npr--2020-08-23--Louisiana Braces For 'One-Two Punch' Of Storms As Marco And Laura Approach Shore

Louisiana Braces For 'One-Two Punch ' Of Storms As Marco And Laura Approach Shore Louisiana is bracing for what officials are warning will be a `` one-two punch , '' as two hurricanes are expected to hit the state within 48 hours of each other .
Tropical Storm Marco , which had been gaining speed and strength as it crossed through the Gulf of Mexico , was declared a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday and is expected to make landfall Monday .
Following close behind is Tropical Storm Laura , which forecasters say will be a Category 2 hurricane by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next few days .
If the two systems develop into hurricanes simultaneously , it would be the first time on record that the Gulf of Mexico has had two hurricanes at the same time , according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach .
With maximum sustained winds of 75 mph , Marco was on track to cross the central Gulf of Mexico on Sunday .
As it approaches shore , tropical storm conditions are possible early Monday along portions of the Gulf Coast , with hurricane conditions expected by midday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cities from Morgan City , La.
, to Ocean Springs , Miss.
, could see a storm surge of 4 to 6 feet — especially if the peak surge occurs during high tide .
Sabine Pass , Texas , to Morgan City , La.
, could see a storm surge between 2 and 4 feet , as could the area from Ocean Springs to the Mississippi-Alabama border .
`` The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NHC said .
Tropical Storm Laura , which has already drenched Haiti and the Dominican Republic , is moving west-northwest at 21 mph , the NHC said .
It is expected to strengthen as it approaches the Florida Keys during the next couple of days and approaches Louisiana .
The storm is forecast to become a hurricane late Tuesday .
Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards warned that the brief window of time between the storms could lead to a dangerous situation for residents .
`` The temporal proximity and the geographic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , quite frankly , we 've not seen before , '' Edwards said Sunday .
`` As a result , we do n't know exactly what to expect , '' he said , warning it 's a `` very serious situation . ''
`` These storms are not to be taken lightly , especially because there are two of them and they 're going to impact so much of south Louisiana so close together , '' Edwards said .
The governor encouraged families to be prepared to ride out the storms wherever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We still have a lot of COVID-19 in Louisiana , tens of thousands of cases across the state , and as many of half of which are completely asymptomatic .
So that makes this a very difficult emergency to manage without having the natural disaster on top of it , '' Edwards said .
People should continue to wear masks , keep physical distance and wash their hands regularly , he said .
State officials say mass sheltering is typically not needed for hurricanes weaker than Category 3 .
But if mass shelters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepared to segregate by family and will have protocols in place for thermometers and personal protective equipment to reduce the spread of COVID-19 .
The governor urged residents to prepare to take cover , warning they will essentially be on their own for the first few days .
`` The first 72 hours is on you , '' Edwards said .
`` That is because the second storm comes in so close that there may not be much of a window when we can fly search-and-rescue helicopters , when we can get out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things . ''
Characterizing the storm systems as a `` one-two punch , '' the National Weather Service 's meteorologist in charge in New Orleans , Benjamin Schott , urged residents to take precautions now in advance of the high winds , storm surges and likely power outages .
`` Category 1 hurricanes still put a lot of people at risk to not only lose property but also their lives , '' Schott said .
`` Though the winds may not be the greatest threat , there will be a significant threat when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Southeast Louisiana risks a significant amount of rainfall causing flash flooding , making it dangerous for anyone who is trying to travel , Schott said .
`` There will be a continuous flow of water into areas across coastal Louisiana , which will just enhance the coastal flooding even beyond Marco 's reach and into Laura 's reach later on in the week , '' Schott said , warning that 3- to 6-foot storm surges are likely .
Marco is expected to approach Texas on Tuesday evening .
At that point , Laura @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurricane working its way toward Louisiana .
`` It may have a pretty significant wind punch , '' bringing a storm surge of 7 to 10 feet across southern Louisiana , Schott said .
Mississippi will also see a lesser storm surge , with continued coastal flooding from multiple days of wind pushing water inland .
Both hurricanes could bring at least 5 to 10 inches of rain , with some spots in Louisiana seeing as much as 2 feet of rainfall .
Both states have declared states of emergency in advance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impacts from these storms that go beyond the wind , and I think water is the one that we need to respect the most , whether it be at the coast with the surge of coastal flooding or whether it be inland with the heavy rain and flash flooding , '' Schott said .
`` All of this can destroy property and take people 's lives . ''
Edwards requested a federal emergency declaration from the White House on Saturday .
As of Sunday afternoon , that request was still `` pending at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Power companies in the state have activated their emergency response plans to prepare to restore power to customers as quickly as possible , said the Edison Electric Institute , which represents electric companies throughout the United States .
Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf evacuated platforms and rigs on Saturday in preparation for the storms .
The National Guard is pre-positioning personnel and high-water vehicles across southern Louisiana , as well as sandbags and generators , in anticipation of the storm , Edwards said , noting that 1,800 guardsmen are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support .
The state has also been in close coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency , which has positioned two aid packs , each containing thousands of emergency food packets .

Louisiana Braces For 'One-Two Punch' Of Storms As Marco And Laura Approach Shore
Updated 3:25 a.m. ET Monday
Louisiana is bracing for what officials are warning will be a "one-two punch," as two major storm systems are expected to hit the state within 48 hours of each other.
Hurricane Marco, which has been downgraded to a tropical storm, had been gaining speed and strength as it crossed through the Gulf of Mexico. It is expected to make landfall Monday. On Sunday it was declared a Category 1 hurricane.
Following close behind is Tropical Storm Laura, which forecasters say may be a Category 2 hurricane by the time it makes landfall within days.
If the two systems develop into hurricanes simultaneously, it would be the first time on record that the Gulf of Mexico has had two hurricanes at the same time, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.
As Marco approaches shore, harsh storm conditions are possible early Monday along portions of the Gulf Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Cities from Morgan City, La., to Ocean Springs, Miss., could see a storm surge of 4 to 6 feet — especially if the peak surge occurs during high tide. Sabine Pass, Texas, to Morgan City, La., could see a storm surge between 2 and 4 feet, as could the area from Ocean Springs to the Mississippi-Alabama border.
"The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline," the NHC said.
Tropical Storm Laura, which has already drenched Haiti and the Dominican Republic, is moving west-northwest at 21 mph, the NHC said. It is expected to strengthen as it approaches the Florida Keys during the next couple of days and approaches Louisiana. The storm is forecast to become a hurricane late Tuesday.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards warned that the brief window of time between the storms could lead to a dangerous situation for residents.
"The temporal proximity and the geographic proximity of these storms pose a challenge that, quite frankly, we've not seen before," Edwards said Sunday. "As a result, we don't know exactly what to expect," he said, warning it's a "very serious situation."
"These storms are not to be taken lightly, especially because there are two of them and they're going to impact so much of south Louisiana so close together," Edwards said. The governor encouraged families to be prepared to ride out the storms wherever they are on Sunday night.
Complicating matters is the coronavirus pandemic.
"We still have a lot of COVID-19 in Louisiana, tens of thousands of cases across the state, and as many of half of which are completely asymptomatic. So that makes this a very difficult emergency to manage without having the natural disaster on top of it," Edwards said. People should continue to wear masks, keep physical distance and wash their hands regularly, he said.
State officials say mass sheltering is typically not needed for hurricanes weaker than Category 3. But if mass shelters are required, officials say they are prepared to segregate by family and will have protocols in place for thermometers and personal protective equipment to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The governor urged residents to prepare to take cover, warning they will essentially be on their own for the first few days.
"The first 72 hours is on you," Edwards said. "That is because the second storm comes in so close that there may not be much of a window when we can fly search-and-rescue helicopters, when we can get out with high-water vehicles and those sorts of things."
Characterizing the storm systems as a "one-two punch," the National Weather Service's meteorologist in charge in New Orleans, Benjamin Schott, urged residents to take precautions now in advance of the high winds, storm surges and likely power outages.
"Category 1 hurricanes still put a lot of people at risk to not only lose property but also their lives," Schott said. "Though the winds may not be the greatest threat, there will be a significant threat when it comes to the rainfall."
Southeast Louisiana risks a significant amount of rainfall causing flash flooding, making it dangerous for anyone who is trying to travel, Schott said.
"There will be a continuous flow of water into areas across coastal Louisiana, which will just enhance the coastal flooding even beyond Marco's reach and into Laura's reach later on in the week," Schott said, warning that 3- to 6-foot storm surges are likely.
Marco is expected to approach Texas on Tuesday evening. At that point, Laura is expected to be a Category 2 hurricane working its way toward Louisiana.
"It may have a pretty significant wind punch," bringing a storm surge of 7 to 10 feet across southern Louisiana, Schott said.
Mississippi will also see a lesser storm surge, with continued coastal flooding from multiple days of wind pushing water inland. Both hurricanes could bring at least 5 to 10 inches of rain, with some spots in Louisiana seeing as much as 2 feet of rainfall. Both states have declared states of emergency in advance of the storms.
"There are significant impacts from these storms that go beyond the wind, and I think water is the one that we need to respect the most, whether it be at the coast with the surge of coastal flooding or whether it be inland with the heavy rain and flash flooding," Schott said. "All of this can destroy property and take people's lives."
Edwards requested a federal emergency declaration from the White House on Saturday. As of Sunday afternoon, that request was still "pending at the White House," Edwards said.
Power companies in the state have activated their emergency response plans to prepare to restore power to customers as quickly as possible, said the Edison Electric Institute, which represents electric companies throughout the United States. Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf evacuated platforms and rigs on Saturday in preparation for the storms.
The National Guard is pre-positioning personnel and high-water vehicles across southern Louisiana, as well as sandbags and generators, in anticipation of the storm, Edwards said, noting that 1,800 guardsmen are on drill duty and ready to provide support. The state has also been in close coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has positioned two aid packs, each containing thousands of emergency food packets.


