npr--2020-08-10--Opioid Scandal Haunts Drug Companies As They Respond To Pandemic

Opioid Scandal Haunts Drug Companies As They Respond To Pandemic As drug firms race to position themselves as key players in the coronavirus fight , the industry faces a renewed wave of civil lawsuits stemming from its role in the nation 's deadly opioid epidemic .
Thousands of cases that ground to a halt because of the COVID-19 pandemic are moving forward again as local , state and federal courts reopen around the United States .
`` I think it 's quite serious , '' said Rebecca Haffajee , who studies opioid litigation for the Rand Corp. and the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delays associated with COVID , but I actually do n't think there 's an end in sight for a lot of these defendants . ''
Pressure on the opioid front comes even as drug firms are producing medicines and providing services , including testing and vaccine development , needed to help slow the pandemic .
`` These companies are and have argued that they are essential businesses '' during the coronavirus crisis , Haffajee noted .
But some of the nation 's biggest companies — including CVS , Johnson & Johnson , McKesson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and financial uncertainty tied to their decades-long manufacture and sale of prescription opioids .
The highly addictive medications have contributed to the overdose deaths of more than 230,000 Americans , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Fallout from the opioid crisis has already forced two companies , Purdue Pharma and Insys Therapeutics , into bankruptcy .
Mallinckrodt , a maker of generic opioids , announced last week it is considering filing for Chapter 11 protection , in part because of opioid liabilities .
Nevertheless , Haffajee said , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these pharmacies , these manufacturers and these distributors out of business altogether . ''
`` That would actually be bad for public health and for the health care industry . ''
Companies look to pivot away from opioid scandal In addition to financial and legal uncertainty , years of opioid litigation have meant devastating public relations blows for some of the drug industry 's highest profile companies as well as their owners .
They were once viewed as philanthropists and champions of public health , but court filings have revealed the role executives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pain medications to boost profits .
Just last year , Oklahoma 's attorney general described Johnson & Johnson as a `` drug kingpin '' for its role pushing medical opioids .
A state judge in that case ruled the company must pay $ 465 million in damages .
In a separate case , the company also agreed to pay two Ohio counties $ 20.4 million to settle opioid claims .
Johnson & Johnson has denied any wrongdoing in these cases , and now the company appears eager to pivot , recasting itself as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a coronavirus vaccine .
`` We 're facing arguably one of the most serious health challenges the world has ever faced , but we 're doing our absolute very best to make sure we can navigate our way through , '' CEO Alex Gorsky said in a webcast to investors this summer .
Last week Johnson & Johnson announced a $ 1 billion deal with the federal government aimed at producing millions of doses of a vaccine now in development .
But a series of legal developments in recent weeks complicate the drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scandal behind it .
At the end of July , the Justice Department filed civil and criminal claims against Purdue Pharma , makers of Oxycontin , worth more than $ 13 billion , according to Reuters , complicating that company 's structured bankruptcy proceedings .
Last week , a federal judge in Ohio ruled that a major case against pharmacy chains can go forward .
Local governments in that suit claim corner drugstores dispensed huge quantities of opioids without proper safeguards against diversion and misuse .
Meanwhile , a court in Tennessee scheduled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug-makers Endo and Mallinckrodt .
Local governments in that case are seeking opioid-related damages of roughly $ 2.5 billion .
`` They 're going to have to answer for what they 've done , '' said Gerard Stranch , an attorney representing Tennessee communities ravaged by the addiction crisis .
As civil and criminal cases move forward , pressure is growing to reach a national settlement of opioid-related cases similar to the Big Tobacco payouts of the 1990s .
The goal is to cap the drug industry 's total liability and end financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cash-strapped communities .
Several proposed settlements unveiled last year , involving Johnson & Johnson , Teva and others , still have n't been finalized .
Stranch predicted companies would need to increase their offers of compensation before local governments agree to cut deals .
`` They 're not going to be allowed to just walk away and say , well , a couple hundred million dollars is the best we can do , '' he said .
But even the drug industry 's fiercest critics also acknowledged firms lack the cash to compensate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addiction crisis fully .
By some estimates , the opioid crisis is costing communities hundreds of billions of dollars a year .
`` Even if you took all their money , you 're not going to be able to right the harm they 've done , '' Stranch said .
`` The amount of damage is simply too great . ''

Opioid Scandal Haunts Drug Companies As They Respond To Pandemic
Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images
As drug firms race to position themselves as key players in the coronavirus fight, the industry faces a renewed wave of civil lawsuits stemming from its role in the nation's deadly opioid epidemic.
Thousands of cases that ground to a halt because of the COVID-19 pandemic are moving forward again as local, state and federal courts reopen around the United States.
"I think it's quite serious," said Rebecca Haffajee, who studies opioid litigation for the Rand Corp. and the University of Michigan. "There have been delays associated with COVID, but I actually don't think there's an end in sight for a lot of these defendants."
Pressure on the opioid front comes even as drug firms are producing medicines and providing services, including testing and vaccine development, needed to help slow the pandemic.
"These companies are and have argued that they are essential businesses" during the coronavirus crisis, Haffajee noted.
But some of the nation's biggest companies — including CVS, Johnson & Johnson, McKesson and Walgreens — remain mired in legal and financial uncertainty tied to their decades-long manufacture and sale of prescription opioids.
The highly addictive medications have contributed to the overdose deaths of more than 230,000 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fallout from the opioid crisis has already forced two companies, Purdue Pharma and Insys Therapeutics, into bankruptcy.
Mallinckrodt, a maker of generic opioids, announced last week it is considering filing for Chapter 11 protection, in part because of opioid liabilities.
Nevertheless, Haffajee said, "the goal is not necessarily to put these pharmacies, these manufacturers and these distributors out of business altogether."
"That would actually be bad for public health and for the health care industry."
Companies look to pivot away from opioid scandal
In addition to financial and legal uncertainty, years of opioid litigation have meant devastating public relations blows for some of the drug industry's highest profile companies as well as their owners.
They were once viewed as philanthropists and champions of public health, but court filings have revealed the role executives played in downplaying the risk of prescription pain medications to boost profits.
Just last year, Oklahoma's attorney general described Johnson & Johnson as a "drug kingpin" for its role pushing medical opioids. A state judge in that case ruled the company must pay $465 million in damages.
In a separate case, the company also agreed to pay two Ohio counties $20.4 million to settle opioid claims.
Johnson & Johnson has denied any wrongdoing in these cases, and now the company appears eager to pivot, recasting itself as a major player in the race for a coronavirus vaccine.
"We're facing arguably one of the most serious health challenges the world has ever faced, but we're doing our absolute very best to make sure we can navigate our way through," CEO Alex Gorsky said in a webcast to investors this summer.
Last week Johnson & Johnson announced a $1 billion deal with the federal government aimed at producing millions of doses of a vaccine now in development.
Pressure grows to reach a settlement
But a series of legal developments in recent weeks complicate the drug industry's efforts to put the opioid scandal behind it.
At the end of July, the Justice Department filed civil and criminal claims against Purdue Pharma, makers of Oxycontin, worth more than $13 billion, according to Reuters, complicating that company's structured bankruptcy proceedings.
Last week, a federal judge in Ohio ruled that a major case against pharmacy chains can go forward. Local governments in that suit claim corner drugstores dispensed huge quantities of opioids without proper safeguards against diversion and misuse.
Meanwhile, a court in Tennessee scheduled a jury trial for next month involving drug-makers Endo and Mallinckrodt. Local governments in that case are seeking opioid-related damages of roughly $2.5 billion.
"They're going to have to answer for what they've done," said Gerard Stranch, an attorney representing Tennessee communities ravaged by the addiction crisis.
National Opioids Are Personal For One Former Prosecutor Opioids Are Personal For One Former Prosecutor Listen · 4:53 4:53
As civil and criminal cases move forward, pressure is growing to reach a national settlement of opioid-related cases similar to the Big Tobacco payouts of the 1990s.
The goal is to cap the drug industry's total liability and end financial instability for firms while accelerating payouts to cash-strapped communities.
Several proposed settlements unveiled last year, involving Johnson & Johnson, Teva and others, still haven't been finalized.
Stranch predicted companies would need to increase their offers of compensation before local governments agree to cut deals.
"They're not going to be allowed to just walk away and say, well, a couple hundred million dollars is the best we can do," he said.
But even the drug industry's fiercest critics also acknowledged firms lack the cash to compensate Americans harmed by prescription opioids and the addiction crisis fully. By some estimates, the opioid crisis is costing communities hundreds of billions of dollars a year.
"Even if you took all their money, you're not going to be able to right the harm they've done," Stranch said. "The amount of damage is simply too great."


npr--2020-08-10--'Silence And Lies': McDonald's Sues Fired CEO, Says He Hid Sexual Relationships

