npr--2020-02-11--Watchdog Agency Tabulates Human Toll In Afghanistan Of Reconstruction Effort

The price the U.S. has paid trying to build up infrastructure and a working system of governance in Afghanistan , while at the same time waging Washington 's longest war there , has typically been measured in dollars .
The more than $ 137 billion the U.S. has spent implementing that 18-year nation-building effort in Afghanistan well exceeds , in today 's dollars , what the U.S. spent on the Marshall Plan to help rebuild 16 Western European nations after World War II .
But until the release of a new report this week , there has not been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan have incurred : the toll it has taken in human lives .
Nearly one out of ten of the approximately 2,300 U.S. service members who have been killed in Afghanistan died in reconstruction or stabilization-related missions , according to the report from the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction created by Congress in 2008 .
SIGAR , as the watchdog agency is known , reports those 216 U.S. service members were among 284 Americans who died while taking part in such missions between April 2002 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the larger reconstruction-related toll compiled by SIGAR of 2,214 killed and 2,921 injured , as well as another 1,182 persons who were either kidnapped or went missing , including one American civilian .
Among the injured were 245 U.S. service members and 76 American civilians .
`` Little effort has been made up to now to track the human costs — the number of people killed , wounded , or kidnapped — to accomplish these activities , '' writes John Sopko , the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction , in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Defense Secretary Mark Esper and U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Mark Green .
`` This has left policy makers with an incomplete picture of the true cost of our efforts in Afghanistan . ''
Road construction has taken the highest toll .
Among the 663 people killed building roads were five Americans ; another 864 persons were wounded , including 10 Americans , and 296 others were kidnapped .
More than 1,200 miles of roads were built in Afghanistan by USAID , including the unfinished and deteriorating Afghanistan Ring Road , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation 's major cities .
That nation building effort began under former President George W. Bush .
`` By helping to build an Afghanistan that is free from this evil and is a better place in which to live , we are working in the best traditions of George Marshall , '' Bush declared at the Virginia Military Institute as he officially launched the Afghanistan reconstruction program in April 2002 .
`` Marshall knew that our military victory against enemies in World War II had to be followed by a moral victory that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beings . ''
In the 2000 presidential campaign , Bush had dismissed employing U.S. forces in such efforts .
`` I do n't think our troops ought to be used for what 's called nation-building , '' he declared in a debate with Democratic contender Al Gore in October 2000 .
President Trump has struck a similar stance .
While announcing the deployment of 4,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in August 2017 , Trump stated , `` We are not nation building again . ''
Last year , Trump called SIGAR 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse in Afghanistan reconstruction `` insane , '' asking at a Cabinet meeting , `` What kind of stuff is this ? ''
Despite Trump 's repeated vows to end the nation 's longest military conflict and his administration 's ongoing refusal to disclose exact force numbers , some 12,000 U.S. troops appear to remain in Afghanistan as sporadic peace talks continue in Doha , Qatar , between the U.S. and the Taliban insurgency .

Watchdog Agency Tabulates Human Toll In Afghanistan Of Reconstruction Effort
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
The price the U.S. has paid trying to build up infrastructure and a working system of governance in Afghanistan, while at the same time waging Washington's longest war there, has typically been measured in dollars.
The more than $137 billion the U.S. has spent implementing that 18-year nation-building effort in Afghanistan well exceeds, in today's dollars, what the U.S. spent on the Marshall Plan to help rebuild 16 Western European nations after World War II.
But until the release of a new report this week, there has not been a thorough accounting of another kind of cost that reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan have incurred: the toll it has taken in human lives.
Nearly one out of ten of the approximately 2,300 U.S. service members who have been killed in Afghanistan died in reconstruction or stabilization-related missions, according to the report from the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction created by Congress in 2008.
SIGAR, as the watchdog agency is known, reports those 216 U.S. service members were among 284 Americans who died while taking part in such missions between April 2002 and December 2018. They are part of the larger reconstruction-related toll compiled by SIGAR of 2,214 killed and 2,921 injured, as well as another 1,182 persons who were either kidnapped or went missing, including one American civilian.
Among the injured were 245 U.S. service members and 76 American civilians.
"Little effort has been made up to now to track the human costs — the number of people killed, wounded, or kidnapped — to accomplish these activities," writes John Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, in a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Mark Green. "This has left policy makers with an incomplete picture of the true cost of our efforts in Afghanistan."
Road construction has taken the highest toll. Among the 663 people killed building roads were five Americans; another 864 persons were wounded, including 10 Americans, and 296 others were kidnapped.
More than 1,200 miles of roads were built in Afghanistan by USAID, including the unfinished and deteriorating Afghanistan Ring Road, constructed with the aim of connecting that nation's major cities.
That nation building effort began under former President George W. Bush. "By helping to build an Afghanistan that is free from this evil and is a better place in which to live, we are working in the best traditions of George Marshall," Bush declared at the Virginia Military Institute as he officially launched the Afghanistan reconstruction program in April 2002. "Marshall knew that our military victory against enemies in World War II had to be followed by a moral victory that resulted in better lives for individual human beings."
In the 2000 presidential campaign, Bush had dismissed employing U.S. forces in such efforts. "I don't think our troops ought to be used for what's called nation-building," he declared in a debate with Democratic contender Al Gore in October 2000.
President Trump has struck a similar stance. While announcing the deployment of 4,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in August 2017, Trump stated, "We are not nation building again."
Last year, Trump called SIGAR's public reports exposing waste, fraud and abuse in Afghanistan reconstruction "insane," asking at a Cabinet meeting, "What kind of stuff is this?"
Despite Trump's repeated vows to end the nation's longest military conflict and his administration's ongoing refusal to disclose exact force numbers, some 12,000 U.S. troops appear to remain in Afghanistan as sporadic peace talks continue in Doha, Qatar, between the U.S. and the Taliban insurgency.


npr--2020-02-11--Anguish, Raw Emotions At Ceremony For Fallen Soldiers As Trump Looks On

Anguish , Raw Emotions At Ceremony For Fallen Soldiers As Trump Looks On The silence was broken suddenly and unexpectedly .
A woman burst out from a tent at Dover Air Force Base where families waited for a ceremony marking the return of their loved ones ' remains to U.S. soil .
Screaming and running toward a massive gray C-17 transport plane , the woman made it part way up the ramp toward the cargo hold , her footsteps reverberating on the metal ramp as relatives and a service member tried to catch her and hold her back .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was saying as she wailed and struggled .
Was she saying the name of one of the fallen soldiers ?
One word was unmistakable : `` No . ''
Photographers averted their cameras as suffering that is often out of sight spilled out onto the tarmac .
Javier Jaguar Gutierrez and Antonio Rey Rodriguez were assigned to 3rd Battalion , 7th Special Forces Group and were killed in combat in Afghanistan 's Nangarhar Province this weekend .
Both 28 years old , they were posthumously promoted to Sergeant First Class .
President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally on Monday to make a last-minute flight to Dover , where America 's fallen service members are brought to be prepared for transport to their final destination .
There , he met up with Vice President Mike Pence , who had also spoken at the rally .
It was the first time since transfers were opened to the press more than a decade ago that both a president and vice president attended together .
`` These were fallen heroes and we were close by and the president wrapped his rally early so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Trump 's national security adviser Robert O'Brien told the pool of reporters traveling on Air Force One .
`` It 's tough for the president , but he thinks it 's important . ''
The transfers are a solemn ritual executed with precision by military professionals with all too much experience receiving the remains of the fallen .
In the majority of cases , family members make the flight out to Dover to be there on the tarmac as the flag-draped transfer cases are taken off the transport plane that returned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families , this is early part of a long and painful process of adjusting to a new reality without their loved ones .
Trump and Pence met privately with the families indoors before moving outside .
Inside the C-17 rested two flag-draped transfer cases ( the term used by the military instead of casket or coffin ) .
It was late , after 10 p.m. and a light mist fell onto the wet tarmac .
Trump and Pence stood behind a van waiting for the transfer to formally begin , with Trump swaying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ van pulled up with the family members .
They were n't visible to the press , a view purposely obstructed out of respect for the families .
The families have to grant permission for the media to be present , to witness the transfer , and in this case both families consented .
It is a long-standing rule that audio recording is also not allowed and photos and videos of grieving families are prohibited .
The families have a special seating area under a tent to protect them from the rain and watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are transferred to a waiting van .
When the grieving woman returned to the family area , the solemn movement began as planned .
The mist turned to a steady light rain as soldiers wearing white gloves , known as the carry team , went up into the cargo hold .
Dignitaries followed , high-ranking military officials , and Trump and Pence .
A chaplain could be heard delivering a short prayer and then the dignitaries walked back down to the tarmac .
President Trump briefly hesitated on the metal ramp before bounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The dignitaries stood on the tarmac as the first flag-draped transfer case was carried out and put into a waiting van .
Everyone in uniform held a salute as the case slowly passed by .
Trump , too , saluted , while Pence put his hand on his heart .
Then the carry team brought out the second case and there was another salute .
As Staff Sgt .
Tiliyah Tillman , the door attendant , slowly closed the doors at the rear of the van , the wailing began again .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ! ''
hung over the tarmac as the van pulled away .
It was a raw and painful reminder of the incredible sacrifices made by members of the military and their families , sacrifices that often go unseen by the vast majority of the public .
President Trump made no public statement and returned to Air Force One .
But he often references these visits when explaining why he wants to pull U.S. forces out of Afghanistan and Iraq .
`` I go out to Dover and I have to — I meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cabinet meeting in October .
`` It 's not a pleasant thing ; it 's the most unpleasant thing I do .
Most unpleasant thing I do . ''

