npr--2020-01-10--At Impeachment Trial, Chief Justice Roberts May Have More Prestige Than Power

At Impeachment Trial , Chief Justice Roberts May Have More Prestige Than Power When the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump opens , the man in the center chair will be Chief Justice John Roberts .
His role is spelled out in the Constitution .
It says that the chief justice `` shall preside '' over the Senate trial of a president .
Those who envision a powerful role for Chief Justice Roberts point to Senate rules that would allow him to make decisions on `` all questions of evidence . ''
In theory , at least , that might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House managers seeking to compel testimony from White House aides , like former national security adviser John Bolton , and others who , until now , have been blocked by Trump from testifying .
Yet under Senate rules , it is the senators themselves who have the first and last word .
They establish the procedures for the trial and can , by majority vote , overturn any of the chief justice 's rulings .
The extent of the chief 's powerlessness was driven home to Chief Justice William Rehnquist at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial in 1999 .
When Rehnquist asked Senate Sergeant at Arms James Ziglar how to turn on his microphone , Ziglar replied , `` You do n't .
We control that . ''
`` I do n't know if shock is the right word , '' Ziglar recalls , but Rehnquist certainly had `` a sense of dismay '' that even though he was going to be the presiding officer at the trial , `` he really had absolutely no control of his courtroom . ''
The Clinton trial was conducted in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trent Lott and Democratic Minority Leader Tom Daschle worked closely to conduct the trial in a dignified way , and the rules for the trial were ultimately established by consensus and a unanimous Senate vote .
President Clinton , while controversial , had never attacked the Supreme Court or the chief justice personally , and the high court membership itself had remained stable for five years , without change .
None of that is true today .
Trump 's relationship with Chief Justice Roberts has been rocky at best .
During the 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` disgrace , '' a `` disaster , '' and a `` nightmare , '' and castigated him repeatedly for casting the deciding vote to uphold the Affordable Care Act .
Although the president and Roberts have been cordial in their personal interactions in public since then , Trump has repeatedly cast aspersions on the integrity of federal judges for decisions he disagreed with , a practice that finally prompted a rare rebuke from Roberts , and of course , a snarky tweet from Trump firing back at the chief justice .
Roberts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by President George W. Bush 15 years ago , has tried mightily to convey an image of the court as apolitical .
As he put it last year : `` We do not speak for the people , but we speak for the Constitution .
Our role is very clear .
We are to interpret the Constitution and laws of the United States and ensure that the political branches act within them .
That job obviously requires independence from the political branches . ''
But that image has proved harder to maintain , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of two Trump-appointed justices , has swerved to the right , with the promise of an even more dramatic conservative turn in the near future .
Even as Roberts will be presiding over the Senate trial , he and fellow justices are hearing a series of blockbuster cases this term on issues as diverse as abortion , LGBTQ employment rights , a major immigration case involving the potential deportation of 700,000 `` DREAMers , '' and even a series of cases in which Trump is seeking to block subpoenas of his financial records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job , it is unlikely that Roberts will want to insert himself as a major player in the impeachment trial .
Rather , he is likely to use as his role model the man he once clerked for , Chief Justice Rehnquist .
Rehnquist was no stranger to the subject of impeachment .
He had written a book about the 1868 impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson , and just five years before presiding over the Clinton trial in the Senate , he had written the Supreme Court 's decision declaring that under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dictate the Senate rules in an impeachment proceeding .
As the presiding officer at the Clinton trial , Rehnquist relied heavily on the Senate parliamentarians for guidance .
`` I think he enjoyed sort of being part of history in that sense .
But he understood he had a very limited role , '' says Robert Schaffer , one of Rehnquist 's law clerks back then .
Washington University law professor Neil Richards , another former clerk , recalls that `` no matter how boring or tedious the proceedings , '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role was important .
On a few occasions , Rehnquist did make rulings , none of them overturned by the senators .
When Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa objected to one of the lawyers referring to the senators as jurors , Rehnquist replied this way : `` The chair is of the view that the objection ... is well taken , that the Senate is not simply a jury ; it is a court in this case .
Therefore counsel should refrain from referring to the senators as jurors . ''
Former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had once served as a Supreme Court law clerk himself , remembers that Rehnquist was often '' grumpy '' at the unplanned breaks that were supposed to be brief but often lasted for one or two hours .
So Ziglar took the chief justice to lunch .
`` And I said to him , 'Chief , what can I do to make you less grumpy ? '
And he said , 'Well , I love cookies-and-cream ice cream ... and chocolate chip cookies . '
`` After that , whenever there was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for ice cream and cookies , and it seemed to work .
Not enough , though , to deal with the boredom of those unplanned breaks .
On one occasion , Ziglar found the chief , with his three clerks , sitting in shirtsleeves in the ornate gilded room assigned to them during the trial .
They were playing poker .
`` I looked at him and smiled , '' recalls Ziglar .
`` You may not know this , '' Ziglar gently told the chief justice , `` but I 'm also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate , '' and gambling is illegal here .
Ziglar told the card players he needed to do something for a few minutes but would be back shortly .
Then he went outside the room , waited , and came back in five minutes .
`` When I walked back in , the cards were still on the table , '' he says with a chortle , `` but instead of nickels and dimes and pennies , there were little pieces of paper on which was written , one , five , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find the going a lot less boring in the upcoming Senate trial , especially if the rules are often in dispute .
Word is that he , like Rehnquist before him , has asked that the trial begin on Court days at 1:00 in the afternoon so that Roberts can preside over oral arguments at the court in the morning .
In addition , the chief justice will have a very full plate of work , including writing his share of opinions , doing the administrative work of the court , and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal judiciary .
He likely will aspire to Rehnquist 's puckish evaluation of his own role in the 1999 Senate trial .
Borrowing a line from Gilbert and Sullivan 's play Iolanthe , Rehnquist opined , `` I did nothing in particular and did it very well . ''

At Impeachment Trial, Chief Justice Roberts May Have More Prestige Than Power
Enlarge this image toggle caption Larry Downing/AP Larry Downing/AP
When the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump opens, the man in the center chair will be Chief Justice John Roberts. His role is spelled out in the Constitution.
It says that the chief justice "shall preside" over the Senate trial of a president. Those who envision a powerful role for Roberts point to Senate rules that would allow him to make decisions on "all questions of evidence." In theory, at least, that might enable Roberts to rule on motions from the House managers seeking to compel testimony from White House aides, like former national security adviser John Bolton, and others who had been blocked by Trump from testifying.
Yet under Senate rules, it is the senators themselves who have the first and last word. They establish the procedures for the trial and can, by majority vote, overturn any of the chief justice's rulings. The extent of the chief's powerlessness was driven home to Chief Justice William Rehnquist at the beginning of President Bill Clinton's Senate impeachment trial in 1999.
When Rehnquist asked Senate Sergeant at Arms James Ziglar how to turn on his microphone, Ziglar replied, "You don't. We control that."
"I don't know if 'shock' is the right word," Ziglar recalls, but Rehnquist certainly had "a sense of dismay" that even though he was going to be the presiding officer at the trial, "he really had absolutely no control of his courtroom."
The Clinton trial was conducted in a far different time. Republican Majority Leader Trent Lott and Democratic Minority Leader Tom Daschle worked closely to conduct the trial in a dignified way, and the rules for the trial were ultimately established by consensus and a unanimous Senate vote. Clinton, while controversial, had never attacked the Supreme Court or the chief justice personally, and the high court membership itself had remained stable for five years, without change.
None of that is true today.
Trump's relationship with Roberts has been rocky at best. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump called Roberts a "disgrace," a "disaster" and a "nightmare" and castigated him repeatedly for casting the deciding vote to uphold the Affordable Care Act.
Although the president and Roberts have been cordial in their personal interactions in public since then, Trump has repeatedly cast aspersions on the integrity of federal judges for decisions he disagreed with, a practice that finally prompted a rare rebuke from Roberts and, of course, a snarky tweet from Trump firing back at the chief justice.
Roberts, a conservative appointed to the court by President George W. Bush almost 15 years ago, has tried mightily to convey an image of the court as apolitical. As he put it last year: "We do not speak for the people, but we speak for the Constitution. Our role is very clear. We are to interpret the Constitution and laws of the United States and ensure that the political branches act within them. That job obviously requires independence from the political branches."
But that image has proved harder to maintain, as the court, with the addition of two Trump-appointed justices, has swerved to the right, with the promise of an even more dramatic conservative turn in the near future.
Even as Roberts will be presiding over the Senate trial, he and fellow justices are hearing a series of blockbuster cases this term on issues as diverse as abortion, LGBTQ employment rights, a major immigration case involving the potential deportation of 700,000 "DREAMers," and even a series of cases in which Trump is seeking to block subpoenas of his financial records.
With that menu dominating his day job, it is unlikely that Roberts will want to insert himself as a major player in the impeachment trial.
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Rather, he is likely to use as his role model the man he once clerked for, Rehnquist. Rehnquist was no stranger to the subject of impeachment. He had written a book about the 1868 impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson, and just five years before presiding over the Clinton trial in the Senate, he had written the Supreme Court's decision declaring that under the Constitution, the courts have no power to dictate the Senate rules in an impeachment proceeding.
As the presiding officer at the Clinton trial, Rehnquist relied heavily on the Senate parliamentarians for guidance. "I think he enjoyed sort of being part of history in that sense. But he understood he had a very limited role," says Robert Schaffer, one of Rehnquist's law clerks back then.
Washington University law professor Neil Richards, another former clerk, recalls that "no matter how boring or tedious the proceedings," the chief justice knew that even that limited role was important.
On a few occasions, Rehnquist did make rulings, none of them overturned by the senators. When Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa objected to one of the lawyers referring to the senators as jurors, Rehnquist replied this way: "The chair is of the view that the objection ... is well taken, that the Senate is not simply a jury; it is a court in this case. Therefore counsel should refrain from referring to the senators as jurors."
Former Senate Sergeant at Arms Ziglar, who had once served as a Supreme Court law clerk himself, remembers that Rehnquist was often "grumpy" about the unplanned breaks that were supposed to be brief but often lasted for one or two hours. So Ziglar took the chief justice to lunch.
"And I said to him, 'Chief, what can I do to make you less grumpy?' And he said, 'Well, I love cookies-and-cream ice cream ... and chocolate chip cookies.' " After that, whenever there was a break, Ziglar would trigger the call for ice cream and cookies, and it seemed to work.
Not enough, though, to deal with the boredom of those unplanned breaks. On one occasion, Ziglar found the chief, with his three clerks, sitting in shirtsleeves in the ornate gilded room assigned to them during the trial. They were playing poker.
"I looked at him and smiled," recalls Ziglar.
"You may not know this," Ziglar gently told the chief justice, "but I'm also the chief law enforcement officer in the Senate," and gambling is illegal here.
Ziglar told the card players he needed to do something for a few minutes but would be back shortly. Then he went outside the room, waited and came back in five minutes.
"When I walked back in, the cards were still on the table," he says with a chortle, "but instead of nickels and dimes and pennies, there were little pieces of paper on which was written, 1, 5 and 10."
Roberts may find the going a lot less boring in the upcoming Senate trial, especially if the rules are often in dispute. Word is that he, like Rehnquist before him, has asked that on court days, the trial begin at 1 in the afternoon so that Roberts can preside over oral arguments at the court in the morning.
In addition, the chief justice will have a very full plate of work, including writing his share of opinions, doing the administrative work of the court, and conducting his other duties as essentially the head of the federal judiciary.
He likely will aspire to Rehnquist's puckish evaluation of his own role in the 1999 Senate trial. Borrowing a line from Gilbert and Sullivan's play Iolanthe, Rehnquist opined, "I did nothing in particular and did it very well."


