npr--2020-01-14--Study: Tinder, Grindr And Other Apps Share Sensitive Personal Data With Advertisers

Study : Tinder , Grindr And Other Apps Share Sensitive Personal Data With Advertisers A group of civil rights and consumer groups is urging federal and state regulators to examine a number of mobile apps , including popular dating apps Grindr , Tinder and OKCupid for allegedly sharing personal information with advertising companies .
The push by the privacy rights coalition follows a report published on Tuesday by the Norwegian Consumer Council that found 10 apps collect sensitive information including a user 's exact location , sexual orientation , religious and political beliefs , drug use and other information and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 135 different third-party companies .
The data harvesting , according to the Norwegian government agency , appears to violate the European Union 's rules intended to protect people 's online data , known as the General Data Protection Regulation .
In the U.S. , consumer groups are equally alarmed .
The group urging regulators to act on the Norwegian study , led by government watchdog group Public Citizen , says Congress should use the findings as a roadmap to pass a new law patterned after Europe 's tough data privacy rules that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apps and online services spy on people , collect vast amounts of personal data and share it with third parties without people 's knowledge .
Industry calls it adtech .
We call it surveillance , '' said Burcu Kilic , a lawyer who leads the digital rights program at Public Citizen .
`` We need to regulate it now , before it 's too late . ''
The Norwegian study , which looks only at apps on Android phones , traces the journey a user 's personal information takes before it arrives at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's app includes Twitter-owned advertising software , which collects and processes personal information and unique identifiers such as a phone 's ID and IP address , allowing advertising companies to track consumers across devices .
This Twitter-owned go-between for personal data is controlled by a firm called MoPub .
`` Grindr only lists Twitter 's MoPub as an advertising partner , and encourages users to read the privacy policies of MoPub 's own partners to understand how data is used .
MoPub lists more than 160 partners , which clearly makes it impossible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to how each of these partners may use personal data , '' the report states .
This is not the first time Grindr has become embroiled in controversy over data sharing .
In 2018 , the dating app announced it would stop sharing users ' HIV status with companies following a report in BuzzFeed exposing the practice , leading AIDS advocates to raise questions about health , safety and personal privacy .
The latest data violations unearthed by the Norwegian researchers come the same month California enacted the strongest data privacy law in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as the California Consumer Privacy Act , consumers can opt out of the sale of their personal information .
If tech companies do not comply , the law permits the user to sue .
In its letter sent Tuesday to the California attorney general , the ACLU of California argues that the practice described in the Norwegian report may violate the state 's new data privacy law , in addition to constituting possible unfair and deceptive practices , which is unlawful in California .
A Twitter spokesperson said in a statement that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Grindr highlighted in the report as the company reviews the study 's findings .
`` We are currently investigating this issue to understand the sufficiency of Grindr 's consent mechanism .
In the meantime , we have disabled Grindr 's MoPub account , '' a Twitter spokesperson told NPR .
The study found the dating app OKCupid shared details about a user 's sexuality , drug use , political views and more to an analytics company called Braze .
The Match Group , the company that owns OKCupid and Tinder , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the core of its business , saying it only shares information to third parties that comply with applicable laws .
Many app users , the study noted , never try to read or understand the privacy policies before using an app .
But even if the policies are studied , the Norwegian researchers say the legalese-filled documents sometimes do not provide a complete picture of what is happening with a person 's personal information .
`` If one actually attempts to read the privacy policy of any given app , the third parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not mentioned by name .
If the third parties are actually listed , the consumer then has to read the privacy policies of these third parties to understand how they may use the data , '' the study says .
`` In other words , it is practically impossible for the consumer to have even a basic overview of what and where their personal data might be transmitted , or how it is used , even from only a single app . ''

Study: Tinder, Grindr And Other Apps Share Sensitive Personal Data With Advertisers
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images
A group of civil rights and consumer groups is urging federal and state regulators to examine a number of mobile apps, including popular dating apps Grindr, Tinder and OKCupid for allegedly sharing personal information with advertising companies.
The push by the privacy rights coalition follows a report published on Tuesday by the Norwegian Consumer Council that found 10 apps collect sensitive information including a user's exact location, sexual orientation, religious and political beliefs, drug use and other information and then transmit the personal data to at least 135 different third-party companies.
The data harvesting, according to the Norwegian government agency, appears to violate the European Union's rules intended to protect people's online data, known as the General Data Protection Regulation.
In the U.S., consumer groups are equally alarmed. The group urging regulators to act on the Norwegian study, led by government watchdog group Public Citizen, says Congress should use the findings as a roadmap to pass a new law patterned after Europe's tough data privacy rules that took effect in 2018.
"These apps and online services spy on people, collect vast amounts of personal data and share it with third parties without people's knowledge. Industry calls it adtech. We call it surveillance," said Burcu Kilic, a lawyer who leads the digital rights program at Public Citizen. "We need to regulate it now, before it's too late."
The Norwegian study, which looks only at apps on Android phones, traces the journey a user's personal information takes before it arrives at marketing companies.
For example, Grindr's app includes Twitter-owned advertising software, which collects and processes personal information and unique identifiers such as a phone's ID and IP address, allowing advertising companies to track consumers across devices. This Twitter-owned go-between for personal data is controlled by a firm called MoPub.
"Grindr only lists Twitter's MoPub as an advertising partner, and encourages users to read the privacy policies of MoPub's own partners to understand how data is used. MoPub lists more than 160 partners, which clearly makes it impossible for users to give an informed consent to how each of these partners may use personal data," the report states.
This is not the first time Grindr has become embroiled in controversy over data sharing. In 2018, the dating app announced it would stop sharing users' HIV status with companies following a report in BuzzFeed exposing the practice, leading AIDS advocates to raise questions about health, safety and personal privacy.
The latest data violations unearthed by the Norwegian researchers come the same month California enacted the strongest data privacy law in the U.S. Under the law, known as the California Consumer Privacy Act, consumers can opt out of the sale of their personal information. If tech companies do not comply, the law permits the user to sue.
In its letter sent Tuesday to the California attorney general, the ACLU of California argues that the practice described in the Norwegian report may violate the state's new data privacy law, in addition to constituting possible unfair and deceptive practices, which is unlawful in California.
A Twitter spokesperson said in a statement that the company has suspended advertising software used by Grindr highlighted in the report as the company reviews the study's findings.
"We are currently investigating this issue to understand the sufficiency of Grindr's consent mechanism. In the meantime, we have disabled Grindr's MoPub account," a Twitter spokesperson told NPR.
The study found the dating app OKCupid shared details about a user's sexuality, drug use, political views and more to an analytics company called Braze.
The Match Group, the company that owns OKCupid and Tinder, said in a statement that privacy was at the core of its business, saying it only shares information to third parties that comply with applicable laws.
"All Match Group products obtain from these vendors strict contractual commitments that ensure confidentiality, security of users' personal information and strictly prohibit commercialization of this data," a company spokesman said.
Many app users, the study noted, never try to read or understand the privacy policies before using an app. But even if the policies are studied, the Norwegian researchers say the legalese-filled documents sometimes do not provide a complete picture of what is happening with a person's personal information.
"If one actually attempts to read the privacy policy of any given app, the third parties who may receive personal data are often not mentioned by name. If the third parties are actually listed, the consumer then has to read the privacy policies of these third parties to understand how they may use the data," the study says.
"In other words, it is practically impossible for the consumer to have even a basic overview of what and where their personal data might be transmitted, or how it is used, even from only a single app."


npr--2020-01-15--Chief Justice Roberts: Is 'OK, Boomer' Evidence Of Age Discrimination?

