npr--2020-02-07--Hiring Picks Up As Employers Add 225,000 Jobs In January

Hiring Picks Up As Employers Add 225,000 Jobs In January Updated at 11:23 a.m .
ET The U.S. labor market revved up in January , with employers adding 225,000 jobs .
That 's well above the number forecasters were expecting .
The unemployment rate inched up to 3.6 % , near a 50-year low , according to a new report from the Labor Department .
Employment growth for November and December was also revised upwards by a total of 7,000 jobs .
Do n't see the graphic above ?
Click here .
Unusually warm weather contributed to a surge in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
Housing construction has also gotten a boost from low mortgage rates .
Hiring was also strong in service industries such as health care , education and hospitality , which have been steadily adding workers month after month .
Manufacturing continues to be a weak spot in the economy .
Factories cut 12,000 jobs in January , despite signs of a recovery in manufacturing activity following a five-month slump .
`` Manufacturing accounts for only 8.4 % of payrolls , but it punches above its weight in the eyes of the markets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ian Shepherdson , chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics .
`` The trend clearly is deteriorating with the sector under pressure from the trade war . ''
White House economist Tomas Philipson said new trade deals with China , Canada and Mexico could give a lift to factory employment .
`` We 're very optimistic of a rebound in manufacturing taking place , '' Philipson said .
Retailers cut more than 8,000 jobs in a sign that brick-and-mortar stores continue to face pressure from the growth in online sales .
By contrast , warehouses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliver online purchases — added about 28,000 jobs .
Wage growth picked up a bit in January , though it remains modest given the very low level of unemployment .
Over the past 12 months , average wages have risen 3.1 % .
That 's more than enough to outpace inflation , boosting workers ' buying power .
But pay increases were higher earlier in the recovery .
`` We wonder if the key response of businesses to the intensification of the trade war in the summer was to be more aggressive in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` If so , we doubt it can last as labor shortages become more acute . ''
The strong job market continues to draw new workers off the sidelines .
Philipson estimates nearly three-quarters of new jobs in recent months have gone to people who were not previously looking for work .
The share of adults in the labor force increased last month to 63.4 % , the highest since 2013 .
`` I think there 's still more room for the growth , '' Philipson said .
While the overall job market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past job gains were not as strong as initially reported .
Once each year , the department updates its historical employment record using more complete information .
Friday 's revision shows employers added 514,000 fewer jobs between April 2018 and March 2019 than earlier surveys had indicated .
In the 36 months since President Trump took office , the U.S. has added 6.6 million jobs .
By comparison , employers added 8.1 million jobs in the 36 months before that .

Hiring Picks Up As Employers Add 225,000 Jobs In January
Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images Scott Olson/Getty Images
Updated at 11:23 a.m. ET
The U.S. labor market revved up in January, with employers adding 225,000 jobs. That's well above the number forecasters were expecting. The unemployment rate inched up to 3.6%, near a 50-year low, according to a new report from the Labor Department.
Employment growth for November and December was also revised upwards by a total of 7,000 jobs.
Loading...
Don't see the graphic above? Click here.
Unusually warm weather contributed to a surge in construction last month, with 44,000 jobs added. Housing construction has also gotten a boost from low mortgage rates.
Hiring was also strong in service industries such as health care, education and hospitality, which have been steadily adding workers month after month.
Manufacturing continues to be a weak spot in the economy. Factories cut 12,000 jobs in January, despite signs of a recovery in manufacturing activity following a five-month slump.
"Manufacturing accounts for only 8.4% of payrolls, but it punches above its weight in the eyes of the markets, media and politicians," said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. "The trend clearly is deteriorating with the sector under pressure from the trade war."
White House economist Tomas Philipson said new trade deals with China, Canada and Mexico could give a lift to factory employment.
"We're very optimistic of a rebound in manufacturing taking place," Philipson said.
Retailers cut more than 8,000 jobs in a sign that brick-and-mortar stores continue to face pressure from the growth in online sales. By contrast, warehouses and transportation companies — which pack and deliver online purchases — added about 28,000 jobs.
Wage growth picked up a bit in January, though it remains modest given the very low level of unemployment. Over the past 12 months, average wages have risen 3.1%. That's more than enough to outpace inflation, boosting workers' buying power. But pay increases were higher earlier in the recovery.
"We wonder if the key response of businesses to the intensification of the trade war in the summer was to be more aggressive in pay negotiations," Shepherdson said. "If so, we doubt it can last as labor shortages become more acute."
The strong job market continues to draw new workers off the sidelines. Philipson estimates nearly three-quarters of new jobs in recent months have gone to people who were not previously looking for work. The share of adults in the labor force increased last month to 63.4%, the highest since 2013.
"I think there's still more room for the growth," Philipson said.
While the overall job market remains healthy, the Labor Department says past job gains were not as strong as initially reported. Once each year, the department updates its historical employment record using more complete information. Friday's revision shows employers added 514,000 fewer jobs between April 2018 and March 2019 than earlier surveys had indicated.
In the 36 months since President Trump took office, the U.S. has added 6.6 million jobs. By comparison, employers added 8.1 million jobs in the 36 months before that.


npr--2020-02-07--'I Was Raising Hell': Fired Ex-U.S. Olympic VP Says He Exposed Athlete Mistreatment

