npr--2020-12-11--Biden Made Big Promises On Juvenile Justice. Activists Worry It's Not Enough

Biden Made Big Promises On Juvenile Justice .
Activists Worry It 's Not Enough President Trump brought big setbacks for juvenile justice , advocacy groups say — and although they like what they 've heard from President-elect Joe Biden , some activists still worry about what they call an ongoing crisis .
Trump and Biden both have sought political credit at various times for criminal justice reform , but the picture is nuanced ; every year , approximately 76,000 children are prosecuted , sentenced , and incarcerated as adults .
In 2018 , a child was arrested every 43 seconds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to be arrested than white children .
But practices often touted as getting tough on offenders are especially hurtful when they affect children , advocates say — and changing them must be the first step in any effort to tackle broader changes to the criminal justice system .
`` If we 're going to make meaningful impact on the criminal justice side , we need to be paying attention to our young folks . ''
said Naomi Smoot Evans , executive director of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice .
For juvenile justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump have been frustrating .
In 2018 , the Trump administration delivered what it called promising legislation with the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 .
However , according to Marcy Mistrett , CEO of the Campaign for Youth Justice , `` there 's been very little support from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Department of Justice in terms of ensuring that that law got robustly implemented . ''
Since 1988 , Congress has mandated that the Justice Department provide grants and training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courts in exchange for state data on inequality .
Under the Trump administration , the OJJDP has dramatically scaled back its requirements on the types of data states need to collect to receive funding .
In practice , this meant that states no longer had to submit data about how often Black and Latino children had charges filed against them , were convicted or put on probation , as reported by the Marshall Project .
When those data are n't available to federal authorities or the public , it becomes easier to lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country , advocates say .
Supporters for changes to Justice Department practices like these , as well as U.S. law , were energized this year by the national movement that followed the police killings of Black citizens including Breonna Taylor and George Floyd .
Biden 's victory has brought sustained attention from groups that support reform .
Some of Biden 's critics say his record is not squeaky clean on criminal or juvenile justice .
During his time as head of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1987-1995 , Biden was instrumental in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system of incarceration , which disproportionately impacts low-income Black and brown people .
Biden has apologized for aspects of that record and vowed that his administration will make a bold attack on this issue .
As part of his plan on criminal justice reform , Biden pledged to make juvenile justice a priority , including with new payments of around $ 1 billion per year .
The proposals outlined by Biden 's team largely revolve around new incentives for states to stop incarcerating children .
Some juvenile justice advocates say they 're delighted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but others feel that his policy does not go far enough .
Kristin Henning is a professor at Georgetown Law and the director of the university 's juvenile justice clinic .
According to Henning , the president-elect 's policy outline is sound but ultimately incomplete because it barely addresses race .
`` I would love to see the administration weave in even more attention to racial disparities .
It is there .
It is in the outline for the proposal .
But I think it needs to be more robust .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but understanding that black children are children , too . ''
she said .
Lisa Thurau , founder and executive director of Strategies for Youth , sees one particularly glaring omission from Biden 's plan .
`` The third rail of American politics is policing .
And there 's no mention of policing at all in his plan .
What we need to see in the United States is how to rethink the use of law enforcement to respond to matters that are truly not law enforcement in nature .
And this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thurau said .
Arrests not only can be traumatizing but also set young people up for repeat encounters with the criminal justice system , which in turn can lead to a cycle that traps them in incarceration and poverty .
One key is finding ways to keep kids from being arrested in the first place , which advocates say they do n't see from Biden .
`` The problem with my expectations for President Biden is that they 're irrelevant at the state level , '' Thurau said .
`` Legislatures are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cultural proclivity towards punishment , incarceration .
It 's at the state level that what was modeled nationally in the early 90s became true .
The federal system is very limited .
The state system is accounting for at least 90 percent of all prosecutions .
And it 's at those state levels that we saw President Biden 's vision of punishment and incarceration really blossom . ''
David Stein , a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California Los Angeles studying how economic policy shaped mass incarceration , is skeptical of Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investment in criminal justice reform might only influence local police spending .
`` Historically , Joe Biden has really promoted the idea that the problem with policing is inadequate professionalism and thus the solution to that problem is increased resources , '' Stein said — in other words , money .
He continued : `` What that often means is just massive , massive funding for local police who use it to buy tanks and use it to do other kinds of training .
But the training does n't actually make people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barrel of those police officers — it does n't make their life better .
Oftentimes that type of training is sort of knowing how to swing your baton with greater efficiency . ''
According to Stein , in order to make things better for vulnerable young Black and brown people , the Biden administration needs to divest from the police and redirect funding towards things that are outside of the formal criminal justice sector , like relief payments , federal job guarantees and robust healthcare .
`` Biden ca n't necessarily shape the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a daily basis ... but one thing he could do is create the economic conditions for the young people who are most likely to interact with LAPD . ''
The politics , however , are fraught — and some moderate Democrats this election said they felt punished by voters who heard the bumper sticker message `` Defund the police '' and took it literally , as though it were a call to do away with law enforcement altogether .
Stein said he thinks supporters for new policies must overcome resistance within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet of the new administration in order to make headway .
`` I would emphasize what social movements can achieve and what they can win from a Biden administration — rather than what Biden is willing to give as a gift . ''

Biden Made Big Promises On Juvenile Justice. Activists Worry It's Not Enough
Enlarge this image toggle caption Paula Bronstein/AP Paula Bronstein/AP
President Trump brought big setbacks for juvenile justice, advocacy groups say — and although they like what they've heard from President-elect Joe Biden, some activists still worry about what they call an ongoing crisis.
Trump and Biden both have sought political credit at various times for criminal justice reform, but the picture is nuanced; every year, approximately 76,000 children are prosecuted, sentenced, and incarcerated as adults. In 2018, a child was arrested every 43 seconds. Children of color were twice as likely to be arrested than white children.
But practices often touted as getting tough on offenders are especially hurtful when they affect children, advocates say — and changing them must be the first step in any effort to tackle broader changes to the criminal justice system.
"If we're going to make meaningful impact on the criminal justice side, we need to be paying attention to our young folks." said Naomi Smoot Evans, executive director of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice.
Advocates frustrated with scaled-back implementation
For juvenile justice advocates, the past four years under Trump have been frustrating.
In 2018, the Trump administration delivered what it called promising legislation with the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974.
However, according to Marcy Mistrett, CEO of the Campaign for Youth Justice, "there's been very little support from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Department of Justice in terms of ensuring that that law got robustly implemented."
Since 1988, Congress has mandated that the Justice Department provide grants and training to local law enforcement agencies and juvenile courts in exchange for state data on inequality. Under the Trump administration, the OJJDP has dramatically scaled back its requirements on the types of data states need to collect to receive funding.
In practice, this meant that states no longer had to submit data about how often Black and Latino children had charges filed against them, were convicted or put on probation, as reported by the Marshall Project.
When those data aren't available to federal authorities or the public, it becomes easier to lose sight of what's taking place across the country, advocates say.
Supporters for changes to Justice Department practices like these, as well as U.S. law, were energized this year by the national movement that followed the police killings of Black citizens including Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Biden's victory has brought sustained attention from groups that support reform.
Biden past, Biden future
Some of Biden's critics say his record is not squeaky clean on criminal or juvenile justice. During his time as head of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1987-1995, Biden was instrumental in passing many laws that built today's system of incarceration, which disproportionately impacts low-income Black and brown people.
Biden has apologized for aspects of that record and vowed that his administration will make a bold attack on this issue.
As part of his plan on criminal justice reform, Biden pledged to make juvenile justice a priority, including with new payments of around $1 billion per year.
The proposals outlined by Biden's team largely revolve around new incentives for states to stop incarcerating children. Some juvenile justice advocates say they're delighted to see Biden address youth incarceration — but others feel that his policy does not go far enough.
Race and policing
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Minchillo/AP John Minchillo/AP
Kristin Henning is a professor at Georgetown Law and the director of the university's juvenile justice clinic. According to Henning, the president-elect's policy outline is sound but ultimately incomplete because it barely addresses race.
"I would love to see the administration weave in even more attention to racial disparities. It is there. It is in the outline for the proposal. But I think it needs to be more robust. It is one, treating children like children, but understanding that black children are children, too." she said.
Lisa Thurau, founder and executive director of Strategies for Youth, sees one particularly glaring omission from Biden's plan.
"The third rail of American politics is policing. And there's no mention of policing at all in his plan. What we need to see in the United States is how to rethink the use of law enforcement to respond to matters that are truly not law enforcement in nature. And this is exceptionally important with young people," Thurau said.
Arrests not only can be traumatizing but also set young people up for repeat encounters with the criminal justice system, which in turn can lead to a cycle that traps them in incarceration and poverty. One key is finding ways to keep kids from being arrested in the first place, which advocates say they don't see from Biden.
"The problem with my expectations for President Biden is that they're irrelevant at the state level," Thurau said. "Legislatures are the ones that need to refrain from this cultural proclivity towards punishment, incarceration. It's at the state level that what was modeled nationally in the early 90s became true. The federal system is very limited. The state system is accounting for at least 90 percent of all prosecutions. And it's at those state levels that we saw President Biden's vision of punishment and incarceration really blossom."
David Stein, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California Los Angeles studying how economic policy shaped mass incarceration, is skeptical of Biden's plan. He added that the investment in criminal justice reform might only influence local police spending.
"Historically, Joe Biden has really promoted the idea that the problem with policing is inadequate professionalism and thus the solution to that problem is increased resources," Stein said — in other words, money.
He continued: "What that often means is just massive, massive funding for local police who use it to buy tanks and use it to do other kinds of training. But the training doesn't actually make people who are at the other end of the barrel of those police officers — it doesn't make their life better. Oftentimes that type of training is sort of knowing how to swing your baton with greater efficiency."
According to Stein, in order to make things better for vulnerable young Black and brown people, the Biden administration needs to divest from the police and redirect funding towards things that are outside of the formal criminal justice sector, like relief payments, federal job guarantees and robust healthcare.
"Biden can't necessarily shape the behavior of the Los Angeles Police Department on a daily basis ... but one thing he could do is create the economic conditions for the young people who are most likely to interact with LAPD."
The politics, however, are fraught — and some moderate Democrats this election said they felt punished by voters who heard the bumper sticker message "Defund the police" and took it literally, as though it were a call to do away with law enforcement altogether.
Stein said he thinks supporters for new policies must overcome resistance within the establishment and keep the fire under the feet of the new administration in order to make headway.
"I would emphasize what social movements can achieve and what they can win from a Biden administration — rather than what Biden is willing to give as a gift."