npr--2020-08-24--Kellyanne Conway To Leave White House Job, Citing Family Concerns

Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway has announced that she will step down from her post at the end of the month .
Conway , whose official title is counselor to the president , is known for her tenacious defense of administration policy in frequent appearances on cable television .
She is one of President Trump 's longest-serving aides .
In a statement on Sunday , she cited a need to `` devote more time to family matters . ''
`` I will be transitioning from the White House at the end of this month , '' she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ T. Conway III , has become a relentless critic of the president , frequently placing his wife in an awkward position .
He announced on Twitter Sunday that he is withdrawing from the Lincoln Project , a group of Republicans devoted to defeating Trump in November that he helped found .
He said he is also taking `` a Twitter hiatus . ''
The news of Conway 's impending departure from the White House follows a tweet from her 15-year-old daughter , Claudia , over the weekend announcing that she was `` officially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series of tweets that followed , she said that her mother 's job had `` ruined my life '' and that she and her father `` agree on absolutely nothing , '' politically , `` we just both happen to have common sense when it comes to our current president . ''
On Sunday , the teenager clarified in a tweet that her desire for emancipation was not about her mother 's job , but `` about years of childhood trauma and abuse , '' then added : `` this is becoming way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mental health break from social media .
see y'all soon .
thank you for the love and support .
no hate to my parents please . ''
In her statement , Kellyanne Conway said her experience working at the White House had been `` heady .
It 's been humbling . ''
`` I am deeply grateful to the President for this honor , and to the First Lady , the Vice President and Mrs. Pence , my colleagues in the White House and the Administration , and the countless people who supported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that she and her husband `` disagree about plenty , '' but that the couple `` are united on what matters most : the kids . ''

Kellyanne Conway To Leave White House Job, Citing Family Concerns
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP
Updated at 8:30 a.m. ET
Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway has announced that she will step down from her post at the end of the month.
Conway, whose official title is counselor to the president, is known for her tenacious defense of administration policy in frequent appearances on cable television. She is one of President Trump's longest-serving aides.
In a statement on Sunday, she cited a need to "devote more time to family matters."
"I will be transitioning from the White House at the end of this month," she said.
Conway's husband, conservative lawyer George T. Conway III, has become a relentless critic of the president, frequently placing his wife in an awkward position. He announced on Twitter on Sunday that he is withdrawing from the Lincoln Project, a group of Republicans devoted to defeating Trump in November that he helped found. He said he is also taking "a Twitter hiatus."
So I’m withdrawing from @ProjectLincoln to devote more time to family matters. And I’ll be taking a Twitter hiatus.
Needless to say, I continue to support the Lincoln Project and its mission. Passionately. — George Conway (@gtconway3d) August 24, 2020
The news of Conway's impending departure from the White House follows a tweet from her 15-year-old daughter, Claudia, over the weekend announcing that she was "officially pushing for emancipation."
In a series of tweets that followed, she said that her mother's job had "ruined my life" and that she and her father "agree on absolutely nothing," politically.
"We just both happen to have common sense when it comes to our current president."
On Sunday, the teenager clarified in a tweet that her desire for emancipation was not about her mother's job but "about years of childhood trauma and abuse." She then added: "this is becoming way too much so i am taking a mental health break from social media. see y'all soon. thank you for the love and support. no hate to my parents please."
In her statement, Kellyanne Conway said, "It will be less drama, more mama."
Conway is one of the last remaining Trump staffers from the 2016 campaign. She was the first woman to manage a winning presidential campaign, leading Trump's effort in the final months. She began the 2016 cycle advising Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Trump's biggest primary rival.
Her time in the White House was not without controversy. Two days after the inauguration, Conway coined the term "alternative facts" during an interview on NBC's Meet The Press. She was also cited for violating the law against political activity by government employees multiple times, and the government office investigating those activities recommended her dismissal in 2019.
Aside from being a staunch defender of the president, Conway also played a central role in the administration's efforts to combat the opioid crisis.
In her statement, Conway said her experience working at the White House had been "heady. It's been humbling."
"I am deeply grateful to the President for this honor, and to the First Lady, the Vice President and Mrs. Pence, my colleagues in the White House and the Administration, and the countless people who supported me and my work."
She said that she and her husband "disagree about plenty," but that the couple "are united on what matters most: the kids."


npr--2020-08-24--5 Questions Ahead Of The Republican National Convention

After the Democrats wrapped up their glitch-free virtual convention , now it 's Republicans ' turn .
The four-day event , taking place amid the coronavirus pandemic and as tropical storm systems — yes , two — are set to hit the Gulf Coast , begins Monday morning with a roll call and official renomination of President Trump as the Republican nominee and Vice President Pence as his running mate .
While Democrats had nostalgia for what their party has accomplished and what they want the country to look like in the future , this convention will be all about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in prime time , his campaign has said ; his adult children will all make speeches ; and , in a norm-breaking move criticized by government ethics experts , Trump will deliver his acceptance speech from the White House lawn .
This convention has taken a winding road to get to this place .
It started as what was supposed to be an in-person convention in Charlotte , N.C. , but was derailed by the coronavirus .
Upset that North Carolina state leadership could n't guarantee that he could hold an in-person convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump hastily moved it to Jacksonville , Fla .
He then abandoned that plan , however , when COVID-19 cases began to spike in that state .
Democrats made a point of showing how to do a convention safely — virtually , or with masks and proper social distancing .
Will Trump 's convention do the same ?
There are so many other questions about this convention — what it will be like and what the message will be .
Here are five : 1 .
Can Trump make this election a choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are high for Trump for this convention .
There 's more pressure on him to have a better convention week than Joe Biden did because Trump is behind .
Biden leads Trump nationally by an average of 9 points in the polls .
And that 's a fairly historic margin .
Trump is just the fourth modern president with a polling deficit larger than 1 point heading into his convention , as CNN 's Harry Enten points out .
The other three were Harry Truman in 1948 , Gerald Ford in 1976 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all tightened , but both Ford and Carter lost .
Truman , who wound up winning , was down by about 10 points , but he `` did n't have an opponent who was already pulling in more than half the vote [ as Biden is ] , '' Enten writes .
More than the head-to-head match-up , Americans have consistently disapproved of the job Trump has been doing .
His approval rating stands at 42 % , according to an average of the polls aggregated by FiveThirtyEight .
That is historically low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking reelection .
As president , Trump 's highest average approval rating was 47.8 % — days after he took office — and has n't risen above 45.8 % on average since .
And apart from those first days in office , Trump has never been more positive than negative in his approval rating — in more than three years .
So Trump is at a disadvantage if this election is a referendum on his tenure as president .
It 's why he needs to make this election a choice between him and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to voters in the middle .
Unfortunately for Trump , he 's already tried a number of attacks on Biden that appear to have not stuck — from painting a Biden presidency as something that would lead to rampant crime , or Biden being a Trojan Horse for the radical left .
Will the convention get more conspiratorial about Biden 's record — or his son Hunter 's ?
Rudy Giuliani , who led the charge to dig up dirt on Biden in Ukraine , something that helped to get Trump impeached , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump reach out at all to the middle ?
In office , Trump 's policies have been primarily aimed at his base .
According to exit polling , Trump won independent voters narrowly in 2016 , but many seem to have abandoned him .
His approval rating with the group was just 32 % in the NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll earlier this month .
Trump won just 46 % of the popular vote in 2016 and eked out an Electoral College victory because of the highest share of third-party voters since 1996 .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be lower this time around .
Trump has n't polled above 46 % in an average of the polls against Biden .
Currently , he stands at 42 % .
So the math is n't complicated — Trump needs to expand the number of people saying they 'll be voting for him if he hopes to win reelection .
To mollify critics , expect to see a relatively diverse set of speakers , including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina , the only Black Republican in the Senate , and former U.S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Haley , who 's Indian American .
There will also be plenty of talk about how Trump pushed for criminal justice reform .
Alice Johnson , who 's set to speak Thursday , had her sentence commuted by Trump after she served 21 years in prison , convicted for her role in a Memphis cocaine ring .
Several identified her during trial as one of the leaders of the Memphis operation .
But Trump will hold her up as an example of his lenience on criminal justice .
Georgia Democratic state Rep. Vernon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reelection and accuses his own party of bigotry , is expected to speak Monday .
And Rep. Jeff Van Drew , a congressman from South Jersey who flipped from Democrat to Republican during Trump 's impeachment , gives remarks on Thursday .
3 .
He 's promising an upbeat convention , but what will that look like from a president who gave an inaugural speech on `` American carnage ? ''
Trump criticized the Democratic convention as dark and is promising a contrasting , uplifting message .
`` I think we 're going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be very uplifting and positive , '' Trump told Fox News .
`` That 's what I 'd like it to be . ''
That , though , stands in contrast to what Trump said just in the last few days .
`` If you want a vision of your life under a Biden presidency , '' Trump said Thursday , `` think of the smoldering ruins in Minneapolis , the violent anarchy of Portland , the bloodstained sidewalks of Chicago , and imagine the mayhem coming to your town and every single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump said , `` I 'm the only thing standing between the American Dream and total anarchy . ''
Trump 's campaign says each night will feature remarks from political leaders as well as `` everyday Americans whose stories are filled with hope and patriotism . ''
We 'll see if that delivers hope and optimism .
Trump 's rhetorical history suggests otherwise .
4 .
How much talk will there be about how to solve the coronavirus or race relations ?
For as much as Trump is running on a version @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump is president , and the crises in the country are happening on his watch .
More than 5 million Americans have come down with COVID-19 .
More than 175,000 Americans are dead because of the virus .
On many counts , the U.S. is not measuring up well against other developed nations in dealing with the pandemic .
A majority disapprove of how Trump has handled it , and two-thirds say they do n't believe what he has to say about the pandemic , according to the NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ races have also taken to the streets over the last several months to protest racism .
And , again , a majority disapprove of the job the president has done on race relations and believe he 's made tensions worse .
Expect Trump to tout progress on coronavirus treatments and vaccines , because he needs to show that things are getting better to win reelection .
On race , expect there to at least be some talk of criminal justice reform and Opportunity Zones .
But how much will those crises be emphasized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the last incumbent Republican to stand for reelection , leaned into the key issue holding him back – the Iraq War .
Bush sold the need to stay the course with a steady hand .
You 'd expect a president to do that and show how he 's making problems better .
But it 's not clear Trump can or will do that effectively .
5 .
Will Trump give a clear rationale for why he should be reelected ?
In an acceptance speech , presidents up for reelection have taken hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leaned into the struggles of the day , and outlined what they want to pursue in a second term .
`` Tonight , I will tell you where I stand , what I believe and where I will lead this country in the next four years , '' Bush said in 2004 , for example .
Bush offered a long laundry list of specific items for a second term at that year 's convention .
He also pivoted to try and turn the election into a choice by contrasting his intended policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kerry .
You can expect Trump to tout his accomplishments and attempt to warn about the dangers of going another way .
As for what Trump is promising for his second term , the campaign released an outline Sunday night — including job creation , developing a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of 2020 ( still his first term ) , cutting prescription drug prices , `` fully fund '' and hire more law enforcement officers , and `` stop endless wars . ''
It will be interesting to see how Trump tries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should give him four more years .
It 's notable that Bush , the one living Republican former president , wo n't even be on hand for this convention .
There is n't much more needed to know about just how much this has become the Trump party , rather than the Republican Party .

