npr--2020-08-05--Wanted: Young People To Work The Polls This November

Wanted : Young People To Work The Polls This November Susan Weiss has been a poll worker in Bethesda , Md.
, for 16 years .
`` It 's really quite an experience doing it , '' she says .
`` Setting up all the equipment , putting signs up , putting arrows on the floor , etc .
The camaraderie of the group that volunteers is marvelous . ''
But this year , with the coronavirus pandemic raging , Weiss , who 's 74 , decided it 's just too risky to work the election in November .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I felt this is just a duty that we should have , you know ?
So not doing it , it makes me sad , '' she says .
`` And I feel a little selfish about it because there are people that are really putting themselves out there during this pandemic and I marvel at that , I marvel at our first responders .
But should I get the virus , I 'm quite concerned over my being able to survive it . ''
Instead , her grandson , Max Weiss , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the polls .
He 's a law student at William & Mary and helped form the Alliance of Students at the Polls , which is building a national network of law students to serve as workers .
`` The reason we thought law students are in a good position to lead this [ effort ] is that we can bridge the gap to understanding regulations and obstacles that are going to get in the way of volunteering at the polls and understand the obstacles that free and fair elections face in 2020 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work into something that 's focused on civics — not politics — is refreshing .
`` I 've always had the energy to go out and campaign , '' he says .
`` But this is the nonpartisan , basic democracy-saving stuff , which is people going out and volunteering so that other people can vote . ''
Most poll workers are over 60 Weiss ' group is just one effort to find new poll workers for the general election .
In an unusual partnership , entities including Comedy Central , the Fair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Levi Strauss & Co. are recruiting poll workers .
`` It really does speak to the level of concern that all of these folks who normally are n't on the same side of things see the need to come together and solve this big problem , '' says Scott Duncombe , who 's heading a new initiative called Power the Polls .
Through digital marketing , Power the Polls aims to recruit 250,000 new poll workers on behalf of its partner organizations , most of which fall under Civic Alliance , a nonpartisan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraging its members to provide paid time off for employees who elect to staff poll locations .
According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission , 58 % of poll workers in the 2018 general election were over 60 , an age that is linked to a higher risk for complications with COVID-19 .
A shortage of election workers plagued some early primary states , and election experts fear a massive shortage for the general election .
`` We 're talking about enormous numbers of poll workers who are not going to feel comfortable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the primary , being in the polling places in the midst of a pandemic when they have concerns about their health , '' says Bob Brandon , president of the Fair Elections Center .
Brandon says even in normal times , convincing people to sign up to staff the polls can be challenging .
It 's usually a 12-hour-plus day , with minimal pay and a fair amount of stress .
Add in all the health concerns a pandemic brings , and it 's even harder to attract new workers .
And although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dramatically this fall , Brandon says robust , in-person voting remains essential .
`` If you have a disability that requires you to be on an accessible machine to vote , you need to be there in person , '' he says .
`` If you 're in a community that has terrible mail service , which many poor communities complain of , that 's an important need .
Many people in the African American community have a distrust of anything different than taking a ballot and putting it into a machine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they 've encountered . ''
Brandon adds , `` We ca n't allow the lack of poll workers to mean there 'll be a lack of opportunities for people to vote in person , which will only lead to longer lines and other problems that ultimately mean fewer people vote . ''
The Fair Elections Center had been working to recruit new poll workers even before the pandemic hit , with a database designed to simplify the process of becoming a poll worker .
The site , which provides its data to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find their jurisdiction easily and provides them with specialized information on training requirements , work hours and pay , and directs them to the jurisdiction 's application .
`` [ Staffing the polls was ] one of those things that just kind of worked , '' Power the Polls ' Duncombe says .
`` When jurisdictions needed poll workers , they 'd ask their local League of Women Voters and they 'd get retirees .
And it just kind of worked until this dang pandemic blew up the assumption that you ca n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So we 've got to kind of learn this whole new way . ''
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose , a Republican , has been trying to drum up interest among younger people , who are less susceptible to COVID-19 's worst outcomes , and have the added benefit of being more tech-savvy .
He has a simple pitch : `` Help us defend democracy .
When you show up at your neighborhood polling location , somebody 's going to be there behind the table to greet you , to check your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That does n't happen by magic . ''
The primary season saw scores of poll workers drop out for fear of contracting the virus , which led to the shutting down of poll locations in places such as Wisconsin and long lines in Georgia .
`` My heart goes out to them , but our friends in Milwaukee had a last-minute need to do a massive consolidation of polling locations just because they did n't have enough poll workers , '' LaRose says .
`` We ca n't have that last-minute consolidation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here in Ohio .
If there 's going to be a need to reduce the number of polling locations , we need to know about that early so that voters can be notified . ''
He 's working with businesses to give their employees time off to serve as poll workers , encouraging attorneys to work in exchange for continuing legal education credit and even targeting 17-year-olds .
Last year , LaRose started a program where county boards of elections bring real voting machines to high schools for different kinds of elections : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Let the students come in and out of the cafeteria and cast their ballots on real voting machines , get them registered to vote , '' he says .
`` What we found is these students walk out and say , 'Well , that was easy . '
And then we tell them , 'In a few months you can vote for president of the United States , not just class president . '
And they find that exciting .
In many cases , we 've been able to recruit quite a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Maybe the silver lining of this whole pandemic experience is that we recruit a whole new generation of poll workers . ''
That generation now includes Rocío Hernandez , a 24-year-old in suburban Chicago .
She signed up through Power the Polls to work Illinois ' primary in March .
She intends to return in November despite her worries over the coronavirus .
`` There is fear in that , '' she admits .
`` But I also recognize that I 'm fortunate that I have very good health .
When I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places that have already had primaries and have had shortages and they 've had to consolidate polling locations , that 's the consequence of not having enough poll workers .
And I do n't want to see that happen in my community . ''
Hernandez is bilingual and says being a poll worker allows her to help make members of her community feel more welcome at the polls .
`` I think about my own parents .
They speak English , but sometimes they 're not necessarily the most secure in their English @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think there really is something special about being able to go to the polls and talk to somebody who speaks your own language and get your questions answered in your own language .
I think that 's a special opportunity that younger poll workers can really bring to the table . ''
Susan Weiss , the longtime Bethesda poll worker , says she hopes more young people will step up to take the mantle , like her grandson .
`` I am a person who has always given back , '' she says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knows that 's how I live , so I 'm proud that he gets it , and I wish more people would get it . ''