npr--2020-12-11--Morale Down, Federal Workforce Gets Ready For A New Boss

Morale Down , Federal Workforce Gets Ready For A New Boss When President-elect Joe Biden takes office next month , one of his first challenges will be the nearly 2 million member federal workforce .
Morale is down in many agencies after four years of attacks on the civil service from President Trump .
Trump has called the federal workforce the `` deep state . ''
His administration has moved hundreds of jobs out of Washington , D.C .
There was a hiring freeze , a government shutdown and job cuts in some agencies .
Max Stier , president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says the actions and rhetoric by the president have taken their toll on the federal work force .
`` There 's no question that the Trump administration has diminished the value of civil service or public service for many agencies , '' Stier tells NPR .
`` And you can see that just in the morale scores of those agencies themselves . ''
Of the 17 largest federal agencies listed in the Partnership 's Best Places to Work survey , morale in 2019 was down from the previous year at 10 of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues .
For example , federal workers tend to be lot older than workers in the private sector , says Donald Kettl , a professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas .
`` Six point two percent of federal employees are under the age of 30 .
In the U.S. workforce as a whole , it 's 24 % .
So that there 's a huge gap , and the federal government has been actually doing a really poor job of bringing new blood in , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a long and often arduous process .
Kettl says it takes some 90 days for the government to hire someone , and the USAJobs.gov website , which applicants must use , can be difficult to negotiate .
Kettl teaches a course in public management and says that for many students who are interested in trying to make an impact through the federal service , `` simply trying to find a way to negotiate that path is extraordinarily difficult . ''
Some of those students are interested in public service , but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who plans to graduate next spring , wants to work on immigration issues , but probably will look for work at a nonprofit .
She 's not interested in a position at the Department of Homeland Security , which deals with immigration issues .
DHS , she says , `` has been a department , that in my opinion anyway , that the administration has really used for political purposes and has gotten sort of an even worse reputation than it had before the Trump presidency . ''
Kelsey Wingo , another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interested in disaster and climate resilience but does n't think the federal government is the best place to affect change .
`` There are other sectors in the world that are moving a bit quicker or are just prioritizing really impactful solutions as opposed to kind of getting stuck in these bureaucracies that I think of when I think of the federal government , '' Wingo says .
Pay is another issue , especially on low-level jobs .
Chad Hooper , a former IRS manager who now heads the Professional Managers Association , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positions because the requirements were higher than for competing and better-paying jobs in the private sector .
What 's more , he says , prospective employees `` find out right when you join that you have this 5 % mandatory retirement contribution .
So the take-home pay that you are expecting is actually quite a bit less . ''
Hooper says that hiring and pay freezes , the elimination of employee recognition programs and the elimination of tuition reimbursement programs `` all together make a very poor situation for staff . ''
Convincing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be `` a tough sell , '' says Traci DiMartini , who is the chief human capital officer at the General Services Administration .
But she says not everyone is deterred .
Through the end of November this year , the GSA posted some 1,300 job listings .
`` For that , we received over 66,000 applications , which means we 're only hiring 2 % of the people that applied , '' DiMartini says .
Across the whole federal government , according to the Office of Personnel Management , there were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 331,000 federal job postings this year .
OPM spokeswoman Rachel Tripp said in a statement to NPR : `` Because of the President 's vision , the swamp is actively being drained and in doing so , Americans around the country — outside of Washington , DC — who would never have had the chance to serve in the Federal Government now do . ''
The majority of federal jobs are , however , are already located outside Washington , D.C. At the GSA , DiMartini says agencies like hers are trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prospective employees through social media platforms , including LinkedIn and Facebook .
`` We want to reach out to the workforce that would prefer to apply for jobs over the phone rather than sitting in front of their computer , '' she says .
So far , figures show there 's been no spike in new applicants because of the upcoming change in administrations .
And DiMartini says despite the challenges , in tough economic times such as these , `` people want to work for the federal government no matter who is @ @ @ @