npr--2020-01-10--Sweeps Of Homeless Camps In California Aggravate Key Health Issues

It 's 5 a.m. , and the thermostat reads 44 degrees F. Cars round the bend of an off-ramp of state Route 24 in northern Oakland , Calif. , spraying bands of light across Norm Ciha and his neighbors .
They wear headlamps so they can see in the dark as they gather their belongings : tents , clothes , cooking gear , carts piled with blankets , children 's shoes and , in one case , a set of golf clubs .
Shredder , Ciha 's dog , takes a treat , then lets it fall from his mouth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a camping mattress .
`` I can leave him all day in the tent and he 's fine , but he freaks out every time we have to move , '' Ciha says .
Every other week , the residents of this thin slice of state-owned land just off the freeway pack up their possessions and move to another empty lot nearby ; they are n't quite sure who owns it .
They move in anticipation of the routine sweeps of homeless encampments ordered by the California Department of Transportation , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and exit ramps .
The highway crews check that the area is clear of people and their belongings , throwing away any items that remain .
Once the trucks leave , the residents move back in .
Ciha and his neighbors call it `` the Caltrans Shuffle . ''
Their makeshift neighborhood of tarps and tents is built on one of thousands of public spaces across California where people have set up camp .
The state 's homeless population has ballooned in recent years ; in 2019 , there were more than 150,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development , and 72 % of them did not have shelter .
A range of health concerns has spread among homeless communities .
A few years ago , hepatitis A , spread primarily through feces , infected more than 700 people in California , most of them homeless , according to state officials .
Ancient diseases , such as typhus , have resurged .
Homeless people are dying in record numbers on the streets of Los Angeles , according to data from the county coroner .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustrated with the growing number of homeless people living on public property , have tasked police and sanitation workers with dismantling encampments that they say pollute public areas and pose serious risk of fire , violence and disease .
The rousting and cleanups have become a daily occurrence around the state , involving an array of state and local agencies .
But the response from officials has prompted a public health crisis all its own , according to interviews with dozens of homeless people and their advocates .
Personal possessions , including medicines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thrown away .
It 's a quotidian event that Leilani Farha , the United Nations special rapporteur on adequate housing , described as a `` cruelty '' that she has n't seen in other impoverished corners of the world .
Ciha , who is 57 , learned the hard way that living on the street means his belongings can be taken in an instant .
In November 2018 , when he was camping by an Ikea in nearby Emeryville , the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans employees showed up unannounced .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the crew designated his belongings as garbage .
His fellow campers protested and grabbed what they could .
Ciha returned and asked for time to gather his things .
But everything , he says , was just thrown into a trash compactor .
Along with his bedding and clothes , he lost three weeks of an eight-week supply of the medication he 'd been prescribed to treat hepatitis C. He 'd gotten the medicine through Medi-Cal , California 's Medicaid program .
Though the drugs were almost certainly purchased at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retails for around $ 40,000 .
In 2018 , a federal court case involving a camping ban in Boise , Idaho , determined that cities ca n't cite people for sleeping on public property when there 's nowhere else to go .
It does n't , however , determine rules about their possessions .
That question has been argued for decades , with multiple courts determining that destroying or confiscating property without notice is a violation of the constitutional right to personal property .
Cities rarely , if ever , fight those decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precedent set by a higher court .
Lawsuits in California have made the issue more visible in the state than in other places , even though this is a nationwide problem , says Eric Tars , legal director of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty .
Today , many California cities have policies that either prevent seizing belongings or require storage , but public health and safety exceptions often allow for things to be thrown away without notice .
`` If cities spent half the energy on trying to provide access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find constitutional ways to take people 's belongings , they could address homelessness , '' Tars says .
The city of San Francisco contends that it stores people 's belongings when they are seized — a policy that resulted from a settlement of an earlier lawsuit .
But advocates for the homeless , including Chris Herring , a doctoral student in sociology at University of California , Berkeley , say that does n't always happen .
Herring has been embedding himself in San Francisco 's homeless community off and on for years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 2015 living on the street , for example , and another year studying the police , public health and sanitation workers tasked with cleaning encampments .
Herring says he has witnessed people refusing medical help because they did n't want to leave their things behind , and says he knows others who lost jobs after missing shifts to salvage personal items .
An elderly man , so ill he lay paralyzed on the sidewalk , once called Herring and asked him to look after his stuff before he called 911 .
Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property people can carry with them or store on public property , saying it must fit inside a 60-gallon container — the equivalent of a medium-sized outdoor trash bin .
Several homeless residents are suing the city over the rule .
In Oakland , up the hill from where Ciha camps , Caltrans posts advisories about scheduled cleanups , notifying people when they will come through .
Caltrans policy requires the postings , but an ongoing class-action lawsuit against Caltrans claims that policy is n't always followed , and that the sweeps are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to private property .
Ciha has joined the suit .
Another defendant says Caltrans took her walker , which she was using because an infected wound made it difficult for her to get around .
Others have lost ID cards and prescriptions , a setback for making appointments or receiving benefits , according to one of the lawyers on the case , Osha Neumann .
Caltrans workers say they hate doing the cleanups .
`` It 's like 100 times worse than it was just a few years ago , '' says Steve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Local 39 of the International Union of Operating Engineers , which represents Caltrans workers .
`` One of the biggest gripes they have is having to clean up the homeless encampments .
It 's a nasty job . ''
The sweeps also cause psychological pain .
Ciha and his neighbors talk about how horrible it is when people driving by throw garbage at them .
Herring says the trauma of living on the streets is so intense he has n't yet figured out how to write about it in his academic work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 're just asking people to move , but if you 're being asked that over and over and you have nowhere to go , and people are acting like you 're worthless or they 're scared of you , that affects you fast , '' Herring says .
Ciha got tested for hep C after a friend went from healthy to sick in a matter of months .
When Ciha was prescribed the treatment , the doctor told him he should n't miss a dose .
After his things were discarded , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he says , sleeping in random places .
He eventually stumbled across the encampment he now calls home ; he likes it because it has only a few people and , for the most part , everyone keeps their area clean and drama-free .
Ciha went back to the doctor after he moved in and was able to get a refill of his prescription .
But he 'd gone a week without treatment and has n't been back since , to see if his hep C is cured .
He has since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the hours before last month 's sweep , he first lugged his cot to the nearby lot .
Then his camping mattress and a plastic bin with pots , pans and utensils .
Shredder 's food bowl .
A cart holding a suitcase filled with bright-white teddy bears that remind him of his mom , a badminton racket , a comforter and a small landscape painting .
Things he 'll use , he says , when he gets a place .
He 'd moved his belongings and was standing on the sidewalk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with two police escorts and five trucks .
One of Ciha 's neighbors threw garbage into the back of one of the trucks , while workers checked the property .
As the cleanup crew packed up , Ciha stood in the lot next door eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich .
The sun was now above the horizon pushing out the morning cold .
He would rest a few minutes , and then move back home .
This story was produced by Kaiser Health News , which publishes California Healthline , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Care Foundation .
KHN is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente .

