npr--2020-09-23--Why Tens Of Thousands Of People Are Key To Testing A COVID-19 Vaccine

Why Tens Of Thousands Of People Are Key To Testing A COVID-19 Vaccine Updated at 7:00 a.m .
ET More than 100,000 people are taking part in studies to see if one or more COVID-19 vaccine candidates actually work .
Janssen Pharmaceutical Cos. of Johnson & Johnson today starts wide-scale testing for its vaccine .
It will involve as many as 60,000 volunteers worldwide .
AstraZeneca , Pfizer and Moderna already have vaccine candidates in large studies in the United States .
Novavax should start its study later this fall .
The reason the trials are so large has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accurate analysis of whether the vaccine works — and how the scientists and public health officials define `` works . ''
Why so many people ?
A large trial maximizes the likelihood the study will capture people who span the gamut of behavior , jobs and lifestyles .
To prove a vaccine works , people taking part in a study must at some point be exposed to the virus .
But herein lies a conundrum — it 's unethical to ask people to expose themselves intentionally .
Indeed , volunteers in vaccine studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to avoid infection : wash hands frequently , avoid crowds , wear a mask , maintain 6 feet of social distance .
`` Some people will not be able to adhere to that , and some people will have exposure just by the nature of the work they do , '' says Ruth Karron , director of the Johns Hopkins Vaccine Initiative .
`` For example , if they are health care workers or other kinds of front-line workers . ''
So some people will inevitably be exposed to the virus .
Large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these volunteers will get injected with an inert placebo instead of the vaccine candidate .
Each study looks to see if there 's a difference in the rate of infection in the placebo group compared with the vaccinated group .
Finally , having large numbers of people vaccinated might reveal unexpected , rare side effects that might not have shown up in the initial , small-scale studies .
If there 's a difference between the two groups , how do researchers know the vaccine is responsible for preventing infection ?
Randomization is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing a role in keeping people from getting the coronavirus .
Some of the volunteers will , just by their nature and habits , be extremely cautious and take aggressive steps to avoid exposure to the virus .
Others will not .
Since volunteers are randomly assigned either to the placebo or the vaccine group , it 's reasonable to assume that the two groups will have roughly equal numbers of daredevils and cautious people and everything in between .
If there is a significant difference in the rate of COVID-19 illness experienced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine is the likely explanation .
Also , the experimental trial is what 's called `` double blind . ''
That means neither the person jabbing the needle in someone 's arm , nor the person injected , knows what 's in the syringe .
Volunteers might be tempted to throw caution to the wind and deliberately expose themselves to the virus if they thought they were receiving a vaccine candidate .
But since they do n't know what they 're getting — and the persons administering the vaccine ca n't give them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either — throwing caution to the wind seems risky if all the volunteer got was some saline injected into an arm .
Besides , the vaccine is experimental , meaning it might not work .
How do researchers know if anybody is actually being exposed to the virus ?
In reality , researchers do n't know if the volunteers are getting exposed to the virus , but they try to conduct trials in areas where the virus is known to be circulating in the community .
`` It 's not that you actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus there right at the moment you get the first injection , '' Karron says .
That 's because it takes several weeks after that first injection for a person 's immune system to respond in a way that would protect them from disease .
So researchers must try to predict where the virus will still be circulating weeks or months into the future .
How did researchers decide on their target of 30,000 volunteers ?
Having 30,000 volunteers participate is also partly because there 's a need for speed .
The key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get enough cases of COVID-19 to be able to make statistically reliable comparisons between the vaccinated group and the placebo group .
Researchers estimate 150 cases should be enough to prove that a vaccine is at least 50 % effective .
The large number of volunteers in each study is an effort to make sure those 150 cases occur as rapidly as possible .
Is there a way to show efficacy with fewer people ?
There is a way to show efficacy with fewer people , but the approach is ethically fraught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which volunteers are vaccinated and then deliberately exposed to the virus by inserting the virus directly into their noses .
But without an effective COVID-19 treatment , researchers in that sort of study could be killing people if the vaccine did n't work .
It 's also likely that volunteers in a challenge trial would be healthy , young individuals .
Their response to the vaccine might be different from the way older people or people with medical conditions might respond .
What 's more , a small-scale challenge trial would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might cause .
When will the vaccine studies underway have results ?
It 's impossible to say for certain when some of the studies will have results , but some scientists and public health officials estimate it could be as early as the end of October .
You can contact NPR science correspondent Joe Palca at jpalca @ npr.org .

Why Tens Of Thousands Of People Are Key To Testing A COVID-19 Vaccine
Enlarge this image toggle caption Taimy Alvarez/AP Taimy Alvarez/AP
Updated at 7:00 a.m. ET
More than 100,000 people are taking part in studies to see if one or more COVID-19 vaccine candidates actually work.
Janssen Pharmaceutical Cos. of Johnson & Johnson today starts wide-scale testing for its vaccine. It will involve as many as 60,000 volunteers worldwide. AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna already have vaccine candidates in large studies in the United States. Novavax should start its study later this fall.
The reason the trials are so large has to do with the complications of getting an accurate analysis of whether the vaccine works — and how the scientists and public health officials define "works."
Why so many people?
A large trial maximizes the likelihood the study will capture people who span the gamut of behavior, jobs and lifestyles. To prove a vaccine works, people taking part in a study must at some point be exposed to the virus. But herein lies a conundrum — it's unethical to ask people to expose themselves intentionally. Indeed, volunteers in vaccine studies are encouraged to continue to take steps to avoid infection: wash hands frequently, avoid crowds, wear a mask, maintain 6 feet of social distance.
"Some people will not be able to adhere to that, and some people will have exposure just by the nature of the work they do," says Ruth Karron, director of the Johns Hopkins Vaccine Initiative. "For example, if they are health care workers or other kinds of front-line workers."
So some people will inevitably be exposed to the virus.
Large numbers are also needed because some of these volunteers will get injected with an inert placebo instead of the vaccine candidate. Each study looks to see if there's a difference in the rate of infection in the placebo group compared with the vaccinated group.
Finally, having large numbers of people vaccinated might reveal unexpected, rare side effects that might not have shown up in the initial, small-scale studies.
If there's a difference between the two groups, how do researchers know the vaccine is responsible for preventing infection?
Randomization is the key to assuring that the vaccine is playing a role in keeping people from getting the coronavirus. Some of the volunteers will, just by their nature and habits, be extremely cautious and take aggressive steps to avoid exposure to the virus. Others will not. Since volunteers are randomly assigned either to the placebo or the vaccine group, it's reasonable to assume that the two groups will have roughly equal numbers of daredevils and cautious people and everything in between. If there is a significant difference in the rate of COVID-19 illness experienced by the two experimental groups, the vaccine is the likely explanation.
Also, the experimental trial is what's called "double blind." That means neither the person jabbing the needle in someone's arm, nor the person injected, knows what's in the syringe. Volunteers might be tempted to throw caution to the wind and deliberately expose themselves to the virus if they thought they were receiving a vaccine candidate. But since they don't know what they're getting — and the persons administering the vaccine can't give them a hint since they don't know either — throwing caution to the wind seems risky if all the volunteer got was some saline injected into an arm. Besides, the vaccine is experimental, meaning it might not work.
How do researchers know if anybody is actually being exposed to the virus?
In reality, researchers don't know if the volunteers are getting exposed to the virus, but they try to conduct trials in areas where the virus is known to be circulating in the community.
Picking a good location is tricky.
"It's not that you actually want there to be a lot of virus there right at the moment you get the first injection," Karron says. That's because it takes several weeks after that first injection for a person's immune system to respond in a way that would protect them from disease. So researchers must try to predict where the virus will still be circulating weeks or months into the future.
How did researchers decide on their target of 30,000 volunteers?
Having 30,000 volunteers participate is also partly because there's a need for speed. The key to determining if the vaccine works is to get enough cases of COVID-19 to be able to make statistically reliable comparisons between the vaccinated group and the placebo group. Researchers estimate 150 cases should be enough to prove that a vaccine is at least 50% effective. The large number of volunteers in each study is an effort to make sure those 150 cases occur as rapidly as possible.
Is there a way to show efficacy with fewer people?
There is a way to show efficacy with fewer people, but the approach is ethically fraught. Some have argued for challenge trials in which volunteers are vaccinated and then deliberately exposed to the virus by inserting the virus directly into their noses. But without an effective COVID-19 treatment, researchers in that sort of study could be killing people if the vaccine didn't work. It's also likely that volunteers in a challenge trial would be healthy, young individuals. Their response to the vaccine might be different from the way older people or people with medical conditions might respond. What's more, a small-scale challenge trial would not reveal any rare side effects a vaccine might cause.
When will the vaccine studies underway have results?
It's impossible to say for certain when some of the studies will have results, but some scientists and public health officials estimate it could be as early as the end of October.
You can contact NPR science correspondent Joe Palca at jpalca@npr.org.