'Silence And Lies ' : McDonald 's Sues Fired CEO , Says He Hid Sexual Relationships When former McDonald 's CEO Steve Easterbrook was fired for a consensual relationship with a subordinate last year , he left with an exit payout estimated over $ 40 million .
Now , McDonald 's is suing him for that money , citing new evidence of additional relationships and accusing him of lies and fraud .
Easterbrook was fired in November `` without cause '' after apologizing for a consensual relationship with a subordinate , which amounted to sexting .
But now , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's officials lay out new damning accusations against Easterbrook and argue he should have been fired `` with cause '' and disqualified from exit compensation .
The company says it has learned that Easterbrook had sexual relationships with at least three McDonald 's employees in the year before he was fired — and even `` approved an extraordinary stock grant , worth hundreds of thousands of dollars '' for one of them .
The legal documents accuse Easterbrook of erasing evidence of these relationships from his phone and telling investigators at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's silence and lies — a clear breach of the duty of candor — were calculated to induce the Company to separate him on terms much more favorable to him than those the Company would have offered and agreed to had it known the full truth of his behavior , '' the company says in the legal complaint .
This is an unusually public airing of damning details from an internal investigation by a fairly conventional American corporation .
Easterbrook 's compensation for being fired — including six months of severance pay , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention and criticism last year .
Workers at the time pointed out that his pay in 2018 was 2,124 times more than the median income of a McDonald 's employee .
They also used the moment to highlight allegations of rampant sexual harassment of female employees by male co-workers and managers across McDonald 's restaurants .
This summer , an anonymous tip about a second relationship between Easterbrook and a McDonald 's employee led the company to revisit his case .
On a company server , the company found evidence of `` dozens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explicitly sexual photographs and videos of various women '' that Easterbrook had attached to emails from his corporate account , the legal documents say .
McDonald 's calls this `` undisputable evidence '' that the former CEO violated rules about intimate relationships at work and `` that Easterbrook lied during the investigation . ''
Easterbrook 's legal team did not immediately respond to NPR 's inquiry .
In a note to employees on Monday , current McDonald 's CEO Chris Kempczinski said that `` McDonald 's does not tolerate behavior from any employee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` We now know that [ Easterbrook 's ] conduct deviated from our values in different and far more extensive ways than we were aware when he left the company last year , '' Kempczinski said .
`` While the Board made the right decision to swiftly remove him from the Company last November , this new information makes it clear that he ... should not have retained the contractual compensation he did upon his exit . ''

'Silence And Lies': McDonald's Sues Fired CEO, Says He Hid Sexual Relationships
Enlarge this image toggle caption Richard Drew/AP Richard Drew/AP
When former McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook was fired for a consensual relationship with a subordinate last year, he left with an exit payout estimated over $40 million. Now, McDonald's is suing him for that money, citing new evidence of additional relationships and accusing him of lies and fraud.
Easterbrook was fired in November "without cause" after apologizing for a consensual relationship with a subordinate, which amounted to sexting. But now, in the legal documents disclosed Monday, McDonald's officials lay out new damning accusations against Easterbrook and argue he should have been fired "with cause" and disqualified from exit compensation.
The company says it has learned that Easterbrook had sexual relationships with at least three McDonald's employees in the year before he was fired — and even "approved an extraordinary stock grant, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars" for one of them. The legal documents accuse Easterbrook of erasing evidence of these relationships from his phone and telling investigators at the time "deliberate falsehoods."
"Easterbrook's silence and lies — a clear breach of the duty of candor — were calculated to induce the Company to separate him on terms much more favorable to him than those the Company would have offered and agreed to had it known the full truth of his behavior," the company says in the legal complaint.
This is an unusually public airing of damning details from an internal investigation by a fairly conventional American corporation.
Easterbrook's compensation for being fired — including six months of severance pay, shares and other equity — drew much attention and criticism last year. Workers at the time pointed out that his pay in 2018 was 2,124 times more than the median income of a McDonald's employee. They also used the moment to highlight allegations of rampant sexual harassment of female employees by male co-workers and managers across McDonald's restaurants.
This summer, an anonymous tip about a second relationship between Easterbrook and a McDonald's employee led the company to revisit his case. On a company server, the company found evidence of "dozens of nude, partially nude, or explicitly sexual photographs and videos of various women" that Easterbrook had attached to emails from his corporate account, the legal documents say. McDonald's calls this "undisputable evidence" that the former CEO violated rules about intimate relationships at work and "that Easterbrook lied during the investigation."
Easterbrook's legal team did not immediately respond to NPR's inquiry.
In a note to employees on Monday, current McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said that "McDonald's does not tolerate behavior from any employee that does not reflect our values."
"We now know that [Easterbrook's] conduct deviated from our values in different and far more extensive ways than we were aware when he left the company last year," Kempczinski said. "While the Board made the right decision to swiftly remove him from the Company last November, this new information makes it clear that he ... should not have retained the contractual compensation he did upon his exit."
Editor's note: McDonald's is among NPR's recent sponsors.


npr--2020-08-10--PHOTOS: Indonesia's Volcano Mount Sinabung Erupts, Spewing Ash Miles High

Indonesia 's Mount Sinabung has erupted in a dramatic plume of ash rising several miles into the sky and posing @ @ @ @ @ , according to Indonesian authorities .
The volcano , located on Sumatra Island , erupted @ @ @ @ @ Monday , `` emitting a thunderous noise and turning the sky dark , '' Reuters @ @ @ @ @ the island told The Associated Press that ash and grit had piled up 2 inches @ @ @ @ @ close to the volcano .
Mount Sinabung lay dormant for 400 years before reawakening a @ @ @ @ @ , it has erupted multiple times , sometimes with deadly results .
Many villagers have @ @ @ @ @ fatalities or injuries have been reported as a result of the latest eruption , the @ @ @ @ @ have warned that the ash plume could disrupt aviation in the immediate area of the @ @ @ @ @ the seismically active `` Ring of Fire '' in the Pacific Ocean , is home @ @ @ @ @ volcanoes .

PHOTOS: Indonesia's Volcano Mount Sinabung Erupts, Spewing Ash Miles High
Enlarge this image toggle caption Anto Sembiring/AFP via Getty Images Anto Sembiring/AFP via Getty Images
Indonesia's Mount Sinabung has erupted in a dramatic plume of ash rising several miles into the sky and posing health risks to nearby residents, according to Indonesian authorities.
The volcano, located on Sumatra Island, erupted on Saturday and again on Monday, "emitting a thunderous noise and turning the sky dark," Reuters reports.
An official on the island told The Associated Press that ash and grit had piled up 2 inches thick in some abandoned villages close to the volcano.
Reuters YouTube
Mount Sinabung lay dormant for 400 years before reawakening a decade ago. Since then, it has erupted multiple times, sometimes with deadly results. Many villagers have been permanently displaced.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ivan Damanik/AFP via Getty Images Ivan Damanik/AFP via Getty Images
No fatalities or injuries have been reported as a result of the latest eruption, the AP writes.
Local observatories have warned that the ash plume could disrupt aviation in the immediate area of the volcano.
Indonesia, along the seismically active "Ring of Fire" in the Pacific Ocean, is home to more than 100 active volcanoes.


npr--2020-08-10--Chicago's Magnificent Mile Erupts In Overnight Looting, Violence

Hundreds of people looted high-end shops on Chicago 's Magnificent Mile overnight and early Monday morning with police officers exchanging gunfire with at least one individual , according to Chicago officials .
Law enforcement officials say the violence was linked to social media calls for looting after police shot and injured a male suspect in Englewood , on the city 's South Side , on Sunday afternoon .
`` To be clear , this had nothing to do with legitimate protected First Amendment expression , '' Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday .
`` What occurred downtown and in surrounding communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simple ...
This was straight-up felony criminal conduct . ''
To staunch the unrest , bridges over the Chicago River were lifted to reduce traffic in and out of downtown , and bus and train service were temporarily restricted to the area .
`` This was an act of violence against our police officers and against our city , '' Police Superintendent David Brown said Monday morning , vowing a heavy police presence would be felt downtown `` until further notice . ''
Nine officers were injured , including a broken nose and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while one security guard and one civilian were shot and hospitalized in critical condition , according to police .
Police arrested more than 100 people suspected of theft , disorderly conduct and battery against officers and will examine security footage for more suspects , Brown said .
The scenes in Chicago echoed the unrest in that city and many others in late May and early June after George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis .
However , local police and government officials were adamant that the overnight looting and property destruction were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday afternoon , police shot and injured a male suspect in Englewood .
Police say he had fired a weapon at officers ; he has been hospitalized and is expected to survive .
A crowd of residents confronted police officers at the scene , accusing them of shooting a child .
Deputy Police Chief Yolanda Talley disputed that characterization on Sunday , calling it `` misinformation . ''
On Monday , Brown said the suspect shot by police is a 20-year-old man .
Brown said shortly after the crowd in Englewood dispersed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for looting downtown , with `` car caravans '' headed that way in `` an incident of pure criminality . ''
He said 400 officers were sent to the area .
`` I pledge to pursue these offenders to the fullest extent of the law , '' he said .
`` [ The Chicago Police Department ] will not stand by as our beautiful downtown becomes someplace people fear . ''

