npr--2020-02-21--Iranians Vote In Parliamentary Election, After 1 Week Of Campaigning

Iranians Vote In Parliamentary Election , After 1 Week Of Campaigning Iran is holding national elections Friday , as voters choose members of parliament from a list of candidates winnowed down to feature hardliners and conservatives .
Midterm elections are also being held for the Assembly of Experts , the clerics who have the power to select the country 's supreme leader .
More than 15,000 would-be candidates had sought to win a four-year term in parliament , officially called the Islamic Consultative Assembly , or Majlis .
But the powerful Guardian Council , which vets all candidates , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many of those who were culled were reformist or moderate candidates .
Dozens of them are current members of parliament who are now barred from seeking reelection .
That left more than 7,000 candidates standing for election to Iran 's 290-seat parliament .
`` This weeding out on ideological terms is quite frustrating for Iranian voters here in the capital , especially , '' NPR 's Peter Kenyon reports from Tehran .
`` They 've long wanted parliament to follow more moderate policies , both at home and abroad . ''
Kenyon spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't plan to vote because they do n't believe the candidates would do anything to improve the lives of regular people .
`` Unfortunately not , '' a 25-year-old man named Qassem told Kenyon outside a café .
`` Because I do n't see any future in these elections .
So because of that , I wo n't go . ''
In previous parliamentary elections , Iran 's Guardian Council has rejected between 15 % and 50 % of the candidates who registered , Iran 's government-backed Press TV reports .
But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is probably the biggest since the Islamic Revolution in 1979 . ''
Iran 's reformers want the country to have a more open society and allow its citizens to have more freedom of expression — and even dissent , Kenyon says .
`` Instead , as we saw in November , there was a violent crackdown against demonstrators who were protesting sharp price hikes in essential goods , '' he adds .
Moderates and hardliners are also divided over the role Iran should play in the Persian Gulf , and what kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arabia , Kenyon says .
The candidates who were approved to run in Friday 's election had just one week to make their case to the public .
Under Iran 's election system , candidates have seven days to campaign .
That period ended early Thursday ; the country then entered a 24-hour quiet period before polling stations opened Friday morning .
The vote is being watched closely for any insights into how Iranians view their country 's future and whether they want the government to take a more hard-line stance against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter turnout , also could signal what Iran 's presidential election next year will look like .
Even after the election , the legislature will remain under the broader government 's control .
As the Islamic Republic News Agency says : `` The Majlis has no legal status without the Guardian Council .
Any bill passed by the Majlis must be reviewed and approved by the Guardian Council to become law . ''
The election is taking place less than two months after the U.S. carried out the targeted drone killing of Iranian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's also Iran 's biggest election since President Trump abandoned an international nuclear deal with Tehran and renewed U.S. economic sanctions on Iran .
Iran 's supreme leader , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , urged people to exercise their right to vote Friday , calling election day a national holiday and saying , `` Moreover , voting is a religious duty . ''

Iranians Vote In Parliamentary Election, After 1 Week Of Campaigning
Enlarge this image toggle caption Marjan Yazdi for NPR Marjan Yazdi for NPR
Iran is holding national elections Friday, as voters choose members of parliament from a list of candidates winnowed down to feature hardliners and conservatives. Midterm elections are also being held for the Assembly of Experts, the clerics who have the power to select the country's supreme leader.
More than 15,000 would-be candidates had sought to win a four-year term in parliament, officially called the Islamic Consultative Assembly, or Majlis. But the powerful Guardian Council, which vets all candidates, has disqualified thousands of people from running. Many of those who were culled were reformist or moderate candidates. Dozens of them are current members of parliament who are now barred from seeking reelection.
That left more than 7,000 candidates standing for election to Iran's 290-seat parliament.
"This weeding out on ideological terms is quite frustrating for Iranian voters here in the capital, especially," NPR's Peter Kenyon reports from Tehran. "They've long wanted parliament to follow more moderate policies, both at home and abroad."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Marjan Yazdi for NPR Marjan Yazdi for NPR
Kenyon spoke to young Iranians who said they don't plan to vote because they don't believe the candidates would do anything to improve the lives of regular people.
"Unfortunately not," a 25-year-old man named Qassem told Kenyon outside a café. "Because I don't see any future in these elections. So because of that, I won't go."
In previous parliamentary elections, Iran's Guardian Council has rejected between 15% and 50% of the candidates who registered, Iran's government-backed Press TV reports. But it adds that "this year's purge is probably the biggest since the Islamic Revolution in 1979."
Iran's reformers want the country to have a more open society and allow its citizens to have more freedom of expression — and even dissent, Kenyon says.
"Instead, as we saw in November, there was a violent crackdown against demonstrators who were protesting sharp price hikes in essential goods," he adds.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Marjan Yazdi for NPR Marjan Yazdi for NPR
Moderates and hardliners are also divided over the role Iran should play in the Persian Gulf, and what kind of relationship it should have with archrival Saudi Arabia, Kenyon says.
The candidates who were approved to run in Friday's election had just one week to make their case to the public. Under Iran's election system, candidates have seven days to campaign. That period ended early Thursday; the country then entered a 24-hour quiet period before polling stations opened Friday morning.
The vote is being watched closely for any insights into how Iranians view their country's future and whether they want the government to take a more hard-line stance against the U.S. The outcome, and especially voter turnout, also could signal what Iran's presidential election next year will look like.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Marjan Yazdi for NPR Marjan Yazdi for NPR
Even after the election, the legislature will remain under the broader government's control. As the Islamic Republic News Agency says: "The Majlis has no legal status without the Guardian Council. Any bill passed by the Majlis must be reviewed and approved by the Guardian Council to become law."
The election is taking place less than two months after the U.S. carried out the targeted drone killing of Iranian military commander Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. It's also Iran's biggest election since President Trump abandoned an international nuclear deal with Tehran and renewed U.S. economic sanctions on Iran.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged people to exercise their right to vote Friday, calling election day a national holiday and saying, "Moreover, voting is a religious duty."


npr--2020-02-21--U.S., Afghanistan And Taliban Announce 7-Day 'Reduction In Violence'

U.S. , Afghanistan And Taliban Announce 7-Day 'Reduction In Violence' Updated at 8:57 a.m .
ET Afghan forces , the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan and the Taliban militia will begin a seven-day `` reduction in violence '' across the country beginning Saturday midnight local time ( 2:30 p.m .
ET Friday ) — a possible prelude to a broader peace deal following two decades of war , according to U.S. and Afghan officials .
The quasi cease-fire was hammered out during protracted negotiations in Qatar that began in 2018 .
It could ultimately lead to a significant reduction of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We are preparing for the signing ( of the agreement ) to take place on February 29 , '' U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement early Friday .
`` Intra-Afghan negotiations will start soon thereafter , and will build on this fundamental step to deliver a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire and the future political roadmap for Afghanistan . ''
Javid Faisal , spokesperson for the Afghan National Security Adviser , speaking to Reuters , said : `` Based on the plan , the reduction in violence will start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security forces for one week . ''
`` We hope it is extended for a longer time and opens the way for a cease-fire and intra-Afghan talks , '' he added .
Jens Stoltenberg , NATO 's secretary general , called the agreement `` a critical test of the Taliban 's willingness and ability to reduce violence , and contribute to peace in good faith . ''
`` This could pave the way for negotiations among Afghans , sustainable peace , and ensuring the country is never again a safe haven for terrorists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , noting that NATO currently has 16,000 troops in Afghanistan .
If deemed a success , the weeklong reduction in violence , or RIV , which will be monitored by U.S. forces , will lead next to the Feb. 29 signing in Qatar between U.S. Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban .
That deal is aimed at a phased American military withdrawal — including cease-fires and talks between the Taliban and other Afghans on the future of the country .
It is a complicated balancing act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Afghan government have said they are committed to making it succeed .
The initial agreement was hammered out by Khalilzad and the Taliban over months of negotiations in Doha .
The U.S. and Taliban had reached an agreement last summer , but President Trump walked away from it before it could go into effect after a U.S. service member was killed in a car bombing in Kabul .
The Taliban had previously refused to talk directly to the Kabul government , led by President Ashraf Ghani , which they denounced as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that Afghan security forces would continue normal operations against other terrorist groups , such as the Islamic State , and would respond if the Taliban violated the RIV agreement .
`` Local government and security officials have been instructed by the president himself on how to follow the regulations agreed upon for the RIV period , '' he told Reuters .