npr--2020-09-23--Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny Discharged From Berlin Hospital

Updated at 6:50 a.m .
ET Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been discharged from a Berlin hospital after spending more than a month there following his poisoning in Siberia .
In a statement , Berlin 's Charité Hospital said Navalny 's condition had improved sufficiently for him to be discharged from inpatient care on Tuesday .
`` Based on the patient 's progress and current condition , the treating physicians believe that complete recovery is possible , '' said the statement .
`` However it remains too early to gauge the potential long-term effects of his severe poisoning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mr. Navalny 's condition public was made in consultation with the patient and his wife , '' the statement added .
Navalny fell violently ill on Aug. 20 while on a plane traveling from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow .
The plane made an emergency landing in the city of Omsk , where Navalny was hospitalized in critical condition .
After days of political wrangling , a German nonprofit organization gained permission from Russian authorities to fly Navalny to Berlin for treatment .
As Navalny spent more than three weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ German military lab discovered traces of the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok in biomedical samples from Navalny 's body .
The findings , which were later confirmed by scientists in Sweden and France , spurred German Chancellor Angela Merkel to demand that Russia explain how Navalny came to be poisoned .
Russia 's government has denied any role in Navalny 's poisoning .
Colleagues of Navalny say they found traces of Novichok on a water bottle in his Tomsk hotel room .
The nerve agent was also used to poison Russian defector Sergei Skripal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 .
Russia denied any role in that attack as well .
Navalny 's poisoning has led politicians throughout Europe to call for sanctions on Russia .
In Germany , politicians from Merkel 's own party have called on her to halt construction on the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline that aims to carry Russian natural gas to Germany .
Merkel has refused to delay the project .
After doctors removed Navalny from his coma more than a week ago , he has taken to Instagram to say he does not intend to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has vowed to return to Russia to continue his work of investigating corruption among the country 's elite and pressing for democratic reform .

Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny Discharged From Berlin Hospital
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alexei Navalny Instagram/AP Alexei Navalny Instagram/AP
Updated at 1:25 p.m. ET
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been discharged from a Berlin hospital after spending more than a month there following his poisoning in Siberia.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alexei Navalny/Instagram Alexei Navalny/Instagram
In a statement, Berlin's Charité Hospital said Navalny's condition had improved sufficiently for him to be discharged from inpatient care on Tuesday.
"Based on the patient's progress and current condition, the treating physicians believe that complete recovery is possible," said the statement. "However it remains too early to gauge the potential long-term effects of his severe poisoning."
"The decision to make details of Mr. Navalny's condition public was made in consultation with the patient and his wife," the statement added.
Navalny fell violently ill on Aug. 20 while on a plane traveling from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow. The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk, where Navalny was hospitalized in critical condition.
After days of political wrangling, a German nonprofit organization gained permission from Russian authorities to fly Navalny to Berlin for treatment. As Navalny spent more than three weeks in a medically induced coma, a German military lab discovered traces of the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok in biomedical samples from Navalny's body.
The findings, which were later confirmed by scientists in Sweden and France, spurred German Chancellor Angela Merkel to demand that Russia explain how Navalny came to be poisoned. Russia's government has denied any role in Navalny's poisoning.
Navalny, who has built a huge following on social media, described his condition in an Instagram post featuring a photo in which he is staring into the camera from a Berlin park bench. He wrote that sleeping is still his biggest problem and that doctors decided the best treatment is a return to "normal life."
Navalny said he is taking walks and spending time with his family and that his plans are "simple": daily physiotherapy sessions so he'll be able to stand on one leg again and regain full control of his fingers. He joked that he'll find out if he can get a prescription for the PlayStation 5.
Colleagues of Navalny say they found traces of Novichok on a water bottle in his Tomsk hotel room. The nerve agent was also used to poison Russian defector Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Great Britain in 2018. Russia denied any role in that attack as well.
Navalny's poisoning has led politicians throughout Europe to call for sanctions on Russia. In Germany, politicians from Merkel's own party have called on her to halt construction on the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline that aims to carry Russian natural gas to Germany. Merkel has refused to delay the project.
French President Emmanuel Macron, in an address to the United Nations on Tuesday, said the use of chemical weapons is a "red line" that France cannot tolerate. He said Russia must provide a "swift and flawless" clarification of how Navalny ended up being poisoned with Novichok.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the Kremlin does not see any "direct accusations" in Macron's remarks. Asked about a report in Le Monde that Putin told Macron that Navalny might have poisoned himself, Peskov said the newspaper had not accurately presented the Kremlin's language. Peskov, who refers to Navalny only as "the Berlin patient," said many countries have the ability to synthesize Novichok, so it's not always possible to establish its origin.
After doctors removed Navalny from his coma more than a week ago, he wrote on Instagram that he does not intend to stay in Germany. Rather, he has vowed to return to Russia to continue his work of investigating corruption among the country's elite and pressing for democratic reform.
Peskov said Navalny is free to return to Russia whenever he wants, just like any other Russian citizen.


npr--2020-09-22--Parents, Child Charged After 50-Student House Party Leads To Classes Moved Online

Police have charged a Massachusetts high school student and the youth 's parents with allegedly hosting a house party with underage drinking , a gathering that led the town 's high school to delay in-person classes by two weeks amid coronavirus concerns .
The family members , who live in Sudbury , were charged under the state 's `` social host '' law , which penalizes anyone `` who is in control of the premises and who furnishes alcohol or allows it to be consumed [ by underage people ] on those premises , '' with fines of up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of imprisonment or both .
The party was held late Sept. 11 at a private residence where police say they broke up a gathering of at least 50 students thought to be underage and from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School .
There were no masks , and attendees did not appear to be practicing social distancing , police said .
The town 's health board released a statement saying that there were `` no known positive COVID cases involving these students at the time of this release . ''
However , the town was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the party — many of them unknown — and therefore could n't accurately assess the risk .
`` As a result , the Board of Health and Lincoln Sudbury Regional School High School ( LSRHS ) , in consultation with the school physician , collectively decided to delay in-person learning , '' the statement reads .
The high school was originally to begin in-person classes on Sept. 15 but will now keep students out of classrooms for at least two weeks .
The health board is recommending that the partygoers be tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's health board and the school health office if they become symptomatic .
`` These criminal charges are not unique to our town .
The 'Social Host Law ' is often charged when a department identifies gatherings allowing underage alcohol consumption , '' the Sudbury Police Department wrote in a Facebook post about the incident .
Last week in Attleboro , Mass.
, nearly 30 students were required to quarantine after possibly being exposed to the coronavirus after a high schooler was sent to classes even though the teen tested positive days earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-person classes because students attended parties in Dedham , Reading and the Dover-Sherborn area .