Wanted: Young People To Work The Polls This November
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Minchillo/AP John Minchillo/AP
Susan Weiss has been a poll worker in Bethesda, Md., for 16 years.
"It's really quite an experience doing it," she says. "Setting up all the equipment, putting signs up, putting arrows on the floor, etc. The camaraderie of the group that volunteers is marvelous."
But this year, with the coronavirus pandemic raging, Weiss, who's 74, decided it's just too risky to work the election in November.
"I'm a very patriotic person. I felt this is just a duty that we should have, you know? So not doing it, it makes me sad," she says. "And I feel a little selfish about it because there are people that are really putting themselves out there during this pandemic and I marvel at that, I marvel at our first responders. But should I get the virus, I'm quite concerned over my being able to survive it."
Instead, her grandson, Max Weiss, is going to take her place at the polls.
He's a law student at William & Mary and helped form the Alliance of Students at the Polls, which is building a national network of law students to serve as workers.
"The reason we thought law students are in a good position to lead this [effort] is that we can bridge the gap to understanding regulations and obstacles that are going to get in the way of volunteering at the polls and understand the obstacles that free and fair elections face in 2020," he says.
Weiss says putting work into something that's focused on civics — not politics — is refreshing.
"I've always had the energy to go out and campaign," he says. "But this is the nonpartisan, basic democracy-saving stuff, which is people going out and volunteering so that other people can vote."
Most poll workers are over 60
Weiss' group is just one effort to find new poll workers for the general election.
In an unusual partnership, entities including Comedy Central, the Fair Elections Center, Patagonia, Uber and Levi Strauss & Co. are recruiting poll workers.
"It really does speak to the level of concern that all of these folks who normally aren't on the same side of things see the need to come together and solve this big problem," says Scott Duncombe, who's heading a new initiative called Power the Polls.
Through digital marketing, Power the Polls aims to recruit 250,000 new poll workers on behalf of its partner organizations, most of which fall under Civic Alliance, a nonpartisan coalition of businesses. Civic Alliance is encouraging its members to provide paid time off for employees who elect to staff poll locations.
According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 58% of poll workers in the 2018 general election were over 60, an age that is linked to a higher risk for complications with COVID-19.
A shortage of election workers plagued some early primary states, and election experts fear a massive shortage for the general election.
"We're talking about enormous numbers of poll workers who are not going to feel comfortable, and already have shown it in the primary, being in the polling places in the midst of a pandemic when they have concerns about their health," says Bob Brandon, president of the Fair Elections Center.
Brandon says even in normal times, convincing people to sign up to staff the polls can be challenging. It's usually a 12-hour-plus day, with minimal pay and a fair amount of stress. Add in all the health concerns a pandemic brings, and it's even harder to attract new workers.
And although voting by mail is expected to increase dramatically this fall, Brandon says robust, in-person voting remains essential.
"If you have a disability that requires you to be on an accessible machine to vote, you need to be there in person," he says. "If you're in a community that has terrible mail service, which many poor communities complain of, that's an important need. Many people in the African American community have a distrust of anything different than taking a ballot and putting it into a machine, because of the history of voter suppression that they've encountered."
Brandon adds, "We can't allow the lack of poll workers to mean there'll be a lack of opportunities for people to vote in person, which will only lead to longer lines and other problems that ultimately mean fewer people vote."
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Sharp/AP David Sharp/AP
The Fair Elections Center had been working to recruit new poll workers even before the pandemic hit, with a database designed to simplify the process of becoming a poll worker. The site, which provides its data to Power the Polls, allows users to find their jurisdiction easily and provides them with specialized information on training requirements, work hours and pay, and directs them to the jurisdiction's application.
"[Staffing the polls was] one of those things that just kind of worked," Power the Polls' Duncombe says. "When jurisdictions needed poll workers, they'd ask their local League of Women Voters and they'd get retirees. And it just kind of worked until this dang pandemic blew up the assumption that you [can] have retirees work on the election. So we've got to kind of learn this whole new way."
Maybe there's a pandemic "silver lining"
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, has been trying to drum up interest among younger people, who are less susceptible to COVID-19's worst outcomes, and have the added benefit of being more tech-savvy.
He has a simple pitch: "Help us defend democracy. When you show up at your neighborhood polling location, somebody's going to be there behind the table to greet you, to check your ID, to hand you your ballot. That doesn't happen by magic."
The primary season saw scores of poll workers drop out for fear of contracting the virus, which led to the shutting down of poll locations in places such as Wisconsin and long lines in Georgia.
"My heart goes out to them, but our friends in Milwaukee had a last-minute need to do a massive consolidation of polling locations just because they didn't have enough poll workers," LaRose says. "We can't have that last-minute consolidation of polling locations type of thing occur here in Ohio. If there's going to be a need to reduce the number of polling locations, we need to know about that early so that voters can be notified."
He's working with businesses to give their employees time off to serve as poll workers, encouraging attorneys to work in exchange for continuing legal education credit and even targeting 17-year-olds.
Last year, LaRose started a program where county boards of elections bring real voting machines to high schools for different kinds of elections: class presidents and homecoming queens.
"Let the students come in and out of the cafeteria and cast their ballots on real voting machines, get them registered to vote," he says. "What we found is these students walk out and say, 'Well, that was easy.' And then we tell them, 'In a few months you can vote for president of the United States, not just class president.' And they find that exciting. In many cases, we've been able to recruit quite a few poll workers."
He adds: "Maybe the silver lining of this whole pandemic experience is that we recruit a whole new generation of poll workers."
''Special opportunity''
That generation now includes Rocío Hernandez, a 24-year-old in suburban Chicago. She signed up through Power the Polls to work Illinois' primary in March.
She intends to return in November despite her worries over the coronavirus.
"There is fear in that," she admits. "But I also recognize that I'm fortunate that I have very good health. When I look at the news and I see places that have already had primaries and have had shortages and they've had to consolidate polling locations, that's the consequence of not having enough poll workers. And I don't want to see that happen in my community."
Hernandez is bilingual and says being a poll worker allows her to help make members of her community feel more welcome at the polls.
"I think about my own parents. They speak English, but sometimes they're not necessarily the most secure in their English," she says. "I think there really is something special about being able to go to the polls and talk to somebody who speaks your own language and get your questions answered in your own language. I think that's a special opportunity that younger poll workers can really bring to the table."
Susan Weiss, the longtime Bethesda poll worker, says she hopes more young people will step up to take the mantle, like her grandson.
"I am a person who has always given back," she says, "and I think Max ... knows that's how I live, so I'm proud that he gets it, and I wish more people would get it."


npr--2020-08-05--A Sister Explores Her Sibling's Mysterious Death In 'The Book Of Atlantis Black'

A Sister Explores Her Sibling 's Mysterious Death In 'The Book Of Atlantis Black' Betsy Bonner 's The Book of Atlantis Black : The Search for a Sister Gone Missing is a haunting , heartbreaking , frustrating read .
A mixture of biography and true crime , this narrative explores the death of Bonner 's sister under mysterious circumstances in a hotel in Mexico — and offers more plot twists , shocking revelations and shady characters than most contemporary thrillers .
Betsy and her sister , Nancy , who later changed her name to Atlantis , grew up under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and suicidal , manic-depressive mother .
They were close as kids and remained so through the years despite different educations , relationships and careers that pulled them to various cities and countries .
While Betsy gravitated toward teaching and writing , Atlantis became a singer-songwriter who cut an album and was poised to succeed .
But their differences did n't stop there .
While Betsy struggled but ultimately managed to find her place in the world , Atlantis ' discontent and the trauma of surviving abuse led her to various suicide attempts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Atlantis would face trouble with the law after the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested her on various drug charges .
Things got dark after she was released and found herself broke and desperate .
Whatever happened then ended when she was found dead on the floor of a Tijuana , Mexico , hotel room .
Bonner 's voice is strong — her pain , research and need for answers the three constants that drive the book .
But Atlantis occupies the core of everything .
Betsy Bonner is the storyteller , but Atlantis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the victim , sometimes the perpetrator and always the question .
Bonner presents her sister with love , but also with brutal honesty .
Atlantis was a bright woman with a talent for making meaningful music who was also a lesbian , a friend to people Bonner did n't know , depressed , hooked on pills and suicidal .
Atlantis was often in trouble , and Bonner knew why : `` It was because she was born first and had been kicked around more than I was by our father .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was because she was mentally ill. '' While some of these things help explain her troubles , none of them help explain her death .
Much like a hidden object game , the case of Atlantis Black reveals more and more details the longer you look at it .
Her death was ruled a suicide and the case was closed , but there are many loose ends .
For starters , the police reports state that the body found in the hotel does n't match the person in the ID found with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in Atlantis ' life who had muddy connections with her and dealt with weapons and drugs .
And then there is the Atlantis persona , what she posted on social media .
For example , the book features many bizarre Facebook posts : `` Atlantis is obsessing over the loaded .45 that 's under the bed where she sleeps that she just learned how to use yesterday . ''
Social media and email enrich and complicate the narrative .
Atlantis wrote about her fears and plans in emails to multiple people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her email after she was found .
Unknown individuals , coded messages and even a creepy `` final Will and Testament '' were found .
`` Each new message seemed to bring to light another shady person in my sister 's life , '' claims Bonner .
What they did n't bring , ever , were answers .
The Book of Atlantis Black is gripping and works on two levels .
On the surface , there is the story of two sisters drifting away from each other and then coming back together .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an abusive father who dies of cancer and a mother whose struggles with mental illness ended in suicide .
Then there are the true crime elements : petty criminals , police reports , strange men who vanished , Atlantis ' online life and communications with various men after she posted companionship ads , video surveillance showing a couple whom Atlantis is clearly not half of perpetrating some of the crimes she was charged with , and even the fact that she had dated the DEA agent who arrested her .
Taken together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answers , and each adds a layer to the mystery of Atlantis ' death .
The Book of Atlantis Black addresses abuse and mental illness within the frame of a suicide that could have been an assisted suicide or a murder .
It is a book that denies readers the satisfaction of closure , of a final answer and an explanation .
Instead , this true crime and memoir hybrid takes us into the heart and mind of Bonner , the one who was left behind , and through her we experience the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustration of looking for answers even when the person we try to understand was as mysterious as the fabled land of Atlantis .
Gabino Iglesias is an author , book reviewer and professor living in Austin , Texas .
Find him on Twitter : @ Gabino_Iglesias .

A Sister Explores Her Sibling's Mysterious Death In 'The Book Of Atlantis Black'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tin House Books Tin House Books
Betsy Bonner's The Book of Atlantis Black: The Search for a Sister Gone Missing is a haunting, heartbreaking, frustrating read.
A mixture of biography and true crime, this narrative explores the death of Bonner's sister under mysterious circumstances in a hotel in Mexico — and offers more plot twists, shocking revelations and shady characters than most contemporary thrillers.
Betsy and her sister, Nancy, who later changed her name to Atlantis, grew up under the strict tutelage of their conservative Catholic father and suicidal, manic-depressive mother. They were close as kids and remained so through the years despite different educations, relationships and careers that pulled them to various cities and countries. While Betsy gravitated toward teaching and writing, Atlantis became a singer-songwriter who cut an album and was poised to succeed.
But their differences didn't stop there. While Betsy struggled but ultimately managed to find her place in the world, Atlantis' discontent and the trauma of surviving abuse led her to various suicide attempts and a battle with prescription drugs. Eventually, Atlantis would face trouble with the law after the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested her on various drug charges. Things got dark after she was released and found herself broke and desperate. Whatever happened then ended when she was found dead on the floor of a Tijuana, Mexico, hotel room.
Bonner's voice is strong — her pain, research and need for answers the three constants that drive the book. But Atlantis occupies the core of everything. Betsy Bonner is the storyteller, but Atlantis Black is the story, the mystery, the victim, sometimes the perpetrator and always the question. Bonner presents her sister with love, but also with brutal honesty. Atlantis was a bright woman with a talent for making meaningful music who was also a lesbian, a friend to people Bonner didn't know, depressed, hooked on pills and suicidal.
Atlantis was often in trouble, and Bonner knew why: "It was because she was born first and had been kicked around more than I was by our father. It was because she'd been molested. It was because she was mentally ill." While some of these things help explain her troubles, none of them help explain her death.
Much like a hidden object game, the case of Atlantis Black reveals more and more details the longer you look at it. Her death was ruled a suicide and the case was closed, but there are many loose ends. For starters, the police reports state that the body found in the hotel doesn't match the person in the ID found with the body. There were also many people in Atlantis' life who had muddy connections with her and dealt with weapons and drugs. And then there is the Atlantis persona, what she posted on social media. For example, the book features many bizarre Facebook posts: "Atlantis is obsessing over the loaded .45 that's under the bed where she sleeps that she just learned how to use yesterday."
Social media and email enrich and complicate the narrative. Atlantis wrote about her fears and plans in emails to multiple people. Bonner knew her password and went through her email after she was found. Unknown individuals, coded messages and even a creepy "final Will and Testament" were found. "Each new message seemed to bring to light another shady person in my sister's life," claims Bonner. What they didn't bring, ever, were answers.
The Book of Atlantis Black is gripping and works on two levels. On the surface, there is the story of two sisters drifting away from each other and then coming back together. It is a story of siblings dealing with an abusive father who dies of cancer and a mother whose struggles with mental illness ended in suicide. Then there are the true crime elements: petty criminals, police reports, strange men who vanished, Atlantis' online life and communications with various men after she posted companionship ads, video surveillance showing a couple whom Atlantis is clearly not half of perpetrating some of the crimes she was charged with, and even the fact that she had dated the DEA agent who arrested her. Taken together, these things offer more questions than answers, and each adds a layer to the mystery of Atlantis' death.
The Book of Atlantis Black addresses abuse and mental illness within the frame of a suicide that could have been an assisted suicide or a murder. It is a book that denies readers the satisfaction of closure, of a final answer and an explanation. Instead, this true crime and memoir hybrid takes us into the heart and mind of Bonner, the one who was left behind, and through her we experience the pain of not knowing — and the frustration of looking for answers even when the person we try to understand was as mysterious as the fabled land of Atlantis.
Gabino Iglesias is an author, book reviewer and professor living in Austin, Texas. Find him on Twitter: @Gabino_Iglesias.