5 Questions Ahead Of The Republican National Convention
Enlarge this image toggle caption Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Since the Democrats wrapped up their glitch-free virtual convention, now it's Republicans' turn.
The four-day event, taking place amid the coronavirus pandemic and as tropical storm systems — yes, two — are set to hit the Gulf Coast, begins Monday morning with a roll call and official renomination of President Trump as the Republican nominee and Vice President Pence as his running mate.
While Democrats had nostalgia for what their party has accomplished and what they want the country to look like in the future, this convention will be all about Trump.
Trump will speak every night in prime time, his campaign has said. His adult children will all make speeches. And, in a norm-breaking move criticized by government ethics experts, Trump will deliver his acceptance speech from the White House lawn.
This convention has taken a winding road to get to this place. It started as what was supposed to be an in-person convention in Charlotte, N.C., but was derailed by the coronavirus. Upset that North Carolina state leadership couldn't guarantee that he could hold an in-person convention with thousands of people in attendance, Trump hastily moved it to Jacksonville, Fla. He then abandoned that plan, however, when COVID-19 cases began to spike in that state.
Democrats made a point of showing how to do a convention safely — virtually, or with masks and proper social distancing. Will Trump's convention do the same?
There are so many other questions about this convention — what it will be like and what the message will be. Here are five:
1. Can Trump make this election a choice, not a referendum?
The stakes are high for Trump for this convention. There's more pressure on him to have a better convention week than Joe Biden did because Trump is behind.
Biden leads Trump nationally by an average of 9 points in the polls. And that's a fairly historic margin. Trump is just the fourth modern president with a polling deficit larger than 1 point heading into his convention, as CNN's Harry Enten points out. The other three were Harry Truman in 1948, Gerald Ford in 1976 and Jimmy Carter in 1980. Their races all tightened, but both Ford and Carter lost. Truman, who wound up winning, was down by about 10 points, but he "didn't have an opponent who was already pulling in more than half the vote [as Biden is]," Enten writes.
More than the head-to-head matchup, Americans have consistently disapproved of the job Trump has been doing. His approval rating stands at 42%, according to an average of the polls aggregated by FiveThirtyEight. That is historically low, which is problematic for a president seeking reelection.
As president, Trump's highest average approval rating was 47.8% — days after he took office — and hasn't risen above 45.8% on average since. And apart from those first days in office, Trump has never been more positive than negative in his approval rating — in more than three years. So Trump is at a disadvantage if this election is a referendum on his tenure as president. It's why he needs to make this election a choice between him and Biden and sell Biden as unacceptable to voters in the middle.
Unfortunately for Trump, he's already tried a number of attacks on Biden that appear to have not stuck — from painting a Biden presidency as something that would lead to rampant crime, or Biden being a Trojan horse for the radical left. Will the convention get more conspiratorial about Biden's record — or his son Hunter's? Rudy Giuliani, who led the charge to dig up dirt on Biden in Ukraine, something that helped to get Trump impeached, is speaking Thursday.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images
2. Will Trump reach out at all to the middle?
In office, Trump's policies have been primarily aimed at his base. According to exit polling, Trump won independent voters narrowly in 2016, but many seem to have abandoned him. His approval rating with the group was just 32% in the NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll earlier this month.
Trump won just 46% of the popular vote in 2016 and eked out an Electoral College victory because of the highest share of third-party voters since 1996. But the share of third-party voters is expected to be lower this time around.
Trump hasn't polled above 46% in an average of the polls against Biden. Currently, he stands at 42%. So the math isn't complicated — Trump needs to expand the number of people saying they'll be voting for him if he hopes to win reelection.
To mollify critics, expect to see a relatively diverse set of speakers, including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the Senate, and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who's Indian American.
There will also be plenty of talk about how Trump pushed for criminal justice reform. Alice Johnson, who's set to speak Thursday, had her sentence commuted by Trump after she served 21 years in prison, convicted for her role in a Memphis cocaine ring. Several identified her during trial as one of the leaders of the Memphis operation. But Trump will hold her up as an example of his lenience on criminal justice.
Georgia Democratic state Rep. Vernon Jones, who isn't running for reelection and accuses his own party of bigotry, is expected to speak Monday. And Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a congressman from South Jersey who flipped from Democrat to Republican during Trump's impeachment, gives remarks on Thursday.
3. He's promising an upbeat convention, but what will that look like from a president who gave an inaugural speech on "American carnage?"
Trump criticized the Democratic convention as dark and is promising a contrasting, uplifting message.
"I think we're going to see something that is going to be very uplifting and positive," Trump told Fox News. "That's what I'd like it to be."
That, though, stands in contrast to what Trump said just in the past few days.
"If you want a vision of your life under a Biden presidency," Trump said Thursday, "think of the smoldering ruins in Minneapolis, the violent anarchy of Portland, the bloodstained sidewalks of Chicago, and imagine the mayhem coming to your town and every single town in America."
On Friday, Trump said, "I'm the only thing standing between the American Dream and total anarchy."
Trump's campaign says each night will feature remarks from political leaders as well as "everyday Americans whose stories are filled with hope and patriotism."
We'll see if that delivers hope and optimism. Trump's rhetorical history suggests otherwise.
4. How much talk will there be about how to solve the coronavirus or race relations?
For as much as Trump is running on a version of Make America Great Again, Again, Trump is president, and the crises in the country are happening on his watch.
More than 5 million Americans have come down with the coronavirus. More than 175,000 Americans are dead because of the virus. On many counts, the U.S. is not measuring up well against other developed nations in dealing with the pandemic. A majority disapprove of how Trump has handled it, and two-thirds say they don't believe what he has to say about the pandemic, according to the NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.
Tens of thousands of Americans of different races have also taken to the streets over the past several months to protest racism. And, again, a majority disapprove of the job the president has done on race relations and believe he has made tensions worse.
Expect Trump to tout progress on coronavirus treatments and vaccines, because he needs to show that things are getting better to win reelection. On race, expect there to at least be some talk of criminal justice reform and Opportunity Zones. But how much will those crises be emphasized?
In 2004, George W. Bush, the last incumbent Republican to stand for reelection, leaned into the key issue holding him back – the Iraq War. Bush sold the need to stay the course with a steady hand. You'd expect a president to do that and show how he's making problems better. But it's not clear Trump can or will do that effectively.
5. Will Trump give a clear rationale for why he should be reelected?
In an acceptance speech, presidents up for reelection have taken hold of the narrative of their first term, leaned into the struggles of the day, and outlined what they want to pursue in a second term.
"Tonight, I will tell you where I stand, what I believe and where I will lead this country in the next four years," George W. Bush said in 2004, for example.
Bush offered a long laundry list of specific items for a second term at that year's convention. He also pivoted to try and turn the election into a choice by contrasting his intended policies with those of his opponent, John Kerry.
You can expect Trump to tout his accomplishments and attempt to warn about the dangers of going another way. As for what Trump is promising for his second term, the campaign released an outline Sunday night — including job creation, developing a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of 2020 (still his first term), cutting prescription drug prices, "fully fund" and hire more law enforcement officers, and "stop endless wars." It will be interesting to see how Trump tries to crystallize the rationale for why voters should give him four more years.
It's notable that Bush, the one living Republican former president, won't even be on hand for this convention. There isn't much more needed to know about just how much this has become the Trump party, rather than the Republican Party.


npr--2020-08-24--Another COVID-19 Medical Mystery: Patients Come Off Ventilator, But Linger In A Coma