Morale Down, Federal Workforce Gets Ready For A New Boss
Enlarge this image toggle caption David McNew/Getty Images David McNew/Getty Images
When President-elect Joe Biden takes office next month, one of his first challenges will be the nearly 2 million-member federal workforce. Morale is down in many agencies after four years of attacks on the civil service from President Trump.
Trump has called the federal workforce the "deep state." His administration has moved hundreds of jobs out of Washington, D.C. There was a hiring freeze, a government shutdown and job cuts in some agencies.
Max Stier, president of the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, says the actions and rhetoric by the president have taken their toll on the federal workforce.
"There's no question that the Trump administration has diminished the value of civil service or public service for many agencies," Stier tells NPR. "And you can see that just in the morale scores of those agencies themselves."
Of the 17 largest federal agencies listed in the partnership's Best Places to Work survey, morale in 2019 was down from the previous year at 10 of them.
The federal workforce has other issues. For example, federal workers tend to be a lot older than workers in the private sector, says Donald Kettl, a professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.
"Six point two percent of federal employees are under the age of 30. In the U.S. workforce as a whole, it's 24%. So that there's a huge gap, and the federal government has been actually doing a really poor job of bringing new blood in," Kettl says.
Plus, getting hired is a long and often arduous process. Kettl says it takes some 90 days for the government to hire someone, and the USAJobs.gov website, which applicants must use, can be difficult to negotiate.
Kettl teaches a course in public management and says that for many students who are interested in trying to make an impact through the federal service, "simply trying to find a way to negotiate that path is extraordinarily difficult."
Some of those students are interested in public service, but not with the federal government.
Emma Israel, who plans to graduate next spring, wants to work on immigration issues but probably will look for work at a nonprofit. She's not interested in a position at the Department of Homeland Security, which deals with immigration issues.
DHS, she says, "has been a department, that in my opinion anyway, that the administration has really used for political purposes and has gotten sort of an even worse reputation than it had before the Trump presidency."
Kelsey Wingo, another of Kettl's grad students, is interested in disaster and climate resilience but doesn't think the federal government is the best place to effect change.
"There are other sectors in the world that are moving a bit quicker or are just prioritizing really impactful solutions as opposed to kind of getting stuck in these bureaucracies that I think of when I think of the federal government," Wingo says.
Pay is another issue, especially on low-level jobs. Chad Hooper, a former IRS manager who now heads the Professional Managers Association, says he had difficulty recruiting for some positions because the requirements were higher than for competing and better-paying jobs in the private sector.
What's more, he says, prospective employees "find out right when you join that you have this 5% mandatory retirement contribution. So the take-home pay that you are expecting is actually quite a bit less."
Hooper says that hiring and pay freezes, the elimination of employee recognition programs and the elimination of tuition reimbursement programs "altogether make a very poor situation for staff."
Convincing someone to work for the federal government can be "a tough sell," says Traci DiMartini, who is the chief human capital officer at the General Services Administration. But she says not everyone is deterred. Through the end of November this year, the GSA posted some 1,300 job listings.
"For that, we received over 66,000 applications, which means we're only hiring 2% of the people that applied," DiMartini says.
Across the whole federal government, according to the Office of Personnel Management, there were more than 18 million applicants for some 331,000 federal job postings this year.
OPM spokeswoman Rachel Tripp said in a statement to NPR: "Because of the President's vision, the swamp is actively being drained and in doing so, Americans around the country — outside of Washington, DC — who would never have had the chance to serve in the Federal Government now do."
The majority of federal jobs are, however, already located outside Washington, D.C.
DiMartini says working for the federal government is a noble calling. "We are really what makes America tick. And I think of all of the jobs in the civil service that people often don't think about. Seasonal firefighters at USDA, food and safety inspectors, park rangers, police officers. You know, it's a whole gamut of individuals all across the country."
She says agencies like hers are trying to find new ways of reaching out to prospective employees through social media platforms, including LinkedIn and Facebook. "We want to reach out to the workforce that would prefer to apply for jobs over the phone rather than sitting in front of their computer," she says.
So far, figures show there has been no spike in new applicants because of the upcoming change in administrations. And DiMartini says that despite the challenges, in tough economic times such as these "people want to work for the federal government no matter who is in charge."


npr--2020-12-11--For Air Force Leader, Making Video On Racism He's Faced Was 'The Right Thing To Do'

For Air Force Leader , Making Video On Racism He 's Faced Was 'The Right Thing To Do' Just before Gen. Charles Q .
Brown was confirmed as Air Force Chief of Staff in June , he issued an emotional and personal video message about racism in the military .
At the time , the country was roiling in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd , and Brown , who is Black , felt compelled to speak out .
On NPR 's Morning Edition , he explains why .
`` It was my own personal experiences but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiences , [ is ] actually what got me to do it , '' Brown says .
He was the commander of Pacific Air Forces at the time and was awaiting confirmation as the Air Force 's chief of staff .
`` I thought it was more important than in some cases confirmation , '' he says .
`` If confirmation had been withheld for some reason , I knew in my heart of hearts I did what I thought was the right thing to do .
And that 's the way I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the first African American to lead one of the services of the U.S. military .
Ret .
Gen. Lloyd Austin — President-elect Joe Biden 's pick for Secretary of Defense – would also make history if confirmed as the first African American to lead the Pentagon .
Why did you decide to release the video message ?
At the time I did that video I was awaiting confirmation .
Because of that I was kind of on the fence about what to do , what to say and when to say .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to happen on a particular day , it did n't happen .
I talked to one of our sons .
He went to Washington University in St. Louis .
His freshman year was Ferguson , and so he experienced that .
He lives here in Washington , D.C. , and he called us and he was kind of struggling with the things that were going on .
And so he asked me in the conversation , 'Hey , Dad , what is Pacific Air Forces going to say ? '
And as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was kind of code to me of : Dad , what are you going to say ?
You are now the highest ranking African American in the U.S. military .
There are more than 12,000 active duty pilots in the Air Force , according to McClatchy News Service .
Only about a dozen are Black women .
Do you see that as a problem ?
I do .
You only aspire to what you 've been exposed to .
Sometimes we might self-eliminate just because we do n't think we 're qualified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the Air Force are looking at is how do we provide more exposure to young African Americans , women really across the board , that yes , you can do this .
If confirmed , Gen. Austin will join you in making history this year .
What will it mean to you and your servicemen to see him sworn into that job ?
I think for anyone of a diverse background , when you see someone who rises to a key position you take a bit of pride in it , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity where you can now think about your own career path .
There 's opportunities ahead .
I think many of those from diverse backgrounds will be very proud to see that someone from a diverse background is in a key position in our government .
What do you believe to be the greatest threat against the United States right now ?
I would say in the near term , when you look at national defense strategy , Russia .
Longer term , China .
That 's why I am focused on not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at the longer term .
The one thing I am concerned about as the chief of staff is our ability to get capabilities in the hands of the airmen and our joint teammates faster .
What I see the People 's Republic of China doing is they 're increasingly their military capability at a pace that is probably a little faster than ours .
Emma Talkoff and Catherine Whelan produced and edited the audio story .
Heidi Glenn produced it for the Web .

For Air Force Leader, Making Video On Racism He's Faced Was 'The Right Thing To Do'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Doug Mills/Bloomberg via Getty Images Doug Mills/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Just before Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. was confirmed as Air Force chief of staff in June, he issued an emotional and personal video message about racism in the military. At the time, the country was roiling in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, and Brown, who is Black, felt compelled to speak out.
On NPR's Morning Edition, he explains why. "It was my own personal experiences but thinking about our two sons and their experiences, [is] actually what got me to do it," Brown says. He was the commander of Pacific Air Forces at the time and was awaiting confirmation as the Air Force's chief of staff.
YouTube
"I thought it was more important than in some cases confirmation," he says. "If confirmation had been withheld for some reason, I knew in my heart of hearts I did what I thought was the right thing to do. And that's the way I approach life."
Brown made history as the first African American to lead one of the services of the U.S. military. Ret. Gen. Lloyd Austin — President-elect Joe Biden's pick for Secretary of Defense – would also make history if confirmed as the first African American to lead the Pentagon.
Interview Highlights
Why did you decide to release the video message?
At the time I did that video I was awaiting confirmation. Because of that I was kind of on the fence about what to do, what to say and when to say. I had gotten told that confirmation was going to happen on a particular day, it didn't happen.
I talked to one of our sons. He went to Washington University in St. Louis. His freshman year was Ferguson, and so he experienced that. He lives here in Washington, D.C., and he called us and he was kind of struggling with the things that were going on. And so he asked me in the conversation, 'Hey, Dad, what is Pacific Air Forces going to say?' And as the commander of Pacific Air Forces, that was kind of code to me of: Dad, what are you going to say?
You are now the highest ranking African American in the U.S. military. There are more than 12,000 active duty pilots in the Air Force, according to McClatchy News Service. Only about a dozen are Black women. Do you see that as a problem?
I do. You only aspire to what you've been exposed to. Sometimes we might self-eliminate just because we don't think we're qualified. One of the areas that we as the Air Force are looking at is how do we provide more exposure to young African Americans, women really across the board, that yes, you can do this.
If confirmed, Gen. Austin will join you in making history this year. What will it mean to you and your servicemen to see him sworn into that job?
I think for anyone of a diverse background, when you see someone who rises to a key position you take a bit of pride in it, you appreciate it and it also opens an opportunity where you can now think about your own career path. There's opportunities ahead. I think many of those from diverse backgrounds will be very proud to see that someone from a diverse background is in a key position in our government.
What do you believe to be the greatest threat against the United States right now?
I would say in the near term, when you look at national defense strategy, Russia. Longer term, China. That's why I am focused on not only the near term but I also look at the longer term. The one thing I am concerned about as the chief of staff is our ability to get capabilities in the hands of the airmen and our joint teammates faster. What I see the People's Republic of China doing is they're increasingly their military capability at a pace that is probably a little faster than ours.
Emma Talkoff and Catherine Whelan produced and edited the audio story. Heidi Glenn produced it for the Web.


npr--2020-12-11--A Day Laborer Who Dreamed Of Returning Home To Mexico Dies Of COVID-19