' I Was Raising Hell ' : Fired Ex-U.S. Olympic VP Says He Exposed Athlete Mistreatment A former high-ranking official at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is suing the organization because he says he was fired last year for raising concerns about its treatment of Olympic athletes .
Bill Moreau was vice president for sports medicine at the USOPC for 10 years .
In an interview with NPR , Moreau says the USOPC still is not doing enough to prevent abuse , even though the issue has been in the public spotlight for more than three years because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar .
Moreau says in the aftermath of the Nassar scandal and the congressional and independent investigations that followed , it was clear significant change had to happen at the USOPC .
But Moreau says that was n't happening at an `` appropriate pace . ''
`` And I decided that if I do n't become part of the solution , '' Moreau says , `` I 'm actually part of the problem . ''
Being part of the solution , Moreau says , meant reporting potential abuse and wrongdoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking compensatory and punitive damages in his lawsuit , which lays out in considerable detail instances of abuse Moreau says he raised with the USOPC .
An alleged pattern of neglect and abuse There was a 2018 incident of statutory rape involving a 15-year-old female Paralympic athlete , he says .
She was competing at a prominent track and field meet in Iowa but was not accompanied by an adult .
`` [ She ] was under the guardianship of the USOPC , '' Moreau says .
`` She had traveled from her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone , and the USOPC was supposed to be looking after her .
They put her in a hotel room by herself .
She 's a minor . ''
One night during the meet , according to Moreau , the athlete had sex in the hotel room with an older male athlete .
A coach told Moreau that afterward the young woman was depressed to the point of being suicidal .
Moreau says when the USOPC found out about the incident , it filed a report with the U.S. Center for SafeSport .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moreau says , `` on the [ SafeSport reporting form ] it basically asks , 'Was a crime committed ? '
And they checked 'No . '
And I thought , how could that be right ?
I 'm from Iowa .
It did n't take me two minutes .
I did a Google search for statutory rape in the state of Iowa and found that [ the female athlete ] is not old enough to give consent .
And as a result , I forced [ the USOPC ] to switch it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a crime had been committed . ''
Moreau says another incident , in 2019 , involved a male strength coach who was spotted naked in a sauna , but one that was in a public area at a USOPC training center .
Members of the Team USA under-18 women 's gymnastics group were in the building at the same time .
Moreau says he was amazed the coach was only given a verbal reprimand instead of being fired .
`` You 'd think the USOPC would have a hair-trigger on responding to anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexual impropriety , '' he says .
Moreau 's lawsuit also alleges USOPC officials did n't uphold privacy laws relating to athletes ' medical records .
He says he had an audit done that showed more than 300 occasions where someone who was n't a health care provider studied athlete 's files .
`` Meaning people acting as athletic directors , [ people in ] sports performance management , people focused on medal outcomes and [ the ] performance of Team USA '' had access to private records , Moreau says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's rights , and more important it does have an impact .
You can imagine if you were an athlete with an STD , you do n't want people not directly involved in your health care accessing that information . ''
Moreau says one of the troublesome areas of neglect by Olympic officials is athletes ' mental health .
That was grimly illustrated last year .
According to the lawsuit , Moreau became aware an athlete , who 's since been identified as Olympic medal-winning cyclist Kelly Catlin , attempted suicide in February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow-up psychiatric care .
Moreau sensed this was a warning sign officials needed to act on , but instead of immediate help , USOPC officials decided to form a committee to discuss how to help .
`` I was so exasperated , '' Moreau says .
`` I finally said , 'Look , in the next day , next week , next month or next year , an athlete we are responsible for will again take their own life . '
That was March 7th . ''
The next day , the athlete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just crushed , '' Moreau says .
`` I just thought , we did n't do right by her .
And I do n't know what I should 've done or could 've done , but something should 've been done . ''
Moreau says he said as much in an email to higher-ups at the USOPC about two weeks later .
`` [ It was about ] getting serious about mental health , '' Moreau says , adding , `` The communications [ with USOPC officials ] at that time were frankly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them that they need to get serious about taking care of athletes . ''
`` I did n't even get a reply to that email .
In fact , in the last paragraph I said , 'If you 're sick of hearing from me , you need to let me know . '
`` The lack of response was not new .
Moreau says at least for the last two years of his tenure at the USOPC , he felt alone and confused by his isolation .
`` Why wo n't people engage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
`` Why wo n't people listen ?
Why wo n't they do the right thing when it 's so clear the path to take ?
And also , it 's not that hard .
It was n't that big a lift .
But they would n't even try .
I just could n't understand it .
Still do n't . ''
In May of last year , two months after he sent that email that was n't answered , Moreau was fired .
`` I walked into a meeting , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me , 'We 'll no longer be using your services .
You 're terminated effective immediately . '
`` Because of strained relationships over the past couple of years , Moreau was n't surprised .
But he did n't think the decision was reflective of his work at the USOPC .
`` I 've been ranked in the top 25 % of the company by seven different managers every year , '' he says .
`` I 've never received an average score . ''
Moreau says he was told his firing was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead sports medicine .
Moreau is a chiropractor by training but says that never hindered his job .
`` The chief medical officer does n't actually see patients , '' he says .
`` It 's a strategic position where you go around the world and build goodwill and develop relationships .
[ My job ] was getting the patient in front of the right physician .
Not taking on patients myself . ''
Despite the USOPC 's announced intention of hiring a new vice president of sports medicine with a medical degree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firing the committee promoted another chiropractor to his former position .
Someone Moreau says he trained .
The USOPC did n't make anyone available for an interview to answer the lawsuit 's many allegations .
The committee did provide a statement from Luella Chavez D'Angelo , USOPC chief marketing and communications officer .
`` We have not been served with this suit and are just reviewing the complaint now .
As to the press release [ which accompanies the lawsuit ] , we regret that Dr. Moreau and his attorney have misrepresented the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We will honor their decision to see this matter through in the courts , and we wo n't comment on the specifics as that goes forward . ''
Moreau currently is chief medical officer at University of Western States in Portland , Ore .
He spoke with NPR Thursday at Portland International Airport before boarding a flight to Colorado Springs , home of the USOPC , and where he lived for 10 years .
His lawsuit , filed in Colorado District Court in Denver , seeks a jury trial and damages .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ brings to light what he tried to do .
`` If another kid is raped , or another athlete takes their life , '' he says , `` and I did n't go to the mat and do everything I could to force change , that 's something I 'd have to live with the rest of my life . ''
After the interview ended , Moreau started to cry .
`` This is hard , '' he said .
`` I 'm a nice guy .
Until I 'm not , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got up to leave for his gate .
`` I should 've done more , '' he said .