Another COVID-19 Medical Mystery : Patients Come Off Ventilator , But Linger In A Coma Leslie Cutitta said yes , twice , when clinicians from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston called asking if she wanted them to take — and then continue — extreme measures to keep her husband Frank Cutitta alive .
The first conversation , in late March , was about whether to let Frank go or to try some experimental drugs and treatments .
The second call was just a few days later .
Hospital visits were banned , so Leslie Cuttita could n't be with her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical team in person .
So she used stories to try to describe Frank 's zest for life .
`` Frank used to joke that he wanted to be frozen , like Ted Wiliams , until they could figure out what was wrong with him if he died , '' says Leslie Cutitta .
It was n't a serious end-of-life discussion , but Cutitta knew her husband would want every possible life-saving measure .
So the Cutittas hung on and a small army of ICU caregivers kept working .
On April 21 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frank 's lungs had recovered enough to remove the breathing tube .
After the removal , it typically takes hours , maybe a day , for the patient to return to consciousness .
The body needs that time to clear the drugs that keep the patient sedated and comfortable — able to tolerate intubation and mechanical ventilation .
But doctors across the U.S. and in other countries have noted a troubling phenomenon associated with some COVID-19 cases : Even after extubation , some patients remain unconscious for days , weeks or longer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem , but it 's being called a `` prolonged '' or `` persistent '' coma or unresponsiveness .
Frank Cutitta , 68 , was one of those patients .
He just did n't wake up .
`` It was a long , difficult period of not — just not knowing whether he was going to come back to the Frank we knew and loved , '' says Leslie Cutitta .
`` It was very , very tough . ''
Doctors who are studying the phenomenon of prolonged unresponsiveness are concerned that medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these COVID-19 patients to wake up , especially when ICU beds are in high demand during the pandemic .
As Frank 's unresponsive condition continued , it prompted a new conversation between the medical team and his wife about whether to continue life support .
Although he no longer needed the ventilator , he still required a feeding tube , intravenous fluids , catheters for bodily waste and some oxygen support .
Leslie Cutitta recalls a doctor asking her : '' If it looks like Frank 's not going to return mentally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to a dialysis machine for the rest of his life in a long-term care facility , is that something that you and he could live with ? ''
Leslie Cutitta struggled to imagine the restricted life Frank might face .
Every day , sometimes several times a day , she would ask Frank 's doctors for more information : What 's going on inside his brain ?
Why is this happening ?
When might something change ?
Their candid and consistent answer was : We do n't know .
`` Because this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are so many unanswered questions about COVID-19 , we currently do not have reliable tools to predict how long it will take any individual patient to recover consciousness , '' says Dr. Brian Edlow , a critical care neurologist at Mass General .
Given all the unknowns , doctors at the hospital have had a hard time advising families when a patient has remained unresponsive for weeks , post-ventilator .
Some families in that situation have decided to remove other life supports so the patient can die .
Edlow ca n't say how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for us to determine whether any given patient 's future will bring a quality of life that would be acceptable to them , '' Edlow says , `` based on what they 've told their families or written in a prior directive . ''
There are lots of theories about why COVID-19 patients may take longer to regain consciousness than other ventilated patients , if they wake up at all .
COVID-19 patients appear to need larger doses of sedatives while on a ventilator , and they 're often intubated for longer periods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diseases that cause pneumonia .
Low oxygen levels , due to the virus 's effect on lungs , may damage the brain .
Some of these patients have inflammation related to COVID-19 that may disrupt signals in the brain , and some experience blood clots that have caused strokes .
`` So there are many potential contributing factors , '' Edlow says .
`` The degree to which each of those factors is playing a role in any given patient is still something we 're trying to understand . ''
One of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many COVID patients end up in this prolonged , sleep-like condition after coming off the ventilator .
`` In our experience , approximately every fifth patient that was hospitalized was admitted to the ICU and had some degree of disorders of consciousness , '' says Dr. Jan Claassen , the director of neurocritical care at New York 's Columbia University Medical Center .
`` But how many of those actually took a long time to wake up , we do n't have numbers on that yet . ''
An international research group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center expects to have in September some initial numbers on COVID-19 brain impacts , including the problem of persistent comas .
Some COVID-19 patients who do eventually regain consciousness still have cognitive difficulties .
To try to get a handle on this problem at Columbia , Claassen and colleagues created a `` coma board , '' a group of specialists that meets weekly .
Claassen published a study in 2019 that found that 15 % of unresponsive patients showed brain activity in response to verbal commands .
A case reported by Edlow in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a coma and minimal consciousness for several weeks and was eventually able to follow verbal commands .
This spring , as Edlow observed dozens of Mass General COVID-19 patients linger in this unresponsive state , he joined Claassen and other colleagues from Cornell 's Weill Medical College to form a research consortium .
The researchers are sharing their data to determine the cause of prolonged coma in COVID-19 patients , find treatments and better predict which patients might eventually recover , given enough time and treatment .
The global research effort has grown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 45 countries .
Prolonged or persistent comas are just one area of research , but one that is getting a lot of attention .
Dr. Sherry Chou , a neurologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center , is leading the international effort .
Chou says families want to know `` whether a patient can wake up and be themselves . ''
Answering that question `` depends on how accurate we are at predicting the future , and we know we 're not very accurate right now . ''
A CT scan of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from blood clots but was otherwise `` clean . ''
`` From what they could tell , there was no brain damage , '' Leslie Cutitta says .
And then on May 4 , after two weeks with no signs that Frank would wake up , he blinked .
Leslie and her two daughters watched on FaceTime , making requests such as `` Smile , Daddy '' and `` Hold your thumb up ! ''
`` At least we knew he was in there somewhere , '' she says .
It was another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cutittas got to hear his voice .
`` We 'd all be pressing the phone to our ears , trying to catch every word , '' Leslie Cutitta recalls .
`` He did n't have a lot of them at that point , but it was just amazing , absolutely amazing . ''
Frank Cutitta spent a month at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital .
He 's back home now , in a Boston suburb , doing physical therapy to strengthen his arms and legs .
He says he slurs words occasionally but has no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ICU , Cutitta 's nurses would play recorded messages from his family , as well as some of his favorite music from the Beach Boys and Pavarotti .
Frank Cutitta says he believes the flow of these inspiring sounds helped maintain his cognitive function .
The Cutittas say they feel incredibly lucky .
Leslie Cutitta says one doctor told the family that during the worst of the pandemic in New York City , most patients in Frank 's condition died because hospitals could n't devote so much time and resources to one patient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else in the country but here , he would have not made it , '' Leslie Cutitta says .
`` That 's a conversation I will never forget having , because I was stunned . ''
Frank Cutitta credits the Mass General doctors and nurses , saying they became his advocates .
It `` could have gone the other way , '' he says , if clinicians had decided , `` look , this guy 's just way too sick , and we 've got other patients who need this equipment .
Or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'throw the kitchen sink at him , ' '' Frank says , `` And we happened to have the latter . ''
Many hospitals use 72 hours , or 3 days , as the period for patients with a traumatic brain injury to regain consciousness before advising an end to life support .
But as COVID-19 patients fill ICUs across the country , it 's not clear how long hospital staff will wait beyond that point for those patients who do not wake up after a ventilator tube is removed .
Joseph Giacino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he 's worried hospitals are using that 72-hour model now with COVID-19 patients , who may need more time .
Even before the coronavirus pandemic , some neurologists were questioning that model .
In 2018 the American Academy of Neurology updated its guidelines for treating prolonged `` disorders of consciousness , '' noting that some situations may require more time and assessment .
Some patients , like Frank Cutitta , do not appear to have any brain damage .
Whatever caused his extended period of unconsciousness cleared .
Unless a patient has previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment , `` we need to really go slow , '' says Giacino , `` because we are not at a point where we have prognostic indicators that approach the level of certainty that is necessary before making a decision that we should stop treatment because there is no chance of meaningful recovery . ''
Doctors interviewed for this story urged everyone to tell their loved ones what you expect a `` meaningful recovery '' to include .
If confronted with this situation , family members should ask doctors about their levels of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical ethicists are also urging clinicians not to rush when it comes to decisions about how quickly COVID-19 patients may return to consciousness .
`` A significant number of patients are going to have a prolonged recovery from the comatose state that they 're in , '' says Dr. Joseph Fins , chief of medical ethics at Weill Cornell Medical College .
`` This is a time for prudence because what we do n't know can hurt us and can hurt patients . ''
`` This disease is nothing to be trifled with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's a devastating experience . ''
Frank Cutitta worries about all of the patients still suffering with COVID-19 and those who have survived but have lasting damage .
`` I 'm not considering myself one of those , '' he says , `` but there are many , many people who would rather be dead than left with what they have after this . ''