A Day Laborer Who Dreamed Of Returning Home To Mexico Dies Of COVID-19 Most mornings , Paulino Ramos sat under the small tree at the entrance of a busy Home Depot parking lot near Downtown Los Angeles .
Other day laborers hanging around on the corner knew they could find their friend there , waiting in the shade for construction jobs .
But in early September , they noticed Ramos , the sturdily built demolition worker , looked weak .
`` He lost a lot of weight and he looked sad , '' says Fernando Sanchez , a day laborer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stares at the ground as he talks about Ramos .
`` I think when someone thinks they 're going to die , they know ; they can feel it . ''
On the morning of September 7 , Labor Day , Ramos was sitting in his spot under the tree with his head down , hunched over in pain .
One worker thought Ramos was having a heart attack .
`` He was saying , ' I have pain in my chest , ' and he could n't breathe , '' says Jorge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Resource Center of Los Angeles ( CARECEN ) Day Labor Center , located on the Home Depot parking lot .
`` One of the workers here took him to the ER .
And after that , we never saw him again . ''
Ramos , a low-wage day laborer desperate to earn a paycheck , became one of the more than 290,000 people who have died from COVID-19 in the United States .
The coronavirus pandemic has hit the country 's Latino population especially hard .
In Los Angeles County , Latinos make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the LA Department of Public Health .
Ramos was 53 .
He was alone here in the U.S. ; he lived apart from his family in Mexico for many years .
He often told Nicolás that he was eager to return home to the state of Puebla to be with his wife and three kids , and his grandkids that he 'd never met .
He died shortly after he was brought to the ER .
`` He was a loving father , a loving husband , and he always tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Nicolás .
`` That 's the reason he came [ to the U.S. ] , to be able to provide a better opportunity for his kids . ''
Ramos ' story reflects the reality of day laborers on the edge of poverty in this pandemic .
The once-abundant construction jobs available in this parking lot have all but dried up since March , and Ramos could no longer afford to pay his rent .
Before he died , he received a $ 300 grant from CARECEN and the National Day Laborer Organizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a video he recorded for the organizations ' donors , Ramos said : `` I am grateful I got help , so at least I can eat . ''
Inside the tiny , open-air CARECEN Day Labor Center , which provides economic programs for day laborers , workers constructed a makeshift memorial to honor Ramos .
There 's a small table with now-wilted flowers , prayer candles and photos .
A black-and-white image shows Ramos in the hospital bed , hooked-up to machines and tubes as he battled COVID-19 .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memorial reminds them of the man they all knew : A quiet friend with graying black hair , a mustache and a little smile .
There 's worry at this corner of the parking lot that workers like Ramos are more vulnerable to complications from COVID-19 .
Ramos spent over a decade working demolition jobs across LA , where he risked exposure to hazardous materials like asbestos , mold and concrete dust .
`` There are strong chemicals in the old buildings we work in , '' says Jesús Monge , one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Monge 's been a painter since arriving in the U.S. from El Salvador in 1981 .
`` A lot of workers here have damaged their lungs , including me . ''
Employers are required to provide protective equipment at job sites , but Monge says they rarely do .
Even in a pandemic , he says day laborers often go without PPE because workers ca n't afford the expense .
Employers do n't offer health insurance , and day laborers do n't have access to sick pay .
There 's pressure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an individual is overcome by symptoms of COVID-19 , like Ramos experienced .
And like many day laborers at this parking lot , Ramos was undocumented .
Mario Guerra , a welder waiting on the corner , says he wonders if he 'll suffer the same fate as his friend .
`` I do n't know if I 'll ever go home to El Salvador or if I 'll die here , '' he says .
`` I want to see my mom and my daughter but — that 's life . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ too .
Last week , his remains were sent back to his family in Mexico .

A Day Laborer Who Dreamed Of Returning Home To Mexico Dies Of COVID-19
Enlarge this image toggle caption Danny Hajek/NPR Danny Hajek/NPR
Most mornings, Paulino Ramos sat under the small tree at the entrance of a busy Home Depot parking lot near Downtown Los Angeles. Other day laborers hanging around on the corner knew they could find their friend there, waiting in the shade for construction jobs. But in early September, they noticed Ramos, the sturdily built demolition worker, looked weak.
"He lost a lot of weight and he looked sad," says Fernando Sanchez, a day laborer whose main trade is roofing. He stares at the ground as he talks about Ramos. "I think when someone thinks they're going to die, they know; they can feel it."
On the morning of September 7, Labor Day, Ramos was sitting in his spot under the tree with his head down, hunched over in pain. One worker thought Ramos was having a heart attack.
"He was saying, 'I have pain in my chest,' and he couldn't breathe," says Jorge Nicolás, organizer of the Central American Resource Center of Los Angeles (CARECEN) Day Labor Center, located on the Home Depot parking lot. "One of the workers here took him to the ER. And after that, we never saw him again."
Ramos, a low-wage day laborer desperate to earn a paycheck, became one of the more than 290,000 people who have died from COVID-19 in the United States. The coronavirus pandemic has hit the country's Latino population especially hard. In Los Angeles County, Latinos make up 51% of COVID-19 deaths, according to the LA Department of Public Health.
Ramos was 53. He was alone here in the U.S.; he lived apart from his family in Mexico for many years. He often told Nicolás that he was eager to return home to the state of Puebla to be with his wife and three kids, and his grandkids that he'd never met.
He died shortly after he was brought to the ER.
"He was a loving father, a loving husband, and he always tried to provide for his family," says Nicolás. "That's the reason he came [to the U.S.], to be able to provide a better opportunity for his kids."
Ramos' story reflects the reality of day laborers on the edge of poverty in this pandemic. The once-abundant construction jobs available in this parking lot have all but dried up since March, and Ramos could no longer afford to pay his rent. Before he died, he received a $300 grant from CARECEN and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network to assist with basic expenses. In a video he recorded for the organizations' donors, Ramos said: "I am grateful I got help, so at least I can eat."
Inside the tiny, open-air CARECEN Day Labor Center, which provides economic programs for day laborers, workers constructed a makeshift memorial to honor Ramos. There's a small table with now-wilted flowers, prayer candles and photos. A black-and-white image shows Ramos in the hospital bed, hooked-up to machines and tubes as he battled COVID-19. But the color photograph the workers pinned above the memorial reminds them of the man they all knew: A quiet friend with graying black hair, a mustache and a little smile.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Danny Hajek/NPR Danny Hajek/NPR
There's worry at this corner of the parking lot that workers like Ramos are more vulnerable to complications from COVID-19. Ramos spent over a decade working demolition jobs across LA, where he risked exposure to hazardous materials like asbestos, mold and concrete dust.
"There are strong chemicals in the old buildings we work in," says Jesús Monge, one of the workers standing outside The Home Depot. Monge's been a painter since arriving in the U.S. from El Salvador in 1981. "A lot of workers here have damaged their lungs, including me."
Employers are required to provide protective equipment at job sites, but Monge says they rarely do. Even in a pandemic, he says day laborers often go without PPE because workers can't afford the expense.
Employers don't offer health insurance, and day laborers don't have access to sick pay. There's pressure to show up to work, even if an individual is overcome by symptoms of COVID-19, like Ramos experienced. And like many day laborers at this parking lot, Ramos was undocumented.
Mario Guerra, a welder waiting on the corner, says he wonders if he'll suffer the same fate as his friend. "I don't know if I'll ever go home to El Salvador or if I'll die here," he says. "I want to see my mom and my daughter but — that's life."
Paulino Ramos dreamed of returning home, too. Last week, his remains were sent back to his family in Mexico.


npr--2020-12-11--Contractors Dynamite Mountains, Bulldoze Desert In Race To Build Trump's Border Wall