Parents, Child Charged After 50-Student House Party Leads To Classes Moved Online
Police have charged a Massachusetts high school student and the youth's parents with allegedly hosting a house party with underage drinking, a gathering that led the town's high school to delay in-person classes by two weeks amid coronavirus concerns.
The family members, who live in Sudbury, were charged under the state's "social host" law, which penalizes anyone "who is in control of the premises and who furnishes alcohol or allows it to be consumed [by underage people] on those premises," with fines of up to $2,000, up to a year of imprisonment or both.
The party was held late Sept. 11 at a private residence where police say they broke up a gathering of at least 50 students thought to be underage and from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. There were no masks, and attendees did not appear to be practicing social distancing, police said.
The town's health board released a statement saying that there were "no known positive COVID cases involving these students at the time of this release." However, the town was not able to consult with the attendees of the party — many of them unknown — and therefore couldn't accurately assess the risk.
"As a result, the Board of Health and Lincoln Sudbury Regional School High School (LSRHS), in consultation with the school physician, collectively decided to delay in-person learning," the statement reads.
The high school was originally to begin in-person classes on Sept. 15 but will now keep students out of classrooms for at least two weeks. The health board is recommending that the partygoers be tested for the coronavirus and notify the town's health board and the school health office if they become symptomatic.
"These criminal charges are not unique to our town. The 'Social Host Law' is often charged when a department identifies gatherings allowing underage alcohol consumption," the Sudbury Police Department wrote in a Facebook post about the incident.
Last week in Attleboro, Mass., nearly 30 students were required to quarantine after possibly being exposed to the coronavirus after a high schooler was sent to classes even though the teen tested positive days earlier.
Other Massachusetts high schools have delayed in-person classes because students attended parties in Dedham, Reading and the Dover-Sherborn area.


npr--2020-09-23--Trump Accuses FDA Of Playing Politics With COVID-19 Vaccine Guidelines

President Trump on Wednesday decried reported health agency efforts to issue stricter guidelines for evaluating a vaccine against COVID-19 , accusing the Food and Drug Administration of playing politics .
Trump was apparently reacting to a Tuesday report in the New York Times that said the agency will soon move to tighten requirements for emergency authorization of any coronavirus vaccine to better ensure its safety and effectiveness .
`` That has to be approved by the White House .
We may or may not approve it .
That sounds like a political move , '' Trump said during a press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think that was a political move more than anything else , '' he said .
The timing of a vaccine has been an issue of contention between the president and health experts .
Trump has directly contradicted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield on an estimate for widespread release of a vaccine , saying that such distribution of a vaccine would happen before the end of the year .
Trump has also said that `` every American '' will have access to a vaccine by April .
Redfield has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely not be widely available until next spring or summer .
Multiple potential vaccines are undergoing testing .
Top health officials vowed in a hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday that a COVID-19 vaccine would not be approved until it met `` vigorous expectations '' for safety and effectiveness .

Trump Accuses FDA Of Playing Politics With COVID-19 Vaccine Guidelines
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joshua Roberts/Getty Images Joshua Roberts/Getty Images
President Trump on Wednesday decried reported health agency efforts to issue stricter guidelines for evaluating a vaccine against COVID-19, accusing the Food and Drug Administration of playing politics.
Trump was apparently reacting to a Tuesday report in the New York Times that said the agency will soon move to tighten requirements for emergency authorization of any coronavirus vaccine to better ensure its safety and effectiveness.
"That has to be approved by the White House. We may or may not approve it. That sounds like a political move," Trump said during a press briefing at the White House.
"I think that was a political move more than anything else," he said.
PBS NewsHour via YouTube
The timing of a vaccine has been an issue of contention between the president and health experts.
Trump has directly contradicted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield on an estimate for widespread release of a vaccine, saying that such distribution of a vaccine would happen before the end of the year. Trump has also said that "every American" will have access to a vaccine by April.
Redfield has testified to Congress that a vaccine would likely not be widely available until next spring or summer.
Multiple potential vaccines are undergoing testing. Top health officials vowed in a hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday that a COVID-19 vaccine would not be approved until it met "vigorous expectations" for safety and effectiveness.


npr--2020-09-23--Audit: University Of California Admitted 64 Students Over More Qualified Applicants

Audit : University Of California Admitted 64 Students Over More Qualified Applicants The University of California was found to have admitted at least 64 students over more qualified applicants because of the students ' connections to university staff or donors , according to a California state audit released Tuesday .
The audit investigated four campuses — UC Berkeley , UCLA , UC San Diego , and UC Santa Barbara — from academic years 2013-14 through 2018-19 and found that the campuses failed to evaluate students fairly and to develop adequate and standardized admissions processes .
Auditors found that UC Berkeley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to donors and university staff , including one example where a regent violated university policy by improperly advocating for a student .
Most of these applicants were white and at least half had annual family incomes of $ 150,000 or more .
These students do not include two already identified in the 2019 national college admissions scandal , according to the audit .
`` The pervasiveness of this problem at UC Berkeley demonstrates that campus leadership has failed to establish a campus culture that values commitment to an admissions process based on fairness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' auditors stated in the document .
Of the 64 , there were 22 applicants falsely admitted as student-athletes `` as favors to donors and friends , '' despite having little demonstrated ability and not participating on the teams long term .
In some cases , the university seemed to admit applicants in exchange for promised donations to the athletic department , according to the audit .
The report says there are likely even more students who were improperly admitted as athletes than auditors could identify .
This is because the audit only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's athletic programs , and among the ones it scrutinized , 400 athletes disappeared from team rosters after a year , many who had questionable admissions and athletic backgrounds , the audit states .
The audit only included cases in its count of 22 that had definite evidence of impropriety , such as email conversations .
In one example that the audit cites , a coach asked an applicant 's father if the applicant 's high school coach could `` put something together '' that would demonstrate the applicant 's talent and referred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game . ''
The high school coach ended up submitting a letter that largely overlooked the applicant 's physical abilities and instead talked about their personality .
That student was admitted .
`` The university undermined the fairness and integrity of its admissions process and deprived more qualified students of the opportunity for admission , '' state auditor Elaine Howle wrote in a letter released with the audit to California Gov .
Gavin Newsom and state legislative leaders .
`` The University will swiftly address the concerns the State Auditor raised .
Furthermore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be disciplined appropriately , '' UC President Michael Drake said in a statement .
`` Our entire organization is committed to a level playing field for every applicant .
Unethical means to gain admission , as rare as they may be , run contrary to our longstanding values of equity and fairness . ''
Drake added that UC will `` conduct a thorough review of the audit finding '' and plan corrective actions with the campuses .
Inconsistencies and a lack of policies preventing implicit biases could also play a role on who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the university , according to the audit .
The audit found a demonstrated lack of consistency for the ways applications were evaluated across campuses and within individual institutions themselves .
These inconsistencies could heavily influence the chances of an applicant being accepted depending on who read it , the audit stated .
According to the audit , it was sometimes hard to determine why some students were accepted while others were n't .
An example it provided was in the academic year 2019–20 , UCLA admitted into the College of Letters and Science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — who application evaluators designated as recommended for admission .
However , in the same college and same year , it admitted more than 1,100 applicants who rated lower — some who were n't competitive to be recommended .
The audit did not include names of students who were improperly admitted but did include examples of those who were less qualified than other applicants who were denied admission .
One had babysat for a colleague of the former director of undergraduate admissions .
One had a family member who was a friend of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a major donor .
One applicant 's family promised a large donation .
All of them were admitted .
Following the massive college admissions scandal that involved UCLA among many other institutions dubbed Operation Varsity Blues , the University of California underwent its own internal audit , implementing several recommendations following its own system-wide look at admission practices .
This audit was released earlier this year and only identified two cases of possible improper admissions .
However , the state auditor said because campuses were allowed to evaluate themselves , that study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be done .
`` The office of the president has allowed the weaknesses in these practices to persist because it has not conducted adequate oversight of campuses ' admissions processes , '' she wrote .