Another COVID-19 Medical Mystery: Patients Come Off Ventilator But Linger In A Coma
Enlarge this image toggle caption Go Nakamura/Getty Images Go Nakamura/Getty Images
Leslie Cutitta said yes, twice, when clinicians from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston called asking whether she wanted them to take — and then continue — extreme measures to keep her husband, Frank Cutitta, alive.
The first conversation, in late March, was about whether to let Frank go or to try some experimental drugs and treatments. The second call was just a few days later. Hospital visits were banned, so Leslie Cutitta couldn't be with her husband or discuss his wishes with the medical team in person. So she used stories to try to describe Frank's zest for life.
"Frank used to joke that he wanted to be frozen, like Ted Williams, until they could figure out what was wrong with him if he died," says Leslie Cutitta. It wasn't a serious end-of-life discussion, but Cutitta knew her husband would want every possible life-saving measure.
So the Cutittas hung on and a small army of ICU caregivers kept working. On April 21, after 27 days on a ventilator, Frank's lungs had recovered enough to remove the breathing tube.
After the removal, it typically takes hours, maybe a day, for the patient to return to consciousness. The body needs that time to clear the drugs that keep the patient sedated and comfortable — able to tolerate intubation and mechanical ventilation. But doctors across the U.S. and in other countries have noted a troubling phenomenon associated with some COVID-19 cases: Even after extubation, some patients remain unconscious for days, weeks or longer. There's no official term for the problem, but it's being called a "prolonged" or "persistent" coma or unresponsiveness.
Frank Cutitta, 68, was one of those patients. He just didn't wake up.
"It was a long, difficult period of not — just not knowing whether he was going to come back to the Frank we knew and loved," says Leslie Cutitta. "It was very, very tough."
Doctors who are studying the phenomenon of prolonged unresponsiveness are concerned that medical teams are not waiting long enough for these COVID-19 patients to wake up, especially when ICU beds are in high demand during the pandemic.
As Frank's unresponsive condition continued, it prompted a new conversation between the medical team and his wife about whether to continue life support. Although he no longer needed the ventilator, he still required a feeding tube, intravenous fluids, catheters for bodily waste and some oxygen support.
Leslie Cutitta recalls a doctor asking her: "If it looks like Frank's not going to return mentally, and he's going to be hooked up to a dialysis machine for the rest of his life in a long-term care facility, is that something that you and he could live with?"
Leslie Cutitta struggled to imagine the restricted life Frank might face. Every day, sometimes several times a day, she would ask Frank's doctors for more information: What's going on inside his brain? Why is this happening? When might something change?
Their candid and consistent answer was: We don't know.
"Because this disease is so new and because there are so many unanswered questions about COVID-19, we currently do not have reliable tools to predict how long it will take any individual patient to recover consciousness," says Dr. Brian Edlow, a critical care neurologist at Mass General.
Given all the unknowns, doctors at the hospital have had a hard time advising families when a patient has remained unresponsive for weeks, post-ventilator. Some families in that situation have decided to remove other life supports so the patient can die. Edlow can't say how many.
"It is very difficult for us to determine whether any given patient's future will bring a quality of life that would be acceptable to them," Edlow says, "based on what they've told their families or written in a prior directive."
There are lots of theories about why COVID-19 patients may take longer to regain consciousness than other ventilated patients, if they wake up at all. COVID-19 patients appear to need larger doses of sedatives while on a ventilator, and they're often intubated for longer periods of time than is typical for other diseases that cause pneumonia. Low oxygen levels, due to the virus's effect on lungs, may damage the brain. Some of these patients have inflammation related to COVID-19 that may disrupt signals in the brain, and some experience blood clots that have caused strokes.
"So there are many potential contributing factors," Edlow says. "The degree to which each of those factors is playing a role in any given patient is still something we're trying to understand."
One of the first questions researchers hope to answer is how many COVID-19 patients end up in this prolonged, sleeplike condition after coming off the ventilator.
"In our experience, approximately every fifth patient that was hospitalized was admitted to the ICU and had some degree of disorders of consciousness," says Dr. Jan Claassen, the director of neurocritical care at New York's Columbia University Medical Center. "But how many of those actually took a long time to wake up, we don't have numbers on that yet."
An international research group based at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center expects to have in September some initial numbers on COVID-19 brain impacts, including the problem of persistent comas. Some COVID-19 patients who do eventually regain consciousness still have cognitive difficulties.
To try to get a handle on this problem at Columbia, Claassen and colleagues created a "coma board," a group of specialists that meets weekly. Claassen published a study in 2019 that found that 15% of unresponsive patients showed brain activity in response to verbal commands. A case reported by Edlow in July described a patient who moved between a coma and minimal consciousness for several weeks and was eventually able to follow verbal commands.
This spring, as Edlow observed dozens of Mass General COVID-19 patients linger in this unresponsive state, he joined Claassen and other colleagues from Cornell's Weill Medical College to form a research consortium. The researchers are sharing their data to determine the cause of prolonged coma in COVID-19 patients, find treatments and better predict which patients might eventually recover, given enough time and treatment.
The global research effort has grown to include more than 222 sites in 45 countries. Prolonged or persistent comas are just one area of research, but one that is getting a lot of attention.
Dr. Sherry Chou, a neurologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, is leading the international effort.
Chou says families want to know "whether a patient can wake up and be themselves." Answering that question "depends on how accurate we are at predicting the future, and we know we're not very accurate right now."
A CT scan of Frank Cutitta's brain showed some residue from blood clots but was otherwise "clean."
"From what they could tell, there was no brain damage," Leslie Cutitta says.
And then on May 4, after two weeks with no signs that Frank would wake up, he blinked. Leslie and her two daughters watched on FaceTime, making requests such as "Smile, Daddy" and "Hold your thumb up!"
"At least we knew he was in there somewhere," she says.
It was another week before Frank could speak and the Cutittas got to hear his voice.
"We'd all be pressing the phone to our ears, trying to catch every word," Leslie Cutitta recalls. "He didn't have a lot of them at that point, but it was just amazing, absolutely amazing."
toggle caption Jesse Costa/WBUR
Frank Cutitta spent a month at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. He's back home now, in a Boston suburb, doing physical therapy to strengthen his arms and legs. He says he slurs words occasionally but has no other cognitive problems.
While he was in the ICU, Cutitta's nurses played recorded messages from his family, as well as some of his favorite music from the Beach Boys and Pavarotti. Frank Cutitta says he believes the flow of these inspiring sounds helped maintain his cognitive function.
The Cutittas say they feel incredibly lucky. Leslie Cutitta says one doctor told the family that during the worst of the pandemic in New York City, most patients in Frank's condition died because hospitals couldn't devote so much time and resources to one patient.
"If Frank had been anywhere else in the country but here, he would have not made it," Leslie Cutitta says. "That's a conversation I will never forget having, because I was stunned."
Frank Cutitta credits the Mass General doctors and nurses, saying they became his advocates.
It "could have gone the other way," he says, if clinicians had decided "look, this guy's just way too sick, and we've got other patients who need this equipment. Or we have an advocate who says, 'throw the kitchen sink at him,'" Frank says. "And we happened to have the latter."
Many hospitals use 72 hours, or three days, as the period for patients with a traumatic brain injury to regain consciousness before advising an end to life support. As COVID-19 patients fill ICUs across the country, it's not clear how long hospital staff will wait beyond that point for those patients who do not wake up after a ventilator tube is removed.
Joseph Giacino directs neuropsychology at Spaulding and says he's worried hospitals are using that 72-hour model with COVID-19 patients who may need more time. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, some neurologists were questioning that model. In 2018 the American Academy of Neurology updated its guidelines for treating prolonged "disorders of consciousness," noting that some situations may require more time and assessment.
Some patients, like Frank Cutitta, do not appear to have any brain damage. Whatever caused his extended period of unconsciousness cleared.
Unless a patient has previously specified that she does not want aggressive treatment, "we need to really go slow," says Giacino, "because we are not at a point where we have prognostic indicators that approach the level of certainty that is necessary before making a decision that we should stop treatment because there is no chance of meaningful recovery."
Doctors interviewed for this story urged everyone to tell their loved ones what you expect a "meaningful recovery" to include. If confronted with this situation, family members should ask doctors about their levels of certainty for each possible outcome.
Some medical ethicists are also urging clinicians not to rush when it comes to decisions about how quickly COVID-19 patients may return to consciousness.
"A significant number of patients are going to have a prolonged recovery from the comatose state that they're in," says Dr. Joseph Fins, chief of medical ethics at Weill Cornell Medical College. "This is a time for prudence because what we don't know can hurt us and can hurt patients."
Leslie and Frank Cutitta have a final request: Wear a mask.
"This disease is nothing to be trifled with," Leslie Cutitta says. "It's a devastating experience."
Frank Cutitta worries about all of the patients still suffering with COVID-19 and those who have survived but have lasting damage.
"I'm not considering myself one of those," he says, "but there are many, many people who would rather be dead than left with what they have after this."


npr--2020-08-24--Wisconsin Police Shooting Leaves Black Man In 'Serious Condition'

Updated at 3:43 a.m .
ET A Black man was in serious condition after being shot several times by a police officer responding to a domestic situation in Kenosha , Wis. , on Sunday .
The shooting , caught on video , quickly sparked outrage .
City police said the person was in serious condition and being treated at a hospital .
Local media identified the man as 29-year-old Jacob Blake .
The shooting happened as officers were responding to a `` domestic incident , '' just after 5 p.m. , the Kenosha Police Department said in a media release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Milwaukee area hospital following the shooting , police said .
Officers `` provided immediate aid to the person , '' the statement said .
The department says the incident is being turned over to the criminal investigation division of the state 's Department of Justice .
Gov .
Tony Evers issued a statement Sunday night naming the man .
`` Tonight , Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times , in broad daylight , in Kenosha , Wisconsin , '' he said .
`` While we do not have all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country , '' he said .
`` We stand with all those who have and continue to demand justice , equity , and accountability for Black lives in our country—lives like those of George Floyd , of Breonna Taylor , Tony Robinson , Dontre Hamilton , Ernest Lacy , and Sylville Smith .
And we stand against excessive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engaging with Black Wisconsinites , '' Evers said .
Kenosha News reports that several witnesses said the man had tried to break up a fight between the two women and that police had attempted to use a Taser on on him prior to the shooting .
A graphic video of the shooting that appears to capture the incident was posted to social media and has since gone viral .
In it , three officers are seen following a man to a car and drawing their weapons .
Just as the man enters the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one officer grabs his shirt and then fires his weapon .
Seven shots can be heard .
Following the incident , concern and anger erupted online and livestreamed videos posted to Facebook and Twitter showed crowds swarming the streets in protest .
Kenosha police have declared a state of emergency curfew until 7 a.m. Monday .
Hundreds of people demonstrators took to the streets in Kenosha — some throwing rocks and bricks and at least one gasoline bomb , according to the Journal-Times of Racine .
The newspaper also posted video via social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knocked down by a brick .
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that by about 10:15 p.m. , some 100 people had gathered outside the Kenosha County Public Safety Building , chanting `` no justice , no peace . ''
Other videos on social media , many graphic , showed multiple fires burning and police firing tear gas .
This is a developing story .
We will continue to update as new information becomes available .