A Look At A Solemn Dignified Transfer Ritual For Fallen Soldiers
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Makela/Getty Images Mark Makela/Getty Images
The silence was broken suddenly and unexpectedly. A woman burst out from a tent at Dover Air Force Base where families waited for a ceremony marking the return of their loved ones' remains to U.S. soil.
Screaming and running toward a massive gray C-17 transport plane, the woman made it part way up the ramp toward the cargo hold, her footsteps reverberating on the metal ramp as relatives and a service member tried to catch her and hold her back.
It was impossible to make out what she was saying as she wailed and struggled. Was she saying the name of one of the fallen soldiers? One word was unmistakable: "No." Photographers averted their cameras as suffering that is often out of sight spilled out onto the tarmac.
Javier Jaguar Gutierrez and Antonio Rey Rodriguez were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group and were killed in combat in Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province this weekend. Both 28 years old, they were posthumously promoted to Sergeant First Class.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump cut short a raucous New Hampshire campaign rally on Monday to make a last-minute flight to Dover, where America's fallen service members are brought to be prepared for transport to their final destination. There, he met up with Vice President Mike Pence, who had also spoken at the rally. It was the first time since transfers were opened to the press more than a decade ago that both a president and vice president attended together.
"These were fallen heroes and we were close by and the president wrapped his rally early so he could come and see these families," Trump's national security adviser Robert O'Brien told the pool of reporters traveling on Air Force One. "It's tough for the president, but he thinks it's important."
The transfers are a solemn ritual executed with precision by military professionals with all too much experience receiving the remains of the fallen. In the majority of cases, family members make the flight out to Dover to be there on the tarmac as the flag-draped transfer cases are taken off the transport plane that returned them to American soil. For these families, this is early part of a long and painful process of adjusting to a new reality without their loved ones.
Trump and Pence met privately with the families indoors before moving outside. Inside the C-17 rested two flag-draped transfer cases. It was late, after 10 p.m. and a light mist fell onto the wet tarmac.
Trump and Pence stood behind a van waiting for the transfer to formally begin, with Trump swaying from side to side. Then a van pulled up with the family members. They weren't visible to the press, a view purposely obstructed out of respect for the families. The families have to grant permission for the media to be present, to witness the transfer, and in this case both families consented.
It is a long-standing rule that audio recording is also not allowed and photos and videos of grieving families are prohibited. The families have a special seating area under a tent to protect them from the rain and watch as the remains of their loved ones are transferred to a waiting van.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Makela/Getty Images Mark Makela/Getty Images
When the grieving woman returned to the family area, the solemn movement began as planned. The mist turned to a steady light rain as soldiers wearing white gloves, known as the carry team, went up into the cargo hold. Dignitaries followed, high-ranking military officials, and Trump and Pence.
A chaplain could be heard delivering a short prayer and then the dignitaries walked back down to the tarmac. President Trump briefly hesitated on the metal ramp before bounding down quickly and joining the others.
The dignitaries stood on the tarmac as the first flag-draped transfer case was carried out and put into a waiting van. Everyone in uniform held a salute as the case slowly passed by. Trump, too, saluted, while Pence put his hand on his heart. Then the carry team brought out the second case and there was another salute.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
As Staff Sgt. Tiliyah Tillman, the door attendant, slowly closed the doors at the rear of the van, the wailing began again. The emotion, the screams of "no!" hung over the tarmac as the van pulled away. It was a raw and painful reminder of the incredible sacrifices made by members of the military and their families, sacrifices that often go unseen by the vast majority of the public.
President Trump made no public statement and returned to Air Force One. But he often references these visits when explaining why he wants to pull U.S. forces out of Afghanistan and Iraq.
"I go out to Dover and I have to — I meet parents," Trump said during a cabinet meeting in October. "It's not a pleasant thing; it's the most unpleasant thing I do. Most unpleasant thing I do."


npr--2020-02-11--'Priceless' Bonsai Trees Stolen From Museum In Washington State

Two historic bonsai trees have been stolen , and the Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way , Wash. , is putting out a call to get them back .
`` These are priceless treasures that belong to our community .
And their stories deserve to be preserved and shared broadly , '' museum Executive Director Kathy McCabe tells NPR .
`` So please bring them back . ''
Around 7 a.m. on Sunday morning , two thieves forced their way into the public display of the museum and made off with two roughly 50-pound bonsai : a Japanese black pine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like they knew what they were doing , '' McCabe says .
Aarin Packard , the museum 's curator , says it `` seemed to be more of a professional , professional-level theft . ''
They do n't know why the thieves did it .
`` It 's impossible to understand the motivation , particularly when you get to know the stories of these trees , '' McCabe says .
Both trees are relatively young as far as bonsai go , but still have a rich history going back to the time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pine was grown by Japanese American Juzaburo Furuzawa .
While he was incarcerated in an internment camp in Topaz , Utah , during World War II , he received Japanese black pine seeds from family members in Japan .
He started growing trees in tin cans .
The bonsai at the Pacific Bonsai Museum is possibly the only one of that group to still be alive .
`` I 'm not familiar with any other tree that exists in the United States that can trace its provenance to being germinated in an internment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
The tree was eventually acquired by one of Furuzawa 's students , who donated it to the museum in the early 1990s .
The silverberry was cultivated by Kiyoko Hatanaka beginning in 1946 .
She and her husband were bonsai enthusiasts in Southern California .
Silverberry is a common species for bonsai but is less common in the U.S. because it is more of a Japanese species , Packard says .
But what 's particularly notable about the silverberry is that it was cultivated by a female bonsai artist .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at least in Japanese culture where ikebana , the Japanese art of flower arranging , was sort of what the women would practice .
And so for a woman to be doing bonsai in the late '40s or mid-'40s is also rare , '' Packard says .
A lot of the bonsai in the U.S. date to the 1940s and 1950s .
Bonsai culture in the U.S. prior to World War II was only practiced by Japanese Americans ; it was later that non-Japanese began cultivating them , he says .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70 years already is a testament to the dedication of generations of bonsai artists .
Caring for the trees requires daily attention , much like a pet , Packard says .
`` That consistency of care is so essential to keeping them healthy and around for 75 years . ''
Some bonsai trees are passed on through generations of a family and can live for hundreds of years .
The museum is n't saying how much these particular trees are worth , only that they are worth thousands of dollars .
The museum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions if someone can help locate the trees and are asking the public to contact them with any leads .
The trees could die within a week if not properly cared for .
`` You fall in love with these trees , they become a part of your family and they 're passed on from generation to generation , from teacher to student , '' says McCabe .
`` And so they have such deep meaning that it goes beyond the monetary value . ''
NPR 's Noah Caldwell , Elena Schwartz and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ version of this story .

