandemic .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refers to the coronavirus as the `` Wuhan virus '' — a controversial term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' is used by some U.S. politicians eager to remind listeners where the first cases were identified .
Pompeo repeats the term in subsequent days .
The U.S. government caps at 100 the number of Chinese citizens allowed to work in the United States for Chinese news outlets including Xinhua News Agency , China Global Television Network , China Radio International , China Daily Distribution Corporation and Hai Tian Development , the People 's Daily U.S. distributor .
China expels three Wall Street Journal reporters .
Beijing says the move is punishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a headline deemed offensive .
The State Department designates Xinhua News Agency , China Global Television Network , China Radio International , China Daily Distribution Corporation and Hai Tian Development USA as `` foreign missions . ''
The U.S. implements restrictions on travelers from China , to try to stop the coronavirus from spreading .
Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton notes in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that Wuhan is home to `` China 's only biosafety level four super laboratory that works with the world 's most deadly pathogens to include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others repeat the claim that the coronavirus originated in the lab in subsequent weeks , but it is eventually debunked by scientists .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns against travel to China .
China locks down Wuhan and other cities in Hubei province .
The first known U.S. case of COVID-19 is confirmed in Washington State .
The U.S. and China sign a `` Phase One '' trade deal aiming to end a year-and-a-half-long trade war marked by tit-for-tat tariffs and acrimony .
China tells the World Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unknown viral pneumonia in the central city of Wuhan .

Timeline: The Unraveling Of U.S.-China Relations
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andy Wong/AP Andy Wong/AP
In recent weeks, U.S.-China relations have unraveled with alarming speed, and some analysts say they are now at their worst since the two countries normalized diplomatic ties in 1979.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration ordered China's consulate in Houston to close, a step that significantly amps up the tension in already fraught relations between the world's top two economies.
The administration has heaped blame on China for the coronavirus pandemic and restricted the number of Chinese journalists in the U.S. It says its moves reciprocate the strict limits that China places on American journalists.
It has also imposed a string of measures to punish China for alleged human rights abuses in Tibet and Xinjiang — and for a national security law written and passed in Beijing, which many believe effectively ends the high degree of autonomy promised to Hong Kong when it returned to China's control in 1997.
The Chinese government has responded in kind, deflecting blame for the pandemic, kicking out some U.S. journalists and putting pressure on those who remain. It has also announced sanctions on U.S. lawmakers and at least one American defense company.
With threats of further action from the White House, including possible financial sanctions, and with China turning into a key 2020 campaign issue, the downward spiral seems likely to continue.
Below is a timeline highlighting key developments that are reshaping U.S-China relations, starting with the most recent.
July 22
China's Foreign Ministry says the U.S. ordered it to close its consulate in Houston by Friday, and calls the move an "unprecedented escalation." State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus says in a statement that the move, which came Tuesday, was "to protect American intellectual property and American's [sic] private information."
July 21
The Justice Department charges two suspected Chinese hackers who allegedly targeted U.S. companies conducting COVID-19 research, part of what the government called long-running efforts to steal American trade secrets and intellectual property.
July 20
The Commerce Department sanctions 11 Chinese companies for their connection with Xinjiang human rights abuses and forced labor programs.
July 17
The Departments of State and Treasury include four Chinese citizens and one Chinese biotech company under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act for their involvement in international drug trafficking operations of Chinese synthetic opioids.
July 15
The U.S. imposes visa restrictions on employees from Chinese tech companies deemed to have provided "material support to regimes engaging in human rights abuses globally," including the telecommunications firm Huawei.
July 14
President Trump signs the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which mandates sanctions against foreign people or entities who are deemed to have helped erode rights and freedoms in Hong Kong. He also signs an executive order revoking Hong Kong's "special status" in relations with the United States.
July 14
China says it will sanction Lockheed Martin for its involvement in the latest U.S. arms sale to Chinese-claimed Taiwan. Lockheed Martin is the main contractor for a $620 million upgrade for Taiwan's Patriot surface-to-air missiles, which the U.S. government approved the previous week, according to Reuters.
July 13
The U.S. announces that China has no legal grounds for most of its maritime claims in the South China Sea, enunciating a policy stance previously unarticulated. Washington's stated neutrality on the territorial claims by China and other Southeast Asian nations remains unchanged.
July 13
China imposes sanctions on four U.S. lawmakers, including Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio.
July 9
U.S. imposes visa and asset restrictions on Chinese officials linked to rights abuses in the Muslim-majority Xinjiang Autonomous Region. Among those sanctioned is the Communist Party's top official in Xinjiang, Chen Quanguo, marking the first time the U.S. explicitly sanctions a member of China's elite Politburo.
July 7
The State Department imposes visa restrictions on Chinese government and Communist Party officials deemed to be "substantially involved in the formulation or execution of policies related to access for foreigners to Tibetan areas."
July 1
The U.S. issues a Xinjiang supply chain business advisory highlighting the risks of doing business with companies in the restive far-western region of China.
June 30
China's parliament passes the national security law for Hong Kong.
June 29
The U.S. announces an end to exports of U.S.-origin defense equipment to Hong Kong. It says it will impose the same restrictions on export of U.S. defense and dual-use technologies to Hong Kong as it does to China.
June 26
The State Department imposes visa restrictions on unidentified current and former Chinese Communist Party officials "believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy ... or undermining human rights and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong."
June 22
The State Department designates the U.S. operations of China Central Television, China News Service, the People's Daily and the Global Times as "foreign missions." Entities designated as foreign missions must adhere to certain administrative requirements that also apply to foreign embassies and consulates in the United States.
May 29
President Trump issues a proclamation to block Chinese students at graduate or higher levels, specifically those associated with Chinese entities involved in China's "military-civil fusion" strategy, amidst ongoing fears of transfer of sensitive technology to China.
May 27
The State Department decertifies Hong Kong as sufficiently autonomous from China, stating that the territory no longer warrants differential treatment from the rest of China under U.S. law.
May 21
China unveils plans to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong, announcing a draft proposal submitted to the leaders of the national parliament. The U.S. condemns the proposal.
May 15
The Commerce Department issues a new rule, taking effect in September, to bar Huawei and its suppliers from using American technology and software.
May 13
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security announce that China was trying to steal U.S. intellectual property and data related to COVID-19 research.
April 30
President Trump says he has a "high degree of confidence" the coronavirus may have originated in a Chinese virology lab in Wuhan. He says he has seen evidence, but declines to give details.
April 18
Hong Kong police arrest 15 of the city's highest-profile democracy activists on charges of illegal assembly when taking part in protests last year. The State Department condemns the arrests.
March 17
China announces it will expel journalists from the Washington Post, New York Times and Wall Street Journal who are American citizens.
March 16
In a tweet, President Trump uses the term "Chinese virus" to describe the coronavirus, in what appears to be the first time he does so.
March 12
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian tweets: "...It might be U.S. army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan," a statement analysts see as an attempt to push back against U.S. finger-pointing at China for the pandemic.
March 5
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refers to the coronavirus as the "Wuhan virus" — a controversial term that, along with "Chinese virus," is used by some U.S. politicians eager to remind listeners where the first cases were identified. Pompeo repeats the term in subsequent days.
March 2
The U.S. government caps at 100 the number of Chinese citizens allowed to work in the United States for Chinese news outlets including Xinhua News Agency, China Global Television Network, China Radio International, China Daily Distribution Corporation and Hai Tian Development, the People's Daily U.S. distributor.
February 19
China expels three Wall Street Journal reporters. Beijing says the move is punishment for an editorial in the newspaper with a headline deemed offensive.
February 18
The State Department designates Xinhua News Agency, China Global Television Network, China Radio International, China Daily Distribution Corporation and Hai Tian Development USA as "foreign missions."
February 2
The U.S. implements restrictions on travelers from China, to try to stop the coronavirus from spreading.
January 30
Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton notes in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that Wuhan is home to "China's only biosafety level four super laboratory that works with the world's most deadly pathogens to include, yes, coronavirus." Cotton and others repeat the claim that the coronavirus originated in the lab in subsequent weeks, but it is eventually debunked by scientists.
January 27
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns against travel to China.
January 23
China locks down Wuhan and other cities in Hubei province.
January 21
The first known U.S. case of COVID-19 is confirmed in Washington State.
January 15
The U.S. and China sign a "Phase One" trade deal aiming to end a year-and-a-half-long trade war marked by tit-for-tat tariffs and acrimony.
December 31
China tells the World Health Organization it's investigating an outbreak of an unknown viral pneumonia in the central city of Wuhan.