Sweeps Of Homeless Camps In California Aggravate Key Health Issues
Enlarge this image toggle caption Anna Maria Barry-Jester/Kaiser Health News Anna Maria Barry-Jester/Kaiser Health News
It's 5 a.m., and the thermostat reads 44 degrees. Cars round the bend of an off-ramp of state Route 24 in northern Oakland, Calif., spraying bands of light across Norm Ciha and his neighbors. They wear headlamps so they can see in the dark as they gather their belongings: tents, clothes, cooking gear, carts piled with blankets, children's shoes and, in one case, a set of golf clubs.
Shredder, Ciha's dog, takes a treat, then lets it fall from his mouth. He whines as Ciha walks away with a camping mattress. "I can leave him all day in the tent and he's fine, but he freaks out every time we have to move," Ciha says.
Every other week, the residents of this thin slice of state-owned land just off the freeway pack up their possessions and move to another empty lot nearby; they aren't quite sure who owns it. They move in anticipation of the routine sweeps of homeless encampments ordered by the California Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction over the state's highways and exit ramps.
The highway crews check that the area is clear of people and their belongings, throwing away any items that remain. Once the trucks leave, the residents move back in. Ciha and his neighbors call it "the Caltrans Shuffle."
Their makeshift neighborhood of tarps and tents is built on one of thousands of public spaces across California where people have set up camp. The state's homeless population has ballooned in recent years; in 2019, there were more than 150,000 homeless people in California, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and 72% of them did not have shelter.
A range of health concerns has spread among homeless communities. A few years ago, hepatitis A, spread primarily through feces, infected more than 700 people in California, most of them homeless, according to state officials. Ancient diseases, such as typhus, have resurged. Homeless people are dying in record numbers on the streets of Los Angeles, according to data from the county coroner.
Communities up and down California, increasingly frustrated with the growing number of homeless people living on public property, have tasked police and sanitation workers with dismantling encampments that they say pollute public areas and pose serious risk of fire, violence and disease. The rousting and cleanups have become a daily occurrence around the state, involving an array of state and local agencies.
But the response from officials has prompted a public health crisis all its own, according to interviews with dozens of homeless people and their advocates. Personal possessions, including medicines and necessary medical devices, are routinely thrown away. It's a quotidian event that Leilani Farha, the United Nations special rapporteur on adequate housing, described as a "cruelty" that she hasn't seen in other impoverished corners of the world.
Ciha, who is 57, learned the hard way that living on the street means his belongings can be taken in an instant.
In November 2018, when he was camping by an Ikea in nearby Emeryville, the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans employees showed up unannounced. He was out buying a tent when they arrived, and the crew designated his belongings as garbage. His fellow campers protested and grabbed what they could. Ciha returned and asked for time to gather his things. But everything, he says, was just thrown into a trash compactor.
Along with his bedding and clothes, he lost three weeks of an eight-week supply of the medication he'd been prescribed to treat hepatitis C. He'd gotten the medicine through Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program. Though the drugs were almost certainly purchased at a discount, Ciha's course of treatment retails for around $40,000.
In 2018, a federal court case involving a camping ban in Boise, Idaho, determined that cities can't cite people for sleeping on public property when there's nowhere else to go. It doesn't, however, determine rules about their possessions. That question has been argued for decades, with multiple courts determining that destroying or confiscating property without notice is a violation of the constitutional right to personal property. Cities rarely, if ever, fight those decisions, which means there's been no precedent set by a higher court.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Anna Maria Barry-Jester/Kaiser Health News Anna Maria Barry-Jester/Kaiser Health News
toggle caption Anna Maria Barry-Jester/Kaiser Health News
Lawsuits in California have made the issue more visible in the state than in other places, even though this is a nationwide problem, says Eric Tars, legal director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. Today, many California cities have policies that either prevent seizing belongings or require storage, but public health and safety exceptions often allow for things to be thrown away without notice.
"If cities spent half the energy on trying to provide access to sanitation as they did on trying to find constitutional ways to take people's belongings, they could address homelessness," Tars says.
The city of San Francisco contends that it stores people's belongings when they are seized — a policy that resulted from a settlement of an earlier lawsuit. But advocates for the homeless, including Chris Herring, a doctoral student in sociology at University of California, Berkeley, say that doesn't always happen.
Herring has been embedding himself in San Francisco's homeless community off and on for years. He spent nine months in 2014 and 2015 living on the street, for example, and another year studying the police, public health and sanitation workers tasked with cleaning encampments.
Herring says he has witnessed people refusing medical help because they didn't want to leave their things behind, and says he knows others who lost jobs after missing shifts to salvage personal items. An elderly man, so ill he lay paralyzed on the sidewalk, once called Herring and asked him to look after his stuff before he called 911.
Los Angeles has limited the amount of personal property people can carry with them or store on public property, saying it must fit inside a 60-gallon container — the equivalent of a medium-sized outdoor trash bin. Several homeless residents are suing the city over the rule.
In Oakland, up the hill from where Ciha camps, Caltrans posts advisories about scheduled cleanups, notifying people when they will come through. Caltrans policy requires the postings, but an ongoing class-action lawsuit against Caltrans claims that policy isn't always followed and that the sweeps are a violation of people's constitutional right to private property.
Ciha has joined the suit. Another defendant says Caltrans took her walker, which she was using because an infected wound made it difficult for her to get around. Others have lost ID cards and prescriptions, a setback for making appointments or receiving benefits, according to one of the lawyers on the case, Osha Neumann.
Caltrans workers say they hate doing the cleanups. "It's like 100 times worse than it was just a few years ago," says Steve Crouch, director of public employees for Local 39 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, which represents Caltrans workers. "One of the biggest gripes they have is having to clean up the homeless encampments. It's a nasty job."
The sweeps also cause psychological pain. Ciha and his neighbors talk about how horrible it is when people driving by throw garbage at them. Herring says the trauma of living on the streets is so intense he hasn't yet figured out how to write about it in his academic work. "[The city will] say we're just asking people to move, but if you're being asked that over and over and you have nowhere to go, and people are acting like you're worthless or they're scared of you, that affects you fast," Herring says.
Ciha got tested for hepatitis C after a friend went from healthy to sick in a matter of months. When Ciha was prescribed the treatment, the doctor told him he shouldn't miss a dose. After his things were discarded, he wandered around Oakland for a week, he says, sleeping in random places.
toggle caption Anna Maria Barry-Jester/Kaiser Health News
He eventually stumbled across the encampment he now calls home; he likes it because it has only a few people and, for the most part, everyone keeps their area clean and drama-free.
Ciha went back to the doctor after he moved in and was able to get a refill of his prescription. But he'd gone a week without treatment and hasn't been back since, to see if his hepatitis C is cured.
He has since grown accustomed to the Caltrans Shuffle. In the hours before last month's sweep, he first lugged his cot to the nearby lot. Then his camping mattress and a plastic bin with pots, pans and utensils. Shredder's food bowl. A cart holding a suitcase filled with bright white teddy bears that remind him of his mom, a badminton racket, a comforter and a small landscape painting. Things he'll use, he says, when he gets a place.
toggle caption Anna Maria Barry-Jester/Kaiser Health News
He'd moved his belongings and was standing on the sidewalk by the time the Caltrans crew arrived, with two police escorts and five trucks. One of Ciha's neighbors threw garbage into the back of one of the trucks, while workers checked the property. As the cleanup crew packed up, Ciha stood in the lot next door eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The sun was now above the horizon pushing out the morning cold. He would rest a few minutes, and then move back home.
This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. KHN is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.


npr--2020-01-10--Cory Booker Is A Stirring Speaker, Iowa Voters Say. But His Support Still Lags