Chicago's Magnificent Mile Erupts In Overnight Looting, Violence
Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images Scott Olson/Getty Images
Hundreds of people looted high-end shops on Chicago's Magnificent Mile overnight and early Monday morning with police officers exchanging gunfire with at least one individual, according to Chicago officials.
Law enforcement officials say the violence was linked to social media calls for looting after police shot and injured a male suspect in Englewood, on the city's South Side, on Sunday afternoon.
"To be clear, this had nothing to do with legitimate protected First Amendment expression," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday. "What occurred downtown and in surrounding communities was abject criminal behavior, pure and simple ... This was straight-up felony criminal conduct."
To staunch the unrest, bridges over the Chicago River were lifted to reduce traffic in and out of downtown, and bus and train service were temporarily restricted to the area.
"This was an act of violence against our police officers and against our city," Police Superintendent David Brown said Monday morning, vowing a heavy police presence would be felt downtown "until further notice."
Nine officers were injured, including a broken nose and an injury from a thrown bottle, while one security guard and one civilian were shot and hospitalized in critical condition, according to police. Police arrested more than 100 people suspected of theft, disorderly conduct and battery against officers and will examine security footage for more suspects, Brown said.
The scenes in Chicago echoed the unrest in that city and many others in late May and early June after George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis.
However, local police and government officials were adamant that the overnight looting and property destruction were not part of a protest.
National Amid Pandemic, Protest Related Looting Hits Chicago Residents Hard Amid Pandemic, Protest Related Looting Hits Chicago Residents Hard Listen · 4:26 4:26
On Sunday afternoon, police shot and injured a male suspect in Englewood. Police say he had fired a weapon at officers; he has been hospitalized and is expected to survive.
A crowd of residents confronted police officers at the scene, accusing them of shooting a child. Deputy Police Chief Yolanda Talley disputed that characterization on Sunday, calling it "misinformation." On Monday, Brown said the suspect shot by police is a 20-year-old man.
Brown said shortly after the crowd in Englewood dispersed, police learned of calls on social media for looting downtown, with "car caravans" headed that way in "an incident of pure criminality." He said 400 officers were sent to the area.
"I pledge to pursue these offenders to the fullest extent of the law," he said. "[The Chicago Police Department] will not stand by as our beautiful downtown becomes someplace people fear."


npr--2020-08-10--Why A Vote For Trump's Lands Appointee May Put Some Western Republicans In A Bind

Why A Vote For Trump 's Lands Appointee May Put Some Western Republicans In A Bind Republicans up for reelection in key Western states could be facing an uncomfortable vote soon as President Trump 's controversial nominee to head the Bureau of Land Management is expected to come before the Senate for confirmation .
Last week , the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee received final documents and paperwork from the administration that were needed to hold a hearing for William Perry Pendley , who has been serving as the Bureau of Land Management 's temporary director since last August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But with the election less than three months out , Democrats are eager to get vulnerable GOP senators on the committee on the record about a nominee who as recently as 2016 suggested that federal public land should be sold to states or private entities .
Sen. Maria Cantwell , D-Wash. , said Republicans may be trying to delay a vote until after the election .
`` Just because members of Congress do n't want to be put on the hot seat about his philosophy that is out of step with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Cantwell said .
Last week , conservationists began running online political ads in Montana that attempt to align Pendley with that state 's Republican Sen. Steve Daines , who also sits on the committee and is in a tight reelection bid against Montana Gov .
Steve Bullock .
`` Tell Steve Daines our public lands are not for sale , stop Pendley , '' can be heard on the video paid for by Montana Conservation Voters .
Daines has n't said how he 'd vote .
Fellow GOP committee member Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gardner is trying to fend off a challenge from his state 's former governor , John Hickenlooper .
Neither Daines nor Gardner 's offices made the senators available for interviews , though the two have said they plan to ask tough questions of Pendley if there 's a hearing .
A Daines spokeswoman did call the recent attack ad an attempt to distract from the senator 's work getting a huge conservation bill signed last week — the Great American Outdoors Act — that puts billions of dollars toward public lands protections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key in its passage .
`` That was a big political win for those two in particular , '' said Rob Saldin , a political scientist at the University of Montana .
`` They 'd like to be able to bask in the glow of that for a while , ideally all the way through Election Day and now this Pendley nomination risks overshadowing that . ''
Saldin says Daines and Gardner are in a bind because no Western politician can afford to be portrayed as anti-public land .
But the two men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump if they do n't support Pendley .
Pendley is especially big news in the West with its vast open spaces .
Here , the decisions of the Bureau of Land Management director or interior secretary can have a lot more direct effect on people 's daily lives than the president .
`` What we 're looking at in this vote is somebody with such an extreme and terrible track record for issues that matter in the West , '' said Jesse Prentice-Dunn with the Center for Western Priorities , a left-leaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part , Pendley has maintained that his character is being unfairly maligned .
In an interview earlier this year , he insisted he has no plans to transfer or sell off federal public lands , even though , officially , that language is still included in the GOP party platform .
`` I 've made it very very clear , the president of the United States has made it clear , the secretary of the interior has made it clear , '' Pendley said .
`` The United States government will not engage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public lands . ''
Meanwhile , Pendley 's future at the Bureau of Land Management remains uncertain regardless of his pending confirmation hearing .
Two federal lawsuits have been filed accusing the administration of keeping him in an acting role there far longer than what 's legal under federal law .
One of those comes from Bullock , Montana 's Democratic governor , that Republicans have charged is politically motivated .

Why A Vote For Trump's Lands Appointee May Put Some Western Republicans In A Bind
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matthew Brown/AP Matthew Brown/AP
Republicans up for reelection in key Western states could be facing an uncomfortable vote soon as President Trump's controversial nominee to head the Bureau of Land Management is expected to come before the Senate for confirmation.
Last week, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee received final documents and paperwork from the administration that were needed to hold a hearing for William Perry Pendley, who has been serving as the Bureau of Land Management's temporary director since last August.
A date has not been set. But with the election less than three months out, Democrats are eager to get vulnerable GOP senators on the committee on the record about a nominee who as recently as 2016 suggested that federal public land should be sold to states or private entities.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said Republicans may be trying to delay a vote until after the election.
"Just because members of Congress don't want to be put on the hot seat about his philosophy that is out of step with the mainstream of the public is very troubling," Cantwell said.
Last week, conservationists began running online political ads in Montana that attempt to align Pendley with that state's Republican Sen. Steve Daines, who also sits on the committee and is in a tight reelection bid against Montana Gov. Steve Bullock.
"Tell Steve Daines our public lands are not for sale, stop Pendley," can be heard on the video paid for by Montana Conservation Voters.
Daines hasn't said how he'd vote. Fellow GOP committee member Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado hasn't either. Gardner is trying to fend off a challenge from his state's former governor, John Hickenlooper.
Neither Daines nor Gardner's offices made the senators available for interviews, though the two have said they plan to ask tough questions of Pendley if there's a hearing.
A Daines spokeswoman did call the recent attack ad an attempt to distract from the senator's work getting a huge conservation bill signed last week — the Great American Outdoors Act — that puts billions of dollars toward public lands protections.
Sen. Gardner was also seen as key in its passage.
"That was a big political win for those two in particular," said Rob Saldin, a political scientist at the University of Montana. "They'd like to be able to bask in the glow of that for a while, ideally all the way through Election Day and now this Pendley nomination risks overshadowing that."
Saldin says Daines and Gardner are in a bind because no Western politician can afford to be portrayed as anti-public land. But the two men also can't risk the ridicule of President Trump if they don't support Pendley.
Pendley is especially big news in the West with its vast open spaces. Here, the decisions of the Bureau of Land Management director or interior secretary can have a lot more direct effect on people's daily lives than the president.
"What we're looking at in this vote is somebody with such an extreme and terrible track record for issues that matter in the West," said Jesse Prentice-Dunn with the Center for Western Priorities, a left-leaning think tank in Colorado.
For his part, Pendley has maintained that his character is being unfairly maligned. In an interview earlier this year, he insisted he has no plans to transfer or sell off federal public lands, even though, officially, that language is still included in the GOP party platform.
"I've made it very very clear, the president of the United States has made it clear, the secretary of the interior has made it clear," Pendley said. "The United States government will not engage in the wholesale transfer or disposal of the public lands."
Meanwhile, Pendley's future at the Bureau of Land Management remains uncertain regardless of his pending confirmation hearing.
Two federal lawsuits have been filed accusing the administration of keeping him in an acting role there far longer than what's legal under federal law. One of those comes from Bullock, Montana's Democratic governor, that Republicans have charged is politically motivated.


npr--2020-08-10--In Rural China, Villagers Say They're Forced From Farm Homes To High-Rises