'Priceless' Bonsai Trees Stolen From Museum In Washington State
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Pacific Bonsai Museum Courtesy of Pacific Bonsai Museum
Two historic bonsai trees have been stolen, and the Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way, Wash., is putting out a call to get them back.
"These are priceless treasures that belong to our community. And their stories deserve to be preserved and shared broadly," museum Executive Director Kathy McCabe tells NPR. "So please bring them back."
Around 7 a.m. on Sunday morning, two thieves forced their way into the public display of the museum and made off with two roughly 50-pound bonsai: a Japanese black pine and a silverberry.
"It looked like they knew what they were doing," McCabe says.
Aarin Packard, the museum's curator, says it "seemed to be more of a professional, professional-level theft."
They don't know why the thieves did it. "It's impossible to understand the motivation, particularly when you get to know the stories of these trees," McCabe says.
Both trees are relatively young as far as bonsai go, but still have a rich history going back to the time of World War II.
The Japanese black pine was grown by Japanese American Juzaburo Furuzawa. While he was incarcerated in an internment camp in Topaz, Utah, during World War II, he received Japanese black pine seeds from family members in Japan. He started growing trees in tin cans. The bonsai at the Pacific Bonsai Museum is possibly the only one of that group to still be alive.
"I'm not familiar with any other tree that exists in the United States that can trace its provenance to being germinated in an internment camp during the war," Packard says. The tree was eventually acquired by one of Furuzawa's students, who donated it to the museum in the early 1990s.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Pacific Bonsai Museum Courtesy of Pacific Bonsai Museum
The silverberry was cultivated by Kiyoko Hatanaka beginning in 1946. She and her husband were bonsai enthusiasts in Southern California. Silverberry is a common species for bonsai but is less common in the U.S. because it is more of a Japanese species, Packard says.
But what's particularly notable about the silverberry is that it was cultivated by a female bonsai artist.
"Bonsai's predominantly been a male activity, at least in Japanese culture where ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, was sort of what the women would practice. And so for a woman to be doing bonsai in the late '40s or mid-'40s is also rare," Packard says.
A lot of the bonsai in the U.S. date to the 1940s and 1950s. Bonsai culture in the U.S. prior to World War II was only practiced by Japanese Americans; it was later that non-Japanese began cultivating them, he says.
That the two trees have survived more than 70 years already is a testament to the dedication of generations of bonsai artists. Caring for the trees requires daily attention, much like a pet, Packard says. "That consistency of care is so essential to keeping them healthy and around for 75 years." Some bonsai trees are passed on through generations of a family and can live for hundreds of years.
The museum isn't saying how much these particular trees are worth, only that they are worth thousands of dollars. The museum's staff say they won't ask questions if someone can help locate the trees and are asking the public to contact them with any leads. The trees could die within a week if not properly cared for.
"You fall in love with these trees, they become a part of your family and they're passed on from generation to generation, from teacher to student," says McCabe. "And so they have such deep meaning that it goes beyond the monetary value."
NPR's Noah Caldwell, Elena Schwartz and Justine Kenin produced and edited the audio version of this story.


npr--2020-02-11--'That Never Happened': The Key Moments During Harvey Weinstein's Defense

'That Never Happened ' : The Key Moments During Harvey Weinstein 's Defense After prosecutors laid out a broad case for the former megaproducer 's guilt , calling six women who accused him of rape or sexual assault in testimony lasting some two weeks , Weinstein 's attorneys took only about three days to say their piece .
Weinstein himself did not testify , and his attorneys relied largely on their prior cross-examinations to make the case that his alleged crimes were actually consensual encounters .
( Some of those points are included in NPR 's look at prosecutors ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the defense did call about half a dozen witnesses .
And a few of those testimonies , in particular , offered major moments for the jury to consider when deliberations likely begin next week .
Here 's a closer look at Weinstein 's defense , and how prosecutors tried to knock it down .
• Paul Feldsher : `` My understanding was that she fooled around with him . ''
• Talita Maia : `` She seemed normal , like nothing out of the ordinary . ''
The former Hollywood agent , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said he was a close friend of Annabella Sciorra in the 1990s .
During direct examination , he sought to rebut the actress ' allegations that Weinstein raped her in the winter of 1993-'94 , saying that `` my understanding was that she fooled around with him . ''
`` I remember Annabella saying to me that she [ had ] done this crazy thing with Harvey , '' Feldsher testified , relating the contents of a conversation they had around that time .
But he said she did n't say anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incident was anything but consensual .
`` There were no components about what she was saying [ that ] I found shocking or alarming , '' Feldsher added .
`` I do n't recall it being stressful . ''
During cross-examination , prosecutors trotted out a trove of text messages he had sent to Weinstein , with whom he has been friendly in recent years .
Among the messages read by prosecutors — many of which referred to Weinstein 's treatment of women — were the following lines : • `` Your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you want — a script , a movie and , yes , a girl — [ are ] to put it mildly , voracious . ''
• `` If a lot of these girls had been my daughter , I would have wanted to beat the s*** out of you . ''
• `` I think the dog pile of actresses who are suddenly brave and recalling suppressed memories is hideous . ''
`` I am learning a lot now , '' Feldsher told prosecutor Joan Illuzzi at one point , `` and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ messages would end up in a courtroom when I was texting him . ''
The Brazilian actress 's name came up a lot during Jessica Mann 's testimony for the prosecution .
Maia was a friend and former roommate of Mann 's , and was with her when they first met Weinstein at a party in Los Angeles around the beginning of 2013 .
Weeks later , Maia was in a hotel suite along with Mann and Weinstein .
She said she was watching TV while the other two were alone in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forcibly performed oral sex on her .
But during their drive home , Mann `` seemed OK , '' Maia said .
`` She seemed normal , like nothing out of the ordinary . ''
Maia said she also saw her friend with Weinstein right after an incident in which Mann said testified she was raped — but again Maia told the courtroom that she noticed nothing out of the ordinary .
`` She seemed to really like him as a person , '' Maia said .
`` She would only compliment him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she and Mann had had a falling out in 2016 , though she added : `` I do n't hate her or anything like that . ''
`` I do n't dislike Jessica , '' she explained .
`` Jessica did things in my life that it impacted my life in a very negative — in a terrible , terrible way and I wish I did n't have to go through that . ''
Of the witnesses called by the defense , the Mexican model offered perhaps the most forceful rebuttal of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lauren Young , in testimony supporting the charges , said Weinstein had cornered and sexually assaulted her in an LA hotel bathroom seven years ago — while Salinas stood outside the closed door .
`` That never happened , '' Salinas said .
Salinas , who said she had met Young just once before , acknowledged that she met Young and Weinstein at the hotel that evening .
But she flatly denied nearly every other detail of Young 's story .
`` If I had done that , I would remember that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never do that .
I never closed a door behind anybody , ever . ''
During cross-examination , prosecutors pointed out that Salinas ' denials did n't mesh with what she told investigators before the trial .
During those interviews , prosecutors said , `` you told them you did n't remember anything about what happened when you met with Lauren Young and Harvey Weinstein in February of 2013 . ''