Chief Justice Roberts : Is 'OK , Boomer ' Evidence Of Age Discrimination ?
Some acerbic and personal comments from the justices of the Supreme Court Wednesday , as they heard an age discrimination case that could affect more than a million federal workers over the age of 40 .
The federal law says that `` all personnel decisions '' made in the federal workforce `` shall be made free from age discrimination . ''
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has long interpreted that to mean that if a federal worker can show that age was a factor in denying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worker is entitled to back pay or other remedies .
But the Trump administration takes the position that the employee must first prove that age discrimination was the only factor in the employment decision .
Essentially , an employee must now prove that but for her age , she would have gotten the job , the promotion , or some other benefit .
The EEOC disagrees with the Trump administration The EEOC last year voted not to endorse this view of the law in the case of Dr. Noris Babb , a clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medical Center in Bay Pines , Fla. , for 16 years .
In that time , she has qualified to practice disease management , seeing patients and prescribing medication without consulting a physician .
And she has gotten consistently high marks for performance , according to her lawyers .
Yet Babb says that beginning about 10 years ago , when she was in her late 40s , she and other women over the age of 45 found they were not getting newly classified advanced positions that paid more money .
Instead , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their 30s , most of them men .
Several of those women filed their own complaints against the VA , which Babb supported .
As a result , she alleges in her own suit , the VA retaliated against her .
On the plaza of the Supreme Court Wednesday Roman Martinez , Babb 's lawyer , said she `` was subjected to continuous , systematic age discrimination on the job . ''
Is 'OK , boomer ' evidence of discriminatory motive ?
Inside the court chamber , Martinez got quite a grilling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chief Justice asked Martinez to suppose that in a weeks-long hiring process a younger hiring official says , '' OK , boomer '' once to an applicant .
Is that enough to be age discrimination ?
Martinez replied that one stray comment is not enough , if it was in fact just `` a stray comment . ''
Well , how do we know that , persisted Roberts .
`` Your position is going to become ... just a regulation of speech in the workplace . ''
The statute , replied Martinez , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So if the decision-makers are sitting around the table , and the boomer comment reflects one of the reasons for the hiring decision , that absolutely is enough to justify an age discrimination claim .
The federal government , Martinez said , `` apparently believes it 's perfectly lawful for federal agencies to apply 'younger is better or whiter is better ' hiring policies '' to individuals as long as age and race are not the only factors in denying them a job , promotion , or training opportunity .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintained that under the federal law there must be proof that age was the only reason , not just one of several reasons , for such a denial .
That is how the law works for state and private employees , he noted .
So , why would Congress have made an age-discrimination claim easier to prove for the federal workforce than for state and local workers ?
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg interjected that Congress has different concerns when legislating federal rules for state and local governments , as opposed to legislating laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Samuel Alito pointed to the text of the federal statute .
If age was a factor in this case , said Alito , then there was discrimination based on age , and this was not a process free from age discrimination .
Justice Stephen Breyer , who is 81 , perhaps imagined himself looking for a promotion when he asked Francisco whether it would be age discrimination for a supervisor to say , `` I certainly do n't want people who are over the age of 82 '' doing this job .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the VA , she was at the Supreme Court Wednesday .
`` I am praying for justice in the case , '' she said afterward .
A decision in the case is expected by late spring .

Chief Justice Roberts: Is 'OK, Boomer' Evidence Of Age Discrimination?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Humphrey/AP Mark Humphrey/AP
There were some acerbic and personal comments from the justices of the Supreme Court on Wednesday, as they heard an age discrimination case that could affect more than a million federal workers over the age of 40.
The federal law says that "all personnel decisions" made in the federal workforce "shall be made free from age discrimination."
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has long interpreted that to mean that if a federal worker can show that age was a factor in denying her a job or promotion, the worker is entitled to back pay or other remedies.
But the Trump administration takes the position that the employee must first prove that age discrimination was the only factor in the employment decision. Essentially, an employee must now prove that, but for her age, she would have gotten the job, the promotion or some other benefit.
The EEOC disagrees with the Trump administration
The EEOC last year voted not to endorse this view of the law in the case of Noris Babb, a clinical pharmacist who has worked for the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Bay Pines, Fla., for 16 years. In that time, she has qualified to practice disease management, see patients and prescribe medication without consulting a physician. And she has gotten consistently high marks for performance, according to her lawyers.
Yet Babb says that beginning about 10 years ago, when she was in her late 40s, she and other women over the age of 45 found they were not getting newly classified advanced positions that paid more money. Instead, the women said, those jobs went to people in their 30s, most of them men.
Several of those women filed their own complaints against the VA, which Babb supported. As a result, she alleges in her own suit, the VA retaliated against her.
On the plaza of the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Roman Martinez, Babb's lawyer, said she "was subjected to continuous, systematic age discrimination on the job."
Is "OK, boomer" evidence of discriminatory motive?
Inside the court chamber, Martinez got quite a grilling from Chief Justice John Roberts.
The chief justice asked Martinez to suppose that in a weeks-long hiring process, a younger hiring official says,"OK, boomer" once to an applicant. Is that enough to be age discrimination?
Martinez replied that one stray comment is not enough, if it was in fact just "a stray comment."
Well, how do we know that? persisted Roberts. "Your position is going to become ... just a regulation of speech in the workplace."
The statute, replied Martinez, requires personnel actions free from age discrimination. So if the decision-makers are sitting around the table and the boomer comment reflects one of the reasons for the hiring decision, that absolutely is enough to justify an age discrimination claim.
"Younger and whiter"
The federal government, Martinez said, "apparently believes it's perfectly lawful for federal agencies to apply 'younger is better or whiter is better' hiring policies" to individuals as long as age and race are not the only factors in denying them a job, promotion or training opportunity.
But Trump administration Solicitor General Noel Francisco maintained that under the federal law, there must be proof that age was the only reason, not just one of several reasons, for such a denial. That is how the law works for state and private employees, he noted. So, why would Congress have made an age-discrimination claim easier to prove for the federal workforce than for state and local workers?
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg interjected that Congress has different concerns when legislating federal rules for state and local governments, as opposed to legislating laws for the federal government itself.
Justice Samuel Alito pointed to the text of the federal statute. If age was a factor in this case, said Alito, then there was discrimination based on age, and this was not a process free from age discrimination.
Justice Stephen Breyer, who is 81, perhaps imagined himself looking for a promotion when he asked Francisco whether it would be age discrimination for a supervisor to say, "I certainly don't want people who are over the age of 82" doing this job.
As for Babb, who still works for the VA, she said afterwards, "I am praying for justice in the case."
A decision in the case is expected by late spring.


npr--2020-01-15--Impeachment Manager Jason Crow Not A Usual Suspect For Job

When Jason Crow went to Congress last January after becoming the first Democrat to win his swing district in the eastern Denver suburbs , he was one of only 15 members of his party who did not vote for Nancy Pelosi to be Speaker of the House .
Just over a year later , Pelosi announced that she had picked Crow to be one of the seven House Democrats who will be impeachment managers in the Senate trial of President Trump .
If Pelosi 's choice of a freshman congressman who 'd snubbed her in his very first vote sets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managers , so too does the fact that he has never grilled any of the witnesses summoned by House investigators .
Unlike the six others chosen to argue for Trump 's removal from office — Adam Schiff and Zoe Lofgren of California , Jerrold Nadler and Hakeem Jeffries of New York , Val Demmings of Florida , and Sylvia Garcia of Texas — Crow sits on neither the Judiciary Committee nor the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence , the two House panels that held public hearings in the Trump impeachment inquiry .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment managers has served three combat tours in two wars , a distinction that sets Crow apart from most lawmakers on either side of the political aisle .
`` I 've just always been someone who goes where the fight is , '' the 40-year-old lawmaker says on his reelection campaign website .
After first enlisting in the National Guard and then the ROTC to help pay for his undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison , Crow served in the U.S. Army 's 82nd Airborne Division and earned a Bronze Star as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the 2003 invasion of Iraq .
He went on to serve two more tours in Afghanistan with the elite U.S. Army 75th Ranger Regiment .
Years later , Crow would set aside a career as a partner in the large Denver law firm of Holland and Hart to challenge Mike Coffman , the Republican incumbent in Colorado 's 6th congressional district who was seeking a sixth term .
Crow beat Coffman in that November 2018 election by 12 points .
He is the sole member of the majority-making House Democratic freshman class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment manager .
`` My time in military service taught me that our democracy exists because men and women stand up to fight for it .
It 's a belief that drove me to serve my country in combat and led me to the halls of Congress , '' Crow says in an emailed statement .
`` As an impeachment manager , I will approach the process with the dignity and seriousness that it deserves , and advocate for a full and fair trial .
It 's my solemn responsibility to lay out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the American people — confidence in the process . ''
As recently as last summer , Crow remained undecided on whether to press for impeachment proceedings .
That changed after he listened to former special counsel Robert Mueller tell Congress in July that it was up to lawmakers to act on the findings of his investigation of Trump and Russia in the 2016 presidential election .
`` I heard that message loud and clear , '' Crow told The Colorado Sun .
`` It 's clear that we must respond with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a conclusion , he added , that many of his constituents had urged him to reach .
The former Army Ranger 's resolve deepened in September after a whistleblower charged that Trump had withheld military aid to Ukraine to press its president to investigate Democratic presidential challenger Joe Biden and his son Hunter .
Crow and six other freshman Democrats from swing districts — all with military or intelligence backgrounds — published a Washington Post op-ed on Sept. 24 calling the whistleblower 's allegations `` stunning . ''
If true , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represent an impeachable offense . ''
It would prove a turning point .
After months of resisting growing calls for impeachment , Pelosi that same day announced a formal impeachment inquiry into Trump .
Three days before the House voted to impeach the president , Crow declared he would vote in favor .
`` I did not come to Congress to do this , '' he told a town hall meeting in Aurora , `` but if we do n't do it now , then when will we ? ''
On Wednesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a procession walking the two articles of impeachment approved by the House over to the Senate chamber .
`` This solemn responsibility , during the third impeachment trial in our nations history , will be capably executed by Rep. Crow , '' Colorado Democratic Gov .
Jared Polis wrote in a congratulatory note on Twitter .
`` May wisdom guide the weighty decision facing the Senate . ''