npr--2020-08-05--Progressive Activist Cori Bush Ousts Longtime Missouri Rep. Lacy Clay

Updated at 8:41 a.m .
ET Cori Bush , a nurse and Black Lives Matter activist , has ousted longtime Missouri U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay in a Democratic primary , according to The Associated Press .
It 's the latest example of a progressive challenger topping a long-tenured Democratic incumbent .
`` It is historic that this year , of all years , we 're sending a Black , working-class single mother , who has been fighting for Black lives since Ferguson , all the way to the halls of Congress , '' she said in her victory speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has represented the state 's 1st Congressional District , around St. Louis , since 2001 .
He succeeded his father in representing the district .
The younger Clay topped Bush by 20 percentage points in the 2018 primary , but Bush 's profile has risen since then , partly because of a documentary that also profiled New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
Bush raised $ 562,309 for this year 's primary challenge — not too far behind the $ 740,525 Clay raised .
Bush was endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Ocasio-Cortez ; and Jamaal Bowman , who dispatched with longtime New York Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel earlier this summer .
Clay 's backers , including fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus , maintain he 's `` no moderate Democrat , '' citing , for instance , his support of `` Medicare for All . ''
`` This is a huge upset and another groundbreaking win for our movement against a corporate-backed political dynasty , '' Alexandra Rojas , executive director of Justice Democrats , said in a statement late Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's likely Bush will win November 's general election .
In 2018 , Clay topped a Republican challenger by 63 percentage points .
If elected , Bush would become the state 's first Black woman in Congress , according to St. Louis Public Radio .

Progressive Activist Cori Bush Ousts Longtime Missouri Rep. Lacy Clay
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images
Updated at 8:41 a.m. ET
Cori Bush, a nurse and Black Lives Matter activist, has ousted longtime Missouri U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay in a Democratic primary, according to The Associated Press.
It's the latest example of a progressive challenger topping a long-tenured Democratic incumbent.
"It is historic that this year, of all years, we're sending a Black, working-class single mother, who has been fighting for Black lives since Ferguson, all the way to the halls of Congress," she said in her victory speech.
Clay, who's also Black, has represented the state's 1st Congressional District, around St. Louis, since 2001. He succeeded his father in representing the district.
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The younger Clay topped Bush by 20 percentage points in the 2018 primary, but Bush's profile has risen since then, partly because of a documentary that also profiled New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Bush raised $562,309 for this year's primary challenge — not too far behind the $740,525 Clay raised.
Bush was endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders; Justice Democrats, a group closely aligned with Ocasio-Cortez; and Jamaal Bowman, who dispatched with longtime New York Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel earlier this summer.
Clay's backers, including fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus, maintain he's "no moderate Democrat," citing, for instance, his support of "Medicare for All."
"This is a huge upset and another groundbreaking win for our movement against a corporate-backed political dynasty," Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats, said in a statement late Tuesday.
The district is very liberal, so it's likely Bush will win November's general election. In 2018, Clay topped a Republican challenger by 63 percentage points.
If elected, Bush would become the state's first Black woman in Congress, according to St. Louis Public Radio.


npr--2020-08-04--Stranded Mariners Rescued From Island In Micronesia, Thanks To 'SOS' Etched In Sand

Stranded Mariners Rescued From Island In Micronesia , Thanks To 'SOS ' Etched In Sand Three stranded mariners were rescued from a remote island in Micronesia on Monday after search crews spotted their `` SOS '' message written in the sand .
The three-person crew of a skiff had not been heard from since July 29 , and were reported missing on July 31 .
The mariners were reportedly sailing a 23 nautical-mile journey from Pulawat to Pulap atolls in the Federated States of Micronesia , in the western Pacific , when they sailed off course and ran out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ located the castaways on the beach of Pikelot Island on Aug. 1 , according to the U.S. Coast Guard .
`` We were toward the end of our search pattern , we turned to avoid some rain showers and that 's when we looked down and saw an island , so we decide to check it out and that 's when we saw S.O.S and a boat right next to it on the beach , '' said Lt. Col. Jason Palmeira-Yen , an Air Force pilot .
`` SOS '' is internationally recognized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responders moved quickly to answer it .
Palmeira-Yen said he called in the crew of Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Canberra , because they had two nearby helicopters that could land on the island .
The responding agencies decided to limit exposure to one another and the mariners due to COVID-19 , the Coast Guard said .
A helicopter crew from HMAS Canberra located the mariners , checked for major injuries and delivered them food and water , the Australian Department of Defence said .
Authorities said the men were in good condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a radio and told them the FSS Independence was on its way .
On Monday , the crew of the Independence picked up the stranded mariners to take them back to their home on Pulap , Chuuk .
Capt .
Christopher Chase , commander of Coast Guard Sector Guam , said the rescue depended on cooperation .
`` Through coordination with multiple response organizations , we were able to save three members of our community and bring them back home to their families , '' he said .

Stranded Mariners Rescued From Island In Micronesia, Thanks To 'SOS' Etched In Sand
Enlarge this image toggle caption HOGP/AP HOGP/AP
Three stranded mariners were rescued from a remote island in Micronesia on Monday after search crews spotted their "SOS" message written in the sand.
The three-person crew of a skiff had not been heard from since July 29, and were reported missing on July 31. The mariners were reportedly sailing a 23 nautical-mile journey from Pulawat to Pulap atolls in the Federated States of Micronesia, in the western Pacific, when they sailed off course and ran out of fuel.
Australian and U.S. military aircraft located the castaways on the beach of Pikelot Island on Aug. 1, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
"We were toward the end of our search pattern, we turned to avoid some rain showers and that's when we looked down and saw an island, so we decide to check it out and that's when we saw S.O.S and a boat right next to it on the beach," said Lt. Col. Jason Palmeira-Yen, an Air Force pilot.
"SOS" is internationally recognized as a call for help, and responders moved quickly to answer it.
Palmeira-Yen said he called in the crew of Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Canberra, because they had two nearby helicopters that could land on the island.
The responding agencies decided to limit exposure to one another and the mariners due to COVID-19, the Coast Guard said.
A helicopter crew from HMAS Canberra located the mariners, checked for major injuries and delivered them food and water, the Australian Department of Defence said. Authorities said the men were in good condition.
The U.S. Coast Guard dropped them a radio and told them the FSS Independence was on its way.
On Monday, the crew of the Independence picked up the stranded mariners to take them back to their home on Pulap, Chuuk.
Capt. Christopher Chase, commander of Coast Guard Sector Guam, said the rescue depended on cooperation. "Through coordination with multiple response organizations, we were able to save three members of our community and bring them back home to their families," he said.