'I Was Raising Hell': Fired Ex-U.S. Olympic VP Says He Exposed Athlete Mistreatment
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tom Goldman/NPR Tom Goldman/NPR
A former high-ranking official at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is suing the organization because he says he was fired last year for raising concerns about its treatment of Olympic athletes.
Bill Moreau was vice president for sports medicine at the USOPC for 10 years. In an interview with NPR, Moreau says the USOPC still is not doing enough to prevent abuse, even though the issue has been in the public spotlight for more than three years because of the sexual abuse scandal involving former Olympic gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
Moreau says in the aftermath of the Nassar scandal and the congressional and independent investigations that followed, it was clear significant change had to happen at the USOPC. But Moreau says that wasn't happening at an "appropriate pace."
"And I decided that if I don't become part of the solution," Moreau says, "I'm actually part of the problem."
Being part of the solution, Moreau says, meant reporting potential abuse and wrongdoing when he found it.
Moreau is seeking compensatory and punitive damages in his lawsuit, which lays out in considerable detail instances of abuse Moreau says he raised with the USOPC.
An alleged pattern of neglect and abuse
There was a 2018 incident of statutory rape involving a 15-year-old female Paralympic athlete, he says. She was competing at a prominent track and field meet in Iowa but was not accompanied by an adult.
"[She] was under the guardianship of the USOPC," Moreau says. "She had traveled from her home [to the event], alone, and the USOPC was supposed to be looking after her. They put her in a hotel room by herself. She's a minor."
One night during the meet, according to Moreau, the athlete had sex in the hotel room with an older male athlete. A coach told Moreau that afterward the young woman was depressed to the point of being suicidal.
Moreau says when the USOPC found out about the incident, it filed a report with the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
"But the problem was," Moreau says, "on the [SafeSport reporting form] it basically asks, 'Was a crime committed?' And they checked 'No.' And I thought, how could that be right? I'm from Iowa. It didn't take me two minutes. I did a Google search for statutory rape in the state of Iowa and found that [the female athlete] is not old enough to give consent. And as a result, I forced [the USOPC] to switch it and change the report so it reflected a crime had been committed."
Moreau says another incident, in 2019, involved a male strength coach who was spotted naked in a sauna, but one that was in a public area at a USOPC training center. Members of the Team USA under-18 women's gymnastics group were in the building at the same time. Moreau says he was amazed the coach was only given a verbal reprimand instead of being fired.
"You'd think the USOPC would have a hair-trigger on responding to anything having to do with sexual abuse or sexual impropriety," he says.
Moreau's lawsuit also alleges USOPC officials didn't uphold privacy laws relating to athletes' medical records. He says he had an audit done that showed more than 300 occasions where someone who wasn't a health care provider studied athlete's files.
"Meaning people acting as athletic directors, [people in] sports performance management, people focused on medal outcomes and [the] performance of Team USA" had access to private records, Moreau says.
"It's a violation of the patient's rights, and more important it does have an impact. You can imagine if you were an athlete with an STD, you don't want people not directly involved in your health care accessing that information."
Moreau says one of the troublesome areas of neglect by Olympic officials is athletes' mental health. That was grimly illustrated last year.
According to the lawsuit, Moreau became aware an athlete, who's since been identified as Olympic medal-winning cyclist Kelly Catlin, attempted suicide in February 2019. The athlete then disengaged from follow-up psychiatric care. Moreau sensed this was a warning sign officials needed to act on, but instead of immediate help, USOPC officials decided to form a committee to discuss how to help.
"I was so exasperated," Moreau says. "I finally said, 'Look, in the next day, next week, next month or next year, an athlete we are responsible for will again take their own life.' That was March 7th."
The next day, the athlete died by suicide.
"I was just crushed," Moreau says. "I just thought, we didn't do right by her. And I don't know what I should've done or could've done, but something should've been done."
Moreau says he said as much in an email to higher-ups at the USOPC about two weeks later.
"[It was about] getting serious about mental health," Moreau says, adding, "The communications [with USOPC officials] at that time were frankly dropping because I was raising hell with them that they need to get serious about taking care of athletes."
"I didn't even get a reply to that email. In fact, in the last paragraph I said, 'If you're sick of hearing from me, you need to let me know.' "
The lack of response was not new. Moreau says at least for the last two years of his tenure at the USOPC, he felt alone and confused by his isolation.
"Why won't people engage?" he asked then, and now. "Why won't people listen? Why won't they do the right thing when it's so clear the path to take? And also, it's not that hard. It wasn't that big a lift. But they wouldn't even try. I just couldn't understand it. Still don't."
Termination
In May of last year, two months after he sent that email that wasn't answered, Moreau was fired.
"I walked into a meeting," he says, "and they told me, 'We'll no longer be using your services. You're terminated effective immediately.' "
Because of strained relationships over the past couple of years, Moreau wasn't surprised. But he didn't think the decision was reflective of his work at the USOPC.
"I've been ranked in the top 25% of the company by seven different managers every year," he says. "I've never received an average score."
Moreau says he was told his firing was because the USOPC wanted a physician to lead sports medicine. Moreau is a chiropractor by training but says that never hindered his job.
"The chief medical officer doesn't actually see patients," he says. "It's a strategic position where you go around the world and build goodwill and develop relationships. [My job] was getting the patient in front of the right physician. Not taking on patients myself."
Despite the USOPC's announced intention of hiring a new vice president of sports medicine with a medical degree, Moreau says a month after his firing the committee promoted another chiropractor to his former position. Someone Moreau says he trained.
The USOPC didn't make anyone available for an interview to answer the lawsuit's many allegations. The committee did provide a statement from Luella Chavez D'Angelo, USOPC chief marketing and communications officer.
"We have not been served with this suit and are just reviewing the complaint now. As to the press release [which accompanies the lawsuit], we regret that Dr. Moreau and his attorney have misrepresented the causes of his separation from the USOPC. We will honor their decision to see this matter through in the courts, and we won't comment on the specifics as that goes forward."
Moreau currently is chief medical officer at University of Western States in Portland, Ore. He spoke with NPR Thursday at Portland International Airport before boarding a flight to Colorado Springs, home of the USOPC, and where he lived for 10 years.
His lawsuit, filed in Colorado District Court in Denver, seeks a jury trial and damages.
Beyond that, Moreau hopes the suit brings to light what he tried to do.
"If another kid is raped, or another athlete takes their life," he says, "and I didn't go to the mat and do everything I could to force change, that's something I'd have to live with the rest of my life."
After the interview ended, Moreau started to cry.
"This is hard," he said. "I'm a nice guy. Until I'm not," referring to his lawsuit.
Then he got up to leave for his gate.
"I should've done more," he said.


npr--2020-02-09--British Airways Sets Record, Crossing The Atlantic In Under 5 Hours In Strong Winds

British Airways Sets Record , Crossing The Atlantic In Under 5 Hours In Strong Winds Kubilay Kahveci 's flight was supposed to be in the air for more than six hours — an overnight voyage from New York City to London .
But British Airways Flight 112 made the trek in under five hours , setting a new record for the fastest subsonic commercial flight across the Atlantic Ocean .
`` I was definitely surprised .
It felt like a European flight rather than a transatlantic one , '' Kahveci told NPR in an email .
`` Turbulence woke me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it was n't too bad after all and I 'm glad they brought us home safely because I initially booked a Virgin Atlantic flight that was cancelled due to Storm Ciara . ''
Propelled by strong winds , the Boeing 747 at its fastest topped a ground speed of 800 miles per hour , according to global flight-tracking service Flightradar24 .
British Airways confirmed that the flight took 4 hours , 56 minutes , beating the previous 2018 record by Norwegian , which flew from New York to London in 5 hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time that we 've seen it below five hours , '' said Flightradar24 's Ian Petchenik .
`` This particular speed has n't happened before , but those increased speeds across the Atlantic happen on a fairly regular basis , especially in the winter when the jet stream kind of dips down into where the North Atlantic Tracks are and is a bit stronger . ''
Severe storms around the United Kingdom have been causing lots of flight delays , cancellations and diversions .
But the wind conditions made for very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which on Sunday crossed the Atlantic under the five-hour mark .
Petchenik said the New York-London route has historically been used as a speed benchmark for trans-Atlantic air travel .
`` We always prioritise safety over speed records , '' British Airways wrote in its brief statement to NPR on Sunday , `` but our highly trained pilots made the most of the conditions to get customers back to London well ahead of time . ''
By Petchenik 's estimate , the jet stream winds may have added roughly 150 miles per hour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We knew that the jet stream was going to be very well placed this week to possibly break that record , '' he said , explaining that subsonic speeds are measured against the ground .
`` Relative to the airflow around it , it 's not going faster , '' Petchenik said .
`` It 's still traveling at the same speed that it normally travels relative to the air .
The air itself is moving faster . ''
Kahveci , who was coming back from a business trip on Flight BA112 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landing that the flight was the quickest subsonic British Airways flight from New York 's John F. Kennedy International Airport to London 's Heathrow Airport — but did not mention that it was the fastest overall on the route .
`` It 's just bragging rights , '' Petchenik said .
`` I do n't think there 's a plaque handed out , though that would be neat . ''