In Rural China , Villagers Say They 're Forced From Farm Homes To High-Rises A farmer from Shandong province along China 's east coast , Liu recalls how during Chinese Lunar New Year in January , he went out for a walk and came home to discover local officials preparing to demolish his home .
When he called the police on the demolishers , they arrested him instead , saying that the police would `` assist the work of the local government . ''
`` To demolish my home , about 100 security officers surrounded and subdued me , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recent visit to his village , Liushuanglou , near the city of Heze .
He was released from detention the next day .
Like most of the more than three dozen Shandong residents NPR interviewed , Liu requested only his family name be used because he fears being physically threatened again by the authorities .
After building some of the world 's largest cities , erecting entire districts of gleaming high rises in the span of a few years , China is now kicking plans into high gear to overhaul tens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liu and other residents allege that the authorities are coercing them into signing away their older , much larger farm homes , demolishing them by force if necessary and not adequately compensating residents for their homes .
The residents say the new , smaller houses or high-rise apartments they are being moved into are either too far from their fields , too expensive or ill-suited for their needs as farmers .
`` Our leaders have been distanced from us regular people at the bottom .
They do not know our basic needs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Liu said .
Thousands of villagers in Shandong , meanwhile , have already been rendered effectively homeless since local governments began forcibly clearing away houses last year .
The ongoing mass demolition and consolidation of villages scattered across China has become so common that residents colloquially refer to the initiative as `` pulling '' villages out from the ground , much like one would pull out a rotten tooth or a weed .
China 's ruling Communist Party took power in 1949 with the vision of transforming the country into an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as key to its pledge to eliminate poverty by the end of this year .
Officials say lumping far-flung villages together streamlines administrative functions , enabling efficient delivery of services and infrastructure , while allowing villagers to upgrade their housing .
It has also enabled local governments to sell cleared land for commercial use .
But in Shandong province , this overhaul has taken on an extreme form as entire villages are temporarily wiped off the map .
The province still has nearly 50 million of its residents , about half of Shandong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house only a few hundred people each .
The provincial government slated thousands of villages to be demolished and consolidated by the end of this year .
Some residents have been reduced to living in government-provided shacks while they wait for new housing to be built .
Others have built mud and straw huts or use a 2,000 yuan ( $ 285 ) yearly subsidy municipal authorities hand out to rent a temporary home .
`` The government does not care whether you live or die .
They only care about whether you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your home , '' said Wang Caishi , 66 , a resident of Shandong 's Red Boat Village .
She and her husband , who both work as farmers and earn extra income by recycling trash , now live in tents on the edges of their fields as they wait for compensation for their destroyed house .
The Communist Party says it has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty , many of whom have moved into cities .
Bringing those gains to the 600 million residents of China 's countryside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has gained traction is to relocate villagers into denser communities , reducing the fragmentation of agricultural plots that has stymied commercial farming and rural development .
`` Rural consolidation has been going on kind of rapidly in many parts of China for at least a decade , '' said Alexander Day , an associate professor at Occidental College in Los Angeles who studies Chinese rural policy .
`` The intent is to pull these people out of very small villages and put them into these new , concentrated communities .
It also allows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the early 2000s , provinces also rolled out plans to revamp village infrastructure , social services and agricultural technology .
Sanitation improved in many villages .
New roads were built .
Average incomes rose .
Rural policies initially aimed to upgrade roads and farming techniques .
But they quickly morphed into all-out campaigns to relocate villagers .
`` In practice and implementation , it 's all become about housing , '' said Kristen Looney , an associate professor at Georgetown University who researches Asian rural development .
In 2008 , the municipal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , announced plans to squeeze 8,000 nearby villages that fall under its administration into 1,000 larger communities .
When Dezhou quickly ran out of funds to front the cost of building new housing , it dropped the project partway through ; about 10 % of villages were demolished and their occupants rehoused .
The coastal province of Zhejiang has won plaudits for merging more than 27,000 small villages beginning in 2003 .
Looney said the emphasis on new housing reflects China 's drive to diversify its manufacturing exports-reliant economy to include more consumer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves generates spending .
And once people move into homes , they have to buy durable goods to fill those homes and they become these new kinds of consumers , '' she said .
In the process of transplanting villages en masse , local governments also accrue a valuable resource : the land underneath those villages .
By moving villagers from sprawling farmhouses into smaller apartments in multistory buildings , local governments can consolidate land and sell it at a high margin to commercial property developers .
The profits also incentivize land grabs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land is such a contentious issue in China and probably the number one source of state-society conflict in the country , '' Looney said .
This year , the Shandong city of Liaocheng wants to merge 6,260 villages into 1,000 larger communities .
The vacated land relinquished by rural residents , will in turn be contracted for third-party commercial use , such as agritourism and pig farming .
Qingdao , a major port city in Shandong that sits by the Yellow Sea , also announced in January that more than 500 surrounding villages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a major revenue source for nearly all Chinese local governments .
Cash-strapped and often heavily indebted from construction projects , local governments reached a record volume of land sales last year as China 's economic growth began to slow .
But by `` fantasizing about the riches '' that land development brings , He Xuefeng , an expert on rural China who teaches at Wuhan University , wrote last month , lower-level government officials `` can not help but scheme about how to take rural land from villagers , thus bringing about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its residents . ''
Among corn fields at the edge of city of Heze , Hongchuancun or Red Boat Village sits on about 5,000 acres to be razed this year to make way for concrete apartment complexes .
Hundreds of homes have already been torn down .
In late June , area residents thought they had been spared when the provincial government forbade demolition without consent , following heavy criticism .
But the destruction has accelerated , according to more than two dozen villagers who spoke to NPR .
Barely a week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the only paved road and tore down several more homes .
The bulldozers also toppled electricity poles , leaving residents with no power and Internet , and blocked incoming traffic with a pile of rubble .
Dozens of residents told NPR they believe this was retribution for 80 % of them refusing to move last year .
`` All the houses here are torn down without our permission , '' resident Li Aihua told NPR .
`` If you do not agree , they use all sorts of methods to coerce you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her late 50s , said village officials cut the water lines to her house last October after she refused to let them demolish her home , now riddled with cracks in the outer walls from nearby construction .
In March , someone broke into her house and smashed all her furniture .
Another resident described how unidentified assailants broke the locks on her home this February .
A fruit vendor surnamed Wang said a week after refusing to sign an agreement to move , health inspectors suddenly visited his store to see if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Villagers say they formed a neighborhood watch group due to the number of mysterious assaults in Red Boat .
`` Should be decided by the people '' Red Boat Village officials denied wrongdoing and claimed people were voluntarily moving out of their old residences .
`` We do not demolish homes if people do not agree .
Nearly everyone signed papers last year agreeing to be consolidated , '' said Gu Xianfeng , a village party cadre .
When reached for comment , the Shandong provincial government said the process behind village merging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' but acknowledged the policy had raised some concerns .
`` Shandong is currently looking back at the construction of beautiful and hospitable villages , so as to further increase public satisfaction and happiness . ''
Three Heze City-adjacent villages said some of them agreed last year to put down an initial deposit for new houses that they were told would cost no more than 30,000 yuan ( $ 4,300 ) after selling their original residence .
But then the price inched upwards .
The new government-built apartments will now cost 80,000-100,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the compensation villagers would receive .
Residents said compensation for their demolished homes averaged to no more than one half of what they said their original homes had cost to build .
County and village officials defended the price differential to NPR , saying the new houses were being sold at a break-even cost to cover construction materials and labor .
About 40 of Red Boat Village 's residents now live in rows of corrugated tin shacks — housing provided by the state to those whose homes are now gone .
Several residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the edge of their fields after their brick houses were torn down this spring .
`` I can not afford to buy a new apartment , even if it is built , so I can only live in such a [ mud ] house , '' said one woman , who declined to give her name .
`` If the government knows I am criticizing them , they might take away this house too . ''