Impeachment Manager Jason Crow Not A Usual Suspect For Job
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matt Rourke/AP Matt Rourke/AP
When Jason Crow went to Congress last January after becoming the first Democrat to win his swing district in the eastern Denver suburbs, he was one of only 15 members of his party who did not vote for Nancy Pelosi to be speaker of the House.
Just over a year later, Pelosi announced that she had picked Crow to be one of the seven House Democrats who will be impeachment managers in the Senate trial of President Trump.
If Pelosi's choice of a freshman congressman who'd snubbed her in his very first vote sets him apart from the others tapped as managers, so too does the fact that he has never grilled any of the witnesses summoned by House investigators.
Unlike the six others chosen to argue for Trump's removal from office — Adam Schiff and Zoe Lofgren of California, Jerrold Nadler and Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Val Demings of Florida, and Sylvia Garcia of Texas — Crow sits on neither the Judiciary Committee nor the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the two House panels that held public hearings in the Trump impeachment inquiry.
But then none of the other newly minted impeachment managers has served three combat tours in two wars, a distinction that sets Crow apart from most lawmakers on either side of the political aisle.
"I've just always been someone who goes where the fight is," the 40-year-old lawmaker says on his reelection campaign website.
After first enlisting in the National Guard and then the ROTC to help pay for his undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Crow served in the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division and earned a Bronze Star as a lieutenant leading a platoon of paratroopers during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He went on to serve two more tours in Afghanistan with the elite U.S. Army 75th Ranger Regiment.
Years later, Crow would set aside a career as a partner in the large Denver law firm of Holland and Hart to challenge Mike Coffman, the Republican incumbent in Colorado's 6th Congressional District who was seeking a sixth term.
Crow beat Coffman in that November 2018 election by 12 points.
"My time in military service taught me that our democracy exists because men and women stand up to fight for it. It's a belief that drove me to serve my country in combat and led me to the halls of Congress," Crow says in an emailed statement. "As an impeachment manager, I will approach the process with the dignity and seriousness that it deserves, and advocate for a full and fair trial. It's my solemn responsibility to lay out the facts and give the Senate — and the American people — confidence in the process."
As recently as last summer, Crow remained undecided on whether to press for impeachment proceedings.
That changed after he listened to former special counsel Robert Mueller tell Congress in July that it was up to lawmakers to act on the findings of his investigation of Trump and Russia in the 2016 presidential election.
"I heard that message loud and clear," Crow told The Colorado Sun. "It's clear that we must respond with the full weight of Congress."
It was a conclusion, he added, that many of his constituents had urged him to reach.
The former Army Ranger's resolve deepened in September after a whistleblower charged that Trump had withheld military aid to Ukraine to press its president to investigate Democratic presidential challenger Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
Crow and six other freshman Democrats from swing districts — all with military or intelligence backgrounds — published a Washington Post op-ed on Sept. 24 calling the whistleblower's allegations "stunning." If true, they wrote, "we believe these actions represent an impeachable offense."
It would prove a turning point. After months of resisting growing calls for impeachment, Pelosi that same day announced a formal impeachment inquiry into Trump.
Three days before the House voted to impeach the president, Crow declared he would vote in favor. "I did not come to Congress to do this," he told a town hall meeting in Aurora, "but if we don't do it now, then when will we?"
On Wednesday, Crow joined the other impeachment managers in a procession walking the two articles of impeachment approved by the House over to the Senate chamber.
"This solemn responsibility, during the third impeachment trial in our nations history, will be capably executed by Rep. Crow," Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis wrote in a congratulatory note on Twitter. "May wisdom guide the weighty decision facing the Senate."


npr--2020-01-15--Months After Blowing Deadline, Trump Administration Lifts Hold On Puerto Rico Aid

The Trump administration is releasing its hold on billions of dollars of aid to Puerto Rico after a months-long delay .
But it is still unclear exactly when those funds will reach the hurricane-ravaged island .
The tranche of money , more than $ 8 billion , is allocated through a Department of Housing and Urban Development disaster recovery fund .
It was supposed to be released months ago to help the island rebuild in the wake of devastating Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 .
So far $ 1.5 billion in HUD aid has been made available , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million approximately , according to a HUD spokesperson .
In all , Congress has approved roughly $ 20 billion in long-term rebuilding aid to Puerto Rico that HUD is mandated to disburse .
The delay in releasing the funds riled politicians , particularly congressional Democrats .
They sought to ramp up pressure on the administration to lift the hold on the aid following a series of recent earthquakes , including a massive 6.4 magnitude quake this month walloped the U.S. territory .
That quake killed one person and damaged hundreds of homes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to sleep outdoors out of fear that structures are unsafe .
HUD was supposed release $ 8.2 billion from a program called Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery by September , but never did .
The administration has repeatedly cited concerns of alleged mismanagement and corruption as justification for their hesitation to hand over billions of dollars in disaster funds to the island .
`` Now that a full financial monitoring team is assembled and active , we can move forward with confidence that these disaster recovery funds will reach those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior HUD official said in a statement to NPR .
Further questions to HUD officials on exactly when the aid will reach Puerto Rico were not immediately answered .
News the Trump Administration reversed course was first reported by Politico .
Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico Jenniffer González tweeted late Tuesday HUD 's decision to release the funds will bring Puerto Rico one step closer to receiving the funds it needs .
Some members of Congress praised the administration 's decision , but also chastised Trump officials , saying the holdup was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ welcome development that the Administration has released its hold on these funds , this step is inexcusably overdue , '' Rep. Nydia Velázquez , D-N.Y. , said in a statement .
`` Congress approved this disaster relief almost two years ago and these ongoing delays speak to the Administration 's disdain for the people of Puerto Rico . ''
Earlier this week Velázquez , along with 40 other members of Congress , sent a letter to HUD Secretary Ben Carson requesting an in-person meeting .
The letter called on Carson to give `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has chosen to violate the law by withholding these critical resources . ''
Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week called on the administration to `` cease and desist that illegal activity '' of withholding the aid .
As NPR reported in August , HUD said it was placing new restrictions on the flow of billions of dollars to Puerto Rico , citing political strife and financial mismanagement on the island .
The announcement came the same day Pedro Pierluisi was sworn in as the new governor of Puerto Rico .
Days later the island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in was unconstitutional .
He was removed and former Justice Secretary Wanda Vázquez was sworn in .
At the time , HUD announced it was releasing $ 16 billion for rebuilding in states and U.S. territories hit by natural disasters .
It stipulated that nine states , including Texas and Florida , would be allowed swift access to the funds .
But Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands had to wait .
Carson pointed to alleged corruption , citing `` fiscal irregularities and financial mismanagement occurring in Puerto Rico '' as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ request the mitigation funds right away , he said in a statement .
The U.S. Virgin Islands was due $ 774 million , but it was being held due to the territory 's `` capacity issues , '' Carson said .
In addition , HUD said it was going to appoint a federal financial monitor to keep tabs on how the funds would be disbursed on Puerto Rico .
HUD still has not published a Federal Register notice , which will provide an outline for Puerto Rico to establish a plan to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Puerto Rico , still reeling from deadly hurricanes and now earthquakes , will continue waiting .
In July , the FBI arrested a pair of high-ranking officials in Puerto Rico for allegedly directing more than $ 15 million dollars in federal funds to preferred businesses .
The federal indictment outlined crimes that included wire fraud , theft and money laundering .
An official with the Federal Emergency Management Agency was arrested by federal agents in September for allegedly taking bribes in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria from one of the top companies hired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grid .