Wisconsin Deploys National Guard After Shooting Of Black Man Sparks Protests
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA Today/Via Reuters Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA Today/Via Reuters
Updated at 5:43 p.m. ET
The Wisconsin National Guard has been deployed to Kenosha, Wis., after a Black man was shot several times at close range in the back during an encounter with police over the weekend.
The shooting was caught on video that has since gone viral on social media, sparking outrage.
Gov. Tony Evers said the guard troops would support local law enforcement officials but added it would not be an extended deployment, according to a Monday afternoon statement.
"Every person should be able to express their anger and frustration by exercising their First Amendment rights and report on these calls to action without any fear of being unsafe," Evers said.
"This is a limited mobilization of the National Guard focused on supporting the needs of local first responders to protect critical infrastructure, such as utilities and fire stations, and to ensure Kenoshians are able to assemble safely."
The governor did not give a time frame for how long the guardsmen would remain in the city.
Protesters took to the streets Sunday evening into the early hours of Monday in Kenosha, roughly 40 miles south of Milwaukee. In the video, a man identified as Jacob Blake is seen being shot multiple times as he leaned inside a vehicle.
He was taken to a Milwaukee hospital. Officials said he was in serious condition.
Wisconsin state officials are investigating the shooting and could have findings completed within 30 days.
Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, issued a statement Monday that included the word "Enough" in white letters set against a black background.
He described Blake as "yet another Black American [who] is a victim of excessive force."
"These shots pierce the soul of our nation," Biden said. "Equal justice has not been real for Black Americans and so many others. We are at an inflection point. We must dismantle systemic racism. It is the urgent task before us."
"Don't you do it!"
Officers were responding to a reported domestic incident when the officer-involved shooting took place shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday, according to the Kenosha Police Department.
In a roughly 20-second graphic video posted on social media, a Black man can be seen wearing a white shirt and black shorts. He and officers are standing next to a gray SUV.
The video, which appears to have been recorded from a nearby building across the street, shows the man walking around the front of the vehicle toward the driver's side door, where he opens the door.
Trailing him are two officers, both with their guns drawn.
Screams can be heard from bystanders. It is unclear what was said between the man and the officers before he walked away from them.
"Don't you do it!" one bystander can be heard yelling repeatedly.
One of the officers trailing the man grabs his shirt with his left hand in what appears to be an attempt to pull him away from the vehicle. The officer's service weapon, in his right hand, is pointed inches from the man's back.
As soon as the man leans inside, the officer appears to shoot, and seven shots ring out.
Moments later, sounds of the vehicle's horn can be heard, presumably from the man falling into it. A woman can be seen jumping up and down before another officer pushes her away.
Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who said he has been retained by Blake's family, also tweeted Sunday that the man's children were inside the vehicle when officers shot him.
"Confirmed: Jacob Blake's 3 SONS were IN THE CAR he was getting into when @KenoshaPolice shot him tonight. They saw a cop shoot their father. They will be traumatized forever. We cannot let officers violate their duty to PROTECT us. Our kids deserve better. #JusticeForJacobBlake"
People at the scene following the shooting said Blake was trying to break up a fight between two women, according to the Kenosha News.
The police department provided few details about what led to the shooting but said the shooting victim was given immediate aid before being airlifted to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee.
Demonstrators take to streets
Several hours after the shooting, large crowds remained in the streets. According to The Journal Times of Racine, rocks, bricks and at least one Molotov cocktail were thrown.
The newspaper posted video on social media that appears to show an officer being knocked down by a brick. The paper noted a police vehicle was damaged and later towed away and that tear gas was reportedly used to disperse crowds gathered outside the police station.
Protesters gathered outside the Kenosha County Public Safety Building, chanting, "No justice, no peace," in video posted by Mike De Sisti of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Reporter Meg Jones of the Journal Sentinel posted video of vehicles on fire near the county courthouse.
Kenosha County officials said the county courthouse and administration building would remain closed Monday because of damage sustained from the unrest. "Court hearings will not be held today, but other county services will remain available online or by phone," the county said shortly after a countywide 7 a.m. curfew expired.
Reaction to the shooting
"Tonight, Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight, in Kenosha, Wisconsin," Evers, the governor, tweeted Sunday. "Kathy and I join his family, friends, and neighbors in hoping earnestly that he will not succumb to his injuries."
The shooting of the Blake comes nearly three months after another Black man, George Floyd, was killed during an encounter with four Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day.
Like this latest shooting, the Floyd encounter was caught on video and shared widely on social media. It touched off national protests calling for an end to systemic racism and police brutality.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Morry Gash/AP Morry Gash/AP
Another unarmed black man shot... And whether it’s insufficient training, conscious/unconscious bias or flat out racism, THIS HAS TO STOP! #JusticeForJacobBlake #WeAreDoneDying pic.twitter.com/vVsD1ALWsQ — Derrick Johnson (@DerrickNAACP) August 24, 2020
Both of Wisconsin's U.S. senators weighed in on the shooting, too.
Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican, said he supports an investigation into the shooting.
"While emotions are understandably running high in the Kenosha community and elsewhere, I urge any demonstrators to remain peaceful and give our justice system the opportunity to work," Johnson said in a tweet.
His Democratic counterpart, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, said the video was "terrifying to watch. "
"As we pray for Jacob Blake to live, let peaceful protests lead the way to the answers we seek, and justice," Baldwin said in a statement.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice has announced that it is investigating the shooting and is being assisted by the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department. It added that the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave and are cooperating with investigators.


npr--2020-08-24--New Hurdle For Major Alaska Gold Mine After Donald Trump Jr. Tweets Opposition

New Hurdle For Major Alaska Gold Mine After Donald Trump Jr. Tweets Opposition After a pressure campaign by people with President Trump 's ear , the Army Corps of Engineers says a proposed open-pit gold mine upstream from Alaska 's most valuable salmon fishery ca n't proceed as the developers hoped .
It 's not an outright veto of the mine , but some of the groups fighting the project say the years-long battle is as good as won .
Until now , the Pebble Mine seemed on track to get its federal permit as early as this fall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Native organizations .
They say the mine is an existential threat to the way of life in Bristol Bay , where the economy and the culture revolve around commercial and subsistence salmon fishing .
This part of southwest Alaska is also renowned for expensive sport-fishing lodges .
Mine supporters say the project would bring year-round jobs to an area that badly needs them and provide minerals the nation needs .
The Pebble Partnership has run ads to highlight a conclusion the Corps of Engineers reached this summer : that the mine would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bay 's salmon population or fishery .
But shortly after that conclusion several influential Republicans spoke out publicly against the mine .
They include the president 's son Donald Trump Jr. , who took his son on a fishing trip to Bristol Bay and has the Facebook photos to prove it .
`` As a sportsman who has spent plenty of time in the area I agree 100 % , '' Trump Jr. wrote on Twitter on Aug. 4 in response to an anti-Pebble tweet from another Trump administration insider , Nick Ayers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the surrounding fishery are too unique and fragile to take any chances with .
# PebbleMine . ''
Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris then aired his argument against the mine on Tucker Carlson 's Fox News show .
The president said he 'd `` listen to both sides . ''
`` I 've done a lot for Alaska .
I love Alaska .
It 's a special place , '' Trump said at a press conference Aug. 5 .
It 's not clear the campaign had an impact on the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in doubt .
While the Army Corps has not outright killed the mine proposal , it may have set conditions that are impossible to meet .
The issue is `` mitigation , '' a feature of the Clean Water Act that says if you want to build a project that damages wetlands or streams , you must offset that damage with improvements , ideally in the same place that 's harmed .
The mine and its transportation corridor would damage nearly 200 miles of streams and thousands of acres of wetlands .
Pebble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mitigation , to improve village sewage systems and replace culverts in Dillingham , the largest community on Bristol Bay .
The Corps now says that wo n't do .
In a letter dated Aug. 20 but released Monday , the agency mandated mitigation for `` all direct and indirect impact '' within the Koktuli River Watershed .
Pebble , owned by a Canadian firm called Northern Dynasty , insists this wo n't put an end to the project .
CEO Tom Collier says he expects to submit a mitigation plan in a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a brave face , says attorney Joel Reynolds , Western director for the Natural Resources Defense Council .
He says the Corps is asking for the impossible , because the Koktuli watershed has no damage on the scale that Pebble wants to inflict , so there 's nothing for the company to mitigate .
`` It 's a perfectly functioning pristine , natural ecosystem , '' Reynolds said .
`` It 's an incubator for trillions of salmon over thousands of years , and the notion that Northern Dynasty has anything to offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
There 's been heated debate over Pebble Mine for years .
The Obama administration aimed to block it .
Other mine opponents say they wo n't rest easy until they see a rejection of the permit .
They want the Environmental Protection Agency to exercise the veto power it has under the Clean Water Act .
As long as Pebble is still trying to dig a mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay , they say , their fight continues .