npr--2020-07-22--NAACP Sues Betsy DeVos Over Federal Aid Money For Private Schools

The NAACP has become the latest organization to sue the Education Department over the distribution of more than $ 13 billion in federal aid intended for K-12 schools .
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued a rule that says if states want to use the funds to provide services for all students , such as tutoring or extra school buses to allow for social distancing , they must also fund `` equitable services '' for all private school students in the district .
The move is a departure from typical interpretations of federal education law , which usually requires `` equitable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private schools .
DeVos ' rule vastly increases the share of federal funding that would go to private school students .
Private school students are more likely to be wealthy than public school students , and a majority of private school students are white , while a majority in public schools are students of color .
`` The Rule is as immoral as it is illegal , '' the lawsuit says .
`` In a moment of crisis — when public school districts are called upon to educate their students in unprecedented circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from disease , and to feed families who have been plunged into poverty , all with decimated state and local revenues — it is unconscionable for Defendants to siphon away the CARES Act 's desperately needed funds for the benefit of more affluent private-school students . ''
The NAACP 's co-plaintiffs are the Pasadena Unified School District in California , Stamford Public Schools in Connecticut and Denver Public Schools in Colorado .
A similar suit has been filed by attorneys general in California , Michigan , Maine , New Mexico , Wisconsin and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ districts in New York City , Chicago , San Francisco and Cleveland .
Educators estimate they will need an additional $ 200 billion or more to reopen school safely , and the Senate is currently debating a new aid package for schools .

NAACP Sues Betsy DeVos Over Federal Aid Money For Private Schools
Enlarge this image toggle caption Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
The NAACP has become the latest organization to sue the Education Department over the distribution of more than $13 billion in federal aid intended for K-12 schools.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued a rule that says if states want to use the funds to provide services for all students, such as tutoring or extra school buses to allow for social distancing, they must also fund "equitable services" for all private school students in the district.
The move is a departure from typical interpretations of federal education law, which usually requires "equitable services" only for low-income students in private schools. DeVos' rule vastly increases the share of federal funding that would go to private school students. Private school students are more likely to be wealthy than public school students, and a majority of private school students are white, while a majority in public schools are students of color.
"The Rule is as immoral as it is illegal," the lawsuit says. "In a moment of crisis — when public school districts are called upon to educate their students in unprecedented circumstances, to protect their students and staff from disease, and to feed families who have been plunged into poverty, all with decimated state and local revenues — it is unconscionable for Defendants to siphon away the CARES Act's desperately needed funds for the benefit of more affluent private-school students."
The NAACP's co-plaintiffs are the Pasadena Unified School District in California, Stamford Public Schools in Connecticut and Denver Public Schools in Colorado. A similar suit has been filed by attorneys general in California, Michigan, Maine, New Mexico, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., joined by school districts in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco and Cleveland.
Educators estimate they will need an additional $200 billion or more to reopen school safely, and the Senate is currently debating a new aid package for schools.


npr--2020-07-22--Taking Down Its 'Own Monuments,' Sierra Club Assesses The Racism Of John Muir

Taking Down Its 'Own Monuments , ' Sierra Club Assesses The Racism Of John Muir Arguably no figure looms larger than John Muir in the history of America 's national parks .
His writings and contributions are widely regarded as the founding ethos of environmentalism in the U.S. , including by one of the country 's oldest environmental groups , the Sierra Club .
But amid the nationwide reappraisal of racist monuments , the Sierra Club said Wednesday that `` it 's time to take down some of our own monuments , '' including of its founder , Muir .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and Indigenous peoples that drew on deeply harmful racist stereotypes , '' Executive Director Michael Brune wrote on the group 's website .
`` As the most iconic figure in Sierra Club history , Muir 's words and actions carry an especially heavy weight .
They continue to hurt and alienate Indigenous people and people of color who come into contact with the Sierra Club . ''
In that message , the organization said recent anti-racist protests sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of police had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The California naturalist often expressed disparaging views of Native Americans .
In notes of a trek across a swath of America , Muir jots down disparaging observations about Native Americans as well as Black Southerners .
In one entry , he referred to the dwellings of Cherokees as `` the uncouth transitionist ... wigwams of savages . ''
Other entries include derogatory comments about a Black child and a Black couple whom Muir encounters .
Muir also held hostile sentiments toward Indigenous tribes in California -- home to Yosemite National Park , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling them `` dirty , '' `` superstitious , '' `` deadly '' and `` lazy , '' among other things .
The Sierra Club noted that Muir 's views appeared to evolve over time .
Still , the group pointed out that he associated with prominent American eugenicist Henry Fairfield Osborn .
Other eugenicists – including Joseph LeConte and David Starr Jordan – were also early Sierra Club members and leaders of the organization .
`` The whiteness and privilege of our early membership fed into a very dangerous idea — one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's the idea that exploring , enjoying , and protecting the outdoors can be separated from human affairs , '' Brune wrote .
The group also pledged to diversify its leadership to consist largely of Black , Indigenous and other people of color , and to intensify its investment in racial and environmental justice work .
The Sierra Club is not the only champion of progressive causes to reckon with a founder 's racist legacy this week .
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York said Tuesday it was taking the name of founder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which sought to eradicate `` undesirable '' genes through means such as forced sterilizations — off its Manhattan Health Center .

Taking Down Its 'Own Monuments,' Sierra Club Assesses The Racism Of John Muir
Enlarge this image toggle caption Library of Congress Library of Congress
Arguably no figure looms larger than John Muir in the history of America's national parks. His writings and contributions are widely regarded as the founding ethos of environmentalism in the U.S., including by one of the country's oldest environmental groups, the Sierra Club.
But amid the nationwide reappraisal of racist monuments, the Sierra Club said Wednesday that "it's time to take down some of our own monuments," including of its founder, Muir.
"He made derogatory comments about Black people and Indigenous peoples that drew on deeply harmful racist stereotypes," Executive Director Michael Brune wrote on the group's website. "As the most iconic figure in Sierra Club history, Muir's words and actions carry an especially heavy weight. They continue to hurt and alienate Indigenous people and people of color who come into contact with the Sierra Club."
In that message, the organization said recent anti-racist protests sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of police had prompted the re-examination of Muir's legacy. The California naturalist often expressed disparaging views of Native Americans.
In notes of a trek across a swath of America, Muir jots down disparaging observations about Native Americans as well as Black Southerners. In one entry, he referred to the dwellings of Cherokees as "the uncouth transitionist ... wigwams of savages." Other entries include derogatory comments about a Black child and a Black couple whom Muir encounters.
Muir also held hostile sentiments toward Indigenous tribes in California -- home to Yosemite National Park, a tent pole in his legacy — calling them "dirty," "superstitious," "deadly" and "lazy," among other things.
The Sierra Club noted that Muir's views appeared to evolve over time. Still, the group pointed out that he associated with prominent American eugenicist Henry Fairfield Osborn. Other eugenicists – including Joseph LeConte and David Starr Jordan – were also early Sierra Club members and leaders of the organization.
"The whiteness and privilege of our early membership fed into a very dangerous idea — one that's still circulating today. It's the idea that exploring, enjoying, and protecting the outdoors can be separated from human affairs," Brune wrote.
The group also pledged to diversify its leadership to consist largely of Black, Indigenous and other people of color, and to intensify its investment in racial and environmental justice work.
The Sierra Club is not the only champion of progressive causes to reckon with a founder's racist legacy this week.
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York said Tuesday it was taking the name of founder Margaret Sanger — a proponent of eugenics, which sought to eradicate "undesirable" genes through means such as forced sterilizations — off its Manhattan Health Center.