Months After Blowing Deadline, Trump Administration Lifts Hold On Puerto Rico Aid
Enlarge this image toggle caption Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 5:27 p.m. ET
The Trump administration is releasing its hold on billions of dollars of aid to Puerto Rico after a months-long delay. But it is still unclear exactly when those funds will reach the hurricane-ravaged island.
The tranche of money, more than $8 billion, is allocated through a Department of Housing and Urban Development disaster recovery fund. It was supposed to be released months ago to help the island rebuild in the wake of devastating Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.
So far $1.5 billion in HUD aid has been made available, of which Puerto Rico has drawn approximately $11 million, according to a HUD spokesperson. In all, Congress has approved roughly $20 billion in long-term rebuilding aid to Puerto Rico that HUD is mandated to disburse.
The delay in releasing the funds riled politicians, particularly congressional Democrats. They sought to ramp up pressure on the administration to lift the hold on the aid following a series of recent earthquakes, including a massive 6.4 magnitude quake this month that walloped the U.S. territory.
That quake killed one person and damaged hundreds of homes and buildings, prompting thousands to leave their homes and sleep outdoors out of fear that structures are unsafe.
HUD was supposed release $8.2 billion from a program called Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery by September, but never did.
The administration has repeatedly cited concerns of alleged mismanagement and corruption as justification for its hesitation to hand over billions of dollars in disaster funds to the island.
"Now that a full financial monitoring team is assembled and active, we can move forward with confidence that these disaster recovery funds will reach those who need them the most," a senior HUD official said in a statement to NPR.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Zach Gibson/Getty Images Zach Gibson/Getty Images
Further questions to HUD officials on exactly when the aid will reach Puerto Rico were not immediately answered.
News the Trump administration reversed course was first reported by Politico.
Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico Jenniffer González tweeted late Tuesday that HUD's decision to release the funds will bring Puerto Rico one step closer to receiving the funds it needs.
Some members of Congress praised the administration's decision, but also chastised Trump officials, saying the holdup was unwarranted.
"While it is a welcome development that the Administration has released its hold on these funds, this step is inexcusably overdue," Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., said in a statement. "Congress approved this disaster relief almost two years ago and these ongoing delays speak to the Administration's disdain for the people of Puerto Rico."
Earlier this week Velázquez, along with 40 other members of Congress, sent a letter to HUD Secretary Ben Carson requesting an in-person meeting.
The letter called on Carson to give "an explanation as to why your Department has chosen to violate the law by withholding these critical resources."
Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week called on the administration to "cease and desist that illegal activity" of withholding the aid.
As NPR reported in August, HUD said it was placing new restrictions on the flow of billions of dollars to Puerto Rico, citing political strife on the island.
The announcement came the same day Pedro Pierluisi was sworn in as the new governor of Puerto Rico. Days later the island's Supreme Court ruled unanimously that his swearing in was unconstitutional. He was removed and former Justice Secretary Wanda Vázquez was sworn in.
At the time, HUD announced it was releasing $16 billion for rebuilding in states and U.S. territories hit by natural disasters. It stipulated that nine states, including Texas and Florida, would be allowed swift access to the funds. But Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands had to wait.
Carson pointed to alleged corruption, citing "fiscal irregularities and financial mismanagement occurring in Puerto Rico" as the basis for not allowing Puerto Rico to request the mitigation funds right away, he said in a statement.
The U.S. Virgin Islands was due $774 million, but it was being held because of the territory's "capacity issues," Carson said.
In addition, HUD said it was going to appoint a federal financial monitor to keep tabs on how the funds would be disbursed on Puerto Rico.
HUD still has not published a Federal Register notice, which will provide an outline for Puerto Rico to establish a plan to use the funds. Until that happens, Puerto Rico, still reeling from deadly hurricanes and now earthquakes, will continue waiting.
In July, the FBI arrested a pair of high-ranking officials in Puerto Rico for allegedly directing more than $15 million dollars in federal funds to preferred businesses. The federal indictment outlined crimes that included wire fraud, theft and money laundering.
An official with the Federal Emergency Management Agency was arrested by federal agents in September for allegedly taking bribes in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria from one of the top companies hired to rebuild Puerto Rico's fractured power grid.


npr--2020-01-15--Embryo Research To Reduce Need For In Vitro Fertilization Raises Ethical Concerns

Embryo Research To Reduce Need For In Vitro Fertilization Raises Ethical Concerns Researchers have conducted a controversial study that involved paying dozens of young women at a hospital near Puerto Vallarta , Mexico , to get artificially inseminated so their embryos could be flushed out of their bodies and analyzed for research purposes .
The study showed that embryos created that way appear to be as healthy genetically as embryos created through standard in vitro fertilization .
Physically , the embryos appear to , possibly , even be healthier , the study found .
The research , published online Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the approach could offer couples a simpler , less expensive way for some couples to have healthy children than is currently available via IVF , the scientists and others say .
`` We have now a method that can produce embryos that are of good quality or better than in vitro fertilization , '' says Santiago Munne , a reproductive geneticist who led the study when he worked at CooperGenomics in Livingston , N.J. Munne now works at Overture Life , a Madrid-based company that makes infertility treatment equipment .
But others denounce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this essentially does is use a woman 's body as a petri dish , '' says Laurie Zoloth , a bioethicist at the University of Chicago .
`` And there 's something about that that seems so profoundly disturbing . ''
The women received hormone injections to stimulate their ovaries to produce eggs , which is a standard way to obtain donor eggs that are to be used for women experiencing infertility problems .
But instead of having eggs extracted via a needle from their ovaries and fertilized in the lab — a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the study were inseminated by sperm .
Four to six days later , the women underwent a procedure known as `` lavage , '' which involved using a specialized device to flush out any resulting embryos from the womb .
The researchers then analyzed the embryos , comparing them to embryos produced by 20 of the women who also underwent standard IVF .
Embryos produced by both methods looked similar genetically , while those created using the lavage method looked slightly healthier physically , the researchers reported .
The women were paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than two month 's average wages in the area , raising questions about what motivated them to volunteer , Zoloth says .
The women also had to get injections of powerful hormones to stimulate their ovaries , which can pose some risk .
In addition , some women underwent surgical or chemical abortions afterward , when tests indicated some of the embryos might not have been successfully removed .
`` I think this research was unethical , '' Zoloth says .
Munne defends the research , noting that it was reviewed extensively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the State of Nayarit , in Mexico , and the Western Institutional Review Board in the United States .
The women were fully informed of any potential risks , Munne says .
`` We passed all the ethical committees and all the ethical checks and balances , '' he says .
The primary purpose of the study was to try to find a way to help couples who carry the gene for certain inherited diseases , such as beta thalassemia or cystic fibrosis , have healthy babies , Munne says .
Currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through standard IVF is so the embryos can be tested in the lab , and only those found to be healthy need be implanted , Munne says .
`` For couples that have genetic abnormalities and are at risk of transmitting them ... .
by selecting the embryos that are not affected , they can have a normal baby , '' he says .
So Munne and his colleagues decided to see if he could do the same thing without IVF , which requires a painful extraction of eggs , and expensive laboratory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were recruited at the Punta Mita Hospital in Punta de Mita , Mexico .
`` This is the first time that human embryos conceived naturally have been analyzed genetically to see if they are normal or not , '' Munne says .
`` The advantage is that these embryos are conceived naturally — so you do n't need in vitro fertilization to do the genetic testing of the embryos .
In theory , '' Munne says , `` it should be much cheaper . ''
In addition to helping couples avoid transmitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says , the approach could offer an alternative way for lesbian couples to share the experience of having a baby .
`` You could use this for lesbian couples [ when ] one wants to conceive the embryos and the other wants to carry the embryos , '' Munne says .
`` So one could have the embryos fertilized and then the embryos are transferred to the other woman to carry them .
So they can share the pregnancy . ''
Several researchers told NPR the research could be valuable .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' says Catherine Racowsky , an embryologist and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Harvard Medical School .
She is also president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine .
`` We may actually have here a technology that in the future may be very helpful for couples trying to complete their families at a lower cost , which is important , '' Racowsky says .
But others agree with Zoloth that the study raises serious ethical issues .
`` Yes , it is quite a series of things that do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lambalk , the editor-in-chief of Human Reproduction .
Lambalk says the journal only decided to publish the study after verifying that the research had been thoroughly reviewed , and published it along with an editorial and a commentary exploring the ethical concerns .
`` We could have made ourselves a very easy out — by just saying : 'No , no , we do n't want this , ' `` Lambalk says .
`` But we decided to go the hard way and publish it . ''
The findings could be useful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to draw attention to the ethical issues the study raises .
Galia Oron , an infertility expert at the Rabin Medical Center in Israel , who wrote the accompanying commentary as an associate editor at the journal , believes the study was ethically questionable .
`` Everything was technically kosher , '' Oron says .
`` But , I 'm afraid to say , maybe kosher but smelly . ''
For his part , Munne says the process the women in the study went through is essentially the same as what women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they donate eggs to help infertile women .
Eggs donors in the U.S. are also routinely paid .
`` There is no difference between an egg donation cycle and what we did here , '' Munne says .
Embryos produced in the study already have been used to create at least five pregnancies and three healthy babies .
The remaining embryos have been frozen for use by other couples experiencing infertility problems , according to John Buster , another member of the research team .