British Airways Sets Record, Crossing The Atlantic In Under 5 Hours In Strong Winds
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Flightradar24 Courtesy of Flightradar24
Kubilay Kahveci's flight was supposed to be in the air for more than six hours — an overnight voyage from New York City to London. But British Airways Flight 112 made the trek in under five hours, setting a new record for the fastest subsonic commercial flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
"I was definitely surprised. It felt like a European flight rather than a transatlantic one," Kahveci told NPR in an email. "Turbulence woke me up a couple of times. ... But it wasn't too bad after all and I'm glad they brought us home safely because I initially booked a Virgin Atlantic flight that was cancelled due to Storm Ciara."
Propelled by strong winds, the Boeing 747 at its fastest topped a ground speed of 800 miles per hour, according to global flight-tracking service Flightradar24. British Airways confirmed that the flight took 4 hours, 56 minutes, beating the previous 2018 record by Norwegian, which flew from New York to London in 5 hours, 13 minutes.
"That was the first time that we've seen it below five hours," said Flightradar24's Ian Petchenik. "This particular speed hasn't happened before, but those increased speeds across the Atlantic happen on a fairly regular basis, especially in the winter when the jet stream kind of dips down into where the North Atlantic Tracks are and is a bit stronger."
Severe storms around the United Kingdom have been causing lots of flight delays, cancellations and diversions. But the wind conditions made for very fast eastbound flights, a few of which on Sunday crossed the Atlantic under the five-hour mark. Petchenik said the New York-London route has historically been used as a speed benchmark for trans-Atlantic air travel.
"We always prioritise safety over speed records," British Airways wrote in its brief statement to NPR on Sunday, "but our highly trained pilots made the most of the conditions to get customers back to London well ahead of time."
By Petchenik's estimate, the jet stream winds may have added roughly 150 miles per hour to the airplane's speed.
"We knew that the jet stream was going to be very well placed this week to possibly break that record," he said, explaining that subsonic speeds are measured against the ground.
toggle caption Courtesy of Flightradar24
"Relative to the airflow around it, it's not going faster," Petchenik said. "It's still traveling at the same speed that it normally travels relative to the air. The air itself is moving faster."
Kahveci, who was coming back from a business trip on Flight BA112, said the captain did announce after the landing that the flight was the quickest subsonic British Airways flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to London's Heathrow Airport — but did not mention that it was the fastest overall on the route.
"It's just bragging rights," Petchenik said. "I don't think there's a plaque handed out, though that would be neat."
NPR's Julia Holmes Bailey contributed to this report.


npr--2020-02-09--2 U.S. Service Members Killed, 6 Wounded In Afghanistan Attack

Two U.S. service members were killed and six more wounded during an attack on a joint operation between American and Afghan forces on Saturday in eastern Afghanistan .
Early indications suggest that the two service members were killed in what 's known as a green-on-blue attack , in which Afghan forces or infiltrators turn their weapons on U.S. and coalition troops .
`` Current reports indicate an individual in an Afghan uniform opened fire on the combined U.S. and Afghan force with a machine gun , '' Col. Sonny Leggett , a spokesman for the U.S. military in Afghanistan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It remains unknown if the gunman was actually an Afghan soldier or a person who had stolen a military uniform .
Leggett said officials are now investigating the cause and motive behind the attack .
On Sunday , the Department of Defense identified the two fatalities as Sgt .
1st Class Javier Jaguar Gutierrez of San Antonio and Sgt .
1st Class Antonio Rey Rodriguez of Las Cruces , N.M .
Both men were 28 and died `` as a result of wounds sustained while engaged in combat operations , '' the Defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six wounded service members are being treated at a U.S. facility .
The attack occurred in the Sherzad district in Afghanistan 's Nangarhar province .
Afghanistan 's Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Sunday that one Afghan soldier was also killed in the attack .
Green-on-blue attacks have posed a problem for years .
Since 2008 , such attacks have killed more than 150 coalition members , according to a study by the Long War Journal .
The number of attacks peaked in 2012 , when they accounted for 15 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement , the Afghan Ministry of Defense said green-on-blue attacks `` fail to have negative effects on the friendship & spirit of cooperation '' between Afghan forces and the United States .
`` We will continue our fight against terrorism together , '' the ministry said .

2 U.S. Service Members Killed, 6 Wounded In Afghanistan Attack
Enlarge this image toggle caption Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 2:11 p.m. ET
Two U.S. service members were killed and six more wounded during an attack on a joint operation between American and Afghan forces on Saturday in eastern Afghanistan.
Early indications suggest that the two service members were killed in what's known as a green-on-blue attack, in which Afghan forces or infiltrators turn their weapons on U.S. and coalition troops.
"Current reports indicate an individual in an Afghan uniform opened fire on the combined U.S. and Afghan force with a machine gun," Col. Sonny Leggett, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, said in a statement on Saturday.
It remains unknown if the gunman was actually an Afghan soldier or a person who had stolen a military uniform. Leggett said officials are now investigating the cause and motive behind the attack.
On Sunday, the Department of Defense identified the two fatalities as Sgt. 1st Class Javier Jaguar Gutierrez of San Antonio and Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Rey Rodriguez of Las Cruces, N.M. Both men were 28 and died "as a result of wounds sustained while engaged in combat operations," the Defense Department said in a statement.
The six wounded service members are being treated at a U.S. facility.
The attack occurred in the Sherzad district in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province.
Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Sunday that one Afghan soldier was also killed in the attack.
Green-on-blue attacks have posed a problem for years. Since 2008, such attacks have killed more than 150 coalition members, according to a study by the Long War Journal. The number of attacks peaked in 2012, when they accounted for 15% of all coalition deaths.
In its statement, the Afghan Ministry of Defense said green-on-blue attacks "fail to have negative effects on the friendship & spirit of cooperation" between Afghan forces and the United States. "We will continue our fight against terrorism together," the ministry said.


npr--2020-02-09--Why Labeling Antonio Banderas A 'Person Of Color' Triggers Such A Backlash