npr--2020-07-22--In Portland, A 'Wall Of Moms' And Leaf Blowers Against Tear Gas

In Portland , A 'Wall Of Moms ' And Leaf Blowers Against Tear Gas As protests for racial justice in Portland have continued for more than 50 nights , striking new images and tactics have emerged – particularly in resistance to the federal law enforcement officers whose actions have earned the ire of Oregonians who want them to leave .
A group of women who call themselves the Wall of Moms has drawn national attention , clad in bike helmets and goggles .
They link arms to form a protective barrier between law enforcement and Black Lives Matter protesters who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police .
In a recent moment captured on video , a large crowd of the yellow-garbed women sing as if a lullaby , `` Hands up , please do n't shoot me . ''
Members of the Wall of Moms say they follow the directions of Black leaders , and that their driving vision is that `` we moms would take some physical hits in hopes our Black and Brown kids , friends , neighbors , and loved ones will be spared some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also taken by freelance journalist Sergio Olmos , a protester uses a hockey stick to push back a canister of tear gas .
Another uses a leaf blower to blow back the gas , a tactic used last year by protesters in Hong Kong .
State and local leaders have repeatedly called for federal agents to leave the city , arguing that their presence has made an already-tense environment worse .
`` The federal police have their marching orders on how they 're going to do things , '' Portland Police Association President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` And that coordination was not made with Portland police . ''
In response to both the federal actions in Portland and the implied threat by President Trump to deploy federal officers to other U.S. cities , more than a dozen U.S. mayors have sent an open letter to Attorney General William Barr and Chad Wolf , acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security .
The letter calls on the Department of Justice and DHS to withdraw the forces from American cities and halt plans to send any more .
`` Deployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our communities has not been requested nor is it acceptable .
While U.S .
Marshals have had jurisdiction inside federal courthouses for decades , it is unacceptable and chilling that this administration has formed and deployed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Rapid Deployment Unit and is sending federal authorities to conduct crowd control on city streets and detain individuals , '' the mayors write .
They point to the federal officers ' use of less-lethal munitions against protesters that have caused serious injury and to the grabbing of people off the street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` These are tactics we expect from authoritarian regimes – not our democracy , '' the mayors write .
On Tuesday , Wolf said , `` Portland is unique , '' arguing that local officials and police had n't done enough to control what he said was violence stemming from the nightly protests , and saying those protests increasingly threaten federal buildings downtown .
Asked about Trump 's threat to send federal officers into other cities , Wolf said reporters could `` ask the White House . ''
Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting to calm before federal forces arrived .
`` The harsh reality is , this is about scoring political points with [ Trump 's ] base , '' Brown told PBS NewsHour on Monday .
`` This is about political theater .
If they were really interested in problem-solving or in public safety , they would be willing to de-escalate and engage in dialogue . ''
She added , `` Instead , they bring more troops to the streets .
They take peaceful protesters off into unmarked cars .
And , unfortunately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaceful protester .
This is absolutely outrageous .
It is a violation of the principles on which this country was founded . ''

In Portland, A 'Wall Of Moms' And Leaf Blowers Against Tear Gas
As protests for racial justice in Portland have continued for more than 50 nights, striking new images and tactics have emerged – particularly in resistance to the federal law enforcement officers whose actions have earned the ire of Oregonians who want them to leave.
A group of women who call themselves the Wall of Moms has drawn national attention, clad in bike helmets and goggles. They link arms to form a protective barrier between law enforcement and Black Lives Matter protesters who took to the streets after the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
In a recent moment captured on video, a large crowd of the yellow-garbed women sing as if a lullaby, "Hands up, please don't shoot me."
Members of the Wall of Moms say they follow the directions of Black leaders, and that their driving vision is that "we moms would take some physical hits in hopes our Black and Brown kids, friends, neighbors, and loved ones will be spared some pain."
In another video, also taken by freelance journalist Sergio Olmos, a protester uses a hockey stick to push back a canister of tear gas. Another uses a leaf blower to blow back the gas, a tactic used last year by protesters in Hong Kong.
State and local leaders have repeatedly called for federal agents to leave the city, arguing that their presence has made an already-tense environment worse.
"The federal police have their marching orders on how they're going to do things," Portland Police Association President Daryl Turner told NPR on Tuesday. "And that coordination was not made with Portland police."
In response to both the federal actions in Portland and the implied threat by President Trump to deploy federal officers to other U.S. cities, more than a dozen U.S. mayors have sent an open letter to Attorney General William Barr and Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
The letter calls on the Department of Justice and DHS to withdraw the forces from American cities and halt plans to send any more.
"Deployment of federal forces in the streets of our communities has not been requested nor is it acceptable. While U.S. Marshals have had jurisdiction inside federal courthouses for decades, it is unacceptable and chilling that this administration has formed and deployed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Rapid Deployment Unit and is sending federal authorities to conduct crowd control on city streets and detain individuals," the mayors write.
They point to the federal officers' use of less-lethal munitions against protesters that have caused serious injury and to the grabbing of people off the street and pulling them into unmarked vehicles. "These are tactics we expect from authoritarian regimes – not our democracy," the mayors write.
On Tuesday, Wolf said, "Portland is unique," arguing that local officials and police hadn't done enough to control what he said was violence stemming from the nightly protests, and saying those protests increasingly threaten federal buildings downtown.
Asked about Trump's threat to send federal officers into other cities, Wolf said reporters could "ask the White House."
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said the situation in Portland had been starting to calm before federal forces arrived.
"The harsh reality is, this is about scoring political points with [Trump's] base," Brown told PBS NewsHour on Monday. "This is about political theater. If they were really interested in problem-solving or in public safety, they would be willing to de-escalate and engage in dialogue."
She added, "Instead, they bring more troops to the streets. They take peaceful protesters off into unmarked cars. And, unfortunately, last weekend, they almost killed a peaceful protester. This is absolutely outrageous. It is a violation of the principles on which this country was founded."


npr--2020-07-22--'We Will Not Retreat': Homeland Security Vows Continued Federal Response To Protests