Embryo Research To Reduce Need For In Vitro Fertilization Raises Ethical Concerns
Enlarge this image toggle caption Science Photo Libra/Getty Images Science Photo Libra/Getty Images
Researchers have conducted a controversial study that involved paying dozens of young women at a hospital near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to get artificially inseminated so their embryos could be flushed out of their bodies and analyzed for research purposes.
The study showed that embryos created that way appear to be as healthy genetically as embryos created through standard in vitro fertilization. Physically, the embryos appear to, possibly, even be healthier, the study found.
The research, published online in the journal Human Reproduction, suggests the approach could offer couples a simpler, less expensive way for some couples to have healthy children than is currently available via IVF, the scientists and others say.
"We have now a method that can produce embryos that are of good quality or better than in vitro fertilization," says Santiago Munne, a reproductive geneticist who led the study when he worked at CooperGenomics in Livingston, N.J. Munne now works at Overture Life, a Madrid-based company that makes infertility treatment equipment.
But others denounce the research as unethical.
"What this essentially does is use a woman's body as a petri dish," says Laurie Zoloth, a bioethicist at the University of Chicago. "And there's something about that that seems so profoundly disturbing."
The women received hormone injections to stimulate their ovaries to produce eggs, which is a standard way to obtain donor eggs that are to be used for women experiencing infertility problems.
But instead of having eggs extracted via a needle from their ovaries and fertilized in the lab — a standard procedure during IVF — the women in the study were inseminated by sperm. Four to six days later, the women underwent a procedure known as "lavage," which involved using a specialized device to flush out any resulting embryos from the womb.
The researchers then analyzed the embryos, comparing them to embryos produced by 20 of the women who also underwent standard IVF.
Embryos produced by both methods looked similar genetically, while those created using the lavage method looked slightly healthier physically, the researchers reported.
The women were paid about $1,400, the equivalent of more than two month's average wages in the area, raising questions about what motivated them to volunteer, Zoloth says.
The women also had to get injections of powerful hormones to stimulate their ovaries, which can pose some risk. In addition, some women underwent surgical or chemical abortions afterward, when tests indicated some of the embryos might not have been successfully removed.
"I think this research was unethical," Zoloth says.
Munne defends the research, noting that it was reviewed extensively and approved by the Ministry of Health of the State of Nayarit, in Mexico, and the Western Institutional Review Board in the United States. The women were fully informed of any potential risks, Munne says.
"We passed all the ethical committees and all the ethical checks and balances," he says.
The primary purpose of the study was to try to find a way to help couples who carry the gene for certain inherited diseases, such as beta thalassemia or cystic fibrosis, have healthy babies, Munne says. Currently, the reason such couples create embryos through standard IVF is so the embryos can be tested in the lab, and only those found to be healthy need be implanted, Munne says.
"For couples that have genetic abnormalities and are at risk of transmitting them .... by selecting the embryos that are not affected, they can have a normal baby," he says.
So Munne and his colleagues decided to see if he could do the same thing without IVF, which requires a painful extraction of eggs, and expensive laboratory procedures. The study involved 81 women who were recruited at Punta Mita Hospital in Punta de Mita, Mexico.
"This is the first time that human embryos conceived naturally have been analyzed genetically to see if they are normal or not," Munne says.
"The advantage is that these embryos are conceived naturally — so you don't need in vitro fertilization to do the genetic testing of the embryos. In theory, it should be much cheaper."
In addition to helping couples avoid transmitting a genetic disease to their children, he says, the approach could offer an alternative way for lesbian couples to share the experience of having a baby.
"You could use this for lesbian couples [when] one wants to conceive the embryos and the other wants to carry the embryos," Munne says. "So one could have the embryos fertilized and then the embryos are transferred to the other woman to carry them. So they can share the pregnancy."
Several researchers told NPR the research could be valuable.
"This is a really well done study," says Catherine Racowsky, an embryologist and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Harvard Medical School. She is also president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
"We may actually have here a technology that in the future may be very helpful for couples trying to complete their families at a lower cost, which is important," Racowsky says.
But others agree with Zoloth that the study raises serious ethical issues.
"Yes, it is quite a series of things that do raise your eyebrows," says C.B. Lambalk, the editor-in-chief of Human Reproduction.
Lambalk says the journal decided to publish the study only after verifying that the research had been thoroughly reviewed, and published it along with an editorial and a commentary exploring the ethical concerns.
"We could have made ourselves a very easy out — by just saying: 'No, no, we don't want this,' " Lambalk says. "But we decided to go the hard way and publish it." The findings could be useful, he believes, and the journal wanted to draw attention to the ethical issues the study raises.
Galia Oron, an infertility expert at the Rabin Medical Center in Israel, who wrote the accompanying commentary as an associate editor at the journal, believes the study was ethically questionable.
"Everything was technically kosher," Oron says. "But, I'm afraid to say, maybe kosher but smelly."
For his part, Munne says the process the women in the study went through is essentially the same as what women routinely go through in the United States when they donate eggs to help infertile women. Eggs donors in the U.S. are also routinely paid.
"There is no difference between an egg donation cycle and what we did here," Munne says.
Embryos produced in the study already have been used to create at least five pregnancies and three healthy babies.
The remaining embryos have been frozen for use by other couples experiencing infertility problems, according to John Buster, another member of the research team.


npr--2020-01-15--Despite Findings Of 'Negligent' Care, ICE To Expand Troubled Calif. Detention Center