'That Never Happened': The Key Moments During Harvey Weinstein's Defense
Enlarge this image toggle caption Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images
Editor's note: This report includes descriptions of sexual assault.
Harvey Weinstein's defense team didn't take much time.
After prosecutors laid out a broad case for the former megaproducer's guilt, calling six women who accused him of rape or sexual assault in testimony lasting some two weeks, Weinstein's attorneys took only about three days to say their piece.
Weinstein himself did not testify, and his attorneys relied largely on their prior cross-examinations to make the case that his alleged crimes were actually consensual encounters. (Some of those points are included in NPR's look at prosecutors' arguments last week.)
Still, the defense did call about half a dozen witnesses. And a few of those testimonies, in particular, offered major moments for the jury to consider when deliberations likely begin next week. Here's a closer look at Weinstein's defense, and how prosecutors tried to knock it down.
Paul Feldsher
Things began with Paul Feldsher.
The former Hollywood agent, the first defense witness called to the stand, said he was a close friend of Annabella Sciorra in the 1990s. During direct examination, he sought to rebut the actress' allegations that Weinstein raped her in the winter of 1993-'94, saying that "my understanding was that she fooled around with him."
"I remember Annabella saying to me that she [had] done this crazy thing with Harvey," Feldsher testified, relating the contents of a conversation they had around that time. But he said she didn't say anything about Weinstein that led him to believe the incident was anything but consensual.
"There were no components about what she was saying [that] I found shocking or alarming," Feldsher added. "I don't recall it being stressful."
During cross-examination, prosecutors trotted out a trove of text messages he had sent to Weinstein, with whom he has been friendly in recent years. Among the messages read by prosecutors — many of which referred to Weinstein's treatment of women — were the following lines:
Law Defense Team Begins Presenting Its Case In Harvey Weinstein Trial Defense Team Begins Presenting Its Case In Harvey Weinstein Trial Listen · 1:44 1:44
"Your appetite and ambition for the things that you want — a script, a movie and, yes, a girl — [are] to put it mildly, voracious."
"If a lot of these girls had been my daughter, I would have wanted to beat the s*** out of you."
"I think the dog pile of actresses who are suddenly brave and recalling suppressed memories is hideous."
"I am learning a lot now," Feldsher told prosecutor Joan Illuzzi at one point, "and I had no idea that my text messages would end up in a courtroom when I was texting him."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Seth Wenig/AP Seth Wenig/AP
Talita Maia
The Brazilian actress's name came up a lot during Jessica Mann's testimony for the prosecution. Maia was a friend and former roommate of Mann's, and was with her when they first met Weinstein at a party in Los Angeles around the beginning of 2013.
Weeks later, Maia was in a hotel suite along with Mann and Weinstein. She said she was watching TV while the other two were alone in an adjoining room. Mann testified that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her.
But during their drive home, Mann "seemed OK," Maia said. "She seemed normal, like nothing out of the ordinary."
Maia said she also saw her friend with Weinstein right after an incident in which Mann said testified she was raped — but again Maia told the courtroom that she noticed nothing out of the ordinary.
"She seemed to really like him as a person," Maia said. "She would only compliment him."
Under cross-examination, she mentioned that she and Mann had had a falling out in 2016, though she added: "I don't hate her or anything like that."
"I don't dislike Jessica," she explained. "Jessica did things in my life that it impacted my life in a very negative — in a terrible, terrible way and I wish I didn't have to go through that."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Lennihan/AP Mark Lennihan/AP
Claudia Salinas
Of the witnesses called by the defense, the Mexican model offered perhaps the most forceful rebuttal of an account by a prosecution witness. Lauren Young, in testimony supporting the charges, said Weinstein had cornered and sexually assaulted her in an LA hotel bathroom seven years ago — while Salinas stood outside the closed door.
"That never happened," Salinas said.
Salinas, who said she had met Young just once before, acknowledged that she met Young and Weinstein at the hotel that evening. But she flatly denied nearly every other detail of Young's story.
"If I had done that, I would remember that," Salinas added. "I would never do that. I never closed a door behind anybody, ever."
During cross-examination, prosecutors pointed out that Salinas' denials didn't mesh with what she told investigators before the trial. During those interviews, prosecutors said, "you told them you didn't remember anything about what happened when you met with Lauren Young and Harvey Weinstein in February of 2013."
NPR's Rose Friedman contributed to this report.


npr--2020-02-11--Malcolm X Doc Prompts 'Reexamination' Of Iconic Leader's Assassination Investigation

During the first few minutes of Who Killed Malcolm X ?
an assortment of people pose a number of theories on the question .
• The FBI was behind the infamous assassination of the controversial black Muslim leader and political activist .
• The white power structure in America conspired to gun him down .
• It was an inside job carried out by his former brothers in the Nation of Islam .
New information revealed in the six-part documentary , which first aired on Fusion but has gotten a wider audience on Netflix this month , raises so many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were convicted of the 1965 murder , that it has prompted the Manhattan district attorney 's office to take another look at the evidence .
`` District Attorney [ Cy ] Vance has met with representatives from the Innocence Project and associated counsel regarding this matter , '' spokesman Danny Frost said in an emailed statement .
The Innocence Project is a nonprofit that works to exonerate the wrongly convicted .
The group is working with civil rights attorney David Shanies to reinvestigate the conviction of Muhammad Abdul Aziz , who at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was known as Norman 3X Butler .
The outcome of the district attorney 's preliminary review `` will inform the office regarding what further investigative steps may be undertaken , '' Frost said .
The documentary series follows what 's become a lifelong passion for historian Abdur-Rahman Muhammad as he attempts to debunk the official account about the perpetrators of Malcolm X 's assassination .
`` The first time I saw those bullet wounds , I thought , 'Why does n't someone want to get to the bottom of this ? '
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the real story ? ''
Muhammad says in the first episode .
He combs through court documents , investigation records , decades-old newspaper stories and interviews with former members of the Nation of Islam .
He asks unanswered questions regarding the New York Police Department 's absence on the day of the murder at the Audubon Ballroom where hundreds of people had gathered to hear the activist speak .
As he took the stage on Feb. 21 , 1965 , Malcolm X was blasted by a volley of bullets .
A year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( who had also been called Talmadge Hayer and Mujahid Abdul Halim ) , Khalil Islam ( known then as Thomas 15X Johnson ) , and Aziz — were convicted and sentenced to life in prison .
While Hagan confessed to the murder during the trial , he testified that neither Aziz nor Islam was involved .
But he declined to name the men who had joined him in the attack .
Meanwhile the other two men always maintained their innocence .
In 1978 , Hayer gave the names of four men who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his statements failed to persuade officials to reopen the investigation of the murder .
Hagan was released in 2010 after spending more than 40 years in prison .
Islam was released in 1987 and died in 2009 .
Aziz , who was released on parole in 1985 , is still fighting to clear his name .
`` The day of the murder , which was a Sunday morning , I was laying over the couch with my [ injured ] foot up and I heard it over the radio , '' Aziz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to the Innocence Project , `` In addition to multiple alibi witnesses , a doctor who treated Aziz at Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx just hours before Malcolm 's murder took the stand in Aziz 's defense . ''
Through a series of Freedom of Information Act requests , civil rights lawyer William Kunstler obtained previously undisclosed FBI documents that supported Hagan 's account , the Innocence Project says .
`` Given the historical importance of this case and the fact that our client is 81 years old , we are especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly respected prosecutors , Peter Casolaro and Charles King , to work on this re-investigation , '' Barry Scheck , Innocence Project co-founder and special counsel , said in a statement .
Casolaro led the reinvestigation of the rape case against the Central Park Five in 2002 .
`` We look forward to working cooperatively with them to see that justice is done , '' Scheck added .