In the Coronado National Memorial — where conquistador Francisco Vásquez de Coronado entered what is now modern-day Arizona — contractors are pulverizing the wilderness in a rush to put up as many miles of border wall as possible before the Trump administration vacates Washington .
They 're dynamiting mountainsides and bulldozing pristine desert for a barrier the incoming Biden administration is expected to cancel .
`` Wow !
This is almost like busy work they 're doing , '' exclaims biologist Myles Traphagen as he drives his truck up to the construction staging area and beholds the destruction for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona borderlands for the Wildlands Network .
`` They 're cutting roads into a place where no vehicle could go , not a four-wheeler , '' he says .
`` But now they 're cutting into the mountain to create access to build a wall . ''
This is one of 29 construction projects being performed by 13 different contractors from San Diego to Brownsville , Texas .
In Arizona , contractors have added shifts — they 're working all night long under light towers to meet Trump 's goal of 450 miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over .
`` There 's no doubt they 're accelerating the rate of construction , '' says ecologist Ron Pulliam , who has been monitoring the wall 's progress on the Arizona border .
`` They 're trying to do as much as they can in the next 50 days .
And Trump wants to fulfill his promise that he 's securing the border . ''
Landowners and conservationists are irate .
Gary Nabhan , a longtime author and ethnobotanist in the region , says Trump 's wall is forcing an unplanned experiment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The wall is going through such sensitive areas and going up so fast that no one knows what effect it 's going to have on wildlife , '' he says .
`` I mean , we have no idea what 24-7 lighting will have on the bats that pollinate at night . ''
The reason the 30-foot wall with its high-intensity security lights and wide patrol road is sparking such outrage is because of the region 's rich biodiversity and stunning natural beauty .
Critics consider this a desecration of some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divide .
The Department of Homeland Security has waived dozens of federal environmental protections — such as the Arizona Wilderness Act and the Endangered Species Act — in order to erect the wall in these sensitive landscapes , and to avoid lawsuits .
In New Mexico , Arizona and California , the government is erecting the wall on a 60-foot strip of federal land that parallels the international border called the Roosevelt Reservation .
Wall construction proceeds much more slowly in Texas where most of the border acreage is in private hands and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eminent domain .
But with a change of presidents only six weeks away , U.S. attorneys have sped up their condemnation of property along the international river in Texas to build the wall .
The dramatic extent of landscape alteration in the remote Arizona borderlands is being documented through drone footage shot by John Kurc .
He 's a wedding and rock-n-roll photographer from Charleston , S.C. , who fell in love with the Sonoran desert .
Gray hair tumbles out of a sombrero , as he sets his little aircraft on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do is I 'll fly fairly close to the top of that ridge to try to determine where they 're going to dynamite , '' he says , directing his drone toward the defaced slopes in the Coronado .
Nature lovers come here for the oak-dotted canyons , rugged peaks , extravagant vistas , and grasslands so verdant that the nearby San Rafael Valley was used as a setting for the 1955 musical , Oklahoma .
Moreover , the area is a critical wildlife corridor .
Two endangered cats — the ocelot and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking for water and prey .
`` There 's only a 4-inch gap between the bollards in the wall , '' says Traphagen , who joined Kurc for the drone excursion , `` So it excludes anything larger than a ground squirrel . ''
The drone descends out of the brilliant blue sky like a giant insect , with the first images of the Border Patrol 's new roads up the west side of the mountain .
Kurc says when he visited this place three months ago , it was unscarred .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a thousand times worse , '' he says .
`` Now I 'm documenting destruction versus complete wilderness areas . ''
Contractors continue their work even though President-elect Joe Biden has said there wo n't be another foot of wall constructed in his administration .
Biden 's transition team did not answer an email asking when and where the new president may stop wall construction .
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , which oversees the massive $ 15 billion project , says it will not speculate on actions the incoming administration `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Unless a Suspension of Work order is issued , USACE expects contractors to continue work as obligated under their contracts , '' the agency said in statement .
U.S. Customs and Border Protection maintains that the barrier is necessary to gain operational control of the southwest border .
The agency says the mountainous zones — as beautiful as they may be — are used by drug and human smugglers , and the agency 's mission is to stop that illegal traffic .
Much of the current wall is replacing dozens of miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driving over from Mexico , but not people on foot .
`` I know there 's wildlife and all that stuff .
But at the end of the day , as callous and as horrible as this sounds , I think the lives of people is a lot more important than anything else , '' says Art Del Cueto , with the National Border Patrol Council , the agents ' union .
He is not a spokesman for CBP .
`` I think it 's important to have wildlife out there .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been done to actually say , 'Hey , if you build out here all the jaguars in the world are gon na die . '
I think it 's more of a cop-out for some people , and they use that as their little ace up their sleeve so they can prevent border security . ''
Del Cueto 's hometown is Douglas , Ariz. , which sits across from Agua Prieta , Mexico .
`` When I was growing up in Douglas , '' he says , `` You were having groups of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alleys . ''
Today , Douglas is sealed off from Mexico by a tall wall built under President George W. Bush and completed by Trump .
`` What we used to see in this city was illegals running up and down our alleys , through our streets , chases by the Border Patrol .
( It was ) unsafe for our local citizens , '' says Douglas Mayor Donald Huish .
`` The border wall has made our city safer .
It 's pushed that type of activity outside our city limits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teams have been dynamiting near Guadalupe Canyon — another beloved , biodiverse natural area located east of Douglas , where he goes deer hunting .
When shown an iPhone photo of the new switchback roads zigzagging up Guadalupe Peak , he reacts with shock : `` Oh no !
It 's hard to believe that that was the solution .
That 's not good . ''
`` The wall is a good solution for around the city limits , '' he continues , `` but once it gets outside of town into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surveillance technology should have taken over .
But nobody asked my opinion . ''
Opponents say the wall will worsen flooding Like Huish , many landowners are upset by plans for the massive steel-and-concrete barrier in the malpais , or badlands , near the Arizona-New Mexico border .
Owners of the Diamond A Ranch sued the government last week in federal court .
`` In many portions of the proposed border wall , grades before construction began were so steep that the land was accessible only by foot and mule , '' reads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosives — they call it pioneering — to level the cliff sides for access roads .
`` Clouds of demolition dust , shrapnel , and car-sized boulders have come tumbling down the Roosevelt Reservation onto ranch property , '' says the complaint , which calls for an immediate halt to construction .
Opponents also say the wall will worsen flooding .
The structure crosses numerous dry creeks and riverbeds .
During the rainy season , they turn into torrents that carry tons of debris that could clog the steel-bollard barrier and cause floodwaters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration has won nearly every court challenge to the border wall .
And CBP assures that it will dispatch crews to unlock gates in the wall to let the floodwaters pass .
But that has not mollified neighbors .
Valer Clark is president of Cuenca Los Ojos , a land conservation group that has spent decades restoring ranchland and wetlands in Mexico on property next to Trump 's wall .
`` It 's horrific , '' she says .
`` I mean , it 's 40 years of work that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ?
As an American , I feel ashamed . ''