U.S., Afghanistan And Taliban Announce 7-Day 'Reduction In Violence'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Karim Jaafar /AFP via Getty Images Karim Jaafar /AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 8:57 a.m. ET
Afghan forces, the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan and the Taliban militia will begin a seven-day "reduction in violence" across the country beginning Saturday midnight local time (2:30 p.m. ET Friday) — a possible prelude to a broader peace deal following two decades of war, according to U.S. and Afghan officials.
The quasi cease-fire was hammered out during protracted negotiations in Qatar that began in 2018. It could ultimately lead to a significant reduction of the approximately 12,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
"We are preparing for the signing (of the agreement) to take place on February 29," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement early Friday. "Intra-Afghan negotiations will start soon thereafter, and will build on this fundamental step to deliver a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire and the future political roadmap for Afghanistan."
Javid Faisal, spokesperson for the Afghan National Security Adviser, speaking to Reuters, said: "Based on the plan, the reduction in violence will start between the Taliban and international and Afghan security forces for one week."
"We hope it is extended for a longer time and opens the way for a cease-fire and intra-Afghan talks," he added.
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's secretary general, called the agreement "a critical test of the Taliban's willingness and ability to reduce violence, and contribute to peace in good faith."
"This could pave the way for negotiations among Afghans, sustainable peace, and ensuring the country is never again a safe haven for terrorists," Stoltenberg said in a statement, noting that NATO currently has 16,000 troops in Afghanistan.
If deemed a success, the weeklong reduction in violence, or RIV, which will be monitored by U.S. forces, will lead next to the Feb. 29 signing in Qatar between U.S. Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban. That deal is aimed at a phased American military withdrawal — including cease-fires and talks between the Taliban and other Afghans on the future of the country.
It is a complicated balancing act, but the U.S., the Taliban and the Afghan government have said they are committed to making it succeed.
The initial agreement was hammered out by Khalilzad and the Taliban over months of negotiations in Doha. The U.S. and Taliban had reached an agreement last summer, but President Trump walked away from it before it could go into effect after a U.S. service member was killed in a car bombing in Kabul.
The Taliban had previously refused to talk directly to the Kabul government, led by President Ashraf Ghani, which they denounced as a U.S. puppet.
The spokesman Faisal said that Afghan security forces would continue normal operations against other terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State, and would respond if the Taliban violated the RIV agreement.
"Local government and security officials have been instructed by the president himself on how to follow the regulations agreed upon for the RIV period," he told Reuters.


npr--2020-02-22--Survival Of The Friendliest: How Our Close Friendships Help Us Thrive

Survival Of The Friendliest : How Our Close Friendships Help Us Thrive Lydia Denworth wants you to make more time for your friends .
We do n't fully appreciate our friendships , says the science writer and author of the new book Friendship : The Evolution , Biology , and Extraordinary Power of Life 's Fundamental Bond .
If we did , we 'd take cultivating those intimate bonds as seriously as working out or eating well .
Because , she writes , a new field of science is revealing that social connections play a vital role in our health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four very close relationships , Denworth finds , and very few people can sustain more than six .
But the effect of these few core relationships extends beyond our social lives , influencing our health on the cellular level — from our immune system to our cardiovascular system .
Denworth spoke with NPR about the science of friendship and its underestimated value to kids and adults and even for other species like sheep and fish .
( Although she 's frequently asked about human-animal friendships , Denworth sticks to bonds within one species @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been edited for clarity and length .
What is most misunderstood about friendships ?
Very few people understand that your social relationships can actually change your health .
They can change your cardiovascular system , your immune system , how you sleep , your cognitive health .
How could this thing that exists entirely outside the body affect whether you 're likely to catch a virus ?
And yet that 's exactly what we now know that social connection does .
We thought of loneliness as this difficult emotion , but just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends as this lovely thing — but it is actually a matter of life and death .
And there 's this evolutionary drive to connect .
People think all the time about competition and survival of the fittest , but really it 's survival of the friendliest .
Is friendship just something humans do , or do we see it in other species ?
What has been surprising to evolutionary biologists is just how much friendship exists across species .
They have found something that looks like friendship in dolphins , and elephants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hyenas and all kinds of species .
Even fish — their brains respond to familiar fish versus strange fish in ways that look a lot like what goes on in our brains .
Understanding that tells you there 's this much larger story than just human culture .
And that 's what people thought friendship was : a product of human culture and language .
But now we understand that it is universal .
Are bonds with friends different from bonds with romantic or sexual partners ?
Or bonds with family ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's all that unique .
We generally think of friends as people we do n't have sex with and to whom we 're not related .
But the truth is that in this new science and in fact the way we live our lives , those lines are blurred .
I think of friendship now as a template for all your relationships , because if you think about the sort of basic definition of friendship — it makes you feel good , it 's positive , a long-lasting stable relationship , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — that 's what you want to be striving for in your closest relationships .
And that can be with your spouse or your sibling or a relative , but not always .
What matters is the quality of the bond , not its origin .
The standard line is that women do friendship face-to-face and men do it side by side , meaning women spend their time talking and men do things together .
And there 's truth to that , but when you ask men how much they value friendship , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most part .
The similarities are greater than the differences between men and women .
One of your chapters focuses on the social aspect of middle school .
How did researching that affect your thinking as a parent ?
The middle school thing , it 's such a crucible .
And it really is true : Middle school is about lunch .
Most parents thinking about their kids going into middle school , they do know that socially it can be a very difficult time , but they do n't necessarily think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course of a day .
[ Realizing ] that crystallized to me this idea that friendship really , really matters in kids ' lives , and we are falling down on the job , as parents and teachers , if we are n't fully understanding that .
Things that I might have said no to before , I am more likely to say yes to now , if it means that my kids are going to be with their good friends .
Is social media helping or hurting our friendships ?
Friendship is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media .
In terms of relationships and connectivity and networks , it 's a positive .
The place where it is hard on relationships is when you 're face-to-face and instead of looking at your friends , you 're looking at your phone .
Looking at a person face-to-face , in person , your brain responds differently even if you look at that same person on a screen , and certainly if you 're online and not looking at their face .
There 's all this talk about the word `` friend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using [ the term ] , but I do n't really think that 's true .
We know who our really good friends are , whether we 're online with them or offline .
Do you see friendship taken for granted in the world around you ?
I do .
Friendship is so familiar that we think we know all about it , but we do n't fully appreciate it .
We think it 's pleasurable and fun , but friends are often the first thing to go when you 're busy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ your friends .
I was guilty myself of passing a friend on the street corner here in Brooklyn and saying , `` Let 's definitely get together , '' and then not .
We are so achievement driven in so much of what we do .
I think it 's healthy to be reminded that time with other people really matters .
How did writing this book make you think differently about your own friendships ?
It 's made me prioritize them more .
The message is not that I want people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am hoping that people feel this is giving them permission to make friends a priority .
To spend time with their friends and to know that when they do , they 're doing something good for their own health and for their friends ' health , and I 've taken that to heart .
Elena Renken is an intern on the NPR science desk .