Malcolm X Doc Prompts 'Reexamination' Of Iconic Leader's Assassination Investigation
Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP
During the first few minutes of Who Killed Malcolm X? an assortment of people pose a number of theories on the question.
The FBI was behind the infamous assassination of the controversial black Muslim leader and political activist.
The white power structure in America conspired to gun him down.
It was an inside job carried out by his former brothers in the Nation of Islam.
New information revealed in the six-part documentary, which first aired on Fusion but has gotten a wider audience on Netflix this month, raises so many questions about two of the three men who were convicted of the 1965 murder, that it has prompted the Manhattan district attorney's office to take another look at the evidence.
"District Attorney [Cy] Vance has met with representatives from the Innocence Project and associated counsel regarding this matter," spokesman Danny Frost said in an emailed statement.
toggle caption AP
The Innocence Project is a nonprofit that works to exonerate the wrongly convicted. The group is working with civil rights attorney David Shanies to reinvestigate the conviction of Muhammad Abdul Aziz, who at the time of Malcolm X's death was known as Norman 3X Butler.
The outcome of the district attorney's preliminary review "will inform the office regarding what further investigative steps may be undertaken," Frost said.
The documentary series follows what's become a lifelong passion for historian Abdur-Rahman Muhammad as he attempts to debunk the official account about the perpetrators of Malcolm X's assassination.
"The first time I saw those bullet wounds, I thought, 'Why doesn't someone want to get to the bottom of this?' So I started asking questions. ... What is the real story?" Muhammad says in the first episode.
He combs through court documents, investigation records, decades-old newspaper stories and interviews with former members of the Nation of Islam. He asks unanswered questions regarding the New York Police Department's absence on the day of the murder at the Audubon Ballroom where hundreds of people had gathered to hear the activist speak.
As he took the stage on Feb. 21, 1965, Malcolm X was blasted by a volley of bullets.
A year later, three men — Thomas Hagan (who had also been called Talmadge Hayer and Mujahid Abdul Halim), Khalil Islam (known then as Thomas 15X Johnson ), and Aziz — were convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
While Hagan confessed to the murder during the trial, he testified that neither Aziz nor Islam was involved. But he declined to name the men who had joined him in the attack.
Meanwhile the other two men always maintained their innocence.
In 1978, Hayer gave the names of four men who he said were his accomplices. However, his statements failed to persuade officials to reopen the investigation of the murder.
Hagan was released in 2010 after spending more than 40 years in prison.
Islam was released in 1987 and died in 2009. Aziz, who was released on parole in 1985, is still fighting to clear his name.
"The day of the murder, which was a Sunday morning, I was laying over the couch with my [injured] foot up and I heard it over the radio," Aziz remembers in Who Killed Malcolm X?
According to the Innocence Project, "In addition to multiple alibi witnesses, a doctor who treated Aziz at Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx just hours before Malcolm's murder took the stand in Aziz's defense."
Through a series of Freedom of Information Act requests, civil rights lawyer William Kunstler obtained previously undisclosed FBI documents that supported Hagan's account, the Innocence Project says.
"Given the historical importance of this case and the fact that our client is 81 years old, we are especially encouraged that Mr. Vance has assigned two highly respected prosecutors, Peter Casolaro and Charles King, to work on this re-investigation," Barry Scheck, Innocence Project co-founder and special counsel, said in a statement.
Casolaro led the reinvestigation of the rape case against the Central Park Five in 2002.
"We look forward to working cooperatively with them to see that justice is done," Scheck added.


npr--2020-02-11--There's No Specific Drug That Kills Coronavirus. But Doctors Have Ways To Treat It

There 's No Specific Drug That Kills Coronavirus .
But Doctors Have Ways To Treat It Even though the coronavirus disease that has sickened tens of thousands of people in China is new to science , doctors have a pretty good idea about how to treat it .
COVID-19 , as it is now named , attacks the lungs .
Doctors see similar symptoms from other diseases all the time , especially from serious cases of the flu .
There 's no specific drug that can kill this virus .
So doctors provide what 's known as supportive care , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care specialist at the University of Washington and a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine 's Leadership Council .
`` Supportive care is something we 're quite used to , '' Evans says , `` particularly in the intensive care unit environment , because we lack specific therapies for a lot of the things that we deal with in the intensive care unit . ''
The strategy of supportive care is to do whatever 's possible to keep vital organ systems functioning .
That means monitoring vitals such as temperature , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to keep those as normal as we can , '' she says .
Providing oxygen can be critical , particularly for a lung ailment .
The method can range from a simple tube in the nostrils ( a nasal cannula ) to much more aggressive approaches , such as a mechanical ventilator , which involves a breathing tube threaded into a person 's airways .
`` We 're just trying to support their bodies through it while they deal with the infection themselves , '' she says .
At the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's immune system , rather than the doctors , that does the hard work of fighting off an infection .
Drugs can help as well , whether it 's for blood pressure , heart performance or infection control .
`` Sometimes these patients could have bacterial infections along with the viral infections , '' says Dr. Charles Dela Cruz , a critical care specialist at Yale University 's School of Medicine .
`` They may or may not need antibiotics in certain situations . ''
He has helped analyze case reports of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 cases are comparatively mild and do n't require major medical interventions , but the remaining 20 % can be quite serious .
Dela Cruz notes that patients who survive a crisis still may have a long road ahead of them .
`` They have a lot of consequences of what they 've gone through , especially if they 're mechanically ventilated for a long time , '' Dela Cruz says .
`` And so a lot of them have harder time to get back to their baseline .
It sometimes takes weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also a lot of mental health distress . ''
People who have had a disorienting experience in the ICU may end up with delirium , which can have long-term consequences .
Researchers in China are already testing drugs that target the coronavirus .
One is an experimental medication from the United States called remdesivir , which was originally developed by Gilead Sciences to treat Ebola ( but has not been approved for any purpose ) .
These drugs stop the virus from replicating but ca n't undo damage that the virus has caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fred Aoki at the University of Manitoba has studied antiviral drugs in the context of the flu , which has strong parallels to COVID-19 .
Those drugs are mostly effective within just a day or two of a person developing symptoms — that is , before the virus has had a chance to make someone really sick .
They can prevent the virus from doing a lot of damage at that point .
The drugs can also reduce the risk of death in hospitalized patients , Aoki says .
`` In those cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to five and six days after onset of illness and will produce a salutary change in the course of the illness . ''
He says these flu medicines are actually most effective in people who are well but who have been exposed to the virus , say from a member of their household .
The drug can actually prevent disease at that point .
Researchers studied this effect during the pandemic flu a decade ago .
`` These pills would reduce the illness in the other family members by about 70 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Logistics are the biggest challenge , Aoki says , because if people have to wait for doctors ' appointments to get a prescription , they 've lost precious time .
But even in the best of circumstances , we should not expect too much from antiviral medications .
`` In the case of influenza , where we have approved antiviral therapy , we still see people become very ill and requiring hospitalization or requiring intensive care , '' says Evans of the University of Washington .
`` And we know thousands in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So I do n't think we should think of an antiviral drug as a magic bullet here . ''
People will still need supportive care , she says , to buy them time to heal .
You can contact NPR Science Correspondent Richard Harris at rharris @ npr.org .