Contractors Dynamite Mountains, Bulldoze Desert In Race To Build Trump's Border Wall
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Kurc John Kurc
In the Coronado National Memorial — where conquistador Francisco Vázquez de Coronado entered what is now Arizona — contractors are pulverizing the wilderness in a rush to put up as many miles of border wall as possible before the Trump administration vacates Washington.
They're dynamiting mountainsides and bulldozing pristine desert for a barrier the incoming Biden administration is expected to cancel.
"Wow! This is almost like busy work they're doing," exclaims biologist Myles Traphagen as he drives his truck up to the construction staging area and beholds the destruction for the first time. He specializes on the Arizona borderlands for the Wildlands Network.
"They're cutting roads into a place where no vehicle could go, not a four-wheeler," he says. "But now they're cutting into the mountain to create access to build a wall."
This is one of 29 construction projects being performed by 13 different contractors from San Diego to Brownsville, Texas. In Arizona, contractors have added shifts — they're working all night long under light towers to meet Trump's goal of 450 miles of new barriers before his term is over.
Trump's wall forcing unplanned experiment on deserts
"There's no doubt they're accelerating the rate of construction," says ecologist Ron Pulliam, who has been monitoring the wall's progress on the Arizona border. "They're trying to do as much as they can in the next 50 days. And Trump wants to fulfill his promise that he's securing the border."
Landowners and conservationists are irate. Gary Nabhan, a longtime author and ethnobotanist in the region, says Trump's wall is forcing an unplanned experiment on the deserts of Southern Arizona.
"The wall is going through such sensitive areas and going up so fast that no one knows what effect it's going to have on wildlife," he says. "I mean, we have no idea what 24/7 lighting will have on the bats that pollinate at night."
The reason the 30-foot wall with its high-intensity security lights and wide patrol road is sparking such outrage is because of the region's rich biodiversity and stunning natural beauty. Critics consider this a desecration of some of the last wild places along the U.S.-Mexico divide.
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Kurc John Kurc
Dramatic landscape alteration documented
The Department of Homeland Security has waived dozens of federal environmental protections — such as the Arizona Wilderness Act and the Endangered Species Act — in order to erect the wall in these sensitive landscapes, and to avoid lawsuits.
In New Mexico, Arizona and California, the government is erecting the wall on a 60-foot strip of federal land that parallels the international border called the Roosevelt Reservation.
Wall construction proceeds much more slowly in Texas where most of the border acreage is in private hands and must be acquired through the power of eminent domain. But with a change of presidents only six weeks away, U.S. attorneys have sped up their condemnation of property along the international river in Texas to build the wall.
The dramatic extent of landscape alteration in the remote Arizona borderlands is being documented through drone footage shot by John Kurc. He's a wedding and rock 'n' roll photographer from Charleston, S.C., who fell in love with the Sonoran desert. Gray hair tumbles out of a sombrero, as he sets his little aircraft on the ground.
toggle caption John Burnett/NPR
A critical wildlife corridor
"So what I'll do is I'll fly fairly close to the top of that ridge to try to determine where they're going to dynamite," he says, directing his drone toward the defaced slopes in the Coronado.
Nature lovers come here for the oak-dotted canyons, rugged peaks, extravagant vistas and grasslands so verdant that the nearby San Rafael Valley was used as a setting for the 1955 musical Oklahoma!
Moreover, the area is a critical wildlife corridor. Two endangered cats — the ocelot and the jaguar — crisscross the international boundary looking for water and prey.
"There's only a 4-inch gap between the bollards in the wall," says Traphagen, who joined Kurc for the drone excursion, "so it excludes anything larger than a ground squirrel."
The drone descends out of the brilliant blue sky like a giant insect, with the first images of the Border Patrol's new roads up the west side of the mountain. Kurc says when he visited this place three months ago, it was unscarred.
"And now what I'm seeing is a thousand times worse," he says. "Now I'm documenting destruction versus complete wilderness areas."
Contractors continue their work even though President-elect Joe Biden has said there won't be another foot of wall constructed in his administration. Biden's transition team did not answer an email asking when and where the new president may stop wall construction.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the massive $15 billion project, says it will not speculate on actions the incoming administration "may or may not take."
"Unless a Suspension of Work order is issued, USACE expects contractors to continue work as obligated under their contracts," the agency said in statement.
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Kurc John Kurc
'Border wall has made our city safer'
U.S. Customs and Border Protection maintains that the barrier is necessary to gain operational control of the Southwest border. The agency says the mountainous zones — as beautiful as they may be — are used by drug and human smugglers, and the agency's mission is to stop that illegal traffic.
Much of the current wall is replacing dozens of miles of so-called Normandy barriers that stop vehicles driving over from Mexico, but not people on foot.
"I know there's wildlife and all that stuff. But at the end of the day, as callous and as horrible as this sounds, I think the lives of people is a lot more important than anything else," says Art Del Cueto, with the National Border Patrol Council, the agents' union. He is not a spokesman for CBP.
"I think it's important to have wildlife out there. But I don't think enough research has been done to actually say, 'Hey, if you build out here, all the jaguars in the world are gonna die.' I think it's more of a cop-out for some people, and they use that as their little ace up their sleeve so they can prevent border security."
Del Cueto's hometown is Douglas, Ariz., which sits across from Agua Prieta, Mexico. "When I was growing up in Douglas," he says, "you were having groups of 50 and 60 illegal aliens running through the alleys."
Today, Douglas is sealed off from Mexico by a tall wall built under President George W. Bush and completed by Trump.
"What we used to see in this city was illegals running up and down our alleys, through our streets, chases by the Border Patrol. (It was) unsafe for our local citizens," says Douglas Mayor Donald Huish. "The border wall has made our city safer. It's pushed that type of activity outside our city limits."
Huish was unaware that wall teams have been dynamiting near Guadalupe Canyon — another beloved, biodiverse natural area located east of Douglas, where he goes deer hunting. When shown an iPhone photo of the new switchback roads zigzagging up Guadalupe Peak, he reacts with shock: "Oh no! It's hard to believe that that was the solution. That's not good."
"The wall is a good solution for around the city limits," he continues, "but once it gets outside of town into the wilderness area, that's where the surveillance technology should have taken over. But nobody asked my opinion."
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Kurc John Kurc
Opponents say the wall will worsen flooding
Like Huish, many landowners are upset by plans for the massive steel-and-concrete barrier in the malpais, or badlands, near the Arizona-New Mexico border. Owners of the Diamond A Ranch sued the government last week in federal court.
"In many portions of the proposed border wall, grades before construction began were so steep that the land was accessible only by foot and mule," reads the complaint.
Blasting crews have used explosives — they call it pioneering — to level the cliff sides for access roads. "Clouds of demolition dust, shrapnel, and car-sized boulders have come tumbling down the Roosevelt Reservation onto ranch property," says the complaint, which calls for an immediate halt to construction.
Opponents also say the wall will worsen flooding. The structure crosses numerous dry creeks and riverbeds. During the rainy season, they turn into torrents that carry tons of debris that could clog the steel-bollard barrier and cause floodwaters to back up.
So far, the Trump administration has won nearly every court challenge to the border wall. And CBP assures that it will dispatch crews to unlock gates in the wall to let the floodwaters pass.
But that has not mollified neighbors. Valer Clark is president of Cuenca Los Ojos, a land conservation group that has spent decades restoring ranchland and wetlands in Mexico on property next to Trump's wall.
"It's horrific," she says. "I mean, it's 40 years of work that I'm seeing dry up, and for what? As an American, I feel ashamed."


npr--2020-12-11--U.S. Executes Brandon Bernard After Supreme Court Denies Stay

Brandon Bernard , convicted for his involvement in the brutal murder of two youth ministers in 1999 , was executed Thursday evening after failed eleventh-hour appeals from criminal justice advocates and celebrities , including Kim Kardashian West , to spare his life .
He was pronounced dead at 9:27 p.m. from a lethal injection at the Federal Correctional Center in Terre Haute , Indiana .
Bernard , 40 , served more than 20 years behind bars for his involvement in the kidnapping , robbery , and fatal shooting of Todd and Stacie Bagley .
His death marks the ninth execution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process was resumed following a 17-year break .
With his last words , Bernard spoke to the family of the couple he killed , according to The Associated Press .
He said , `` I 'm sorry .
That 's the only words that I can say that completely capture how I feel now and how I felt that day . ''
Todd 's mother , Georgia Bagley , told reporters that the apologies of Bernard and the shooter , Christopher Vialva , who was put to death in September , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
She said she forgave them .
The execution was the first in 130 years to be carried out during a presidential transition period .
According to CNN , Bernard , whose crime was committed at age 18 , is also the youngest person in the U.S. to receive a death sentence in nearly 70 years .
Bernard 's attorney Robert Owens sought a review of the case after the discovery of previously undisclosed evidence .
Owens argued that trial prosecutors withheld evidence that showed Bernard had a low-level position in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to The Indianapolis Star .
Former jurors involved in the case had come forward in recent weeks to say that had that evidence been presented during the trial , it would have had an impact on their decision , CNN reports .
Angela Moore , the former federal prosecutor involved in the case , wrote in November in an op-ed that she believes Bernard should not be put to death , citing his youth at the time of the murder and his good behavior while in prison .
`` I always took pride @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal prosecutor , and I think executing Brandon would be a terrible stain on the nation 's honor , '' she wrote .
High-powered attorneys Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr and Kardashian West , a reality star , attempted to stop the execution this week .
Dershowitz and Starr joined Bernard 's legal team on Thursday and submitted a petition with the Supreme Court requesting a delay in the execution for two weeks .
Kardashian West was using her platform to raise awareness of Bernard 's case .
She has been involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aided in the release of Alice Marie Johnson .
Johnson was serving a life sentence for a non-violent drug offence before she was pardoned by President Trump .
Without success , Kardashian West also appealed to Trump to commute Bernard 's sentence .
In a tweet following his execution , Kardashian West said of Bernard : `` He was such a reformed person .
So hopeful and positive until the end .
More importantly he is sorry , so sorry for the hurt and pain he has caused others . ''
Todd and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a church service in Killeen , Texas , the night of their murder on June 21 , 1999 .
They stopped at a convenience store where they came across Bernard and his friends who asked the couple for a ride home .
Once the couple agreed , Vialva produced a gun and ordered them into the trunk of their car .
The group then drove around for several hours attempting to use the couple 's ATM cards and pawn Stacie 's wedding ring , according to the Justice Department .
The group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the road .
Vialva got out of the car , walked to the trunk , and shot the couple in the head .
With the Bagleys still in the trunk , Bernard lit the car on fire .
Prosecutors said during the trial that Stacie did n't die from the gunshot , but rather through smoke inhalation .
That claim has been challenged by defense attorneys , but the Justice Department still maintains Stacie died from the fire .
The White House plans to carry out four more federal executions before Trump leaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 13 since the process resumed over the summer .
Another inmate is set to be executed Friday .
Alfred Bourgeois is scheduled to be put to death for the torture and murder of this two-year-old daughter in 2002 .