Audit: University Of California Admitted 64 Students Over More Qualified Applicants
Enlarge this image toggle caption Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The University of California was found to have admitted at least 64 students over more qualified applicants because of the students' connections to university staff or donors, according to a California state audit released Tuesday.
The audit investigated four campuses — UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara — from academic years 2013-14 through 2018-19 and found that the campuses failed to evaluate students fairly and to develop adequate and standardized admissions processes.
Auditors found that UC Berkeley admitted 42 applicants because of their connections to donors and university staff, including one example where a regent violated university policy by improperly advocating for a student. Most of these applicants were white and at least half had annual family incomes of $150,000 or more. These students do not include two already identified in the 2019 national college admissions scandal, according to the audit.
"The pervasiveness of this problem at UC Berkeley demonstrates that campus leadership has failed to establish a campus culture that values commitment to an admissions process based on fairness and applicants' merits and achievements," auditors stated in the document.
Of the 64, there were 22 applicants falsely admitted as student-athletes "as favors to donors and friends," despite having little demonstrated ability and not participating on the teams long term. In some cases, the university seemed to admit applicants in exchange for promised donations to the athletic department, according to the audit.
The report says there are likely even more students who were improperly admitted as athletes than auditors could identify. This is because the audit only looked at a fraction of the university's athletic programs, and among the ones it scrutinized, 400 athletes disappeared from team rosters after a year, many who had questionable admissions and athletic backgrounds, the audit states. The audit only included cases in its count of 22 that had definite evidence of impropriety, such as email conversations.
In one example that the audit cites, a coach asked an applicant's father if the applicant's high school coach could "put something together" that would demonstrate the applicant's talent and referred to the admissions process as a "game." The high school coach ended up submitting a letter that largely overlooked the applicant's physical abilities and instead talked about their personality. That student was admitted.
"The university undermined the fairness and integrity of its admissions process and deprived more qualified students of the opportunity for admission," state auditor Elaine Howle wrote in a letter released with the audit to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislative leaders.
"The University will swiftly address the concerns the State Auditor raised. Furthermore, individuals involved in improper activities will be disciplined appropriately," UC President Michael Drake said in a statement. "Our entire organization is committed to a level playing field for every applicant. Unethical means to gain admission, as rare as they may be, run contrary to our longstanding values of equity and fairness."
Drake added that UC will "conduct a thorough review of the audit finding" and plan corrective actions with the campuses.
Inconsistencies and a lack of policies preventing implicit biases could also play a role on who is accepted and who isn't at the university, according to the audit. The audit found a demonstrated lack of consistency for the ways applications were evaluated across campuses and within individual institutions themselves. These inconsistencies could heavily influence the chances of an applicant being accepted depending on who read it, the audit stated.
According to the audit, it was sometimes hard to determine why some students were accepted while others weren't. An example it provided was in the academic year 2019–20, UCLA admitted into the College of Letters and Science only 18% applicants — about 1,000 — who application evaluators designated as recommended for admission. However, in the same college and same year, it admitted more than 1,100 applicants who rated lower — some who weren't competitive to be recommended.
The audit did not include names of students who were improperly admitted but did include examples of those who were less qualified than other applicants who were denied admission.
One had babysat for a colleague of the former director of undergraduate admissions. One had a family member who was a friend of a regent. Another was the child of a major donor. One applicant's family promised a large donation. All of them were admitted.
Following the massive college admissions scandal that involved UCLA among many other institutions dubbed Operation Varsity Blues, the University of California underwent its own internal audit, implementing several recommendations following its own system-wide look at admission practices. This audit was released earlier this year and only identified two cases of possible improper admissions.
However, the state auditor said because campuses were allowed to evaluate themselves, that study was incomplete and there was more to be done.
"The office of the president has allowed the weaknesses in these practices to persist because it has not conducted adequate oversight of campuses' admissions processes," she wrote.
Reese Oxner is an intern on NPR's News Desk.


npr--2020-09-23--California Governor Signs Order Banning Sales Of New Gasoline Cars By 2035

California Governor Signs Order Banning Sales Of New Gasoline Cars By 2035 California will phase out the sale of all gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035 in a bid to lead the U.S. in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging the state 's drivers to switch to electric cars .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Wednesday that amounts to the most aggressive clean-car policy in the United States .
Although it bans the sale of new gas cars and trucks after the 15-year deadline , it will still allow such vehicles to be owned and sold on the used-car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impactful step our state can take to fight climate change , '' the governor said in a statement .
`` Our cars should n't make wildfires worse — and create more days filled with smoky air .
Cars should n't melt glaciers or raise sea levels threatening our cherished beaches and coastlines . ''
Newsom , a Democrat , also threw his support behind a ban on petroleum fracking but called on the California Legislature to make that change .
With extreme wildfires still burning in the state , Newsom says fighting climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state 's efforts have run afoul of the Trump administration , which has sought to revoke California 's authority to mandate zero-emission vehicles – a challenge that has landed in court .
Transportation is the state 's biggest — and rising — source of emissions , while other sources of emissions , such as from the electricity sector , are falling due to ambitious climate policies .
In January 2018 , Gov .
Jerry Brown signed an executive order setting ambitious targets of 200 hydrogen fueling stations and 250,000 electric vehicle chargers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California roads by 2025 .
The number of zero-emission electric vehicles being sold in the state has been on the upswing in recent years , although they accounted for fewer than 8 % of all new cars sold in California last year .
The California-based Coalition for Clean Air praised Newsom 's executive order , and the group said it was committed to helping fully implement the new policy .
`` The Governor 's Executive Order is a meaningful step in addressing the climate crisis and protecting the health of Californians , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NPR .
`` Electrifying transportation will also create jobs and help California move forward in its economic recovery .
Jessica Caldwell of Edmunds , the online resource for automobile information , said , `` Many automakers have been guilty of setting short-term targets for their electrification strategy that never came to fruition . ''
`` This rule , if implemented , establishes a specific timeline that they 'll collectively need to adhere to , '' Caldwell said .
`` California is a major market that automakers desperately need to maintain sales . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Research , a think tank that often sides with the fossil fuel industry , called the move by Newsom `` another silly distraction from real problems . ''
`` Driving cars is not what causes forest fires or makes them worse , '' David Kreutzer , a senior economist at the institute , told NPR .
`` If people want to drive electric cars , they 'll buy them .
You do n't have to eliminate the competition . ''
Kreutzer also pushed back at the notion that electric vehicles are zero-emission .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a tailpipe , but they do have emissions at the power plant , '' he said .

California Governor Signs Order Banning Sales Of New Gasoline Cars By 2035
Enlarge this image toggle caption Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
California will phase out the sale of all gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035 in a bid to lead the U.S. in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging the state's drivers to switch to electric cars.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Wednesday that amounts to the most aggressive clean-car policy in the United States. Although it bans the sale of new gas cars and trucks after the 15-year deadline, it will still allow such vehicles to be owned and sold on the used-car market.
"This is the most impactful step our state can take to fight climate change," the governor said in a statement.
"Our cars shouldn't make wildfires worse — and create more days filled with smoky air. Cars shouldn't melt glaciers or raise sea levels threatening our cherished beaches and coastlines."
Newsom, a Democrat, also threw his support behind a ban on petroleum fracking but called on the California Legislature to make that change.
With extreme wildfires still burning in the state, Newsom says fighting climate change is an emergency. However, the state's efforts have run afoul of the Trump administration, which has sought to revoke California's authority to mandate zero-emission vehicles – a challenge that has landed in court.
Transportation is the state's biggest — and rising — source of emissions, while other sources of emissions, such as from the electricity sector, are falling due to ambitious climate policies.
In January 2018, Gov. Jerry Brown signed an executive order setting ambitious targets of 200 hydrogen fueling stations and 250,000 electric vehicle chargers to support 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on California roads by 2025.
The number of zero-emission electric vehicles being sold in the state has been on the upswing in recent years, although they accounted for fewer than 8% of all new cars sold in California last year.
The California-based Coalition for Clean Air praised Newsom's executive order, and the group said it was committed to helping fully implement the new policy.
"The Governor's Executive Order is a meaningful step in addressing the climate crisis and protecting the health of Californians," the coalition said in an email to NPR. "Electrifying transportation will also create jobs and help California move forward in its economic recovery.
Jessica Caldwell of Edmunds, the online resource for automobile information, said, "Many automakers have been guilty of setting short-term targets for their electrification strategy that never came to fruition."
"This rule, if implemented, establishes a specific timeline that they'll collectively need to adhere to," Caldwell said. "California is a major market that automakers desperately need to maintain sales."
A spokesman for the Institute for Energy Research, a think tank that often sides with the fossil fuel industry, called the move by Newsom "another silly distraction from real problems."
"Driving cars is not what causes forest fires or makes them worse," David Kreutzer, a senior economist at the institute, told NPR. "If people want to drive electric cars, they'll buy them. You don't have to eliminate the competition."
Kreutzer also pushed back at the notion that electric vehicles are zero-emission. "Electric cars might not have emissions at a tailpipe, but they do have emissions at the power plant," he said.