'We Will Not Retreat ' : Homeland Security Vows Continued Federal Response To Protests The acting head of Department of Homeland Security defended the controversial deployment of federal agents to Portland , Ore. , saying the Trump administration would `` not retreat '' from its duty to protect federal property .
At a news conference Tuesday , Chad Wolf insisted that the department `` will support and protect those who want to peacefully protest . ''
However , he said , `` what is occurring in Portland in the early hours of every morning is not peaceful protesting , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they have one mission in mind : to burn down or to cause extreme damage to the federal courthouse and to law enforcement officers . ''
He said the agents were there to protect federal property , particularly the Mark O. Hatfield U.S .
Courthouse , which has been the focus of some of the protests .
`` We will not retreat , '' Wolf said .
Federal officers have arrested 43 people in Portland since July Fourth , according to DHS .
The protests in Portland and dozens of other cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police .
A decision by President Trump to send federal agents into the streets of Portland has been met with stiff criticism – especially in light of allegations that federal officers in unmarked vehicles have arrested protesters .
Last week , acting Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli acknowledged to NPR that federal agents had used unmarked vehicles to pick up people in Portland .
Wolf , speaking generally , characterized criticism of the federal officers ' actions as `` smear attacks '' and `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Customs and Border Protection officers deployed in Portland are `` highly trained officers ... in multi-camouflage wear because they work on the southwest border , and they work in an environment that demands that , '' he said .
`` That is their everyday uniform , and it is completely appropriate , '' he said .
`` They have insignia on their uniforms that read 'police , ' and they have patches ... that indicate which agency they are from . ''
`` These police officers are not storm troopers .
They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the wake of the arrests by federal agents , several lawsuits questioning the administration 's authority to use broad policing have been filed , challenging the move on constitutional grounds .
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum , a Democrat , sued the federal government last week , and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler , also a Democrat , has called on federal troops to leave .
Wheeler told NPR over the weekend that Wolf had rejected his appeal .
`` [ He 's ] basically told us to stuff it , '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of protesters engaging in criminal activity had started to dissipate until federal agents arrived .
`` [ It ] blew the lid off the whole thing , '' he said .
Meanwhile , Trump threatened Monday to deploy federal agents to other cities .
`` We 're looking at Chicago , too .
We 're looking at New York , '' he said .
`` All run by very liberal Democrats .
All run , really , by the radical left . ''
After initially threatening to sue the administration if it tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday that the city would be working with the federal government , according to the Chicago Tribune .
She said that city and federal law enforcement would be working `` collaboratively '' but warned she would respond to any abuses .
`` I do n't put anything past this administration , which is why we will continue to be diligent and why we will continue to be ready , '' Lightfoot said .
`` If we need to stop them and use the courts to do so , we are @ @ @ @ @ @

'We Will Not Retreat': Homeland Security Vows Continued Federal Response To Protests
Enlarge this image toggle caption Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
The acting head of Department of Homeland Security defended the controversial deployment of federal agents to Portland, Ore., saying the Trump administration would "not retreat" from its duty to protect federal property.
At a news conference Tuesday, Chad Wolf insisted that the department "will support and protect those who want to peacefully protest."
However, he said, "what is occurring in Portland in the early hours of every morning is not peaceful protesting," adding that individual protesters "are organized and they have one mission in mind: to burn down or to cause extreme damage to the federal courthouse and to law enforcement officers."
He said the agents were there to protect federal property, particularly the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse, which has been the focus of some of the protests.
YouTube
"We will not retreat," Wolf said.
Federal officers have arrested 43 people in Portland since July Fourth, according to DHS.
The protests in Portland and dozens of other cities were sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
A decision by President Trump to send federal agents into the streets of Portland has been met with stiff criticism – especially in light of allegations that federal officers in unmarked vehicles have arrested protesters. Last week, acting Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli acknowledged to NPR that federal agents had used unmarked vehicles to pick up people in Portland.
Wolf, speaking generally, characterized criticism of the federal officers' actions as "smear attacks" and "disgusting."
He said that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers deployed in Portland are "highly trained officers ... in multi-camouflage wear because they work on the southwest border, and they work in an environment that demands that," he said.
"That is their everyday uniform, and it is completely appropriate," he said. "They have insignia on their uniforms that read 'police,' and they have patches ... that indicate which agency they are from."
"These police officers are not storm troopers. They are not Gestapo," he said.
In the wake of the arrests by federal agents, several lawsuits questioning the administration's authority to use broad policing have been filed, challenging the move on constitutional grounds.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, a Democrat, sued the federal government last week, and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, also a Democrat, has called on federal troops to leave.
Wheeler told NPR over the weekend that Wolf had rejected his appeal.
"[He's] basically told us to stuff it," the mayor said, adding that the incidents of protesters engaging in criminal activity had started to dissipate until federal agents arrived.
"[It] blew the lid off the whole thing," he said.
Meanwhile, Trump threatened Monday to deploy federal agents to other cities.
"We're looking at Chicago, too. We're looking at New York," he said. "All run by very liberal Democrats. All run, really, by the radical left."
After initially threatening to sue the administration if it tried to deploy agents to Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday that the city would be working with the federal government, according to the Chicago Tribune.
She said that city and federal law enforcement would be working "collaboratively" but warned she would respond to any abuses.
"I don't put anything past this administration, which is why we will continue to be diligent and why we will continue to be ready," Lightfoot said. "If we need to stop them and use the courts to do so, we are ready to do that."


npr--2020-07-22--Typos Spell Trouble For Man's Alleged Attempt To Fake His Own Death

Typos Spell Trouble For Man 's Alleged Attempt To Fake His Own Death It 's not often that an English teacher can get quality bulletin board fodder from the local prosecutor 's office .
But do n't be surprised if you see this document tacked up as motivational material in some classrooms next year .
It 's a death certificate — at least , Nassau County , N.Y. , District Attorney Madeline Singas says it was supposed to pass as a death certificate from New Jersey .
The Long Island prosecutor alleges that Robert Berger , 25 , tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bid to fake his own death and dodge a likely jail sentence .
And the alleged ruse might well have succeeded ... if not for the typos .
`` Upon inspection of the certificate by the NCDA , it was noted that font type and size changed in the document .
Additionally , prosecutors observed that the word 'Registry ' in the department name was misspelled as 'Regsitry ' in the 'ISSUED BY ' section , '' the office said in an announcement Tuesday .
`` After calling to verify the certificate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Vital Statistics and Registry , investigators confirmed the certificate was , in fact , fraudulent . ''
Berger had been facing sentencing for a pair of felony vehicle theft-related charges to which he had already pleaded guilty .
But in October , according to prosecutors , his attorney at the time told the court that Berger had died and submitted the bogus paperwork attesting to Berger 's suicide .
Prosecutors said the attorney , Meir Moza , later attested that Berger had tricked him into unknowingly participating in the conspiracy , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ client .
Berger 's new representation , the Legal Aid Society , declined to speak with NPR about the case Wednesday .
Now , in addition to his previous legal woes , Berger faces the prospect of up to four years in prison on the felony charge of offering a false instrument for filing .
He pleaded not guilty Tuesday .
`` Submitting fake documents to prosecutors is always a bad idea , '' Singas said in a statement , `` and while he 'd have been caught regardless , failure to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glaring . ''

Typos Spell Trouble For Man's Alleged Attempt To Fake His Own Death
It's not often that an English teacher can get quality bulletin board fodder from the local prosecutor's office. But don't be surprised if you see this document tacked up as motivational material in some classrooms next year.
It's a death certificate — at least, Nassau County, N.Y., District Attorney Madeline Singas says it was supposed to pass as a death certificate from New Jersey. The Long Island prosecutor alleges that Robert Berger, 25, tried to forge a legal document in October in a bid to fake his own death and dodge a likely jail sentence.
And the alleged ruse might well have succeeded ... if not for the typos.
"Upon inspection of the certificate by the NCDA, it was noted that font type and size changed in the document. Additionally, prosecutors observed that the word 'Registry' in the department name was misspelled as 'Regsitry' in the 'ISSUED BY' section," the office said in an announcement Tuesday.
"After calling to verify the certificate with the New Jersey Department of Health, Vital Statistics and Registry, investigators confirmed the certificate was, in fact, fraudulent."
Berger had been facing sentencing for a pair of felony vehicle theft-related charges to which he had already pleaded guilty. But in October, according to prosecutors, his attorney at the time told the court that Berger had died and submitted the bogus paperwork attesting to Berger's suicide.
Prosecutors said the attorney, Meir Moza, later attested that Berger had tricked him into unknowingly participating in the conspiracy, and he has since dropped Berger as a client. Berger's new representation, the Legal Aid Society, declined to speak with NPR about the case Wednesday.
Now, in addition to his previous legal woes, Berger faces the prospect of up to four years in prison on the felony charge of offering a false instrument for filing. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday.
"Submitting fake documents to prosecutors is always a bad idea," Singas said in a statement, "and while he'd have been caught regardless, failure to use spell check made this alleged fraud especially glaring."


