npr--2020-09-09--NPR Poll: Financial Pain From Coronavirus Pandemic 'Much, Much Worse' Than Expected

NPR Poll : Financial Pain From Coronavirus Pandemic 'Much , Much Worse ' Than Expected In America 's four largest cities , at least half of people say they have experienced the loss of a job or a reduction in wages or work hours in their household since the start of the coronavirus outbreak .
That 's the finding of a new poll published Wednesday by NPR , the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health .
Many of these problems are concentrated among Black and Latino households in the four cities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responses from July 1 through Aug 3 .
Houston had an especially high proportion of Latino households ( 77 % ) and Black households ( 81 % ) reporting serious financial problems .
But the other three cities in our survey have had high rates as well : 73 % of Latinos in New York City tell us their household experienced serious financial problems since the start of the coronavirus outbreak , along with 71 % of Latinos in Los Angeles and 63 % in Chicago .
Majorities of Black households in Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City ( 62 % ) and Los Angeles ( 52 % ) also report serious financial problems .
Nationally , the NPR poll finds very substantial proportions of households reporting that their savings have been depleted by the pandemic ( if they had any savings to start with ) or that they have fallen behind on housing payments or have had problems paying debts and/or utility bills .
`` Before federal coronavirus support programs even expired , we find millions of people with very serious problems with their finances , '' says Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive director of the Harvard Opinion Research Program at the Harvard Chan School .
`` And it 's going to get worse because there is nothing for the people we surveyed who earn under $ 100,000 a year to fall back on . ''
Blendon says the Harvard team expected to find substantial economic damage because of the unprecedented shutdown of the economy , `` but this is much , much , much worse than I would 've predicted . ''
`` This is what I would expect without a national emergency relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We had a $ 2 trillion relief bill to lift people up and put a pillow under them .
But it is not helping nearly as many people as we had expected . ''
Debate over an additional federal financial aid package resumed this week as Congress returned from its weekslong summer recess .
Much of the economic relief provided by the federal government expired this summer .
On Tuesday , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced he was introducing a `` targeted '' coronavirus relief bill ; the Senate is expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is unlikely that his scaled-down package will garner the 60 votes needed to advance in the Senate .
Democrats continue to push for a broader package , which would include money for state and local governments — funding Republicans have resisted adding .
Democrats in the House initially proposed a more than $ 3 trillion supplementary relief package but have since scaled that back by about $ 1 trillion during negotiations .
Beyond serious financial problems , majorities of households with children in the four cities report `` serious '' problems with caregiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spaces with enough distance from others or keeping children 's education going .
`` It 's not just that these households are struggling to keep their kids ' education going — they are also struggling with almost every other aspect of managing their children 's lives , '' says Mary Gorski Findling of the Harvard Chan polling team .
In Los Angeles , the primary serious difficulty cited by households with children is keeping children 's education going ( 52 % ) .
Drilling deeper , we find that 54 % of LA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems with their Internet connection to do schoolwork or their jobs — or not having a high-speed Internet connection at home .
Our survey also looks at the ability to get health care during the pandemic — after many reports of Americans putting off or being unable to get care .
We find high rates of households in the four cities have been unable to get medical care or have delayed needed health care ( ranging from 19 % in New York City to 27 % in Houston ) , with over half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health consequences ( ranging from 55 % in Chicago to 75 % in Houston ) .
There were multiple reasons given , with many reporting that they could not find a doctor to see them , as hospitals around the U.S. have delayed or canceled medical procedures to focus resources on treating COVID-19 .
In New York City , where hospitals and intensive care units were massively overcrowded for weeks this spring , 19 % of people say at least one member of their household has been unable to get medical care for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic .
And more than half ( 59 % ) of those households say they suffered negative health consequences because of the lack of care .
And among the 9 % of households in the city who say they were unable to get timely surgeries or procedures done for important health problems during the epidemic , 56 % report negative consequences .
Additionally , those who report having someone in the household working in the health care field express serious concern about their safety on the job .
In all four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care workers express serious concerns about their safety in regards to the coronavirus at work , including more than three-quarters of those in Los Angeles ( 78 % ) .
This comes as sizable shares of households are living with people who are at high risk for developing serious illness from the coronavirus because of their age or underlying medical conditions .
In Los Angeles , it 's nearly half ( 48 % ) .
Nationally in our survey , beyond the four largest cities , 46 % of people report serious problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
The poll was also able to capture snapshots from those four biggest cities at different stages of the months-long coronavirus pandemic — cities that have had a range of public health responses to the virus .
For example , in Houston , where the epidemic peaked in July , about 4 in 10 households ( 41 % ) report using up most or all of their savings .
Another 19 % say they did n't have any savings to begin with .
That means about 60 % of Houstonians were either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so .
We also found a bigger impact on employment than other surveys have indicated .
Some 57 % of Houston households report that someone in their household lost a job , lost a business , has been furloughed or has had wages or hours reduced since the start of the coronavirus outbreak .
These households report serious financial problems in even greater numbers .
A similar picture emerges in Los Angeles , where a surge in coronavirus cases was also peaking in July .
There , more than half of Black households @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , compared with 37 % of whites .
And in LA , 71 % of Latinos — almost twice the percentage of whites — report serious financial problems .
In Los Angeles , more than 1 in 3 households report serious problems with paying credit cards , loans or other debt ( 35 % ) , while the same percentage report having depleted all or most of their savings .
One in 10 ( 11 % ) say they did n't have any savings at the start of the outbreak .
Half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % ) say they suffered job or wage loss , and among these households , 73 % say they are having serious financial problems .
Nearly half ( 47 % ) of those with employment changes say they 've used up all or most of their savings , with 8 % more saying they did n't have any savings at the start of the outbreak .
Notably , 1 in 5 households in New York City reports having missed or delayed paying major bills to ensure everyone had enough to eat .
Latino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 % ) households were far more likely to report serious problems affording food than white households ( 9 % ) .
Some 16 % of Latinos said members of their household had serious problems not getting enough to eat every day .
When our poll was being conducted in July and early August , Chicago had escaped , somewhat , the intense surges of coronavirus cases of the other three cities in our survey .
But later in August , that changed and the city is now on track for a peak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per day .
The city , along with nearby suburbs , is considering implementing tighter restrictions again to prevent the surge from getting out of control .
Even though Chicago has been less affected than the rest of the country , the city 's economy suffered , as did the whole country , from virus-related shutdowns and restrictions this past spring and into summer .
Our poll captured Chicago on the brink of the coming surge .
As we saw nationally and in the other cities , about half of Chicago households report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus outbreak .
More than two-thirds ( 69 % ) of those with job or wage losses say they are having serious financial problems , including an impact on savings as well as on the household 's ability to pay bills , including mortgage or rent .
We will have more results from this poll in subsequent weeks this month .
The survey was conducted online and via cellphone and landline calls among a nationally representative , probability-based , address-based sample of 3,454 adults ages 18 or older — both nationally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four largest U.S. cities : New York City , Los Angeles , Chicago and Houston .
The margin of error for the national survey is 3.3 percentage points ( 5.4 percentage points for New York City , 7.1 percentage points for Los Angeles , 5.4 percentage points for Chicago and 6.3 percentage points for Houston ) .