npr--2020-09-23--Democrats Criticize Upcoming Debate For Not Including Climate Change

When President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden face off Tuesday night in the first presidential debate , there 's one topic they 're not expected to get asked about : climate .
Thirty-six senators , spearheaded by Ed Markey , D-Mass.
, signed a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates , urging that climate change receive more attention .
Fox News moderator Chris Wallace plans to ask the two candidates questions from a series of topics ranging from their individual records , the Supreme Court , COVID-19 , the economy and the integrity of the election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — including the wildfires in the West and the hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico — writing , `` The climate crisis is n't coming , it 's here . ''
`` It is critical that every debate includes questions that ask the candidates what they would do to address climate change and environmental injustice .
Without these topics , any discussion on the economy , racial justice , public health , national security , democracy , or infrastructure would be incomplete , '' the letter reads .
A recent poll from Climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate groups , found that 74 % of voters said it was important to ask about climate change during the debates .
In an NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist poll earlier this month , climate became the top priority for likely Democratic voters .
An additional topic Wallace plans to address with the candidates is `` Race and Violence in our Cities . ''
The framing of the topic has drawn criticism from some corners for conflating the issues of race and violence , with many seeing it as characterizing the nationwide protests over racial injustice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
President Trump frequently campaigns on the idea of `` law and order '' and has pushed for law enforcement crackdowns in cities because of the protests , some of which have led to violence .

Democrats Criticize Upcoming Debate For Not Including Climate Change
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Green New Deal Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Green New Deal
When President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden face off Tuesday night in the first presidential debate, there's one topic they're not expected to get asked about: climate.
Thirty-six senators, spearheaded by Ed Markey, D-Mass., signed a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates, urging that climate change receive more attention.
Fox News moderator Chris Wallace plans to ask the two candidates questions from a series of topics ranging from their individual records, the Supreme Court, COVID-19, the economy and the integrity of the election.
The senators point to various climate crises — including the wildfires in the West and the hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico — writing, "The climate crisis isn't coming, it's here."
"It is critical that every debate includes questions that ask the candidates what they would do to address climate change and environmental injustice. Without these topics, any discussion on the economy, racial justice, public health, national security, democracy, or infrastructure would be incomplete," the letter reads.
A recent poll from Climate Nexus, Vice Media Group and other climate groups, found that 74% of voters said it was important to ask about climate change during the debates. In an NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist poll earlier this month, climate became the top priority for likely Democratic voters.
An additional topic Wallace plans to address with the candidates is "Race and Violence in our Cities." The framing of the topic has drawn criticism from some corners for conflating the issues of race and violence, with many seeing it as characterizing the nationwide protests over racial injustice and police brutality as inherently violent themselves.
President Trump frequently campaigns on the idea of "law and order" and has pushed for law enforcement crackdowns in cities because of the protests, some of which have led to violence.


npr--2020-09-23--Older People, Got A Pandemic Problem? A Club To Help You Figure It Out — Yourself

Older People , Got A Pandemic Problem ?
A Club To Help You Figure It Out — Yourself It 's a bit hard to describe Vietnam 's Intergenerational Self Help Clubs .
But one thing is easy to say .
If you 're older — like above the age of 60 — and need help , the club will help you get it .
That could mean a microloan if times are tough , a drum lesson as a chance for self-expression and social activity ( and to prove that old people can play drums , too ) .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ played a critical role informing and supporting its members .
There are around 3,000 of the clubs in Vietnam , with 160,000 participants , most of them older people .
The goal is to help older people and people with disabilities — and people in any age group can volunteer .
That 's why `` intergenerational '' is part of the name .
But the idea is for club members to find solutions to their own problems .
It 's a model that 's earned the club the grand prize for the Healthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Organized by the Japan Center for International Exchange and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia , the award recognizes best practices in addressing challenges of rapidly aging societies in Asia .
Even though Vietnam has been relatively fortunate during the pandemic — with only about 1,000 cases — the virus has still been a focus for the club members .
`` They 're playing a very positive role .
They help disseminate useful information about COVID-19 to older people .
They also help raise funds and collect money , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to older people in the club , '' says Duc Le , communications officer for Help Age International , Vietnam .
In 2006 , the group helped launch the pilot program for the clubs in Vietnam .
Then in 2016 , the government took it over , rolling it into the country 's national strategy to help older people , and providing some funding .
One of the biggest concerns for older people in the country , says Chu Viet Nga , program manager of Help Age International , Vietnam , is income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic .
One problem is that fewer than a third of Vietnam 's over-60 population has a pension or government social assistance .
Vietnam 's government is providing cash aid to families during the coronavirus crisis , but many older people are not eligible because they are not in the social security system — and the process to join is quite complicated , says Chu .
Nguyen Huong Hai , 68 , for example , is a member of the Self Help Club in the Khuong Din ward of Hanoi .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were worried about their financial situation .
They did n't have a pension and — like many Vietnamese families — relied on their adult children to send money on a regular basis .
Unfortunately , their son , who lived in Australia , had to stop working because of the pandemic .
And their daughter 's business , a fast food shop next to a school in Hanoi , had to close .
Nguyen was stressed .
How would he and his wife survive the next few months ?
Dao Thi Hoa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Self Help Club , caught wind of his story and sprang into action .
She and a group of volunteers rallied the 60 club members to collect donations — over 1,000 pounds of rice , 85 cartons of noodles and cash , which they divided among 30 of the neediest group members , including Nguyan , who got 22 pounds of rice and about $ 50 — enough to help in the short term .
`` This is the Vietnamese spirit , '' she says .
`` We help each other and help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
It 's one of Dao 's proudest moments as a volunteer .
That the group came up with their own solution for a club member 's problem made her realize something important : `` Older people are not helpless .
They can be strong and they can have a great impact in their own lives . ''
Even before the pandemic , the club was providing a small financial safety net for members — the microloans and also courses on how to start a side hustle for fun or for additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presentations , volunteer experts ( some of them members ) teach how to pickle mangoes , grow mushrooms using a plastic laundry basket , grow bean sprouts in a bucket or raise backyard chickens .
`` One person in my club grew one ton of beans , '' over the course of many months , says Dao .
They now sell them in paper bags at the market .
In addition to training members , there 's plenty of opportunity for socializing with everything from exercise classes to drum lessons — ways to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aging , says Chu .
`` Many people tell the older club members , why do you play drums ?
You are so old .
Why are you dancing ?
You are so old .
It 's not suitable for you , '' says Dao .
But , she adds , the members say , `` Whatever !
We can do whatever we like . ''
And even though the pandemic restrictions on gatherings have put some of these activities on hold , the club continues to offer a chance for older people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in helping people in her neighborhood .
Dao herself joined Khuong Din 's Self Help Club when it first started two years ago , at the age of 67 .
After retiring from a 35-year career as a civil service officer , she began volunteering , working at a disaster relief organization and the cancer ward of a hospital .
The grandmother of two got interested in the club after hearing its mission — and decided to serve as a lead volunteer .
`` Yes , I am an older person but I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she says .
`` Because I can do that , I feel joy .
It makes me feel young and energetic . ''