Cory Booker Is A Stirring Speaker , Iowa Voters Say .
But His Support Still Lags Cory Booker is a politician who sounds like a preacher .
`` We may be down in a valley right now , '' he said during an Iowa campaign stop this week , `` but I promise you , if you stand with me , if you caucus with me , if we stand for that spirit , I promise you , we will get to the mountaintop and we 'll do it , because together as Americans , we know we will rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often praise his charisma and authenticity .
But the New Jersey senator has struggled to gain traction in state and national Democratic presidential primary polls , and he almost certainly wo n't be on the party 's debate stage in Iowa next week .
That disconnect between many voters ' reactions to Booker at his events and his overall support often surprises onlookers .
Sue Dvorsky , a former chair of the Iowa Democratic Party , is unaligned with any candidate but has heard Booker speak several times .
`` I still get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I still get goosebumps on my arms . ''
But Dvorsky , who was an early supporter of candidate Barack Obama in 2007 , says there 's a different calculus this year .
A lot of voters do n't want to pick a candidate with their heart ; they 're picking with their head , trying to find the Democrat they think has the best odds of defeating President Trump .
Still , Dvorsky said : `` It is undeniable that people like him . ''
And so Booker 's fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goodwill translating into concrete support ?
Some say maybe it 's because he 's black and many Democrats want to go with a safe , white male option this election .
Others say maybe Booker 's message of love and unity is n't what voters want this year ; they want a fighter .
Regardless , when Booker speaks he captures the attention of a crowd better than most of his rivals .
`` He has a really charismatic personality , '' Thomas Lecaque , who was sporting a Julián Castro campaign button @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Booker house party .
The former housing secretary , who last week dropped out of the race , had been Lecaque 's first choice .
But after hearing Booker in person , he was impressed .
`` I trust him as a human being , '' Lecaque said .
`` He is someone who strikes me as being honest and idealistic in trying to do the right thing . ''
Booker has a massive extended family in Iowa , and the other day one of his cousins hosted a black women 's luncheon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attendee , Lauren Patrick , said she wants Booker 's voice in the race .
`` I probably would [ caucus for him ] , '' she said .
`` Whether that 's like a loyalty within the black community or just feeling like he 's a solid candidate and he should have an opportunity to be on the platform , and then how people decide to vote from there is another thing .
But I just want to make sure he has a fair shot . ''
Booker himself is pleading with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaigning ahead of the caucuses , asking them to ignore news headlines and polls .
`` I am asking you to make a decision when you leave here to caucus for me , '' he told those gathered for a recent event .
`` I love Iowa 'cause you do n't care about national polls , you really do n't .
You belie them all the time . ''
Jason Oelmann was in the crowd , eagerly listening .
And after he went up to take a picture with the senator .
Booker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner , who did n't make this event .
`` We 're sending you lots of love and lots of gratitude , '' Booker said in the video .
`` I hope I get to meet you .
Come to one of my future events .
Please . ''
This is the Booker way : messages of love sent via modern technology .
`` He 's very charismatic and he 's very , very positive , '' Oelmann said of Booker .
`` I feel like positive energy really radiates , it speaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oelmann 's not sure he 's going to caucus for Booker .
Booker 's in his top three .
But that 's the predicament for the New Jersey senator .
He 's in a lot of people 's top three .
He 's just not necessarily their No .
1 .

Cory Booker Is A Stirring Speaker, Iowa Voters Say. But His Support Still Lags
Enlarge this image toggle caption Win McNamee/Getty Images Win McNamee/Getty Images
Cory Booker is a politician who sounds like a preacher.
"We may be down in a valley right now," he said during an Iowa campaign stop this week, "but I promise you, if you stand with me, if you caucus with me, if we stand for that spirit, I promise you, we will get to the mountaintop and we'll do it, because together as Americans, we know we will rise."
Voters who listen to Booker often praise his charisma and authenticity. But the New Jersey senator has struggled to gain traction in state and national Democratic presidential primary polls, and he almost certainly won't be on the party's debate stage in Iowa next week.
That disconnect between many voters' reactions to Booker at his events and his overall support often surprises onlookers.
Sue Dvorsky, a former chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, is unaligned with any candidate but has heard Booker speak several times. "I still get a little teary," she said. "I still get goosebumps on my arms."
But Dvorsky, who was an early supporter of candidate Barack Obama in 2007, says there's a different calculus this year. A lot of voters don't want to pick a candidate with their heart; they're picking with their head, trying to find the Democrat they think has the best odds of defeating President Trump.
The NPR Politics Podcast Why Iowa's Caucus Comes First And Why That Matters Why Iowa's Caucus Comes First And Why That Matters Listen · 18:49 18:49
Still, Dvorsky said: "It is undeniable that people like him."
And so Booker's fans are confused: Why isn't that goodwill translating into concrete support?
Some say maybe it's because he's black and many Democrats want to go with a safe, white male option this election. Others say maybe Booker's message of love and unity isn't what voters want this year; they want a fighter.
Regardless, when Booker speaks he captures the attention of a crowd better than most of his rivals.
"He has a really charismatic personality," Thomas Lecaque, who was sporting a Julián Castro campaign button on his jacket, said at a Booker house party. The former housing secretary, who last week dropped out of the race, had been Lecaque's first choice. But after hearing Booker in person, he was impressed.
"I trust him as a human being," Lecaque said. "He is someone who strikes me as being honest and idealistic in trying to do the right thing."
Booker has a massive extended family in Iowa, and the other day one of his cousins hosted a black women's luncheon for him in Des Moines.
One attendee, Lauren Patrick, said she wants Booker's voice in the race.
"I probably would [caucus for him]," she said. "Whether that's like a loyalty within the black community or just feeling like he's a solid candidate and he should have an opportunity to be on the platform, and then how people decide to vote from there is another thing. But I just want to make sure he has a fair shot."
Booker himself is pleading with Iowans in these final few weeks of campaigning ahead of the caucuses, asking them to ignore news headlines and polls.
"I am asking you to make a decision when you leave here to caucus for me," he told those gathered for a recent event. "I love Iowa 'cause you don't care about national polls, you really don't. You belie them all the time."
Jason Oelmann was in the crowd, eagerly listening. And after he went up to take a picture with the senator. Booker recorded a video message for Oelmann's partner, who didn't make this event.
"We're sending you lots of love and lots of gratitude," Booker said in the video. "I hope I get to meet you. Come to one of my future events. Please."
This is the Booker way: messages of love sent via modern technology.
Oelmann walked away thrilled.
"He's very charismatic and he's very, very positive," Oelmann said of Booker. "I feel like positive energy really radiates, it speaks to me."
But still, Oelmann's not sure he's going to caucus for Booker.
Booker's in his top three. But that's the predicament for the New Jersey senator. He's in a lot of people's top three. He's just not necessarily their No. 1.


npr--2020-01-09--Boeing Employees Mocked FAA In Internal Messages Before 737 Max Disasters

The latest documents Boeing has released related to the design and certification of the 737 Max paint a dark picture of employee reactions to problems that came up during the development of the now-grounded airliners .
The documents include emails and internal communications .
In one message , employees mock the Federal Aviation Administration and brag about getting regulators to approve the jets without requiring much additional pilot training .
In another document , an employee ridicules colleagues involved in the development of the troubled plane , saying `` this airplane is designed by clowns who in turn are supervised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Max airliners in 2018 and 2019 killed a total of 346 people .
Some of the most concerning messages involve discussions of problems with the company 's Max flight simulators in which the company employees suggest they misled regulators about potential problems with the Max .
`` I still have n't been forgiven by God for the covering up I did last year , '' one employee says in 2018 , referring to an exchange of information with the FAA .
Another damning exchange calls into question the safety of the 737 Max @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fly passengers .
`` Would you put your family on a Max simulator trained aircraft ?
I would n't , '' says one employee to another , who responds , `` No . ''
House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio , a Democrat from Oregon , called newly released documents `` incredibly damning , '' adding , `` they paint a deeply disturbing picture of the lengths Boeing was apparently willing to go to in order to evade scrutiny from regulators , flight crews , and the flying public , even as its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' A Boeing official said the communications were written by a small number of employees , primarily Boeing technical pilots and personnel involved with the development and qualification of Boeing 's 737 Max simulators .
Some of them are the same employees involved in sending other damaging emails and internal messages that were disclosed last year .
The company official said the language used and sentiments expressed in these communications `` are inconsistent with Boeing values , and the company is taking appropriate action in response . ''
The FAA reviewed the documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determined that nothing in the submission pointed to any safety risks that were not already identified as part of the ongoing review of proposed modifications to the aircraft , '' the FAA said in a statement .
The statement goes on to call the tone and some of the language contained in the documents `` disappointing , [ but ] the FAA remains focused on following a thorough process for returning the Boeing 737 MAX to passenger service . ''

Boeing Employees Mocked FAA In Internal Messages Before 737 Max Disasters
Enlarge this image toggle caption Elaine Thompson/AP Elaine Thompson/AP
Updated at 9:58 p.m. ET
The latest documents Boeing has released related to the design and certification of the 737 Max paint a dark picture of employee reactions to problems that came up during the development of the now-grounded airliners.
The documents include emails and internal communications. In one message, employees mock the Federal Aviation Administration and brag about getting regulators to approve the jets without requiring much additional pilot training.
In another document, an employee ridicules colleagues involved in the development of the troubled plane, saying, "This airplane is designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys."
Crashes of 737 Max airliners in 2018 and 2019 killed a total of 346 people.
Some of the most concerning messages involve discussions of problems with the company's Max flight simulators in which the company employees suggest they misled regulators about potential problems with the Max.
"I still haven't been forgiven by God for the covering up I did last year," one employee says in 2018, referring to an exchange of information with the FAA.
Another damning exchange calls into question the safety of the 737 Max long before the plane was approved to fly passengers.
"Would you put your family on a Max simulator trained aircraft? I wouldn't," says one employee to another, who responds, "No."
House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., called newly released documents "incredibly damning," adding that "they paint a deeply disturbing picture of the lengths Boeing was apparently willing to go to in order to evade scrutiny from regulators, flight crews, and the flying public, even as its own employees were sounding alarms internally."
A Boeing official said the communications were written by a small number of employees, primarily Boeing technical pilots and personnel involved with the development and qualification of Boeing's 737 Max simulators. Some of them are the same employees involved in sending other damaging emails and internal messages that were disclosed last year.
The company official said the language used and sentiments expressed in these communications "are inconsistent with Boeing values, and the company is taking appropriate action in response."
The FAA reviewed the documents for safety implications. "Our experts determined that nothing in the submission pointed to any safety risks that were not already identified as part of the ongoing review of proposed modifications to the aircraft," the FAA said in a statement.
The statement goes on to call the tone and some of the language contained in the documents "disappointing, [but] the FAA remains focused on following a thorough process for returning the Boeing 737 MAX to passenger service."