NPR Poll: Financial Pain From Coronavirus Pandemic 'Much, Much Worse' Than Expected
In America's four largest cities, at least half of people say they have experienced the loss of a job or a reduction in wages or work hours in their household since the start of the coronavirus outbreak. That's the finding of a new poll published Wednesday by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Many of these problems are concentrated among Black and Latino households in the four cities, according to the poll, which gathered responses from July 1 through Aug 3.
Houston had an especially high proportion of Latino households (77%) and Black households (81%) reporting serious financial problems. But the other three cities in our survey have had high rates as well: 73% of Latinos in New York City tell us their household experienced serious financial problems since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, along with 71% of Latinos in Los Angeles and 63% in Chicago.
Majorities of Black households in Chicago (69%), New York City (62%) and Los Angeles (52%) also report serious financial problems.
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Nationally, the NPR poll finds very substantial proportions of households reporting that their savings have been depleted by the pandemic (if they had any savings to start with) or that they have fallen behind on housing payments or have had problems paying debts and/or utility bills.
"Before federal coronavirus support programs even expired, we find millions of people with very serious problems with their finances," says Robert J. Blendon, a poll co-director and executive director of the Harvard Opinion Research Program at the Harvard Chan School. "And it's going to get worse because there is nothing for the people we surveyed who earn under $100,000 a year to fall back on."
Blendon says the Harvard team expected to find substantial economic damage because of the unprecedented shutdown of the economy, "but this is much, much, much worse than I would've predicted."
"This is what I would expect without a national emergency relief bill," Blendon says. "We had a $2 trillion relief bill to lift people up and put a pillow under them. But it is not helping nearly as many people as we had expected."
Debate over an additional federal financial aid package resumed this week as Congress returned from its weekslong summer recess. Much of the economic relief provided by the federal government expired this summer.
On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced he was introducing a "targeted" coronavirus relief bill; the Senate is expected to vote on the measure Thursday. It is unlikely that his scaled-down package will garner the 60 votes needed to advance in the Senate.
Democrats continue to push for a broader package, which would include money for state and local governments — funding Republicans have resisted adding. Democrats in the House initially proposed a more than $3 trillion supplementary relief package but have since scaled that back by about $1 trillion during negotiations.
Serious child care problems found
Beyond serious financial problems, majorities of households with children in the four cities report "serious" problems with caregiving. Such difficulties include finding physical activity spaces with enough distance from others or keeping children's education going.
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"It's not just that these households are struggling to keep their kids' education going — they are also struggling with almost every other aspect of managing their children's lives," says Mary Gorski Findling of the Harvard Chan polling team.
In Los Angeles, the primary serious difficulty cited by households with children is keeping children's education going (52%). Drilling deeper, we find that 54% of LA households with children report either having serious problems with their Internet connection to do schoolwork or their jobs — or not having a high-speed Internet connection at home.
Serious health care problems
Our survey also looks at the ability to get health care during the pandemic — after many reports of Americans putting off or being unable to get care.
We find high rates of households in the four cities have been unable to get medical care or have delayed needed health care (ranging from 19% in New York City to 27% in Houston), with over half saying that this has led to negative health consequences (ranging from 55% in Chicago to 75% in Houston). There were multiple reasons given, with many reporting that they could not find a doctor to see them, as hospitals around the U.S. have delayed or canceled medical procedures to focus resources on treating COVID-19.
In New York City, where hospitals and intensive care units were massively overcrowded for weeks this spring, 19% of people say at least one member of their household has been unable to get medical care for a serious problem when they needed it during the pandemic.
And more than half (59%) of those households say they suffered negative health consequences because of the lack of care. And among the 9% of households in the city who say they were unable to get timely surgeries or procedures done for important health problems during the epidemic, 56% report negative consequences.
Additionally, those who report having someone in the household working in the health care field express serious concern about their safety on the job. In all four cities, majorities of households with health care workers express serious concerns about their safety in regards to the coronavirus at work, including more than three-quarters of those in Los Angeles (78%).
This comes as sizable shares of households are living with people who are at high risk for developing serious illness from the coronavirus because of their age or underlying medical conditions. In Los Angeles, it's nearly half (48%).
Serious financial issues a core problem
Nationally in our survey, beyond the four largest cities, 46% of people report serious problems with finances in their household during the pandemic. The poll was also able to capture snapshots from those four biggest cities at different stages of the months-long coronavirus pandemic — cities that have had a range of public health responses to the virus.
For example, in Houston, where the epidemic peaked in July, about 4 in 10 households (41%) report using up most or all of their savings. Another 19% say they didn't have any savings to begin with. That means about 60% of Houstonians were either flat-out broke by early August or nearly so.
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We also found a bigger impact on employment than other surveys have indicated. Some 57% of Houston households report that someone in their household lost a job, lost a business, has been furloughed or has had wages or hours reduced since the start of the coronavirus outbreak. These households report serious financial problems in even greater numbers.
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A similar picture emerges in Los Angeles, where a surge in coronavirus cases was also peaking in July. There, more than half of Black households report serious financial problems (52%), compared with 37% of whites. And in LA, 71% of Latinos — almost twice the percentage of whites — report serious financial problems.
In Los Angeles, more than 1 in 3 households report serious problems with paying credit cards, loans or other debt (35%), while the same percentage report having depleted all or most of their savings. One in 10 (11%) say they didn't have any savings at the start of the outbreak.
Half of New York City households (50%) say they suffered job or wage loss, and among these households, 73% say they are having serious financial problems.
Nearly half (47%) of those with employment changes say they've used up all or most of their savings, with 8% more saying they didn't have any savings at the start of the outbreak.
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Notably, 1 in 5 households in New York City reports having missed or delayed paying major bills to ensure everyone had enough to eat. Latino (36%) and Black (19%) households were far more likely to report serious problems affording food than white households (9%). Some 16% of Latinos said members of their household had serious problems not getting enough to eat every day.
When our poll was being conducted in July and early August, Chicago had escaped, somewhat, the intense surges of coronavirus cases of the other three cities in our survey. But later in August, that changed and the city is now on track for a peak in September of several hundred new cases per day. The city, along with nearby suburbs, is considering implementing tighter restrictions again to prevent the surge from getting out of control.
Even though Chicago has been less affected than the rest of the country, the city's economy suffered, as did the whole country, from virus-related shutdowns and restrictions this past spring and into summer.
Loading...
Our poll captured Chicago on the brink of the coming surge. As we saw nationally and in the other cities, about half of Chicago households report losing jobs or wages since the start of the coronavirus outbreak. More than two-thirds (69%) of those with job or wage losses say they are having serious financial problems, including an impact on savings as well as on the household's ability to pay bills, including mortgage or rent.
We will have more results from this poll in subsequent weeks this month.
The survey was conducted online and via cellphone and landline calls among a nationally representative, probability-based, address-based sample of 3,454 adults ages 18 or older — both nationally and with an additional focus on the four largest U.S. cities: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston. The margin of error for the national survey is 3.3 percentage points (5.4 percentage points for New York City, 7.1 percentage points for Los Angeles, 5.4 percentage points for Chicago and 6.3 percentage points for Houston).


npr--2020-09-09--Trump's Rural Support Puts Democratic Bulwark Minnesota In Play

Democrats could find a growing problem for their party with a voter named Gretchen , sitting outside a brew pub in the rural northern Minnesota town of Aitkin .
`` I 'm kind of disillusioned , and I 'm really confused , '' she said .
`` I 'm a registered Democrat , but yet , I see all of this stuff that I kind of disagree with . ''
Gretchen asked not to be identified with her last name because she fears sharing her politics could hurt her family 's business .
She does n't like President Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But she 's no longer happy with Democrats .
She opposes the face mask mandate Minnesota 's Democratic governor ordered , in addition to blaming Democrats for recent rioting that has accompanied some protests in Minneapolis-St. Paul and other urban areas .
So , this former Clinton voter is backing Trump .
`` The Republican Party is kind of speaking to my heart more than the Democrats , '' Gretchen said .
Not long ago , Democrats had solid support in much of rural Minnesota , but that 's eroded .
Bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic Party , says he did not see the turn coming .
He calls it `` mind boggling . ''
`` It 's really sad to see that there 's a potential of Minnesota going to be a red state , '' Pick lamented while sitting at a picnic table at a park in Aitkin .
Trump came very close to flipping Minnesota in 2016 , as he upset Hillary Clinton with a surge of rural support in other northern industrial states that Democrats banked on , like Wisconsin , Michigan and Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 44,000 votes , a margin he hopes to overcome in 2020 .
Both Donald Trump Jr. and Jill Biden , the wife of the Democratic nominee , planned visits in the state on Wednesday , a sign that both campaigns see Minnesota in play as Trump maintains strong support in rural areas .
Republican state Rep. Dale Lueck has been representing Aitkin and the surrounding area in the Minnesota Legislature since defeating a Democrat six years ago .
He says growing support for Republicans in rural Minnesota has a lot to do with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which threatens new mining and fossil fuel energy jobs .
`` It should be no surprise that people are just plain done with the , 'Oh no , we ca n't do anything here because we might hurt the environment , ' and we 're just not going to take it anymore , '' Lueck said .
University of Minnesota political science professor Larry Jacobs says places like Aitkin County are no longer the priority for Democrats that they once were .
`` Democrats talk about fighting for rural Minnesota , but their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ written off rural Minnesota , '' said Jacobs .
Jacobs says the partisan divide between urban and rural Minnesota trailed the split that developed nationally decades ago , with Democrats hanging on longer in no small part because of a strong union mining economy in northern Minnesota .
Many of those jobs are now gone , and Jacobs says Minnesota now looks much more like the rest of the country .
Biden 's lead in Minnesota polls has remained in the single digits lately , though it has been consistent .
Political analyst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a steep hurdle in statewide elections .
`` I still think Biden is the favorite and a solid favorite in Minnesota in large part because there 's such a strong core Democratic vote in the central cities and the first and second ring suburbs , '' Rapp said .
Back in Aitkin County , most people will vote by mail this fall because of the pandemic .
Deb Ibanez , who proudly displays Trump banners and lawn signs outside her home , says she 's worried about voter fraud and doubts about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ibanez fears there could be an uprising if Trump loses .
`` I would pray that we as Republicans would graciously bow down to it , but I do n't know , you could be waking a sleeping giant , too , '' Ibanez said .