Older People, Got A Pandemic Problem? A Club To Help You Figure It Out — Yourself
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nguyễn Văn Hốt Nguyễn Văn Hốt
It's a bit hard to describe Vietnam's Intergenerational Self Help Clubs.
But one thing is easy to say. If you're older — like above the age of 60 — and need help, the club will help you get it. That could mean a microloan if times are tough, a drum lesson as a chance for self-expression and social activity (and to prove that old people can play drums, too). And during the pandemic, the clubs have played a critical role informing and supporting its members.
There are around 3,000 of the clubs in Vietnam, with 160,000 participants, most of them older people.
The goal is to help older people and people with disabilities — and people in any age group can volunteer. That's why "intergenerational" is part of the name.
But the idea is for club members to find solutions to their own problems. It's a model that's earned the club the grand prize for the Healthy Aging Prize for Asian Innovation in July. Organized by the Japan Center for International Exchange and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, the award recognizes best practices in addressing challenges of rapidly aging societies in Asia.
Even though Vietnam has been relatively fortunate during the pandemic — with only about 1,000 cases — the virus has still been a focus for the club members.
"They're playing a very positive role. They help disseminate useful information about COVID-19 to older people. They also help raise funds and collect money, rice and face masks to give away to older people in the club," says Duc Le, communications officer for Help Age International, Vietnam.
In 2006, the group helped launch the pilot program for the clubs in Vietnam. Then in 2016, the government took it over, rolling it into the country's national strategy to help older people, and providing some funding.
One of the biggest concerns for older people in the country, says Chu Viet Nga, program manager of Help Age International, Vietnam, is income — reflected in surveys of club members during the pandemic.
One problem is that fewer than a third of Vietnam's over-60 population has a pension or government social assistance. Vietnam's government is providing cash aid to families during the coronavirus crisis, but many older people are not eligible because they are not in the social security system — and the process to join is quite complicated, says Chu.
Nguyen Huong Hai, 68, for example, is a member of the Self Help Club in the Khuong Din ward of Hanoi. In April, he and his wife were worried about their financial situation. They didn't have a pension and — like many Vietnamese families — relied on their adult children to send money on a regular basis. Unfortunately, their son, who lived in Australia, had to stop working because of the pandemic. And their daughter's business, a fast food shop next to a school in Hanoi, had to close.
Nguyen was stressed. How would he and his wife survive the next few months?
Dao Thi Hoa, 69, chairwoman of the Khuong Din Self Help Club, caught wind of his story and sprang into action. She and a group of volunteers rallied the 60 club members to collect donations — over 1,000 pounds of rice, 85 cartons of noodles and cash, which they divided among 30 of the neediest group members, including Nguyan, who got 22 pounds of rice and about $50 — enough to help in the short term.
toggle caption Dao Thi Hoa
"This is the Vietnamese spirit," she says. "We help each other and help the poor and anyone who needs it."
It's one of Dao's proudest moments as a volunteer. That the group came up with their own solution for a club member's problem made her realize something important: "Older people are not helpless. They can be strong and they can have a great impact in their own lives."
Even before the pandemic, the club was providing a small financial safety net for members — the microloans and also courses on how to start a side hustle for fun or for additional income..
toggle caption Nguyễn Văn Hốt
In multi-day workshops complete with PowerPoint presentations, volunteer experts (some of them members) teach how to pickle mangoes, grow mushrooms using a plastic laundry basket, grow bean sprouts in a bucket or raise backyard chickens.
"One person in my club grew one ton of beans," over the course of many months, says Dao. They now sell them in paper bags at the market.
toggle caption Dao Thi Hoa
In addition to training members, there's plenty of opportunity for socializing with everything from exercise classes to drum lessons — ways to fight the isolation that can come with aging, says Chu.
"Many people tell the older club members, why do you play drums? You are so old. Why are you dancing? You are so old. It's not suitable for you," says Dao. But, she adds, the members say, "Whatever! We can do whatever we like."
toggle caption Dao Thi Hoa
And even though the pandemic restrictions on gatherings have put some of these activities on hold, the club continues to offer a chance for older people like Dao to play an active role in helping people in her neighborhood.
Dao herself joined Khuong Din's Self Help Club when it first started two years ago, at the age of 67. After retiring from a 35-year career as a civil service officer, she began volunteering, working at a disaster relief organization and the cancer ward of a hospital. The grandmother of two got interested in the club after hearing its mission — and decided to serve as a lead volunteer.
"Yes, I am an older person but I feel strong enough to help other people," she says. "Because I can do that, I feel joy. It makes me feel young and energetic."


npr--2020-09-23--'No One Can Live Off $240 A Week': Many Americans Struggle To Pay Rent, Bills

'No One Can Live Off $ 240 A Week ' : Many Americans Struggle To Pay Rent , Bills Jean lost her job as a school bus driver in Chicago during the pandemic .
She was managing OK with unemployment money .
But then , about two weeks ago , she got a desperate call from her adult son .
`` His job had laid him off , and he was n't able to pay rent , '' she says .
There was an eviction moratorium in Chicago , but Jean says the landlord wanted her son out anyway .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ threaten her son , and to shoot his dog — a German shepherd mix he 'd had for years .
`` And he called me , '' Jean says .
`` He said , 'Mom , they killed my dog .
And the guy told me that he should have killed me , too . '
`` '' He said , 'Ma , can you come over here ? '
`` Jean says she went to his house and told her son , who has two children of his own , `` OK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go . ''
They all moved in with her .
Jean only wants to use her first name for fear of retribution .
She says she was afraid to report what happened to police .
Jean was one of more than 3,000 people who took part in a new poll released Wednesday from NPR , the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health .
Her story is an especially stark example of how pandemic financial stress is playing out .
But the poll found many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and unsafe workplaces , and a high percentage of Americans — 46 % — said they 're having `` serious financial problems . ''
Nearly one out of three respondents had used up all or most of their savings .
`` Our surprise is how large the numbers are , '' says Robert Blendon , a Harvard University public health professor who worked on the poll .
He notes that the poll was conducted during July , months after Congress approved an extra $ 600 a week in federal unemployment benefits that were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Stimulus checks had gone out , too .
And yet so many said they 're struggling .
One in six households even reported missing or delaying paying major bills just so they could buy food .
Blendon says it 's like the government sent 100 Federal Emergency Management Agency trucks into a disaster zone , but a lot of people never saw them or got help .
`` It 's just like interviewing people in a hurricane area and the people are telling you there 's no relief , '' he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
He says it could be that some people are having trouble accessing the help that 's available .
The government should quickly try to discover where the biggest problems are , Blendon says .
One area of serious concern is housing .
Evictions have been ramping up in some parts of the country despite a federal order aimed at preventing them .
And nearly 1 out of 5 poll respondents report struggling to pay rent and mortgage .
The pressure is even worse for minorities .
The poll found Black and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white families to say they 're struggling to pay or have fallen behind on rent or mortgage payments .
`` It is striking , it 's not surprising , '' says David Williams , a Harvard professor who studies race and sociology .
He says Blacks and Latinos make less money than whites , and have less savings — so they 're more vulnerable .
And they 're less likely to have family members who can afford to loan them money for rent and other bills in an emergency .
`` For every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African American households have 10 pennies and Latino households have 12 pennies , '' Williams says .
`` So it 's really not surprising that they are really being hurt badly in the context of the pandemic . ''
Lynda Naranjo , who lives in Phoenix , lost her job as an accounting manager at a tow truck company after the pandemic hit .
She 's a single mom with four children .
Though she was getting unemployment at the time of the poll , Naranjo , who is Latina , reported she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could see that , as soon as the extra $ 600 a week in federal benefits stopped coming , she was going to be in big trouble .
She knew she was n't going to be able to support the family and pay rent with her state benefits alone , which for her are $ 240 a week — the maximum amount in Arizona .
`` No one can live off $ 240 a week , '' she says .
And she was right .
Naranjo has now burned through almost all her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to pay rent after next month .
`` It 's extremely difficult to sleep at night , '' she says .
`` I wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning and my mind 's just racing , just constantly racing .
And then I 'm having to get up in the morning and sit with my two younger children , but I 'm so focused on , you know , bills and money and jobs . ''
Naranjo has been able to speak with the electric bill company , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bills later .
She says that took a little bit of stress off , but that is just a temporary solution .
`` Eventually they 're going to want that payment , and by then it 's going to be a huge payment that is due , '' she says .
`` That 's so nerve-wracking . ''
Naranjo says she 's been looking for work with no luck .
She says she has no family she can move in with or borrow money from to help pay her rent and other bills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal benefit expired at the end of July , and Congress has not acted to extend it or pass another relief package .
Nine out of 10 Americans think Congress should pass another pandemic assistance package to help the millions of Americans who are struggling financially , according to another poll out this week .
The House of Representatives passed a $ 3 trillion package favored by Democrats months ago .
It includes , among other things , $ 100 billion for low-income rent support .
But since then lawmakers in the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spend less and Democrats wanting to spend more .
Effectively , Congress has done little on a large scale to send more help to struggling families .
And , now that lawmakers are in the throes of a fight over a new Supreme Court justice , that could make it even harder to push through another pandemic relief bill .

