npr--2020-02-12--In Coronavirus Quarantine, Diamond Princess Passengers Form Unique Online Community

The quarantine of the Diamond Princess cruise ship has spawned several online communities , with passengers forming groups on WhatsApp and Facebook to break through the isolation and share information .
While they exchange information , they also focus on keeping each other 's spirits up .
`` We check on each other to see how we are each doing daily , '' passenger Aun Na Tan of Australia said in a message to NPR .
The postings on Facebook and messages sent via email are mainly `` just words of encouragement and a friendly ear '' among people whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health emergency , Tan says .
The passengers are only halfway through the 14-day quarantine , which is slated to end on Feb. 19 .
Nearly 100 passengers have joined a special private Facebook group for those aboard the ship .
The private group , which was begun by two Australian passengers , has the stated goal of creating a place to `` 'let off steam ' and cheer each other up . ''
But some passengers are limiting their time on Facebook , partly because many of the public discussions about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been negative .
`` The platforms have helped tremendously , '' passenger Kent Frasure of Oregon told NPR via text message .
`` The WhatsApp group is filled with friends and is a very positive and supportive place . ''
Passengers who are lucky enough to have a balcony often simply chat while getting fresh air , Frasure added .
With many of its guests trapped in their rooms except for brief turns on the deck , Princess Cruises has widened Internet access and increased entertainment offerings on the ship 's TVs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making videos to distract the passengers and help them exercise , with segments that range from quizzes and napkin folding to a dance and stretching class led by the onboard fitness instructor .
One of the most popular in-house TV offerings has been the Magic of the Day show put on by magician Sunny Chen , a native of Taiwan who is among those quarantined .
`` Thanks @ sunnychenmagic for putting effort to show us amazing magic , my son loves him , '' passenger Yardley Wong wrote on Wednesday .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good .
My son copied his card magic all night long . ''
Chen is posting video updates to his own Facebook page .
And he says the roughly 20 Taiwanese who are on board have formed their own online group , which he describes as a place for them to support each other .
`` Received a lot of encouragement and support !
! ''
Chen said in one recent post , speaking in Mandarin .
`` My original intention was to bring joy to all viewers , '' Chen said of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now as a victim of the virus crisis , I am really moved as I feel the strength you are delivering to me .
Passengers on board are also cheering each other on !
We have to help each other to get through this challenge together ! ''
The passengers share an oddly disjointed existence : While more than 2,600 of them are on the same ship , they 're largely isolated from each other , to keep the coronavirus from spreading .
So to share information and answer questions , they 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with two weeks of monotony , several of those on board have also sparked lively discussions by sharing videos of shipboard activities and photos of their meals , drawing comments from both their fellow passengers and the public .
American passenger Matthew Smith has been tweeting out images of his meals — with mostly enthusiastic mini-reviews .
Hundreds of people have responded to those posts , including some of his fellow passengers .
`` Did you eat all of it ?
I 'm cutting way back and trying to avoid dessert , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to my son and I might have to steal it , '' another passenger replied to Smith , after he posted an image of his lunch .
That passenger later added , `` the apple strudel was OK .
The coconut cream cake was much better . ''
Smith has also won fans for his successful attempts to get at least two cups of coffee a day — and for his positive attitude in the face of a vacation gone awry .
`` You might have to drag me off the ship when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week , praising the food and saying he 'd much rather be on the ship than in a hospital .
In addition to chat groups and messages , the quarantined ship also has its own official hashtag : The Princess cruise line is encouraging passengers to use # HangInThereDiamondPrincess to share their experiences .
`` Kudos to the magnif [ ic ] ent pastry chefs on board the Diamond Princess , '' American author Gay Courter wrote in one recent tweet , adding , `` Delicious desserts twice a day chases the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are also using the hashtag to highlight their concern for the crew members , who are working through the quarantine , supplying food and clean linens to passengers all over the ship while they also try to avoid being infected by the virus .
`` Most are working longer hours now that 's they are in different roles , '' a passenger named Shannon wrote .
`` They are also living in cramped quarters and are most susceptible to the virus .
Please pray for them . ''
In a sign of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweet on Monday in which she wished for a bottle of Sriracha hot sauce .
On Wednesday , she celebrated the arrival of the iconic rooster-adorned bottle by posting a photo and the caption , `` Sriracha prayers have been answered ! ''
The Diamond Princess quarantine is slated to end on Feb. 19 .
But with dozens of new cases emerging since the initial screening was completed , health officials say anyone who was in close contact with a coronavirus patient must go through an additional quarantine .
Thirty-nine more people on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadly coronavirus since Tuesday , Japan 's health ministry said Wednesday .
That brings the total number of cases to 174 , making the ship the largest cluster of cases in the world outside mainland China .
In addition to those cases , a quarantine officer who had been aboard the Diamond Princess was also diagnosed with the respiratory virus .
Anyone who gets sick is taken off the ship and transported to nearby hospitals — a process that many passengers have also documented online .
While the ship 's passengers are using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other , they 're also getting encouragement from the outside world .
In one unique example , a resident of Wuhan , China — the city that has been identified as the epicenter of the outbreak — wrote to apologize to a Japanese man who is a passenger on the ship and who has been posting updates on Twitter .
`` Thank you for sharing pics and information to us and sorry for influencing you in a negative way ( I am a student from Wuhan China ) , '' Jing Liu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hopefully you will be free and go back home earlier .
Best wishes . ''
`` You do not need to feel bad , '' replied @ daxa_tw , who told NPR that he prefers not to use his real name online .
In his reply to Liu , he added a smiley face .

Quarantined By Coronavirus, Cruise Ship Passengers Make 'Life-Long Friends'
Updated at 10:49 p.m. ET
The quarantine of the Diamond Princess cruise ship has spawned several online communities, with passengers forming groups on WhatsApp and Facebook to break through the isolation and share information. While they exchange information, they also focus on keeping each other's spirits up.
"We check on each other to see how we are each doing daily," passenger Aun Na Tan of Australia said in a message to NPR.
The postings on Facebook and messages sent via email are mainly "just words of encouragement and a friendly ear" among people whose lives have been sidetracked by a global health emergency, Tan says.
The passengers are only halfway through the 14-day quarantine, which is slated to end on Feb. 19. But some of the ties they've formed could last for years.
"The WhatsApp group of friends that we have made on the ship are now life-long friends and definitely plan on keeping in touch" with them, passenger Kent Frasure of Oregon told NPR via text message.
Nearly 100 passengers have joined a special Facebook group for those aboard the ship. The private group, which was begun by two Australian passengers, has the stated goal of creating a place to " 'let off steam' and cheer each other up."
But some passengers are limiting their time on Facebook, partly because many of the public discussions about the cruise ship that they've seen there have been negative.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jae C. Hong/AP Jae C. Hong/AP
"The platforms have helped tremendously," Frasure said. "The WhatsApp group is filled with friends and is a very positive and supportive place."
Passengers who are lucky enough to have a balcony often simply chat while getting fresh air, Frasure added.
With many of its guests trapped in their rooms except for brief turns on the deck, Princess Cruises has widened Internet access and increased entertainment offerings on the ship's TVs. The Diamond Princess staff is also making videos to distract the passengers and help them exercise, with segments that range from quizzes and napkin folding to a dance and stretching class led by the onboard fitness instructor.
One of the most popular in-house TV offerings has been the Magic of the Day show put on by magician Sunny Chen, a native of Taiwan who is among those quarantined.
"Thanks @sunnychenmagic for putting effort to show us amazing magic, my son loves him," passenger Yardley Wong wrote on Wednesday. She later added, "Sunny is soo good. My son copied his card magic all night long."
Chen is posting video updates to his own Facebook page. And he says the roughly 20 Taiwanese who are on board have formed their own online group, which he describes as a place for them to support each other.
"Received a lot of encouragement and support!!" Chen said in one recent post, speaking in Mandarin.
"My original intention was to bring joy to all viewers," Chen said of his career as a magician. "Now as a victim of the virus crisis, I am really moved as I feel the strength you are delivering to me. Passengers on board are also cheering each other on! We have to help each other to get through this challenge together!"
The passengers share an oddly disjointed existence: While more than 2,600 of them are on the same ship, they're largely isolated from each other, to keep the coronavirus from spreading. So to share information and answer questions, they've formed their own groups online.
Faced with two weeks of monotony, several of those on board have also sparked lively discussions by sharing videos of shipboard activities and photos of their meals, drawing comments from both their fellow passengers and the public.
American passenger Matthew Smith has been tweeting out images of his meals — with mostly enthusiastic mini-reviews. Hundreds of people have responded to those posts, including some of his fellow passengers.
"Did you eat all of it? I'm cutting way back and trying to avoid dessert, but they went and sent an apple strudel to my son and I might have to steal it," another passenger replied to Smith, after he posted an image of his lunch. That passenger later added, "the apple strudel was OK. The coconut cream cake was much better."
Smith has also won fans for his successful attempts to get at least two cups of coffee a day — and for his positive attitude in the face of a vacation gone awry.
"You might have to drag me off the ship when the quarantine ends," he wrote last week, praising the food and saying he'd much rather be on the ship than in a hospital.
In addition to chat groups and messages, the quarantined ship also has its own official hashtag: The Princess cruise line is encouraging passengers to use #HangInThereDiamondPrincess to share their experiences.
"Kudos to the magnif[ic]ent pastry chefs on board the Diamond Princess," American author Gay Courter wrote in one recent tweet, adding, "Delicious desserts twice a day chases the quarantine blues away."
Some passengers are also using the hashtag to highlight their concern for the crew members, who are working through the quarantine, supplying food and clean linens to passengers all over the ship while they also try to avoid being infected by the virus.
"Most are working longer hours now that's they are in different roles," a passenger named Shannon wrote. "They are also living in cramped quarters and are most susceptible to the virus. Please pray for them."
In a sign of the crew's responsiveness, Shannon posted a tweet on Monday in which she wished for a bottle of Sriracha hot sauce. On Wednesday, she celebrated the arrival of the iconic rooster-adorned bottle by posting a photo and the caption, "Sriracha prayers have been answered!"
The Diamond Princess quarantine is slated to end on Feb. 19. But with dozens of new cases emerging since the initial screening was completed, health officials say anyone who was in close contact with a coronavirus patient must go through an additional quarantine.
Japanese officials said the number of people who had the deadly coronavirus had risen to a total of 218 by Thursday morning local time, as reported by The Associated Press. The ship has the largest cluster of cases in the world outside mainland China. In addition to those cases, a quarantine officer who had been aboard the Diamond Princess was also diagnosed with the respiratory virus. Anyone who gets sick is taken off the ship and transported to nearby hospitals — a process that many passengers have also documented online.
While the ship's passengers are using phones and other gadgets to talk with each other, they're also getting encouragement from the outside world.
In one unique example, a resident of Wuhan, China — the city that has been identified as the epicenter of the outbreak — wrote to apologize to a Japanese man who is a passenger on the ship and who has been posting updates on Twitter.
"Thank you for sharing pics and information to us and sorry for influencing you in a negative way (I am a student from Wuhan China)," Jing Liu said via Twitter, adding, "Hopefully you will be free and go back home earlier. Best wishes."
"You do not need to feel bad," replied @daxa_tw, who told NPR that he prefers not to use his real name online. In his reply to Liu, he added a smiley face.
NPR's Huo Jingnan contributed to this report.