There's No Specific Drug That Kills Coronavirus. But Doctors Have Ways To Treat It
Enlarge this image toggle caption China Daily via Reuters China Daily via Reuters
Even though the coronavirus disease that has sickened tens of thousands of people in China is new to science, doctors have a pretty good idea about how to treat it. COVID-19, as it is now named, attacks the lungs. Doctors see similar symptoms from other diseases all the time, especially from serious cases of the flu.
There's no specific drug that can kill this virus. So doctors provide what's known as supportive care, says Dr. Laura Evans, a critical care specialist at the University of Washington and a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine's Leadership Council.
"Supportive care is something we're quite used to," Evans says, "particularly in the intensive care unit environment, because we lack specific therapies for a lot of the things that we deal with in the intensive care unit."
The strategy of supportive care is to do whatever's possible to keep vital organ systems functioning. That means monitoring vitals such as temperature, blood pressure and oxygen levels "and trying to keep those as normal as we can," she says.
Providing oxygen can be critical, particularly for a lung ailment. The method can range from a simple tube in the nostrils (a nasal cannula) to much more aggressive approaches, such as a mechanical ventilator, which involves a breathing tube threaded into a person's airways.
"We're just trying to support their bodies through it while they deal with the infection themselves," she says.
At the end of the day, it's the person's immune system, rather than the doctors, that does the hard work of fighting off an infection. Drugs can help as well, whether it's for blood pressure, heart performance or infection control.
"Sometimes these patients could have bacterial infections along with the viral infections," says Dr. Charles Dela Cruz, a critical care specialist at Yale University's School of Medicine. "They may or may not need antibiotics in certain situations."
He has helped analyze case reports of coronavirus from China. About 80% of COVID-19 cases are comparatively mild and don't require major medical interventions, but the remaining 20% can be quite serious.
Dela Cruz notes that patients who survive a crisis still may have a long road ahead of them.
"They have a lot of consequences of what they've gone through, especially if they're mechanically ventilated for a long time," Dela Cruz says. "And so a lot of them have a harder time to get back to their baseline. It sometimes takes weeks or even months. And there's also a lot of mental health distress."
People who have had a disorienting experience in the ICU may end up with delirium, which can have long-term consequences.
Researchers in China are already testing drugs that target the coronavirus. One is an experimental medication from the United States called remdesivir, which was originally developed by Gilead Sciences to treat Ebola (but has not been approved for any purpose). These drugs stop the virus from replicating but can't undo damage that the virus has caused to a person's body.
Dr. Fred Aoki at the University of Manitoba has studied antiviral drugs in the context of the flu, which has strong parallels to COVID-19. Those drugs are mostly effective within just a day or two of a person developing symptoms — that is, before the virus has had a chance to make someone really sick. They can prevent the virus from doing a lot of damage at that point.
The drugs can also reduce the risk of death in hospitalized patients, Aoki says. "In those cases, anti-influenza drugs will have an effect out to five and six days after onset of illness and will produce a salutary change in the course of the illness."
He says these flu medicines are actually most effective in people who are well but who have been exposed to the virus, say from a member of their household. The drug can actually prevent disease at that point.
Researchers studied this effect during the pandemic flu a decade ago. "These pills would reduce the illness in the other family members by about 70 to 80 percent," he says.
Logistics are the biggest challenge, Aoki says, because if people have to wait for doctors' appointments to get a prescription, they've lost precious time.
But even in the best of circumstances, we should not expect too much from antiviral medications.
"In the case of influenza, where we have approved antiviral therapy, we still see people become very ill and requiring hospitalization or requiring intensive care," says Evans of the University of Washington. "And we know thousands in the U.S. die every year from influenza. So I don't think we should think of an antiviral drug as a magic bullet here."
People will still need supportive care, she says, to buy them time to heal.
You can contact NPR Science Correspondent Richard Harris at rharris@npr.org.


npr--2020-02-11--195 Americans Released From Coronavirus Quarantine At Southern California Air Base

The 195 Americans who were evacuated from Wuhan , China , last month have now been released from the first mandatory quarantine the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has ordered in more than 50 years .
The group , which faced numerous health screenings both in China and during their trip and quarantine , has now been `` medically cleared , '' health officials said Tuesday , clearing the way for them to leave the March Air Reserve Base in Southern California .
`` Our guests at March Air Reserve Base are happy to see an official end today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward to returning home .
We wish them well ! ''
Riverside University Health System - Public Health said via Facebook Tuesday , posting an image of the evacuees gathered together outside , tossing blue face masks into the air .
While the evacuees are glad to see the end of an ordeal that began at the epicenter of a global health emergency , there are also some mixed feelings about disbanding a group that has grown close .
`` They 're very excited to go home , and at the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our goodbyes to each other , '' evacuee Matthew McCoy , who worked in Wuhan as a theme park designer , told NPR 's Patti Neighmond .
`` We 've all created a family environment here , '' McCoy said , adding that many of the evacuees plan to stay in touch through special groups on Skype and other platforms .
McCoy says the group coped with the quarantine as a team , trying to maintain a positive attitude .
`` We chose to work together , '' he said .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .
That made it more of a positive outlook .
And we all helped each other .
It 's better than sitting around sulking and not doing anything . ''
There are no confirmed cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus among the 195 evacuees , the health system said in a statement disseminated by the Department of Health and Human Services .
`` They have completed their final health check this morning , which included their symptom check and their temperature check , '' said Rear Admiral Dr. Nancy Knight of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saying that it 's now safe for the group to rejoin their communities and families , Knight added , `` This is a huge celebration for all of us here at March Air Reserve Base . ''
Knight also stressed that the completion of the quarantine means that the evacuees have been determined to be entirely free of the virus that has now killed more than 1,000 people in China .
`` They pose no health risk to themselves , to their families , to their places of work , to schools or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ novel coronavirus from these individuals whatsoever , '' Knight said .
Knight also praised the evacuees , thanking them for their professionalism and cooperation over the past two weeks .
`` They have been through a lot during these last few weeks , not just the two weeks of quarantine , but also during their time in Wuhan before flying to the United States , '' she said .
The quarantine group is a mix of U.S. diplomatic staff , businesspeople and families with children .
They flew out of Wuhan in late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chartered by the U.S. State Department .
As they celebrated the evacuees ' release , Knight and Dr. Cameron Kaiser , Riverside County 's public health officer , also noted that some members of the communities near the air base had shown their displeasure at the decision to house the quarantined group at the air base .
`` Discrimination has been a significant problem , '' Knight said .
Replying to a question about the wider effects of those negative sentiments , she added , `` I think it 's really unfortunate that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to endure this fear and discrimination in their communities here . ''
Describing the accounts of stigmatization that workers have shared with the medical staff , Knight said , `` We 've heard things like someone 's young girl , their daughter , being discriminated against and called names at school ... because her mom worked at the base . ''
`` We heard [ about ] another employee who was denied housing because she worked at the base , '' Knight added .
Situations like those prompted Kaiser to issue an open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , refuting misperceptions about the evacuees and saying the people who work at March Air Reserve Base should not be subjected to confrontations and negative comments on social media .
As the quarantine order was lifted , Kaiser emphasized that the base , and everyone who works there , is safe .
And he said no one in the group should be `` outed . ''
`` They do n't need additional testing ; they do n't need to be shunned , '' he said .
`` Fortunately , most of you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that these people have been through , '' Kaiser added .
During the quarantine , the evacuees have lived in a cordoned-off area of March Air Reserve Base , which is in Riverside County , east of Los Angeles .
While many of the evacuees were leaving immediately after the quarantine officially lifted Tuesday , some of them are staying an extra night for logistical reasons , planning to travel on Wednesday .
Noting the strict safety precautions under which the quarantined group lived , Knight said that with the coronavirus being unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 6 feet away , `` there is no risk '' of contracting the virus from someone who has it .