Survival Of The Friendliest: How Our Close Friendships Help Us Thrive
Enlarge this image toggle caption Muaz Bin Saat/EyeEm/Getty Images Muaz Bin Saat/EyeEm/Getty Images
Lydia Denworth wants you to make more time for your friends.
We don't fully appreciate our friendships, says the science writer and author of the new book Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life's Fundamental Bond. If we did, we'd take cultivating those intimate bonds as seriously as working out or eating well. Because, she writes, a new field of science is revealing that social connections play a vital role in our health.
On average, people have only four very close relationships, Denworth finds, and very few people can sustain more than six. But the effect of these few core relationships extends beyond our social lives, influencing our health on the cellular level — from our immune system to our cardiovascular system.
Denworth spoke with NPR about the science of friendship and its underestimated value to kids and adults and even for other species like sheep and fish. (Although she's frequently asked about human-animal friendships, Denworth sticks to bonds within one species in the book.)
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
What is most misunderstood about friendships?
Very few people understand that your social relationships can actually change your health. They can change your cardiovascular system, your immune system, how you sleep, your cognitive health. How could this thing that exists entirely outside the body affect whether you're likely to catch a virus? And yet that's exactly what we now know that social connection does. We thought of loneliness as this difficult emotion, but just an emotion. And we think of friends as this lovely thing — but it is actually a matter of life and death. And there's this evolutionary drive to connect. People think all the time about competition and survival of the fittest, but really it's survival of the friendliest.
Is friendship just something humans do, or do we see it in other species?
"People think all the time about competition and survival of the fittest, but really it's survival of the friendliest."
What has been surprising to evolutionary biologists is just how much friendship exists across species. They have found something that looks like friendship in dolphins, and elephants, and horses, and zebras, and hyenas and all kinds of species. Even fish — their brains respond to familiar fish versus strange fish in ways that look a lot like what goes on in our brains. Understanding that tells you there's this much larger story than just human culture. And that's what people thought friendship was: a product of human culture and language. But now we understand that it is universal.
Are bonds with friends different from bonds with romantic or sexual partners? Or bonds with family?
I don't actually think that it's all that unique. We generally think of friends as people we don't have sex with and to whom we're not related. But the truth is that in this new science and in fact the way we live our lives, those lines are blurred. I think of friendship now as a template for all your relationships, because if you think about the sort of basic definition of friendship — it makes you feel good, it's positive, a long-lasting stable relationship, and it has some cooperation and reciprocity to it — that's what you want to be striving for in your closest relationships. And that can be with your spouse or your sibling or a relative, but not always. What matters is the quality of the bond, not its origin.
Does gender play a role in friendships?
The standard line is that women do friendship face-to-face and men do it side by side, meaning women spend their time talking and men do things together. And there's truth to that, but when you ask men how much they value friendship, their answers are the same, for the most part. The similarities are greater than the differences between men and women.
One of your chapters focuses on the social aspect of middle school. How did researching that affect your thinking as a parent?
The middle school thing, it's such a crucible. And it really is true: Middle school is about lunch. Most parents thinking about their kids going into middle school, they do know that socially it can be a very difficult time, but they don't necessarily think about how that plays out in the course of a day. [Realizing] that crystallized to me this idea that friendship really, really matters in kids' lives, and we are falling down on the job, as parents and teachers, if we aren't fully understanding that. Things that I might have said no to before, I am more likely to say yes to now, if it means that my kids are going to be with their good friends.
Is social media helping or hurting our friendships?
Friendship is alive and well in the age of social media. In terms of relationships and connectivity and networks, it's a positive. The place where it is hard on relationships is when you're face-to-face and instead of looking at your friends, you're looking at your phone. Looking at a person face-to-face, in person, your brain responds differently even if you look at that same person on a screen, and certainly if you're online and not looking at their face. There's all this talk about the word "friend" being devalued by things like Facebook using [the term], but I don't really think that's true. We know who our really good friends are, whether we're online with them or offline.
Do you see friendship taken for granted in the world around you?
I do. Friendship is so familiar that we think we know all about it, but we don't fully appreciate it. We think it's pleasurable and fun, but friends are often the first thing to go when you're busy. Or you fall in love and ditch your friends. I was guilty myself of passing a friend on the street corner here in Brooklyn and saying, "Let's definitely get together," and then not. We are so achievement driven in so much of what we do. I think it's healthy to be reminded that time with other people really matters.
How did writing this book make you think differently about your own friendships?
It's made me prioritize them more. The message is not that I want people to think of friendship as another chore. I am hoping that people feel this is giving them permission to make friends a priority. To spend time with their friends and to know that when they do, they're doing something good for their own health and for their friends' health, and I've taken that to heart.
Elena Renken is an intern on the NPR science desk.


npr--2020-02-22--Who Should Decide What Books Are Allowed In Prison?

Who Should Decide What Books Are Allowed In Prison ?
Michael Tafolla says the books he read in prison helped him understand how he had landed there in the first place .
He remembers one especially eye-opening title : Illegal : Reflections of an Undocumented Immigrant .
`` The main topic of this book is how a human being is reduced to an action that 's perceived by others to be wrong , '' Tafolla says .
`` And therefore he is not a human being , but he is a walking , talking , breathing crime act . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 .
Not long after , in January 2019 , officials at the Illinois prison censored Illegal and about 200 other books , removing them from the library of a college-in-prison program .
Officials were concerned about `` racially motivated '' material , according to documents obtained by Illinois Public Media .
Experts say this is just one example of the kind of arbitrary book censorship that incarcerated people face nationwide — censorship that can make it harder to get an education behind bars .
`` It 's so important for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have access to materials that give them hope and a reason to want to be part of society again , to want to engage , to see the future , '' says Rebecca Ginsburg of the Education Justice Project .
She says she was shocked and angry when she learned the books had been removed from her program 's library at Danville .
A recent report from PEN America , a nonprofit that advocates for free expression , found that book censorship in U.S. prisons represents `` the largest book ban policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while censorship guidelines vary in different prison systems , the restrictions `` are often arbitrary , overbroad , opaque , [ and ] subject to little meaningful review . ''
In Kansas , state prisons do n't allow Angie Thomas ' young adult novel , The Hate U Give , or Toni Morrison 's The Bluest Eye — but they do allow Adolf Hitler 's Mein Kampf .
Texas prisons have censored Alice Walker 's The Color Purple , which won a Pulitzer Prize ; New Hampshire bars Alice Sebold 's The Lovely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ books about learning Arabic , Japanese and American Sign Language .
A 2013 report from the RAND Corporation found that getting an education in prison decreases the likelihood someone will return after they 're released .
The report also found that for every $ 1 spent educating someone in prison , taxpayers save $ 5 on reduced reincarceration costs .
Diana Woodside , director of policy and legislative affairs for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections , says that of course , some reading material should be banned from prisons .
`` There 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ articles in magazines , such as how to strangle someone with your bare hands — that was an actual article in a very popular men 's magazine .
...
There 's also writings that are specific for inmates : how to escape from handcuffs . ''
Woodside points to two common standards for evaluating publications : `` Do they pose a potential threat to the security of the operation of the prisons ?
Or do they contain nudity or sexually explicit materials ? ''
Some publications clearly violate those standards — but Woodside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` There 's a fine line between , you know , imposing our own personal judgment on the quality of the content of that book and making really sound , rational decisions to keep our facilities safe . ''
One of those gray areas is nudity .
Woodside says prison officials in Pennsylvania struggle over whether to allow certain graphic novels , specifically from Japan .
`` It 's called manga .
[ It ] really has really vivid graphic pictures that include sex acts and nudity , '' she says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has nudity if it 's intended for `` sexual gratification , '' Woodside says .
But when it comes to manga , that 's not always an easy call .
`` Is it better to allow it in , or to not allow it ?
Does it really impact the atmosphere of the institution ?
I do n't know the answer to that , '' Woodside says .
`` There 's a lot of inconsistencies .
I would love to see a standard for nudity . ''
Rebecca Ginsburg of the Education Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common themes among the books Danville Correctional Center officials removed from her program 's library .
`` That sent a message to our students , who are predominantly African American men , about the continued power of the prison administration over their lives , '' she says .
In fact , according to PEN America , prison systems frequently censor books about race and criminal justice on the grounds they could be disruptive .
But former EJP student Michael Tafolla says that 's not the effect the books had on him .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why so many of us end up in the predicament of this vicious cycle of mass incarceration , '' he says .
`` And it showed me how we could combat it not by breaking laws , but by empowering our people to be so much more than what we 've been reduced to . ''
After leaving prison , Tafolla , 39 , started working with a nonprofit that helps young people on Chicago 's South Side .
Deborah Caldwell-Stone , director of the American Library Association 's Office for Intellectual Freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important point : Denying incarcerated people broad access to reading materials does n't just interfere with their education .
`` We 're depriving prisoners of materials that they desperately want and need to affirm their humanity , to help them rehabilitate themselves , to occupy their minds and their hearts while they 're in prison , '' she says .
`` Changing culture is very , very difficult '' After a public outcry , the books were returned to the EJP library last summer .
Then , in the fall , the Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy : It now places censorship decisions in the hands of a centralized committee , instead of individual prison officials .
`` Illinois is actually an example of a state that is actually trying to get it right , '' Caldwell-Stone says .
She says the policy revision looks like an improvement , but only `` if it 's applied as it 's written , and it 's implemented with the idea that what is needed is to provide a means for inmates to educate themselves . ''
In Pennsylvania , Woodside acknowledges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very vague and open to interpretation . ''
She says she would like to see more training offered to corrections staff who evaluate the publications that enter prisons — training that encourages thoughtful censorship decisions and helps staff members understand the importance of the First Amendment to incarcerated people .
But there 's likely still a long road ahead .
`` It 's easy to change our written policies .
What 's hard to change is the culture of : This is how we 've always done it , and we 've always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deny it ? ''
Woodside says .
`` And changing culture is very , very difficult . ''