In Rural China, Villagers Say They're Forced From Farm Homes To High-Rises
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amy Cheng/NPR Amy Cheng/NPR
A farmer from Shandong province along China's east coast, Liu recalls how during Chinese Lunar New Year in January, he went out for a walk and came home to discover local officials preparing to demolish his home.
When he called the police on the demolishers, they arrested him instead, saying that the police would "assist the work of the local government."
"To demolish my home, about 100 security officers surrounded and subdued me, and detained me," Liu said on a recent visit to his village, Liushuanglou, near the city of Heze. He was released from detention the next day.
Like most of the more than three dozen Shandong residents NPR interviewed, Liu requested only his family name be used because he fears being physically threatened again by the authorities.
After building some of the world's largest cities, erecting entire districts of gleaming high rises in the span of a few years, China is now kicking plans into high gear to overhaul tens of thousands of its rural villages.
But Liu and other residents allege that the authorities are coercing them into signing away their older, much larger farm homes, demolishing them by force if necessary and not adequately compensating residents for their homes. The residents say the new, smaller houses or high-rise apartments they are being moved into are either too far from their fields, too expensive or ill-suited for their needs as farmers.
"Our leaders have been distanced from us regular people at the bottom. They do not know our basic needs. They are completely cut off from us," Liu said.
Thousands of villagers in Shandong, meanwhile, have already been rendered effectively homeless since local governments began forcibly clearing away houses last year.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amy Cheng/NPR Amy Cheng/NPR
The ongoing mass demolition and consolidation of villages scattered across China has become so common that residents colloquially refer to the initiative as "pulling" villages out from the ground, much like one would pull out a rotten tooth or a weed.
China's ruling Communist Party took power in 1949 with the vision of transforming the country into an agricultural utopia. It sees rural development as key to its pledge to eliminate poverty by the end of this year.
Officials say lumping far-flung villages together streamlines administrative functions, enabling efficient delivery of services and infrastructure, while allowing villagers to upgrade their housing. It has also enabled local governments to sell cleared land for commercial use.
But in Shandong province, this overhaul has taken on an extreme form as entire villages are temporarily wiped off the map. The province still has nearly 50 million of its residents, about half of Shandong's population, living in villages that house only a few hundred people each.
The provincial government slated thousands of villages to be demolished and consolidated by the end of this year.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amy Cheng/NPR Amy Cheng/NPR
Some residents have been reduced to living in government-provided shacks while they wait for new housing to be built. Others have built mud and straw huts or use a 2,000 yuan ($285) yearly subsidy municipal authorities hand out to rent a temporary home.
"The government does not care whether you live or die. They only care about whether you sign an agreement to let them demolish your home," said Wang Caishi, 66, a resident of Shandong's Red Boat Village.
She and her husband, who both work as farmers and earn extra income by recycling trash, now live in tents on the edges of their fields as they wait for compensation for their destroyed house.
Demolished with good intentions
The Communist Party says it has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, many of whom have moved into cities. Bringing those gains to the 600 million residents of China's countryside has proved difficult.
One idea that has gained traction is to relocate villagers into denser communities, reducing the fragmentation of agricultural plots that has stymied commercial farming and rural development.
"Rural consolidation has been going on kind of rapidly in many parts of China for at least a decade," said Alexander Day, an associate professor at Occidental College in Los Angeles who studies Chinese rural policy. "The intent is to pull these people out of very small villages and put them into these new, concentrated communities. It also allows for the development of land."
In the early 2000s, provinces also rolled out plans to revamp village infrastructure, social services and agricultural technology. Sanitation improved in many villages. New roads were built. Average incomes rose.
Rural policies initially aimed to upgrade roads and farming techniques. But they quickly morphed into all-out campaigns to relocate villagers.
"In practice and implementation, it's all become about housing," said Kristen Looney, an associate professor at Georgetown University who researches Asian rural development.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amy Cheng/NPR Amy Cheng/NPR
In 2008, the municipal government of Dezhou, another Shandong city, announced plans to squeeze 8,000 nearby villages that fall under its administration into 1,000 larger communities. When Dezhou quickly ran out of funds to front the cost of building new housing, it dropped the project partway through; about 10% of villages were demolished and their occupants rehoused.
The coastal province of Zhejiang has won plaudits for merging more than 27,000 small villages beginning in 2003.
Looney said the emphasis on new housing reflects China's drive to diversify its manufacturing exports-reliant economy to include more consumer activity.
"The construction of houses themselves generates spending. And once people move into homes, they have to buy durable goods to fill those homes and they become these new kinds of consumers," she said.
In the process of transplanting villages en masse, local governments also accrue a valuable resource: the land underneath those villages.
By moving villagers from sprawling farmhouses into smaller apartments in multistory buildings, local governments can consolidate land and sell it at a high margin to commercial property developers. The profits also incentivize land grabs from villagers. "That is why land is such a contentious issue in China and probably the number one source of state-society conflict in the country," Looney said.
This year, the Shandong city of Liaocheng wants to merge 6,260 villages into 1,000 larger communities. The vacated land relinquished by rural residents, will in turn be contracted for third-party commercial use, such as agritourism and pig farming. Qingdao, a major port city in Shandong that sits by the Yellow Sea, also announced in January that more than 500 surrounding villages will be taken down.
Selling land is a major revenue source for nearly all Chinese local governments. Cash-strapped and often heavily indebted from construction projects, local governments reached a record volume of land sales last year as China's economic growth began to slow.
But by "fantasizing about the riches" that land development brings, He Xuefeng, an expert on rural China who teaches at Wuhan University, wrote last month, lower-level government officials "cannot help but scheme about how to take rural land from villagers, thus bringing about an unnecessary ordeal to both the countryside and its residents."
"Torn down without permission"
Among corn fields at the edge of city of Heze, Hongchuancun or Red Boat Village sits on about 5,000 acres to be razed this year to make way for concrete apartment complexes. Hundreds of homes have already been torn down.
In late June, area residents thought they had been spared when the provincial government forbade demolition without consent, following heavy criticism.
But the destruction has accelerated, according to more than two dozen villagers who spoke to NPR.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amy Cheng/NPR Amy Cheng/NPR
Barely a week after demolition ban, bulldozers suddenly ripped up the only paved road and tore down several more homes. The bulldozers also toppled electricity poles, leaving residents with no power and Internet, and blocked incoming traffic with a pile of rubble. Dozens of residents told NPR they believe this was retribution for 80% of them refusing to move last year.
"All the houses here are torn down without our permission," resident Li Aihua told NPR. "If you do not agree, they use all sorts of methods to coerce you."
Li, who is in her late 50s, said village officials cut the water lines to her house last October after she refused to let them demolish her home, now riddled with cracks in the outer walls from nearby construction. In March, someone broke into her house and smashed all her furniture.
Another resident described how unidentified assailants broke the locks on her home this February. A fruit vendor surnamed Wang said a week after refusing to sign an agreement to move, health inspectors suddenly visited his store to see if he had been selling expired goods. Villagers say they formed a neighborhood watch group due to the number of mysterious assaults in Red Boat.
"Should be decided by the people"
Red Boat Village officials denied wrongdoing and claimed people were voluntarily moving out of their old residences. "We do not demolish homes if people do not agree. Nearly everyone signed papers last year agreeing to be consolidated," said Gu Xianfeng, a village party cadre.
When reached for comment, the Shandong provincial government said the process behind village merging "should be decided by the people," but acknowledged the policy had raised some concerns. "Shandong is currently looking back at the construction of beautiful and hospitable villages, so as to further increase public satisfaction and happiness."
Three Heze City-adjacent villages said some of them agreed last year to put down an initial deposit for new houses that they were told would cost no more than 30,000 yuan ($4,300) after selling their original residence.
But then the price inched upwards. The new government-built apartments will now cost 80,000-100,000 yuan ($11,400-14,300) more than the compensation villagers would receive. Residents said compensation for their demolished homes averaged to no more than one half of what they said their original homes had cost to build.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amy Cheng/NPR Amy Cheng/NPR
County and village officials defended the price differential to NPR, saying the new houses were being sold at a break-even cost to cover construction materials and labor.
About 40 of Red Boat Village's residents now live in rows of corrugated tin shacks — housing provided by the state to those whose homes are now gone. Several residents had built rudimentary mud and straw huts on the edge of their fields after their brick houses were torn down this spring.
"I cannot afford to buy a new apartment, even if it is built, so I can only live in such a [mud] house," said one woman, who declined to give her name. "If the government knows I am criticizing them, they might take away this house too."
Amy Cheng contributed research.


npr--2020-08-11--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak Since the new coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan , China , in December , the infectious respiratory disease COVID-19 has spread rapidly within China and to neighboring countries and beyond .
The first confirmed coronavirus cases outside China occurred on Jan. 20 , in Japan , Thailand and South Korea .
On Jan. 21 , the first case in the U.S. was identified in Washington state .
On Jan. 24 , the first two European cases were confirmed in France .
By Feb. 1 , eight European nations had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month later that count had risen to 24 countries with at least 2,200 cases , most of them in Italy .
On March 11 , Italy eclipsed 10,000 cases and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic — the first since H1N1 in 2009 .
That 's also when China , the original epicenter , began seeing drops in daily counts of new cases .
March also saw exponential spread of the virus throughout the U.S. , with all 50 states reporting cases by March 17 .
This particular virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third strain of coronavirus known to frequently cause severe symptoms in humans .
The other two strains cause Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on March 30 , 2020 .

Coronavirus world map: We've now passed the 600 million mark for infections
Editor's note: This page is no longer being updated. The last update was Sept. 5, 2022. For current data about COVID-19 cases and deaths around the world, Johns Hopkins University and Our World in Data are useful resources.
In late January 2020 only a few dozen COVID-19 infections had been identified outside of China. A year later, the world tallied its first 100 million cases. It took the globe just 7 more months to pass the 200 million mark— then another 5 months to hit 300 million, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Now the virus has spread to every corner of the globe and has been blamed for more than 6 million deaths.
The United States, India and Brazil in that order have had the most COVID cases and the three nations collectively account for almost half of all recorded infections so far in the pandemic.
Explore the chart below to find a country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January 2020.
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Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time. The first chart compares each continent to each other, while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region.
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This story was originally published on March 30, 2020.


npr--2020-08-11--Tracking The Pandemic: Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State?