Despite Findings Of 'Negligent ' Care , ICE To Expand Troubled Calif .
Detention Center When a government expert in mental health visited one of the largest immigration detention centers in the U.S. in 2017 , she knew the conditions that detainees there sometimes face .
A past inspection had found that staff often failed to obtain adequate mental health histories , leading to faulty diagnoses and , in some cases , treatment plans that were incorrect .
Upon arrival at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in Adelanto , Calif. , a similar pattern emerged .
One detainee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When she asked an officer about him , she was told that the man `` floods his cell , bangs his head . ''
She searched the man 's medical chart for records from his recent stay at an inpatient psychiatric unit , but they appeared to be missing .
He had been placed in what the government refers to as `` segregation , '' a term known more commonly as solitary confinement .
Inside , the expert found , he was suffering from `` active auditory hallucinations . ''
Moreover , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hate to be alone , '' he told the expert .
The detainee 's case is detailed in a previously confidential report on the Adelanto facility obtained by NPR .
Despite the report 's findings — and repeated , scathing criticism of the facility from the federal government 's own internal watchdogs — ICE decided at the end of 2019 to renew and expand a contract to keep the Adelanto facility open .
The report dates to late 2017 , but attorneys and advocates say the problems identified in the report have persisted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ findings in the report .
Like many other detention centers , the Adelanto facility is operated by a for-profit company — in this case , the GEO Group .
The U.S. government is GEO 's single biggest customer , and the company has made nearly $ 1 billion in federal contracts over the past 12 months , according to government data .
The company 's business has been threatened by a new California law that largely bans for-profit companies from operating prisons and immigration detention facilities in the state .
Findings of inadequate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adelanto facility and others were a driving force behind that law .
But by signing the new 15-year contract before the law could take effect , GEO and the Trump administration effectively circumvented the state of California until 2034 .
( GEO has also sued the state in federal court , arguing that the California law is unconstitutional . )
Advocates and attorneys for immigrants say the new contract — which also expands the Adelanto facility by more than 700 detention beds — demonstrates how ICE fails to hold contractors accountable for major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns are echoed in the report obtained by NPR from the Department of Homeland Security 's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties , an internal oversight office .
• The facility failed to meet ICE 's own standards for using solitary confinement .
One detainee , for instance , cumulatively spent nearly 2 1/2 years in solitary .
• Staff used pepper spray on immigrants held in detention but did not follow best practices when it came time to remove the spray from detainees — in some cases their efforts intensified the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was `` more likely than not '' that problems with medical care `` contributed to medical injuries , including bone deformities and detainee deaths . ''
• And government experts were so alarmed that they recommended `` immediately '' transferring `` at-risk '' detainees to another facility to protect their health and safety .
The expert inspectors from the Department of Homeland Security found that , in several cases , ICE and GEO had been either unwilling or unable to fix problems despite repeated warnings over the years .
The report 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of challenges presented by the Trump administration 's push to detain more immigrants who are awaiting asylum hearings or deportation proceedings .
Under the president 's hard-line immigration policies , the number of immigrants in detention has grown to all-time highs , with private companies like GEO playing a central role in that system .
While defenders say the crackdown is needed to help stem what they call a crisis on the southern border , immigration advocates say the growing reliance on detention has stretched an already troubled system to the breaking point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light of day '' NPR has sought records regarding the facility for more than a year and obtained this report under the Freedom of Information Act .
Sources familiar with the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties say such reports almost always remain confidential .
`` Normally , these reports never see the light of day , '' says Nick Schwellenbach , a senior investigator with the nonprofit watchdog group Project On Government Oversight , or POGO .
In September 2019 , POGO released a version of the report after filing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had more heavily redacted critical findings and recommendations .
`` It 's kind of confounding why they withheld some of this information [ from us ] , '' says Schwellenbach .
A representative for GEO said the company would `` defer to ICE '' on any response to the report .
Lori K. Haley , a spokesperson for ICE , also declined to comment on specific findings in the report .
In an email , Haley wrote , `` The safety , rights and health of detainees in ICE 's care are of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted , the agency `` either did not concur or only partially concurred with roughly half their recommendations . ''
Haley declined to say which recommendations ICE agreed with and why , or what actions the agency took in response .
Lawyers , who regularly visit the facility and represent detainees there , say they have seen little evidence that ICE or GEO has followed through on the recommendations .
`` I do n't have reason to believe that many of these reports are being taken as seriously as they should by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pilar Gonzalez of the nonprofit Disability Rights California , which advocates for detainees at the facility .
Liz Jordan , an attorney with the Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center , says the issues identified in the report have persisted .
`` ICE does not demand any sort of accountability from the contractors or force any changes or improvements , '' says Jordan , who is representing current and former Adelanto detainees in a lawsuit .
`` Instead , they get rewarded to keep on keeping on . ''
The Adelanto ICE Processing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of whom have no criminal record .
Unlike prison , immigration detention is not meant as punishment .
The government holds people in detention while deciding their immigration status .
In November 2017 , the authors of the report — three Department of Homeland Security experts in health care , corrections and mental health — traveled to Adelanto , Calif. , to inspect the ICE detention facility after a series of complaints .
The names of the experts are redacted in the report .
All three experts found major problems , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtained by NPR come from the report on health care .
`` Overall , the medical care at the Adelanto facility is inadequate '' and does not meet federal standards , the report found , citing `` incompetent clinical medical leadership . ''
The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties had previously visited the facility in 2015 under the Obama administration and detailed `` negligent '' medical care at that time .
But rather than seeing improvements in 2017 , the experts found that medical care had gotten worse .
`` No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states , noting that the number of complaints around detainee medical care had actually increased .
The medical expert cites multiple examples of poor medical care , including long delays in appointments for broken bones and a failure to provide needed antibiotics and other medications .
In at least one case , a detainee 's death was `` likely related '' to failures by the facility 's medical staff .
`` At-risk detainees must be immediately removed from the facility ( transferred to another facility with a well-functioning medical program ) . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the expert defined `` at-risk '' as any detainee with a chronic medical problem like diabetes , as well as any detainee over 55 years old .
Attorneys for detainees told NPR that there 's no indication that ICE or GEO actually followed this recommendation .
ICE declined to say whether it made changes to its medical staff in the wake of the report or transferred detainees .
The allegations against the Adelanto facility went beyond medical care .
`` Detainees suffer retaliation , verbal harassment and [ are ] treated with disrespect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` must hold facility staff accountable for substantiated abusive and disrespectful treatment of the detainees , '' the report went on , noting that this problem had not been addressed after previous inspections .
In another instance , detainees alleged even harsher measures .
In June 2017 , a group of asylum-seekers from Central America went on hunger strike to protest conditions at the facility .
When the group locked arms and refused to move , staff used pepper spray and physically removed them .
The corrections expert found that the use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumstances . ''
But the expert saw a significant problem with the staff 's subsequent actions .
But , the corrections expert found , `` The facility does not have any access to cold water .
The facility only provides a mix of cold and hot water through a shower head . ''
The expert warned that `` warm water will exacerbate the burning effect of the OC pepper spray . ''
When the group of hunger strikers was placed in showers , they described `` writhing '' in pain as the water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marvin Josue Grande Rodriguez , said that he fainted in the shower , because `` the gas and the heat of the water ...
It was far too much for me . ''
The report says the use of a hot shower was a `` significant issue '' and concluded that the facility `` must provide access to a cold-water shower '' in the future .
In response to a lawsuit filed by the group of hunger strikers , lawyers for GEO said that water `` does reactivate the tingling sensation '' from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary to remove the spray '' and was not intended to cause pain .
Because ICE and GEO declined to answer specific questions , it 's unclear if they followed the recommendation on cold-water showers .
Attorneys for detainees told NPR that they were unsure whether any changes had been made .
But it is clear that the facility staff continue to use pepper spray .
ICE statistics show that pepper spray has been used more than 25 times since the 2017 inspection .
An `` inhumane '' use of solitary confinement Additionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Adelanto facility was failing to meet federal standards for solitary confinement — known in ICE 's bureaucratic language as `` segregation . ''
Overall , the report found that GEO Group staff had `` no current strategy '' when it came to long-term use of solitary confinement and that people were suffering as a result .
In one case , inspectors found , a detainee was held in a `` Special Management Unit , '' or SMU , for 426 days .
`` No detainee should be held in the SMU for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report states .
`` Isolation alone can create physical safety concerns and can result in mental decompensation . ''
The expert inspectors were especially critical of the use of solitary confinement for immigrants with serious mental disorders .
They found that about a third of the detainees held in solitary had a `` serious mental illness . ''
Over the course of multiple stays , one detainee logged 904 days — or nearly 2 1/2 years — in solitary confinement , which the report calls `` shockingly high . ''
The experts found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were put in solitary confinement simply because it was the only available space where they could be closely watched .
The report called that practice `` inhumane . ''
`` If strategies are not developed , '' the report warned , `` the mental health and other long-term detainee cases will continue to decompensate , and the population of the SMU will continue to grow . ''
In response to NPR , an ICE spokesperson wrote that the agency `` is compliant '' with agency standards on the use of solitary confinement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again , critics of ICE say that is not true .
`` You have these experts ... essentially screaming from the rooftops , 'You need to fix this problem ! '
`` says Schwellenbach of POGO , which has also investigated the use of solitary confinement in ICE detention .
`` There 's solutions that they 're actually putting forward , but they 're being ignored . ''
The state of California has repeatedly clashed with the Trump administration over immigration policy .
The office of California Sen. Kamala Harris , a former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general , reviewed the documents obtained by NPR .
`` It is unconscionable to subject detained persons to inhumane conditions , '' Harris ' office said in a statement , `` including issues arising from insufficient medical care as well as prolonged isolation and detention at immigrant detention facilities . ''
Criticism of conditions at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center by Harris and others was one factor that led to the recent California law , largely banning the use of private contractors in prisons and immigration detention centers .
`` State laws aimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and harmful , '' ICE 's Haley wrote to NPR .
`` Policy makers who strive to make it more difficult to remove dangerous criminal aliens and aim to stop the cooperation of local officials and business partners , harm the very communities whose welfare they have sworn to protect . ''
In their lawsuit against the state , GEO argues that the law is a `` transparent attempt by the State to shut down the Federal Government 's detention efforts within California 's borders '' and `` a direct assault on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state legislator Rob Bonta , who championed the law , tweeted that the lawsuit was , `` Exactly what you 'd expect fr [ om ] a collapsing industry in its final death throes . ''