Why Labeling Antonio Banderas A 'Person Of Color ' Triggers Such A Backlash As Oscars night approaches on Sunday , movie fans are being reminded of a persistent diversity problem in the film industry 's most anticipated awards event : Few nominees are n't white .
Only one person of color was nominated in the acting categories : Cynthia Erivo for her role as Harriet Tubman in the biopic Harriet .
Some media , however , also alluded to another actor as an exception to the # OscarsSoWhite dilemma : Outlets called Antonio Banderas , nominated for best actor for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Glory , an actor of color .
The thing is , Banderas is from Málaga , Spain , and does not identify as a person of color .
There are nonwhite Spanish people , but this is n't the case for him .
In an interview with Univision 's Jorge Ramos in January , Banderas was asked about the controversy .
He chuckled and said he prefers to take it with a bit of humor .
`` I do n't know what I am , '' he told Ramos .
`` When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 've considered myself Latino , because those are the people I 've connected with the most . ''
Banderas then recalled filling out an official form in the U.S. : When he went to check the box for `` white '' under race , he was told that was wrong , that he was Hispanic .
`` I said , 'Hispanic is n't actually a race , ' `` Banderas told Ramos , but he went ahead and checked the Hispanic box .
`` Great , I 'm happy to be Hispanic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'm a person of color , well then I 'm a person of color . ''
The idea that Banderas is a white European may be obvious to many , especially those in the Latinx community , but it 's not the first time a white Spaniard has been referred to in the U.S. as a `` person of color '' or Latinx .
After all , Spaniards are technically considered Hispanic by the U.S. Census Bureau , which defines the term as `` a person of Cuban , Mexican , Puerto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race . ''
And Latinx is a gender-inclusive variation of Latino/Latina , which generally includes any person of Latin American descent .
Banderas has often taken on Latin American roles in movies , including a Mexican mariachi assassin in Robert Rodriguez 's Desperado .
After the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees last month , the news site Deadline wrote that the men 's acting categories `` were dominated by white actors with Antonio Banderas being the lone person of color @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two actors of color were nominated in the major acting categories . ''
The publication eventually deleted both comments , although the previous version of the article is on other sites .
Vanity Fair wrote — and eventually deleted — that `` while Spaniards are not technically considered people of color , it should be noted '' that Banderas was also nominated .
And Reuters initially referred to Banderas and Erivo as the only `` not white '' actors nominated .
The news agency later corrected the mistake , but some publications had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backlash in Spain has been fierce .
Spanish media pounced on the word choice .
Some publications accused the U.S. of having an `` absurd obsession '' with race .
Others criticized Hollywood , saying that it was `` convenient '' to consider Banderas a person of color to appear more diverse .
To make things more confusing , Spanish media translated `` person of color '' literally — persona de color — a phrase that , in Spain , is n't used in the same way as in the United States .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the concept , in Spain the term persona racializada is usually used instead .
To many Spaniards ' ears , persona de color made it sound like Americans were saying Banderas was black .
Twitter users made jokes about the term , saying Banderas is a person of color — the color white .
Putting Spanish in the same box But others thought the term offensive and called it racist .
Juan Pedro Sánchez , 25 , who lives in Madrid and weighed in on the Twitter discussion , criticized those who responded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ethnicity varies according to where you are .
He said Spaniards were all too quick to point out that they 're white .
`` A lot of people in Spain are bothered if others confuse them for Latin American because Spaniards see Latinos as people of color , and they do n't want to be associated with that , '' Sánchez tells NPR .
He says this confusion happens often to Spaniards traveling outside Spain .
He experienced it firsthand when he spent a summer in Chicago in 2017 .
`` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spaniards in the same box as Latinos , '' says Sánchez .
`` What bothers me is not being considered a person of color , but that people ignore that Spain was a colonizer country .
It erases that history . ''
There 's another part of history that 's sometimes overlooked .
Whiteness within Spain itself is complicated .
There have been historically marginalized communities , including people with Roma or North African ancestry , who are often considered nonwhite .
At times in history , many Spaniards have also felt like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not just about language Spanish-speakers have a variety of backgrounds .
Many people labeled Hispanic also identify as white , black , Middle Eastern , Indigenous , Asian or any mix of these .
But many Hispanic and Latinx people do n't speak Spanish .
Confusion around labels can lead people to assume that someone identifies as Latinx or as a person of color simply because Spanish is their mother tongue , according to sociologist Jennifer Jones at the University of Illinois .
`` There 's just a presumption that anyone who speaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' says Jones .
`` I think there 's this interesting slippage , which has happened from the beginning of the invention of the so-called Hispanic category , that it was primarily understood by a lot of folks as about language and less about country of origin . ''
Jones says there 's a reason the term Hispanic is so vague .
When it was first introduced into the U.S. census in 1980 , the idea was to be as inclusive and all-encompassing as possible , so as to not leave out any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latin American descent were labeled white by the U.S. government — but by being grouped with whites , there were few statistics on the Latinx community and therefore no way of knowing what its concerns and needs were .
`` There was n't a lot of consensus about what it meant to be Hispanic in the first place , and so [ those lobbying for the term to be created ] were kind of reluctant to give very clear parameters around that , '' says Jones .
`` But they realized there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make claims to the state , in terms of resources and support , to create a voting bloc and to get lawsuits around these kinds of issues .
So they sort of banded together as a way of asking for a category . ''
Linguistic anthropologist Jonathan Rosa at Stanford University says it 's precisely because of this inclusive language that people from Spain can now strategically access certain political and economic markets — and benefit from the ambiguity of the definition of Hispanic .
`` People fought really hard to have these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ artistic or athletic or intellectual prowess , '' Rosa says .
`` And I think there 's legitimate concern when someone who is n't associated with the kinds of histories of marginalization and exclusion ... is benefiting . ''
He gives the example of Spanish flamenco-trap singer Rosalía , who has won various Latin music awards since her career took off internationally in late 2018 : an MTV award for best Latin video , five Latin Grammys and , just last month , a Grammy for best Latin rock , urban or alternative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being a sign of these really troublesome layered forms of marginalization where not only is there only one category [ for Latinx music ] but the only person who can be honored within that category is n't even associated with the experience that that category was allegedly created to recognize , '' says Rosa .
But that experience can be hard to define .
Even within the Latinx community itself , people face different kinds of marginalization .
Many factors are at play , including race , socioeconomic class and education level .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be treated differently in the U.S. from a working-class person from El Salvador with Indigenous roots .
`` Things need to be complicated '' And then there are the different experiences between new immigrants and Latinx people born in the U.S. or whose families have been stateside for generations .
What 's more , the terms Hispanic and Latinx have frequently fluctuated to include or exclude different communities and nationalities .
As Banderas notes , in the U.S. , Spaniards are considered Hispanic .
That may mean that they receive similar treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Rosa 's view , that 's not as much a problem as the risk of overlooking Spain 's history of colonialization .
`` People say you 're making things more complicated , but things need to be complicated , '' says Rosa .
`` I just worry that we end up flattening out history .
My goal here is not to police Latinidad [ Latin-ness ] , '' he says .
`` My goal is to draw attention to these power dynamics . ''