npr--2020-01-09--Video Outside Cell During Jeffrey Epstein's First Suicide Attempt 'No Longer Exists'

Video Outside Cell During Jeffrey Epstein 's First Suicide Attempt 'No Longer Exists' Surveillance video taken outside of the Manhattan jail cell of accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein during his first suicide attempt was permanently deleted , prosecutors said on Thursday .
The admission , revealed in a court filing , provides another embarrassing glimpse into the failures by staff at the Metropolitan Correctional Center to adhere to protocol or keep accurate records on the troubled federal detention facility .
The request for the video was made by Epstein 's former cellmate , Nicholas Tartaglione , who is awaiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigators looked into the unsuccessful July suicide attempt , one theory was that Tartaglione had been involved .
But the disgraced former cop 's attorney countered that Tartaglione intervened to save Epstein and hoped the video would exonerate him .
After first reporting that the video had been preserved , prosecutors told the court that further investigation shows `` the MCC inadvertently preserved video from the wrong tier within the MCC . ''
As a result , the pertinent video `` no longer exists , '' prosecutors wrote .
How could such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to a data entry error .
When the prison 's legal counsel looked up Epstein 's cell number in the MCC computer system to ensure the video would be saved , it showed he was in a different cell and floor than where he was actually housed .
Furthermore , officials did not watch the video at the time in order to ensure it was the correct footage because `` an MCC staff member confirmed that the video had been preserved . ''
However , the latest court documents state , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Government that the footage contained on the preserved video was for the correct date and time , but captured a different tier than the one where [ Epstein ] was located because the preserved video did not show corrections officers responding to any of the cells seen on the video . ''
Was it the only copy ?
According to MCC , there is a backup system in place to store all video from the Special Housing Unit , where Epstein and Tartaglione were being held at the time .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video on the backup system was also erased `` since at least August 2019 as a result of technical errors . ''
The wealthy financier , who was facing a decades-long prison sentence if he had been convicted of sexually exploiting and abusing girls as young as 14 , killed himself less than a month after the July incident .
By that point , he was kept alone in a cell and was supposed to be under extra supervision , including 30-minute checks .
New York 's medical examiner ruled the death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenged by Epstein 's family and many who believe someone else was responsible for the 66-year-old 's death .
Conspiracy theorists proposed he was murdered to keep Epstein from talking about his connections to elite circles of powerful and influential people , including Prince Andrew and President Trump .
In the wake of Epstein 's death , two MCC prison officers were charged with fabricating records to show they completed more than 75 mandatory checks on Epstein in the hours before he hanged himself .
Based on available surveillance footage , prosecutors allege @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look in on Epstein for eight hours before he was found unresponsive .
Instead , the guards `` browsed the Internet for furniture , motorcycle sales and sports news instead of monitoring Epstein in his cell , some 15 feet away in the Special Housing Unit , '' according to the indictment .
Union officials representing Federal Bureau of Prisons officers say beyond Epstein 's suicide death , there are systemic problems dealing that have to do with chronic under staffing across federal detention facilities .
`` There is a crisis in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but throughout the Bureau .
We are short of staff , '' Jose Rojas , a union representative , told NPR .
The sex trafficking case against Epstein was formally closed by Judge Richard Berman of the Southern District of New York less than three weeks after his suicide .

Video Outside Cell During Jeffrey Epstein's First Suicide Attempt 'No Longer Exists'
Enlarge this image toggle caption New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP
Surveillance video taken outside of the Manhattan jail cell of accused child-sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein during his first suicide attempt was permanently deleted, prosecutors said on Thursday.
The admission, revealed in a court filing, provides another embarrassing glimpse into the failures by staff at the Metropolitan Correctional Center to adhere to protocol or keep accurate records on the troubled federal detention facility.
The request for the video was made by Epstein's former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, who is awaiting trial on four drug-related killings.
As investigators looked into the unsuccessful July suicide attempt, one theory was that Tartaglione had been involved. But the attorney for the disgraced former cop countered that Tartaglione had intervened to save Epstein and hoped the video would exonerate him.
After first reporting that the video had been preserved, prosecutors told the court that further investigation shows "the MCC inadvertently preserved video from the wrong tier within the MCC."
As a result, the pertinent video "no longer exists," prosecutors wrote.
How could such a mistake occur?
Officials explained it was due to a data entry error.
When the prison's legal counsel looked up Epstein's cell number in the MCC computer system to ensure the video would be saved, it showed he was in a different cell and floor than where he was actually housed.
Furthermore, officials did not watch the video at the time in order to ensure it was the correct footage because "an MCC staff member confirmed that the video had been preserved."
However, the latest court documents state, "After reviewing the video, it appeared to the Government that the footage contained on the preserved video was for the correct date and time, but captured a different tier than the one where [Epstein] was located because the preserved video did not show corrections officers responding to any of the cells seen on the video."
Was it the only copy?
According to MCC, there is a backup system in place to store all video from the Special Housing Unit, where Epstein and Tartaglione were being held at the time.
But a review by the FBI found that the video on the backup system was also erased "since at least August 2019 as a result of technical errors."
Conspiracy theories
The wealthy financier, who was facing a decades-long prison sentence if he had been convicted of sexually exploiting and abusing girls as young as 14, killed himself less than a month after the July incident.
By that point, he was kept alone in a cell and was supposed to be under extra supervision, including 30-minute checks.
New York's medical examiner ruled the death a suicide by hanging — a conclusion challenged by Epstein's family and many who believe someone else was responsible for the 66-year-old's death.
Conspiracy theorists proposed he was killed to keep Epstein from talking about his connections to elite circles of powerful and influential people, including Prince Andrew and President Trump.
Systemic problems within MCC
In the wake of Epstein's death, two MCC prison officers were charged with fabricating records to show they completed more than 75 mandatory checks on Epstein in the hours before he hanged himself.
Based on available surveillance footage, prosecutors allege Michael Thomas and Tova Noel failed to look in on Epstein for eight hours before he was found unresponsive. Instead, the guards "browsed the Internet for furniture, motorcycle sales and sports news instead of monitoring Epstein in his cell, some 15 feet away in the Special Housing Unit," according to the indictment.
Union officials representing Federal Bureau of Prisons officers say that beyond Epstein's suicide death, there are systemic problems stemming from chronic understaffing across federal detention facilities.
"There is a crisis in our agency. Not just in Manhattan, but throughout the Bureau. We are short of staff," Jose Rojas, a union representative, told NPR.
The sex trafficking case against Epstein was formally closed by Judge Richard Berman of the Southern District of New York less than three weeks after Epstein's suicide.


npr--2020-01-09--Democratic Debate Grows To 6 Candidates As Steyer Hits January Threshold

The Democratic stage will be the smallest yet for next Tuesday 's Iowa debate , with just six candidates set to qualify .
Billionaire activist Tom Steyer on Thursday likely became the latest candidate to qualify after two Fox News polls from Nevada and South Carolina showed him in the double digits .
Steyer has been spending millions of dollars in early states to boost his chances .
That means he will join the other five candidates who had already qualified : former Vice President Joe Biden , former South Bend , Ind.
, Mayor Pete Buttigieg , Minnesota Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren .
The debate will be Tuesday , Jan. 14 , at 9 p.m .
ET and is being hosted by CNN and The Des Moines Register .
The deadline to qualify is by midnight Friday , Jan. 10 , but no other candidates appear close to meeting the Democratic National Committee 's threshold .
As it has with each previous debate , the DNC instituted dual polling and fundraising requirements .
Candidates must hit 5 % in at least four national polls or at least 7 % in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get 225,000 unique donors from 20 states .
Nonprofit executive Andrew Yang , who is the only other candidate who had made December 's debate , looks to fall short of the January cutoff , since he has only one qualifying poll with just a day to go until the deadline .
Fourteen total Democrats are still running though .
The ever-shrinking debate stage should offer more time for candidates to engage with each other and offer substantive responses , with less than three weeks to go until the Iowa caucuses on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in that first state have shown Biden , Buttigieg and Sanders fighting for first place , though a new Iowa survey by respected state pollster J. Ann Selzer for the Register and CNN is set to be released Friday at 6 p.m .
ET .
Warren has faded in recent weeks in polling , while Klobuchar has seen a boomlet following strong performances in the past two debates .
And Steyer has seen a surprising surge given his spending , which has dwarfed that of most of the field .
Former New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for this debate based on polling , but he is entirely self-funding his campaign and not accepting any donations .
He has instead been focusing his attention on the more delegate-rich states that will vote on Super Tuesday on March 3 .