npr--2020-02-12--'Ghost' DNA In West Africans Complicates Story Of Human Origins

About 50,000 years ago , ancient humans in what is now West Africa apparently procreated with another group of ancient humans that scientists did n't know existed .
There are n't any bones or ancient DNA to prove that theory , but researchers say the evidence is in the genes of modern West Africans .
They analyzed genetic material from hundreds of people from Nigeria and Sierra Leone and found signals of what they call `` ghost '' DNA from an unknown ancestor .
Our own species — Homo sapiens — lived alongside other groups that split off from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And there 's plenty of evidence from other parts of the world that early humans had sex with other hominins , like Neanderthals .
That 's why Neanderthal genes are present in humans today , in people of European and Asian descent .
Homo sapiens also mated with another group , the Denisovans , and those genes are found in people from Oceania .
The findings on ghost DNA , published in the journal Science Advances , further complicate the picture of how Homo sapiens — or modern humans — evolved away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's almost certainly the case that the story is incredibly complex and complicated and we have kind of these initial hints about the complexity , '' says Sriram Sankararaman , a computational biologist at UCLA .
The scientists analyzed the genomes of 405 West Africans .
Sankararaman says they used a statistical model to flag parts of the DNA .
The technique `` goes along a person 's genome and pulls out chunks of DNA which we think are likely to have come from a population that is not modern human . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is n't associated with either Neanderthals or Denisovans .
Sankararaman and his study co-author , Arun Durvasula , think it comes from a yet-to-be-discovered group .
`` We do n't have a clear identity for this archaic group , '' Sankararaman says .
`` That 's why we use the term 'ghost . '
It does n't seem to be particularly closely related to the groups from which we have genome sequences from . ''
The scientists think the interbreeding happened about 50,000 years ago , roughly the same time that Neanderthals were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world .
It 's not clear whether there was a single interbreeding `` event , '' though , or whether it happened over an extended period of time .
The unknown group `` appears to have split off from the ancestors of modern humans a little before when Neanderthals split off from our ancestors , '' he says .
Sharon Browning , a biostatistics professor at the University of Washington who has studied the mixing of Denisovans and humans , says `` the scenario that they are discovering here is one that seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ghost DNA appears frequently in the genetic material .
`` That tells us that these archaic populations might have had some DNA that did some useful stuff that 's proved to be useful to the modern population , '' she says .
But at the moment , Sankararaman says , it 's not possible to know what , if any , role these genetic materials have for modern humans who carry them .
`` Are they just randomly floating in our genomes ?
Do they have any kind of adaptive benefits ?
Do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
`` Those are all questions which would be fantastic to start thinking about . ''
He says there is likely evidence of other ghost populations in modern humans in other parts of the world .
`` I think as we get the genome sequences from different parts of the world at different points in time , there is always the possibility that we might discover these as-yet-unidentified ghost populations , '' Sankararaman says .
It 's also possible that the ghost DNA found in this study comes from multiple groups , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we do n't know how many archaic groups might have been involved , and the study does n't tell us that , '' she says .
`` It tells us that there was integration , but it could have been from more than one archaic population , in theory . ''
Compared with the Neanderthals , where there is abundant DNA fossil evidence , physical samples are much harder to come by in Africa .
Browning says the climate on the continent has made it challenging .
`` The conditions have to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disintegrate '' in order to recover DNA , Browning says .
Bones have been found in Africa from archaic populations , but no DNA has been recovered .
Still , she adds , `` the technology is continuing to improve , and people are still out there looking for more fossils . ''
So what happened to this mysterious group of ancient humans ?
Scientists are n't totally sure .
They might have died off , or they might have eventually been completely subsumed into modern humans .

'Ghost' DNA In West Africans Complicates Story Of Human Origins
Enlarge this image toggle caption Westend61/Getty Images/Westend61 Westend61/Getty Images/Westend61
About 50,000 years ago, ancient humans in what is now West Africa apparently procreated with another group of ancient humans that scientists didn't know existed.
There aren't any bones or ancient DNA to prove it, but researchers say the evidence is in the genes of modern West Africans. They analyzed genetic material from hundreds of people from Nigeria and Sierra Leone and found signals of what they call "ghost" DNA from an unknown ancestor.
Our own species — Homo sapiens — lived alongside other groups that split off from the same genetic family tree at different times. And there's plenty of evidence from other parts of the world that early humans had sex with other hominins, like Neanderthals.
That's why Neanderthal genes are present in humans today, in people of European and Asian descent. Homo sapiens also mated with another group, the Denisovans, and those genes are found in people from Oceania.
The findings on ghost DNA, published in the journal Science Advances, further complicate the picture of how Homo sapiens — or modern humans — evolved away from other human relatives. "It's almost certainly the case that the story is incredibly complex and complicated and we have kind of these initial hints about the complexity," says Sriram Sankararaman, a computational biologist at UCLA.
The scientists analyzed the genomes of 405 West Africans. Sankararaman says they used a statistical model to flag parts of the DNA. The technique "goes along a person's genome and pulls out chunks of DNA which we think are likely to have come from a population that is not modern human."
The unusual DNA found in West Africa isn't associated with either Neanderthals or Denisovans. Sankararaman and his study co-author, Arun Durvasula, think it comes from a yet-to-be-discovered group.
"We don't have a clear identity for this archaic group," Sankararaman says. "That's why we use the term 'ghost.' It doesn't seem to be particularly closely related to the groups from which we have genome sequences from."
The scientists think the interbreeding happened about 50,000 years ago, roughly the same time that Neanderthals were breeding with modern humans elsewhere in the world. It's not clear whether there was a single interbreeding "event," though, or whether it happened over an extended period of time.
The unknown group "appears to have split off from the ancestors of modern humans a little before when Neanderthals split off from our ancestors," he says.
Sharon Browning, a biostatistics professor at the University of Washington who has studied the mixing of Denisovans and humans, says "the scenario that they are discovering here is one that seems realistic."
Browning notes that the ghost DNA appears frequently in the genetic material. "That tells us that these archaic populations might have had some DNA that did some useful stuff that's proved to be useful to the modern population," she says.
But at the moment, Sankararaman says, it's not possible to know what, if any, role these genetic materials have for modern humans who carry them. "Are they just randomly floating in our genomes? Do they have any kind of adaptive benefits? Do they have deleterious consequences?" he added. "Those are all questions which would be fantastic to start thinking about."
He says there is likely evidence of other ghost populations in modern humans in other parts of the world. "I think as we get the genome sequences from different parts of the world at different points in time, there is always the possibility that we might discover these as-yet-unidentified ghost populations," Sankararaman says.
It's also possible that the ghost DNA found in this study comes from multiple groups, Browning added. "Within Africa, we don't know how many archaic groups might have been involved, and the study doesn't tell us that," she says. "It tells us that there was integration, but it could have been from more than one archaic population, in theory."
Compared with the Neanderthals, where there is abundant DNA fossil evidence, physical samples are much harder to come by in Africa. Browning says the climate on the continent has made it challenging.
"The conditions have to be right for the fossils to not totally disintegrate" in order to recover DNA, Browning says. Bones have been found in Africa from archaic populations, but no DNA has been recovered. Still, she adds, "the technology is continuing to improve, and people are still out there looking for more fossils."
So what happened to this mysterious group of ancient humans? Scientists aren't totally sure.
They might have died off, or they might have eventually been completely subsumed into modern humans.