Why Labeling Antonio Banderas A 'Person Of Color' Triggers Such A Backlash
Enlarge this image toggle caption Manu Fernandez/AP Manu Fernandez/AP
Updated on Feb. 18 at 10 a.m.
Ahead of the Oscars, movie fans were reminded of a persistent diversity problem in the film industry's most anticipated awards event: Few nominees weren't white.
Although a South Korean movie, Parasite, went on to win four Academy Awards including best picture, only one person of color was nominated in the acting categories: Cynthia Erivo for her role as Harriet Tubman in the biopic Harriet.
Some media, however, also alluded to another actor as an exception to the #OscarsSoWhite dilemma: Outlets called Antonio Banderas, nominated for best actor for his role in Pedro Almodóvar's Pain and Glory, an actor of color.
The thing is, Banderas is from Málaga, Spain, and does not identify as a person of color. There are nonwhite Spanish people, but this isn't the case for him.
In an interview with Univision's Jorge Ramos in January, Banderas was asked about the controversy. He chuckled and said he prefers to take it with a bit of humor.
When I've gone to the U.S., I've considered myself Latino.
"I don't know what I am," he told Ramos. "When I've gone to the U.S., I've considered myself Latino, because those are the people I've connected with the most."
Banderas then recalled filling out an official form in the U.S.: When he went to check the box for "white" under race, he was told that was wrong, that he was Hispanic.
"I said, 'Hispanic isn't actually a race,' " Banderas told Ramos, but he went ahead and checked the Hispanic box. "Great, I'm happy to be Hispanic, Spanish, Latino, and if I'm a person of color, well then I'm a person of color."
The idea that Banderas is a white European may be obvious to many, especially those in the Latinx community, but it's not the first time a white Spaniard has been referred to in the U.S. as a "person of color" or Latinx.
After all, Spaniards are technically considered Hispanic by the U.S. Census Bureau, which defines the term as "a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race."
And Latinx is a gender-inclusive variation of Latino/Latina, which generally includes any person of Latin American descent.
Latinx: The Ungendering of the Spanish Language Latinx: The Ungendering of the Spanish Language 11:40
Banderas has often taken on Latin American roles in movies, including a Mexican mariachi assassin in Robert Rodriguez's Desperado.
A person of color?
After the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees last month, the news site Deadline wrote that the men's acting categories "were dominated by white actors with Antonio Banderas being the lone person of color" and later tweeting that "only two actors of color were nominated in the major acting categories." The publication eventually deleted both comments, although the previous version of the article is on other sites.
Vanity Fair wrote — and eventually deleted — that "while Spaniards are not technically considered people of color, it should be noted" that Banderas was also nominated.
And Reuters initially referred to Banderas and Erivo as the only "not white" actors nominated. The news agency later corrected the mistake, but some publications had already run the original version.
The backlash in Spain has been fierce.
Spanish media pounced on the word choice. Some publications accused the U.S. of having an "absurd obsession" with race. Others criticized Hollywood, saying that it was "convenient" to consider Banderas a person of color to appear more diverse.
To make things more confusing, Spanish media translated "person of color" literally — persona de color — a phrase that, in Spain, isn't used in the same way as in the United States. While different Spanish-speaking countries have variations of the concept, in Spain the term persona racializada is usually used instead.
To many Spaniards' ears, persona de color made it sound like Americans were saying Banderas was black. Twitter users made jokes about the term, saying Banderas is a person of color — the color white.
Putting Spanish in the same box
But others thought the term offensive and called it racist.
Juan Pedro Sánchez, 25, who lives in Madrid and weighed in on the Twitter discussion, criticized those who responded negatively, saying the concept of race and ethnicity varies according to where you are. He said Spaniards were all too quick to point out that they're white.
"A lot of people in Spain are bothered if others confuse them for Latin American because Spaniards see Latinos as people of color, and they don't want to be associated with that," Sánchez tells NPR.
A lot of people in Spain are bothered if others confuse them for Latin American.
He says this confusion happens often to Spaniards traveling outside Spain. He experienced it firsthand when he spent a summer in Chicago in 2017.
"It's a reoccurring problem — they put Spaniards in the same box as Latinos," says Sánchez. "What bothers me is not being considered a person of color, but that people ignore that Spain was a colonizer country. It erases that history."
There's another part of history that's sometimes overlooked. Whiteness within Spain itself is complicated. There have been historically marginalized communities, including people with Roma or North African ancestry, who are often considered nonwhite. At times in history, many Spaniards have also felt like the "other" in Europe.
Not just about language
Spanish-speakers have a variety of backgrounds. Many people labeled Hispanic also identify as white, black, Middle Eastern, Indigenous, Asian or any mix of these. But many Hispanic and Latinx people don't speak Spanish.
Confusion around labels can lead people to assume that someone identifies as Latinx or as a person of color simply because Spanish is their mother tongue, according to sociologist Jennifer Jones at the University of Illinois.
"There's just a presumption that anyone who speaks Spanish is of a certain background," says Jones. "I think there's this interesting slippage, which has happened from the beginning of the invention of the so-called Hispanic category, that it was primarily understood by a lot of folks as about language and less about country of origin."
Jones says there's a reason the term Hispanic is so vague. When it was first introduced into the U.S. census in 1980, the idea was to be as inclusive and all-encompassing as possible, so as to not leave out any groups. Before 1980, people of Latin American descent were labeled white by the U.S. government — but by being grouped with whites, there were few statistics on the Latinx community and therefore no way of knowing what its concerns and needs were.
People fought really hard to have these categories.
"There wasn't a lot of consensus about what it meant to be Hispanic in the first place, and so [those lobbying for the term to be created] were kind of reluctant to give very clear parameters around that," says Jones. "But they realized there was power in numbers to be able to make claims to the state, in terms of resources and support, to create a voting bloc and to get lawsuits around these kinds of issues. So they sort of banded together as a way of asking for a category."
Linguistic anthropologist Jonathan Rosa at Stanford University says it's precisely because of this inclusive language that people from Spain can now strategically access certain political and economic markets — and benefit from the ambiguity of the definition of Hispanic.
"People fought really hard to have these categories or to make recognition possible for artistic or athletic or intellectual prowess," Rosa says. "And I think there's legitimate concern when someone who isn't associated with the kinds of histories of marginalization and exclusion ... is benefiting."
Latin music?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
He gives the example of Spanish flamenco-trap singer Rosalía, who has won various Latin music awards since her career took off internationally in late 2018: an MTV award for best Latin video, five Latin Grammys and, just last month, a Grammy for best Latin rock, urban or alternative album.
"She then ends up being a sign of these really troublesome layered forms of marginalization where not only is there only one category [for Latinx music] but the only person who can be honored within that category isn't even associated with the experience that that category was allegedly created to recognize," says Rosa.
But that experience can be hard to define. Even within the Latinx community itself, people face different kinds of marginalization. Many factors are at play, including race, socioeconomic class and education level. A white, middle-class person from Chile may be treated differently in the U.S. from a working-class person from El Salvador with Indigenous roots.
"Things need to be complicated"
And then there are the different experiences between new immigrants and Latinx people born in the U.S. or whose families have been stateside for generations. What's more, the terms Hispanic and Latinx have frequently fluctuated to include or exclude different communities and nationalities.
As Banderas notes, in the U.S., Spaniards are considered Hispanic. That may mean that they receive similar treatment to those in the Latinx community.
In Rosa's view, that's not as much a problem as the risk of overlooking Spain's history of colonialization.
"People say you're making things more complicated, but things need to be complicated," says Rosa. "I just worry that we end up flattening out history. My goal here is not to police Latinidad [Latin-ness]," he says. "My goal is to draw attention to these power dynamics."


npr--2020-02-09--James Taylor Narrates Life Before Fame And Sings American Standards On New Album