Despite Findings Of 'Negligent' Care, ICE To Expand Troubled Calif. Detention Center
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chris Carlson/AP Chris Carlson/AP
When a government expert in mental health visited one of the largest immigration detention centers in the U.S. in 2017, she knew the conditions that detainees there sometimes face. A past inspection had found that staff often failed to obtain adequate mental health histories, leading to faulty diagnoses and, in some cases, treatment plans that were incorrect.
Upon arrival at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in Adelanto, Calif., a similar pattern emerged. One detainee she observed had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. When she asked an officer about him, she was told that the man "floods his cell, bangs his head."
She searched the man's medical chart for records from his recent stay at an inpatient psychiatric unit, but they appeared to be missing. He had been placed in what the government refers to as "segregation," a term known more commonly as solitary confinement.
Inside, the expert found, he was suffering from "active auditory hallucinations." Moreover, they appeared to worsening.
"I hate to be alone," he told the expert.
The detainee's case is detailed in a previously confidential report on the Adelanto facility obtained by NPR. Despite the report's findings — and repeated, scathing criticism of the facility from the federal government's own internal watchdogs — ICE decided at the end of 2019 to renew and expand a contract to keep the Adelanto facility open.
The report dates to late 2017, but attorneys and advocates say the problems identified in the report have persisted. ICE declined to respond to specific findings in the report.
Like many other detention centers, the Adelanto facility is operated by a for-profit company — in this case, the GEO Group. The U.S. government is GEO's single biggest customer, and the company has made nearly $1 billion in federal contracts over the past 12 months, according to government data.
The company's business has been threatened by a new California law that largely bans for-profit companies from operating prisons and immigration detention facilities in the state. Findings of inadequate care and treatment of detainees at the Adelanto facility and others were a driving force behind that law.
But by signing the new 15-year contract before the law could take effect, GEO and the Trump administration effectively circumvented the state of California until 2034. (GEO has also sued the state in federal court, arguing that the California law is unconstitutional.)
Advocates and attorneys for immigrants say the new contract — which also expands the Adelanto facility by more than 700 detention beds — demonstrates how ICE fails to hold contractors accountable for major problems in immigration detention centers.
Their concerns are echoed in the report obtained by NPR from the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, an internal oversight office.
Among the report's findings:
The facility failed to meet ICE's own standards for using solitary confinement. One detainee, for instance, cumulatively spent nearly 2 1/2 years in solitary.
Staff used pepper spray on immigrants held in detention but did not follow best practices when it came time to remove the spray from detainees — in some cases their efforts intensified the painful "burning effect."
It was "more likely than not" that problems with medical care "contributed to medical injuries, including bone deformities and detainee deaths."
And government experts were so alarmed that they recommended "immediately" transferring "at-risk" detainees to another facility to protect their health and safety.
The expert inspectors from the Department of Homeland Security found that, in several cases, ICE and GEO had been either unwilling or unable to fix problems despite repeated warnings over the years.
The report's findings provide a window into the types of challenges presented by the Trump administration's push to detain more immigrants who are awaiting asylum hearings or deportation proceedings. Under the president's hard-line immigration policies, the number of immigrants in detention has grown to all-time highs, with private companies like GEO playing a central role in that system. While defenders say the crackdown is needed to help stem what they call a crisis on the southern border, immigration advocates say the growing reliance on detention has stretched an already troubled system to the breaking point.
"These reports never see the light of day"
NPR has sought records regarding the facility for more than a year and obtained this report under the Freedom of Information Act. Sources familiar with the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties say such reports almost always remain confidential.
"Normally, these reports never see the light of day," says Nick Schwellenbach, a senior investigator with the nonprofit watchdog group Project On Government Oversight, or POGO.
In September 2019, POGO released a version of the report after filing a public records lawsuit. But the government had more heavily redacted critical findings and recommendations.
"It's kind of confounding why they withheld some of this information [from us]," says Schwellenbach.
toggle caption NPR
A representative for GEO said the company would "defer to ICE" on any response to the report.
Lori K. Haley, a spokesperson for ICE, also declined to comment on specific findings in the report.
In an email, Haley wrote, "The safety, rights and health of detainees in ICE's care are of paramount concern."
But, she noted, the agency "either did not concur or only partially concurred with roughly half their recommendations."
Haley declined to say which recommendations ICE agreed with and why, or what actions the agency took in response.
Lawyers, who regularly visit the facility and represent detainees there, say they have seen little evidence that ICE or GEO has followed through on the recommendations.
"I don't have reason to believe that many of these reports are being taken as seriously as they should by the facility or by ICE," says Pilar Gonzalez of the nonprofit Disability Rights California, which advocates for detainees at the facility.
Liz Jordan, an attorney with the Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center, says the issues identified in the report have persisted.
"ICE does not demand any sort of accountability from the contractors or force any changes or improvements," says Jordan, who is representing current and former Adelanto detainees in a lawsuit.
"Instead, they get rewarded to keep on keeping on."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chris Carlson/AP Chris Carlson/AP
"No correction was made"
The Adelanto ICE Processing Center holds nearly 2,000 adult detainees, most of whom have no criminal record.
Unlike prison, immigration detention is not meant as punishment. The government holds people in detention while deciding their immigration status.
In November 2017, the authors of the report — three Department of Homeland Security experts in health care, corrections and mental health — traveled to Adelanto, Calif., to inspect the ICE detention facility after a series of complaints. The names of the experts are redacted in the report.
All three experts found major problems, but the most serious findings in the documents obtained by NPR come from the report on health care.
"Overall, the medical care at the Adelanto facility is inadequate" and does not meet federal standards, the report found, citing "incompetent clinical medical leadership."
The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties had previously visited the facility in 2015 under the Obama administration and detailed "negligent" medical care at that time. But rather than seeing improvements in 2017, the experts found that medical care had gotten worse.
"No correction was made," the report states, noting that the number of complaints around detainee medical care had actually increased.
The medical expert cites multiple examples of poor medical care, including long delays in appointments for broken bones and a failure to provide needed antibiotics and other medications.
In at least one case, a detainee's death was "likely related" to failures by the facility's medical staff.
As a result, the expert recommended a drastic measure:
"At-risk detainees must be immediately removed from the facility (transferred to another facility with a well-functioning medical program)."
Given the problems at the facility, the expert defined "at-risk" as any detainee with a chronic medical problem like diabetes, as well as any detainee over 55 years old.
Attorneys for detainees told NPR that there's no indication that ICE or GEO actually followed this recommendation.
ICE declined to say whether it made changes to its medical staff in the wake of the report or transferred detainees.
Allegations of "verbal harassment" and "retaliation"
The allegations against the Adelanto facility went beyond medical care.
"Detainees suffer retaliation, verbal harassment and [are] treated with disrespect," the report found. Leadership "must hold facility staff accountable for substantiated abusive and disrespectful treatment of the detainees," the report went on, noting that this problem had not been addressed after previous inspections.
In another instance, detainees alleged even harsher measures.
In June 2017, a group of asylum-seekers from Central America went on hunger strike to protest conditions at the facility. When the group locked arms and refused to move, staff used pepper spray and physically removed them.
The corrections expert found that the use of pepper spray was "appropriate given the circumstances." But the expert saw a significant problem with the staff's subsequent actions.
Cold water is recommended to safely decontaminate pepper spray.
But, the corrections expert found, "The facility does not have any access to cold water. The facility only provides a mix of cold and hot water through a shower head." The expert warned that "warm water will exacerbate the burning effect of the OC pepper spray."
When the group of hunger strikers was placed in showers, they described "writhing" in pain as the water reactivated the spray. One detainee, Marvin Josue Grande Rodriguez, said that he fainted in the shower, because "the gas and the heat of the water ... It was far too much for me."
The report says the use of a hot shower was a "significant issue" and concluded that the facility "must provide access to a cold-water shower" in the future.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chris Carlson/AP Chris Carlson/AP
In response to a lawsuit filed by the group of hunger strikers, lawyers for GEO said that water "does reactivate the tingling sensation" from pepper spray but that it was "necessary to remove the spray" and was not intended to cause pain.
Because ICE and GEO declined to answer specific questions, it's unclear if they followed the recommendation on cold-water showers.
Attorneys for detainees told NPR that they were unsure whether any changes had been made.
But it is clear that the facility staff continue to use pepper spray. ICE statistics show that pepper spray has been used more than 25 times since the 2017 inspection.
An "inhumane" use of solitary confinement
Additionally, the government's experts found that the Adelanto facility was failing to meet federal standards for solitary confinement — known in ICE's bureaucratic language as "segregation."
Overall, the report found that GEO Group staff had "no current strategy" when it came to long-term use of solitary confinement and that people were suffering as a result.
In one case, inspectors found, a detainee was held in a "Special Management Unit," or SMU, for 426 days.
"No detainee should be held in the SMU for this amount of time," the report states. "Isolation alone can create physical safety concerns and can result in mental decompensation."
The expert inspectors were especially critical of the use of solitary confinement for immigrants with serious mental disorders. They found that about a third of the detainees held in solitary had a "serious mental illness."
Over the course of multiple stays, one detainee logged 904 days — or nearly 2 1/2 years — in solitary confinement, which the report calls "shockingly high."
The experts found that some detainees with serious mental illness were put in solitary confinement simply because it was the only available space where they could be closely watched. The report called that practice "inhumane."
"If strategies are not developed," the report warned, "the mental health and other long-term detainee cases will continue to decompensate, and the population of the SMU will continue to grow."
In response to NPR, an ICE spokesperson wrote that the agency "is compliant" with agency standards on the use of solitary confinement, citing a directive from 2013.
But again, critics of ICE say that is not true.
"You have these experts ... essentially screaming from the rooftops, 'You need to fix this problem!' " says Schwellenbach of POGO, which has also investigated the use of solitary confinement in ICE detention. "There's solutions that they're actually putting forward, but they're being ignored."
National California Assemblyman Rob Bonta Discusses Private Detention Centers And ICE California Assemblyman Rob Bonta Discusses Private Detention Centers And ICE Listen · 4:29 4:29
Ongoing oversight of immigration detention
The state of California has repeatedly clashed with the Trump administration over immigration policy.
The office of California Sen. Kamala Harris, a former Democratic presidential candidate and former state attorney general, reviewed the documents obtained by NPR.
"It is unconscionable to subject detained persons to inhumane conditions," Harris' office said in a statement, "including issues arising from insufficient medical care as well as prolonged isolation and detention at immigrant detention facilities."
Criticism of conditions at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center by Harris and others was one factor that led to the recent California law, largely banning the use of private contractors in prisons and immigration detention centers.
"State laws aimed at obstructing federal law enforcement are inappropriate and harmful," ICE's Haley wrote to NPR. "Policy makers who strive to make it more difficult to remove dangerous criminal aliens and aim to stop the cooperation of local officials and business partners, harm the very communities whose welfare they have sworn to protect."
In their lawsuit against the state, GEO argues that the law is a "transparent attempt by the State to shut down the Federal Government's detention efforts within California's borders" and "a direct assault on the supremacy of federal law."
California state legislator Rob Bonta, who championed the law, tweeted that the lawsuit was, "Exactly what you'd expect fr[om] a collapsing industry in its final death throes."
Read the full internal report:


npr--2020-01-15--U.N. Court: Ruling To Be Issued Next Week In Rohingya Genocide Case