Who Should Decide What Books Are Allowed In Prison?
Enlarge this image Sally Deng for NPR Sally Deng for NPR
Michael Tafolla says the books he read in prison helped him understand how he had landed there in the first place. He remembers one especially eye-opening title: Illegal: Reflections of an Undocumented Immigrant.
"The main topic of this book is how a human being is reduced to an action that's perceived by others to be wrong," Tafolla says. "And therefore he is not a human being, but he is a walking, talking, breathing crime act."
Tafolla was released from Danville Correctional Center in 2018. Not long after, in January 2019, officials at the Illinois prison censored Illegal and about 200 other books, removing them from the library of a college-in-prison program. Officials were concerned about "racially motivated" material, according to documents obtained by Illinois Public Media.
Experts say this is just one example of the kind of arbitrary book censorship that incarcerated people face nationwide — censorship that can make it harder to get an education behind bars.
"It's so important for people who are in prison to be able to have access to materials that give them hope and a reason to want to be part of society again, to want to engage, to see the future," says Rebecca Ginsburg of the Education Justice Project. She says she was shocked and angry when she learned the books had been removed from her program's library at Danville.
A recent report from PEN America, a nonprofit that advocates for free expression, found that book censorship in U.S. prisons represents "the largest book ban policy in the United States." And while censorship guidelines vary in different prison systems, the restrictions "are often arbitrary, overbroad, opaque, [and] subject to little meaningful review."
In Kansas, state prisons don't allow Angie Thomas' young adult novel, The Hate U Give, or Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye — but they do allow Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf.
Texas prisons have censored Alice Walker's The Color Purple, which won a Pulitzer Prize; New Hampshire bars Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones; and Florida has censored multiple books about learning Arabic, Japanese and American Sign Language.
A 2013 report from the RAND Corporation found that getting an education in prison decreases the likelihood someone will return after they're released. The report also found that for every $1 spent educating someone in prison, taxpayers save $5 on reduced reincarceration costs.
"A fine line" for prison officials
Diana Woodside, director of policy and legislative affairs for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, says that of course, some reading material should be banned from prisons.
"There's a lot of how-to books and how-to articles in magazines, such as how to strangle someone with your bare hands — that was an actual article in a very popular men's magazine. ... There's also writings that are specific for inmates: how to escape from handcuffs."
Woodside points to two common standards for evaluating publications: "Do they pose a potential threat to the security of the operation of the prisons? Or do they contain nudity or sexually explicit materials?"
Some publications clearly violate those standards — but Woodside acknowledges there's a large gray area.
"There's a fine line between, you know, imposing our own personal judgment on the quality of the content of that book and making really sound, rational decisions to keep our facilities safe."
One of those gray areas is nudity. Woodside says prison officials in Pennsylvania struggle over whether to allow certain graphic novels, specifically from Japan.
"It's called manga. [It] really has really vivid graphic pictures that include sex acts and nudity," she says. Officials tend to deny a publication that has nudity if it's intended for "sexual gratification," Woodside says. But when it comes to manga, that's not always an easy call.
"Is it better to allow it in, or to not allow it? Does it really impact the atmosphere of the institution? I don't know the answer to that," Woodside says.
"There's a lot of inconsistencies. I would love to see a standard for nudity."
Materials that "affirm their humanity"
Rebecca Ginsburg of the Education Justice Project says race and black history were common themes among the books Danville Correctional Center officials removed from her program's library.
"That sent a message to our students, who are predominantly African American men, about the continued power of the prison administration over their lives," she says.
In fact, according to PEN America, prison systems frequently censor books about race and criminal justice on the grounds they could be disruptive.
But former EJP student Michael Tafolla says that's not the effect the books had on him.
"[These books] helped me understand why so many of us end up in the predicament of this vicious cycle of mass incarceration," he says. "And it showed me how we could combat it not by breaking laws, but by empowering our people to be so much more than what we've been reduced to."
After leaving prison, Tafolla, 39, started working with a nonprofit that helps young people on Chicago's South Side.
Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, says Tafolla's story illustrates an important point: Denying incarcerated people broad access to reading materials doesn't just interfere with their education.
"We're depriving prisoners of materials that they desperately want and need to affirm their humanity, to help them rehabilitate themselves, to occupy their minds and their hearts while they're in prison," she says.
"Changing culture is very, very difficult"
After a public outcry, the books were returned to the EJP library last summer.
Then, in the fall, the Illinois Department of Corrections revised its publication review policy: It now places censorship decisions in the hands of a centralized committee, instead of individual prison officials.
"Illinois is actually an example of a state that is actually trying to get it right," Caldwell-Stone says.
She says the policy revision looks like an improvement, but only "if it's applied as it's written, and it's implemented with the idea that what is needed is to provide a means for inmates to educate themselves."
In Pennsylvania, Woodside acknowledges that her agency's policy is "very vague and open to interpretation." She says she would like to see more training offered to corrections staff who evaluate the publications that enter prisons — training that encourages thoughtful censorship decisions and helps staff members understand the importance of the First Amendment to incarcerated people.
But there's likely still a long road ahead.
"It's easy to change our written policies. What's hard to change is the culture of: This is how we've always done it, and we've always denied it, so why not continue to deny it?" Woodside says.
"And changing culture is very, very difficult."