npr--2020-08-04--Conservative Kris Kobach Loses Kansas GOP Senate Primary

Kansas Rep. Roger Marshall has defeated former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach in the Republican Senate primary , according to The Associated Press , calming Republicans ' worst fears about putting a seat in a deep red state in play this fall with the Senate majority contested .
Marshall was the favored candidate of many party leaders to take on Democratic state Sen. Barbara Bollier in November — in what some strategists believe may still be a competitive general election .
Marshall and Bollier , a former Republican and retired anesthesiologist , will compete for the seat currently held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is retiring .
Kobach lost the 2018 governor 's race to Democrat Laura Kelly and his possible primary victory was concerning to some Republicans worried about holding Senate control in November with Republicans already on defense in far more competitive states than Kansas .
Kobach has a controversial political tenure focused on curbing illegal immigration and championing unproven theories about voter fraud .
He worked directly with the Trump administration on a 2018 investigation into possible voter fraud in the 2016 election , but it found no evidence .
`` You have sustained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say that Kris Kobach is an extremely poor general election candidate who absolutely could be the first Republican to lose a Senate race in Kansas in over 80 years , '' Republican political operative David Kensinger told KPR 's Jim McLean .
Some Democratic strategists have adopted similar outlooks .
In the weeks leading up to the primary , a newly formed Democrat-leaning PAC launched an attack ad against Rep. Marshall giving off the impression of support for Kobach and indirectly aiding Bollier .
While President Trump endorsed Kobach 's gubernatorial run in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time around , refraining from giving his support to a candidate .
Rep. Marshall — who 's served in the House of Representatives since 2017 — had endorsements from prominent Republicans including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. Marshall also out-fundraised Kobach , bringing in $ 2.7 million compared to Kobach 's $ 934,000 .
Looking ahead to November , Bollier tops the fundraising pool with nearly $ 7.8 million raised — an indication she may be positioned to make a strong play in a state that has not elected a Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @

Conservative Kris Kobach Loses Kansas GOP Senate Primary
Enlarge this image toggle caption Charlie Riedel/AP Charlie Riedel/AP
Kansas Rep. Roger Marshall has defeated former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach in the Republican Senate primary, according to The Associated Press, calming Republicans' worst fears about putting a seat in a deep red state in play this fall with the Senate majority contested.
Marshall was the favored candidate of many party leaders to take on Democratic state Sen. Barbara Bollier in November — in what some strategists believe may still be a competitive general election.
Marshall and Bollier, a former Republican and retired anesthesiologist, will compete for the seat currently held by GOP Sen. Pat Roberts, who is retiring.
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Kobach lost the 2018 governor's race to Democrat Laura Kelly and his possible primary victory was concerning to some Republicans worried about holding Senate control in November with Republicans already on defense in far more competitive states than Kansas.
Kobach has a controversial political tenure focused on curbing illegal immigration and championing unproven theories about voter fraud. He worked directly with the Trump administration on a 2018 investigation into possible voter fraud in the 2016 election, but it found no evidence.
"You have sustained real-world trials and evidence and data that say that Kris Kobach is an extremely poor general election candidate who absolutely could be the first Republican to lose a Senate race in Kansas in over 80 years," Republican political operative David Kensinger told KPR's Jim McLean.
Some Democratic strategists have adopted similar outlooks. In the weeks leading up to the primary, a newly formed Democrat-leaning PAC launched an attack ad against Marshall giving off the impression of support for Kobach and indirectly aiding Bollier.
While President Trump endorsed Kobach's gubernatorial run in 2018, he was less outspoken this time around, refraining from giving his support to a candidate.
Marshall — who has served in the House of Representatives since 2017 — had endorsements from prominent Republicans including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Marshall also out-fundraised Kobach, bringing in $2.7 million compared to Kobach's $934,000.
Looking ahead to November, Bollier tops the fundraising pool with nearly $7.8 million raised — an indication she may be positioned to make a strong play in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932.


npr--2020-08-05--North Carolina Will Pause Further Reopening Until September To Start The School Year

North Carolina Will Pause Further Reopening Until September To Start The School Year North Carolina Gov .
Roy Cooper announced on Wednesday that the state 's economy will remain paused in Phase 2 for five more weeks , keeping bars , gyms and indoor entertainment venues closed until at least Sept. 11 .
He said that the state 's coronavirus numbers show promising signs of stabilization , and the start of the school year later this month means it is the time to `` double down '' on safety .
`` With the opening of schools , people will move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Cooper said .
`` Other states that lifted restrictions quickly have had to go backward as their hospital capacity ran dangerously low and their cases jumped higher .
We wo n't make that mistake in North Carolina . ''
Most but not all schools will reopen with remote learning , Cooper said .
Those that open to in-person instruction will have smaller class sizes , mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing .
He added that college campuses will open for students but will use more buildings and less in-person instruction than in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country are grappling with how to resume instruction as the pandemic rages on in the U.S .
Under North Carolina guidance , schools can choose to open for in-person instruction with specific safety protocols under `` Plan B '' or fully remote learning under `` Plan C. '' Cooper previously announced that the state will provide at least five reusable face coverings for every student , teacher and school staff member in public schools .
State officials have enacted other measures to curb the spread of the virus .
A statewide mandate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect on June 26 .
And last week , a curfew took effect requiring restaurants to stop selling alcoholic beverages after 11 p.m. Cooper said experts believe the mask mandate helped stabilize the state 's numbers , and urged North Carolinians to continue masking up , social distancing and washing their hands frequently .
`` Our success at returning thousands of students , teachers , and staff safely to classrooms this month depends on us doing what works , '' Cooper said .
According to Dr. Mandy Cohen , secretary of the North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the state 's trajectory of lab-confirmed cases and the percentage of tests returning positive over 14 days have stabilized but remain high , and the trajectory of hospitalizations is starting to level .
North Carolina passed the threshold of 2,000 coronavirus deaths this week .
On Wednesday , it reported 1,127 new cases out of 19,444 completed tests , and officials said 1,167 people remained hospitalized .
In Phase 2 of the state 's Safer at Home plan , gatherings remain capped at 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors .
Restaurants , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 50 % capacity .
Venues like museums , nightclubs , playgrounds , fitness studios , theaters and bowling alleys must stay closed .
Cooper also pointed to the two deaths and other trauma caused in the state by Hurricane Isaias earlier this week .
`` Whether it 's a storm or a pandemic , that kind of hope and our shared commitment to a stronger future will keep us going , '' Cooper said .
`` Hold on to that hope .
Keep wearing your masks .
And know that these difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our strength and resilience will . ''

North Carolina Will Pause Further Reopening Until September To Start The School Year
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/TNS via Getty Images Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/TNS via Getty Images
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced on Wednesday that the state's economy will remain paused in Phase 2 for five more weeks, keeping bars, gyms and indoor entertainment venues closed until at least Sept. 11.
He said that the state's coronavirus numbers show promising signs of stabilization, and the start of the school year later this month means it is the time to "double down" on safety.
"With the opening of schools, people will move around more and so will the virus," Cooper said. "Other states that lifted restrictions quickly have had to go backward as their hospital capacity ran dangerously low and their cases jumped higher. We won't make that mistake in North Carolina."
Most but not all schools will reopen with remote learning, Cooper said. Those that open to in-person instruction will have smaller class sizes, mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing.
He added that college campuses will open for students but will use more buildings and less in-person instruction than in a typical year.
Schools districts across the country are grappling with how to resume instruction as the pandemic rages on in the U.S.
Under North Carolina guidance, schools can choose to open for in-person instruction with specific safety protocols under "Plan B" or fully remote learning under "Plan C."
Cooper previously announced that the state will provide at least five reusable face coverings for every student, teacher and school staff member in public schools.
State officials have enacted other measures to curb the spread of the virus. A statewide mandate requiring face coverings in public spaces took effect on June 26. And last week, a curfew took effect requiring restaurants to stop selling alcoholic beverages after 11 p.m.
Cooper said experts believe the mask mandate helped stabilize the state's numbers, and urged North Carolinians to continue masking up, social distancing and washing their hands frequently.
"Our success at returning thousands of students, teachers, and staff safely to classrooms this month depends on us doing what works," Cooper said.
According to Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the state's trajectory of lab-confirmed cases and the percentage of tests returning positive over 14 days have stabilized but remain high, and the trajectory of hospitalizations is starting to level.
North Carolina passed the threshold of 2,000 coronavirus deaths this week. On Wednesday, it reported 1,127 new cases out of 19,444 completed tests, and officials said 1,167 people remained hospitalized.
In Phase 2 of the state's Safer at Home plan, gatherings remain capped at 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors. Restaurants, retail and personal care services are open at 50% capacity. Venues like museums, nightclubs, playgrounds, fitness studios, theaters and bowling alleys must stay closed.
Cooper also pointed to the two deaths and other trauma caused in the state by Hurricane Isaias earlier this week.
"Whether it's a storm or a pandemic, that kind of hope and our shared commitment to a stronger future will keep us going," Cooper said. "Hold on to that hope. Keep wearing your masks. And know that these difficult times won't last forever, but our strength and resilience will."


npr--2020-08-05--Twitter, Facebook Remove Trump Post Over False Claim About Children And COVID-19

Twitter , Facebook Remove Trump Post Over False Claim About Children And COVID-19 Both Twitter and Facebook have removed a post shared by President Trump for breaking their rules against spreading coronavirus misinformation .
Twitter temporarily blocked the Trump election campaign account from tweeting until it removed a post with a video clip from a Fox News interview from Wednesday morning , in which the president urged schools to reopen , falsely claiming that children are `` almost immune from this disease . ''
Facebook also removed a post containing same video from Trump 's personal page .
Both Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules on COVID-19 misinformation .
Research has shown that while children tend to get infected with the coronavirus less often and have milder symptoms than adults , kids can still contract and spread it .
Some have gotten seriously ill and even died .
`` This video includes false claims that a group of people is immune from COVID-19 which is a violation of our policies around harmful COVID misinformation , '' said Andy Stone , a Facebook spokesperson .
`` The @ TeamTrump Tweet you referenced is in violation of the Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owner will be required to remove the Tweet before they can Tweet again , '' said Twitter spokesperson Trenton Kennedy .
The Trump campaign removed the tweet and has since been tweeting again .
`` The President was stating a fact that children are less susceptible to the coronavirus , '' said Courtney Parella , a spokesperson for the Trump campaign , in response to the Facebook removal .
`` Another day , another display of Silicon Valley 's flagrant bias against this President , where the rules are only enforced in one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arbiters of truth . ''
That echoed what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has repeatedly said to critics who want him to crack down more on false claims from politicians : that Facebook does not want to be the `` arbiter of truth . ''
Facebook has taken down content shared by Trump before , but Wednesday 's video was the first time it did so because of the coronavirus misinformation policy .
Such removals are rare , because Facebook takes a largely hands-off approach to posts from political figures .
That stance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has added fact-checking and warning labels to the president 's tweets and banned political advertising altogether .
Facebook 's position has also generated criticism from civil rights groups , Democratic politicians and even its own employees , who have called on Facebook executives to hold politicians to the same standards as other users .
An independent audit of Facebook 's policies published last month slammed the company for prioritizing free expression `` over all other values . ''
In recent months , Facebook has removed Trump campaign ads that used a Nazi symbol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims about the 2020 census .
In June , Facebook took down a post shared by President Trump containing a doctored video of a `` racist baby , '' following a copyright complaint from one of the children 's parents .
Editor 's note : Facebook is among NPR 's financial supporters .