Trump's Rural Support Puts Democratic Bulwark Minnesota In Play
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Zdechlik/MPR News Mark Zdechlik/MPR News
Democrats could find a growing problem for their party with a voter named Gretchen, sitting outside a brew pub in the rural northern Minnesota town of Aitkin.
"I'm kind of disillusioned, and I'm really confused," she said. "I'm a registered Democrat, but yet, I see all of this stuff that I kind of disagree with." Gretchen asked not to be identified with her last name because she fears sharing her politics could hurt her family's business.
She doesn't like President Trump and voted for Hillary Clinton four years ago. But she's no longer happy with Democrats. She opposes the face mask mandate Minnesota's Democratic governor ordered, in addition to blaming Democrats for recent rioting that has accompanied some protests in Minneapolis-St. Paul and other urban areas.
So, this former Clinton voter is backing Trump.
"The Republican Party is kind of speaking to my heart more than the Democrats," Gretchen said.
Not long ago, Democrats had solid support in much of rural Minnesota, but that's eroded. Bill Pick, leader of the Aitkin County Democratic Party, says he did not see the turn coming. He calls it "mind-boggling."
"It's really sad to see that there's a potential of Minnesota going to be a red state," Pick lamented while sitting at a picnic table at a park in Aitkin.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Zdechlik/MPR News Mark Zdechlik/MPR News
Trump came very close to flipping Minnesota in 2016, as he upset Clinton with a surge of rural support in other northern industrial states that Democrats banked on, like Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Trump only lost Minnesota by about 44,000 votes, a margin he hopes to overcome in 2020.
Both Donald Trump Jr. and Jill Biden, the wife of the Democratic nominee, planned visits in the state on Wednesday, a sign that both campaigns see Minnesota in play as Trump maintains strong support in rural areas.
Republican state Rep. Dale Lueck has been representing Aitkin and the surrounding area in the Minnesota Legislature since defeating a Democrat six years ago. He says growing support for Republicans in rural Minnesota has a lot to do with economics and urban Democrats' environmentalism, which threatens new mining and fossil fuel energy jobs.
"It should be no surprise that people are just plain done with the, 'Oh no, we can't do anything here because we might hurt the environment,' and we're just not going to take it anymore," Lueck said.
University of Minnesota political science professor Larry Jacobs says places like Aitkin County are no longer the priority for Democrats that they once were.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Zdechlik/MPR News Mark Zdechlik/MPR News
"Democrats talk about fighting for rural Minnesota, but their policies and their voters have in effect written off rural Minnesota," Jacobs said.
Jacobs says the partisan divide between urban and rural Minnesota trailed the split that developed nationally decades ago, with Democrats hanging on longer in no small part because of a strong union mining economy in northern Minnesota. Many of those jobs are now gone, and Jacobs says Minnesota now looks much more like the rest of the country.
Biden's lead in Minnesota polls has remained in the single digits lately, though it has been consistent. Political analyst Todd Rapp says Minnesota Republicans still face a steep hurdle in statewide elections.
"I still think Biden is the favorite and a solid favorite in Minnesota in large part because there's such a strong core Democratic vote in the central cities and the first and second ring suburbs," Rapp said.
Back in Aitkin County, most people will vote by mail this fall because of the pandemic. Deb Ibanez, who proudly displays Trump banners and lawn signs outside her home, says she's worried about voter fraud and doubts about the outcome.
Given recent civil unrest, Ibanez fears there could be an uprising if Trump loses.
"I would pray that we as Republicans would graciously bow down to it, but I don't know, you could be waking a sleeping giant, too," Ibanez said.


npr--2020-09-09--Justice Department Intervenes To Take Over Trump's Defense In Defamation Lawsuit

Justice Department Intervenes To Take Over Trump 's Defense In Defamation Lawsuit The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday moved to assume responsibility for defending President Trump in a defamation lawsuit brought by a woman who says Trump raped her in the 1990s .
E. Jean Carroll filed suit in New York state court last year after Trump , answering reporters ' questions , denied knowing her and accused her of lying .
Carroll , a columnist for Elle magazine , wrote in a memoir that Trump had raped her in the dressing room of a Manhattan department store in 1995 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filing in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York , the Justice Department argued that Trump 's remarks were made in the performance of his official duties as president and that therefore government attorneys should assume Trump 's defense from his private lawyers .
The filing asked the court to designate the United States , rather than Trump , as the defendant in Carroll 's defamation suit and to move the case from state to federal court .
Federal officials are generally immune from charges of defamation .
If the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would effectively bring Carroll 's case to an end .
Carroll immediately condemned the legal maneuver , writing in a series of tweets , `` TRUMP HURLS BILL BARR AT ME . ''
Addressing the president , Carroll said she is `` ready !
So is every woman who has ever been silenced ! ''
Robbie Kaplan , Carroll 's attorney , said in a statement that the Justice Department 's argument is `` shocking . ''
`` It offends me as a lawyer , and offends me even more as a citizen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit had reached a critical stage in state court .
Last month , a judge rejected the president 's request to temporarily halt the proceedings .
Carroll has asked the judge to order Trump to provide a DNA sample as part of pretrial discovery .
Trump may also be required to sit for a deposition .

Justice Department Intervenes To Take Over Trump's Defense In Defamation Lawsuit
Enlarge this image toggle caption Seth Wenig/AP Seth Wenig/AP
Updated at 12:17 p.m. ET
The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday moved to assume responsibility for defending President Trump in a defamation lawsuit brought by a woman who says Trump raped her in the 1990s.
E. Jean Carroll filed suit in New York state court last year after Trump, answering reporters' questions, denied knowing her and accused her of lying. Carroll, a columnist for Elle magazine, wrote in a memoir that Trump had raped her in the dressing room of a Manhattan department store in 1995 or 1996.
In an unusual five-page filing in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the Justice Department argued that Trump's remarks were made in the performance of his official duties as president and that therefore government attorneys should assume Trump's defense from his private lawyers.
The filing asked the court to designate the United States, rather than Trump, as the defendant in Carroll's defamation suit and to move the case from state to federal court. Federal officials are generally immune from charges of defamation. If the DOJ's filing is successful, it would effectively bring Carroll's case to an end.
Carroll immediately condemned the legal maneuver, writing in a series of tweets, "TRUMP HURLS BILL BARR AT ME."
Addressing the president, Carroll said she is "ready! So is every woman who has ever been silenced!"
"BRING IT!"
Robbie Kaplan, Carroll's attorney, said in a statement that the Justice Department's argument is "shocking."
"It offends me as a lawyer, and offends me even more as a citizen," Kaplan wrote.
Carroll's lawsuit had reached a critical stage in state court. Last month, a judge rejected the president's request to temporarily halt the proceedings. Carroll has asked the judge to order Trump to provide a DNA sample as part of pretrial discovery. Trump may also be required to sit for a deposition if the case proceeds.
Barr: Standard practice
Attorney General William Barr said on Wednesday that the involvement of the Justice Department was routine.
Part of Trump's legal defense in the matter includes the position that he is shielded by a federal law protecting federal employees in defamation suits that are based on comments made during their official duties. Even remarks about things that took place before their government service are shielded, according to this legal position.
The attorney general said on Wednesday that the standard practice is for a federal employee being sued to alert the Justice Department so that it can defend her or him, which the White House has done in this case, Barr said.
The law and court precedents are clear that presidents enjoy the legal shield in question and that, as a federal worker in this situation, it's the Justice Department's role to become involved, Barr said.
"This was a normal application of the law. The law is clear, it is done frequently, and the little tempest that's going on is largely because of the bizarre political environment in which we live and ... and I'll just leave it at that," Barr said.
It wasn't immediately clear what role, if any, Barr himself had played in the process leading up to the Justice Department's submission of its brief on behalf of Trump in the New York case.


npr--2020-09-08--New Diversity Standards For Best Picture Oscar Nominees, Starting In 2024

New Diversity Standards For Best Picture Oscar Nominees , Starting In 2024 Starting in 2024 , would-be Oscar nominees must meet specific representation and inclusion standards in order to be eligible for the Best Picture category .
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled the requirements on Tuesday , saying they are intended to `` encourage equitable representation on and off screen in order to better reflect the diversity of the movie-going audience . ''
The Academy had promised the introduction of such standards earlier this summer , as it faced a fresh wave of criticism over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the filmmaking industry more generally .
In June , it announced an initiative called `` Academy Aperture 2025 , '' which includes a number of new policies aimed at fostering a more inclusive organization and film community going forward .
Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said in a joint statement on Tuesday that they believe the new Best Picture eligibility criteria will help bring about `` long-lasting , essential change '' in the industry .
`` The aperture must widen to reflect our diverse global population in both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the audiences who connect with them , '' they said .
The new standards require films to fill a certain percentage of on-screen and behind-the-scenes roles with people from underrepresented groups , including women , people of color , people with disabilities and people from the LGTBQ community .
The requirements fall into four categories : on-screen representation , creative leadership and project team , industry access and opportunities and audience development .
Starting in 2024 — for the 96th Oscars — a film must meet two out of four standards to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ films vying for Best Picture must submit a confidential `` Academy Inclusion Standards '' form , though they do not need to meet the criteria in order to be eligible .
The Academy said its new rules were drawn from the British Film Institute Diversity Standards and adapted to serve its specific needs , in consultation with the Producers Guild of America .
Other elements of the Aperture 2025 initiative include making annual unconscious bias training mandatory for Academy staff and setting a fixed number of ten Best Picture nominees starting in 2021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April , two months later than originally planned due to the coronavirus pandemic .