npr--2020-07-23--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak Since the new coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan , China , in December , the infectious respiratory disease COVID-19 has spread rapidly within China and to neighboring countries and beyond .
The first confirmed coronavirus cases outside China occurred on Jan. 20 , in Japan , Thailand and South Korea .
On Jan. 21 , the first case in the U.S. was identified in Washington state .
On Jan. 24 , the first two European cases were confirmed in France .
By Feb. 1 , eight European nations had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month later that count had risen to 24 countries with at least 2,200 cases , most of them in Italy .
On March 11 , Italy eclipsed 10,000 cases and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic — the first since H1N1 in 2009 .
That 's also when China , the original epicenter , began seeing drops in daily counts of new cases .
March also saw exponential spread of the virus throughout the U.S. , with all 50 states reporting cases by March 17 .
This particular virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third strain of coronavirus known to frequently cause severe symptoms in humans .
The other two strains cause Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on March 30 , 2020 .

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


npr--2020-07-23--Tracking The Pandemic: Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State?

Tracking The Pandemic : Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State ?
More than 3.5 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 135,000 have died .
Though growth in new cases slowed in late spring , by mid-June new cases began to trend upward nationally .
In the graphics below , explore the trend in new cases in your state to see whether cases are rising , falling or staying level .
You can view the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , a curve chart and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case trends over the last three weeks .
Or to see states ' total cases and deaths on a map , click here .
The following chart displays states ' trends in new daily case counts , total cases , and per capita totals .
To compare state outbreaks , the trend lines for average new daily cases are graphed against each state 's total case count to date .
This highlights a state 's daily growth relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case counts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As cases slow , the curve levels or bends down .
In New York , site of the country 's largest outbreak , the state 's curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 800 per day in mid July .
Conversely , Florida peaked around 1,200 new cases per day on average in April , only to surge again to nearly 12,000 per day in mid-July Coronavirus case totals are much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the spring , a large share of U.S. cases were centered around New York City .
As of mid July , other large , populous states such as California , Florida and Texas have reached high totals as well .
Some other states such as Arizona and Louisiana show a heavy burden of infection relative to their population size .
Explore the map below to see totals and per capita figures around the country for both cases and deaths .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state , week over week .
States marked in shades of red are showing growth , those in shades of green , are showing declines .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
In early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JHU team was able to reconcile the historical data .
On June 25 , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn contributed to and Carmel Wroth edited this story .

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


npr--2020-07-23--Baseball Shouts 'Play Ball!' But For How Long? A Nervous 2020 Season Begins

Baseball Shouts 'Play Ball ! '
But For How Long ?
A Nervous 2020 Season Begins Normally it 's a 162-game stroll .
But the Washington Nationals vs New York Yankees opener , in D.C. , represents the beginning of a 60-game sprint through a pandemic shortened schedule .
After the Nats play the Yanks , in a game that 'll feature Dr. Anthony Fauci throwing out the first pitch and keep alive President Trump 's streak of not , the Los Angeles Dodgers host the San Francisco Giants later Thursday night .
Friday , the season begins in earnest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their sprints .
Hope is a tradition embraced by all at the start of any season .
But this year , as with everything now , there 's a good deal of anxiety mixed in .
Can baseball finish its sprint without pulling a metaphorical hamstring ?
But really , who needs metaphors right now ?
Can baseball avoid a COVID-19 outbreak ... and shutdown ?
There have been hopeful signs .
The most recent coronavirus results , released last Friday by MLB , showed six positives ... .five players , one staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Of course that 's while teams have been stationary , at summer camps in their home cities .
Now the threat increases with travel .
It 'll be limited , but players and other team personnel going from one city to the next will increase the risk of transmission .
All it takes is one visit with relatives ; a late night visit to a bar ; and a house of cards could collapse .
And right now , the Toronto Blue Jays are exhibit A for the potential problems of moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jays officially became this season 's first homeless team .
The Canadian government decided over the weekend Toronto could n't play in that city because of the travel it would require to and from the U.S. , which , you might 've heard , is having a bit of a problem containing the virus .
The Jays arranged to play `` home games '' in Pittsburgh , but Wednesday , Pennsylvania health officials nixed that .
`` In recent weeks , we have seen a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in a statement .
`` To add travelers to this region for any reason , including for professional sports events , risks residents , visitors and members of both teams .
We know that this virus does not discriminate , and can even make professional athletes very sick .
We are committed to protecting the health and well-being of all Pennsylvanians . ''
So will the team become the barnstormin ' Blue Jays , playing games on the road all season long ?
`` Everybody would love to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might not be an option , '' Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo told the Associated Press .
`` I 've never gone through this , not with two days to go [ before the season opener in Tampa Bay ] , not knowing where you 're going to play home games . ''
' I 've never gone through this ' is as good a slogan as any for Major League Baseball 2020 .
When the games take the focus off the pandemic , for awhile at least , they 'll be dramatically different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
No fans in the stands .
No spitting .
Personal , water-soaked rags for pitchers to use instead of licking their fingers to grip the ball .
A designated hitter batting for the pitcher in National League games too – since the DH was created in 1973 , it 's only been used in the American League .
And games that go beyond the ninth , into extra-innings , the team at bat will start with a runner on second base .
Yes , it seems a bit Little League-ish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marathon games leaving players exhausted as they try to play a cramped and speedy schedule .
What will look the same ?
The favorites .
The defending champion Nationals .
The Yankees .
The Houston Astros ... .remember those guys banging on garbage cans ?
... .the Dodgers .
And do n't count out others , either .
Because in this strangest of seasons , hope really is a thing , maybe more than ever .
Consider the team coming out of nowhere and getting on a hot streak .
In past years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a late swoon .
But in a sprint , a streak matters .
In a sprint , doing anything early can pay off nicely .