195 Americans Released From Coronavirus Quarantine At Southern California Air Base
Enlarge this image toggle caption Riverside University Health System - Public Health Riverside University Health System - Public Health
Updated at 4 p.m. ET
The 195 Americans who were evacuated from Wuhan, China, last month have now been released from the first mandatory quarantine the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has ordered in more than 50 years.
The group, which faced numerous health screenings both in China and during their trip and quarantine, has now been "medically cleared," health officials said Tuesday, making it possible for them to leave the March Air Reserve Base in Southern California.
"Our guests at March Air Reserve Base are happy to see an official end today to their 14-day quarantine and are looking forward to returning home. We wish them well!" Riverside University Health System - Public Health said via Facebook Tuesday, posting an image of the evacuees gathered together outside, tossing blue face masks into the air.
While the evacuees are glad to see the end of an ordeal that began at the epicenter of a global health emergency, there are also some mixed feelings about disbanding a group that has grown close.
"They're very excited to go home, and at the same time, we're kind of sad saying our goodbyes to each other," evacuee Matthew McCoy, who worked in Wuhan as a theme park designer, told NPR's Patti Neighmond.
"We've all created a family environment here," McCoy said, adding that many of the evacuees plan to stay in touch through special groups on Skype and other platforms.
McCoy says the group coped with the quarantine as a team, trying to maintain a positive attitude.
"We chose to work together," he said. "We chose to create classes and things like that. That made it more of a positive outlook. And we all helped each other. It's better than sitting around sulking and not doing anything."
There are no confirmed cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus among the 195 evacuees, the health system said in a statement disseminated by the Department of Health and Human Services.
"They have completed their final health check this morning, which included their symptom check and their temperature check," said Rear Adm. Dr. Nancy Knight of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Saying that it's now safe for the group to rejoin their communities and families, Knight added, "This is a huge celebration for all of us here at March Air Reserve Base."
Knight also stressed that the completion of the quarantine means that the evacuees have been determined to be entirely free of the virus that has now killed more than 1,100 people in China.
"They pose no health risk to themselves, to their families, to their places of work, to schools or their communities — no health risk of novel coronavirus from these individuals whatsoever," Knight said.
Knight also praised the evacuees, thanking them for their professionalism and cooperation over the past two weeks.
"They have been through a lot during these last few weeks, not just the two weeks of quarantine, but also during their time in Wuhan before flying to the United States," she said.
The quarantine group is a mix of U.S. diplomatic staff, businesspeople and families with children. They flew out of Wuhan in late January, on a jet that was chartered by the U.S. State Department.
As they celebrated the evacuees' release, Knight and Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County's public health officer, also noted that some members of the communities near the air base had shown their displeasure at the decision to house the quarantined group at the air base.
"Discrimination has been a significant problem," Knight said.
Replying to a question about the wider effects of those negative sentiments, she added, "I think it's really unfortunate that the workers at the base have had to endure this fear and discrimination in their communities here."
Describing the accounts of stigmatization that workers have shared with the medical staff, Knight said, "We've heard things like someone's young girl, their daughter, being discriminated against and called names at school ... because her mom worked at the base."
"We heard [about] another employee who was denied housing because she worked at the base," Knight added.
Situations like those prompted Kaiser to issue an open letter to the local community on Monday, refuting misperceptions about the evacuees and saying the people who work at March Air Reserve Base should not be subjected to confrontations and negative comments on social media.
As the quarantine order was lifted, Kaiser emphasized that the base, and everyone who works there, is safe. And he said no one in the group should be "outed."
"They don't need additional testing; they don't need to be shunned," he said.
"Fortunately, most of you have been very supportive and understanding of everything that these people have been through," Kaiser added.
During the quarantine, the evacuees have lived in a cordoned-off area of March Air Reserve Base, which is in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles. While many of the evacuees were leaving immediately after the quarantine officially lifted Tuesday, some of them are staying an extra night for logistical reasons, planning to travel on Wednesday.
Noting the strict safety precautions under which the quarantined group lived, Knight said that with the coronavirus being unable to be transmitted from anyone who was more than 6 feet away, "there is no risk" of contracting the virus from someone who has it.


npr--2020-02-11--Study: 1 In 5 Patients Gets A Surprise Medical Bill After Surgery

Study : 1 In 5 Patients Gets A Surprise Medical Bill After Surgery Two bills up for debate and revision in the House this week aim to stop surprise medical billing — when patients are billed for services their insurance wo n't cover .
New research reveals just how common surprise billing is after an elective surgery , like a knee replacement or hysterectomy .
Tracking data from almost 350,000 patients with a large commercial insurer , the researchers found that more than 20 % were hit with an unpaid balance , according to a study released Tuesday in JAMA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,000 .
The researchers did n't have the actual bills received by patients , so they calculated what health care providers could bill based on claims data : unexpected out-of-network charges minus average costs insurance would pay .
`` For a large percentage of the public , getting one of these bills is really going to be financially devastating , '' says Zack Cooper , an associate professor of public health and economics at Yale University 's School of Medicine , who was n't involved with the study .
A Federal Reserve report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States in 2018 would have trouble paying an unexpected $ 400 bill .
The study highlights how common surprise billing is , even in a context where consumers may have an illusion of control over what they will have to pay .
Surprise bills are common after emergency care or nonsurgical hospital stays , when patients may not be able to choose health care providers covered by their insurance .
( Twenty percent of inpatient admissions from the emergency department likely led to a surprise bill , a Health Affairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , patients often have time to select in-network providers , but it did n't appear to make a difference .
`` These are patients that actually choose their surgeon and their hospital , so it 's surprising that despite narrowing it down to people who have really done their homework , we still find the same rate [ as for emergency care ] , '' says Dr. Karan Chhabra , the lead researcher on the investigation and a resident surgeon at Brigham and Women 's Hospital .
The study found that most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or surgical assistants — who are typically not chosen by patients .
Chhabra does n't always get to see his patients after they 've received bills .
But his friends and colleagues have dealt with surprise bills themselves .
`` The surgical community had to do something about this and find out exactly how often this is going on , '' he says .
The study arrives during a time when Congress is debating how to address this problem .
The two bills under discussion take differing approaches to resolving these outstanding payments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shoulders of patients .
Either of the two bills would be an improvement over the status quo , Cooper says .
But it 's unclear what measures will really make it into law .
`` The devil 's obviously in the details , '' Chhabra says .
Surprise billing was a focus in Congress last year as well , but legislation never made it through .
There 's now a lot of opportunity for Congress to take action , says Jean Fuglesten Biniek , a senior researcher at the Health Care Cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on health care .
`` It 's a rare case where both parties in Congress want to get something done , and we have examples of what a bipartisan agreement might look like , '' she says .
`` Just getting that far can often be difficult in health policy .
I 'm hopeful that they will take action . ''
These new results reinforce the prevalence of the problem and align with earlier findings about surprise medical billing .
A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis on data from 2017 found that about 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill after an emergency room visit or in-patient hospital stay .
They also paint a clearer picture of the problem .
The rate of surprise billing ranges from 3 % in Nebraska to 46 % in Alaska .
And people who bought individual insurance on the state and federal exchanges have higher than average rates of surprise billing — along with those who have at least one surgical complication , whose risk is 7 percentage points higher .
`` There are particularly vulnerable people out there , that might be even sicker or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and those people are the ones that are getting hit even harder , '' Chhabra says .
`` Those people might be the ones that are least able to cope with these bills . ''