npr--2020-02-22--6 Things To Watch In The Nevada Caucuses

6 Things To Watch In The Nevada Caucuses Today 's election will feature the most diverse electorate yet in this Democratic presidential nominating contest .
And it presents a challenge for each of the candidates in the race .
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , who finished second in Nevada in 2016 , is the favorite in yet another race , as the more moderate candidates continue to duke it out .
Here are six things to watch : National polls , like the most recent NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll have started to show Sanders expanding beyond his loyal base of young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far , he 's won only about a quarter of the vote in both Iowa and New Hampshire .
The higher the percentages he starts receiving , the better the case he will have to get the nomination with the pledged delegate lead but without an absolute majority .
It does n't help him win over nervous moderates or establishment Democrats when he perpetuates conspiracies about The Washington Post and its owner Jeff Bezos for The Post 's reporting , like he did Friday .
For now , though , Sanders does n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party .
He just needs to keep winning — and accruing delegates .
2 .
Does Sen. Elizabeth Warren capitalize on her fiery debate performance ?
Warren won the most plaudits from progressives after her debate performance because of the way she took the fight to former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg .
She maintains a solid organization , and if she does well in Nevada , where will that vote come from ?
Does she pick off some of Sanders ' progressive support , given she 's second to Sanders in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she take from former Mayor Pete Buttigieg , since they are both vying for college-educated whites ?
Or would it be a little of both ?
In any event , Nevada will show if Warren is back — and if her approach worked in Wednesday 's debate .
Maybe no one has more on the line Saturday than former Vice President Joe Biden .
After lackluster showings in Iowa and New Hampshire , his candidacy is hanging by a thread .
He 's been saying he would do better with voters of color @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prove it .
Nevada 's electorate in 2016 was 41 % non-white , including 13 % black .
He has polled well with black voters for the better part of a year in this campaign , but there have been signs recently that he 's slipping .
Nevada entrance polls will provide the first measure of how well Biden is holding up with black voters .
Black voters , by the way , put Hillary Clinton over the top in Nevada in 2016 and helped her to a win .
Clinton lost both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of the electorate overall ) to Sanders .
But she won 76 % of African Americans .
One other thing Biden has to hope for — that Bloomberg 's uneven debate performance means voters give him a second look .
4 .
Can Buttigieg or Klobuchar get out of the other 's way ?
Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar tussled quite a bit at Wednesday 's debate , and that 's because they see the other as a threat in the moderate lane .
Buttigieg is the overall delegate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the contest ( just 2 % of the delegates have been allocated so far ) .
And yet , he 's treated as something of an afterthought for the nomination .
That 's because of his inability – thus far – to be able to win over voters of color .
Nevada could go a ways to changing that , if he shows at least some strength with a more diverse electorate .
Klobuchar , on the other hand , needs to show she 's more than just a flash in the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her moderate rivals .
She 's going to need to to keep the money flowing , so she can compete in lots of ( expensive ) places Super Tuesday , March 3 .
It 's especially important she have a good showing in Nevada , considering just how important momentum is to her cause .
Even if she does well in the next contest , South Carolina , there will only be three days between South Carolina and Super Tuesday .
5 .
What about all that Steyer money ?
For all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and with reason , he 's spent an unparalleled $ 425 million — wealthy venture capitalist Tom Steyer has n't exactly been shy about opening up his wallet .
Steyer has spent more than $ 250 million on his campaign , and he 's pumped in more than $ 15 million on ads in Nevada , according to Advertising Analytics .
But , so far , it has n't paid off in votes or delegates .
( He 's gotten zero delegates so far ) .
Is it all for naught ?
Does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how hard he 's worked to court Latino voters and African Americans ?
Or does he wind up just pulling votes away , especially in South Carolina , from , say , Biden ?
Not that Steyer seems to care about the calculation of a moderate defeating Sanders .
`` I am not one of the people , who 's ever going to join a 'Stop Bernie ' campaign , '' Steyer said on NBC 's Meet the Press earlier this month .
6 .
How does the Nevada Democratic Party perform ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrapped a reporting app it was going to use that was made by the same company at the center of the controversy in Iowa .
But the party then introduced new technology — each of the 2,100 precinct leaders were given iPads to help with caucus calculations .
Trainings have been conducted throughout the state , but introducing new technology this late in the process is making people nervous .
The party has a good reputation and is confident that things will go well .
The party is taking lots of steps , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phones for calling in results , and precincts can do their calculations the old fashioned way — on paper .
How smoothly — or not — the process goes is going to have consequences .
Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is arguing that with Iowa 's collapse , Nevada has a good case to go first .
But if things do n't go well , it could spell the end for caucuses in more places , as states have increasingly moved to primaries .

6 Things To Watch In The Nevada Caucuses
Enlarge this image toggle caption Win McNamee/Getty Images Win McNamee/Getty Images
It's caucus day in Nevada!
Today's election will feature the most diverse electorate yet in this Democratic presidential nominating contest.
And it presents a challenge for each of the candidates on the ballot. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who finished second in Nevada in 2016, is the favorite in yet another race, as the more moderate candidates continue to duke it out.
Here are six things to watch:
1. Does Sanders expand his base?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP
National polls, like the most recent NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, have started to show Sanders expanding beyond his loyal base of young voters and progressives. But so far, he has won only about a quarter of the vote in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
The higher the percentages he starts receiving, the better the case he will have to get the nomination with the pledged delegate lead but without an absolute majority.
It doesn't help him win over nervous moderates or establishment Democrats when he perpetuates conspiracies about The Washington Post and its owner Jeff Bezos for the Post's reporting, like he did Friday.
The newspaper reported that U.S. officials had told Sanders' campaign that Russian intelligence agents are trying to help the candidate and to meddle in the Democratic elections.
For now, though, Sanders doesn't need to win over that part of the party. He just needs to keep winning — and accruing delegates.
2. Does Warren capitalize on her fiery debate performance?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Sen. Elizabeth Warren won the most plaudits from progressives after her debate performance because of the way she took the fight to former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
She maintains a solid organization, and if she does well in Nevada, where will that vote come from? Does she pick off some of Sanders' progressive support, given she's second to Sanders in most polling with them? Or does she take from former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, since they are both vying for college-educated whites? Or would it be a little of both?
In any event, Nevada will show if Warren is back — and if her approach in Wednesday's debate worked.
3. Biden needs a boost
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mario Tama/Getty Images Mario Tama/Getty Images
Maybe no one has more on the line Saturday than former Vice President Joe Biden.
After lackluster showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, his candidacy is hanging by a thread. He has been saying he would do better with voters of color, so here's his chance to prove it. Nevada's electorate in 2016 was 41% nonwhite, including 13% black. He has polled well with black voters for the better part of a year in this campaign, but there have been signs recently that he's slipping.
Nevada entrance polls will provide the first measure of how well Biden is holding up with black voters.
Black voters, by the way, put Hillary Clinton over the top in Nevada in 2016 and helped her to a win. Clinton lost both the white and Latino votes (19% of the electorate overall) to Sanders. But she won 76% of African Americans.
One other thing Biden has to hope for — that Bloomberg's uneven debate performance means voters will give him a second look.
4. Can Buttigieg or Klobuchar get out of each other's way?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images
Buttigieg and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar tussled quite a bit at Wednesday's debate. That's because they see the other as a threat in the moderate lane.
Buttigieg is the overall delegate leader in this very early stage of the contest (just 2% of the delegates have been allocated so far). And yet, he's treated as something of an afterthought for the nomination. That's because of his inability – thus far – to be able to win over voters of color. Nevada could go a ways to changing that, if he shows at least some strength with a more diverse electorate.
Klobuchar, on the other hand, needs to show she's more than just a flash in the New Hampshire pan and beat out some of her moderate rivals. She's going to need to to keep the money flowing, so she can compete in lots of (expensive) places Super Tuesday, March 3.
It's especially important she have a good showing in Nevada, considering just how important momentum is to her cause. Even if she does well in the next contest, South Carolina, there will only be three days between South Carolina and Super Tuesday.
5. What about all that Steyer money?
For all the attention paid to Bloomberg's money — and with reason, he has spent an unparalleled $425 million — wealthy venture capitalist Tom Steyer hasn't exactly been shy about opening up his wallet.
Steyer has spent more than $250 million on his campaign, and he has pumped in more than $16 million on ads in Nevada, according to Advertising Analytics. But, so far, it hasn't paid off in votes or delegates (he has gotten zero delegates so far).
Is it all for naught? Does he start changing the dynamic, given how hard he has worked to court Latino voters and African Americans? Or does he wind up just pulling votes away, especially in South Carolina, from, say, Biden?
Not that Steyer seems to care about the calculation of a moderate defeating Sanders. "I am not one of the people who's ever going to join a 'Stop Bernie' campaign," Steyer said on NBC's Meet the Press earlier this month.
6. How does the Nevada Democratic Party perform?
After the debacle in Iowa, Nevada scrapped a reporting app it was going to use that was made by the same company at the center of the controversy in Iowa. But the party then introduced new technology — each of the 2,100 precinct leaders were given iPads to help with caucus calculations.
Training has been conducted throughout the state, but introducing new technology this late in the process is making people nervous.
The party has a good reputation and is confident that things will go well. The party is taking lots of steps, like increasing the number of people answering phones for calling in results, and precincts can do their calculations the old-fashioned way — on paper.
How smoothly — or not — the process goes is going to have consequences.
Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is arguing that with Iowa's collapse, Nevada has a good case to go first. But if things don't go well, it could spell the end for caucuses in more places, as states have increasingly moved to primaries.