New Hurdle For Major Alaska Gold Mine After Donald Trump Jr. Tweets Opposition
Enlarge this image toggle caption Via Facebook Via Facebook
Updated at 9:42 p.m. ET
After a pressure campaign by people with President Trump's ear, the Army Corps of Engineers says a proposed open-pit gold mine upstream from Alaska's most valuable salmon fishery can't proceed as the developers hoped. It's not an outright veto of the mine, but some of the groups fighting the project say the years-long battle is as good as won.
Until now, the Pebble Mine seemed on track to get its federal permit as early as this fall, to the alarm of fishermen and Alaska Native organizations.
They say the mine is an existential threat to the way of life in Bristol Bay, where the economy and the culture revolve around commercial and subsistence salmon fishing. This part of southwest Alaska is also renowned for expensive sport-fishing lodges.
Mine supporters say the project would bring year-round jobs to an area that badly needs them and provide minerals the nation needs. The Pebble Partnership has run ads to highlight a conclusion the Corps of Engineers reached this summer: that the mine would have "no measurable impact" on Bristol Bay's salmon population or fishery.
But shortly after that conclusion several influential Republicans spoke out publicly against the mine. They include the president's son Donald Trump Jr., who took his son on a fishing trip to Bristol Bay and has the Facebook photos to prove it.
"As a sportsman who has spent plenty of time in the area I agree 100%," Trump Jr. wrote on Twitter on Aug. 4 in response to an anti-Pebble tweet from another Trump administration insider, Nick Ayers. "The headwaters of Bristol Bay and the surrounding fishery are too unique and fragile to take any chances with. #PebbleMine."
Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris then aired his argument against the mine on Tucker Carlson's Fox News show.
The president said he'd "listen to both sides."
"I've done a lot for Alaska. I love Alaska. It's a special place," Trump said at a press conference Aug. 5.
It's not clear the campaign had an impact on the president, but Pebble's success is suddenly in doubt.
Alaska's U.S. senators issued a statement praising the Corps' decision. They said the administration has determined Pebble had not met the high standards required, and the senators spoke of it with finality.
"I agree that a permit should not be issued," Sen. Lisa Murkowski said in the written statement.
And Sen. Dan Sullivan's remarks were much the same: "I support this conclusion ... that a federal permit cannot be issued."
While the Army Corps has not outright killed the mine proposal, it may have set conditions that are impossible to meet.
The issue is "mitigation," a feature of the Clean Water Act that says if you want to build a project that damages wetlands or streams, you must offset that damage with improvements, ideally in the same place that's harmed.
The mine and its transportation corridor would damage nearly 200 miles of streams and thousands of acres of wetlands. Pebble had planned to go farther afield for mitigation, to improve village sewage systems and replace culverts in Dillingham, the largest community on Bristol Bay.
The Corps now says that won't do.
In a letter dated Aug. 20 but released Monday, the agency mandated mitigation for "all direct and indirect impact" within the Koktuli River Watershed.
Pebble, owned by a Canadian firm called Northern Dynasty, insists this isn't the end of the line for the project. CEO Tom Collier says he expects to submit a mitigation plan in a few weeks.
Collier is just putting on a brave face, says attorney Joel Reynolds, Western director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. He says the Corps is asking for the impossible, because the Koktuli watershed has no damage on the scale that Pebble wants to inflict, so there's nothing for the company to mitigate.
"It's a perfectly functioning pristine, natural ecosystem," Reynolds said. "It's an incubator for trillions of salmon over thousands of years, and the notion that Northern Dynasty has anything to offer it in terms of improvement is ridiculous."
There's been heated debate over Pebble Mine for years. The Obama administration aimed to block it.
Other mine opponents say they won't rest easy until they see a rejection of the permit. They want the Environmental Protection Agency to exercise the veto power it has under the Clean Water Act. As long as Pebble is still trying to dig a mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay, they say, their fight continues.


npr--2020-08-24--Falwell Denies Reports Of His Resignation From Liberty University

Falwell Denies Reports Of His Resignation From Liberty University Jerry Falwell Jr. , a leading evangelical ally of President Trump 's and son of the founder of one of the nation 's largest and most well-known Christian universities , has officially resigned as president of Liberty University after a series of controversies , a university source confirms to NPR .
Falwell has not responded to NPR , but in an interview with the website Virginia Business , he contradicted the university official .
He told the publication the reports , published by multiple news outlets , including NPR , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes on the heels of an investigation by Reuters on Monday in which Falwell 's former business partner , Giancarlo Granda , claimed he had a multiyear sexual relationship with Falwell 's wife , Becki , which involved Falwell looking on while the pair engaged in sex acts .
That report was published a day after Falwell released a statement to the Washington Examiner in which he claimed that he had suffered emotional distress over his wife 's affair with his business partner .
Falwell described it as a `` fatal attraction '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-profile couple financially .
Falwell has been at the center of multiple controversies in recent years , including questionable business dealings , accusations of racial insensitivity , complaints about his management style and allegations of other behavior considered inappropriate for the leader of a conservative religious institution .
Previous reporting by news outlets , including BuzzFeed , has described a complicated business entanglement and close friendship between the Falwells and Granda .
The couple met Granda in Miami several years ago while he was in his early 20s , working as a pool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The BuzzFeed report also claimed that Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen – who has since been convicted of federal campaign violations and of lying to Congress – helped arrange Falwell 's endorsement of Trump .
Separately , Reuters has reported that Cohen helped the Falwells arrange to keep private a set of potentially embarrassing photographs .
Falwell agreed to an indefinite leave of absence on Aug. 7 after he posted a vacation photo to Instagram that showed him with his pants unzipped and his arm around a woman who is not his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In an interview with a local radio station , he said the photo was taken `` in good fun '' at a costume party and the woman , his wife 's assistant , could not zip her pants because she is pregnant .
Liberty , whose campus is in Lynchburg , Va. , was founded by Falwell 's late father , the Rev .
Jerry Falwell Sr .
The conservative Christian university holds its students to a strict moral code , which includes prohibitions on sex outside of marriage and same-sex relationships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some Liberty students , have objected to Jerry Falwell Jr. 's vocal support for the president since early on in the 2016 Republican primary .
Falwell 's endorsement was seen as an important step toward helping Trump coalesce support from this important Republican voting bloc .
In an interview with NPR in 2017 , Falwell was asked for his thoughts about Trump 's moral character .
Falwell said evangelical Christian theology is about recognizing that everyone is a sinner in need of forgiveness .
`` You ca n't go by who 's sinned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all have , '' Falwell said .
`` The ones that you think are so perfect and sinless – it 's just you do n't know about it .
They 're all just as bad .
We all are .
And that 's the bottom line . ''

Liberty University Doubles Down After Falwell Denies Reports Of His Resignation
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images
Updated at 11:03 p.m. ET
Officials at Liberty University, one of the nation's largest and most well-known Christian universities, are doubling down after Jerry Falwell Jr. denied reports he'd agreed to step down as president following allegations of sexual behavior at odds with the school's honor code.
A statement released late Monday evening by Liberty's spokesman Scott Lamb said that "matters came to light that made it clear that it would not be in the best interest of the University for him to return from leave and serve as President." Falwell had been on an indefinite leave of absence from the university since earlier this month, after he posted a controversial vacation photo to social media.
The statement said that Falwell initially had agreed to resign immediately as Liberty's president, but then "instructed his attorneys to not tender the letter for immediate resignation." It said board members plan to meet Tuesday morning to discuss the matter.
In a text message to NPR late Monday, Falwell said only that things were "still up in the air."
The latest breech between Falwell and the university founded by his father, the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, comes on the heels of an investigation published by Reuters in which Falwell's former business partner, Giancarlo Granda, claimed he had a multiyear sexual relationship with Falwell's wife, Becki, which involved Falwell looking on while the pair engaged in sex acts.
That report was published a day after Falwell released a statement to the Washington Examiner in which he claimed that he had suffered emotional distress over his wife's affair with his business partner. Falwell described it as a "fatal attraction" situation that included attempts to extort the high-profile couple financially.
Falwell has been at the center of multiple controversies in recent years, including questionable business dealings, accusations of racial insensitivity, complaints about his management style and allegations of other behavior considered inappropriate for the leader of a conservative religious institution.
Previous reporting by news outlets, including BuzzFeed, has described a complicated business entanglement and close friendship between the Falwells and Granda. The couple met Granda in Miami several years ago while he was in his early 20s, working as a pool attendant, according to the reports. The BuzzFeed report also claimed that Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen – who has since been convicted of federal campaign violations and of lying to Congress – helped arrange Falwell's endorsement of Trump. Separately, Reuters has reported that Cohen helped the Falwells arrange to keep private a set of potentially embarrassing photographs.
Falwell agreed to the indefinite leave of absence on Aug. 7 after he posted a photo to Instagram that showed him with his pants unzipped and his arm around a woman who is not his wife, whose pants also were unzipped. In an interview with a local radio station, he said the photo was taken "in good fun" at a costume party and the woman, his wife's assistant, could not zip her pants because she is pregnant.
Liberty, whose campus is in Lynchburg, Va., holds its students to a strict moral code, which includes prohibitions on sex outside of marriage and same-sex relationships.
Some evangelical Christians critical of Trump, including some Liberty students, have objected to Falwell Jr.'s vocal support for the president since early on in the 2016 Republican primary. His endorsement was seen as an important step toward helping Trump coalesce support from this important Republican voting bloc.
In an interview with NPR in 2017, Falwell was asked for his thoughts about Trump's moral character. Falwell said evangelical Christian theology is about recognizing that everyone is a sinner in need of forgiveness.
"You can't go by who's sinned and who hasn't, because we all have," Falwell said. "The ones that you think are so perfect and sinless – it's just you don't know about it. They're all just as bad. We all are. And that's the bottom line."