New Diversity Standards For Best Picture Oscar Nominees, Starting In 2024
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Starting in 2024, would-be Oscar nominees must meet specific representation and inclusion standards in order to be eligible for the Best Picture category.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled the requirements on Tuesday, saying they are intended to "encourage equitable representation on and off screen in order to better reflect the diversity of the movie-going audience."
The Academy had promised the introduction of such standards earlier this summer, as it faced a fresh wave of criticism over the lack of diversity among its honorees and in the filmmaking industry more generally.
In June, it announced an initiative called "Academy Aperture 2025," which includes a number of new policies aimed at fostering a more inclusive organization and film community going forward.
Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said in a joint statement on Tuesday that they believe the new Best Picture eligibility criteria will help bring about "long-lasting, essential change" in the industry.
"The aperture must widen to reflect our diverse global population in both the creation of motion pictures and in the audiences who connect with them," they said.
The new standards require films to fill a certain percentage of on-screen and behind-the-scenes roles with people from underrepresented groups, including women, people of color, people with disabilities and people from the LGTBQ community.
The requirements fall into four categories: on-screen representation, creative leadership and project team, industry access and opportunities and audience development.
Starting in 2024 — for the 96th Oscars — a film must meet two out of four standards to be considered.
And beginning in 2022, films vying for Best Picture must submit a confidential "Academy Inclusion Standards" form, though they do not need to meet the criteria in order to be eligible.
The Academy said its new rules were drawn from the British Film Institute Diversity Standards and adapted to serve its specific needs, in consultation with the Producers Guild of America.
Other elements of the Aperture 2025 initiative include making annual unconscious bias training mandatory for Academy staff and setting a fixed number of ten Best Picture nominees starting in 2021.
The 93rd Oscars will take place in April, two months later than originally planned due to the coronavirus pandemic.


npr--2020-09-08--Attorney Hired To Probe VOA's Coverage Has Active Protective Order Against Him

Attorney Hired To Probe VOA 's Coverage Has Active Protective Order Against Him The CEO appointed by President Trump to lead the federal agency that oversees the Voice of America and other U.S.-funded international broadcasters has made strict protocols for scrutinizing job candidates a hallmark of his brief tenure there .
CEO Michael Pack suspended a slew of senior executives at the U.S. Agency for Global Media and stopped routinely renewing visas for foreign employees over hiring protocols , claiming the executives ' lapses threatened national security .
In June , Pack hired a lawyer with no background in news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential anti-Trump bias , in a way that appears to violate Voice of America 's legal protections of journalistic independence .
That investigative attorney has a potentially problematic record himself : he remains under a court order to stay away from his father and to surrender all firearms due to a complaint that he made detailed death threats against his father .
These details appear in publicly available documents from a court proceeding held just 35 miles up the Baltimore-Washington Parkway from USAGM 's headquarters .
It raises questions about how rigorously the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hired legal counselor .
And this is not an ancient episode : the court order was filed in early February .
It remains in effect through February 2021 .
The USAGM investigator 's name is Samuel Dewey , a 37-year-old attorney who has been active in Washington D.C. political circles for nearly a decade .
He was hired by Pack in June , according to colleagues speaking on condition they not be named for fear of retaliation .
( Pack has forced the firings and ousters of numerous staffers in his short stint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emphasized the importance of security clearances in explaining why he suspended the former executives , writing , `` USAGM faces a decade-worth of gross managerial incompetence that imperiled the organization 's viability and the safety of our country . ''
That period covers the four years the agency was led by John Lansing , currently NPR 's CEO .
In response to NPR 's detailed requests for comment for this story , Pack issued a statement blaming Lansing directly for `` gross mismanagement '' at USAGM and accused NPR of `` trashing not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to carry out at USAGM on behalf of the American people , but also the hard-working people who serve this agency and the nation . ''
Lansing has been critical of Pack 's agenda and has called his successor 's stated concerns over security overblown .
Under protocols established years before Lansing joined NPR , Lansing and his corporate aides and top news executives can not guide coverage that involve the network or its senior officials .
Pack and USAGM did not otherwise address questions posed for this story .
Dewey , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credentials .
He is a 2009 graduate of Harvard Law School and a former student of U.S. Justice Brett Kavanaugh who wrote to support the latter 's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court .
Dewey started as an associate at the major law firm Gibson Dunn in California ; he subsequently served on the committee staffs of two Republican lawmakers : U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas .
In 2018 , his last year working in Congress , Dewey was paid $ 139,000 as senior counsel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for which Hensarling served as chairman .
He then moved into private practice , of counsel to McDermott Will & Emery in Washington , D.C .
In early February , Dewey 's father , Joel , wrote a petition to the Maryland court seeking protection .
He warned that Sam Dewey twice texted his mother to threaten Joel Dewey 's life , writing that he was `` seriously contemplating killing '' the elder Dewey .
( The two parents are divorced . )
Late that month , a judge in Baltimore County entered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge ordered that Dewey could not contact his father , or enter his home or office .
And Dewey was also ordered to surrender all firearms until late February 2021 .
According to the petition filed with the court , Sam Dewey threatened to use a specific military pistol and a silencer in killing his father and also threatened his own life .
According to the final court protective order filed by Maryland District Court Judge Leo Ryan Jr. , Sam Dewey consented to the edict `` without admitting to the allegations ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a statement , an attorney representing Sam Dewey said paying attention to the protective order would take a `` long-standing intrafamily dispute '' out of context .
`` There was absolutely no admission or finding of misconduct by Mr. Dewey Jr. but to save the family , including his siblings and his mother , from further scrutiny , he accepted the restrictions in the order , '' attorney Stuart Simms wrote .
New leader brings upheaval to U.S. broadcasters In early June , the Voice of America 's then-director , Amanda Bennett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following a drawn-out process .
Pack then fired the other broadcast chiefs .
And then he decided to stop approving new and renewed so-called J1 visas for foreign nationals working for VOA and its sister channels in foreign language services .
Instead , USAGM said it would review them on a case-by-case basis .
None are known to have been granted , causing more than 100 to determine whether they will have to return to their home countries , some of which are hostile to citizens who have worked for the U.S. government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any examples or evidence , Pack told the Trump-friendly conservative site the Federalist that the VOA is `` a great place to put a spy . ''
The remark helped inspire a letter of protest against Pack 's leadership by a growing group of VOA staffers and retirees .
Pack 's line was taken as a direct slap at the professionalism and work of thousands of journalists who work for the agency .
It 's considered especially painful because its journalists for years have had to battle the idea that their work was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government .
Hostile foreign regimes have frequently claimed VOA journalists are American spies to discredit them .
Dewey was the tip of the spear for Pack 's efforts to get inside the working of Voice of America 's newsrooms in ways that violate legal protections , according to numerous former colleagues .
As NPR first reported , Dewey had been assigned to review a video segment produced by Voice of America 's Urdu language service about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden - Trump 's primary political foe in November .
Four contractors involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was placed on leave .
Dewey 's moves to question journalists involved in the story killed the internal and journalistic review initially undertaken by editors at Voice of America , the standard path for scrutinizing a story there .
Even before the investigation was under way , the agency 's announcement claimed that the story may have broken laws against electioneering by federal employees .
Typically those reviews are conducted by news professionals and subject experts , not headquarters officials .
In his initial emails , Dewey did not identify what role he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the fired contractors , Vardha Khalil .
When she pressed him , Dewey said he was an attorney working as a counselor to CEO Michael Pack , Khalil tells NPR .
The segment reflected Biden 's appeal to Muslims at a conference arranged by a non-partisan group seeking greater engagement of Muslim voters , and it drew on footage of figures from a video put out by the group .
The story was widely criticized for failing to acknowledge some of Biden 's rhetoric was overstated or to reflect the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Urdu language service is largely aimed at people in Pakistan , so few U.S. voters are likely to have seen it .
Khalil argues that criticism was unwarranted because the network has done other stories that reflect more positively on Trump , who did not participate in the event .
And she says it drew on the tone of an Associated Press piece about it .
Further , Khalil says she was baffled by Dewey 's involvement in the review and asked to have her own lawyer present if he was going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but insisted the meeting take place the next morning at the main USAGM/Voice of America building .
She demurred , asking for more time to arrange legal representation .
The meeting never took place .
She was soon fired and has set up a gofundme page to challenge the agency .
`` If there is a flaw , even if there was a procedural problem , ... whatever the punishment or whatever I deserve is OK , but where does an attorney belong in this whole procedure ? ''
Khalil asks .
Khalil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought of a story .
Another employee interviewed by Dewey for his investigation said he repeatedly asked about her personal political beliefs .
Both said they deflected the question .
The USAGM did not reply to questions about that incident .
Through an agency spokesman , Dewey said he never asked anyone about `` political affiliation . ''
`` To the contrary , I along with career agency officials made clear that our concerns would be the same regardless of which politicians were featured in the video , '' Sam Dewey said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked as to whether individuals thought that the video was appropriate , particularly within the context of the 2020 elections and journalistic standards .
Questions were also asked regarding training as to how to handle election-related stories . ''
In another incident , USAGM 's human resources department is investigating the tone of a segment on Biden 's wife , Jill Biden , who would become First Lady should the Democrat defeat Trump later this fall .
Journalists at the broadcaster say that too is a violation of the legal protections granted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is insulated against political pressures .
According to others at Voice of America and at the U.S. Agency for Global Media , Dewey also sought to insert himself into the broadcaster 's planning for election coverage this season .
Sean Powers , the suspended chief strategy officer , called Dewey 's efforts to review and shape VOA 's reporting part of the `` step-by-step and whole-scale dismantling of the institutions that protect the independence and the integrity of our journalism . ''
A spokesman for the USAGM denied that claim .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be involved in planning further coverage of the political season , ' 'has repeatedly pushed to participate in planning for election reporting and overarching news coverage , ' and 'sought to help steer future campaign coverage ' are categorically false , '' the spokesman wrote in an email .
`` At no time did Mr. Dewey , or any other USAGM Front Office official , seek to be involved in planning election ( or any ) coverage , or to otherwise 'steer ' such coverage . ''
The spokesman also said it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VOA 's Latin American service in which a video was posted of a senior Trump adviser warning voters in Spanish of the dangers posed by Biden and his running mate , California Senator Kamala Harris .
The video was pulled down after questions were raised but there had been previously no review or repercussions .
The spokesman said the agency 's leadership only learned of the episode from NPR 's reporting .
In the interview in late August , Pack told the Federalist , `` There are a lot of journalists who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the truth . ''
Nonetheless , Pack defined his mission at the agency this way : `` My job really is to drain the swamp , to root out corruption and to deal with these issues of bias , not to tell journalists what to report . ''
Disclosure : This story was reported by NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by NPR 's media and technology editor Emily Kopp .
Because of NPR CEO John Lansing 's prior role as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media , no senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reviewed this story before it was published .