U.N. Court : Ruling To Be Issued Next Week In Rohingya Genocide Case The International Court of Justice in the Netherlands announced Wednesday that it is poised to make a decision on whether it will order Myanmar to put an end to what human rights watchers say has been a campaign of genocide against the country 's Rohingya Muslim minority .
The United Nation 's top court says the order will be handed down on Jan 23 .
In November , the West African nation of Gambia filed a lawsuit with the U.N. court , accusing Myanmar 's security forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that prompted more than 700,000 to flee the country for refugee camps and Bangladesh and left at least 10,000 dead , human rights groups estimate .
The suit specifically asks that the court `` take all measures within its power '' to prevent acts that amount to the crime of genocide , including killings , physical abuse , rape , sexual violence and burning of homes and livestock , which the suit alleges Myanmar has committed with the intention of trying `` to destroy the Rohingya as a group . ''
Human rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discrimination directed toward the Rohingya , and the legal action taken by Gambia adds to the large body of research that has emerged since international groups say the campaign against the Muslim minority started in 2017 .
Gambia 's action marks the first time a country without any direct link to the alleged atrocities has used its membership in the Genocide Convention to bring a case before the court .
While the court does not have enforcement powers , it is still a part of the U.N. , meaning the order is being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world , since the order could set into motion repercussions if the country violates the court 's ruling .
`` Other UN bodies could take steps to increase the power of the ICJ 's order and , by extension , increase the political cost should Myanmar fail to comply , '' says Human Rights Watch .
In a separate legal process , the International Criminal Court is now investigating possible crimes against humanity committed in the country .
`` Myanmar 's failure to hold its military accountable for atrocities against the Rohingya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice , '' said Phil Robertson , who is the deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch .
`` Two international courts are now examining whether Myanmar committed genocide and who should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity against the Rohingya . ''
Aung San Suu Kyi , Myanmar 's de facto leader , defended the country 's actions during court hearings last month , saying there was no genocide orchestrated against the Rohingya .
Suu Kyi argued that her country 's security forces had simply responded to coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fled the country were attempting to escape the violence , not the country 's military .
`` The Gambia has placed before the court an incomplete and misleading factual picture of the situation in Myanmar , '' she told the court , asking that the case be dropped .
`` If war crimes have been committed by members of Myanmar 's defense services , they will be prosecuted through our military justice system in accordance with Myanmar 's constitution . ''
The 15-judge panel in the Hague rarely handles genocide cases , focusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law .
However the court rules , the order can be appealed and could take years to complete the case .
Gambia 's request for an immediate court order came as the first stage of a case in which it accuses Myanmar of breaching the Genocide Convention in its campaign against the Rohingya .
Myanmar rejects the claim .
The full case will likely take years to complete .

U.N. Court: Ruling To Be Issued Next Week In Rohingya Genocide Case
Enlarge this image toggle caption Peter Dejong/AP Peter Dejong/AP
The International Court of Justice in the Netherlands announced Wednesday that it is poised to make a decision on whether it will order Myanmar to put an end to what human rights watchers say has been a campaign of genocide against the country's Rohingya Muslim minority.
The United Nation's top court says the order will be handed down on Jan 23.
In November, the West African nation of Gambia filed a lawsuit with the U.N. court, accusing Myanmar 's security forces of a brutal crackdown on the Rohingya that prompted more than 700,000 to flee the country for refugee camps and Bangladesh and left at least 10,000 dead, human rights groups estimate.
The suit specifically asks that the court "take all measures within its power" to prevent acts that amount to the crime of genocide, including killings, physical abuse, rape, sexual violence and burning of homes and livestock, which the suit alleges Myanmar has committed with the intention of trying "to destroy the Rohingya as a group."
Human rights organizations have for years documented violence and discrimination directed toward the Rohingya, and the legal action taken by Gambia adds to the large body of research that has emerged since international groups say the campaign against the Muslim minority started in 2017.
Gambia's action marks the first time a country without any direct link to the alleged atrocities has used its membership in the Genocide Convention to bring a case before the court.
While the court does not have enforcement powers, it is still a part of the U.N., meaning the order is being closely watched by human rights advocates around the world, since the order could set into motion repercussions if the country violates the court's ruling.
"Other UN bodies could take steps to increase the power of the ICJ's order and, by extension, increase the political cost should Myanmar fail to comply," says Human Rights Watch.
In a separate legal process, the International Criminal Court is now investigating possible crimes against humanity committed in the country.
"Myanmar's failure to hold its military accountable for atrocities against the Rohingya is finally turning the wheels of international justice," said Phil Robertson, who is the deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch. "Two international courts are now examining whether Myanmar committed genocide and who should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity against the Rohingya."
Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader, defended the country's actions during court hearings last month, saying there was no genocide orchestrated against the Rohingya.
Suu Kyi argued that her country's security forces had simply responded to coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents, claiming the hundreds of thousands who fled the country were attempting to escape the violence, not the country's military.
"The Gambia has placed before the court an incomplete and misleading factual picture of the situation in Myanmar," she told the court, asking that the case be dropped. "If war crimes have been committed by members of Myanmar's defense services, they will be prosecuted through our military justice system in accordance with Myanmar's constitution."
The 15-judge panel in the Hague rarely handles genocide cases, focusing mainly on disputes between countries under international law.
However the court rules, the order can be appealed and could take years to complete the case.
Gambia's request for an immediate court order came as the first stage of a case in which it accuses Myanmar of breaching the Genocide Convention in its campaign against the Rohingya. Myanmar rejects the claim.
The full case will likely take years to complete.
Reporter Michael Sullivan contributed to this report.


npr--2020-01-15--Virginia Governor Declares State Of Emergency Ahead Of Gun Rights Rally

Fearing potential violence , Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam is declaring a state of emergency and is banning firearms and other weapons on the Capitol grounds in Richmond ahead of a gun rights demonstration planned for next week .
`` We have received credible intelligence from our law enforcement agencies that there are groups with malicious plans for the rally that is planned for Monday , '' Northam said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon .
Gun rights supporters are preparing to converge on Richmond for a lobbying day and a rally Monday morning .
They 're opposed to efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken over control of the Virginia legislature following the November 2019 elections — to pass a slate of gun control bills backed by Northam .
The event , hosted by Virginia Citizens Defense League , is expected to draw thousands of armed demonstrators , some from out of state .
Organizers have said they hope to hold a peaceful event .
But Northam said officials have heard reports of `` out-of-state militia groups and hate groups planning to travel from across the country to disrupt our democratic process with acts of violence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to intimidate and to cause harm . ''
Northam is raising concerns about a reprise of the deadly violence surrounding the white supremacist march in Charlottesville in August 2017 .
He said state intelligence analysts have identified threats and rhetoric online that mirror the chatter they were picking up around that time .
`` Please know that we have been preparing extensively to protect public safety at Monday 's rally .
But no one wants another incident like the one we saw in Charlottesville in 2017 , '' Northam said .
On a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hosted by the Virginia Citizens Defense League , several commenters expressed frustration at Northam 's move to restrict guns from the Capitol grounds .
One wrote , `` This is simply a move to infringe on not only our 2nd Amendment rights but our 1st Amendment rights as well . ''
Northam asked organizers of the event to `` disavow '' any groups who would threaten violence .

Virginia Governor Declares State Of Emergency Ahead Of Gun Rights Rally
Enlarge this image toggle caption Zach Gibson/Getty Images Zach Gibson/Getty Images
Fearing potential violence, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is declaring a state of emergency and is banning firearms and other weapons on the Capitol grounds in Richmond ahead of a gun rights demonstration planned for next week.
"We have received credible intelligence from our law enforcement agencies that there are groups with malicious plans for the rally that is planned for Monday," Northam said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
Gun rights supporters are preparing to converge on Richmond for a lobbying day and a rally Monday morning. They're opposed to efforts by Virginia Democrats — who've just taken over control of the Virginia legislature following the November 2019 elections — to pass a slate of gun control bills backed by Northam.
The event, hosted by Virginia Citizens Defense League, is expected to draw thousands of armed demonstrators, some from out of state. Organizers have said they hope to hold a peaceful event.
But Northam said officials have heard reports of "out-of-state militia groups and hate groups planning to travel from across the country to disrupt our democratic process with acts of violence." He said they "are coming to intimidate and to cause harm."
Northam is raising concerns about a reprise of the deadly violence surrounding the white supremacist march in Charlottesville in August 2017. He said state intelligence analysts have identified threats and rhetoric online that mirror the chatter they were picking up around that time.
"Please know that we have been preparing extensively to protect public safety at Monday's rally. But no one wants another incident like the one we saw in Charlottesville in 2017," Northam said.
Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
On a Facebook page organizing the gun rights demonstration hosted by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, several commenters expressed frustration at Northam's move to restrict guns from the Capitol grounds. One wrote, "This is simply a move to infringe on not only our 2nd Amendment rights but our 1st Amendment rights as well."
Northam asked organizers of the event to "disavow" any groups who would threaten violence.