'No One Can Live Off $240 A Week': Many Americans Struggle To Pay Rent, Bills
Enlarge this image toggle caption Max Herman/NurPhoto via Getty Images Max Herman/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Jean lost her job as a school bus driver in Chicago during the pandemic. She was managing OK with unemployment money. But then, about two weeks ago, she got a desperate call from her adult son.
"His job had laid him off, and he wasn't able to pay rent," she says. There was an eviction moratorium in Chicago, but Jean says the landlord wanted her son out anyway.
She says the landlord got someone to threaten her son, and to shoot his dog — a German shepherd mix he'd had for years.
"And he called me," Jean says. "He said, 'Mom, they killed my dog. And the guy told me that he should have killed me, too.' "
"He said, 'Ma, can you come over here?' " Jean says she went to his house and told her son, who has two children of his own, "OK, start packing. You got to go." They all moved in with her.
Jean only wants to use her first name for fear of retribution. She says she was afraid to report what happened to police.
Jean was one of more than 3,000 people who took part in a new poll released Wednesday from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Her story is an especially stark example of how pandemic financial stress is playing out. But the poll found many people reported problems with housing, health care and unsafe workplaces, and a high percentage of Americans — 46% — said they're having "serious financial problems." Nearly one out of three respondents had used up all or most of their savings.
"Our surprise is how large the numbers are," says Robert Blendon, a Harvard University public health professor who worked on the poll. He notes that the poll was conducted during July, months after Congress approved an extra $600 a week in federal unemployment benefits that were still supposed to be flowing to people. Stimulus checks had gone out, too.
And yet so many said they're struggling. One in six households even reported missing or delaying paying major bills just so they could buy food.
Blendon says it's like the government sent 100 Federal Emergency Management Agency trucks into a disaster zone, but a lot of people never saw them or got help. "It's just like interviewing people in a hurricane area and the people are telling you there's no relief," he says, when "it should be there."
He says it could be that some people are having trouble accessing the help that's available. The government should quickly try to discover where the biggest problems are, Blendon says.
One area of serious concern is housing. Evictions have been ramping up in some parts of the country despite a federal order aimed at preventing them. And nearly 1 out of 5 poll respondents report struggling to pay rent and mortgage. The pressure is even worse for minorities.
The poll found Black and Latino households were twice as likely as white families to say they're struggling to pay or have fallen behind on rent or mortgage payments.
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"It is striking, it's not surprising," says David Williams, a Harvard professor who studies race and sociology.
He says Blacks and Latinos make less money than whites, and have less savings — so they're more vulnerable. And they're less likely to have family members who can afford to loan them money for rent and other bills in an emergency.
"For every dollar of wealth white households have, African American households have 10 pennies and Latino households have 12 pennies," Williams says. "So it's really not surprising that they are really being hurt badly in the context of the pandemic."
Lynda Naranjo, who lives in Phoenix, lost her job as an accounting manager at a tow truck company after the pandemic hit. She's a single mom with four children.
Though she was getting unemployment at the time of the poll, Naranjo, who is Latina, reported she was having serious financial problems because she could see that, as soon as the extra $600 a week in federal benefits stopped coming, she was going to be in big trouble.
She knew she wasn't going to be able to support the family and pay rent with her state benefits alone, which for her are $240 a week — the maximum amount in Arizona. "No one can live off $240 a week," she says.
toggle caption Lynda Naranjo
And she was right. Naranjo has now burned through almost all her savings. And she won't be able to pay rent after next month.
"It's extremely difficult to sleep at night," she says. "I wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning and my mind's just racing, just constantly racing. And then I'm having to get up in the morning and sit with my two younger children, but I'm so focused on, you know, bills and money and jobs."
Naranjo has been able to speak with the electric bill company, and she's made arrangements to pay those bills later. She says that took a little bit of stress off, but that is just a temporary solution.
"Eventually they're going to want that payment, and by then it's going to be a huge payment that is due," she says. "That's so nerve-wracking."
Naranjo says she's been looking for work with no luck. She says she has no family she can move in with or borrow money from to help pay her rent and other bills.
The extra $600 a week federal benefit expired at the end of July, and Congress has not acted to extend it or pass another relief package.
Nine out of 10 Americans think Congress should pass another pandemic assistance package to help the millions of Americans who are struggling financially, according to another poll out this week.
The House of Representatives passed a $3 trillion package favored by Democrats months ago. It includes, among other things, $100 billion for low-income rent support. But since then lawmakers in the Senate have been deadlocked, with Republicans wanting to spend less and Democrats wanting to spend more.
Effectively, Congress has done little on a large scale to send more help to struggling families. And, now that lawmakers are in the throes of a fight over a new Supreme Court justice, that could make it even harder to push through another pandemic relief bill.


npr--2020-09-23--Trump Warns Social Media As Justice Department Aims To Weaken Tech's Legal Shield

President Trump warned tech companies he is `` watching them very closely during this election cycle '' as his administration proposed stripping online platforms of long-held legal protections .
`` We see so many things that are unfair , '' Trump said during at a White House discussion with Republican state attorneys general about social media .
`` It 's very serious .
Very bad .
Very serious . ''
Trump has increased his attacks on social media platforms as both Twitter and Facebook have moved more aggressively to label or even remove his posts that break their rules on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election or the coronavirus .
Republicans have long argued that the platforms censor conservative voices , without offering clear evidence to support their claims .
Trump repeated those accusations on Wednesday .
`` At the urging of the radical left , these platforms have become intolerant of diverse political views and abusive toward their own users , '' he said .
The president 's comments came on the same day the Justice Department asked Congress to pass legislation holding companies such as Facebook , Twitter and Google more accountable for what is shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would reshape Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 , which has long protected websites from lawsuits over the content users post , and the decisions the companies make about moderating or removing content .
`` For too long Section 230 has provided a shield for online platforms to operate with impunity , '' said Attorney General William P. Barr in a statement .
`` Ensuring that the internet is a safe , but also vibrant , open and competitive environment is vitally important to America .
We therefore urge Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 230 and begin to hold online platforms accountable both when they unlawfully censor speech and when they knowingly facilitate criminal activity online . ''
The legislative proposal sent to Congress on Wednesday calls for changing Section 230 in two ways .
It narrows the circumstances under which tech companies can claim legal immunity for their decisions about what content to remove , and it strips that protection entirely if they do not apply their content moderation standards consistently across the board .
It would also strip platforms of legal immunity in cases involving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they facilitate or fail to remove harmful criminal activity , or in cases involving child sexual abuse , terrorism and cyberstalking .
Tech platforms can already be sued over posts related to certain crimes , such as sex trafficking .
Tech companies largely oppose paring Section 230 's protections , which they say have been essential to the development of the internet .
Now with the election just weeks away , some warn that the legislation could make tech platforms reluctant to act on potentially harmful disinformation .
`` These amendments would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interference from foreign states like Russia or China , denigration of America 's veterans , fake reviews , and dangerous products — all things we need to be worried about as consumers and as voters during this tense election cycle , '' said Carl Szabo , vice president at NetChoice , a trade association that represents represents Facebook , Google and Twitter .
Trump ordered federal regulators to reexamine Section 230 in May , after Twitter put warnings on tweets in which he made false claims about mail-in voting and violated the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an executive order , the president said the tech companies have `` unchecked power to censor , restrict , edit , shape , hide , alter '' a large sphere of human interaction .
Pressure has been growing on both sides of the political divide to overhaul the liability shield .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has said Section 230 should be `` revoked '' , arguing that tech companies should be held to the same standards as media companies , which can be sued for printing falsehoods .
Congressional Democrats have balked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cracking down on social media platforms , however .
Sen. Ron Wyden , D-Ore. , one of the original authors of Section 230 , accused the Trump administration of trying to intimidate tech companies .
He said in a statement : `` Attorney General Barr 's DOJ is continuing to act as an arm of the Trump campaign , trying to work the refs ahead of the election .
This proposal is a warmed-over mishmash of existing Republican proposals to force private companies to host lies , misinformation , hate speech and other @ @ @ @