npr--2020-02-12--With His Campaign Struggling, Joe Biden Turns His Focus To South Carolina

With His Campaign Struggling , Joe Biden Turns His Focus To South Carolina Former Vice President Joe Biden has suffered back-to-back poor showings in the first two states to vote in the Democratic primary , and there are now serious questions about whether his `` electability '' argument is still plausible .
Now in South Carolina , where Biden has consistently led in polls , he increasingly faces competition from rivals who sense that his campaign is stalling weeks before the state he 's described as his firewall heads to the polls .
If Biden concedes that his fourth-place finish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' and fifth in New Hampshire was a `` hit , '' failure to win South Carolina 's primary may be a blow he 's not able to recover from .
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and the billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer are both challenging Biden 's standing in South Carolina .
And fresh off of strong performances in both Iowa and New Hampshire , former South Bend , Ind.
, Mayor Pete Buttigieg is adding more staff in state ahead of the Feb. 29 primary — the first contest in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavily black electorate .
Biden is still a front-runner in South Carolina and enjoys a sizable loyal following in the state .
Though there 's been limited reputable polling recently — especially as his fortunes have faltered elsewhere this month — Biden holds a 12-point lead , according to the RealClearPolitics polling average , with Steyer in second and Sanders third .
His supporters in the Palmetto State say that the results in Iowa and New Hampshire will do little to change minds in South Carolina .
`` That does n't represent our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a longtime supporter , as she waited for Biden to speak in Columbia Tuesday night .
Biden skipped his New Hampshire primary rally , heading to South Carolina early .
Other candidates , Herbert said , had yet to show meaningful support among black and Latino voters , who play a larger role in South Carolina , Nevada and many of the more than a dozen states that cast ballots on Super Tuesday , March 3 .
`` We do have to get a better picture of the different states and really see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really penetrated the minority votes , '' she said .
`` I know what some of the polls have said today , but I 'm interested in seeing what the voters say when it 's time to vote . ''
In his own remarks , Biden reiterated his case that Democratic candidates should be judged after the first four states vote , not the first two .
After bursting into the room to the strains of Jackie Wilson 's `` Higher and Higher , '' he implored South Carolina voters to give his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're moving into an especially important phase because up 'til now we have not heard from the most committed constituency in the Democratic Party , the African American community , and the fastest-growing segment of society , the Latino community , '' Biden said .
Black voters make up roughly two-thirds of the Democratic primary electorate in South Carolina , and through his years in public service , the former vice president has forged strong ties both in the state and with African Americans nationally .
But a new Quinnipiac University poll shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is slipping , compounding questions about his core argument .
The question is now whether the relationships he has cultivated — in many cases for decades — will still translate into votes .
`` Joe Biden is no stranger .
He does n't need to do the same things that Pete Buttigieg or Tom Steyer or [ former New York City Mayor ] Michael Bloomberg does in South Carolina .
We know him , '' said state Sen. Marlon Kimpson , who represents a majority-black Charleston district and is supporting Biden 's campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's pragmatic voters are seeking a `` return to normalcy , '' for which Biden is the best option .
Many rivals to Biden who have emerged from Iowa and New Hampshire with stronger performances have shown limited capacity so far to resonate with nonwhite voters , which could foretell trouble for them as the primary moves through Nevada and South Carolina , and later the diverse slate of Super Tuesday states .
The billionaire Steyer has been flooding South Carolina with radio and television commercials , as well as an aggressive direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state more than a dozen times and has upwards of 90 staffers on the ground .
His wife , Kat , is moving to the state , according to The Associated Press , with plans to remain in South Carolina through the duration of the primary .
Tameika Isaac Devine , the mayor pro tem of Columbia , is considering Steyer , among other candidates .
She praised his campaign for spending time in parts of the state that other candidates might dismiss .
`` They 've put their money where their mouth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funny when I hear people say he 's trying to buy the election , '' Devine said of Steyer .
`` It 's not different than what he 's done in the past .
Both he and Kat have been trying to build communities , which I think is admirable . ''
Tensions between Steyer and Biden flared during last week 's Democratic debate , after Biden backer Dick Harpootlian , a former South Carolina Democratic Party chair , accused a state lawmaker of endorsing Steyer because he had been paid by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demanded an on-stage apology from Biden , one Biden did not offer .
Instead he said that he has more support from South Carolina 's Black Caucus and black community than anyone else in the race .
State Sen. Kimpson was dismissive of Steyer 's efforts and spending in the state , and said he did not believe Biden 's support to be in jeopardy .
`` We 've got armies of folks down here prepared for this street fight , and it will be a fight , '' he said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be swayed in our support for somebody we know , and that 's Joe Biden . ''
Biden supporters say they expect him to win in South Carolina , but to do so , his campaign needs to mount an aggressive presence in the weeks before the vote .
`` He can not just assume that he has it , '' supporter Herbert said of Biden .
`` You still have to do your due diligence .
He 's just gon na have to get out there and knock on doors and get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We like attention . ''

With His Campaign Struggling, Joe Biden Turns His Focus To South Carolina
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sean Rayford/Getty Images Sean Rayford/Getty Images
Former Vice President Joe Biden has suffered back-to-back poor showings in the first two states to vote in the Democratic primary, and there are now serious questions about whether his "electability" argument is still plausible.
Now in South Carolina, where Biden has consistently led in polls, he increasingly faces competition from rivals who sense that his campaign is stalling weeks before the state he's described as his firewall heads to the polls. If Biden concedes that his fourth-place finish in Iowa was a "gut punch," and fifth in New Hampshire was a "hit," failure to win South Carolina's primary may be a blow he's not able to recover from.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and the billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer are both challenging Biden's standing in South Carolina. And fresh off of strong performances in both Iowa and New Hampshire, former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg is adding more staff in state ahead of the Feb. 29 primary — the first contest in the South and the first to feature a heavily black electorate.
Biden is still a front-runner in South Carolina and enjoys a sizable loyal following in the state. Though there's been limited reputable polling recently — especially as his fortunes have faltered elsewhere this month — Biden holds a 12-point lead, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average, with Steyer in second and Sanders third.
His supporters in the Palmetto State say that the results in Iowa and New Hampshire will do little to change minds in South Carolina.
"That doesn't represent our state," said Tina Herbert, a longtime supporter, as she waited for Biden to speak in Columbia Tuesday night. Biden skipped his New Hampshire primary rally, heading to South Carolina early.
Other candidates, Herbert said, had yet to show meaningful support among black and Latino voters, who play a larger role in South Carolina, Nevada and many of the more than a dozen states that cast ballots on Super Tuesday, March 3.
"We do have to get a better picture of the different states and really see if some of the new folks have really penetrated the minority votes," she said. "I know what some of the polls have said today, but I'm interested in seeing what the voters say when it's time to vote."
In his own remarks, Biden reiterated his case that Democratic candidates should be judged after the first four states vote, not the first two. After bursting into the room to the strains of Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher," he implored South Carolina voters to give his campaign a much-needed lift.
"We're moving into an especially important phase because up 'til now we have not heard from the most committed constituency in the Democratic Party, the African American community, and the fastest-growing segment of society, the Latino community," Biden said.
Black voters make up roughly two-thirds of the Democratic primary electorate in South Carolina, and through his years in public service, the former vice president has forged strong ties both in the state and with African Americans nationally. But a new Quinnipiac University poll shows Biden's support among black voters nationally is slipping, compounding questions about his core argument.
The question is now whether the relationships he has cultivated — in many cases for decades — will still translate into votes.
"Joe Biden is no stranger. He doesn't need to do the same things that Pete Buttigieg or Tom Steyer or [former New York City Mayor] Michael Bloomberg does in South Carolina. We know him," said state Sen. Marlon Kimpson, who represents a majority-black Charleston district and is supporting Biden's campaign.
Kimpson has argued that his state's pragmatic voters are seeking a "return to normalcy," for which Biden is the best option.
A pointed challenge from Steyer
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sean Rayford/Getty Images Sean Rayford/Getty Images
Many rivals to Biden who have emerged from Iowa and New Hampshire with stronger performances have shown limited capacity so far to resonate with nonwhite voters, which could foretell trouble for them as the primary moves through Nevada and South Carolina, and later the diverse slate of Super Tuesday states.
The billionaire Steyer has been flooding South Carolina with radio and television commercials, as well as an aggressive direct mail campaign. He has visited the state more than a dozen times and has upwards of 90 staffers on the ground. His wife, Kat, is moving to the state, according to The Associated Press, with plans to remain in South Carolina through the duration of the primary.
Tameika Isaac Devine, the mayor pro tem of Columbia, is considering Steyer, among other candidates. She praised his campaign for spending time in parts of the state that other candidates might dismiss.
"They've put their money where their mouth is. That's why it's funny when I hear people say he's trying to buy the election," Devine said of Steyer. "It's not different than what he's done in the past. Both he and Kat have been trying to build communities, which I think is admirable."
Tensions between Steyer and Biden flared during last week's Democratic debate, after Biden backer Dick Harpootlian, a former South Carolina Democratic Party chair, accused a state lawmaker of endorsing Steyer because he had been paid by the campaign.
During the debate, Steyer demanded an on-stage apology from Biden, one Biden did not offer. Instead he said that he has more support from South Carolina's Black Caucus and black community than anyone else in the race.
State Sen. Kimpson was dismissive of Steyer's efforts and spending in the state, and said he did not believe Biden's support to be in jeopardy.
"We've got armies of folks down here prepared for this street fight, and it will be a fight," he said. "Tensions have escalated. We won't be swayed in our support for somebody we know, and that's Joe Biden."
Biden supporters say they expect him to win in South Carolina, but to do so, his campaign needs to mount an aggressive presence in the weeks before the vote.
"He cannot just assume that he has it," supporter Herbert said of Biden. "You still have to do your due diligence. He's just gonna have to get out there and knock on doors and get that personal contact. We're Southerners. We like attention."