Attorney Hired To Probe VOA's Coverage Has Active Protective Order Against Him
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP
The CEO appointed by President Trump to lead the federal agency that oversees the Voice of America and other U.S.-funded international broadcasters has made strict protocols for scrutinizing job candidates a hallmark of his brief tenure there. CEO Michael Pack suspended a slew of senior executives at the U.S. Agency for Global Media and stopped routinely renewing visas for foreign employees over hiring protocols, claiming the executives' lapses threatened national security.
In June, Pack hired a lawyer with no background in news to investigate his agency's coverage for potential anti-Trump bias, in a way that appears to violate Voice of America's legal protections of journalistic independence. That investigative attorney has a potentially problematic record himself: he remains under a court order to stay away from his father and to surrender all firearms due to a complaint that he made detailed death threats against his father.
These details appear in publicly available documents from a court proceeding held just 35 miles up the Baltimore-Washington Parkway from USAGM's headquarters. It raises questions about how rigorously the security-minded CEO had vetted his own newly hired legal counselor. And this is not an ancient episode: the court order was filed in early February. It remains in effect through February 2021.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Maryland Judiciary/Screenshot by NPR Maryland Judiciary/Screenshot by NPR
The USAGM investigator's name is Samuel Dewey, a 37-year-old attorney who has been active in Washington D.C. political circles for nearly a decade. He was hired by Pack in June, according to colleagues speaking on condition they not be named for fear of retaliation. (Pack has forced the firings and ousters of numerous staffers in his short stint at the agency.)
Pack publicly emphasized the importance of security clearances in explaining why he suspended the former executives, writing, "USAGM faces a decade-worth of gross managerial incompetence that imperiled the organization's viability and the safety of our country." That period covers the four years the agency was led by John Lansing, currently NPR's CEO.
In response to NPR's detailed requests for comment for this story, Pack issued a statement blaming Lansing directly for "gross mismanagement" at USAGM and accused NPR of "trashing not only the desperately-needed reforms that I'm trying to carry out at USAGM on behalf of the American people, but also the hard-working people who serve this agency and the nation."
Lansing has been critical of Pack's agenda and has called his successor's stated concerns over security overblown. Under protocols established years before Lansing joined NPR, Lansing and his corporate aides and top news executives cannot guide coverage that involve the network or its senior officials.
Pack and USAGM did not otherwise address questions posed for this story.
Dewey, a political appointee, has strong conservative credentials. He is a 2009 graduate of Harvard Law School and a former student of U.S. Justice Brett Kavanaugh who wrote to support the latter's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Dewey started as an associate at the major law firm Gibson Dunn in California; he subsequently served on the committee staffs of two Republican lawmakers: U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas. In 2018, his last year working in Congress, Dewey was paid $139,000 as senior counsel to the House Financial Services Committee, for which Hensarling served as chairman. He then moved into private practice, of counsel to McDermott Will & Emery in Washington, D.C.
In early February, Dewey's father, Joel, wrote a petition to the Maryland court seeking protection. He warned that Sam Dewey twice texted his mother to threaten Joel Dewey's life, writing that he was "seriously contemplating killing" the elder Dewey. (The two parents are divorced.)
Late that month, a judge in Baltimore County entered a protective order against Dewey. The judge ordered that Dewey could not contact his father, or enter his home or office. And Dewey was also ordered to surrender all firearms until late February 2021. According to the petition filed with the court, Sam Dewey threatened to use a specific military pistol and a silencer in killing his father and also threatened his own life.
According to the final court protective order filed by Maryland District Court Judge Leo Ryan Jr., Sam Dewey consented to the edict "without admitting to the allegations... or judicial finding of abuse."
In a statement, an attorney representing Sam Dewey said paying attention to the protective order would take a "long-standing intrafamily dispute" out of context.
"There was absolutely no admission or finding of misconduct by Mr. Dewey Jr. but to save the family, including his siblings and his mother, from further scrutiny, he accepted the restrictions in the order," attorney Stuart Simms wrote.
New leader brings upheaval to U.S. broadcasters
In early June, the Voice of America's then-director, Amanda Bennett, resigned just after Pack was confirmed following a drawn-out process. Pack then fired the other broadcast chiefs. And then he decided to stop approving new and renewed so-called J1 visas for foreign nationals working for VOA and its sister channels in foreign language services. Instead, USAGM said it would review them on a case-by-case basis.
None are known to have been granted, causing more than 100 to determine whether they will have to return to their home countries, some of which are hostile to citizens who have worked for the U.S. government.
Late last month, without citing any examples or evidence, Pack told the Trump-friendly conservative site the Federalist that the VOA is "a great place to put a spy." The remark helped inspire a letter of protest against Pack's leadership by a growing group of VOA staffers and retirees. Pack's line was taken as a direct slap at the professionalism and work of thousands of journalists who work for the agency. It's considered especially painful because its journalists for years have had to battle the idea that their work was compromised by their relationship to the U.S. government. Hostile foreign regimes have frequently claimed VOA journalists are American spies to discredit them.
Dewey was the tip of the spear for Pack's efforts to get inside the working of Voice of America's newsrooms in ways that violate legal protections, according to numerous former colleagues.
As NPR first reported, Dewey had been assigned to review a video segment produced by Voice of America's Urdu language service about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden - Trump's primary political foe in November. Four contractors involved had their jobs severed and an editor was placed on leave.
Dewey's moves to question journalists involved in the story killed the internal and journalistic review initially undertaken by editors at Voice of America, the standard path for scrutinizing a story there. Even before the investigation was under way, the agency's announcement claimed that the story may have broken laws against electioneering by federal employees. Typically those reviews are conducted by news professionals and subject experts, not headquarters officials.
In his initial emails, Dewey did not identify what role he played at the agency, according to one of the fired contractors, Vardha Khalil. When she pressed him, Dewey said he was an attorney working as a counselor to CEO Michael Pack, Khalil tells NPR.
The segment reflected Biden's appeal to Muslims at a conference arranged by a non-partisan group seeking greater engagement of Muslim voters, and it drew on footage of figures from a video put out by the group. The story was widely criticized for failing to acknowledge some of Biden's rhetoric was overstated or to reflect the Trump campaign's outreach to Muslims. The Urdu language service is largely aimed at people in Pakistan, so few U.S. voters are likely to have seen it.
Khalil argues that criticism was unwarranted because the network has done other stories that reflect more positively on Trump, who did not participate in the event. And she says it drew on the tone of an Associated Press piece about it.
Further, Khalil says she was baffled by Dewey's involvement in the review and asked to have her own lawyer present if he was going to conduct it. Khalil says he agreed but insisted the meeting take place the next morning at the main USAGM/Voice of America building. She demurred, asking for more time to arrange legal representation. The meeting never took place. She was soon fired and has set up a gofundme page to challenge the agency.
"If there is a flaw, even if there was a procedural problem, ... whatever the punishment or whatever I deserve is OK, but where does an attorney belong in this whole procedure?" Khalil asks.
Khalil says Dewey repeatedly asked her what she thought of a story. Another employee interviewed by Dewey for his investigation said he repeatedly asked about her personal political beliefs. Both said they deflected the question. The USAGM did not reply to questions about that incident.
Through an agency spokesman, Dewey said he never asked anyone about "political affiliation."
"To the contrary, I along with career agency officials made clear that our concerns would be the same regardless of which politicians were featured in the video," Sam Dewey said in the statement. "Routine questions were asked as to whether individuals thought that the video was appropriate, particularly within the context of the 2020 elections and journalistic standards. Questions were also asked regarding training as to how to handle election-related stories."
In another incident, USAGM's human resources department is investigating the tone of a segment on Biden's wife, Jill Biden, who would become First Lady should the Democrat defeat Trump later this fall. Journalists at the broadcaster say that too is a violation of the legal protections granted to VOA's newsroom to ensure its coverage is insulated against political pressures.
According to others at Voice of America and at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, Dewey also sought to insert himself into the broadcaster's planning for election coverage this season. Sean Powers, the suspended chief strategy officer, called Dewey's efforts to review and shape VOA's reporting part of the "step-by-step and whole-scale dismantling of the institutions that protect the independence and the integrity of our journalism."
A spokesman for the USAGM denied that claim.
"The allegations that Mr. Dewey 'repeatedly pushed to be involved in planning further coverage of the political season,' 'has repeatedly pushed to participate in planning for election reporting and overarching news coverage,' and 'sought to help steer future campaign coverage' are categorically false," the spokesman wrote in an email. "At no time did Mr. Dewey, or any other USAGM Front Office official, seek to be involved in planning election (or any) coverage, or to otherwise 'steer' such coverage."
The spokesman also said it had commenced an investigation of another case involving VOA's Latin American service in which a video was posted of a senior Trump adviser warning voters in Spanish of the dangers posed by Biden and his running mate, California Senator Kamala Harris. The video was pulled down after questions were raised but there had been previously no review or repercussions. The spokesman said the agency's leadership only learned of the episode from NPR's reporting.
In the interview in late August, Pack told the Federalist, "There are a lot of journalists who are heroically motivated by a desire to get the truth."
Nonetheless, Pack defined his mission at the agency this way: "My job really is to drain the swamp, to root out corruption and to deal with these issues of bias, not to tell journalists what to report."
Disclosure: This story was reported by NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by NPR's media and technology editor Emily Kopp. Because of NPR CEO John Lansing's prior role as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, no senior news executive or corporate executive at NPR reviewed this story before it was published.