npr--2020-02-21--HBO Max Wants To Know, How You Doin'? As It Teases 'Friends' Reunion

HBO Max Wants To Know , How You Doin ' ?
As It Teases 'Friends ' Reunion It could be called , the one that is finally friggin ' happening .
All six original cast members of the megahit sitcom Friends will come together for a reunion debuting in May , WarnerMedia announced Friday .
`` It 's official , Friends fans !
After 15 years , nine months , and innumerable fan requests from around the globe , we now have the 'brand-new information ' you 've been waiting for , '' a statement read .
The reunion which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unscripted special '' will debut on the media giant 's new streaming service HBO Max , along with all 236 episodes of Friends , which debuted in 1994 on NBC .
Unscripted is industry-speak for reality-TV or a documentary , which indicates this will not be a reboot of the scripted series .
The show 's stars — Jennifer Aniston , Courteney Cox , Lisa Kudrow , Matt LeBlanc , Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer – virtual unknowns when the show began , will return to the Warner Bros. soundstage where the show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Guess you could call this the one where they all got back together ... '' said Kevin Reilly , chief content officer of HBO Max , in the press release .
Reilly , a longtime media executive who also serves as president of cable channels TNT , TBS and truTV , said he had the opportunity to work on the show during some of its 10-year-run on NBC .
He said he was `` delighted '' the show continues to connect with audiences long after its original run ended in 2004 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that same spark with audiences new and old .
`` It taps into an era when friends – and audiences – gathered together in real time and we think this reunion special will capture that spirit , uniting original and new fans . ''
Cox , who played Monica Gellar , whose character quirks included obsessive cleanliness , posted on Instagram a photo of the cast along with a caption that read simply , `` It 's happening ... . ''
The reunion has been longed for by die-hard fans of the show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as one of the most successful shows in television history in 2004 .
As Variety points out , rumors of the reunion have been `` swirling since last fall '' following WarnerMedia 's acquisition of the show 's rights .
Variety also reports each of the cast members will earn a lofty payday for appearing in the special – at least $ 2.5 million each .
Netflix previously had the rights to Friends .
It had been one of that streaming giant 's most-watched programs , until Netflix it bid farewell to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , `` The One Where We Have To Say Goodbye . ''
Warner Media outbid Netflix for Friends and reportedly paid $ 425 million for the rights to stream all 10 seasons of the show .
Since it went off the air in 2004 , Friends has displayed tremendous staying power , connecting with audiences that were n't old enough to remember the show during its original run .
The show centered around six friends , Rachel ( Aniston ) , Monica ( Cox ) , Phoebe ( Kudrow ) , Joey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and Ross ( Schwimmer ) – all 20-somethings living in New York City .
In many ways the show was groundbreaking , such as when the six principal cast members successfully negotiated a $ 1 million-per-episode pay out late in the show 's run .
Friends however did — and continues to — have its share of critics , including those who point to the show 's lack of racial representation for a series set in multicultural New York City .

HBO Max Wants To Know, How You Doin'? As It Teases 'Friends' Reunion
Enlarge this image toggle caption Reed Saxon/AP Reed Saxon/AP
It could be called, the one that is finally friggin' happening.
All six original cast members of the megahit sitcom Friends will come together for a reunion debuting in May, WarnerMedia announced Friday.
"It's official, Friends fans! After 15 years, nine months, and innumerable fan requests from around the globe, we now have the 'brand-new information' you've been waiting for," a statement read.
The reunion, which is being described as "an untitled unscripted special," will debut on the media giant's new streaming service HBO Max, along with all 236 episodes of Friends, which debuted in 1994 on NBC. Unscripted is industry speak for reality TV or a documentary, which indicates this will not be a reboot of the scripted series.
The show's stars — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, all virtual unknowns when the show began — will return to the Warner Bros. soundstage where the show was shot, the statement said.
"Guess you could call this the one where they all got back together ... " said Kevin Reilly, chief content officer of HBO Max, in the press release.
The show's episode titles began with the phrase "the one with" or "the one where."
Reilly, a longtime media executive who also serves as president of cable channels TNT, TBS and truTV, said he had the opportunity to work on the show during some of its 10-year-run on NBC. He said he was "delighted" the show continues to connect with audiences long after its original run ended in 2004, adding he hopes the reunion will recreated that same spark with audiences new and old.
"It taps into an era when friends — and audiences — gathered together in real time and we think this reunion special will capture that spirit, uniting original and new fans."
Cox, who played Monica Gellar, whose character quirks included obsessive cleanliness, posted on Instagram a photo of the cast along with a caption that read simply, "It's happening...."
The reunion has been longed for by die-hard fans of the show ever since it ended its original run as one of the most successful shows in television history in 2004.
As Variety points out, rumors of the reunion have been "swirling since last fall" following WarnerMedia's acquisition of the show's rights.
Variety also reports each of the cast members will earn a lofty payday for appearing in the special – at least $2.5 million each.
Netflix previously had the rights to Friends. It had been one of that streaming giant's most-watched programs, until it bid farewell to the show in December, tweeting at the time, "The One Where We Have To Say Goodbye."
Warner Media outbid Netflix for Friends and reportedly paid $425 million for the rights to stream all 10 seasons of the show.
Since it went off the air in 2004, Friends has displayed tremendous staying power, connecting with audiences that weren't old enough to remember the show during its original run.
The main characters — Rachel (Aniston), Monica (Cox), Phoebe (Kudrow), Joey (LeBlanc), Chandler (Perry) and Ross (Schwimmer) – were 20-somethings (at the start of the show) living in New York City.
In many ways, the show was groundbreaking, such as when the six principal cast members successfully negotiated a $1 million-per-episode pay out late in the show's run.
Friends however did — and continues to — have its share of critics, including those who point to the show's lack of racial representation for a series set in multicultural New York City.


npr--2020-02-21--Study Finds Century-old Combat Helmet Superior Shield Against Brain Trauma