Baseball Shouts 'Play Ball!' But For How Long? A Nervous 2020 Season Begins
Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Taetsch/Getty Images Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
The run-don't-walk Major League Baseball season begins Thursday night.
Normally it's a 162-game stroll. But the Washington Nationals vs New York Yankees opener, in D.C., represents the beginning of a 60-game sprint through a pandemic shortened schedule.
After the Nats play the Yanks, in a game that'll feature Dr. Anthony Fauci throwing out the first pitch and keep alive President Trump's streak of not, the Los Angeles Dodgers host the San Francisco Giants later Thursday night.
Friday, the season begins in earnest with MLB's 26 other teams starting their sprints.
Hope is a tradition embraced by all at the start of any season. But this year, as with everything now, there's a good deal of anxiety mixed in.
Can baseball finish its sprint without pulling a metaphorical hamstring?
But really, who needs metaphors right now? Can baseball avoid a COVID-19 outbreak...and shutdown?
There have been hopeful signs.
The most recent coronavirus results, released last Friday by MLB, showed six positives....five players, one staff member...out of 10,548 samples tested.
Of course that's while teams have been stationary, at summer camps in their home cities. Now the threat increases with travel. It'll be limited, but players and other team personnel going from one city to the next will increase the risk of transmission. All it takes is one visit with relatives; a late night visit to a bar; and a house of cards could collapse.
And right now, the Toronto Blue Jays are exhibit A for the potential problems of moving around.
On Wednesday, the Blue Jays officially became this season's first homeless team.
The Canadian government decided over the weekend Toronto couldn't play in that city because of the travel it would require to and from the U.S., which, you might've heard, is having a bit of a problem containing the virus. The Jays arranged to play "home games" in Pittsburgh, but Wednesday, Pennsylvania health officials nixed that.
"In recent weeks, we have seen a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in southwestern Pennsylvania," Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in a statement.
"To add travelers to this region for any reason, including for professional sports events, risks residents, visitors and members of both teams. We know that this virus does not discriminate, and can even make professional athletes very sick. We are committed to protecting the health and well-being of all Pennsylvanians."
So will the team become the barnstormin' Blue Jays, playing games on the road all season long?
"Everybody would love to have a home game, but that might not be an option," Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo told the Associated Press. "I've never gone through this, not with two days to go [before the season opener in Tampa Bay], not knowing where you're going to play home games."
'I've never gone through this' is as good a slogan as any for Major League Baseball 2020.
When the games take the focus off the pandemic, for awhile at least, they'll be dramatically different. Which actually will remind everyone about the pandemic.
No fans in the stands. No spitting. Personal, water-soaked rags for pitchers to use instead of licking their fingers to grip the ball. A designated hitter batting for the pitcher in National League games too – since the DH was created in 1973, it's only been used in the American League. And games that go beyond the ninth, into extra-innings, the team at bat will start with a runner on second base. Yes, it seems a bit Little League-ish...but it's meant to prevent marathon games leaving players exhausted as they try to play a cramped and speedy schedule.
What will look the same?
The favorites. The defending champion Nationals. The Yankees. The Houston Astros....remember those guys banging on garbage cans?....the Dodgers.
Among others.
And don't count out others, either.
Because in this strangest of seasons, hope really is a thing, maybe more than ever.
Consider the team coming out of nowhere and getting on a hot streak.
In past years, that hot streak might be cooled by a late swoon.
But in a sprint, a streak matters. In a sprint, doing anything early can pay off nicely.


npr--2020-07-23--Can Masks Save Us From More Lockdowns? Here's What The Science Says

Can Masks Save Us From More Lockdowns ?
Here 's What The Science Says The American conversation around masks and COVID-19 has taken a dizzying turn .
For months , wearing masks has been politicized as a sign of liberal leanings .
But in recent days , ever more governors — many of them Republican — have moved to mandate masks .
This week President Trump — arguably the nation 's most visible mask un-enthusiast — started referring to wearing them as `` patriotic . ''
Now prominent scientists are proposing a radical — and hopeful — possibility : Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States to levels surpassing this spring 's surge , these experts argue that if Americans start wearing masks en masse , the U.S. may yet avoid a return to lockdown measures .
`` Look , we 've never tried to use masks as our primary strategy when outbreaks are this bad , '' says Ashish Jha , director of the Harvard Global Health Institute .
`` But I do believe that if we want to avoid a complete lockdown , we 've got to at least give it a shot . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this idea represents from earlier discussions of masks as just one of many commonsense precautions that people could and should take .
But when it comes to masks as all-but-panacea , what is the scientific evidence ?
Here 's a primer .
It seems obvious that masks would reduce the spread of a respiratory bug like the coronavirus to at least some degree .
After all , when a healthy person wears a mask , the barrier filters out some airborne droplets containing the virus .
Even more importantly , when a sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holds in many of the viral droplets they exhale .
But quantifying the magnitude of this effect on an entire population is more complicated .
There are reams of studies using a range of methods to determine how much mask wearing curbs transmission .
Many compare what has happened in places where most people have used masks with what has happened in settings where most have not .
These include analyses from China , Germany and states within the United States .
Ali Mokdad is on a research team that has tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these studies .
Mokdad and colleagues with the University of Washington 's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation did what 's called a meta-analysis .
`` You take every study that has been published on the protective effect of masks , and then you reanalyze all the data , '' says Mokdad .
Their bottom-line estimate : If 95 % of people wear cloth masks when they 're out and about interacting with other people , it reduces transmission by at least 30 % .
In other words , each infected person will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
Mokdad stresses that this is a conservative finding .
It uses the lower bound within the range of estimates .
And it assumes all the masks are cloth rather than surgical masks or N95 respirators , which are even more effective .
`` Widespread mask [ use ] could be even more powerful , '' says Mokdad , because some portion of people would likely be using those more protective versions .
Yet even with a 30 % reduction in transmission , the cumulative impact on a community can be massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to consider some math : The coronavirus spreads exponentially .
For example , let 's say in a place where no one is wearing masks , each infected person is currently passing the virus to 1.03 others .
This means 100 infected people will go on to infect 103 others , who in turn infect 106 others , who infect 109 and so on .
The result is that in , say , seven five-day cycles of infection , a total of 889 people will have contracted the virus .
But if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this means that instead of infecting 1.03 others , each infected person passes the virus on to only 0.72 others .
So now 100 infected people go on to infect only 72 people .
These 72 go on to infect just 52 people in the next cycle .
By the seventh cycle , only 10 new people are infected , and only a total of 332 people have contracted the virus altogether .
Essentially , instead of exponential growth you 've triggered what 's called exponential decay .
To see how this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mokdad 's team at IHME ran a simulation .
Based on the pandemic 's current trajectory through the U.S. , they forecast that by Nov. 1 , nearly 80,000 more people will die from COVID-19 .
But if Americans ramp up from their current level of mask use to 95 % use , about 34,000 of those deaths could be avoided , says Mokdad .
It gets better .
Mokdad 's team estimates that communities where the virus is now surging out of control could still avoid economy-killing lockdowns if they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how they figure this .
Based on the U.S. experience this past spring , Mokdad 's team estimates there 's a point at which local or state health officials will feel they have no choice but to reimpose lockdowns , in spite of the economic and political consequences .
That point , they estimate , is when the number of daily deaths tops eight per million people .
Texas is one month from hitting this threshold , according to IHME 's current forecast .
But if 95 % of residents there started wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas would bend its curve enough to remain under the threshold and could avoid a lockdown .
`` There is a lot of hope here , '' says Mokdad .
Harvard 's Jha may seem an unlikely candidate to second that view .
He helped build a rating tool for counties and states to determine when the coronavirus is spreading so widely that the only way to get a handle on it is to revert to stay-at-home mode .
( His group 's tool is based on a different metric for out-of-control outbreaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
And right now the tool is showing 11 states in that red zone and another 19 one notch below in the orange zone .
And yet , Jha says , `` If you look at the hottest of the hot spots in America — Arizona , Texas , Florida , South Carolina — can they avoid a full shelter in place ?
With masks , I think there may be a window . ''
As for those states with slightly lower but still relatively high levels of transmission , universal masking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fairly robust range of activities .
Drinking and eating at indoor bars and restaurants would be too dangerous , he says .
But , says Jha , `` I think if you 're wearing masks , you probably can get some number of people back into offices .
You probably ca n't go back to the original level of office occupancy .
But you can start getting some people back in , especially if you can improve ventilation . ''
The same applies to nonessential retail businesses and even , he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school , where not just teachers but students could likely wear masks .
`` There is no single thing that gets us everything we want , '' says Jha .
`` But universal masking is a really critical part of letting us get , like , 80 % of our lives back . ''
At a news conference last week , Adm. Brett Giroir , assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services , also endorsed that view .
If the worst hot spots close indoor bars , limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase mask use to around 90 % , `` with these simple measures , our models say that 's really as good as shutting down , '' said Giroir .
`` These simple [ acts ] can really shut down the outbreak without completely shutting down your local area . ''
Can Americans get to near-universal mask use ?
Of course the operative word in universal-masking strategies is `` universal . ''
Is it conceivable that so many Americans would adopt the practice ?
Mokdad notes that a number of places have achieved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Taiwan , Japan .
IHME 's analysis also suggests that even without mandates , across the U.S. once coronavirus cases start to rise , people start to ramp up mask wearing and social distancing of their own accord .
( In fact , in Arizona , where officials have not mandated comprehensive stay-at-home orders despite daily death counts that have surpassed the eight-per-million threshold , IHME projects the infection curve will soon go down largely because of voluntary actions by residents . )
When it comes to social distancing , there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people tend to practice it to an even greater degree .
So it 's possible that the recent move toward mandatory masking in many states will have that effect as well .
Still , Mokdad notes that the U.S. has a long way to go to reach 95 % masking .
His best estimate is that nationwide about 40 % of people are regularly wearing masks .
And in some hot spots , the figure is closer to 20 % .
But are masks alone really enough ?
Natalie Dean , a biostatistician @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she 's wary of focusing too heavily on masks .
For one thing , Dean is leery of the studies comparing outcomes in mask-wearing and non-mask-wearing settings .
`` I find those types of before-and-after studies a bit hard to interpret , just because usually there is a lot else going on at the same time , '' she says .
Indeed , it 's worth noting that while many countries in Asia with high mask use have managed to keep the virus controlled , two countries in South America where mask use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chile and Brazil — have seen raging outbreaks .
Mokdad says one reason may be that those countries are in the Southern Hemisphere , so their outbreaks coincided with cold weather , which seems to correlate with higher transmission of the virus .
But if true , that could diminish the benefit that mask wearing could have in the U.S. come autumn .
Furthermore , says Dean , even if you could accurately tease out the effect of mask use , applying that information to simulations of how the outbreak might progress is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything with modeling , it 's that human behavior is so complicated that things change very quickly , '' says Dean .
`` So our ability to predict the impact of any particular element is really tricky . ''
This is n't to say that Dean does n't support widespread use of masks .
She says she thinks they could be very useful .
But , she says , the key is not to portray masks as a `` silver bullet '' solution rather than emphasizing all the other types of precautions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing , hand hygiene , better testing , contact tracing and isolation of infectious people .
The problem with the universal-masking strategy is `` the idea that if we just did this one thing perfectly , that we would be fine , '' says Dean .
`` I think the real solution is going to be doing a lot of things OK . ''