James Taylor Narrates Life Before Fame And Sings American Standards On New Album James Taylor has been a household name for a long time now .
Taylor was just 20-years-old when he released his self-titled debut in 1968 ; in the half century since then , he has sold over 100 million albums and cemented his status as one of the most successful American singer-songwriters .
But in Break Shot : My First 21 Years , his audio memoir on Audible , Taylor narrates his life before fame — including details of his struggle with drugs , alcohol addiction and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also looking back with American Standard , a new album that revives the American Songbook tunes of his childhood .
NPR 's Lulu Garcia-Navarro spoke with Taylor about revisiting his fraught early memories , dealing with fame at an early age and his connection to The Beatles .
Listen to their conversation in the player above and read on for highlights from the interview — including a few audio excerpts from Break Shot .
On songwriting and dealing with fame at an early age I developed my craft in isolation , so it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that public .
It can be sort of a shock .
Of course , it 's exactly what I wanted : I wanted to be successful and I wanted to get people to hear my music .
I wanted my music to make a difference to people .
But at the same time , making yourself the product — it 's very distracting .
I sort of dealt with that a couple of times by writing songs like `` Hey Mister [ That 's Me Up on the Jukebox ] , '' a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another one called `` Fading Away . ''
These are songs that talk about being in the [ music ] business .
On becoming the first non-British artist released on The Beatles ' Apple Records The person who introduced me to The Beatles and got me signed to Apple Records was my producer and manager and lifelong friend , Peter Asher .
Peter Asher had just taken a position with Apple Records , finding people to sign at the very moment that I was looking for a record deal .
It was just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had said , `` Let 's go over to Apple Records and see if we can find a Beatle to play some music to . ''
And it turned out that Paul McCartney was in the building and so was George Harrison , and they took a listen .
They gave Peter the green light to sign me and to record me .
On his eerie experience tangential to John Lennon 's assassination I had an apartment in the building just to the north of the Dakota , where John and Yoko had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shots fired .
When I saw who the assassin was , I realized that I had met him the day previous .
I 'd been coming out of the subway at 72nd Street , which is right by the Dakota , and this guy attached himself to me and was running his mouth a mile a minute talking about himself and John Lennon , talking about his music , talking about his plans and his dreams .
But he clearly seemed to be in some altered state ; he was sort of glistening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this guy , and I sort of scraped him off and sprinted up the steps to my building .
I realized after I saw it on the news that that was Mark Chapman [ the man who killed Lennon ] .
On the process of revisiting his youth through both his memoir and music It did sort of bring things to a close for me and it 's a very interesting process to go through — to take your early days and basically distill them down to a 90-minute monologue .
It really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Standard ] has been sort of like a soundtrack for Break Shot .
These songs were in the family record collection ; they were what we heard as kids growing up in North Carolina .
When I finally picked up the guitar and started to learn , I was just hungry for things to play ; I started making little arrangements of all the songs that I 'd always known .
And basically , that was what the album became : my guitar arrangements of these American Songbook classics .

James Taylor Narrates Life Before Fame And Sings American Standards On New Album
Enlarge this image toggle caption Norman Seeff/Courtesy of the artist Norman Seeff/Courtesy of the artist
James Taylor has been a household name for a long time now. Taylor was just 20-years-old when he released his self-titled debut in 1968; in the half century since then, he has sold over 100 million albums and cemented his status as one of the most successful American singer-songwriters.
But in Break Shot: My First 21 Years, his audio memoir on Audible, Taylor narrates his life before fame — including details of his struggle with drugs, alcohol addiction and time in psychiatric institutions. Taylor is also looking back with American Standard, a new album that revives the American Songbook tunes of his childhood.
NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro spoke with Taylor about revisiting his fraught early memories, dealing with fame at an early age and his connection to The Beatles. Listen to their conversation in the player above and read on for highlights from the interview — including a few audio excerpts from Break Shot.
YouTube
Interview Highlights
On songwriting and dealing with fame at an early age
I developed my craft in isolation, so it's a remarkable sea change to take that public. It can be sort of a shock. Of course, it's exactly what I wanted: I wanted to be successful and I wanted to get people to hear my music. I wanted my music to make a difference to people. But at the same time, making yourself the product — it's very distracting. I sort of dealt with that a couple of times by writing songs like "Hey Mister [That's Me Up on the Jukebox]," a song called "Company Man," another one called "Fading Away." These are songs that talk about being in the [music] business.
On becoming the first non-British artist released on The Beatles' Apple Records
The person who introduced me to The Beatles and got me signed to Apple Records was my producer and manager and lifelong friend, Peter Asher. Peter Asher had just taken a position with Apple Records, finding people to sign at the very moment that I was looking for a record deal. It was just an impossibly fortuitous big break. Peter had said, "Let's go over to Apple Records and see if we can find a Beatle to play some music to." And it turned out that Paul McCartney was in the building and so was George Harrison, and they took a listen. They gave Peter the green light to sign me and to record me.
On his eerie experience tangential to John Lennon's assassination
I had an apartment in the building just to the north of the Dakota, where John and Yoko had their flat, and I heard the shots fired. When I saw who the assassin was, I realized that I had met him the day previous. I'd been coming out of the subway at 72nd Street, which is right by the Dakota, and this guy attached himself to me and was running his mouth a mile a minute talking about himself and John Lennon, talking about his music, talking about his plans and his dreams. But he clearly seemed to be in some altered state; he was sort of glistening with perspiration. I was alarmed by this guy, and I sort of scraped him off and sprinted up the steps to my building. I realized after I saw it on the news that that was Mark Chapman [the man who killed Lennon].
On the process of revisiting his youth through both his memoir and music
It did sort of bring things to a close for me and it's a very interesting process to go through — to take your early days and basically distill them down to a 90-minute monologue. It really brought things into focus.
[American Standard] has been sort of like a soundtrack for Break Shot. These songs were in the family record collection; they were what we heard as kids growing up in North Carolina. When I finally picked up the guitar and started to learn, I was just hungry for things to play; I started making little arrangements of all the songs that I'd always known. And basically, that was what the album became: my guitar arrangements of these American Songbook classics.


npr--2020-02-09--Wreck's Identification 95 Years After Ship's Disappearance Puts Theories To Rest

Lore had it that the SS Cotopaxi was swallowed by the infamous Bermuda Triangle after the steamship , and all 32 crew members on board , inexplicably vanished in 1925 .
In the sci-fi film Close Encounters of the Third Kind , aliens are responsible for the ship 's disappearance .
But a team of divers has identified the ship and debunked the fictions , theories and conspiracies that emerged over the years .
And unlike in Close Encounters , the ship was n't found in the Gobi desert , but rather 35 miles off St. Augustine in Florida .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal route between Charleston , S.C. , and Havana , carrying a cargo of coal , when it was caught in a powerful storm , Michael Barnette discovered .
The wreck is n't located within the boundaries of the Bermuda Triangle — a region in the Atlantic Ocean with its corners at South Florida , Bermuda and Puerto Rico that has been blamed for unexplained disappearances .
Barnette first spotted the wrecked ship 15 years ago , but proving that it was indeed the Cotopaxi became the real challenge .
He knew a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it had been in the sand for a long time and he needed a well-trained eye to identify the wreckage .
`` It 's almost like a crime scene or aircraft accident crash site where you 're trying to put all the pieces back together , because it 's not a Hollywood film set , '' Barnette told NPR 's Weekend Edition Sunday .
Barnette , a marine biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , laid out his mission to get to the bottom of the `` Bear Wreck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secrets , which is set to air on Sunday .
He and his diving partner took extensive measurements of the ship and compared them with the blueprints used to build the Cotopaxi .
It took them about 12 dives to get all the measurements they needed .
They even found pieces of old coal , which is what would have been in the Cotopaxi 's cargo holds .
But to definitively confirm that the debris was the Cotopaxi , Barnette had to dig through more historical documents .
He came across a lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost crew members against the company that owned the ship .
A carpenter who had been hired to repair hatch covers gave testimony saying that many similar ships had a design flaw : Water that washed across the deck would leak into the cargo hold , and the flooding could cause the vessel to capsize and sink .
There also was the record of a distress call from the Cotopaxi : Again , the evidence lined up .
Its coordinates pointed not to the Bermuda Triangle but to the north and west — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off St. Augustine .
Barnette is confident and pleased with his discovery — but also humbled by the magnitude of what was lost .
`` As a diver , we want to identify these shipwrecks , '' he said .
`` So you get excited when you actually do that , but then you sometimes go through emotional roller coaster whereupon that realization of what this vessel is , you also learn what it signifies : in this case , the grave of 32 men . ''
For Gregory West of Charleston , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a family mystery .
His great-uncle , Robert Fulcher , was one of the ship 's crew members .
`` It really does help bring closure , '' he said .
`` Now we know exactly where the ship went down , where his remains lie , the cause of the sinking .
It was not due to sea monsters or whirlpools or aliens or any such thing in the Bermuda Triangle . ''
Still , West is n't ruling out the supernatural completely .
A few nights following news of the discovery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a movie channel to find an eerie coincidence .
`` It started 15 minutes earlier — it was Close Encounters of the Third Kind , '' he said .
`` So I had a kind of a freaky moment — maybe Uncle Roberts calling me . ''
NPR 's Hannah Hagemann and Ed McNulty produced and edited this story for broadcast .
Emma Bowman adapted it for the Web .