U.S. Executes Brandon Bernard After Supreme Court Denies Stay
toggle caption Stacey Brownstein/AP
Brandon Bernard, convicted for his involvement in the brutal murder of two youth ministers in 1999, was executed Thursday evening after failed eleventh-hour appeals from criminal justice advocates and celebrities, including Kim Kardashian West, to spare his life.
He was pronounced dead at 9:27 p.m. from a lethal injection at the Federal Correctional Center in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Bernard, 40, served more than 20 years behind bars for his involvement in the kidnapping, robbery, and fatal shooting of Todd and Stacie Bagley. His death marks the ninth execution by the federal government this year after the process was resumed following a 17-year break.
With his last words, Bernard spoke to the family of the couple he killed, according to The Associated Press. He said, "I'm sorry. That's the only words that I can say that completely capture how I feel now and how I felt that day."
Todd's mother, Georgia Bagley, told reporters that the apologies of Bernard and the shooter, Christopher Vialva, who was put to death in September, "helped very much to heal my heart." She said she forgave them.
The execution was the first in 130 years to be carried out during a presidential transition period. According to CNN, Bernard, whose crime was committed at age 18, is also the youngest person in the U.S. to receive a death sentence in nearly 70 years.
Support for Bernard
Bernard's attorney Robert Owens sought a review of the case after the discovery of previously undisclosed evidence. Owens argued that trial prosecutors withheld evidence that showed Bernard had a low-level position in the gang that committed the murders, according to The Indianapolis Star.
Former jurors involved in the case had come forward in recent weeks to say that had that evidence been presented during the trial, it would have had an impact on their decision, CNN reports.
Angela Moore, the former federal prosecutor involved in the case, wrote in November in an op-ed that she believes Bernard should not be put to death, citing his youth at the time of the murder and his good behavior while in prison.
"I always took pride in representing the United States as a federal prosecutor, and I think executing Brandon would be a terrible stain on the nation's honor," she wrote.
High-powered attorneys Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr and Kardashian West, a reality star, attempted to stop the execution this week. Dershowitz and Starr joined Bernard's legal team on Thursday and submitted a petition with the Supreme Court requesting a delay in the execution for two weeks.
The Supreme Court denied the request.
Kardashian West was using her platform to raise awareness of Bernard's case. She has been involved in criminal justice advocacy since 2018 when she aided in the release of Alice Marie Johnson. Johnson was serving a life sentence for a non-violent drug offence before she was pardoned by President Trump.
Without success, Kardashian West also appealed to Trump to commute Bernard's sentence.
In a tweet following his execution, Kardashian West said of Bernard: "He was such a reformed person. So hopeful and positive until the end. More importantly he is sorry, so sorry for the hurt and pain he has caused others."
The crime
Todd and Stacie Bagley were on their way back from a church service in Killeen, Texas, the night of their murder on June 21, 1999. They stopped at a convenience store where they came across Bernard and his friends who asked the couple for a ride home.
Once the couple agreed, Vialva produced a gun and ordered them into the trunk of their car. The group then drove around for several hours attempting to use the couple's ATM cards and pawn Stacie's wedding ring, according to the Justice Department.
The group eventually pulled off to the side of the road. Vialva got out of the car, walked to the trunk, and shot the couple in the head. With the Bagleys still in the trunk, Bernard lit the car on fire.
Prosecutors said during the trial that Stacie didn't die from the gunshot, but rather through smoke inhalation. That claim has been challenged by defense attorneys, but the Justice Department still maintains Stacie died from the fire.
The White House plans to carry out four more federal executions before Trump leaves office in January, making a total of 13 since the process resumed over the summer.
Another inmate is set to be executed Friday. Alfred Bourgeois is scheduled to be put to death for the torture and murder of this two-year-old daughter in 2002.


npr--2020-12-11--St. Louis Prosecutor Taken Off Case Of Couple Who Brandished Guns At BLM Protesters

St. Louis Prosecutor Taken Off Case Of Couple Who Brandished Guns At BLM Protesters The St. Louis prosecutor spearheading the case against Mark McCloskey , one half of the husband-and-wife team accused of menacing Black Lives Matter protesters with weapons , has been removed from the case .
Circuit Judge Thomas Clark II on Thursday dismissed Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner and her entire staff , saying campaign fundraising emails Gardner sent to constituents that alluded to Mark and Patricia McCloskey 's case `` raise the appearance of impropriety and jeopardize the defendant 's right to a fair trial , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means Gardner can no longer oversee McCloskey 's prosecution .
Instead , a special prosecutor will have to be selected to take over .
The decision does not apply to McCloskey 's wife , Patricia , who is scheduled to appear before a different judge on Jan. 15 .
The couple 's defense attorneys filed the motion to disqualify Gardner in July , arguing it was an unprecedented move for a prosecutor to discuss a case in campaign materials , NBC affiliate KSDK reported .
Court documents note the materials were sent out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had filed any criminal charges against his clients .
Attorney Joel Schwartz wrote , `` The July 17th email drew a direct line from the incident , which had not yet resulted in criminal charges , to Ms. Gardner 's political antagonists and from there to a call for donations to further her re-election efforts . ''
The McCloskeys , who are white , became a polarizing couple over the summer when they brandished firearms at a crowd of marching protesters ; Mark McCloskey waved around an AR-15 rifle while Patricia kept her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a few hundred protesters marched toward the home of St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson .
The couple insist they believed the protesters , who they say had torn down a fence to enter the gated community , would have burned down their mansion if the two had n't `` stood their ground . ''
They were indicted in October on charges of unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with evidence .
Both have pleaded not guilty .
The confrontation was captured on video and has drawn ire from Black Lives Matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It has also stoked the heated debate over the rights and protections of protesters .
Gardner , who is St. Louis ' first Black Circuit Court attorney , says the emails referenced the McCloskey case in an effort to defend herself from backlash from conservative politicians and media .
`` Kim needs your help to fight back ! ''
one campaign email read , according to the AP .
She added that she was under `` national scrutiny from our divisive President , the Republican establishment of Missouri , and the right-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But KSDK notes that in his 22-page ruling Thursday , Clark wrote : `` Ms. Gardner has every right to rebut criticism , but it appears unnecessary to stigmatize defendant – or even mention him – in campaign solicitations , especially when she purports to be responding to others .
`` In fact , the case law and Rules of Professional Conduct prohibit it , '' Clark added .