npr--2020-09-08--COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Paused Due To Illness In One Volunteer

COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Paused Due To Illness In One Volunteer Drug maker AstraZeneca has announced that it is pausing its COVID-19 vaccine trial due to a `` potentially unexplained illness '' in one of the trial volunteers .
The vaccine was developed by the University of Oxford in partnership with Astra Zeneca .
It 's being studied in thousands of patients in the United States and the United Kingdom .
The illness apparently occurred in a U.K. volunteer .
The company has n't revealed the nature of the illness , but did confirm that a pause in vaccination will allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a routine action which has to happen whenever there is a potentially unexplained illness in one of the trials , '' an AstraZeneca spokesperson said in a statement to NPR .
The next step will be to determine if the illness is indeed related to the vaccine , or just a chance event .
The AstraZeneca/Oxford partnership is one of the vaccine development efforts that is furthest along .
The company recently began a Phase 3 trial in the United States that aims to enroll 30,000 volunteers .
The vaccine is what 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When injected into a volunteer , it tricks that person 's cells into making a protein from SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 .
That has the effect of prompting the vaccinated person to have an immune reaction that should be protective if the person were exposed to the coronavirus .
In late July , results of a preliminary safety and effectiveness study found that more than two-thirds of the people who received the experimental vaccine reported fatigue and headache after inoculation .
Muscle ache and fever were also common .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ no `` serious adverse reactions '' among the more than 500 people vaccinated ; most of the effects were `` mild or moderate in severity . ''
In May , the Trump administration awarded the effort up to $ 1.2 billion from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority as part of Operation Warp Speed , the administration 's push to have a widely available coronavirus vaccine by January .
In a statement , AstraZeneca wrote that `` In large trials illnesses will happen by chance but must be independently reviewed to check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expedite the review of the single event to minimize any potential impact on the trial timeline .
We are committed to the safety of our participants and the highest standards of conduct in our trials . ''
The Astra Zeneca/Oxford vaccine candidate is one of nine that have either started or are about to start being tested in large numbers of volunteers around the world .
You can contact NPR science correspondent Joe Palca at jpalca @ npr.org .

COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Paused Due To Illness In Volunteer
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alastair Grant/AP Alastair Grant/AP
Drugmaker AstraZeneca has announced that it is pausing its COVID-19 vaccine trial because of a "potentially unexplained illness" in one of the trial volunteers.
The vaccine was developed by the University of Oxford in partnership with AstraZeneca. It's being studied in thousands of patients in the United States and the United Kingdom. The illness apparently occurred in a U.K. volunteer.
The company hasn't revealed the nature of the illness but did confirm that a pause in vaccination will allow a safety review. "This is a routine action which has to happen whenever there is a potentially unexplained illness in one of the trials," an AstraZeneca spokesperson said in a statement to NPR.
The next step will be to determine whether the illness is related to the vaccine, or just a chance event.
The AstraZeneca/Oxford partnership is one of the vaccine development efforts that is furthest along. The company recently began a Phase 3 trial in the United States that aims to enroll 30,000 volunteers.
The vaccine is what's known as a nonreplicating viral vector vaccine. When injected into a volunteer, it tricks that person's cells into making a protein from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. That has the effect of prompting the vaccinated person to have an immune reaction that should be protective if the person were exposed to the coronavirus.
In late July, results of a preliminary safety and effectiveness study found that more than two-thirds of the people who received the experimental vaccine reported fatigue and headache after inoculation. Muscle ache and fever were also common. But the researchers said that there were no "serious adverse reactions" among the more than 500 people vaccinated; most of the effects were "mild or moderate in severity."
In May, the Trump administration awarded the effort up to $1.2 billion from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority as part of Operation Warp Speed, the administration's push to have a widely available coronavirus vaccine by January.
In a statement, AstraZeneca wrote, "In large trials illnesses will happen by chance but must be independently reviewed to check this carefully. We are working to expedite the review of the single event to minimize any potential impact on the trial timeline. We are committed to the safety of our participants and the highest standards of conduct in our trials."
The AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine candidate is one of nine that have either started or are about to start being tested in large numbers of volunteers around the world.
You can contact NPR science correspondent Joe Palca at jpalca@npr.org.