Tracking The Pandemic : Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State ?
More than 5 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 160,000 have died .
Though growth in new cases slowed in late spring , by mid-June new cases began to trend upward nationally .
In the graphics below , explore the trend in new cases in your state to see whether cases are rising , falling or staying level .
You can view the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , a curve chart and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case trends over the last three weeks .
Or to see states ' total cases and deaths on a map , click here .
The following chart displays states ' trends in new daily case counts , total cases , and per capita totals .
To compare state outbreaks , the trend lines for average new daily cases are graphed against each state 's total case count to date .
This highlights a state 's daily growth relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case counts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As cases slow , the curve levels or bends down .
In New York , site of the country 's largest outbreak , the state 's curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 800 per day in mid July .
Conversely , Florida peaked around 1,200 new cases per day on average in April , only to surge again to nearly 12,000 per day in mid-July Coronavirus case totals are much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the spring , a large share of U.S. cases were centered around New York City .
As of mid July , other large , populous states such as California , Florida and Texas have reached high totals as well .
Some other states such as Arizona and Louisiana show a heavy burden of infection relative to their population size .
Explore the map below to see totals and per capita figures around the country for both cases and deaths .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state , week over week .
States marked in shades of red are showing growth , those in shades of green , are showing declines .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
In early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JHU team was able to reconcile the historical data .
On June 25 , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn contributed to and Carmel Wroth edited this story .

Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
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Note: This page was last updated on Feb. 1, 2023. It will no longer be updated. For current data on COVID cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Feb. 1, there have been more than 101 million confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. and more than 1 million people have died of COVID-19. In the graphics below, explore the trends in your state.
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The above charts show average new cases per 100,000 people for each state over the last 12 months.
Note: Actual cases may be substantially higher, since many who test positive with at-home tests don't report their cases.
For additional data about COVID-19 in the U.S, including cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
To show trends, the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state, week over week for the last 28 days. States marked in shades of red have growing outbreaks; those in shades of green, are declining.
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Methodology
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the World Health Organization; national, state and local government health departments; 1point3acres; and local media reports.
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies. This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds. There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department's website. Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships.
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases, process testing backlogs or update their methodologies. The JHU team maintains a list of such changes.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2020. Elena Renken was a co-author on that version. Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story. Carmel Wroth edited this story.


npr--2020-08-11--Beijing Attempts To Remake Hong Kong In Its Image As National Security Law Takes Hold

Beijing Attempts To Remake Hong Kong In Its Image As National Security Law Takes Hold Textbooks censored .
Teachers investigated for improper speech .
Students arrested and charged with secession for their social media posts .
Just over a month after Beijing imposed a national security law in Hong Kong , authorities are targeting in rapid succession figures at all levels of Hong Kong 's civil society and education sectors , despite assurances from Beijing officials and Hong Kong 's top leader that the law would only be used to target a small minority of people .
The new law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Beijing has long accused the U.S. and other western powers of meddling in Hong Kong , and now it has a national security law to prosecute such cases , which include activist Samuel Chu .
Chu , a Hong Kong-born U.S. citizen , is now a fugitive wanted by the Hong Kong government .
`` I found out from news reports , '' he told NPR .
`` It was quite a thing to wake up to in the morning . ''
Based in Washington , Chu lobbies American politicians to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the U.S. and costlier for China to limit Hong Kong 's promised autonomy .
Under the new law , Chu and five others who live abroad are wanted for secession and colluding with foreign powers — because the law applies to anyone , anywhere who commits offenses against Hong Kong .
`` We are advocating and working with influencing our own government 's policy towards Hong Kong and China , '' he said .
`` And so we have nothing to be afraid of .
In fact it 's one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an American . ''
Other people targeted under the new law : Jimmy Lai , a Hong Kong media mogul and prominent pro-democracy figure , arrested along with his two sons and four employees this week ; Agnes Chow , a young opposition activist arrested shortly after Lai , also for `` colluding with foreign forces ; '' and 12 opposition politicians recently banned from running in legislative elections Hong Kong has now delayed by up to a year , after the city 's chief executive Carrie Lam invoked emergency powers , citing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former journalist and now pro-democracy activist , was one of the candidates banned for , among other reasons , obstructing government proceedings .
`` All the normal democratic proceedings that in the chambers , such as vetoing whatever laws that the government proposed or try to voice dissent , '' Ho told NPR , `` we are now afraid that such behavior may be considered violating national security law , and they can put you in prison for simply performing your job as an opposition legislator . ''
Hong Kong 's sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most heavily affected are liberal studies , a compulsory subject unique in Hong Kong .
Teachers pride themselves on developing critical thought and argumentation skills in students .
`` We will not be allowed to teach about civil disobedience [ in the fall semester ] , but we are expected to teach about the national security law , '' said one secondary school teacher , whose principal put her under investigation after parents alleged she described Hong Kong police as `` riot police '' to students in an online lecture .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the lecture , but asked to remain anonymous because she still fears for her job .
The Hong Kong Professional Teachers ' Union says in the last year nearly 200 teachers have had cases against them opened by the city 's education bureau after anonymous individuals reported comments the teachers made on their private social media accounts in favor of anti-government protests .
Benny Tai , a tenured professor , was fired last month from the University of Hong Kong after a university committee partially appointed by the Hong Kong government overturned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teaching after serving a prison sentence for his pro-democracy activism .
`` My anonymous accuser sent complaint letters to my workplace and shared [ the complaints ] online .
They claimed to have sent the information to the Chinese Communist Party as well , '' says a second Hong Kong secondary school teacher currently under investigation by the education bureau for posting in favor of anti-government protests and insulting police last year on his personal Facebook account .
If found guilty for violating conduct guidelines , he will be stripped of his teaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of terror among teachers , '' says Fung Wai Wah , president of the teachers ' union , who is tracking the cases .
One professor who teaches at a Hong Kong university told NPR a course previously scheduled for the coming fall semester had been canceled due to concern it might violate the new law .
The professor requested anonymity to protect the institution .
`` They do want to have more control over the people 's idea about the world and how to see the world and especially the younger generation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pro-democracy lawmaker helping the teachers under investigation with legal assistance .
The city 's formidably freewheeling press corps has also come under new constraints , because Hong Kong police can now conduct search and seizures without a warrant in the name of national security .
`` Under 'exceptional circumstances , ' no judicial scrutiny [ of police activity ] will be applied .
The police may simply seize and examine and inspect all of the information on your mobile phone or any electronic device , '' explains Sharron Fast , a media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kong .
The city 's public broadcaster underwent a review of its coverage after it was accused of being too critical of Hong Kong 's police force .
Emboldened by new powers granted under the national security law , police have been more forceful in stopping and searching journalists covering protests , say reporters .
The police 's new national security powers also allow them to order Internet service providers to censor content .
Facebook , Twitter and Google are some of the multinational technology companies who have said they will not comply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some technology companies have already decided to leave Hong Kong altogether .
Justin Watts is engineering head at TunnelBear , which provides VPN services that shield a user 's Internet traffic from prying eyes , in part by funneling that traffic through servers across the world .
He decided to remove those VPN servers from Hong Kong after the national security law was enacted .
`` If we look historically , encryption mechanisms that are secure today may not remain so tomorrow , '' says Watts .
`` When we 're talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regime having control to hardware , while we may not have any concerns at this present moment , we 've seen in the past encryption schemes being entirely crippled . ''
Others have decided to stay , after taking what they say are now necessary cybersecurity measures such as heavy encryption techniques to protect company data even if the Hong Kong police seize their physical hardware .
`` We believe that leaving and abandoning Hong Kong without taking a stand , even a symbolic stand and trying to fight some of these issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message , '' says Andy Yen , the founder and CEO of ProtonVPN , which also provides the encrypted email service Proton Mail .
Proton will continue to operate servers in Hong Kong , Yen said , though the company decided last year to place its Asia headquarters in Taiwan rather than Hong Kong because of Beijng 's growing influence over the latter .
Whether to stay or go , how to voice your true opinions without getting you or those close to you in trouble ; these are everyday decisions Hong Kongers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law .
`` Sometimes in order to do the right thing or to protect your immediate community , institution , or people around you , you become the agents of the regime or the system , '' says Rowena He , a history professor at the University of Hong Kong .
It 's a dilemma those in mainland China already know well .