npr--2020-02-12--Judge Voids UNC's Controversial Settlement Over Confederate Statue 'Silent Sam'

A judge has overturned a contentious settlement that the University of North Carolina system reached with the Sons of Confederate Veterans over the Confederate monument known as Silent Sam .
The November 2019 agreement required the UNC system to give Silent Sam to the Sons of Confederate Veterans , along with $ 2.5 million for its preservation and display .
It was announced within minutes of a lawsuit filed by the group .
Orange County Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour — who originally signed off on that settlement — ruled Wednesday that the group lacked standing to bring its lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced his decision at a hearing in Hillsborough , N.C. , as five UNC students and a faculty member , represented by the Lawyers ' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law , intervened to try to stop the settlement .
Silent Sam had stood in a prominent location on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill for more than a hundred years .
The Confederate monument was toppled by protesters in August 2018 , amid a wave of similar actions across the country .
After the statue came down , it was put into storage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governors gave no indication about what they planned to do with the monument before a sudden announcement that the system had reached a deal with the Sons of Confederate Veterans .
As NPR reported in December , `` The university system insisted it was settling a lawsuit , but court records show the board of governors ' chairman agreed to the deal before a lawsuit existed . ''
Baddour signed off on the deal just seven minutes after the lawsuit was filed .
The UNC system 's Board of Governors never held a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do with the statue .
In December , Baddour ruled against a group of students who wanted to intervene in the case , but said he wanted to hear more about whether the CSV had standing and scheduled the hearing .
Ripley Rand , outside counsel representing the UNC System and the UNC Board of Governors , said Wednesday the ruling was not what the system had hoped for .
`` The Board of Governors knew from the very beginning that this was a difficult but needed solution to meet all their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University community , restore normality to campus , and be compliant with the Monuments Law , '' Rand said in a statement .
`` The Board of Governors will move forward with these three goals at the forefront and will go back to work to find a lasting and lawful solution to the dispute over the monument . ''
The statue was erected in 1913 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the university .
It depicts a young Confederate soldier grasping a rifle ; according to a university history , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because he lacks a cartridge box for ammunition .
A project by two UNC historians details the statue 's creation and its contested legacy , noting that protests against the statue date to the 1960s .
The monument was one of many statues of Confederate figures and symbols erected in public spaces during the early 20th century .
Calls for the statue 's removal grew stronger after the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville , Va. , in August 2017 .
University officials maintained that a state law designed to protect a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owned by the state '' prevented them from taking down the divisive symbol .
After Silent Sam was felled , then-UNC Chancellor Carol Folt apologized for the university 's history of slavery .
`` I offer our university 's deepest apology for the profound injustices of slavery , our full acknowledgment of the strength of enslaved peoples in the face of their suffering , and our respect and indebtedness to them , '' she said , as the university celebrated its 225th anniversary .
A few months later , Folt resigned — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the removal of the pedestal on which Silent Sam had stood .

Judge Voids UNC's Controversial Settlement Over Confederate Statue 'Silent Sam'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Julia Wall/Raleigh News & Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Julia Wall/Raleigh News & Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Updated at 4 p.m. ET
A judge has overturned a contentious settlement that the University of North Carolina system reached with the Sons of Confederate Veterans over the Confederate monument known as Silent Sam.
The November 2019 agreement required the UNC system to give Silent Sam to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, along with $2.5 million for its preservation and display. It was announced within minutes of a lawsuit filed by the group.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour — who originally signed off on that settlement — ruled Wednesday that the group lacked standing to bring its lawsuit in the first place.
The judge announced his decision at a hearing in Hillsborough, N.C., as five UNC students and a faculty member, represented by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, intervened to try to stop the settlement.
Silent Sam had stood in a prominent location on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill for more than a hundred years. The Confederate monument was toppled by protesters in August 2018, amid a wave of similar actions across the country.
After the statue came down, it was put into storage. The university system's board of governors gave no indication about what they planned to do with the monument before a sudden announcement that the system had reached a deal with the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
As NPR reported in December, "The university system insisted it was settling a lawsuit, but court records show the board of governors' chairman agreed to the deal before a lawsuit existed." Baddour signed off on the deal just seven minutes after the lawsuit was filed.
The UNC system's Board of Governors never held a public meeting to discuss options for what to do with the statue.
In December, Baddour ruled against a group of students who wanted to intervene in the case, but said he wanted to hear more about whether the CSV had standing and scheduled the hearing.
Ripley Rand, outside counsel representing the UNC System and the UNC Board of Governors, said Wednesday the ruling was not what the system had hoped for.
"The Board of Governors knew from the very beginning that this was a difficult but needed solution to meet all their goals to protect public safety of the University community, restore normality to campus, and be compliant with the Monuments Law," Rand said in a statement. "The Board of Governors will move forward with these three goals at the forefront and will go back to work to find a lasting and lawful solution to the dispute over the monument."
The statue was erected in 1913 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the university. It depicts a young Confederate soldier grasping a rifle; according to a university history, the soldier was dubbed "Silent Sam" because he lacks a cartridge box for ammunition. A project by two UNC historians details the statue's creation and its contested legacy, noting that protests against the statue date to the 1960s. The monument was one of many statues of Confederate figures and symbols erected in public spaces during the early 20th century.
Calls for the statue's removal grew stronger after the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., in August 2017. University officials maintained that a state law designed to protect a "monument, memorial or work of art owned by the state" prevented them from taking down the divisive symbol.
After Silent Sam was felled, then-UNC Chancellor Carol Folt apologized for the university's history of slavery.
"I offer our university's deepest apology for the profound injustices of slavery, our full acknowledgment of the strength of enslaved peoples in the face of their suffering, and our respect and indebtedness to them," she said, as the university celebrated its 225th anniversary.
A few months later, Folt resigned — and at the same time, she ordered the removal of the pedestal on which Silent Sam had stood.


npr--2020-02-12--Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick Ends His Presidential Bid

Deval Patrick , a former Massachusetts governor who jumped into the Democratic presidential primary months after most of his competitors did , has now ended that bid .
Patrick announced his decision on Wednesday , a day after the New Hampshire primary .
`` [ T ] he vote in New Hampshire last night was not enough for us to create the practical wind at the campaign 's back to go on to the next round of voting .
So I have decided to suspend the campaign , effective immediately , '' he said in a statement .
The 63-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , reversing an earlier decision .
In December 2018 , Patrick had opted against a run , citing `` the cruelty of our elections process '' and his wife 's diagnosis of uterine cancer .
( He said his wife was cancer-free when he made his bid official . )
Patrick 's entrance into the crowded primary field seemed to indicate unease among Democrats with the large group of candidates , and Patrick , a gifted campaigner who is close to former President Barack Obama , cast himself as a leader who could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together .
He also leaned into his inspiring life story , rising from his youth in Chicago to become one of only two African American men elected governor .
But Patrick , who admitted his late-entry campaign was a `` Hail Mary from two stadiums over , '' began his campaign with comparably low name recognition and never gained traction in polls .
He earned less than 1 % of the vote in the New Hampshire primary , despite leading next-door Massachusetts for two terms as governor and receiving a boost on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had also sought to compete in South Carolina , where African American voters make up a majority of the Democratic electorate .
Patrick 's departure from the race leaves eight candidates still running for the party 's presidential nomination .
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is the only one who is not white .
Positioning himself closer to the center-left among the Democratic presidential candidates , Patrick outlined a series of broad policy agendas , including a `` democracy agenda '' and an `` opportunity agenda '' that sought universal prekindergarten among other measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ option '' expansion of Medicare .
`` Patriotism demands , now more than ever , that we reject false choices , '' Patrick said in his statement Wednesday .
`` Despite our righteous anger , Democrats do n't have to hate Republicans to be good Democrats .
We do n't have to hate business to fight for social justice or to hate police to believe black lives matter .
In that same spirit , we do n't have to hate moderation to be a good progressive .
I say that because , unlike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivered progressive results using a moderate approach . ''
Prior to his terms as Massachusetts governor , Patrick led the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice during President Bill Clinton 's administration and then was general counsel at oil company Texaco and Coca-Cola and a member of the board of directors at the parent company of mortgage lender Ameriquest .
After he left office , Patrick joined Boston-based investment firm Bain Capital to launch a so-called impact investing fund .

Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick Ends His Presidential Bid
Enlarge this image toggle caption Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg via Getty Images Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Deval Patrick, a former Massachusetts governor who jumped into the Democratic presidential primary months after most of his competitors did, has now ended that bid.
Patrick announced his decision on Wednesday, a day after the New Hampshire primary.
"[T]he vote in New Hampshire last night was not enough for us to create the practical wind at the campaign's back to go on to the next round of voting. So I have decided to suspend the campaign, effective immediately," he said in a statement.
The 63-year-old joined the Democratic field in November 2019, reversing an earlier decision. In December 2018, Patrick had opted against a run, citing "the cruelty of our elections process" and his wife's diagnosis of uterine cancer. (He said his wife was cancer-free when he made his bid official.)
Patrick's entrance into the crowded primary field seemed to indicate unease among Democrats with the large group of candidates, and Patrick, a gifted campaigner who is close to former President Barack Obama, cast himself as a leader who could unify the party and bring opposing coalitions together.
He also leaned into his inspiring life story, rising from his youth in Chicago to become one of only two African American men elected governor.
But Patrick, who admitted his late-entry campaign was a "Hail Mary from two stadiums over," began his campaign with comparably low name recognition and never gained traction in polls. He earned less than 1% of the vote in the New Hampshire primary, despite leading next-door Massachusetts for two terms as governor and receiving a boost on the airwaves from a pro-Patrick superPAC.
Patrick had also sought to compete in South Carolina, where African American voters make up a majority of the Democratic electorate.
Patrick's departure from the race leaves eight candidates still running for the party's presidential nomination. Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is the only one who is not white.
Positioning himself closer to the center-left among the Democratic presidential candidates, Patrick outlined a series of broad policy agendas, including a "democracy agenda" and an "opportunity agenda" that sought universal prekindergarten among other measures. He also favored a "public option" expansion of Medicare.
"Patriotism demands, now more than ever, that we reject false choices," Patrick said in his statement Wednesday. "Despite our righteous anger, Democrats don't have to hate Republicans to be good Democrats. We don't have to hate business to fight for social justice or to hate police to believe black lives matter. In that same spirit, we don't have to hate moderation to be a good progressive. I say that because, unlike most other candidates, I have actually delivered progressive results using a moderate approach."
Prior to his terms as Massachusetts governor, Patrick led the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice during President Bill Clinton's administration and then was general counsel at oil company Texaco and Coca-Cola and a member of the board of directors at the parent company of mortgage lender Ameriquest.
After he left office, Patrick joined Boston-based investment firm Bain Capital to launch a so-called impact investing fund.


npr--2020-02-12--Klobuchar's 3rd Place Finish In New Hampshire 'Shocked The Establishment'

Klobuchar 's 3rd Place Finish In New Hampshire 'Shocked The Establishment' After a fifth-place finish in Iowa , Amy Klobuchar 's head-turning performance in New Hampshire on Tuesday night has some calling the Minnesota senator `` the comeback kid . ''
Klobuchar captured nearly 20 % of the vote , placing her third behind Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former South Bend , Ind.
, Mayor Pete Buttigieg .
To the surprise of some observers , she edged out Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden — a surge that has prompted supporters on social media to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ # Klobmentum .
In a crowded field of candidates , Klobuchar carved out a path running as a pragmatic moderate from the Midwest who can consolidate support from liberal and more centrist voters alike .
`` Hello , America , '' Klobuchar said to a room of supporters on Tuesday night .
`` I 'm Amy Klobuchar , and I will beat Donald Trump . ''
`` Amy Klobuchar just shocked the establishment , '' said Howard Dean , the former chair of the Democratic National Committee , speaking on CNN on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amy Klobuchar is now a serious candidate . ''
Her performance Tuesday followed a strong showing in Friday night 's Democratic debate , which appeared to win over late-breaking undecided voters .
The three-term senator dragged Buttigieg for being a `` cool newcomer . ''
And she portrayed herself as a more reasonable alternative to more left-leaning candidates .
She vowed to change the tone of the presidency and to be an advocate for struggling Americans .
`` There is a complete lack of empathy in this guy in the White House right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to you , '' Klobuchar said to audience cheers during the debate .
`` If you have trouble stretching your paycheck to pay for that rent , I know you , and I will fight for you .
If you have trouble deciding if you 're going to pay for your child care or your long-term care , I know you and I will fight for you , '' she said .
`` I do not have the biggest name up on this stage .
I do n't have the biggest bank account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have a record of fighting for people . ''
It 's a message that resonated with New Hampshire voters .
More than half of Klobuchar 's supporters made the decision to vote for her in the last few days before the primary , according to an AP VoteCast survey of more than 3,000 Democratic primary voters in the state .
`` Biden collapsed in Iowa , so moderates rotated to Buttigieg , but then he got attacked by everyone in the debates , so Klobuchar took those voters who started rethinking Buttigieg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Suffolk University Political Research Center .
The center 's polling , he said , showed Klobuchar at around 6 % before the Friday debate ended .
She then shot up to nearly 10 % in its polling just before the primary .
`` All of it happened in the 72 hours preceding the election , '' he said .
Part of her appeal , supporters say , is her ability to reach across the aisle and work with Republicans .
In a 2019 ranking by The Lugar Center and Georgetown University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attracts co-sponsors from the opposing party , Klobuchar was rated as the 23rd most bipartisan senator in Congress .
Her two fellow senators running for president , Warren and Sanders , ranked 68th and 100th , respectively .
On the campaign trail , Klobuchar has positioned herself within the more moderate wing of the Democratic Party : she has stopped short of endorsing `` Medicare for All , '' saying she prefers more immediate steps that will expand health care coverage .
And she opposes tuition-free college .
`` I have stood up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is choice , whether it is the environment , whether it is standing up for immigrants and against racial injustice , '' she told NPR last year .
`` But there are moments where we can find common ground . ''
With the Democratic contest now moving to more diverse states — Nevada on Feb. 22 , then South Carolina on Feb. 29 — the Klobuchar camp will be confronting a key question : Can her middle-of-the-road , problem-solver pitch win over black and Latino Democrats , whose support will be critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears challenging .
Klobuchar placed her first advertisement in Nevada on Tuesday and has barely spent on messaging in South Carolina , having expended much of her campaign resources in Iowa and New Hampshire .
`` Candidates makes a difference in Nevada with a strong field operation .
There 's really no substitute for that , '' said pollster Paleologos .
`` That 's a big liability for Klobuchar right now . ''
Another obstacle will be winning over nonwhite voters .
Nevada 's voters were were 41 % nonwhite in the 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina Democratic voters were African American .
Klobuchar 's support within these communities has been weak .
For example , she polled 0 % with black voters nationally in a Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted in January .
`` Our senators are n't household names to everyone , '' Minnesota Gov .
Tim Walz told NPR on Wednesday .
`` She does n't have billions of dollars .
But what she does have is a work ethic and a track record , '' he said .
`` My only surprise is that she did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defended both her support among black voters and her prior career as a county prosecutor .
During a Tuesday interview on The View , she said she has `` always has had strong support '' among African American voters in her home state of Minnesota , in addition to the backing of black community leaders who have campaigned for her , she said '' My challenge is to get people to know me , '' Klobuchar said .
Another challenge will be fundraising .
Klobuchar finished the fourth quarter of 2019 with less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four main rivals for the nomination .
Her campaign coffers will need larger cash infusions and a significant boost to her on-the-ground campaigning if she wants to be a real contender ahead of Super Tuesday , said David Plouffe , the former campaign manager for Barack Obama , speaking on MSNBC on Tuesday .
`` She 's got to now put together a national campaign overnight , '' Plouffe said .
Her surprise performance on Tuesday has infused her supporters with hope that she can convert a bump in momentum into fundraising dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday for a fundraiser , and her campaign says she has raised more than $ 2.5 million in the hours after polls closed in New Hampshire .
Klobuchar is set to be in Nevada on Thursday and will hold a town hall sponsored by the League of United Latin American Citizens ahead of the state 's caucuses in 10 days .
NPR 's Claudia Grisales , Tim Mak and Kelsey Snell contributed to this report .