In the weeks following Iran 's Jan. 8 ballistic missile attack on the Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq , 110 American service members deployed there were diagnosed with what has been the signature , albeit invisible , wound of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan : traumatic brain injury caused by concussive blasts from exploding weapons .
Even if they were all wearing combat helmets , they and more than 400,000 other U.S. troops diagnosed with TBI over the past two decades lacked equipment that was specifically designed to protect their brains from the blast of shock waves .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combat helmet came out in 1915 , these so-called `` brain buckets '' have been designed to protect heads not from invisible shock waves , but from shrapnel , bullets and other blunt physical objects .
In fact , a recent study done by a team of Duke University researchers finds that the 105-year-old `` Adrian '' helmet used by the French army in World War One can provide better blast protection than the Advanced Combat Helmet ( ACH ) widely used by the U.S. military .
`` That was very surprising , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eynde , the Belgian bio-engineering doctoral candidate at Duke who led the research project comparing three separate WWI-vintage helmets with the ACH model .
`` It was only after the tests that we saw that the modern helmet was not better .
And then we saw that , in certain scenarios , the French Adrian helmet had performed better . ''
It was only when those helmets were exposed to overhead blast waves that the 1915-era Adrian helmet outperformed the others .
The Duke researchers point to the raised metal crest running from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adrian helmet — a design feature also found on helmets used in those times by French firefighters — as a likely explanation for its superior protection from overhead blasts .
`` The geometry of the helmet can make a big difference , '' says 't Eynde .
`` I 'm not sure a crest or something like it would work with a modern design , but just being aware of how the geometry might affect the way that the head and the brain might experience a shock wave is definitely something that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helmet design . ''
But a 2014 National Academy of the Sciences study notes that while the Kevlar-based ACH helmet is a significant evolution from its WWI predecessors , the principal approach to helmet design remains protection from striking objects .
`` The protection of the warfighter afforded by helmets from threats ranging from bullets , shrapnel , blasts , vehicle collisions , and parachute landings has improved with improved helmet design and materials , '' the report 's authors write .
`` However , the level of protection from nonfatal brain tissue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond the acute phase , is not known . ''
An Army officer with the Program Executive Office Soldier branch that manages protective gear says a research gap explains why there has not been more progress in designing a blast wave-resistant combat helmet .
`` How much of a blast wave is too much ?
It 's not well-defined , '' says Lt. Col. Ginger Whitehead , the product manager for soldier protective equipment .
`` It goes back to the medical community not establishing a correlation of injury to the blast wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a lack of a complete understanding of how blast waves affect the brain should not be an obstacle to coming up with helmets that do a better job of shielding soldiers ' brains .
`` It 's not that you need to know exactly what the medical condition is that results from a blast wave of a certain amount of force , '' says University of Rochester physicist Eric Blackman , who co-authored a 2007 study examining the need for better TBI protection in combat helmets .
`` You really need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brain in the first place , and you can do that without knowing exactly what the medical symptoms are . ''
Retired Gen. Peter Chiarelli has devoted much of his time since leaving active duty in 2012 as vice chairman of the Army Chiefs of Staff to advocating a better understanding of war-related TBI .
`` We 've spent billions of dollars — I did , as vice chief of staff — researching traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress , and we really have n't gotten much return on that investment.
, @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would argue it 's not necessarily the money that makes the most impact — it 's groups of researchers that are willing to work together , share data , learn from each other , and when they go down that path that does n't work , they tell each other rather than try to hide that from each other . ''
The University of Rochester 's Blackman , for his part , is convinced a combat helmet that more fully protects against TBI is both necessary and possible .
`` There needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific goals , '' he says .
`` Bring people together — it will happen if there 's a concerted effort toward it .
If you think of something like the Manhattan project ( that produced the first nuclear weapon during World War Two ) for this , that 's what 's lacking . ''
While 100 percent protection may not be possible against blast waves , Blackman adds , the superior performance of a century-old combat helmet should be a reminder that there is ample room for improvement .

Study Finds Century-Old Combat Helmet Is A Superior Shield Against Brain Trauma
toggle caption National Archives and Records Administration
In the weeks following Iran's Jan. 8 ballistic missile attack on the Ain al-Assad air base in Iraq, 110 American service members deployed there were diagnosed with what has been the signature, albeit invisible, wound of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: traumatic brain injury caused by concussive blasts from exploding weapons.
Even if all of those service members were wearing combat helmets, they and more than 400,000 other U.S. troops diagnosed with TBI over the past two decades lacked equipment that was specifically designed to protect their brains from the blast of shock waves.
That's because ever since the first modern combat helmet came out in 1915, these so-called "brain buckets" have been designed to protect heads not from invisible shock waves, but from shrapnel, bullets and other blunt physical objects.
In fact, a recent study done by a team of Duke University researchers finds that the 105-year-old "Adrian" helmet used by the French army in World War I can provide better blast protection than the Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH) widely used by the U.S. military.
"That was very surprising, actually," says Joost Op 't Eynde, the Belgian bioengineering doctoral candidate at Duke who led the research project comparing three WWI-vintage helmets with the ACH model. "It was only after the tests that we saw that the modern helmet was not better. And then we saw that, in certain scenarios, the French Adrian helmet had performed better."
It was only when those helmets were exposed to overhead blast waves that the 1915-era Adrian helmet outperformed the others. The Duke researchers point to the raised metal crest running from the front to the back of the Adrian helmet — a design feature also found on helmets used in those times by French firefighters — as a likely explanation for its superior protection from overhead blasts.
"The geometry of the helmet can make a big difference," says Op 't Eynde. "I'm not sure a crest or something like it would work with a modern design, but just being aware of how the geometry might affect the way that the head and the brain might experience a shock wave is definitely something that I think should be kept in mind in helmet design."
But a 2014 review conducted by a committee created by the National Academies' National Research Council notes that while the Kevlar-based ACH helmet is a significant evolution from its WWI predecessors, the principal approach to helmet design remains protection from striking objects.
"The protection of the warfighter afforded by helmets from threats ranging from bullets, shrapnel, blasts, vehicle collisions and parachute landings has improved with improved helmet design and materials," the report's authors write. "However, the level of protection from nonfatal brain tissue injuries, which may have health consequences beyond the acute phase, is not known."
An Army officer with the Program Executive Office Soldier branch that manages protective gear says a research gap explains why there has not been more progress in designing a blast wave-resistant combat helmet.
"How much of a blast wave is too much? It's not well-defined," says Lt. Col. Ginger Whitehead, the product manager for soldier protective equipment. "It goes back to the medical community not establishing a correlation of injury to the blast wave."
Others, though, insist that a lack of a complete understanding of how blast waves affect the brain should not be an obstacle to coming up with helmets that do a better job of shielding soldiers' brains.
"It's not that you need to know exactly what the medical condition is that results from a blast wave of a certain amount of force," says University of Rochester physicist Eric Blackman, who co-authored a 2007 study examining the need for better TBI protection in combat helmets. "You really need to protect the force from getting in the brain in the first place, and you can do that without knowing exactly what the medical symptoms are."
Retired Gen. Peter Chiarelli has devoted much of his time since leaving active duty in 2012 as Vice Chief of Staff of the Army to advocating a better understanding of war-related TBI.
"We've spent billions of dollars — I did, as vice chief of staff — researching traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress, and we really haven't gotten much return on that investment," says Chiarelli. "And I would argue it's not necessarily the money that makes the most impact — it's groups of researchers that are willing to work together, share data, learn from each other, and when they go down that path that doesn't work, they tell each other rather than try to hide that from each other."
The University of Rochester's Blackman is convinced a combat helmet that more fully protects against TBI is both necessary and possible.
"There needs to be some kind of prioritization with very specific goals," he says. "Bring people together — it will happen if there's a concerted effort toward it. If you think of something like the Manhattan project (that produced the first nuclear weapon during World War II) for this, that's what's lacking."
While 100 percent protection may not be possible against blast waves, Blackman adds, the superior performance of a century-old combat helmet should be a reminder that there is ample room for improvement.


npr--2020-02-22--Protesters Demand Julian Assange Be Freed Ahead Of Extradition Hearing