npr--2020-08-24--HHS Chief Alex Azar Defends Authorization Of Plasma To Treat COVID-19

The Food and Drug Administration has given the green light to expand the use of blood plasma in treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients .
The emergency use authorization announced Sunday involves convalescent plasma — taking antibodies from the blood of people who have recovered from COVID-19 .
That plasma is then given to patients currently sick in hopes that the antibodies will help fight off the disease .
It 's unclear how effective the treatment is ( more background on that here ) .
The announcement Sunday came after President Trump accused the FDA and `` deep state '' of stalling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The FDA says its decisions are based on science , not politics .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar talked with NPR 's Ari Shapiro on All Things Considered about the authorization .
The FDA is an agency within HHS .
Here are excerpts : Let me ask whether you believe , as the president asserts , that the `` deep state , or whoever , over at the FDA '' is intentionally delaying access to vaccines and therapeutics until after the election .
Well , what the president is getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rid of any unnecessary bureaucratic red tape , that we recognize that this is an unprecedented pandemic , that people are suffering , that lives are at risk and is insisting that we move as quickly as possible .
But at the same time , we also are ensuring that the FDA will hold therapeutics and vaccines to the data , evidence , scientific and regulatory standards that they have to ensure that products are meeting the safety and efficacy standards that are set .
Accusing the FDA of intentionally delaying this because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a little bit different .
And I just want to know if you support that assertion .
I 'm not going to get into that .
What we have is really a historic achievement here , a historic milestone , which is authorizing convalescent plasma for emergency use .
Plasma has been around for 118 years and its use : It was used in the 1918 flu it 's used for SARS , for MERS .
But thanks to President Trump 's leadership , we actually have generated data and evidence here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And what the data showed was that in individuals under the age of 80 who were not on mechanical respiration and who were administered higher-titer doses within the first three days of hospitalization , a statistically significant impact .
Now we 're going to keep studying plasma in randomized controlled clinical trials against placebo as we keep generating data .
But 70,000 individuals were administered convalescent plasma , some of whom had no antibodies in the titer or low titers of antibodies , some who had high .
And the they saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that supports the emergency use authorization here .
I do want to ask you , though , about the timeline , because it 's striking that the National Institutes of Health last week expressed concern about the limited evidence of the effectiveness and asked the FDA to delay the approval .
Then the day after the tweet from the president , the FDA issued this emergency use authorization .
Does the president risk undercutting public trust in treatments and vaccines when he makes these accusations of politicization and then the FDA immediately changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are not accurate .
The NIH would , of course , like to see randomized controlled clinical trials against placebo .
And those are ongoing .
But working together , we analyzed a significant data set coming out of the 70,000 patients who 've had the convalescent plasma .
The authorization coming from that analysis was already on track as of the end of the week .
The rollout materials were being prepared and the authorization was coming out on Sunday already .
Listen to the full interview at the audio link @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Becky Sullivan produced and edited the audio interview .

HHS Chief Alex Azar Defends Authorization Of Plasma To Treat COVID-19
Enlarge this image toggle caption Pete Marovich/Getty Images Pete Marovich/Getty Images
The Food and Drug Administration has given the green light to expand the use of blood plasma in treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
The emergency use authorization announced Sunday involves convalescent plasma — taking antibodies from the blood of people who have recovered from COVID-19. That plasma is then given to patients currently sick in hopes that the antibodies will help fight off the disease.
It's unclear how effective the treatment is (more background on that here).
The announcement Sunday came after President Trump accused the FDA and "deep state" of stalling the authorization to hurt his reelection chances. The FDA says its decisions are based on science, not politics.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar talked with NPR's Ari Shapiro on All Things Considered about the authorization. The FDA is an agency within HHS. Here are excerpts:
Let me ask whether you believe, as the president asserts, that the "deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA" is intentionally delaying access to vaccines and therapeutics until after the election.
Well, what the president is getting at is his demand that we get rid of any unnecessary bureaucratic red tape, that we recognize that this is an unprecedented pandemic, that people are suffering, that lives are at risk and is insisting that we move as quickly as possible. But at the same time, we also are ensuring that the FDA will hold therapeutics and vaccines to the data, evidence, scientific and regulatory standards that they have to ensure that products are meeting the safety and efficacy standards that are set.
Accusing the FDA of intentionally delaying this because of political motivations until after the election is a little bit different. And I just want to know if you support that assertion.
I'm not going to get into that. What we have is really a historic achievement here, a historic milestone, which is authorizing convalescent plasma for emergency use. Plasma has been around for 118 years and its use: It was used in the 1918 flu it's used for SARS, for MERS.
But thanks to President Trump's leadership, we actually have generated data and evidence here to support authorizing it for emergency use. And what the data showed was that in individuals under the age of 80 who were not on mechanical respiration and who were administered higher-titer doses within the first three days of hospitalization, a statistically significant impact. Now we're going to keep studying plasma in randomized controlled clinical trials against placebo as we keep generating data.
But 70,000 individuals were administered convalescent plasma, some of whom had no antibodies in the titer or low titers of antibodies, some who had high. And the they saw through the analysis a clear dose response that supports the emergency use authorization here.
I do want to ask you, though, about the timeline, because it's striking that the National Institutes of Health last week expressed concern about the limited evidence of the effectiveness and asked the FDA to delay the approval. Then the day after the tweet from the president, the FDA issued this emergency use authorization. Does the president risk undercutting public trust in treatments and vaccines when he makes these accusations of politicization and then the FDA immediately changes course?
First, the factual premises there are not accurate. The NIH would, of course, like to see randomized controlled clinical trials against placebo. And those are ongoing. But working together, we analyzed a significant data set coming out of the 70,000 patients who've had the convalescent plasma. The authorization coming from that analysis was already on track as of the end of the week. The rollout materials were being prepared and the authorization was coming out on Sunday already.
Listen to the full interview at the audio link above.
NPR's Jonaki Mehta and Becky Sullivan produced and edited the audio interview.


npr--2020-08-24--53 Coronavirus Cases Reportedly Linked To Maine Wedding Reception

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases linked to a wedding reception earlier this month in Maine continues to rise .
At least 53 people have been infected with the virus , officials with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported over the weekend , according to the Portland Press Herald .
The paper notes that state health investigators have traced both `` secondary and tertiary transmission of the virus . ''
In other words , the virus has spread beyond the people who were at the Aug. 7 wedding reception in Millinocket Lake , located roughly 190 miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city of Portland .
A Maine CDC spokesperson told the Press Herald that of the 53 cases linked to the wedding reception this month , 13 were secondary and 10 were tertiary .
The paper also says that those affected range in age from 4 to 98 years old .
`` A woman who did not attend the reception died on Friday after contracting COVID-19 from a person who did attend the event , health authorities said .
They did not identify her , nor the guest she came into contact with , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC did n't immediately respond to NPR 's request for comment .
Nearly half the 65 people who attended the reception held at the Big Moose Inn tested positive for the virus , Maine Public Radio reports .
Of those 32 cases thought to be linked to the wedding celebration , seven of them were in children under the age of 18 , MPR reports .
The station reports the state has issued an imminent health hazard citation to the venue for violating Democratic Gov .
Janet Mills ' executive order capping the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 50 .
A state official told MPR that operators of the Big Moose Inn have agreed to comply with the citation .
There is no immediate financial penalty associated with the violation , but there could be a penalty if officials find more evidence of noncompliance , the member station reported .
The Maine CDC first announced it was investigating the COVID-19 outbreak on Aug. 17 , when the number of confirmed cases associated with the reception stood at 24 .
To date , Maine has had 3,910 confirmed cases of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data .

53 Coronavirus Cases Reportedly Linked To Maine Wedding Reception
Enlarge this image toggle caption Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases linked to a wedding reception earlier this month in Maine continues to rise.
At least 53 people have been infected with the virus, officials with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported over the weekend, according to the Portland Press Herald.
The paper notes that state health investigators have traced both "secondary and tertiary transmission of the virus."
In other words, the virus has spread beyond the people who were at the Aug. 7 wedding reception in Millinocket Lake, located roughly 190 miles northeast of the state's most populous city of Portland.
A Maine CDC spokesperson told the Press Herald that of the 53 cases linked to the wedding reception this month, 13 were secondary and 10 were tertiary. The paper also says that those affected range in age from 4 to 98 years old.
"A woman who did not attend the reception died on Friday after contracting COVID-19 from a person who did attend the event, health authorities said. They did not identify her, nor the guest she came into contact with," the paper reports. The Maine CDC didn't immediately respond to NPR's request for comment.
Nearly half the 65 people who attended the reception held at the Big Moose Inn tested positive for the virus, Maine Public Radio reports. Of those 32 cases thought to be linked to the wedding celebration, seven of them were in children under the age of 18, MPR reports.
The station reports the state has issued an imminent health hazard citation to the venue for violating Democratic Gov. Janet Mills' executive order capping the number of people attending an indoor gathering at 50.
A state official told MPR that operators of the Big Moose Inn have agreed to comply with the citation. There is no immediate financial penalty associated with the violation, but there could be a penalty if officials find more evidence of noncompliance, the member station reported.
The Maine CDC first announced it was investigating the COVID-19 outbreak on Aug. 17, when the number of confirmed cases associated with the reception stood at 24.
To date, Maine has had 3,910 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 131 deaths, according to state data.