Can Masks Save Us From More Lockdowns? Here's What The Science Says
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sean Gardner/Getty Images Sean Gardner/Getty Images
The American conversation around masks and COVID-19 has taken a dizzying turn. For months, wearing masks has been politicized as a sign of liberal leanings. But in recent days, ever more governors — many of them Republican — have moved to mandate masks. This week President Trump — arguably the nation's most visible mask un-enthusiast — started referring to wearing them as "patriotic."
Now prominent scientists are proposing a radical — and hopeful — possibility: Even as coronavirus cases spiral upward across the United States to levels surpassing this spring's surge, these experts argue that if Americans start wearing masks en masse, the U.S. may yet avoid a return to lockdown measures.
"Look, we've never tried to use masks as our primary strategy when outbreaks are this bad," says Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute. "But I do believe that if we want to avoid a complete lockdown, we've got to at least give it a shot."
It's worth stressing what a leap this idea represents from earlier discussions of masks as just one of many commonsense precautions that people could and should take.
But when it comes to masks as all-but-panacea, what is the scientific evidence? Here's a primer.
Modest — but widespread — protection adds up fast
It seems obvious that masks would reduce the spread of a respiratory bug like the coronavirus to at least some degree. After all, when a healthy person wears a mask, the barrier filters out some airborne droplets containing the virus. Even more importantly, when a sick person wears a mask, the barrier holds in many of the viral droplets they exhale.
But quantifying the magnitude of this effect on an entire population is more complicated. There are reams of studies using a range of methods to determine how much mask wearing curbs transmission. Many compare what has happened in places where most people have used masks with what has happened in settings where most have not.
These include analyses from China, Germany and states within the United States.
Ali Mokdad is on a research team that has tried to make sense of a large number of these studies. Mokdad and colleagues with the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation did what's called a meta-analysis.
"You take every study that has been published on the protective effect of masks, and then you reanalyze all the data," says Mokdad.
Their bottom-line estimate: If 95% of people wear cloth masks when they're out and about interacting with other people, it reduces transmission by at least 30%. In other words, each infected person will go on to infect 30% fewer people.
Mokdad stresses that this is a conservative finding. It uses the lower bound within the range of estimates. And it assumes all the masks are cloth rather than surgical masks or N95 respirators, which are even more effective. "Widespread mask [use] could be even more powerful," says Mokdad, because some portion of people would likely be using those more protective versions.
Yet even with a 30% reduction in transmission, the cumulative impact on a community can be massive. To understand why, it helps to consider some math: The coronavirus spreads exponentially. For example, let's say in a place where no one is wearing masks, each infected person is currently passing the virus to 1.03 others. This means 100 infected people will go on to infect 103 others, who in turn infect 106 others, who infect 109 and so on. The result is that in, say, seven five-day cycles of infection, a total of 889 people will have contracted the virus.
But if you curb the transmission rate by 30%, this means that instead of infecting 1.03 others, each infected person passes the virus on to only 0.72 others. So now 100 infected people go on to infect only 72 people. These 72 go on to infect just 52 people in the next cycle. By the seventh cycle, only 10 new people are infected, and only a total of 332 people have contracted the virus altogether. Essentially, instead of exponential growth you've triggered what's called exponential decay.
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To see how this would translate for the entire U.S. population, Mokdad's team at IHME ran a simulation. Based on the pandemic's current trajectory through the U.S., they forecast that by Nov. 1, nearly 80,000 more people will die from COVID-19. But if Americans ramp up from their current level of mask use to 95% use, about 34,000 of those deaths could be avoided, says Mokdad.
An alternative to lockdowns
It gets better. Mokdad's team estimates that communities where the virus is now surging out of control could still avoid economy-killing lockdowns if they would massively increase mask use.
Here's how they figure this. Based on the U.S. experience this past spring, Mokdad's team estimates there's a point at which local or state health officials will feel they have no choice but to reimpose lockdowns, in spite of the economic and political consequences. That point, they estimate, is when the number of daily deaths tops eight per million people.
Texas is one month from hitting this threshold, according to IHME's current forecast. But if 95% of residents there started wearing masks right now, IHME forecasts that Texas would bend its curve enough to remain under the threshold and could avoid a lockdown.
"There is a lot of hope here," says Mokdad.
Harvard's Jha may seem an unlikely candidate to second that view. He helped build a rating tool for counties and states to determine when the coronavirus is spreading so widely that the only way to get a handle on it is to revert to stay-at-home mode. (His group's tool is based on a different metric for out-of-control outbreaks: 25 new daily cases per 100,000.) And right now the tool is showing 11 states in that red zone and another 20 one notch below in the orange zone.
And yet, Jha says, "If you look at the hottest of the hot spots in America — Arizona, Texas, Florida, South Carolina — can they avoid a full shelter in place? With masks, I think there may be a window."
As for those states with slightly lower but still relatively high levels of transmission, universal masking could make it possible to keep up a fairly robust range of activities. Drinking and eating at indoor bars and restaurants would be too dangerous, he says.
But, says Jha, "I think if you're wearing masks, you probably can get some number of people back into offices. You probably can't go back to the original level of office occupancy. But you can start getting some people back in, especially if you can improve ventilation." The same applies to nonessential retail businesses and even, he says, schools — especially middle and high school, where not just teachers but students could likely wear masks.
"There is no single thing that gets us everything we want," says Jha. "But universal masking is a really critical part of letting us get, like, 80% of our lives back."
At a news conference last week, Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, also endorsed that view. If the worst hot spots close indoor bars, limit indoor dining to 25% capacity and increase mask use to around 90%, "with these simple measures, our models say that's really as good as shutting down," said Giroir. "These simple [acts] can really shut down the outbreak without completely shutting down your local area."
Can Americans get to near-universal mask use?
Of course the operative word in universal-masking strategies is "universal." Is it conceivable that so many Americans would adopt the practice?
Mokdad notes that a number of places have achieved high levels — Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan.
IHME's analysis also suggests that even without mandates, across the U.S. once coronavirus cases start to rise, people start to ramp up mask wearing and social distancing of their own accord. (In fact, in Arizona, where officials have not mandated comprehensive stay-at-home orders despite daily death counts that have surpassed the eight-per-million threshold, IHME projects the infection curve will soon go down largely because of voluntary actions by residents.) When it comes to social distancing, there is evidence that once it is mandated, people tend to practice it to an even greater degree. So it's possible that the recent move toward mandatory masking in many states will have that effect as well.
Still, Mokdad notes that the U.S. has a long way to go to reach 95% masking. His best estimate is that nationwide about 40% of people are regularly wearing masks. And in some hot spots, the figure is closer to 20%.
But are masks alone really enough?
Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at the University of Florida, says she's wary of focusing too heavily on masks.
For one thing, Dean is leery of the studies comparing outcomes in mask-wearing and non-mask-wearing settings. "I find those types of before-and-after studies a bit hard to interpret, just because usually there is a lot else going on at the same time," she says.
Indeed, it's worth noting that while many countries in Asia with high mask use have managed to keep the virus controlled, two countries in South America where mask use was also high in some parts — Chile and Brazil — have seen raging outbreaks. Mokdad says one reason may be that those countries are in the Southern Hemisphere, so their outbreaks coincided with cold weather, which seems to correlate with higher transmission of the virus. But if true, that could diminish the benefit that mask wearing could have in the U.S. come autumn.
Furthermore, says Dean, even if you could accurately tease out the effect of mask use, applying that information to simulations of how the outbreak might progress is fraught.
"If we've seen anything with modeling, it's that human behavior is so complicated that things change very quickly," says Dean. "So our ability to predict the impact of any particular element is really tricky."
This isn't to say that Dean doesn't support widespread use of masks. She says she thinks they could be very useful. But, she says, the key is not to portray masks as a "silver bullet" solution rather than emphasizing all the other types of precautions that communities need to be following, including social distancing, hand hygiene, better testing, contact tracing and isolation of infectious people.
The problem with the universal-masking strategy is "the idea that if we just did this one thing perfectly, that we would be fine," says Dean. "I think the real solution is going to be doing a lot of things OK."