Beijing Attempts To Remake Hong Kong In Its Image As National Security Law Takes Hold
Enlarge this image toggle caption Apple Daily via AP Apple Daily via AP
Textbooks censored. Teachers investigated for improper speech. Students arrested and charged with secession for their social media posts.
Just over a month after Beijing imposed a national security law in Hong Kong, authorities are targeting in rapid succession figures at all levels of Hong Kong's civil society and education sectors, despite assurances from Beijing officials and Hong Kong's top leader that the law would only be used to target a small minority of people.
The new law is notable for its sweeping extraterritorial scope. Beijing has long accused the United States and other Western powers of meddling in Hong Kong, and now it has a national security law to prosecute such cases, which include activist Samuel Chu.
Chu, a Hong Kong-born U.S. citizen, is now a fugitive wanted by the Hong Kong government.
"I found out from news reports," he told NPR. "It was quite a thing to wake up to in the morning."
Based in Washington, D.C., Chu lobbies American politicians to make it easier for Hong Kongers to move to the U.S. and costlier for China to limit Hong Kong's promised autonomy.
Under the new law, Chu and five others who live abroad are wanted on charges of secession and colluding with foreign powers — because the law applies to anyone, anywhere who commits offenses against Hong Kong.
Chu is undeterred.
"We are advocating and working with influencing our own government's policy towards Hong Kong and China," he said. "And so we have nothing to be afraid of. In fact, it's one of the most basic rights that I have as an American."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kin Cheung/AP Kin Cheung/AP
Other people targeted under the new law: Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong media mogul and prominent pro-democracy figure, arrested along with his two sons and four employees this week; Agnes Chow, a young opposition activist arrested shortly after Lai, also for "colluding with foreign forces"; and 12 opposition politicians recently banned from running in legislative elections Hong Kong has now delayed by up to a year, after the city's chief executive Carrie Lam invoked emergency powers, citing the coronavirus pandemic.
Gwyneth Ho, a former journalist and now pro-democracy activist, was one of the candidates banned for, among other reasons, obstructing government proceedings.
"All the normal democratic proceedings that in the chambers, such as vetoing whatever laws that the government proposed or try to voice dissent," Ho told NPR, "we are now afraid that such behavior may be considered violating national security law, and they can put you in prison for simply performing your job as an opposition legislator."
A harsh focus on schools
Hong Kong's sometimes combative education sector is also under pressure. Most heavily affected are liberal studies, a compulsory subject unique in Hong Kong. Teachers pride themselves on developing critical thought and argumentation skills in students.
"We will not be allowed to teach about civil disobedience [in the fall semester], but we are expected to teach about the national security law," said one secondary school teacher, whose principal put her under investigation after parents alleged that she described Hong Kong police as "riot police" to students in an online lecture. She was cleared after providing a video recording of the lecture, but she asked to remain anonymous because she still fears for her job.
The Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union says in the last year nearly 200 teachers have had cases against them opened by the city's education bureau after anonymous individuals reported comments the teachers made on their private social media accounts in favor of anti-government protests. Benny Tai, a tenured professor, was fired last month from the University of Hong Kong after a university committee partially appointed by the Hong Kong government overturned a previous decision to let him continue teaching after serving a prison sentence for his pro-democracy activism.
"My anonymous accuser sent complaint letters to my workplace and shared [the complaints] online. They claimed to have sent the information to the Chinese Communist Party as well," says a second Hong Kong secondary school teacher currently under investigation by the education bureau for posting in favor of anti-government protests and insulting police last year on his personal Facebook account. If found guilty for violating conduct guidelines, he will be stripped of his teaching license.
"There is a sense of terror among teachers," says Fung Wai Wah, president of the teachers union, who is tracking the cases.
One professor who teaches at a Hong Kong university told NPR a course previously scheduled for the coming fall semester had been canceled due to concern it might violate the new law. The professor requested anonymity to protect the institution.
"They do want to have more control over the people's idea about the world and how to see the world and especially the younger generation," says Ip Kin Yuen, a pro-democracy lawmaker helping the teachers under investigation with legal assistance.
News media seen at risk
The city's formidably freewheeling press corps has also come under new constraints, because Hong Kong police can now conduct search and seizures without a warrant in the name of national security.
"Under 'exceptional circumstances,' no judicial scrutiny [of police activity] will be applied. The police may simply seize and examine and inspect all of the information on your mobile phone or any electronic device," explains Sharron Fast, a media law professor at the University of Hong Kong.
The city's public broadcaster underwent a review of its coverage after it was accused of being too critical of Hong Kong's police force. Emboldened by new powers granted under the national security law, police have been more forceful in stopping and searching journalists covering protests, say reporters.
The police's new national security powers also allow them to order Internet service providers to censor content. Facebook, Twitter and Google are some of the multinational technology companies that have said they will not comply with data requests under the new law.
Some technology companies have already decided to leave Hong Kong altogether. Justin Watts is engineering head at TunnelBear, which provides VPN services that shield a user's Internet traffic from prying eyes, in part by funneling that traffic through servers across the world. He decided to remove those VPN servers from Hong Kong after the national security law was enacted.
"If we look historically, encryption mechanisms that are secure today may not remain so tomorrow," says Watts. "When we're talking about search and seizure and an authoritarian regime having control to hardware, while we may not have any concerns at this present moment, we've seen in the past encryption schemes being entirely crippled."
Others have decided to stay after taking what they say are now necessary cybersecurity measures such as heavy encryption techniques to protect company data even if the Hong Kong police seize their physical hardware.
"We believe that leaving and abandoning Hong Kong without taking a stand, even a symbolic stand, and trying to fight some of these issues in court, is actually sending the wrong message," says Andy Yen, the founder and CEO of ProtonVPN, which also provides the encrypted email service Proton Mail. Proton will continue to operate servers in Hong Kong, Yen said, though the company decided last year to place its Asia headquarters in Taiwan rather than Hong Kong because of Beijing's growing influence over the latter.
Whether to stay or go, how to voice your true opinions without getting you or those close to you in trouble; these are everyday decisions Hong Kongers now face under the new national security law.
"Sometimes in order to do the right thing or to protect your immediate community, institution, or people around you, you become the agents of the regime or the system," says Rowena He, a history professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
It's a dilemma those in mainland China already know well.


npr--2020-08-11--At Least 97,000 Children Tested Positive For Coronavirus In Last 2 Weeks Of July

At Least 97,000 Children Tested Positive For Coronavirus In Last 2 Weeks Of July At least 97,000 children tested positive for the coronavirus during the last two weeks of July , according to a new review of state-level data by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children 's Hospital Association .
The increase represents a 40 % surge in the nation 's cumulative total of child cases .
`` I think it 's showing that , yes , kids can get infected and can spread the infection , '' said Dr. Sean O'Leary , a pediatric infectious disease specialist at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Committee on Infectious Diseases for the American Academy of Pediatrics .
The report comes as schools across the country grapple with when and how to reopen safely — with those decisions becoming increasingly politicized .
President Trump has attempted to pressure the nation 's K-12 schools to reopen , threatening to withhold federal funds and falsely claiming in an interview last week on Fox & Friends that `` children are almost , I would almost say definitely , but almost immune from this disease . ''
This new report reiterates that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immune to this disease .
Since the beginning of the pandemic , at least 340,000 children have tested positive for the coronavirus , representing roughly 9 % of U.S. cases to date .
The rise in child cases , according to the report , was largely fueled by states in the South and West , including Missouri , Oklahoma , Georgia , Florida , Montana and Alaska .
The report comes with a few important caveats .
The uptick in cases is due , in part , to an increase in testing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' differently .
For data reporting purposes , a majority of states use an age range between 0-17 and 0-19 , but , in Tennessee and South Carolina , the cutoff is 20 .
In Alabama , it 's 24 .
Also , according to the report , the number of positive tests among children could be far higher because of incomplete reporting from New York and Texas .
In fact , Texas provided age distribution for just 8 % of its confirmed COVID-19 cases and was excluded from many of the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news in such a report , it 's that , in spite of the uptick in child infection rates , the data also show that most children do not get critically ill with the disease and that , among the states that reported hospitalization data , the current hospitalization rate for children remains low , at 2 % .
What 's less clear is how effectively children would spread the virus in a classroom setting , not only to friends and classmates but to teachers and school staff .
Data from South Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not spread the disease easily , but that teenagers do — perhaps as effectively as adults .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers another cautionary tale , for schools considering reopening : In late June , the disease spread quickly among staff and children at a Georgia sleepaway camp .
In a matter of days , at least 260 campers and teen staffers tested positive .
Interestingly , of the campers tested , the youngest campers , ages 6 to 10 , had the highest infection rate : Fifty-one percent tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ districts across the country have announced their plans for the fall .
Last week , Chicago became the latest big-city district to announce it would not yet allow students to return to classrooms because of a recent surge in coronavirus rates there .
`` While Chicago remains in a better place than many other regions of the country , '' said Dr. Allison Arwady , the Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner , `` these recent trends are very concerning . ''
But in many communities , the decision to reopen schools is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health conditions .
In Florida and Texas , some public health officials have been reportedly sidelined by state leaders who have been outspoken in their desire for schools to reopen quickly .
In a recent review of school reopening plans and local voting trends , Jon Valant of the Brookings Institution found no relationship statistically between reopening decisions and counties ' new COVID-19 cases per capita .
Instead , he found that `` on average , districts that have announced plans to reopen in person are located in counties in which 55 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared [ with ] 35 % in districts that have announced plans for remote learning only . ''
Last week , students at Georgia 's North Paulding High School posted photos and videos showing packed hallways at the school and few students wearing face coverings .
Though the district is in an outer suburb of Atlanta , where infection rates remain relatively high , schools reopened for in-person instruction last week .
This weekend , though , the school reported that six students and three staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online to give the school time to disinfect .
What does all this mean for schools ?
`` In places where there is really good control of the virus , '' O'Leary said , `` with mitigation measures in place , I think it 's reasonably safe to open schools .
We 're never going to get to zero risk . ''
New York City is a prime example of a school district that plans to reopen its schools partially this fall because the broader community followed safety guidelines and dramatically reduced infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests now turning out positive .
But in places where the virus is still spreading widely , O'Leary said , these new data are an important reminder that reopening schools may not be safe .
If the coronavirus is circulating in a community , he said , it is inevitable it will follow students and staff to school .