Democratic Debate Grows To 6 Candidates As Steyer Hits January Threshold
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chris Carlson/AP Chris Carlson/AP
The Democratic stage will be the smallest yet for next Tuesday's Iowa debate, with just six candidates set to qualify.
Billionaire activist Tom Steyer on Thursday likely became the latest candidate to qualify after two Fox News polls from Nevada and South Carolina showed him in the double digits. Steyer has been spending millions of dollars in early states to boost his chances.
That means he will join the other five candidates who had already qualified: former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
The debate will be Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 9 p.m. ET and is being hosted by CNN and The Des Moines Register. The deadline to qualify is by midnight Friday, Jan. 10, but no other candidates appear close to meeting the Democratic National Committee's threshold.
As it has with each previous debate, the DNC instituted dual polling and fundraising requirements. Candidates must hit 5% in at least four national polls or at least 7% in two early-state polls. And they have to get 225,000 unique donors from 20 states.
Nonprofit executive Andrew Yang, who is the only other candidate who had made December's debate, looks to fall short of the January cutoff, since he has only one qualifying poll with just a day to go until the deadline. Fourteen total Democrats are still running though.
The ever-shrinking debate stage should offer more time for candidates to engage with each other and offer substantive responses, with less than three weeks to go until the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3.
The most recent polls in that first state have shown Biden, Buttigieg and Sanders fighting for first place, though a new Iowa survey by respected state pollster J. Ann Selzer for the Register and CNN is set to be released Friday at 6 p.m. ET.
Warren has faded in recent weeks in polling, while Klobuchar has seen a boomlet following strong performances in the past two debates. And Steyer has seen a surprising surge given his spending, which has dwarfed that of most of the field.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg would have qualified for this debate based on polling, but he is entirely self-funding his campaign and not accepting any donations. He has instead been focusing his attention on the more delegate-rich states that will vote on Super Tuesday on March 3.


npr--2020-01-09--Meghan And Harry 'Step Back' As Royals — What Does That Mean, Exactly?

Meghan And Harry 'Step Back ' As Royals — What Does That Mean , Exactly ?
When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced that they will `` step back '' from their duties as senior members of the British royal family , many members of the public were supportive of their decision in both the U.S. and the U.K. '' We intend to step back as 'senior ' members of the Royal Family , and work to become financially independent , while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen , '' they wrote .
`` We now plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and North America , continuing to honour our duty to The Queen , the Commonwealth , and our patronages . ''
But the choice also raised a number of questions — not least from the rest of royal family at Buckingham Palace , who were reportedly surprised by the announcement .
Are they cutting themselves off financially from the royal family ?
`` Financially independent '' is an interesting term .
Sometimes that phrase means independence from family money , but that is not what the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will no longer receive funding through the Sovereign Grant , the British public funding that supports the official duties of the queen and maintains the palaces occupied by members of the royal family .
They will now be able to work and earn income , which they are not permitted to do in their current roles .
But British royals have other sources of income besides the Sovereign Grant .
Prince Charles is also the Duke of Cornwall .
As such , he is entitled to all of the income from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an operating surplus of nearly $ 30 million last year .
Harry , his brother William , and their wives receive millions of pounds annually from Charles .
There is no indication so far that Harry intends to stop receiving these payments , but it will be up to Charles whether he decides to keep giving them .
What are they going to do for work ?
Meghan could of course go back to her job as a television and film actress .
That pays well .
She also might become involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They will likely ramp up the foundation they created after they split off from the charity they had been supporting with Prince William and his wife Kate .
In July , Harry and Meghan filed to register a trademark for their new foundation , Royal Sussex , which reportedly applies to items ranging from education to clothing .
They say they wish to `` carve out a progressive new role within this institution '' — that likely means an escape from the burdens of British tabloid scrutiny and endless ribbon-cuttings , but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Where will they live ?
They say they intend to split their time between the U.K. and North America .
`` This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born , while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter , including the launch of our new charitable entity , '' they wrote .
Many Americans may have assumed that by North America , the Duke and Duchess meant the U.S. — Meghan 's an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe the couple will instead make a home in Canada .
The pair just returned from spending six weeks at an estate on Vancouver Island .
That sounds nice .
And they say they will continue to honor the British Commonwealth , of which Canada is a part .
When in the U.K. , they say they plan to keep living at their home , Frogmore Cottage , so long as the queen permits it .
They recently completed renovations that cost more than $ 3 million .
The renovation was publicly funded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was considered `` upkeep . ''
Are these crazy lovebirds going to be OK ?
It 's probably safe to say that Harry , Meghan and their son Archie will land on their royal feet , despite the financial , professional and geographic upheaval to come .

Meghan And Harry 'Step Back' As Royals — What Does That Mean, Exactly?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images
When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced that they will "step back" from their duties as senior members of the British royal family, many members of the public in both the U.S. and the U.K. were supportive of their decision.
"We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family, and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen," they wrote. "We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages."
But the choice also raised a number of questions — not least from the rest of the royal family at Buckingham Palace, who were reportedly surprised by the announcement.
Are they cutting themselves off financially from the royal family?
"Financially independent" is an interesting term. Sometimes that phrase means independence from family money, but that is not what the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have in mind.
Rather, they mean that they will no longer receive funding through the Sovereign Grant, the British public funding that supports the official duties of the queen and maintains the palaces occupied by members of the royal family. They will now be able to work and earn income, which they are not permitted to do in their current roles.
But British royals have other sources of income besides the Sovereign Grant.
Prince Charles is also the Duke of Cornwall. As such, he is entitled to all of the income from the Duchy of Cornwall. The Duchy had an operating surplus of nearly $30 million last year. Harry, his brother William and their wives receive millions of pounds annually from Charles.
There is no indication so far that Harry intends to stop receiving these payments, but it will be up to Charles whether he decides to keep giving them.
What are they going to do for work?
Meghan could of course go back to her job as a television and film actress. That pays well. She also might become involved in fashion, as she has before.
They will likely ramp up the foundation they created after they split off from the charity they had been supporting with Prince William and his wife Kate. In July, Harry and Meghan filed to register a trademark for their new foundation, Royal Sussex, which reportedly applies to items ranging from education to clothing.
They say they wish to "carve out a progressive new role within this institution" — that likely means an escape from the burdens of British tabloid scrutiny and endless ribbon-cuttings, but not necessarily cutting ties to royal status.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images
Where will they live?
They say they intend to split their time between the U.K. and North America.
"This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity," they wrote.
Many Americans may have assumed that by North America, the Duke and Duchess meant the U.S. — Meghan's an American, after all.
But many believe the couple will instead make a home in Canada. The pair just returned from spending six weeks at an estate on Vancouver Island. That sounds nice. And they say they will continue to honor the British Commonwealth, of which Canada is a part.
When in the U.K., they say they plan to keep living at their home, Frogmore Cottage, so long as the queen permits it. They recently completed renovations that cost more than $3 million. The renovation was publicly funded through the Sovereign Grant, as it was considered "upkeep."
Are these crazy lovebirds going to be OK?
It's probably safe to say that Harry, Meghan and their son Archie will land on their royal feet, despite the financial, professional and geographic upheaval to come.


npr--2020-01-09--National Security Adviser Defends Briefing On Iran Criticized By Lawmakers

National Security Adviser Defends Briefing On Iran Criticized By Lawmakers National security adviser Robert O'Brien is defending a closed-door briefing held for lawmakers on Wednesday in which Trump administration officials laid out the justification for the U.S. drone strike that killed Iran 's top military commander .
The closed-door briefing by members of the president 's national security team has come under bipartisan criticism from lawmakers who say the administration has failed to adequately detail the intelligence justifying last week 's killing of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani , the commander of Iran 's elite Quds Force .
Addressing that criticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steve Inskeep on Thursday , O'Brien said the U.S. `` had very good information that there were imminent attacks planned against Americans in Iraq and potentially Syria . ''
O'Brien also reiterated the administration 's stance that it will hold Iran culpable for any future attacks on Americans , even those carried out by Iranian proxy forces in the Middle East .
`` We 've made it very clear that when Iranian proxies that are directed by Iran attack Americans , that we 're going to hold the Iranians responsible .
And they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday 's briefing for lawmakers , led by Defense Secretary Mark Esper , CIA Director Gina Haspel and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , has fueled calls , particularly among Democrats , for a curb on the the president 's ability to wage military action against Iran without congressional consent .
Among those who have criticized the briefing is Sen. Mike Lee , R-Utah , who called it `` the worst briefing I 've seen '' on a military issue in his entire nine years serving in the Senate .
Following the briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposal by Sen. Tim Kaine , D-Va. , to place limits on the president 's military authority .
A separate measure that would force President Trump to seek consent from Congress before taking new military action against Iran passed the House on Thursday .
O'Brien , who said he was not part of the team that briefed Congress , told NPR he was `` disappointed '' by Lee 's characterization , adding that he heard from other lawmakers that it was received quite well .
`` I think there 's there 's always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said O'Brien .
Lee told NPR that his frustration was not over Soleimani 's killing , but over what he described as an unwillingness by administration officials to discuss `` the possibility of future military action against Iran . ''
`` And it was on that topic they refused to make any commitment about when , whether and under what circumstances it would be necessary for the president — or the executive branch of government — to come to Congress seeking authorization for the use of military force , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , Lee said , was a hypothetical about whether it would ever undertake a strike against the Supreme Leader of Iran , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .
`` The fact that there was nothing but a refusal to answer that question was perhaps the most deeply upsetting thing to me in that meeting . ''
O'Brien told NPR `` we never answer those sorts of hypotheticals , '' particularly when they involve sensitive military operations .
`` So , for example , when President Obama took out Osama bin Laden , those things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But we made certain in this case that Congress was made aware of the military operation against Soleimani immediately after it happened . ''
O'Brien defended the intelligence that led to the strike against Soleimani , but when pressed on whether officials knew details of the `` imminent '' attack cited by the administration — details such as time and place — O'Brien responded , `` You never know the time and place of these things with perfect particularity . ''
Without elaborating , O'Brien said possible targets of the attack included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , airmen , Marines . ''
`` I 've seen the intelligence and it was incredibly strong intelligence .
There are a lot of people that want that intelligence released , '' O'Brien said .
`` You know , look , I wish we could , but at the same time , we do n't want to compromise sources and methods that allow us to protect Americans . ''
The Trump administration ordered the strike on Soleimani following a Dec. 27 attack on a military base in Iraq by an Iranian-back militia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wounded several other Americans and Iraqi personnel .
`` The president made it very clear that if you harm Americans , if you kill Americans , you 'll be held responsible , '' O'Brien said .
Iran responded to the attack early Wednesday morning local time with missile strikes on two bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq .
No casualties were reported , but the back-and-forth led to fears that Tehran and Washington were on the verge of a full-scale war .
Those fears appear to have eased somewhat .
Iran 's U.N. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NPR the attack was `` a measured , proportionate response , '' adding that `` As far as Iran is concerned , that action was concluded last night . ''