Study: 1 In 5 Patients Gets A Surprise Medical Bill After Surgery
Enlarge this image toggle caption FangXiaNuo/Getty Images FangXiaNuo/Getty Images
Two bills up for debate and revision in the House this week aim to stop surprise medical billing — when patients are billed for services their insurance won't cover. New research reveals just how common surprise billing is after an elective surgery, like a knee replacement or hysterectomy.
Tracking data from almost 350,000 patients with a large commercial insurer, the researchers found that more than 20% were hit with an out-of-network charge, according to a study released Tuesday in JAMA. The average bill was over $2,000 more than what insurance would typically pay. The researchers didn't have the actual bills received by patients, so they calculated what health care providers could bill based on claims data: unexpected out-of-network charges minus average costs insurance would pay.
"For a large percentage of the public, getting one of these bills is really going to be financially devastating," says Zack Cooper, an associate professor of public health and economics at Yale University's School of Medicine, who wasn't involved with the study. A Federal Reserve report found that nearly 40% of adults in the United States in 2018 would have trouble paying an unexpected $400 bill.
The study highlights how common surprise billing is, even in a context where consumers may have an illusion of control over what they will have to pay. Surprise bills are common after emergency care or nonsurgical hospital stays, when patients may not be able to choose health care providers covered by their insurance. (Twenty percent of inpatient admissions from the emergency department likely led to a surprise bill, a Health Affairs study found.) For elective surgeries, patients often have time to select in-network providers, but it didn't appear to make a difference.
"These are patients that actually choose their surgeon and their hospital, so it's surprising that despite narrowing it down to people who have really done their homework, we still find the same rate [as for emergency care]," says Dr. Karan Chhabra, the lead researcher on the investigation and a resident surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
The study found that most of the surprise bills come from either anesthesiologists or surgical assistants — who are typically not chosen by patients.
Chhabra doesn't always get to see his patients after they've received bills. But his friends and colleagues have dealt with surprise bills themselves. "The surgical community had to do something about this and find out exactly how often this is going on," he says.
The study arrives during a time when Congress is debating how to address this problem. The two bills under discussion take differing approaches to resolving these outstanding payments when they're no longer placed on the shoulders of patients.
Either of the two bills would be an improvement over the status quo, Cooper says. But it's unclear what measures will really make it into law.
"The devil's obviously in the details," Chhabra says.
Surprise billing was a focus in Congress last year as well, but legislation never made it through. There's now a lot of opportunity for Congress to take action, says Jean Fuglesten Biniek, a senior researcher at the Health Care Cost Institute, a nonprofit research center focused on health care.
"It's a rare case where both parties in Congress want to get something done, and we have examples of what a bipartisan agreement might look like," she says. "Just getting that far can often be difficult in health policy. I'm hopeful that they will take action."
These new results reinforce the prevalence of the problem and align with earlier findings about surprise medical billing. A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis on data from 2017 found that about 1 in 6 patients get a surprise out-of-network bill after an emergency room visit or in-patient hospital stay.
They also paint a clearer picture of the problem. The rate of surprise billing ranges from 3% in Nebraska to 46% in Alaska. And people who bought individual insurance on the state and federal exchanges have higher than average rates of surprise billing — along with those who have at least one surgical complication, whose risk is 7 percentage points higher.
"There are particularly vulnerable people out there, that might be even sicker or might not have that much money, and those people are the ones that are getting hit even harder," Chhabra says. "Those people might be the ones that are least able to cope with these bills."


npr--2020-02-11--DOJ Asks Court For 'Far Less' Prison Time For Roger Stone After Trump Tweet

DOJ Asks Court For 'Far Less ' Prison Time For Roger Stone After Trump Tweet At least four prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney 's Office in Washington have said they are withdrawing from the Roger Stone case , hours after the U.S. Justice Department asked a judge Tuesday to sentence President Trump 's ally to much less prison time than initially requested following an unusual intervention by leaders in Washington .
The four who stepped withdrew Tuesday are Aaron Zelinsky , Jonathan Kravis , Adam Jed , and Michael Marando .
Zelinsky resigned as a special assistant U.S. Attorney in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he continues to work for the Justice Department in his earlier capacity with the Maryland U.S. Attorney 's Office .
Kravis resigned as an assistant U.S. attorney in the D.C. U.S. Attorney 's office .
Jed and Marando said they are withdrawing from the case .
At issue is the prison term prosecutors recommended for Stone , who sought to serve as an intermediary between Trump 's 2016 presidential campaign and WikiLeaks .
He was found guilty last November on several charges , including lying to Congress , and is awaiting sentencing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had recommended Monday that Stone serve seven to nine years in prison , but Justice Department officials were `` shocked '' by the `` extreme and excessive and disproportionate '' severity of that sentence , a senior Justice Department official said .
So the department ordered the submission of a second sentencing memo in the case , displacing the first .
The second memo , which appeared with court records on Tuesday afternoon , said that a sentence `` far less '' than the prospective seven to nine years in prison `` would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It did not make a specific recommendation .
Judge Amy Berman Jackson has the ultimate authority to hand down the sentence in Stone 's case and the government said in its second filing that it deferred to her .
The back and forth over Stone 's sentence followed a post on Twitter by Trump on Tuesday that faulted the recommended sentence .
Officials did n't make any explicit link between the president 's tweet and the Justice Department 's planned action .
The senior Justice Department official said that department leadership had resolved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentencing memo , before the Twitter post .
The president told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he had n't asked the Justice Department for a reduced sentence for Stone .
Trump declined to comment when asked whether he was considering a pardon for his ally .
Trump 's critics blasted what they called the president 's attempt to influence what are supposed to be the independent workings of the Justice Department .
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler , D-N.Y. , vowed in his own Twitter post that the panel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , called on the Justice Department 's inspector general to investigate the events leading up to the submission of the second sentencing memo .
`` This situation has all the indicia of improper political interference in a criminal prosecution , '' Schumer wrote to Inspector General Michael Horowitz .
Stone and his camp sought to serve as intermediaries between Trump 's campaign and WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential election , though Stone said he did nothing wrong .
He maintained that he had no inside knowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or WikiLeaks ' role and that he was only talking up his own importance .
Prosecutors , however , charged him with lying to Congress , obstructing its investigation and witness tampering .
Stone was convicted on all seven counts in his trial by a federal jury in November .
The judge has scheduled sentencing for next week .
Ahead of that , prosecutors and Stone 's defense team filed their respective sentencing memos Monday , which prompted the subsequent reaction .

Prosecutors Quit Roger Stone Case After DOJ Seeks Less Prison Time For Trump Ally
Enlarge this image toggle caption Julio Cortez/AP Julio Cortez/AP
Updated at 6:56 p.m. ET
Four federal prosecutors withdrew from the Roger Stone case on Tuesday, hours after the Justice Department took the unusual step of intervening in the case to seek a shorter sentence for the longtime ally of the president.
The four prosecutors who filed their papers with the court to withdraw are Aaron Zelinsky, Jonathan Kravis, Adam Jed and Michael Marando.
Zelinsky resigned as a special assistant U.S. Attorney in the Washington D.C. office. It appears he continues to work for the Justice Department in his earlier capacity with the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office.
Kravis resigned as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's office for D.C. Jed and Marando said they are withdrawing from the case.
At issue is the prison term prosecutors recommended for Stone, who sought to serve as an intermediary between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and WikiLeaks. He was found guilty last November on several charges, including lying to Congress, and is awaiting sentencing.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington had recommended Monday that Stone serve seven to nine years in prison, but Justice Department officials were "shocked" by the "extreme and excessive and disproportionate" severity of that sentence, a senior Justice Department official said.
So the department ordered the submission of a second sentencing memo in the case, displacing the first. The second memo, which appeared with court records on Tuesday afternoon, said that a sentence "far less" than the prospective seven to nine years in prison "would be reasonable under the circumstances." It did not make a specific recommendation.
Judge Amy Berman Jackson has the ultimate authority to hand down the sentence in Stone's case and the government said in its second filing that it deferred to her.
Trump criticism
The back and forth over Stone's sentence followed a post on Twitter by Trump on Tuesday that faulted the recommended sentence.
Officials didn't make any explicit link between the president's tweet and the Justice Department's planned action. The senior Justice Department official said that department leadership had resolved on Monday evening to challenge the initial sentencing memo, before the Twitter post.
The president told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he hadn't asked the Justice Department for a reduced sentence for Stone. Trump declined to comment when asked whether he was considering a pardon for his ally.
Trump's critics blasted what they called the president's attempt to influence what are supposed to be the independent workings of the Justice Department.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., vowed in his own Twitter post that the panel would investigate.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called on the Justice Department's inspector general to investigate the events leading up to the submission of the second sentencing memo.
"This situation has all the indicia of improper political interference in a criminal prosecution," Schumer wrote to Inspector General Michael Horowitz.
The Stone matter
Stone and his camp sought to serve as intermediaries between Trump's campaign and WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential election, though Stone said he did nothing wrong.
He maintained that he had no inside knowledge about the Russian attack on the election or WikiLeaks' role and that he was only talking up his own importance.
Prosecutors, however, charged him with lying to Congress, obstructing its investigation and witness tampering.
Stone was convicted on all seven counts in his trial by a federal jury in November. The judge has scheduled sentencing for next week. Ahead of that, prosecutors and Stone's defense team filed their respective sentencing memos Monday, which prompted the subsequent reaction.
Stone's attorneys asked for probation.