Twitter, Facebook Remove Trump Post Over False Claim About Children And COVID-19
Enlarge this image toggle caption Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
Both Twitter and Facebook have removed a post shared by President Trump for breaking their rules against spreading coronavirus misinformation.
Twitter temporarily blocked the Trump election campaign account from tweeting until it removed a post with a video clip from a Fox News interview from Wednesday morning, in which the president urged schools to reopen, falsely claiming that children are "almost immune from this disease."
Facebook also removed a post containing the same video from Trump's personal page. Both Facebook and Twitter said the post violated their rules on COVID-19 misinformation.
Research has shown that while children tend to get infected with the coronavirus less often and have milder symptoms than adults, kids can still contract and spread it. Some have gotten seriously ill and even died.
"This video includes false claims that a group of people is immune from COVID-19 which is a violation of our policies around harmful COVID misinformation," said Andy Stone, a Facebook spokesperson.
"The @TeamTrump Tweet you referenced is in violation of the Twitter Rules on COVID-19 misinformation. The account owner will be required to remove the Tweet before they can Tweet again," said Twitter spokesperson Trenton Kennedy.
The Trump campaign removed the tweet and has since been tweeting again.
"The President was stating a fact that children are less susceptible to the coronavirus," said Courtney Parella, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, in response to the Facebook removal. "Another day, another display of Silicon Valley's flagrant bias against this President, where the rules are only enforced in one direction. Social media companies are not the arbiters of truth."
That echoed what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has repeatedly said to critics who want him to crack down more on false claims from politicians: that Facebook does not want to be the "arbiter of truth."
Facebook has taken down content shared by Trump before, but Wednesday's video was the first time it did so because of the coronavirus misinformation policy.
Such removals are rare, because Facebook takes a largely hands-off approach to posts from political figures. That stance sets it apart from Twitter, which has added fact-checking and warning labels to the president's tweets and banned political advertising altogether.
Facebook's position has also generated criticism from civil rights groups, Democratic politicians and even its own employees, who have called on Facebook executives to hold politicians to the same standards as other users.
An independent audit of Facebook's policies published last month slammed the company for prioritizing free expression "over all other values."
In recent months, Facebook has removed Trump campaign ads that used a Nazi symbol as well as ads that made misleading claims about the 2020 census.
In June, Facebook took down a post shared by President Trump containing a doctored video of a "racist baby," following a copyright complaint from one of the children's parents.
Editor's note: Facebook is among NPR's financial supporters.


npr--2020-08-05--Attacking Vote-By-Mail Was Hurting Trump In Fla., Experts Say. So He Changed Course

Attacking Vote-By-Mail Was Hurting Trump In Fla. , Experts Say .
So He Changed Course Florida 's elections system , which has been the butt of political jokes for almost two full decades , got a reprieve this week , as President Trump seemed to indicate it was the only state he felt confident could run a vote-by-mail system .
`` Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting , in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure , Tried and True , '' Trump tweeted Tuesday .
`` I encourage all to request a Ballot & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Tuesday 's White House press briefing , he said the state has `` really got a great system of absentee ballots , '' marking the first time he 's expressed confidence in a state 's ability to administer wide-scale mail balloting since the pandemic took hold of the U.S. in the spring .
But political experts say his compliments were less about the Sunshine State 's ability to keep elections secure , and more about kowtowing to a political reality : he ca n't win the state if Republicans there feel like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Florida is an absolute must-have for Trump and everyone knows that , and he knows it as well , '' said Susan MacManus , a political science professor at the University of South Florida .
`` And if he suddenly , through attacking vote-by-mail , keeps a substantial group of Florida voters from going to the polls , that 's not good for his chances of winning . ''
Those in Trump 's inner circle shared similar concerns , according to The Daily Beast .
MacManus said Trump also faced pushback from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the fact that Democrats were capitalizing on his comments and building a substantial lead in the amount of vote-by-mail requests .
As of Wednesday , more than 600,000 more Democrats had requested mail ballots than Republicans , according to the University of Florida 's Michael McDonald .
For comparison : in the 2018 governor 's race , Republican Ron DeSantis beat Democrat Andrew Gillum by fewer than 50,000 votes .
Similarly , a recent CNN/SSRS poll found that 59 % of voters who `` lean Democratic '' said they would prefer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 % of Republican-leaning voters .
`` This is a state where elections are won by a half or one percent only , '' MacManus said .
The president and his allies have spent much of the past few months maligning many forms of mail ballot systems , from states that mail ballots to all registered voters to states that only planned to send registered voters request forms for mail ballots .
In an NPR interview earlier this summer for instance , Attorney General William Barr indicated that he was comfortable with states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be `` traveling around the world '' but that allowing universal access to mail balloting would lead to rampant fraud .
Yet Florida has allowed voters to cast mail ballots without an excuse for well over a decade , since 2002 .
And traditionally , it 's been Republicans who have benefited from that policy according to Mac Stipanovich , a longtime Republican strategist in Florida who recently left the GOP because of Trump .
`` Absentee ballots , '' Stipanovich told NPR 's Greg Allen earlier this year , `` are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The deadline for Florida voters to request a mail ballot is Oct. 22 .
The question , according to McDonald , is whether Trump 's recent about-face on the security of Florida 's mail ballot system will help make that true once again .

Attacking Vote-By-Mail Was Hurting Trump In Fla., Experts Say. So He Changed Course
Enlarge this image toggle caption Doug Mills/New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images Doug Mills/New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Florida's elections system, which has been the butt of political jokes for almost two full decades, got a reprieve this week, as President Trump seemed to indicate it was the only state he felt confident could run a vote-by-mail system.
"Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True," Trump tweeted Tuesday. "I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail!"
Similarly, in Tuesday's White House press briefing, he said the state has "really got a great system of absentee ballots," marking the first time he's expressed confidence in a state's ability to administer wide-scale mail balloting since the pandemic took hold of the U.S. in the spring.
But political experts say his compliments were less about the Sunshine State's ability to keep elections secure, and more about kowtowing to a political reality: he can't win the state if Republicans there feel like they can't vote by mail.
"Florida is an absolute must-have for Trump and everyone knows that, and he knows it as well," said Susan MacManus, a political science professor at the University of South Florida. "And if he suddenly, through attacking vote-by-mail, keeps a substantial group of Florida voters from going to the polls, that's not good for his chances of winning."
Those in Trump's inner circle shared similar concerns, according to The Daily Beast.
MacManus said Trump also faced pushback from Republicans in the state who alerted him to the fact that Democrats were capitalizing on his comments and building a substantial lead in the amount of vote-by-mail requests.
As of Wednesday, more than 600,000 more Democrats had requested mail ballots than Republicans, according to the University of Florida's Michael McDonald. For comparison: in the 2018 governor's race, Republican Ron DeSantis beat Democrat Andrew Gillum by fewer than 50,000 votes.
Similarly, a recent CNN/SSRS poll found that 59% of voters who "lean Democratic" said they would prefer to vote via mail ballot compared to just 21% of Republican-leaning voters.
"This is a state where elections are won by a half or one percent only," MacManus said.
The president and his allies have spent much of the past few months maligning many forms of mail ballot systems, from states that mail ballots to all registered voters to states that only planned to send registered voters request forms for mail ballots.
In an NPR interview earlier this summer for instance, Attorney General William Barr indicated that he was comfortable with states allowing mail ballots for cases where someone would be "traveling around the world" but that allowing universal access to mail balloting would lead to rampant fraud.
Yet Florida has allowed voters to cast mail ballots without an excuse for well over a decade, since 2002. And traditionally, it's been Republicans who have benefited from that policy according to Mac Stipanovich, a longtime Republican strategist in Florida who recently left the GOP because of Trump.
"Absentee ballots," Stipanovich told NPR's Greg Allen earlier this year, "are typically Republicans' friends in Florida."
The deadline for Florida voters to request a mail ballot is Oct. 22. The question, according to McDonald, is whether Trump's recent about-face on the security of Florida's mail ballot system will help make that true once again.


npr--2020-08-05--New York And Connecticut Call For Probes Into Utility Companies' Response To Isaias