Klobuchar's 3rd Place Finish In New Hampshire 'Shocked The Establishment'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Eisen/Getty Images Scott Eisen/Getty Images
Updated at 3:22 p.m. ET
After a fifth-place finish in Iowa, Amy Klobuchar's head-turning performance in New Hampshire on Tuesday night has some calling the Minnesota senator "the comeback kid."
Klobuchar captured nearly 20% of the vote, placing her third behind Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg. To the surprise of some observers, she edged out Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden — a surge that has prompted supporters on social media to rally behind the hashtags #Klomentum and #Klobmentum.
In a crowded field of candidates, Klobuchar carved out a path running as a pragmatic moderate from the Midwest who can consolidate support from liberal and more centrist voters alike.
"Hello, America," Klobuchar said to a room of supporters on Tuesday night. "I'm Amy Klobuchar, and I will beat Donald Trump."
"Amy Klobuchar just shocked the establishment," said Howard Dean, the former chair of the Democratic National Committee, speaking on CNN on Wednesday. "All of a sudden, Amy Klobuchar is now a serious candidate."
Strong debate showing
Her performance Tuesday followed a strong showing in Friday night's Democratic debate, which appeared to win over late-breaking undecided voters.
The three-term senator dragged Buttigieg for being a "cool newcomer." And she portrayed herself as a more reasonable alternative to more left-leaning candidates. She vowed to change the tone of the presidency and to be an advocate for struggling Americans.
"There is a complete lack of empathy in this guy in the White House right now, and I will bring that to you," Klobuchar said to audience cheers during the debate. "If you have trouble stretching your paycheck to pay for that rent, I know you, and I will fight for you. If you have trouble deciding if you're going to pay for your child care or your long-term care, I know you and I will fight for you," she said.
"I do not have the biggest name up on this stage. I don't have the biggest bank account," she added. "But I have a record of fighting for people."
It's a message that resonated with New Hampshire voters. More than half of Klobuchar's supporters made the decision to vote for her in the last few days before the primary, according to an AP VoteCast survey of more than 3,000 Democratic primary voters in the state.
"Biden collapsed in Iowa, so moderates rotated to Buttigieg, but then he got attacked by everyone in the debates, so Klobuchar took those voters who started rethinking Buttigieg," said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center.
The center's polling, he said, showed Klobuchar at around 6% before the Friday debate ended. She then shot up to nearly 10% in its polling just before the primary.
"All of it happened in the 72 hours preceding the election," he said.
Part of her appeal, supporters say, is her ability to reach across the aisle and work with Republicans.
In a 2019 ranking by The Lugar Center and Georgetown University judging how often lawmakers introduce legislation that attracts co-sponsors from the opposing party, Klobuchar was rated as the 23rd most bipartisan senator in Congress. Her two fellow senators running for president, Warren and Sanders, ranked 68th and 100th, respectively.
On the campaign trail, Klobuchar has positioned herself within the more moderate wing of the Democratic Party: she has stopped short of endorsing "Medicare for All," saying she prefers more immediate steps that will expand health care coverage. And she opposes tuition-free college.
"I have stood up on so many progressive issues, whether it is choice, whether it is the environment, whether it is standing up for immigrants and against racial injustice," she told NPR last year. "But there are moments where we can find common ground."
Nevada and South Carolina
With the Democratic contest now moving to more diverse states — Nevada on Feb. 22, then South Carolina on Feb. 29 — the Klobuchar camp will be confronting a key question: Can her middle-of-the-road, problem-solver pitch win over black and Latino Democrats, whose support will be critical in upcoming contests?
Her road ahead appears challenging. Klobuchar placed her first advertisement in Nevada on Tuesday and has barely spent on messaging in South Carolina, having expended much of her campaign resources in Iowa and New Hampshire.
"Candidates makes a difference in Nevada with a strong field operation. There's really no substitute for that," said pollster Paleologos. "That's a big liability for Klobuchar right now."
Another obstacle will be winning over nonwhite voters. Nevada's voters were were 41% nonwhite in the 2016 election, and 61% of South Carolina Democratic voters were African American.
Klobuchar's support within these communities has been weak. For example, she polled 0% with black voters nationally in a Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted in January.
"Our senators aren't household names to everyone," Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told NPR on Wednesday. "She doesn't have billions of dollars. But what she does have is a work ethic and a track record," he said. "My only surprise is that she didn't peak earlier."
Klobuchar has defended both her support among black voters and her prior career as a county prosecutor. During a Tuesday interview on The View, she said she has "always has had strong support" among African American voters in her home state of Minnesota, in addition to the backing of black community leaders who have campaigned for her, she said
"My challenge is to get people to know me," Klobuchar said.
Another challenge will be fundraising. Klobuchar finished the fourth quarter of 2019 with less cash on hand than any of her four main rivals for the nomination. Her campaign coffers will need larger cash infusions and a significant boost to her on-the-ground campaigning if she wants to be a real contender ahead of Super Tuesday, said David Plouffe, the former campaign manager for Barack Obama, speaking on MSNBC on Tuesday.
"She's got to now put together a national campaign overnight," Plouffe said.
Her surprise performance on Tuesday has infused her supporters with hope that she can convert a bump in momentum into fundraising dollars. Klobuchar will be in New York on Wednesday for a fundraiser, and her campaign says she has raised more than $2.5 million in the hours after polls closed in New Hampshire.
Klobuchar is set to be in Nevada on Thursday and will hold a town hall sponsored by the League of United Latin American Citizens ahead of the state's caucuses in 10 days.
NPR's Claudia Grisales, Tim Mak and Kelsey Snell contributed to this report.


npr--2020-02-12--After Iowa Debacle, Tech Experts Who Aid Progressives Call For A Strategic Shake-Up

After Iowa Debacle , Tech Experts Who Aid Progressives Call For A Strategic Shake-Up Democrats could avoid another tech meltdown like the one that afflicted the Iowa caucuses with a better strategy for building the tools they need , progressive technology specialists say .
The origins of the Iowa debacle are in a boom-and-bust cycle that places technology in competition with other priorities as time-crunched campaigns grapple with how best to spend as they hurtle toward an election .
`` The easy way to spend money , that 's reliable , is on advertising , '' says Evan Henshaw-Plath , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progressive causes and was an early employee at Twitter .
`` Spending money on technology is riskier and may or may not pay off . ''
When campaigns commence , they hire staff , open offices , buy ads .
When the campaign ends , the contracts end and the offices close .
Code that is written is often abandoned and forgotten .
`` We 're rebuilding everything from scratch each cycle for everything that is n't finance and compliance , '' Henshaw-Plath says .
`` We are n't funding organizations that can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he adds .
`` We are n't funding the technology to be maintained from one cycle to the next .
And we are n't releasing the code in a maintainable way and picking up again on the next cycle . ''
After the Iowa caucus , the spotlight swung to Shadow , the small tech company that built the glitchy application that precinct chairs were supposed to use to report results .
Shadow 's primary business is operating two applications for the progressive movement : a messaging product and a data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lackluster performance brought scrutiny of the connections between Shadow , its main investor Acroynm , and various figures and campaigns in the Democratic Party .
Such connections are no surprise in this corner of the tech world : It 's common practice for Democratic candidates and Democrat-aligned causes to use political tools and technologies developed specifically for the left .
There are essentially separate , parallel universes of tech vendors that develop tools for either Democrats or Republicans — but not both .
`` It is a pretty deeply held value within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your money where your values are , '' says Brady Kriss , the founder and executive director of Ragtag , a company that corrals tech workers who want to volunteer their skills to help progressive causes .
`` It 's not just about political competition .
You do n't want your money in any way , directly or indirectly , to go towards supporting issues or candidates that you find morally problematic . ''
Some tech experts have said that using popular mainstream applications like Google Forms might have been a better choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a custom-designed app built on a small budget under time pressure .
Using products already in wide commercial use has another benefit : They 're likely to be supported and maintained .
`` If you 're building on top of that , you do n't have to worry about that infrastructure , '' Kriss says .
`` That really helps with the cyclical nature of campaigns and campaign tech .
Because it 's very , very hard to keep a small application like a phone app or a large database base application updated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cares . ''
Building beyond the campaign cycle Advocates and entrepreneurs have tried to target the boom-bust dynamic .
Higher Ground Labs — a venture capital firm with the mission of supporting progressive tech companies `` for experimentation and iteration that 's no longer dependent on election dates '' — was an investor in the company went on to become Shadow .
But Ann Lewis , chief technology officer for MoveOn.org , says that cyclical fundraising cycles continue to affect progressive tech vendors .
One particular challenge she has noticed : A lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September , just two months before a November election .
`` That 's often not enough time to really take advantage of the surge of funding in software teams , '' she says .
What more money often buys is more staff — but adding engineers to a tech project only a few months before launch actually can hinder the team 's speed and efficiency , Lewis says .
Recurring donations can smooth out spiky funding .
But when it comes to structural change , Lewis has one big request : open-source software @ @ @ @ @ @ @ software means anyone can access and build on the code .
The most common place for developers to share their code and collaborate is the online platform GitHub .
If political tech developers did make more software open source , Lewis says they might be able to break free from election-driven peaks and valleys — and sustain applications long enough to make them relevant for more than one campaign cycle .
`` Not all projects will be successful and not all projects will live forever .
There 's a constant evolution in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build any kind of software , '' she says .
`` But I think investing in open source early is a way to let the best software rise to the top and live past that campaign horizon . ''