National Security Adviser Defends Briefing On Iran Criticized By Lawmakers
Enlarge this image toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP Evan Vucci/AP
Updated at 6:33 p.m. ET
National security adviser Robert O'Brien is defending a closed-door briefing held for lawmakers on Wednesday in which Trump administration officials laid out the justification for the U.S. drone strike that killed Iran's top military commander.
The closed-door briefing by members of the president's national security team has come under bipartisan criticism from lawmakers who say the administration has failed to adequately detail the intelligence justifying last week's killing of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's elite Quds Force.
Addressing that criticism in an interview with Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep on Thursday, O'Brien said the U.S. "had very good information that there were imminent attacks planned against Americans in Iraq and potentially Syria."
O'Brien also reiterated the administration's stance that it will hold Iran culpable for any future attacks on Americans, even those carried out by Iranian proxy forces in the Middle East.
"We've made it very clear that when Iranian proxies that are directed by Iran attack Americans, that we're going to hold the Iranians responsible. And they understand that," he said.
Wednesday's briefing for lawmakers, led by Defense Secretary Mark Esper, CIA Director Gina Haspel and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, has fueled calls, particularly among Democrats, for a curb on the the president's ability to wage military action against Iran without congressional consent.
Among those who have criticized the briefing is Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who called it "the worst briefing I've seen" on a military issue in his entire nine years serving in the Senate.
Following the briefing, Lee said he would support a proposal by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., to place limits on the president's military authority. A separate measure that would force President Trump to seek consent from Congress before taking new military action against Iran passed the House on Thursday.
O'Brien, who said he was not part of the team that briefed Congress, told NPR he was "disappointed" by Lee's characterization, adding that he heard from other lawmakers that it was received quite well.
"I think there's there's always mixed reviews on these things," said O'Brien.
Lee told NPR that his frustration was not over Soleimani's killing, but over what he described as an unwillingness by administration officials to discuss "the possibility of future military action against Iran."
"And it was on that topic they refused to make any commitment about when, whether and under what circumstances it would be necessary for the president — or the executive branch of government — to come to Congress seeking authorization for the use of military force," he said.
One question the administration would not engage on, Lee said, was a hypothetical about whether it would ever undertake a strike against the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"The fact that there was nothing but a refusal to answer that question was perhaps the most deeply upsetting thing to me in that meeting."
O'Brien told NPR "we never answer those sorts of hypotheticals," particularly when they involve sensitive military operations. "So, for example, when President Obama took out Osama bin Laden, those things don't happen with pre-briefs to Congress. But we made certain in this case that Congress was made aware of the military operation against Soleimani immediately after it happened."
O'Brien defended the intelligence that led to the strike against Soleimani, but when pressed on whether officials knew details of the "imminent" attack cited by the administration — details such as time and place — O'Brien responded, "You never know the time and place of these things with perfect particularity."
Without elaborating, O'Brien said possible targets of the attack included "Both diplomats and soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines."
"I've seen the intelligence and it was incredibly strong intelligence. There are a lot of people that want that intelligence released," O'Brien said. "You know, look, I wish we could, but at the same time, we don't want to compromise sources and methods that allow us to protect Americans."
The Trump administration ordered the strike on Soleimani following a Dec. 27 attack on a military base in Iraq by an Iranian-back militia. That attack killed an American contractor and wounded several other Americans and Iraqi personnel.
"The president made it very clear that if you harm Americans, if you kill Americans, you'll be held responsible," O'Brien said.
Iran responded to the attack early Wednesday morning local time with missile strikes on two bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq. No casualties were reported, but the back-and-forth led to fears that Tehran and Washington were on the verge of a full-scale war.
Those fears appear to have eased somewhat. Iran's U.N. ambassador, Majid Takht Ravanchi, told NPR the attack was "a measured, proportionate response," adding that "As far as Iran is concerned, that action was concluded last night."


npr--2020-01-10--Gov. Greg Abbott Says New Refugees Won't Be Allowed To Settle In Texas

Gov .
Greg Abbott Says New Refugees Wo n't Be Allowed To Settle In Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott announced on Friday that his state will not accept new refugees this year , making Texas the first state to reject resettlements under a new rule from President Trump .
Trump signed an executive order in September , saying that states and municipalities must give written consent before refugees can be resettled .
`` Texas has carried more than its share in assisting the refugee resettlement process , '' Abbott , a Republican , said in a letter to Secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since FY2010 , more refugees have been received in Texas than in any other state .
In fact , over that decade , roughly 10 % of all refugees resettled in the United States have been placed in Texas , '' Abbott noted .
He added , `` Texas has been left by Congress to deal with disproportionate migration issues resulting from a broken federal immigration system . ''
He stated that approximately 100,000 migrants were apprehended crossing the state 's southern border in May of last year .
And , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apprehensions included people from China , Iran , Kenya , Russia and Tonga .
More than 40 other governors of both parties have signaled their willingness to continue accepting refugees .
Several nonprofit organizations that work to resettle refugees are challenging the executive order in court .
And several were swift to condemn Abbott 's decision .
`` Texas has a long and proud history of welcoming refugees , '' Mark Hetfield , president and CEO of HIAS , a refugee resettlement group that is part of the current legal battle , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shameful decision by Gov .
Abbott which is unworthy of the great state 's reputation for being big , bold and hospitable , '' Hetfield added .
Together with Church World Service and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service , HIAS filed a lawsuit suit against the government saying the order was not legal .
`` The agencies charge that the order violates federal law and is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to restrict refugee resettlement in the United States , '' HIAS says on its website .
A federal judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case earlier this week , and is expected to decide soon whether to grant an injunction .
Leaders from National Immigration Forum made economic arguments for the continued resettlement of refugees in Texas .
`` At a time of historically low state unemployment rates , why would Texas turn away refugees with an entrepreneurial spirit that contributes to local communities and economies ? ''
Ali Noorani , the group 's executive director , said in a statement .
`` Turning away those seeking safety and opportunity is n't just disheartening — for Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Citing a 2015 study by New American Economy , the organization said refugees in Texas `` had a combined spending power of $ 4.6 billion and paid a total of $ 1.6 billion in taxes '' that year .
As NPR reported , the number of refugees fleeing war and other crises being allowed into the country is the lowest since 1980 .
In 2019 , about 30,000 refugees were expected to resettle in the U.S. That is down from 110,000 in 2016 .

Gov. Greg Abbott Says New Refugees Won't Be Allowed To Settle In Texas
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Gay/AP Eric Gay/AP
Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Friday that his state will not accept new refugees this year, making Texas the first state to reject resettlements under a new rule from President Trump.
Trump signed an executive order in September, saying that states and municipalities must give written consent before refugees can be resettled.
"Texas has carried more than its share in assisting the refugee resettlement process," Abbott, a Republican, said in a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday.
"Since FY2010, more refugees have been received in Texas than in any other state. In fact, over that decade, roughly 10% of all refugees resettled in the United States have been placed in Texas," Abbott noted.
He added, "Texas has been left by Congress to deal with disproportionate migration issues resulting from a broken federal immigration system."
He stated that approximately 100,000 migrants were apprehended crossing the state's southern border in May of last year. And, in the 2018 fiscal year, he said, apprehensions included people from China, Iran, Kenya, Russia and Tonga.
More than 40 other governors of both parties have signaled their willingness to continue accepting refugees.
Several nonprofit organizations that work to resettle refugees are challenging the executive order in court. And several were swift to condemn Abbott's decision.
"Texas has a long and proud history of welcoming refugees," Mark Hetfield, president and CEO of HIAS, a refugee resettlement group that is part of the current legal battle, said in a statement.
"This is a shameful decision by Gov. Abbott which is unworthy of the great state's reputation for being big, bold and hospitable," Hetfield added.
Together with Church World Service and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, HIAS filed a lawsuit suit against the government saying the order was not legal.
"The agencies charge that the order violates federal law and is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to restrict refugee resettlement in the United States," HIAS says on its website.
A federal judge in Maryland held a hearing in the case earlier this week, and is expected to decide soon whether to grant an injunction.
Leaders from National Immigration Forum made economic arguments for the continued resettlement of refugees in Texas.
"At a time of historically low state unemployment rates, why would Texas turn away refugees with an entrepreneurial spirit that contributes to local communities and economies?" Ali Noorani, the group's executive director, said in a statement. "Turning away those seeking safety and opportunity isn't just disheartening — for Texas, it's bad business."
Citing a 2015 study by New American Economy, the organization said refugees in Texas "had a combined spending power of $4.6 billion and paid a total of $1.6 billion in taxes" that year.
As NPR reported, the number of refugees fleeing war and other crises being allowed into the country is the lowest since 1980.
In 2019, about 30,000 refugees were expected to resettle in the U.S. That is down from 110,000 in 2016.
NPR's Joel Rose contributed to this report.