New York And Connecticut Call For Probes Into Utility Companies ' Response To Isaias The governors of New York and Connecticut are launching investigations into utility companies ' response to Tropical Storm Isaias , which tore through the Northeast on Tuesday and left thousands of households without power one day later .
Each governor has also declared a state of emergency in order to expedite support for local governments .
Connecticut 's applies statewide , while New York 's specifically includes 11 counties and three others that border them .
Cuomo said on Wednesday afternoon that more than 703,000 New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Isaias , which caused a peak of more than 920,000 power outages statewide .
Utilities have deployed 7,000 workers to help respond to the damage and restore service , according to the governor 's office .
Cuomo said that `` due to the apparent lack of adequate planning by utility companies , '' he has directed the Department of Public Service to launch an investigation into the responses by Verizon , PSEG Long Island , Con Edison , Central Hudson Gas & Electric , Orange and Rockland Utilities and New York State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causes of their failures . ''
In Connecticut , Ned Lamont declared a state of emergency specifically in response to widespread power outages , which he said had impacted more than 700,000 customers .
He also called on the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to thoroughly investigate the state 's utility companies ' response to the storm in order to determine `` whether the companies are meeting their legal obligations and whether any penalties need to be applied . ''
`` Several years ago , Connecticut experienced large-scale outages that took days to recover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the utilities were improving their resources so that they can be prepared for the next time Mother Nature inevitably hits again , '' Lamont wrote in a series of tweets .
`` And now here we are , with a wholly inadequate response to another storm . ''
Eversource , New England 's largest energy provider , said in a statement that crews had restored power to about 100,000 Connecticut customers as of 10 a.m. Wednesday .
The company anticipates it will take `` multiple days '' to restore all of the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this storm , in terms of power outages , is greater than Superstorm Sandy , '' said Michael Hayhurst , Eversource vice president of electric operations in Connecticut .
`` The fierce winds with this storm caused widespread power outages and historic damage , affecting customers in all of the 149 communities we serve in Connecticut . ''
The company added that crews are working around-the-clock shifts and operating under a COVID-19 plan with sanitation and social distancing protocols .
Officials across the country are grappling with the combined threat of an above-average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Florida paused coronavirus testing due to Isaias , and shelters are modifying operations to account for social distancing .
Isaias plowed up the East Coast after making landfall as a hurricane on Monday night , generating flash floods and tornadoes along the way .
Its heavy winds downed trees and branches on top of power lines , leaving 6.4 million customers without power from South Carolina to Maine .
The New York metropolitan area suffered particularly widespread power outages , with 1.4 million of those in New Jersey .
New Jersey Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the state was down to approximately 840,000 outages , and is `` pressing all the major utilities to restore power as quickly and safely as possible . ''
As of Wednesday afternoon , according to PowerOutage.us , 2.8 million electric customers in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast remain in the dark .

New York And Connecticut Call For Probes Into Utility Companies' Response To Isaias
Enlarge this image toggle caption Lev Radin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Lev Radin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The governors of New York and Connecticut are launching investigations into utility companies' response to Tropical Storm Isaias, which tore through the Northeast on Tuesday and left thousands of households without power one day later.
Each governor has also declared a state of emergency in order to expedite support for local governments. Connecticut's applies statewide, while New York's specifically includes 11 counties and three others that border them.
Cuomo said on Wednesday afternoon that more than 703,000 New Yorkers remained without power in the aftermath of Isaias, which caused a peak of more than 920,000 power outages statewide.
Utilities have deployed 7,000 workers to help respond to the damage and restore service, according to the governor's office.
Cuomo said that "due to the apparent lack of adequate planning by utility companies," he has directed the Department of Public Service to launch an investigation into the responses by Verizon, PSEG Long Island, Con Edison, Central Hudson Gas & Electric, Orange and Rockland Utilities and New York State Electric & Gas to "determine the causes of their failures."
In Connecticut, Ned Lamont declared a state of emergency specifically in response to widespread power outages, which he said had impacted more than 700,000 customers.
He also called on the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to thoroughly investigate the state's utility companies' response to the storm in order to determine "whether the companies are meeting their legal obligations and whether any penalties need to be applied."
"Several years ago, Connecticut experienced large-scale outages that took days to recover from, and we were told that the utilities were improving their resources so that they can be prepared for the next time Mother Nature inevitably hits again," Lamont wrote in a series of tweets. "And now here we are, with a wholly inadequate response to another storm."
Eversource, New England's largest energy provider, said in a statement that crews had restored power to about 100,000 Connecticut customers as of 10 a.m. Wednesday. The company anticipates it will take "multiple days" to restore all of the state's outages.
"The impact from this storm, in terms of power outages, is greater than Superstorm Sandy," said Michael Hayhurst, Eversource vice president of electric operations in Connecticut. "The fierce winds with this storm caused widespread power outages and historic damage, affecting customers in all of the 149 communities we serve in Connecticut."
The company added that crews are working around-the-clock shifts and operating under a COVID-19 plan with sanitation and social distancing protocols.
Officials across the country are grappling with the combined threat of an above-average hurricane season and a public health crisis. Florida paused coronavirus testing due to Isaias, and shelters are modifying operations to account for social distancing.
Isaias plowed up the East Coast after making landfall as a hurricane on Monday night, generating flash floods and tornadoes along the way. Its heavy winds downed trees and branches on top of power lines, leaving 6.4 million customers without power from South Carolina to Maine.
The New York metropolitan area suffered particularly widespread power outages, with 1.4 million of those in New Jersey.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said on Wednesday afternoon that the state was down to approximately 840,000 outages, and is "pressing all the major utilities to restore power as quickly and safely as possible."
As of Wednesday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us, 2.8 million electric customers in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast remain in the dark.


npr--2020-08-05--Louisiana Supreme Court Won't Review Life Sentence For Man Who Stole Hedge Clippers

A Louisiana man will continue to spend his life in prison for stealing a pair of hedge clippers , after the state 's Supreme Court denied his request to review a lower court 's sentence .
Fair Wayne Bryant was convicted in 1997 of stealing the hedge clippers .
Prosecutors pursued and won a life sentence in the case , a penalty permissible under the state 's habitual offender law .
Bryant appealed the life sentence as too severe .
Chief Justice Bernette Johnson was the sole dissenter in the court 's decision last week , writing that Bryant 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the offense '' — and that it was costing the state a lot of money to keep him imprisoned .
`` Since his conviction in 1997 , Mr. Bryant 's incarceration has cost Louisiana taxpayers approximately $ 518,667 , '' she wrote .
`` Arrested at 38 , Mr. Bryant has already spent nearly 23 years in prison and is now over 60 years old .
If he lives another 20 years , Louisiana taxpayers will have paid almost one million dollars to punish Mr. Bryant for his failed effort to steal a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is Black , had four prior convictions .
Only the first was violent : an attempted armed robbery in 1979 , for which he was sentenced to 10 years hard labor .
His subsequent convictions were for possession of stolen property in 1987 , attempted forgery of a $ 150 check in 1989 and burglary of a house in 1992 .
`` Each of these crimes was an effort to steal something .
Such petty theft is frequently driven by the ravages of poverty or addiction , and often both , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It is cruel and unusual to impose a sentence of life in prison at hard labor for the criminal behavior which is most often caused by poverty or addiction . ''
Johnson is the court 's second female African American justice and its first African American chief justice .
The court 's other justices are all white men .
None offered written rulings explaining their decisions .
The court 's decision was first reported by The Lens , a nonprofit news site in New Orleans .
The Lens ' Nicholas Chrastil reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... have long been criticized for sanctioning excessively punitive sentences and driving mass incarceration in the state .
Nearly 80 percent of people incarcerated in Louisiana prisons under the habitual offender laws ... are Black . ''
In her dissent , Johnson connected Bryant 's sentence to the `` Pig Laws '' and Black Codes in the years after Reconstruction , which enacted harsh penalties for theft and other petty crimes .
`` Pig Laws were largely designed to re-enslave African Americans , '' she wrote .
Bryant 's case , the chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manifestation '' of Pig Laws : `` This man 's life sentence for a failed attempt to steal a set of hedge clippers is grossly out of proportion to the crime and serves no legitimate penal purpose . ''

Louisiana Supreme Court Won't Review Life Sentence For Man Who Stole Hedge Clippers
Enlarge this image toggle caption Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images
A Louisiana man will continue to spend his life in prison for stealing a pair of hedge clippers, after the state's Supreme Court denied his request to review a lower court's sentence.
Fair Wayne Bryant was convicted in 1997 of stealing the hedge clippers. Prosecutors pursued and won a life sentence in the case, a penalty permissible under the state's habitual offender law. Bryant appealed the life sentence as too severe.
Chief Justice Bernette Johnson was the sole dissenter in the court's decision last week, writing that Bryant's sentence is "excessive and disproportionate to the offense" — and that it was costing the state a lot of money to keep him imprisoned.
"Since his conviction in 1997, Mr. Bryant's incarceration has cost Louisiana taxpayers approximately $518,667," she wrote. "Arrested at 38, Mr. Bryant has already spent nearly 23 years in prison and is now over 60 years old. If he lives another 20 years, Louisiana taxpayers will have paid almost one million dollars to punish Mr. Bryant for his failed effort to steal a set of hedge clippers."
Bryant, who is Black, had four prior convictions. Only the first was violent: an attempted armed robbery in 1979, for which he was sentenced to 10 years hard labor. His subsequent convictions were for possession of stolen property in 1987, attempted forgery of a $150 check in 1989 and burglary of a house in 1992.
"Each of these crimes was an effort to steal something. Such petty theft is frequently driven by the ravages of poverty or addiction, and often both," Johnson wrote in her dissent. "It is cruel and unusual to impose a sentence of life in prison at hard labor for the criminal behavior which is most often caused by poverty or addiction."
Johnson is the court's second female African American justice and its first African American chief justice. The court's other justices are all white men. None offered written rulings explaining their decisions.
The court's decision was first reported by The Lens, a nonprofit news site in New Orleans. The Lens' Nicholas Chrastil reports: "Louisiana's habitual offender laws ... have long been criticized for sanctioning excessively punitive sentences and driving mass incarceration in the state. Nearly 80 percent of people incarcerated in Louisiana prisons under the habitual offender laws ... are Black."
In her dissent, Johnson connected Bryant's sentence to the "Pig Laws" and Black Codes in the years after Reconstruction, which enacted harsh penalties for theft and other petty crimes.
"Pig Laws were largely designed to re-enslave African Americans," she wrote. Bryant's case, the chief justice said, demonstrates a "modern manifestation" of Pig Laws: "This man's life sentence for a failed attempt to steal a set of hedge clippers is grossly out of proportion to the crime and serves no legitimate penal purpose."