At Least 97,000 Children Tested Positive For Coronavirus In Last 2 Weeks Of July
Enlarge this image beastfromeast/Getty Images beastfromeast/Getty Images
At least 97,000 children tested positive for the coronavirus during the last two weeks of July, according to a new review of state-level data by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children's Hospital Association. The increase represents a 40% surge in the nation's cumulative total of child cases.
"I think it's showing that, yes, kids can get infected and can spread the infection," said Dr. Sean O'Leary, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital Colorado and vice chair of the Committee on Infectious Diseases for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The report comes as schools across the country grapple with when and how to reopen safely — with those decisions becoming increasingly politicized. President Trump has attempted to pressure the nation's K-12 schools to reopen, threatening to withhold federal funds and falsely claiming in an interview last week on Fox & Friends that "children are almost, I would almost say definitely, but almost immune from this disease."
This new report reiterates that children are not, in fact, immune to this disease.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 340,000 children have tested positive for the coronavirus, representing roughly 9% of U.S. cases to date. The rise in child cases, according to the report, was largely fueled by states in the South and West, including Missouri, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, Montana and Alaska.
The report comes with a few important caveats. The uptick in cases is due, in part, to an increase in testing. Different states also define a "child" differently. For data reporting purposes, a majority of states use an age range between 0-17 and 0-19, but, in Tennessee and South Carolina, the cutoff is 20. In Alabama, it's 24. Also, according to the report, the number of positive tests among children could be far higher because of incomplete reporting from New York and Texas. In fact, Texas provided age distribution for just 8% of its confirmed COVID-19 cases and was excluded from many of the report's findings.
If there is good news in such a report, it's that, in spite of the uptick in child infection rates, the data also show that most children do not get critically ill with the disease and that, among the states that reported hospitalization data, the current hospitalization rate for children remains low, at 2%. What's less clear is how effectively children would spread the virus in a classroom setting, not only to friends and classmates but to teachers and school staff.
Data from South Korea suggest that children younger than 10 may not spread the disease easily, but that teenagers do — perhaps as effectively as adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers another cautionary tale, for schools considering reopening: In late June, the disease spread quickly among staff and children at a Georgia sleepaway camp. In a matter of days, at least 260 campers and teen staffers tested positive. Interestingly, of the campers tested, the youngest campers, ages 6 to 10, had the highest infection rate: Fifty-one percent tested positive.
In recent weeks, school districts across the country have announced their plans for the fall. Last week, Chicago became the latest big-city district to announce it would not yet allow students to return to classrooms because of a recent surge in coronavirus rates there.
"While Chicago remains in a better place than many other regions of the country," said Dr. Allison Arwady, the Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner, "these recent trends are very concerning."
But in many communities, the decision to reopen schools is being driven by politics, not local public health conditions. In Florida and Texas, some public health officials have been reportedly sidelined by state leaders who have been outspoken in their desire for schools to reopen quickly.
In a recent review of school reopening plans and local voting trends, Jon Valant of the Brookings Institution found no relationship statistically between reopening decisions and counties' new COVID-19 cases per capita. Instead, he found that "on average, districts that have announced plans to reopen in person are located in counties in which 55% voted for Trump in 2016, compared [with] 35% in districts that have announced plans for remote learning only."
Last week, students at Georgia's North Paulding High School posted photos and videos showing packed hallways at the school and few students wearing face coverings. Though the district is in an outer suburb of Atlanta, where infection rates remain relatively high, schools reopened for in-person instruction last week. This weekend, though, the school reported that six students and three staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus and that in-person classes would temporarily move online to give the school time to disinfect.
What does all this mean for schools?
"In places where there is really good control of the virus," O'Leary said, "with mitigation measures in place, I think it's reasonably safe to open schools. We're never going to get to zero risk."
New York City is a prime example of a school district that plans to reopen its schools partially this fall because the broader community followed safety guidelines and dramatically reduced infection rates, with 1% of coronavirus tests now turning out positive.
But in places where the virus is still spreading widely, O'Leary said, these new data are an important reminder that reopening schools may not be safe. If the coronavirus is circulating in a community, he said, it is inevitable it will follow students and staff to school.


npr--2020-08-11--Indiana Education Head On Reopening Schools: Contact Tracing Is A 'Beast'

In Indiana , school has started up for many students — or will in the next week .
It 's one of a majority of states where local districts will make most of the decisions about what school will look like this year .
Many districts across the state are bringing students back in person but are also offering online learning for those nervous about returning .
Schools have already recorded positive coronavirus cases since reopening and had to adjust their plans , including shutting down temporarily .
In-person or online , staggered schedules and hybrid models , different criteria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut back down — plans are changing `` nonstop , which is frustrating for everybody involved , '' says Jennifer McCormick , who heads the Indiana Department of Education .
For students and staff who attend in person , and their families , contact tracing is key to keeping coronavirus cases down , public health experts say .
But McCormick tells NPR that that in particular has been one of the biggest challenges .
`` That contact tracing is a beast , '' she tells Steve Inskeep on Morning Edition .
`` And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people to do it is really hard .
And then on the other end of that , you 're making calls to families that do n't know if it 's legit and do n't really want to sometimes participate . ''
McCormick talked with NPR about challenges Indiana is facing as it brings students back to classrooms .
Here are excerpts : Is [ opposition to contact tracing ] part of the political resistance that we 've seen to the basic public health advice here ?
You call up some people and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to participate because this is all bogus .
This is all some kind of conspiracy . ''
Some of that happens , yes .
Other [ times ] when you call a parent and say , `` Is your child Susie and her birthday is X , Y , Z ? ''
sometimes you hear a click on the other end of that because you really get into personal information that someone really does n't know who you are on the other end of that phone .
And I do n't blame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I know if someone called me and wanted personal identifying information , regardless of who they said they were , I would be a little reluctant .
And then , yes , we 're in Indiana and we still have pockets of Indiana that think [ the coronavius epidemic is ] fake and they 're not going to wear a mask and they 're not going to participate and how dare you call them .
So we have all of that happening in Indiana .
Can every school district in this state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open safely ?
We 're trying to open safely , but we 're also trying to , for the most part , offer the dual platforms , whether it 's remote or on site .
And so that gets very expensive .
Schools have added additional staffing .
PPE is extremely expensive for staff and for students .
We have specialized cleaners that we 've purchased , the hardware and some of the things that go for remote learning , those costs .
So it has been extremely expensive and some districts can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got more federal assistance with the CARES Act than others .
So we 're trying ... to get as much flowing through our department to that local district [ in need of funds ] .
Listen to the full audio interview at the link above .
NPR 's Ryan Benk and Catherine Whelan produced and edited the audio interview .

Indiana Education Head On Reopening Schools: Contact Tracing Is A 'Beast'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Darron Cummings/AP Darron Cummings/AP
In Indiana, school has started up for many students — or will in the next week. It's one of a majority of states where local districts will make most of the decisions about what school will look like this year.
Many districts across the state are bringing students back in person but are also offering online learning for those nervous about returning. Schools have already recorded positive coronavirus cases since reopening and had to adjust their plans, including shutting down temporarily.
In person or online, staggered schedules and hybrid models, different criteria for when to open and when to shut back down — plans are changing "nonstop, which is frustrating for everybody involved," says Jennifer McCormick, who heads the Indiana Department of Education.
For students and staff who attend in person, and their families, contact tracing is key to keeping coronavirus cases down, public health experts say.
But McCormick tells NPR that in particular has been one of the biggest challenges.
"That contact tracing is a beast," she tells Steve Inskeep on Morning Edition. "And in order to manage that and have the people to do it is really hard. And then on the other end of that, you're making calls to families that don't know if it's legit and don't really want to sometimes participate."
McCormick talked with NPR about challenges Indiana is facing as it brings students back to classrooms. Here are excerpts:
Is [opposition to contact tracing] part of the political resistance that we've seen to the basic public health advice here? You call up some people and they say, "I'm not going to participate because this is all bogus. This is all some kind of conspiracy."
Some of that happens, yes. Other [times] when you call a parent and say, "Is your child Susie and her birthday is X, Y, Z?" sometimes you hear a click on the other end of that because you really get into personal information that someone really doesn't know who you are on the other end of that phone. And I don't blame parents. I'm a mother. And I know if someone called me and wanted personal identifying information, regardless of who they said they were, I would be a little reluctant.
And then, yes, we're in Indiana and we still have pockets of Indiana that think [the coronavirus epidemic is] fake and they're not going to wear a mask and they're not going to participate and how dare you call them. So we have all of that happening in Indiana.
Can every school district in this state afford the extra expenses of trying to open safely?
We're trying to open safely, but we're also trying to, for the most part, offer the dual platforms, whether it's remote or on site. And so that gets very expensive. Schools have added additional staffing. PPE is extremely expensive for staff and for students. We have specialized cleaners that we've purchased, the hardware and some of the things that go for remote learning, those costs. So it has been extremely expensive and some districts can absorb that easier than others. Some got more federal assistance with the CARES Act than others. So we're trying ... to get as much flowing through our department to that local district [in need of funds].
Listen to the full audio interview at the link above.
NPR's Ryan Benk and Catherine Whelan produced and edited the audio interview.