After Iowa Debacle, Tech Experts Who Aid Progressives Call For A Strategic Shake-Up
Enlarge this image toggle caption Daniel Acke/Bloomberg via Getty Images Daniel Acke/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Democrats could avoid another tech meltdown like the one that afflicted the Iowa caucuses with a better strategy for building the tools they need, progressive technology specialists say.
The origins of the Iowa debacle are in a boom-and-bust cycle that places technology in competition with other priorities as time-crunched campaigns grapple with how best to spend as they hurtle toward an election.
"The easy way to spend money, that's reliable, is on advertising," says Evan Henshaw-Plath, a technologist who has built applications for progressive causes and was an early employee at Twitter. "Spending money on technology is riskier and may or may not pay off."
When campaigns commence, they hire staff, open offices, buy ads. When the campaign ends, the contracts end and the offices close. Code that is written is often abandoned and forgotten.
"We're rebuilding everything from scratch each cycle for everything that isn't finance and compliance," Henshaw-Plath says.
"We aren't funding organizations that can survive from one cycle to the next," he adds. "We aren't funding the technology to be maintained from one cycle to the next. And we aren't releasing the code in a maintainable way and picking up again on the next cycle."
Light falls on Shadow
After the Iowa caucus, the spotlight swung to Shadow, the small tech company that built the glitchy application that precinct chairs were supposed to use to report results.
Shadow's primary business is operating two applications for the progressive movement: a messaging product and a data integration tool.
The caucus app's lackluster performance brought scrutiny of the connections between Shadow, its main investor Acronym, and various figures and campaigns in the Democratic Party.
Such connections are no surprise in this corner of the tech world: It's common practice for Democratic candidates and Democrat-aligned causes to use political tools and technologies developed specifically for the left.
There are essentially separate, parallel universes of tech vendors that develop tools for either Democrats or Republicans — but not both.
"It is a pretty deeply held value within the progressive community that you want to put your money where your values are," says Brady Kriss, the founder and executive director of Ragtag, a company that corrals tech workers who want to volunteer their skills to help progressive causes.
"It's not just about political competition. You don't want your money in any way, directly or indirectly, to go towards supporting issues or candidates that you find morally problematic."
Some tech experts have said that using popular mainstream applications like Google Forms might have been a better choice for Iowa, rather than relying on a custom-designed app built on a small budget under time pressure.
Using products already in wide commercial use has another benefit: They're likely to be supported and maintained.
"If you're building on top of that, you don't have to worry about that infrastructure," Kriss says. "That really helps with the cyclical nature of campaigns and campaign tech. Because it's very, very hard to keep a small application like a phone app or a large database base application updated when every other year, no one cares."
Building beyond the campaign cycle
Advocates and entrepreneurs have tried to target the boom-bust dynamic.
Higher Ground Labs — a venture capital firm with the mission of supporting progressive tech companies "for experimentation and iteration that's no longer dependent on election dates" — was an investor in the company went on to become Shadow.
But Ann Lewis, chief technology officer for MoveOn.org, says that cyclical fundraising cycles continue to affect progressive tech vendors.
One particular challenge she has noticed: A lot of the money for tech arrives in September, just two months before a November election.
"That's often not enough time to really take advantage of the surge of funding in software teams," she says.
What more money often buys is more staff — but adding engineers to a tech project only a few months before launch actually can hinder the team's speed and efficiency, Lewis says.
Recurring donations can smooth out spiky funding. But when it comes to structural change, Lewis has one big request: open-source software, frameworks and collaboration spaces.
Open-source software means anyone can access and build on the code. The most common place for developers to share their code and collaborate is the online platform GitHub.
If political tech developers did make more software open source, Lewis says they might be able to break free from election-driven peaks and valleys — and sustain applications long enough to make them relevant for more than one campaign cycle.
"Not all projects will be successful and not all projects will live forever. There's a constant evolution in the frameworks and tools that we use to build any kind of software," she says. "But I think investing in open source early is a way to let the best software rise to the top and live past that campaign horizon."


npr--2020-02-13--Iowa Caucus Meltdown Proved Transparency Is Essential, Election-Watchers Say

As the Democratic primary season rolls on , one big lesson already is sinking in from the party 's caucus-night meltdown in Iowa : Secrecy is n't a strategy .
State Democratic chair Troy Price declined to answer questions a month ago about what sorts of tests were conducted on the smartphone app the party was planning to use on caucus night or detail backup plans should it fail .
But he did promise some sort of transparency .
`` We 'll be able to give a preview to the press of what the app will look like in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Price said in mid-January , in his first interview about the app , with NPR and Iowa Public Radio .
That preview never happened .
And the reporting system then failed in a major way .
The state party announced over the weekend that it was still adjusting results for 3 percent of the state 's total precincts , and updating its projected national delegate allocations .
The updated results are n't drastically different from the originals , but the Associated Press , which many news agencies , including NPR , rely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the results still `` may not be fully accurate , '' and that it can not declare a winner .
That 's led to questions about the legitimacy of the results and more broadly , questions about whether caucuses still have a place in a Democratic party that says it wants to prioritize voting accessibility .
`` It is safe to say , this is not the caucus that hundreds of thousands of Iowa Democrats deserve , '' Price said on Monday .
The chaos was the result of a backup plan poorly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coding error within the app , the party says — not a cyberattack .
But transparency , again , has been limited .
Price has said the party `` worked with nationally renowned cybersecurity experts to do testing and security checks on this app '' but has declined to say which experts , or which companies they worked with .
Election experts say the past week 's opacity creates an environment ripe for misinformation .
The question of how much transparency is the right amount when it comes to elections is n't new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of intense focus in recent years .
The public still does n't know , for instance , which two counties had their election networks hacked by Russian attackers leading up to the 2016 elections .
State officials and members of Congress have been briefed but that information remains withheld from the public .
In Iowa , however , the secrecy was used to hide a clear lack of preparation .
`` The communication about the app was not particularly robust , and after the fact I think the party is just trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Rachel Paine Caufield , a political science professor at Drake University .
Caufield has been teaching in Iowa since 2001 , and every four years she watches a new crop of 18 and 19 year-olds navigate the caucus process for the first time .
In a class on Wednesday , her students listed the conspiracy theories about the delay in results they 'd seen flowing around online or in conversations with their friends .
`` All my friends back home are super fascinated with what 's going on and right away when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They said 'Russian collusion , Chinese collusion , ' '' said Sam Veytsman .
Another student two seats over , Lauren Sky Lawson , talked about when she stopped to think about it , the massive conspiracies did n't seem as likely .
`` Like , what 's more believable — that this is some big conspiracy theory ?
Or that some local volunteers had trouble with an app on their phones that they 'd never used before ? ''
she said .
Still , Lawson said she is naturally a little suspicious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iowa caucus fiasco .
And those suspicions are fueled by officials not being forthcoming .
`` You are curious if there 's something more going on than you 're being told because , at least for me , I 'm so used to finding things out that were not told to me in a super transparent way originally , '' Lawson said .
Caufield called the caucus mess a sort of `` political Rorschach test , '' that people can interpret whichever way fits their particular worldview .
Misinformation in scenarios like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Levine , the elections integrity fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy , said it 's even more difficult to combat when good information is so hard to come by .
`` If there is an information vacuum , then it will be filled , '' said Levine .
`` It 's really important for people to understand how the election infrastructure operates so that as they see information coming in , they have the ability to assess it and understand whether or not its information they can rely upon . ''
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. , from New Hampshire to Nevada and South Carolina , the question is whether those in charge of elections will decide to share more — not less — about the process .

Iowa Caucus Meltdown Proved Transparency Is Essential, Election-Watchers Say
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nati Harnik/AP Nati Harnik/AP
As the Democratic primary season rolls on, one big lesson already is sinking in from the party's caucus-night meltdown in Iowa: Secrecy isn't a strategy.
State Democratic chair Troy Price declined to answer questions a month ago about what sorts of tests were conducted on the smartphone app the party was planning to use on caucus night or detail backup plans should it fail.
But he did promise some sort of transparency.
"We'll be able to give a preview to the press of what the app will look like in the days leading up to the caucuses," Price said in mid-January, in his first interview about the app, with NPR and Iowa Public Radio.
That preview never happened. And the reporting system then failed in a major way.
The state party announced over the weekend that it was still adjusting results for 3 percent of the state's total precincts, and updating its projected national delegate allocations.
The updated results aren't drastically different from the originals, but the Associated Press, which many news agencies, including NPR, rely on to make race calls, says the results still "may not be fully accurate," and that it cannot declare a winner.
That's led to questions about the legitimacy of the results and more broadly, questions about whether caucuses still have a place in a Democratic party that says it wants to prioritize voting accessibility.
"It is safe to say, this is not the caucus that hundreds of thousands of Iowa Democrats deserve," Price said on Monday.
The chaos was the result of a backup plan poorly communicated and executed in addition to a coding error within the app, the party says — not a cyberattack.
But transparency, again, has been limited.
Price has said the party "worked with nationally renowned cybersecurity experts to do testing and security checks on this app" but has declined to say which experts, or which companies they worked with.
Election experts say the past week's opacity creates an environment ripe for misinformation.
Security through obscurity
The question of how much transparency is the right amount when it comes to elections isn't new, but it has become the subject of intense focus in recent years.
The public still doesn't know, for instance, which two counties had their election networks hacked by Russian attackers leading up to the 2016 elections. State officials and members of Congress have been briefed but that information remains withheld from the public.
In Iowa, however, the secrecy was used to hide a clear lack of preparation.
"The communication about the app was not particularly robust, and after the fact I think the party is just trying to hunker down and count numbers," said Rachel Paine Caufield, a political science professor at Drake University.
Caufield has been teaching in Iowa since 2001, and every four years she watches a new crop of 18 and 19 year-olds navigate the caucus process for the first time.
In a class on Wednesday, her students listed the conspiracy theories about the delay in results they'd seen flowing around online or in conversations with their friends.
"All my friends back home are super fascinated with what's going on and right away when they heard what's going on. They said 'Russian collusion, Chinese collusion,'" said Sam Veytsman.
Another student two seats over, Lauren Sky Lawson, talked about when she stopped to think about it, the massive conspiracies didn't seem as likely.
"Like, what's more believable — that this is some big conspiracy theory? Or that some local volunteers had trouble with an app on their phones that they'd never used before?" she said.
Still, Lawson said she is naturally a little suspicious of information she gets in situations like the Iowa caucus fiasco. And those suspicions are fueled by officials not being forthcoming.
"You are curious if there's something more going on than you're being told because, at least for me, I'm so used to finding things out that were not told to me in a super transparent way originally," Lawson said.
Caufield called the caucus mess a sort of "political Rorschach test," that people can interpret whichever way fits their particular worldview.
Misinformation in scenarios like Iowa's is inevitable. But David Levine, the elections integrity fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, said it's even more difficult to combat when good information is so hard to come by.
"If there is an information vacuum, then it will be filled," said Levine. "It's really important for people to understand how the election infrastructure operates so that as they see information coming in, they have the ability to assess it and understand whether or not its information they can rely upon."
Now as the primary process moves across the U.S., from New Hampshire to Nevada and South Carolina, the question is whether those in charge of elections will decide to share more — not less — about the process.