npr--2020-08-05--Charts: How The U.S. Ranks On COVID-19 Deaths Per Capita — And By Case Count

Charts : How The U.S .
Ranks On COVID-19 Deaths Per Capita — And By Case Count During an interview that aired on Axios on HBO on Monday night , President Trump was interviewed by journalist Jonathan Swan .
One of the topics : the number of deaths in the U.S. from COVID-19 .
Swan noted that there are about 1,000 deaths a day in the United States .
Trump responded that the U.S. `` is lowest in numerous categories '' when it comes to the pandemic — including `` case death . ''
This measure , which epidemiologists call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calculates the number of people with COVID-19 who eventually die from the disease .
Swan interjected , `` I 'm talking about death as a proportion of population .
That 's where the U.S. is really bad , much worse than South Korea , Germany , et cetera . ''
Trump replied : `` You ca n't do that . ''
As Swan noted during the interview , you can in fact calculate the per capita death rate for a country 's population — that is , the number of deaths per 100,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compare death rates among countries .
Neither per capita death rate nor case fatality ratio `` fully reflect the effectiveness of a country 's response , '' said Nilanjan Chatterjee , a professor of biostatistics at Johns Hopkins University .
However , these two ways of measuring the COVID-19 death toll can tell us something .
Since January , there have been over 4.7 million COVID-19 cases and 150,000 deaths in the United States .
The country has one of the world 's highest per capita death rates : 47.93 deaths from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 45 countries with more than 50,000 COVID-19 cases , the U.S. has the eighth-highest number of deaths per 100,000 people .
Belgium has the highest per capita death rate : 86.3 deaths per 100,000 .
But in terms of case fatality ratio , the U.S. is doing significantly better than many other countries .
The country 's case fatality ratio is 3.3 % , meaning that for every 100 people with COVID-19 , only about three die .
Trump said that the low case fatality ratio in the U.S. was a result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as closing international borders to people from COVID-19 hot spots such as China and the United Kingdom .
He also stated that the U.S. has a high per capita death rate because the country has done more testing than any other in the world .
The per capita death rate is primarily an indication of the overall disease burden in a country , according to Justin Lessler , an associate professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University .
( Disease burden is the term used to describe the impact of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life lost and years lived with disability . )
If there is more COVID-19 transmission among communities in a specific country , then there will be more infections and consequently more deaths in that country — and presumably a higher per capita death rate .
But other factors influence the per capita death rate .
For example , age is a major risk factor for severe COVID-19 disease and death .
Therefore , countries with much younger populations may have far fewer deaths .
In Uganda , for instance , the per capita @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lowest in the world .
The median age of Ugandans is 15.9 .
By contrast , the median age in the U.S. is 38.4 .
In Belgium and the U.K. , which have the highest number of deaths per 100,000 people , the median ages are 41.9 and 40.0 years , respectively .
And predictably , the per capita death rate is higher in those countries .
Access to care also has an impact on the rate — whether patients have access to ventilators and ICU care if needed .
So even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. has now averaged 1,000 or more a day for over a week , the per capita death rate is not necessarily the best metric by which to compare mortality among countries .
According to Chatterjee , the case fatality ratio may be a slightly better indication of how well a country is doing in responding to the pandemic and preventing infected people from dying .
Among the 45 countries with over 50,000 cases , the U.S. has the 24th-highest case fatality ratio .
And the U.S. rate of 3.3 % is much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15.1 % ( meaning that for every 100 people with COVID-19 , about 15 die ) or Italy at 14.2 % .
So there is some truth to Trump 's assertion that the low case fatality ratio is a positive sign in the United States .
As for his assertion that `` we have tested more people than any other country , '' there is also some truth to this .
The U.S. has conducted more coronavirus tests than any other country in terms of sheer numbers — more than 50 million .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the U.S. comes in ninth place , having conducted 174 tests per 1,000 people .
That 's much lower than the per capita rate in Luxembourg at 691 per 1,000 people , the United Arab Emirates at 525 and Denmark at 268 .
Moreover , while there is no gold standard for testing rates , the number of tests needed is proportionate to the number of infections in a country , says Lessler .
So , if the U.S. could reduce COVID-19 transmission and new cases , then the need for high @ @ @ @ @

Charts: How The U.S. Ranks On COVID-19 Deaths Per Capita — And By Case Count
During an interview that aired on Axios on HBO on Monday night, President Trump was interviewed by journalist Jonathan Swan. One of the topics: the number of deaths in the U.S. from COVID-19.
Swan noted that there are about 1,000 deaths a day in the United States.
Trump responded that the U.S. "is lowest in numerous categories" when it comes to the pandemic — including "case death." This measure, which epidemiologists call the "case fatality ratio," calculates the number of people with COVID-19 who eventually die from the disease.
Swan interjected, "I'm talking about death as a proportion of population. That's where the U.S. is really bad, much worse than South Korea, Germany, et cetera."
Trump replied: "You can't do that."
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As Swan noted during the interview, you can in fact calculate the per capita death rate for a country's population — that is, the number of deaths per 100,000 people.
But it is difficult to compare death rates among countries. Neither per capita death rate nor case fatality ratio "fully reflect the effectiveness of a country's response," said Nilanjan Chatterjee, a professor of biostatistics at Johns Hopkins University.
However, these two ways of measuring the COVID-19 death toll can tell us something.
Since January, there have been over 4.7 million COVID-19 cases and 150,000 deaths in the United States.
Among the 45 countries with more than 50,000 COVID-19 cases, the U.S. has the eighth-highest number of deaths per 100,000 people: 47.93 deaths from the coronavirus for every 100,000 Americans. Belgium has the highest per capita death rate: 86.3 deaths per 100,000.
But in terms of case fatality ratio, the U.S. is doing significantly better than many other countries. The country's case fatality ratio is 3.3%, meaning that for every 100 people with COVID-19, only about three die.
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Trump said that the low case fatality ratio in the U.S. was a result of his administration's effective pandemic response, such as closing international borders to people from COVID-19 hot spots such as China and the United Kingdom. He also stated that the U.S. has a high per capita death rate because the country has done more testing than any other in the world.
The per capita death rate is primarily an indication of the overall disease burden in a country, according to Justin Lessler, an associate professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University. (Disease burden is the term used to describe the impact of a particular disease in terms of years of life lost and years lived with disability.)
If there is more COVID-19 transmission among communities in a specific country, then there will be more infections and consequently more deaths in that country — and presumably a higher per capita death rate.
But other factors influence the per capita death rate. For example, age is a major risk factor for severe COVID-19 disease and death. Therefore, countries with much younger populations may have far fewer deaths. In Uganda, for instance, the per capita death rate is 0.01, one of the lowest in the world. The median age of Ugandans is 15.9. By contrast, the median age in the U.S. is 38.4. In Belgium and the U.K., which have the highest number of deaths per 100,000 people, the median ages are 41.9 and 40.0 years, respectively. And predictably, the per capita death rate is higher in those countries.
Access to care also has an impact on the rate — whether patients have access to ventilators and ICU care if needed.
But even though the daily death toll in the U.S. has now averaged 1,000 or more a day for over a week, the per capita death rate is not necessarily the best metric by which to compare mortality among countries. According to Chatterjee, the case fatality ratio may be a slightly better indication of how well a country is doing in responding to the pandemic and preventing infected people from dying.
Among the 45 countries with over 50,000 cases, the U.S. has the 24th-highest case fatality ratio. And the U.S. rate of 3.3% is much lower than that of the U.K. at 15.1% or Italy at 14.2%.
So despite the daily death toll of 1,000 in the U.S., there is some truth to Trump's assertion that the low case fatality ratio is a positive sign in the United States.
As for his assertion that "we have tested more people than any other country," there is also some truth to this. The U.S. has conducted more coronavirus tests than any other country in terms of sheer numbers — more than 50 million.
However, when you consider population size, the U.S. comes in ninth place, having conducted 174 tests per 1,000 people. That's much lower than the per capita rate in Luxembourg at 691 per 1,000 people, the United Arab Emirates at 525 and Denmark at 268.
Moreover, while there is no gold standard for testing rates, the number of tests needed is proportionate to the number of infections in a country, says Lessler. So, if the U.S. could reduce COVID-19 transmission and new cases, then the need for high testing levels would drop.