npr--2020-01-10--Video: Mexico's Most Active Volcano Erupts, Spews Ash Cloud Nearly 20,000 Feet

Mexico 's Popocatépetl volcano burst to life on Thursday in a spectacular gush of lava and clouds of ash that hurled incandescent rock about 20,000 feet into the sky .
The dramatic explosion of the active stratovolcano , a little over 40 miles southeast of Mexico City , was captured on video by Mexico 's National Center for Disaster Prevention , CENAPRED .
Officials say no one was hurt as a result of the eruption .
Still , CENAPRED has set the warning level at `` yellow phase 2 , '' meaning there is no imminent danger .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too close to the volcano or the crater , which is even more hazardous `` due to the danger of falling ballistic fragments . ''
A satellite recorded the explosion of Popocatépetl — a name that means `` smoky mountain '' in the indigenous Náhuatl language .
The satellite also `` detected sulfur dioxide in the plume , '' the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration wrote in a tweet .
The head of civil protection , David Leon Romero , said the hours following the eruption were mostly quiet , despite `` 268 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vapor , gas and light amounts of ash , according to El Universal .
Popocatépetl , known locally as El Popo , is Mexico 's most active volcano and North America 's second-highest volcano .
More than 20 specialized devices monitor the 17,700 ft volcano 24 hours a day .

Video: Mexico's Most Active Volcano Erupts, Spews Ash Cloud Nearly 20,000 Feet
Enlarge this image toggle caption webcamsdemexico webcamsdemexico
Mexico's Popocatépetl volcano burst to life on Thursday in a spectacular gush of lava and clouds of ash that hurled incandescent rock about 20,000 feet into the sky.
The dramatic explosion of the active stratovolcano, a little over 40 miles southeast of Mexico City, was captured on video by Mexico's National Center for Disaster Prevention, CENAPRED.
The eruption of Mexico's most active volcano, Popocatépetl, on Thursday was captured by civil defense officials. webcamsdemexico YouTube
Officials say no one was hurt as a result of the eruption.
Still, CENAPRED has set the warning level at "yellow phase 2," meaning there is no imminent danger. But the center is urging people not to get too close to the volcano or the crater, which is even more hazardous "due to the danger of falling ballistic fragments."
A satellite recorded the explosion of Popocatépetl — a name that means "smoky mountain" in the indigenous Náhuatl language.
The satellite also "detected sulfur dioxide in the plume," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration wrote in a tweet.
The head of civil protection, David Leon Romero, said the hours following the eruption were mostly quiet, despite "268 exhalations" that were accompanied by water vapor, gas and light amounts of ash, according to El Universal.
Popocatépetl, known locally as El Popo, is Mexico's most active volcano and North America's second-highest volcano. More than 20 specialized devices monitor the 17,700 ft volcano 24 hours a day.
El Popo erupted twice in late July.


npr--2020-01-10--Women Now Outnumber Men On U.S. Payrolls

Women Now Outnumber Men On U.S. Payrolls Job growth slowed last month as U.S. employers added just 145,000 jobs .
But there was an interesting milestone in Friday 's report from the Labor Department .
Ninety-five percent of the net jobs added in December went to women .
Women now hold just over half of all payroll jobs in America , for only the second time in history .
The first was during the Great Recession , when a wave of layoffs hit male workers first , temporarily giving women an edge in the workplace .
The period was even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though , women were hit with their own layoffs .
And their numerical advantage did n't last .
This time could be different , because women 's gains come from being hired at a faster pace than men .
`` I feel very strongly that a year from now , their share will continue to be over 50 % , '' says Betsey Stevenson , a University of Michigan economist who served in the Obama administration .
Do n't see the graphic above ?
Click here .
The growing number of women on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from male-dominated industries like manufacturing toward the service side of the economy , where women have an edge .
`` That 's what the U.S. does .
We 're a service-sector economy , '' Stevenson says .
`` The service sector is really broad .
It 's not just about serving coffee or taking care of children . ''
Serving coffee and taking care of children are big businesses , though .
The hospitality industry alone added 40,000 jobs in December .
Women hold 77 % of the jobs in health care and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire goods-producing sector of the economy .
`` The sectors that typically tend to employ men , like mining , manufacturing — those have all been in decline , '' says Megan Greene , a senior fellow at Harvard 's Kennedy School of Government .
Factories shed 12,000 jobs in December while mining and logging lost 9,000 .
Construction is one male-dominated field that showed growth last month , adding 20,000 jobs .
`` The low interest rates we 've been seeing recently has generated more of a housing boom than we expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' says White House economist Tom Philipson .
But Greene says the U.S. is likely to keep adding jobs faster in industries where women have traditionally played an outsize role .
That could be a factor keeping wage gains in check , since women often work in lower-wage industries , and they tend to earn less than men .
`` If we 're adding most of our jobs at the low end of the pay scale , we 're not getting much upward pressure on wages , '' Greene says .
`` And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been so frustratingly low in this recovery . ''
Over the last year , average wages rose just 2.9 % , even though unemployment is at a 50-year low .
On the positive side , the growing number of women in the workplace is likely to reshape demand for things like flexible hours and paid family leave , which working men might appreciate as well .
`` The bigger the footprint women have , the harder it is to say this is a fringe group that wants a fringe benefit , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Stevenson says .
In some ways it 's only a footnote that women 's share of payroll jobs went from just below 50 % in November to just above that threshold last month .
But in other ways , it 's a watershed .
`` It reminds us to take a moment and think about the kind of strides women have made in the labor market , '' Stevenson says .
`` But also , the future of the labor force is going to involve greater women 's equality . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ women have been outpacing men in education .
That investment should pay more dividends for the economy , as women 's numbers grow in the workplace .

Women Now Outnumber Men On U.S. Payrolls
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Minchillo/AP John Minchillo/AP
Job growth slowed last month as U.S. employers added just 145,000 jobs. But there was an interesting milestone in Friday's report from the Labor Department. Ninety-five percent of the net jobs added in December went to women.
Women now hold just over half of all payroll jobs in America, for only the second time in history. The first was during the Great Recession, when a wave of layoffs hit male workers first, temporarily giving women an edge in the workplace. The period was even dubbed the Mancession.
Before long, though, women were hit with their own layoffs. And their numerical advantage didn't last.
This time could be different, because women's gains come from being hired at a faster pace than men.
"I feel very strongly that a year from now, their share will continue to be over 50%," says Betsey Stevenson, a University of Michigan economist who served in the Obama administration.
Loading...
Don't see the graphic above? Click here.
(Importantly, the Labor Department's count of payroll workers excludes both farmers and the self-employed. Men still dominate both of those categories.)
The growing number of women on company payrolls reflects a long-running evolution away from male-dominated industries like manufacturing toward the service side of the economy, where women have an edge.
"That's what the U.S. does. We're a service-sector economy," Stevenson says. "The service sector is really broad. It's not just about serving coffee or taking care of children."
Serving coffee and taking care of children are big businesses, though. The hospitality industry alone added 40,000 jobs in December. Women hold 77% of the jobs in health care and education — fast-growing fields that eclipse the entire goods-producing sector of the economy.
"The sectors that typically tend to employ men, like mining, manufacturing — those have all been in decline," says Megan Greene, a senior fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Factories shed 12,000 jobs in December while mining and logging lost 9,000.
Construction is one male-dominated field that showed growth last month, adding 20,000 jobs.
"The low interest rates we've been seeing recently has generated more of a housing boom than we expected at the beginning of the year," says White House economist Tom Philipson.
But Greene says the U.S. is likely to keep adding jobs faster in industries where women have traditionally played an outsize role. That could be a factor keeping wage gains in check, since women often work in lower-wage industries, and they tend to earn less than men.
"If we're adding most of our jobs at the low end of the pay scale, we're not getting much upward pressure on wages," Greene says. "And that's I think why wages have been so frustratingly low in this recovery."
Over the last year, average wages rose just 2.9%, even though unemployment is at a 50-year low.
On the positive side, the growing number of women in the workplace is likely to reshape demand for things like flexible hours and paid family leave, which working men might appreciate as well.
"The bigger the footprint women have, the harder it is to say this is a fringe group that wants a fringe benefit, and the labor market won't stand for it," Stevenson says.
In some ways it's only a footnote that women's share of payroll jobs went from just below 50% in November to just above that threshold last month. But in other ways, it's a watershed.
"It reminds us to take a moment and think about the kind of strides women have made in the labor market," Stevenson says. "But also, the future of the labor force is going to involve greater women's equality."
For years now, Stevenson says, women have been outpacing men in education. That investment should pay more dividends for the economy, as women's numbers grow in the workplace.