npr--2020-02-13--CBP Chief Admits Officers 'Overzealous'; Critics Say Iranians And Others Targeted

CBP Chief Admits Officers 'Overzealous ' ; Critics Say Iranians And Others Targeted The head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection made a surprising admission this week about the agency 's Seattle field office .
Last month , officers at a border crossing there pulled aside hundreds of Iranian-Americans — including U.S citizens and green card holders — and held them for hours .
`` In that specific office , '' acting CBP commissioner Mark Morgan said at a briefing with reporters in Washington , `` leadership just got a little overzealous . ''
At the time , tensions with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike that killed a top Iranian general .
And field offices had been told to be vigilant .
But Morgan says they were not instructed to hold and question everyone from Iran .
`` That was not in line with our direction .
And so that was immediately corrected , '' Morgan said .
`` And it was very unique to that one sector . ''
But immigrant advocates say this was not an isolated mistake .
Across the country , they say , Customs and Border Protection officers are targeting travelers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Middle East , many coming here for school .
Students from Iran and Lebanon headed to Harvard University , a doctorate student from Iran starting at Michigan State University , and other international graduate students landing in Chicago , Atlanta and Los Angeles have all been questioned and turned away at U.S. airports in recent months .
There are nearly 20 documented cases of Iranian students who have been rejected at U.S. airports , including a young woman named Reihana .
She was planning to start a new chapter in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School .
But never made it out of Boston Logan International Airport .
`` When I got deported , I lost everything that I planned for , '' said Reihana , who asked us not to use her last name because she 's still fighting to get into the U.S. Reihana had been vetted by U.S. authorities to get a student visa .
But when she landed at Boston 's Logan International Airport in September , she says she was put in a room and questioned for hours by CBP officers , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle East and the government of Iran .
`` It was very difficult .
I did n't understand , what does this have to do with the Iranian government ? ''
she asked .
`` I was a student , not a representative of any government . ''
Reihana asked to talk to a lawyer .
But she says the officers would n't let her .
They sent her back to Tehran , and barred her from returning to the U.S. for five years .
`` In a few hours , an officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months of vetting on your case , '' she said .
`` And just make another decision , based on my nationality and you know , discrimination . ''
Reihana has a lawyer now .
She 's filed a formal complaint with CBP , and is suing in federal court .
She still wants to go to Havard , and also to hold the officers who rejected her accountable .
CBP insists it does not target people based on nationality .
So how could this happen ?
Ronald Vitiello , who served as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , says officers have broad discretion , and a mandate to keep America safe .
`` They 're looking for threats to the country .
They want to make sure that the people are who they say they are , '' Vitiello said .
But Vitiello says CBP officers ca n't just pull aside travelers based on the color of their skin , or their country of origin .
They have to have something more to base their suspicion on , much like police when they stop suspects on the street .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they happen to be affiliated in some way with Iran , '' Vitiello said .
`` There has to be some justification for the decisions that they make . ''
These officers should do more than just stamp passports , says Gil Kerlikowske , who served as commissioner of CBP under President Obama .
`` They 're not merely automatons that look at someone and stamp the record , '' Kerlikowske said .
`` We ask them to take additional steps to make sure the people entering into the country — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not going to cause harm . ''
But there 's a lot we still do n't know about why Iranians and others have been turned away .
For instance , there are still unanswered questions about a group of specially-trained CBP officers known as known as Tactical Terrorism Response Teams , or TTRT .
`` We do n't know much about them because the government has not provided much information to the public about how they operate , '' said Scarlet Kim , a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the TTRT program .
`` But what we do know raises a lot of red flags . ''
What we know is that these teams operate at more than 40 major airports and border crossings around the country.In a single year , they refused entry to 1,400 people , according to congressional testimony in 2017 .
And according to a leaked memo , they were working with the Seattle Field Office when hundreds of Iranian Americans were held recently .
But most alarming for the ACLU is this : In an interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McAleenan said that these officers can stop any traveler — even those who do n't present a known security risk .
Instead , these officers can rely on their `` instincts . ''
The ACLU 's Scarlet Kim says that 's a recipe for ethnic and racial profiling .
`` Instinct suggests that officers can essentially rely on any kind of hunch that they might have about an individual , '' Kim said .
`` And that hunch can rest on an implicit or explicit bias . ''
But Kim says there 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these teams are doing anything wrong without better public oversight — unless CBP is again forced to admit that its officers were `` overzealous . ''

CBP Chief Admits Officers 'Overzealous'; Critics Say Iranians And Others Targeted
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Alex Brandon/AP
The head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection made a surprising admission this week about the agency's Seattle field office.
Last month, officers at a border crossing there pulled aside hundreds of Iranian-Americans — including U.S citizens and green card holders — and held them for hours.
"In that specific office," acting CBP commissioner Mark Morgan said at a briefing with reporters in Washington, "leadership just got a little overzealous."
At the time, tensions with Iran were rising after the U.S. air strike that killed a top Iranian general. And field offices had been told to be vigilant. But Morgan says they were not instructed to hold and question everyone from Iran.
"That was not in line with our direction. And so that was immediately corrected," Morgan said. "And it was very unique to that one sector."
But immigrant advocates say this was not an isolated mistake.
Across the country, they say, Customs and Border Protection officers are targeting travelers for extra scrutiny — particularly travelers from Iran and the Middle East, many coming here for school.
Law Lawyer For Iranian Students Deported From U.S. Describes Their Plight Lawyer For Iranian Students Deported From U.S. Describes Their Plight Listen · 4:25 4:25
Students from Iran and Lebanon headed to Harvard University, a doctorate student from Iran starting at Michigan State University, and other international graduate students landing in Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles have all been questioned and turned away at U.S. airports in recent months.
There are nearly 20 documented cases of Iranian students who have been rejected at U.S. airports, including a young woman named Reihana. She was planning to start a new chapter in her life as a student at Harvard Divinity School. But never made it out of Boston Logan International Airport.
"When I got deported, I lost everything that I planned for," said Reihana, who asked us not to use her last name because she's still fighting to get into the U.S.
Reihana had been vetted by U.S. authorities to get a student visa. But when she landed at Boston's Logan International Airport in September, she says she was put in a room and questioned for hours by CBP officers, who asked repeatedly how she felt about the Middle East and the government of Iran.
"It was very difficult. I didn't understand, what does this have to do with the Iranian government?" she asked. "I was a student, not a representative of any government."
Reihana asked to talk to a lawyer. But she says the officers wouldn't let her. They sent her back to Tehran, and barred her from returning to the U.S. for five years.
"In a few hours, an officer has the power to ignore all the months of vetting on your case," she said. "And just make another decision, based on my nationality and you know, discrimination."
Reihana has a lawyer now. She's filed a formal complaint with CBP, and is suing in federal court. She still wants to go to Harvard, and also to hold the officers who rejected her accountable.
CBP insists it does not target people based on nationality.
So how could this happen? Ronald Vitiello, who served as the deputy commissioner of CBP under President Trump, says officers have broad discretion, and a mandate to keep America safe.
"They're looking for threats to the country. They want to make sure that the people are who they say they are," Vitiello said.
But Vitiello says CBP officers can't just pull aside travelers based on the color of their skin, or their country of origin. They have to have something more to base their suspicion on, much like police when they stop suspects on the street.
"They can't deny people just because they happen to be affiliated in some way with Iran," Vitiello said. "There has to be some justification for the decisions that they make."
These officers should do more than just stamp passports, says Gil Kerlikowske, who served as commissioner of CBP under President Obama.
"They're not merely automatons that look at someone and stamp the record," Kerlikowske said. "We ask them to take additional steps to make sure the people entering into the country — and it's a million passengers a day — are not going to cause harm."
National Iranian Americans Feel Caught In The Middle Of Latest U.S.-Iran Tensions Iranian Americans Feel Caught In The Middle Of Latest U.S.-Iran Tensions Listen · 3:49 3:49
But there's a lot we still don't know about why Iranians and others have been turned away.
For instance, there are still unanswered questions about a group of specially-trained CBP officers known as known as Tactical Terrorism Response Teams, or TTRT.
"We don't know much about them because the government has not provided much information to the public about how they operate," said Scarlet Kim, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, which is suing to find out more about the TTRT program. "But what we do know raises a lot of red flags."
What we know is that these teams operate at more than 40 major airports and border crossings around the country. In a single year, they refused entry to 1,400 people, according to congressional testimony in 2017. And according to a leaked memo, they were working with the Seattle Field Office when hundreds of Iranian Americans were held recently.
But most alarming for the ACLU is this: In an interview in 2018, former CBP commissioner Kevin McAleenan said that these officers can stop any traveler — even those who don't present a known security risk. Instead, these officers can rely on their "instincts."
The ACLU's Scarlet Kim says that's a recipe for ethnic and racial profiling.
"Instinct suggests that officers can essentially rely on any kind of hunch that they might have about an individual," Kim said. "And that hunch can rest on an implicit or explicit bias."
But Kim says there's no way to know for sure if these teams are doing anything wrong without better public oversight — unless CBP is again forced to admit that its officers were "overzealous."