npr--2020-09-08--The Return Of Colin Kaepernick — To The Madden Franchise

The Return Of Colin Kaepernick — To The Madden Franchise It 's been four long years , but Colin Kaepernick is finally getting the chance to take the field again — this time for any team of your choosing .
Developers at EA Sports , the maker of the ubiquitous Madden NFL franchise , announced Tuesday that gamers will now have the opportunity to add the former superstar quarterback to both its Play Now and Franchise modes .
It 's the latest update for Madden NFL 21 , which was released last month .
Kaepernick has not appeared on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NFL during the 2016 season when he was a member of the San Francisco 49ers .
Kaepernick , a once-electrifying , dual-threat quarterback who was perhaps more dangerous running the ball than he was throwing it to receivers downfield , essentially became blackballed after he began kneeling during the playing of `` The Star-Spangled Banner '' in 2016 .
He has maintained the gesture was to call attention to racial injustices , including brutality by police against communities of color and not meant as a sign of disrespect for America 's service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some have suggested .
In announcing the move , EA Sports called Kaepernick `` a starting-caliber quarterback , '' according to a statement posted to Twitter .
`` Knowing that our EA Sports experiences are platforms for players to create , we want to make Madden NFL a place that reflects Colin 's position and talent , rates him as a starting QB , and empowers our fans to express their hopes for the future of football , '' the statement said .
`` We 've worked with Colin to make this possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to all of you today . ''
As NFL.com points out , Kaepernick has an overall rating of 81 .
That places him ahead of current starting quarterbacks Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns , Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders and Ryan Tannehill of the Tennessee Titans and 2015 league MVP Cam Newton now with the New England Patriots .
Kaepernick has fallen from his peak rating of an overall 89 in the anniversary Madden 25 released in 2013 and in Madden 15 , according to The Undefeated .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EA Sports previously removed references to Kaepernick in two songs that were on the game 's soundtracks in Madden 18 and Madden 19 respectively .
Officials with EA alluded to this point it its Tuesday announcement , adding `` We 've had a long relationship with Colin through Madden NFL and worked through our past soundtrack mistakes . ''
In 2018 , EA Sports called it an `` unfortunate mistake '' that Kaepernick 's name was edited out of songs .
It blamed the error on company employees ' misunderstanding that while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's image in those versions of the game , the company was not barred from references to him in the game 's music .
`` Members of our team misunderstood the fact that while we do n't have rights to include Colin Kaepernick in the game , this does n't affect soundtracks , '' EA said in an August 2018 tweet .
`` We messed up , and the edit should never have happened . ''
The developers restored the songs in a subsequent update to the game , and also apologized to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Big Sean , the featured artists whose songs were altered .

The Return Of Colin Kaepernick — To The Madden Franchise
Enlarge this image toggle caption Todd Kirkland/AP Todd Kirkland/AP
It's been four long years, but Colin Kaepernick is finally getting the chance to take the field again — this time for any team of your choosing.
Developers at EA Sports, the maker of the ubiquitous Madden NFL franchise, announced Tuesday that gamers will now have the opportunity to add the former superstar quarterback to both its Play Now and Franchise modes. It's the latest update for Madden NFL 21, which was released last month.
Kaepernick has not appeared on the video game since he last played in the NFL during the 2016 season when he was a member of the San Francisco 49ers.
Kaepernick, a once-electrifying, dual-threat quarterback who was perhaps more dangerous running the ball than he was throwing it to receivers downfield, essentially became blackballed after he began kneeling during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" in 2016.
He has maintained the gesture was to call attention to racial injustices, including brutality by police against communities of color and not meant as a sign of disrespect for America's service members or the U.S. flag, as some have suggested.
In announcing the move, EA Sports called Kaepernick "a starting-caliber quarterback," according to a statement posted to Twitter.
"Knowing that our EA Sports experiences are platforms for players to create, we want to make Madden NFL a place that reflects Colin's position and talent, rates him as a starting QB, and empowers our fans to express their hopes for the future of football," the statement said.
"We've worked with Colin to make this possible, and we're excited to bring it to all of you today."
As NFL.com points out, Kaepernick has an overall rating of 81. That places him ahead of current starting quarterbacks Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns, Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders and Ryan Tannehill of the Tennessee Titans and 2015 league MVP Cam Newton now with the New England Patriots.
Kaepernick has fallen from his peak rating of an overall 89 in the anniversary Madden 25 released in 2013 and in Madden 15, according to The Undefeated.
The sports and culture website also points out EA Sports previously removed references to Kaepernick in two songs that were on the game's soundtracks in Madden 18 and Madden 19 respectively.
Officials with EA alluded to this point it its Tuesday announcement, adding "We've had a long relationship with Colin through Madden NFL and worked through our past soundtrack mistakes."
In 2018, EA Sports called it an "unfortunate mistake" that Kaepernick's name was edited out of songs.
It blamed the error on company employees' misunderstanding that while the game was not licensed to use Kaepernick's image in those versions of the game, the company was not barred from references to him in the game's music.
"Members of our team misunderstood the fact that while we don't have rights to include Colin Kaepernick in the game, this doesn't affect soundtracks," EA said in an August 2018 tweet. "We messed up, and the edit should never have happened."
The developers restored the songs in a subsequent update to the game, and also apologized to Kaepernick as well as to rappers YG and Big Sean, the featured artists whose songs were altered.


npr--2020-09-09--Los Angeles County Issues Guidance Discouraging Trick Or Treating This Halloween

Face coverings instead of costume masks .
Virtual pumpkin-carving parties .
No trick or treating .
As fall approaches , health officials in California 's most populous county are asking residents to plan for an unusual Halloween .
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Wednesday released guidance to help families plan for a pandemic-safe Halloween , discouraging traditional festivities and recommending socially distant alternatives .
Officials had released guidance on Tuesday that strictly prohibited trick or treating , but updated it to distinguish between activities that are banned under the county 's health order and those that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falls in the latter category .
Dr. Barbara Ferrer , the county 's public health director , said at a press briefing Wednesday there is no way to guarantee trick or treating can be done safely , and described the public health guidance as `` very sensible . ''
`` Trick or treating , we 're highly recommending that it not happen , '' she said .
`` We do n't think it 's an appropriate activity during a pandemic . ''
Wednesday 's guidance stresses that Halloween gatherings , carnivals , festivals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not allowed this year .
The county 's health order prohibits any gatherings or events with non-household members , even outdoors .
The guidance also advises against door-to-door and car-to-car trick or treating , noting it is difficult to avoid crowding and sharing food in those situations .
`` Door to door trick or treating is not recommended because it can be very difficult to maintain proper social distancing on porches and at front doors , ensure that everyone answering or coming to the door is appropriately masked to prevent disease spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the document reads .
Instead , officials recommend residents celebrate Halloween online or from a safe distance .
Suggestions include holding parties and activities like pumpkin carving and costume contests virtually and participating in drive-by events or festive car parades .
Revelers can also safely attend Halloween-themed events at places like drive-in theaters and outdoor restaurants and museums , in compliance with public health guidance .
And of course , officials say , people can still dress up their homes and yards with spooky decorations .
The National Confectioners Association — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lucrative — responded to the county 's guidance in a statement on Wednesday , saying it `` could have included a more creative and safe approach to trick-or-treating . ''
`` Halloween is happening , '' the association declared , even if it looks a little different this year .
While Halloween itself is not quite canceled , some of its most high-profile events have been : Universal Studios canceled its Halloween Horror Nights in California and Florida , the Halloween International Film Festival has gone virtual and Knott 's Berry Farm in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And on Wednesday , organizers of New York 's Greenwich Village Halloween Parade — which typically draws some 50,000 marchers to Sixth Avenue — said this year 's event will not take place .
Los Angeles County seems to be the first to issue official health department guidance for safely celebrating Halloween .
Federal health officials have not yet weighed in , though some lawmakers have asked them to do so .
A bipartisan group of members of Congress sent a letter last month urging Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leadership to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considerations for COVID-19 , according to The Hill .
They specifically asked the CDC to comment publicly on the advisability of activities like video costume parties , drive-through trick or treat events and dropping off packages of treats for friends and neighbors .
`` With the appropriate guidance from the CDC , '' they wrote , `` Americans can celebrate Halloween throughout the month of October in ways that prioritize community safety and adhere to rigorous socially distancing requirements . ''

Los Angeles County Issues Guidance Discouraging Trick Or Treating This Halloween
Enlarge this image toggle caption Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Face coverings instead of costume masks. Virtual pumpkin-carving parties. No trick or treating. As fall approaches, health officials in California's most populous county are asking residents to plan for an unusual Halloween.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Wednesday released guidance to help families plan for a pandemic-safe Halloween, discouraging traditional festivities and recommending socially distant alternatives.
Officials had released guidance on Tuesday that strictly prohibited trick or treating, but updated it to distinguish between activities that are banned under the county's health order and those that are not recommended. Trick or treating falls in the latter category.
Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the county's public health director, said at a press briefing Wednesday there is no way to guarantee trick or treating can be done safely, and described the public health guidance as "very sensible."
"Trick or treating, we're highly recommending that it not happen," she said. "We don't think it's an appropriate activity during a pandemic."
Wednesday's guidance stresses that Halloween gatherings, carnivals, festivals, live entertainment and haunted house attractions are not allowed this year. The county's health order prohibits any gatherings or events with non-household members, even outdoors.
The guidance also advises against door-to-door and car-to-car trick or treating, noting it is difficult to avoid crowding and sharing food in those situations.
"Door to door trick or treating is not recommended because it can be very difficult to maintain proper social distancing on porches and at front doors, ensure that everyone answering or coming to the door is appropriately masked to prevent disease spread, and because sharing food is risky," the document reads.
Instead, officials recommend residents celebrate Halloween online or from a safe distance.
Suggestions include holding parties and activities like pumpkin carving and costume contests virtually and participating in drive-by events or festive car parades.
Revelers can also safely attend Halloween-themed events at places like drive-in theaters and outdoor restaurants and museums, in compliance with public health guidance.
And of course, officials say, people can still dress up their homes and yards with spooky decorations.
The National Confectioners Association — for whom the Halloween season is considerably lucrative — responded to the county's guidance in a statement on Wednesday, saying it "could have included a more creative and safe approach to trick-or-treating."
"Halloween is happening," the association declared, even if it looks a little different this year.
While Halloween itself is not quite canceled, some of its most high-profile events have been: Universal Studios canceled its Halloween Horror Nights in California and Florida, the Halloween International Film Festival has gone virtual and Knott's Berry Farm in California nixed its popular Halloween Haunt.
And on Wednesday, organizers of New York's Greenwich Village Halloween Parade — which typically draws some 50,000 marchers to Sixth Avenue — said this year's event will not take place.
Los Angeles County seems to be the first to issue official health department guidance for safely celebrating Halloween.
Federal health officials have not yet weighed in, though some lawmakers have asked them to do so.
A bipartisan group of members of Congress sent a letter last month urging Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leadership to update its Halloween safety guidance to include considerations for COVID-19, according to The Hill.
They specifically asked the CDC to comment publicly on the advisability of activities like video costume parties, drive-through trick or treat events and dropping off packages of treats for friends and neighbors.
"With the appropriate guidance from the CDC," they wrote, "Americans can celebrate Halloween throughout the month of October in ways that prioritize community safety and adhere to rigorous socially distancing requirements."