St. Louis Prosecutor Taken Off Case Of Couple Who Brandished Guns At BLM Protesters
Enlarge this image toggle caption Christian Gooden/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Christian Gooden/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
The St. Louis prosecutor spearheading the case against Mark McCloskey, one half of the husband-and-wife team accused of menacing Black Lives Matter protesters with weapons, has been removed from the case.
Circuit Judge Thomas Clark II on Thursday dismissed Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner and her entire staff, saying campaign fundraising emails Gardner sent to constituents that alluded to Mark and Patricia McCloskey's case "raise the appearance of impropriety and jeopardize the defendant's right to a fair trial," The Associated Press reported.
The ruling means Gardner can no longer oversee McCloskey's prosecution. Instead, a special prosecutor will have to be selected to take over. The decision does not apply to McCloskey's wife, Patricia, who is scheduled to appear before a different judge on Jan. 15.
The couple's defense attorneys filed the motion to disqualify Gardner in July, arguing it was an unprecedented move for a prosecutor to discuss a case in campaign materials, NBC affiliate KSDK reported. Court documents note the materials were sent out as early as three days before Gardner had filed any criminal charges against his clients.
Attorney Joel Schwartz wrote, "The July 17th email drew a direct line from the incident, which had not yet resulted in criminal charges, to Ms. Gardner's political antagonists and from there to a call for donations to further her re-election efforts."
The McCloskeys, who are white, became a polarizing couple over the summer when they brandished firearms at a crowd of marching protesters; Mark McCloskey waved around an AR-15 rifle while Patricia kept her finger on the trigger of a handgun as a few hundred protesters marched toward the home of St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson.
The couple insist they believed the protesters, who they say had torn down a fence to enter the gated community, would have burned down their mansion if the two hadn't "stood their ground."
They were indicted in October on charges of unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with evidence. Both have pleaded not guilty.
The confrontation was captured on video and has drawn ire from Black Lives Matter supporters and praise from Second Amendment activists. It has also stoked the heated debate over the rights and protections of protesters.
Gardner, who is St. Louis' first Black Circuit Court attorney, says the emails referenced the McCloskey case in an effort to defend herself from backlash from conservative politicians and media.
"Kim needs your help to fight back!" one campaign email read, according to the AP. She added that she was under "national scrutiny from our divisive President, the Republican establishment of Missouri, and the right-wing media, including Fox News."
But KSDK notes that in his 22-page ruling Thursday, Clark wrote: "Ms. Gardner has every right to rebut criticism, but it appears unnecessary to stigmatize defendant – or even mention him – in campaign solicitations, especially when she purports to be responding to others.
"In fact, the case law and Rules of Professional Conduct prohibit it," Clark added.


npr--2020-12-11--FDA Authorizes COVID-19 Vaccine For Emergency Use In U.S.

FDA Authorizes COVID-19 Vaccine For Emergency Use In U.S. Federal officials have authorized emergency use of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech in a landmark decision that promises to alter the fight against the coronavirus radically in the United States .
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released its letter to Pfizer granting the authorization Friday evening .
The FDA 's authorization , which comes just one day after an advisory panel overwhelmingly offered its endorsement , makes the vaccine the first to obtain a green light for widespread distribution in the United States .
Several other countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pfizer vaccine — including the U.K. , where a sweeping immunization program kicked off earlier this week .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar , speaking with ABC 's Good Morning America , said Friday he expects that `` we could be seeing people [ in the U.S. ] getting vaccinated Monday or Tuesday of next week . ''
In the first push after authorization , the government expects 2.9 million doses of vaccine to go out .
Shipments are expected to begin within 24 hours .
Government officials have said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doses of vaccine for 20 million people by the end of the year .
`` We have clear evidence that the vaccine is highly effective at least three months after getting the first dose , and given the other data they presented , I think it 's likely to be effective for much longer , '' Dr. Paul Offit told NPR 's Morning Edition on Friday in advance of the FDA announcement .
Offit is the director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children 's Hospital of Philadelphia and one of the 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to recommend the vaccine Thursday .
Four of the advisers voted against it , while one abstained .
`` We know that the vaccine has been given to tens of thousands of people safely .
So we can say , at least with comfort , that it does n't cause an uncommon , serious side effect , '' he said , adding the caveat that this does n't necessarily rule out the possibility that a rare side effect may crop up later .
`` But I think we know enough .
You know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a product , it 's not whether you know everything .
It 's whether you know enough to say that the benefits outweigh what at this point are theoretical risks , '' Offit added .
That 's a key consideration with the authorization process , which has unfolded against the backdrop of a pandemic currently killing record numbers of people per day in the United States .
Nearly 300,000 people in the U.S. have died of COVID-19 since the start of the year , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exceeds the number of Americans killed in battle during all of World War II .
That means an urgent quandary for health regulators around the world , many of whom , including in the U.S. , have departed from the usual approval process to ensure a speedier response to the pandemic .
The FDA has relaxed its usual review mechanism to allow drugs , tests and vaccines to get out more quickly than the usual , more stringent requirements for full-blown approval would otherwise allow .
This speedier path is called emergency use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is administered in a pair of doses three weeks apart , has been demonstrated to be 95 % effective in clinical trials .
But it 's not the only vaccine to show promising results .
Another vaccine , this one produced by Moderna , has been more than 94 % effective in trials and is currently awaiting its own authorization by the FDA .
At a public meeting on Dec. 17 , a panel of expert advisers to the agency will meet to consider the evidence for the vaccine and make a recommendation @ @ @

FDA Authorizes COVID-19 Vaccine For Emergency Use In U.S.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/Pool/Getty Images Andrew Harnik/Pool/Getty Images
Federal officials have authorized emergency use of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech in a landmark decision that promises to alter the fight against the coronavirus radically in the United States.
The Food and Drug Administration released its letter to Pfizer granting the authorization Friday evening.
"It is nothing short of a medical miracle to have FDA authorization of a vaccine for COVID-19 just over 11 months since the virus was made known to the world," said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in a statement. "Vaccines will help bring this pandemic to an end, which is all the more reason to double down on the public health measures we need to stay safe in the coming months."
The FDA's decision, which comes just one day after an advisory panel overwhelmingly offered its endorsement, makes the vaccine the first to obtain a green light for widespread distribution in the United States.
Several other countries have previously granted such an authorization to the Pfizer vaccine — including the U.K., where a sweeping immunization program kicked off earlier this week.
HHS' Azar, speaking with ABC's Good Morning America, said earlier Friday he expects that "we could be seeing people [in the U.S.] getting vaccinated Monday or Tuesday of next week."
In the first push after authorization, the government expects 2.9 million doses of vaccine to go out. Shipments are expected to begin within 24 hours. Government officials have said they'll be able to supply enough doses of vaccine for 20 million people by the end of the year.
"We have clear evidence that the vaccine is highly effective at least three months after getting the first dose, and given the other data they presented, I think it's likely to be effective for much longer," Dr. Paul Offit told NPR's Morning Edition on Friday in advance of the FDA announcement.
Offit is the director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and one of the 17 members of the advisory board to vote to recommend the vaccine Thursday. Four of the advisers voted against it, while one abstained.
Documents released by the FDA, including a vaccine fact sheet and prescribing instructions, addressed several issues that came up during the advisory panel meeting Thursday.
Despite some disagreement by experts on the advisory panel over the adequacy of evidence to support use of the vaccine in people as young as 16, the vaccine was authorized for use in people 16 and older.
The vaccine shouldn't be given to people with a history of severe allergic reactions to any of the ingredients in the vaccine, the instructions say. Medical treatment for serious allergic reactions that occur immediately after injection must be available. And, in an apparent nod to the report of two cases after vaccination in the U.K., the fact sheet acknowledges that severe allergic reactions have occurred following immunization with the vaccine outside clinical trials.
The prescribing instructions don't preclude use of the vaccine in pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding, but they say that there isn't enough information to assess the effects of the vaccine or its risks under those circumstances.
"We know that the vaccine has been given to tens of thousands of people safely. So we can say, at least with comfort, that it doesn't cause an uncommon, serious side effect," Offit said, adding the caveat that this doesn't necessarily rule out the possibility that a rare side effect may crop up later.
"But I think we know enough. You know, when you agree to move forward with a product, it's not whether you know everything. It's whether you know enough to say that the benefits outweigh what at this point are theoretical risks," Offit added.
That's a key consideration with the authorization process, which has unfolded against the backdrop of a pandemic currently killing record numbers of people per day in the United States. Nearly 300,000 people in the U.S. have died of COVID-19 since the start of the year, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University — a staggering death toll that now exceeds the number of Americans killed in battle during all of World War II.
That means an urgent quandary for health regulators around the world, many of whom, including in the U.S., have departed from the usual approval process to ensure a speedier response to the pandemic. The FDA has relaxed its usual review mechanism to allow drugs, tests and vaccines to get out more quickly than the usual, more stringent requirements for full-blown approval would otherwise allow. This speedier path is called emergency use authorization.
The Pfizer vaccine, which is administered in a pair of doses three weeks apart, has been demonstrated to be 95% effective in clinical trials.
But it's not the only vaccine to show promising results.
Another vaccine, this one produced by Moderna, has been more than 94% effective in trials and is currently awaiting its own authorization by the FDA. At a public meeting on Dec. 17, a panel of expert advisers to the agency will meet to consider the evidence for the vaccine and make a recommendation about it.
Scott Hensley contributed to this report.