npr--2020-07-23--China Launches Ambitious Mission To Mars

A heavy-lift Long March-5 roared off a launch pad on Hainan Island Thursday , carrying China 's hopes for its first successful Mars mission – an ambitious project to send an orbiter , lander and rover to the red planet in one shot .
If everything goes according to plan , Tianwen-1 will be China 's first successful mission to Mars , after a previous attempt failed in 2011 — gaining it membership in an elite club including only the U.S. and Russia , of nations who have successfully landed on the planet .
( Even so , the Soviet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touched down in 1971 , transmitted for mere seconds before contact was lost . )
Thursday 's launch of Tianwen-1 took place at about 12:40 p.m. local time ( 12:40 a.m .
ET ) from Wenchang Spaceport on Hainan in the South China Sea .
Within 45 minutes , launch commander Zhang Xueyu announced to a cheering control room that the spacecraft had `` accurately entered the scheduled orbit . ''
Earlier this month in Nature Astronomy , members of the mission team detailed their objectives for the spacecraft .
`` Tianwen-1 is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rover all on the very first try , and coordinate observations with an orbiter .
No planetary missions have ever been implemented in this way , '' they said .
The goals of the mission are to map surface geology , examine soil characteristics and water distribution , measure the Martian ionosphere and climate and study the planet 's magnetic and gravitational fields .
The package of multiple spacecraft will take the next approximately seven months getting to Mars .
The lander is scheduled to touch down in April in the planet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – the same general area where the U.S. Viking 2 landed in 1976 .
The solar-powered rover will be deployed sometime after that .
It is scheduled to spend about 90 Martian days ( each about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day ) exploring the surface .
The launch of Tianwen-1 comes days after the United Arab Emirates launched its own probe to Mars – a first for the Middle Eastern country .
Within the next few weeks , the U.S. — which has more than 20 successful missions since its first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will also launch another mission to the red planet , called Mars 2020 , carrying its latest rover , Perseverance .

China Launches Ambitious Mission To Mars
Enlarge this image toggle caption Costfoto/Barcroft Media via Getty Images Costfoto/Barcroft Media via Getty Images
A heavy-lift Long March-5 roared off a launch pad on Hainan Island on Thursday carrying China's hopes for its first successful Mars mission — an ambitious project to send an orbiter, lander and rover to the red planet in one shot.
If everything goes according to plan, Tianwen-1 will be China's first successful mission to Mars, after a previous attempt failed in 2011 — gaining it membership in an elite club, including only the U.S. and Russia, of nations that have successfully landed on the planet. (Even so, the Soviet Union's Mars 3 lander, which touched down in 1971, transmitted for mere seconds before contact was lost.)
#Tianwen1, #China's first #Mars probe mission, if successful, would also mark a first in human history as it aims to achieve orbiting, landing and roving all in one go. pic.twitter.com/kzCBMIpJqx — Global Times (@globaltimesnews) July 23, 2020
Thursday's launch of Tianwen-1 took place at about 12:40 p.m. local time (12:40 a.m. ET) from Wenchang Spaceport on Hainan in the South China Sea.
Within 45 minutes, launch commander Zhang Xueyu announced to a cheering control room that the spacecraft had "accurately entered the scheduled orbit."
Earlier this month in Nature Astronomy, members of the mission team detailed their objectives for the spacecraft.
"Tianwen-1 is going to orbit, land and release a rover all on the very first try, and coordinate observations with an orbiter. No planetary missions have ever been implemented in this way," they said.
The goals of the mission are to map surface geology, examine soil characteristics and water distribution, measure the Martian ionosphere and climate and study the planet's magnetic and gravitational fields.
The package of multiple spacecraft will take the next approximately seven months getting to Mars. The lander is scheduled to touch down in April in the planet's largest impact basin, Utopia Planitia — the same general area where the U.S. Viking 2 landed in 1976.
The solar-powered rover will be deployed sometime after that. It is scheduled to spend about 90 Martian days (each about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day) exploring the surface.
The launch of Tianwen-1 comes days after the United Arab Emirates launched its own probe to Mars — a first for the Middle Eastern country. Within the next few weeks, the U.S. — which has more than 20 successful missions since its first attempt to reach Mars in 1964, will also launch another mission to the red planet, called Mars 2020, carrying its latest rover, Perseverance.