Hundreds of protesters gathered in London Saturday to demand the release of Julian Assange ahead of a court hearing on Monday over whether the WikiLeaks founder should be extradited to the United States .
The U.S. reportedly formally requested extradition last June to answer a number of charges , including conspiring to hack government computer networks and the unlawful receipt of sensitive information .
Protesters included Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood .
In addition to speaking at the protest rally , Waters put out a video supporting Assange , and according to Vogue , Westwood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fashion presentation in London .
Waving signs reading `` Journalism is not a crime '' and chanting `` Free Julian Assange , '' the protesters marched from Australia House to Parliament Square where they were addressed by Assange 's father , John Shipton , Reuters reports .
Shipton cited the U.N. 's human rights concerns over Assange 's arrest and detention last year .
Last April , police forcibly removed Assange from the Ecuadorian embassy in London and put him in jail .
He had been taking refuge at the embassy since 2012 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him in a sexual assault investigation .
The investigation ended last year because of weak evidence .
Assange 's lawyer , Éric Dupond-Moretti , told Europe 1 Friday that he intended to ask French President Emmanuel Macron for political asylum in France .
Assange lived in France for three years and has a child living there , according to Al-Jazeera .
France rejected a previous asylum request in 2015 , Reuters reports .
The hearing would be the first of two hearings , with the second one scheduled in May , the wire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chelsea Manning , whom Assange was charged to have conspired with , was sent back to jail last May for refusing for a second time to comply with a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks and Assange .

Protesters Demand Julian Assange Be Freed Ahead Of Extradition Hearing
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alberto Pezzali/AP Alberto Pezzali/AP
Hundreds of protesters gathered in London Saturday to demand the release of Julian Assange ahead of a court hearing on Monday over whether the WikiLeaks founder should be extradited to the United States.
The U.S. reportedly formally requested extradition last June to answer a number of charges, including conspiring to hack government computer networks and the unlawful receipt of sensitive information.
Protesters included Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. In addition to speaking at the protest rally, Waters put out a video supporting Assange, and according to Vogue, Westwood placed Assange's story next her recent fashion presentation in London.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alberto Pezzali/AP Alberto Pezzali/AP
Waving signs reading "Journalism is not a crime" and chanting "Free Julian Assange," the protesters marched from Australia House to Parliament Square where they were addressed by Assange's father, John Shipton, Reuters reports.
Shipton cited the U.N.'s human rights concerns over Assange's arrest and detention last year.
Last April, police forcibly removed Assange from the Ecuadorian embassy in London and put him in jail. He had been taking refuge at the embassy since 2012, when Swedish authorities sought to question him in a sexual assault investigation. The investigation ended last year because of weak evidence.
Assange's lawyer, Éric Dupond-Moretti, told Europe 1 Friday that he intended to ask French President Emmanuel Macron for political asylum in France.
Assange lived in France for three years and has a child living there, according to Al-Jazeera. France rejected a previous asylum request in 2015, Reuters reports.
The hearing would be the first of two hearings, with the second one scheduled in May, the wire service says.
Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, whom Assange was charged to have conspired with, was sent back to jail last May for refusing for a second time to comply with a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks and Assange.


npr--2020-02-22--More Than 10,000 Civilians Injured Or Killed In Afghanistan Last Year, U.N. Says

More Than 10,000 Civilians Injured Or Killed In Afghanistan Last Year , U.N. Says More than 10,000 civilians were killed or injured in armed conflict in Afghanistan in 2019 , continuing a six-year streak and putting total casualties in the past decade over 100,000 , a United Nations report said Saturday .
The report comes as the U.S. and Taliban 's seven-day `` reduction of violence '' went into effect early Saturday in Afghanistan .
U.S. General Austin `` Scott '' Miller said the U.S. has stopped offensive operations against the Taliban , multiple outlets report .
Among the more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injured last year , the Taliban was the single group responsible for the largest share of casualties , at 47 % , and more than 1,300 deaths .
It was followed by the Afghan national security sources , at 16 % and 680 deaths , according to the report produced by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan , or USAMA .
International forces , including the U.S. , were responsible for 8 % of the civilian casualties with 559 deaths , the report says .
The number of casualties attributed to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the previous year , from 2,181 casualties in 2018 to 1,223 in 2019 .
Thirty percent of the casualties were children , the report says , and the Taliban , Afghan national security forces and pro-government armed groups continued to recruit and use children .
It noted that the Taliban took `` positive steps '' investigating allegations of recruitment of children by their commanders last year .
UNAMA also says it continues to receive reports of a form of sexual exploitation of boys called bacha bazi despite its outlaw , and that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security forces .
The U.S. has ignored the abuse for years .
Improvised explosive devices were the method used in 42 percent of the casualties .
The U.N. said anti-government forces , including the Taliban and Islamic State , continued to use IEDs at `` extreme levels , '' killing 885 people and injuring almost 3,500 in 2019 .
Last year also saw record high levels of civilian casualties from airstrikes , killing and injuring more than 1,000 , most of which were attributed to international military forces .
UNAMA says it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in airstrikes .
In one case , a U.S. drone strike aimed at militants killed 32 pine nut harvesters in September in the eastern province of Nangarhar , as Reuters reported .
The U.N. also says it 's concerned about U.S. forces targeting people not directly involved in combat , such as people who may be financially contributing to the Taliban or Islamic State .
UNAMA notes that these people are protected from attack under international humanitarian law , though attacks are allowed under U.S. military guidelines .
The casualty numbers were 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number since 2013 .

More Than 10,000 Civilians Injured Or Killed In Afghanistan Last Year, U.N. Says
Enlarge this image toggle caption Altaf Qadri/AP Altaf Qadri/AP
More than 10,000 civilians were killed or injured in armed conflict in Afghanistan in 2019, continuing a six-year streak and putting total casualties in the past decade over 100,000, a United Nations report said Saturday.
The report comes as the U.S. and Taliban's seven-day "reduction of violence" went into effect early Saturday in Afghanistan. U.S. General Austin "Scott" Miller said the U.S. has stopped offensive operations against the Taliban, multiple outlets report.
Among the more than 3,400 civilians killed and nearly 7,000 injured last year, the Taliban was the single group responsible for the largest share of casualties, at 47%, and more than 1,300 deaths. It was followed by the Afghan national security forces, at 16% and 680 deaths, according to the report produced by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA.
International forces, including the U.S., were responsible for 8% of the civilian casualties with 559 deaths, the report says.
The number of casualties attributed to a branch of Islamic State dropped steeply from the previous year, from 2,181 casualties in 2018 to 1,223 in 2019.
Thirty percent of the casualties were children, the report says, and the Taliban, Afghan national security forces and pro-government armed groups continued to recruit and use children. It noted that the Taliban took "positive steps" investigating allegations of recruitment of children by their commanders last year.
UNAMA also says it continues to receive reports of a form of sexual exploitation of boys called bacha bazi despite its outlaw, and that the offense is mainly committed by Afghan national security forces. The U.S. has ignored the abuse for years.
Improvised explosive devices were the method used in 42 percent of the casualties. The U.N. said anti-government forces, including the Taliban and Islamic State, continued to use IEDs at "extreme levels," killing 885 people and injuring almost 3,500 in 2019.
Last year also saw record high levels of civilian casualties from airstrikes, killing and injuring more than 1,000, most of which were attributed to international military forces.
UNAMA says it's concerned about the high potential for error in airstrikes. In one case, a U.S. drone strike aimed at militants killed 32 pine nut harvesters in September in the eastern province of Nangarhar, as Reuters reported.
The U.N. also says it's concerned about U.S. forces targeting people not directly involved in combat, such as people who may be financially contributing to the Taliban or Islamic State. UNAMA notes that these people are protected from attack under international humanitarian law, though attacks are allowed under U.S. military guidelines.
The casualty numbers were 5% lower than 2018 and they were the lowest number since 2013.