Trump Warns Social Media As Justice Department Aims To Weaken Tech's Legal Shield
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 4:56 p.m. ET
President Trump warned tech companies he is "watching them very closely during this election cycle" as his administration proposed stripping online platforms of long-held legal protections.
"We see so many things that are unfair," Trump said during at a White House discussion with Republican state attorneys general about social media. "It's very serious. Very bad. Very serious."
Trump has increased his attacks on social media platforms as both Twitter and Facebook have moved more aggressively to label or even remove his posts that break their rules on inciting violence or spreading misinformation about the election or the coronavirus.
Republicans have long argued that the platforms censor conservative voices, without offering clear evidence to support their claims. Trump repeated those accusations on Wednesday.
"At the urging of the radical left, these platforms have become intolerant of diverse political views and abusive toward their own users," he said.
The president's comments came on the same day the Justice Department asked Congress to pass legislation holding companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Google more accountable for what is shared on their platforms.
The proposed changes would reshape Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which has long protected websites from lawsuits over the content users post, and the decisions the companies make about moderating or removing content.
"For too long Section 230 has provided a shield for online platforms to operate with impunity," said Attorney General William P. Barr in a statement. "Ensuring that the internet is a safe, but also vibrant, open and competitive environment is vitally important to America. We therefore urge Congress to make these necessary reforms to Section 230 and begin to hold online platforms accountable both when they unlawfully censor speech and when they knowingly facilitate criminal activity online."
The legislative proposal sent to Congress on Wednesday calls for changing Section 230 in two ways. It narrows the circumstances under which tech companies can claim legal immunity for their decisions about what content to remove, and it strips that protection entirely if they do not apply their content moderation standards consistently across the board.
It would also strip platforms of legal immunity in cases involving "illicit content," such as if they facilitate or fail to remove harmful criminal activity, or in cases involving child sexual abuse, terrorism and cyberstalking. Tech platforms can already be sued over posts related to certain crimes, such as sex trafficking.
Tech companies largely oppose paring Section 230's protections, which they say have been essential to the development of the internet. Now with the election just weeks away, some warn that the legislation could make tech platforms reluctant to act on potentially harmful disinformation.
"These amendments would make it near impossible to remove election interference from foreign states like Russia or China, denigration of America's veterans, fake reviews, and dangerous products — all things we need to be worried about as consumers and as voters during this tense election cycle," said Carl Szabo, vice president at NetChoice, a trade association that represents represents Facebook, Google and Twitter.
Trump ordered federal regulators to reexamine Section 230 in May, after Twitter put warnings on tweets in which he made false claims about mail-in voting and violated the company's rules against glorifying violence. In an executive order, the president said the tech companies have "unchecked power to censor, restrict, edit, shape, hide, alter" a large sphere of human interaction.
Pressure has been growing on both sides of the political divide to overhaul the liability shield. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has said Section 230 should be "revoked", arguing that tech companies should be held to the same standards as media companies, which can be sued for printing falsehoods.
Congressional Democrats have balked at the Trump administration's approach to cracking down on social media platforms, however. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., one of the original authors of Section 230, accused the Trump administration of trying to intimidate tech companies.
He said in a statement: "Attorney General Barr's DOJ is continuing to act as an arm of the Trump campaign, trying to work the refs ahead of the election. This proposal is a warmed-over mishmash of existing Republican proposals to force private companies to host lies, misinformation, hate speech and other slime online."


npr--2020-09-23--Cost Of Racism: U.S. Economy Lost $16 Trillion Because Of Discrimination, Bank Says

Cost Of Racism : U.S. Economy Lost $ 16 Trillion Because Of Discrimination , Bank Says Nationwide protests have cast a spotlight on racism and inequality in the United States .
Now a major bank has put a price tag on how much the economy has lost as a result of discrimination against African Americans : $ 16 trillion .
Since 2000 , U.S. gross domestic product lost that much as a result of discriminatory practices in a range of areas , including in education and access to business loans , according to a new study by Citigroup .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comparison , U.S. GDP totaled $ 19.5 trillion last year .
And not acting to reverse discriminatory practices will continue to exact a cost .
Citigroup estimates the economy would see a $ 5 trillion boost over the next five years if the U.S. were to tackle key areas of discrimination against African Americans .
`` We believe we have a responsibility to address current events and to frame them with an economic lens in order to highlight the real costs of longstanding discrimination against minority groups , especially against Black people and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raymond J. McGuire , a vice chairman at the bank and the chairman of its banking , capital markets and advisory team .
Wall Street itself has also faced accusations for years of discriminatory practices against African Americans , such as limiting approval for mortgages or not providing enough banking options in minority neighborhoods , which are among the damaging actions identified by Citigroup researchers .
Specifically , the study came up with $ 16 trillion in lost GDP by noting four key racial gaps between African Americans and whites : • $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of discriminatory lending to African American entrepreneurs , with an estimated 6.1 million jobs not generated as a result • $ 2.7 trillion in income lost because of disparities in wages suffered by African Americans • $ 218 billion lost over the past two decades because of discrimination in providing housing credit • And $ 90 billion to $ 113 billion in lifetime income lost from discrimination in accessing higher education As a result , Citigroup urges a slew of actions to reverse discriminatory practices and boost GDP over the next five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffered by African Americans and promoting diversity at the top within banks and companies .
Citigroup 's recommendations are n't new : Various studies have shown similar findings , and experts have called for similar action for years , though so far progress has been slow .

Cost Of Racism: U.S. Economy Lost $16 Trillion Because Of Discrimination, Bank Says
Enlarge this image toggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Nationwide protests have cast a spotlight on racism and inequality in the United States. Now a major bank has put a price tag on how much the economy has lost as a result of discrimination against African Americans: $16 trillion.
Since 2000, U.S. gross domestic product lost that much as a result of discriminatory practices in a range of areas, including in education and access to business loans, according to a new study by Citigroup. It's not an insignificant number: By comparison, U.S. GDP totaled $19.5 trillion last year.
And not acting to reverse discriminatory practices will continue to exact a cost. Citigroup estimates the economy would see a $5 trillion boost over the next five years if the U.S. were to tackle key areas of discrimination against African Americans.
"We believe we have a responsibility to address current events and to frame them with an economic lens in order to highlight the real costs of longstanding discrimination against minority groups, especially against Black people and particularly in the U.S.," wrote Raymond J. McGuire, a vice chairman at the bank and the chairman of its banking, capital markets and advisory team.
Wall Street itself has also faced accusations for years of discriminatory practices against African Americans, such as limiting approval for mortgages or not providing enough banking options in minority neighborhoods, which are among the damaging actions identified by Citigroup researchers.
Specifically, the study came up with $16 trillion in lost GDP by noting four key racial gaps between African Americans and whites:
$13 trillion lost in potential business revenue because of discriminatory lending to African American entrepreneurs, with an estimated 6.1 million jobs not generated as a result
$2.7 trillion in income lost because of disparities in wages suffered by African Americans
$218 billion lost over the past two decades because of discrimination in providing housing credit
And $90 billion to $113 billion in lifetime income lost from discrimination in accessing higher education
As a result, Citigroup urges a slew of actions to reverse discriminatory practices and boost GDP over the next five years, including addressing the wage gap suffered by African Americans and promoting diversity at the top within banks and companies.
Citigroup's recommendations aren't new: Various studies have shown similar findings, and experts have called for similar action for years, though so far progress has been slow.
Adedayo Akala is an intern on the NPR Business Desk.