npr--2020-09-09--Fires Gut Europe's Largest Migrant Camp On The Greek Island Of Lesbos

Fires Gut Europe 's Largest Migrant Camp On The Greek Island Of Lesbos Several swift fires gutted Europe 's largest refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos , sending 12,000 asylum-seekers scrambling for emergency shelter .
The camp , named Moria , after a nearby village tucked into olive groves , was already notorious because of its horrific conditions , which included severe overcrowding , poor sanitation and lack of soap and water taps .
Asylum-seekers at the camp often lined up for hours for food that was often spoiled .
A state of emergency has been declared on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attributed to the fire but some people experienced breathing problems because of smoke inhalation .
It 's unclear what sparked the fires but Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi told reporters that they `` began with asylum seekers '' after at least 35 COVID-19 cases were confirmed at the camp .
He said some asylum-seekers who tested positive for the virus did not want to be quarantined .
In a televised address , Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that he understands the `` difficult conditions '' at the camp but that there 's no excuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health protocols and checks due to COVID . ''
Asylum-seekers who fled Moria camp told NPR that while there was some resistance to quarantine , `` we would not set fire to our own homes , '' said Omid Alizadah , a 30-year-old pharmacist from Afghanistan who lived in a tent with his wife and four-year-old son .
`` We would not endanger our own lives and the lives of our children . ''
Alizadah leads the Moria Corona Awareness Team , a refugee-led group that educates camp residents about how to best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family pitched their tent in an overflow area at an olive grove next to the camp , which was designed for fewer than 3,000 people but now holds more than 12,000 .
The family fled as soon as the first fires broke out on Tuesday night and did n't returned because police blocked off access .
A neighbor told him that his tent was largely spared .
He 's now sheltering with relatives .
`` I would like to think that the Greek government will put us somewhere human after this , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` If the only option for me is to go back to a tent surrounded by burnt trees , I will go .
I do n't have a choice . ''
Amelia Cooper of the Lesbos Legal Center , which assists refugees with asylum issues , told NPR that many of the center 's clients — including several unaccompanied minors — ended up spending the night outside — along the road or in a nearby forest .
She said they had no access to food , water or hygiene facilities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the response , about what comes next , '' she said .
`` The overwhelming sentiment that has been shared with us is that this was inevitable , that the residents are subjected to a slow death every day , and that this fire was far from a surprise . ''
Ra'ed Alabed , a 45-year-old Syrian , is now sheltering with friends along with his daughter , son-in-law and four-month-old granddaughter .
The fires destroyed their tents .
`` We do n't know what will happen to us , '' Alabed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the European people will show some humanity and help us .
We are not animals . ''
Alabed runs the Moria White Helmets , a group of independent volunteers in the camp that specialize in safety issues .
He helped his neighbors escape during the fire .
Cooper of the Lesbos Legal Center said Moria camp did not have a fire evacuation plan .
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that she is `` deeply sorrowed '' by the fires at the refugee camp and is sending a vice president , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as possible .
Meanwhile , EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson says Brussels will pay for the transfer of 400 unaccompanied minors to shelter in mainland Greece .
EU member-states have agreed to eventually take in those minors .
Johansson says the EU will also pay for a ship to house refugees displaced by the fire .
Moria camp has been the European Union 's main refugee camp since 2015 , when more than 850,000 asylum-seekers — most of them from Syria , Iraq and Afghanistan — crossed the sea from Turkey to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some 300,000 have arrived even after EU borders closed and Brussels partnered with Turkey to keep migrants from crossing .
As the EU closed its doors to migrants , those who crossed got stuck in camps like Moria , which sometimes held more than 21,000 people — more than seven times its capacity .
`` There is no place in the world worse than Moria camp , '' says Omid Alizadah , the Afghan pharmacist who fled the camp during the fire .
`` It is the worst place I have seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes out alive from Moria camp is a hero . ''

Fires Gut Europe's Largest Migrant Camp On The Greek Island Of Lesbos
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP via Getty Images Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP via Getty Images
Several swift fires gutted Europe's largest refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, sending 12,000 asylum-seekers scrambling for emergency shelter.
The camp, named Moria, after a nearby village tucked into olive groves, was already notorious because of its horrific conditions, which included severe overcrowding, poor sanitation and lack of soap and water taps. Asylum-seekers at the camp often lined up for hours for food that was often spoiled.
A state of emergency has been declared on the island. No deaths have been attributed to the fire but some people experienced breathing problems because of smoke inhalation.
It's unclear what sparked the fires but Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi told reporters that they "began with asylum seekers" after at least 35 COVID-19 cases were confirmed at the camp. He said some asylum-seekers who tested positive for the virus did not want to be quarantined.
In a televised address, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that he understands the "difficult conditions" at the camp but that there's no excuse "for the violent reactions to strict health protocols and checks due to COVID."
Asylum-seekers who fled Moria camp told NPR that while there was some resistance to quarantine, "we would not set fire to our own homes," said Omid Alizadah, a 30-year-old pharmacist from Afghanistan who lived in a tent with his wife and four-year-old son. "We would not endanger our own lives and the lives of our children."
Alizadah leads the Moria Corona Awareness Team, a refugee-led group that educates camp residents about how to best protect against COVID-19. He and his family pitched their tent in an overflow area at an olive grove next to the camp, which was designed for fewer than 3,000 people but now holds more than 12,000.
The family fled as soon as the first fires broke out on Tuesday night and didn't returned because police blocked off access. A neighbor told him that his tent was largely spared. He's now sheltering with relatives.
"I would like to think that the Greek government will put us somewhere human after this, but I don't know," he said. "If the only option for me is to go back to a tent surrounded by burnt trees, I will go. I don't have a choice."
Amelia Cooper of the Lesbos Legal Center, which assists refugees with asylum issues, told NPR that many of the center's clients — including several unaccompanied minors — ended up spending the night outside — along the road or in a nearby forest. She said they had no access to food, water or hygiene facilities.
"There's also lack of information about the response, about what comes next," she said. "The overwhelming sentiment that has been shared with us is that this was inevitable, that the residents are subjected to a slow death every day, and that this fire was far from a surprise."
Ra'ed Alabed, a 45-year-old Syrian, is now sheltering with friends along with his daughter, son-in-law and four-month-old granddaughter. The fires destroyed their tents.
"We don't know what will happen to us," Alabed said. "We are hoping that the European people will show some humanity and help us. We are not animals."
Alabed runs the Moria White Helmets, a group of independent volunteers in the camp that specialize in safety issues. He helped his neighbors escape during the fire.
Cooper of the Lesbos Legal Center said Moria camp did not have a fire evacuation plan.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that she is "deeply sorrowed" by the fires at the refugee camp and is sending a vice president, Margaritis Schinas, to Greece as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson says Brussels will pay for the transfer of 400 unaccompanied minors to shelter in mainland Greece. EU member-states have agreed to eventually take in those minors. Johansson says the EU will also pay for a ship to house refugees displaced by the fire.
Moria camp has been the European Union's main refugee camp since 2015, when more than 850,000 asylum-seekers — most of them from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan — crossed the sea from Turkey to the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. Some 300,000 have arrived even after EU borders closed and Brussels partnered with Turkey to keep migrants from crossing. As the EU closed its doors to migrants, those who crossed got stuck in camps like Moria, which sometimes held more than 21,000 people — more than seven times its capacity.
"There is no place in the world worse than Moria camp," says Omid Alizadah, the Afghan pharmacist who fled the camp during the fire. "It is the worst place I have seen in my entire life. Anyone who comes out alive from Moria camp is a hero."