npr--2020-08-05--Colombia's Ex-President Uribe Is Put Under House Arrest, Catches Coronavirus

It 's been a rough two days for former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe , one of the country 's most influential politicians .
Uribe has gone from kingmaker to detainee after the country 's Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that he be placed under house arrest .
Then , on Wednesday , Colombian media reported that he had tested positive for the coronavirus .
The surprising court decision , which the Bogotá newspaper El Tiempo described as `` colossally important , '' came as the court investigates whether Uribe had a role in a scheme to bribe witnesses in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right-wing paramilitary death squads .
One of Uribe 's lawyers , Jaime Granados , insisted that his client is innocent .
`` Uribe has played a central role in Colombia over the past 20 years , and has greatly determined who holds power , '' said Sergio Guzmán , director of the Bogotá consultancy Colombia Risk Analysis .
`` This is why it is such a significant case . ''
Uribe 's allies were outraged by the court 's ruling .
Sen. Paloma Valencia of the ruling Democratic Center party , which Uribe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the judicial system .
Some motorists drove around Bogotá Tuesday night holding up banners declaring their allegiance Uribe .
Dario Acevedo , head of the government-run National Center for Historical Memory , called for the Colombian flag to be flown at half-staff .
Uribe 's followers `` really believe that he is the greatest Colombian to walk on Colombian soil , '' said Poly Martínez , a columnist for the Colombian newsmagazine Semana .
Uribe 's support stems from his two terms as president from 2002 to 2010 , when he carried out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Marxist rebel group , the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia , known as the FARC .
Improved security led to more foreign investment , tourism and economic growth and turned Uribe into a hero for many Colombians .
Uribe tried to change Colombia 's constitution so he could run for a third term .
Though his amendment drive failed , his endorsements helped elect the next two Colombian presidents .
Uribe won a senate seat in 2014 and was reelected in 2018 with more votes than any other legislative candidate .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and lingering dark side to Uribe 's legacy .
During his presidency , army troops killed thousands of innocent civilians , then claimed they were guerrilla fighters in order to win promotions and other benefits .
Under Uribe 's watch , intelligence agents at the Administrative Department of Security , known as DAS , spied on journalists , opposition leaders and Supreme Court judges , a scandal that led to the dissolving of the agency after Uribe left office .
That 's when opposition Sen. Iván Cepeda began gathering testimony about Uribe 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carried out massive human rights abuses as they battled against the guerrillas .
Uribe responded by accusing Cepeda of pressuring imprisoned paramilitary fighters to testify against him .
But in a bizarre twist in 2018 , the Supreme Court — which has jurisdiction over cases involving former presidents — exonerated Cepeda and began investigating Uribe for witness tampering .
The court is trying determine whether another one of Uribe 's lawyers , with his consent , paid imprisoned paramilitaries to give testimony favoring the ex-president .
`` The evidence against Uribe must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take this step , '' Guzmán said .
Uribe has not been charged with a crime .
When he learned of the house arrest warrant , which he will serve at his ranch in northern Colombia , he tweeted : `` The loss of my freedom causes me deep sadness for my wife , for my family and for Colombians who still believe I did something good for the fatherland . ''
The following day , a Democratic Center spokesman told reporters that Uribe had the coronavirus but has not showed any symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was elected in 2018 after Uribe endorsed him , went on national television to insist that his political mentor is a `` genuine patriot '' and an innocent man who has faced numerous false and unjust accusations .
Duque and other Uribe supporters are especially bitter that the former president , if found guilty , could face up to 12 years behind bars , while the FARC commanders Uribe spent his presidency trying to defeat have avoided prison even though they carried out thousands of kidnappings and killings and were deeply involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the generous terms of Colombia 's 2016 peace deal that led to the demobilization of the rebel group , five former FARC members now serve in the senate while Uribe , due to his house arrest , has been suspended from the legislative body .
`` It pains me as a Colombian that many of those who have lacerated the country with barbarism can defend themselves in freedom and have a guarantee that they will never go to prison , '' Duque said .
But José Miguel Vivanco , the Americas director for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to undermine Tuesday 's ruling , which stood out in Latin America , where judges often side with ruling parties in high-profile cases .
`` Uribe 's house arrest is the most critical stress test for the rule of law in Colombia in the last decade , '' Vivanco said .
`` The Duque administration and the ruling party need to respect the court 's decision and independence by ensuring that President Uribe defends himself through the legal process , not through threats of judicial reform and groundless accusations . ''
For his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose investigation eight years ago set off the chain of events that led to Uribe 's house arrest , was elated .
He told a news conference that the court 's decision shows that `` no matter how powerful you are , no one is above the law . ''

Colombia's Ex-President Uribe Is Put Under House Arrest, Catches Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Raul Arboleda/AFP via Getty Images Raul Arboleda/AFP via Getty Images
It's been a rough two days for former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, one of the country's most influential politicians.
Uribe has gone from kingmaker to detainee after the country's Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that he be placed under house arrest. Then, on Wednesday, Colombian media reported that he had tested positive for the coronavirus.
The surprising court decision, which the Bogotá newspaper El Tiempo described as "colossally important," came as the court investigates whether Uribe had a role in a scheme to bribe witnesses in a convoluted legal case involving former members of right-wing paramilitary death squads. One of Uribe's lawyers, Jaime Granados, insisted that his client is innocent.
"Uribe has played a central role in Colombia over the past 20 years, and has greatly determined who holds power," said Sergio Guzmán, director of the Bogotá consultancy Colombia Risk Analysis. "This is why it is such a significant case."
Uribe's allies were outraged by the court's ruling.
Sen. Paloma Valencia of the ruling Democratic Center party, which Uribe founded, called for an overhaul of the judicial system. Some motorists drove around Bogotá Tuesday night holding up banners declaring their allegiance Uribe. Dario Acevedo, head of the government-run National Center for Historical Memory, called for the Colombian flag to be flown at half-staff.
Uribe's followers "really believe that he is the greatest Colombian to walk on Colombian soil," said Poly Martínez, a columnist for the Colombian newsmagazine Semana.
Uribe's support stems from his two terms as president from 2002 to 2010, when he carried out a U.S.-backed military offensive that badly weakened the Marxist rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC. Improved security led to more foreign investment, tourism and economic growth and turned Uribe into a hero for many Colombians.
Uribe tried to change Colombia's constitution so he could run for a third term. Though his amendment drive failed, his endorsements helped elect the next two Colombian presidents. Uribe won a senate seat in 2014 and was reelected in 2018 with more votes than any other legislative candidate.
But Martínez and other critics describe a large and lingering dark side to Uribe's legacy.
During his presidency, army troops killed thousands of innocent civilians, then claimed they were guerrilla fighters in order to win promotions and other benefits. Under Uribe's watch, intelligence agents at the Administrative Department of Security, known as DAS, spied on journalists, opposition leaders and Supreme Court judges, a scandal that led to the dissolving of the agency after Uribe left office.
His current legal troubles date back to 2012.
That's when opposition Sen. Iván Cepeda began gathering testimony about Uribe's alleged support for illegal paramilitary groups that carried out massive human rights abuses as they battled against the guerrillas. Uribe responded by accusing Cepeda of pressuring imprisoned paramilitary fighters to testify against him.
But in a bizarre twist in 2018, the Supreme Court — which has jurisdiction over cases involving former presidents — exonerated Cepeda and began investigating Uribe for witness tampering. The court is trying determine whether another one of Uribe's lawyers, with his consent, paid imprisoned paramilitaries to give testimony favoring the ex-president.
"The evidence against Uribe must be pretty solid for the Supreme Court to take this step," Guzmán said.
Uribe has not been charged with a crime. When he learned of the house arrest warrant, which he will serve at his ranch in northern Colombia, he tweeted: "The loss of my freedom causes me deep sadness for my wife, for my family and for Colombians who still believe I did something good for the fatherland."
The following day, a Democratic Center spokesman told reporters that Uribe had the coronavirus but has not showed any symptoms.
Current President Iván Duque, who was elected in 2018 after Uribe endorsed him, went on national television to insist that his political mentor is a "genuine patriot" and an innocent man who has faced numerous false and unjust accusations.
Duque and other Uribe supporters are especially bitter that the former president, if found guilty, could face up to 12 years behind bars, while the FARC commanders Uribe spent his presidency trying to defeat have avoided prison even though they carried out thousands of kidnappings and killings and were deeply involved in cocaine trafficking.
In fact, under the generous terms of Colombia's 2016 peace deal that led to the demobilization of the rebel group, five former FARC members now serve in the senate while Uribe, due to his house arrest, has been suspended from the legislative body.
"It pains me as a Colombian that many of those who have lacerated the country with barbarism can defend themselves in freedom and have a guarantee that they will never go to prison," Duque said.
But José Miguel Vivanco, the Americas director for Human Rights Watch, warned Duque not to undermine Tuesday's ruling, which stood out in Latin America, where judges often side with ruling parties in high-profile cases.
"Uribe's house arrest is the most critical stress test for the rule of law in Colombia in the last decade," Vivanco said. "The Duque administration and the ruling party need to respect the court's decision and independence by ensuring that President Uribe defends himself through the legal process, not through threats of judicial reform and groundless accusations."
For his part, Cepeda, the opposition senator whose investigation eight years ago set off the chain of events that led to Uribe's house arrest, was elated. He told a news conference that the court's decision shows that "no matter how powerful you are, no one is above the law."