Wreck's Identification 95 Years After Ship's Disappearance Puts Theories To Rest
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Michael Barnette Courtesy of Michael Barnette
Lore had it that the SS Cotopaxi was swallowed by the infamous Bermuda Triangle after the steamship, and all 32 crew members on board, inexplicably vanished in 1925.
In the sci-fi film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, aliens are responsible for the ship's disappearance.
But a team of divers has identified the ship and debunked the fictions, theories and conspiracies that emerged over the years. And unlike in Close Encounters, the ship wasn't found in the Gobi desert, but rather 35 miles off St. Augustine in Florida.
The Cotopaxi had set off on its normal route between Charleston, S.C., and Havana, carrying a cargo of coal, when it was caught in a powerful storm, Michael Barnette discovered.
The wreck isn't located within the boundaries of the Bermuda Triangle — a region in the Atlantic Ocean with its corners at South Florida, Bermuda and Puerto Rico that has been blamed for unexplained disappearances.
Barnette first spotted the wrecked ship 15 years ago, but proving that it was indeed the Cotopaxi became the real challenge. He knew a ship had gone down off St. Augustine, but it had been in the sand for a long time and he needed a well-trained eye to identify the wreckage.
"It's almost like a crime scene or aircraft accident crash site where you're trying to put all the pieces back together, because it's not a Hollywood film set," Barnette told NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday.
Barnette, a marine biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, laid out his mission to get to the bottom of the "Bear Wreck" in the Science Channel series Shipwreck Secrets, which is set to air on Sunday.
He and his diving partner took extensive measurements of the ship and compared them with the blueprints used to build the Cotopaxi.
It took them about 12 dives to get all the measurements they needed. They even found pieces of old coal, which is what would have been in the Cotopaxi's cargo holds. But to definitively confirm that the debris was the Cotopaxi, Barnette had to dig through more historical documents.
He came across a lawsuit, filed by family members of the lost crew members against the company that owned the ship. A carpenter who had been hired to repair hatch covers gave testimony saying that many similar ships had a design flaw: Water that washed across the deck would leak into the cargo hold, and the flooding could cause the vessel to capsize and sink.
There also was the record of a distress call from the Cotopaxi: Again, the evidence lined up. Its coordinates pointed not to the Bermuda Triangle but to the north and west — about 20 miles from that suspicious wreckage off St. Augustine.
Barnette is confident and pleased with his discovery — but also humbled by the magnitude of what was lost.
"As a diver, we want to identify these shipwrecks," he said. "So you get excited when you actually do that, but then you sometimes go through emotional roller coaster whereupon that realization of what this vessel is, you also learn what it signifies: in this case, the grave of 32 men."
For Gregory West of Charleston, identifying the Cotopaxi meant the end of a family mystery. His great-uncle, Robert Fulcher, was one of the ship's crew members.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gregory West Gregory West
"It really does help bring closure," he said. "Now we know exactly where the ship went down, where his remains lie, the cause of the sinking. It was not due to sea monsters or whirlpools or aliens or any such thing in the Bermuda Triangle."
Still, West isn't ruling out the supernatural completely. A few nights following news of the discovery, he flipped on the TV to a movie channel to find an eerie coincidence.
"It started 15 minutes earlier — it was Close Encounters of the Third Kind," he said. "So I had a kind of a freaky moment — maybe Uncle Roberts calling me."
NPR's Hannah Hagemann and Ed McNulty produced and edited this story for broadcast. Emma Bowman adapted it for the Web.


npr--2020-02-09--Bats Carry Many Viruses. So Why Don't They Get Sick?

Bats Carry Many Viruses .
So Why Do n't They Get Sick ?
Like Ebola virus in Africa and the Nipah virus in Asia , the new coronavirus — 2019-nCoV — appears to have originated in bats .
Chinese researchers took samples of the coronavirus from patients in Wuhan , the city in central China where the outbreak was first detected .
They compared the genetic sequence of the new coronavirus — 2019-nCoV — to a library of known viruses and found a 96 % match with a coronavirus found in horseshoe bats in southwest China .
The findings were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
`` They 're too close in terms of their pure genetics to say they 're not related , or that they did n't have a common ancestor , '' says Vineet Menachery , a virologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston who was not affiliated with the study .
Menachery and many other researchers think this new coronavirus spread from bats to humans , with a possible stop with another animal in between .
It 's happened with other coronaviruses .
In the case of the SARS ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 2002-2003 , a bat coronavirus jumped to civets , a member of the mongoose family , and was sold to people as food at markets .
The MERS ( Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ) outbreak , first detected in 2012 , was caused by a coronavirus that jumped from bats to camels to people who maybe drank raw camel milk or ate undercooked meat .
So why do so many infectious diseases emerge from bats ?
First , bats carry a great variety of viruses — and the viruses they carry seem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kevin Olival , vice president of research at EcoHealth Alliance , U.S.-based nonprofit , says scientists are n't completely sure why , but it may have to do with the families of viruses that some bats tend to carry .
There are over 130 different kinds of viruses found in bats .
Second , bats and humans have a lot of contact .
There are billions of bats and more than 1,300 different species living on every continent except Antarctica .
`` There 's a lot of viruses we 're finding in bats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out there , '' says Rebekah Kading , who researches emerging infectious pathogens at Colorado State University .
They roost in huge , crowded colonies together .
Members of different bat species share caves and hollowed out trees in groups up to the millions , where viruses can pass easily between them through close contact with each other .
They have long lifespans relative to their size , and can live for more than 30 years .
`` So there 's a long time for them to be persistently infected with the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Kading says .
Bat viruses are shed through urine , feces and saliva .
Outbreaks of Nipah virus in Bangladesh have been linked with date palm sap collected from trees that bats had licked or urinated on .
Meanwhile , you might be wondering : Why are n't the bats themselves affected by the viruses ?
It turns out that the answer to that question has to do with the bat 's status as the world 's only flying mammal .
During flight , a bat 's body temperature spikes to over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can surge to more than 1,000 beats per minute .
`` For most land mammals , these are signals that would trigger death , '' says Linfa Wang , who studies bat viruses at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore .
But bats live it every day .
Wang says it seems that bats have developed special immune systems to deal with the stress of flying .
Their bodies make molecules that other mammals do n't have , which help repair cell damage .
And their systems do n't overreact to infections , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many viruses they carry ( and also prevents conditions like diabetes and cancer ) .
This shows that it 's not always the virus itself but the body 's response to the virus that can make us sick , explains Wang .
Olival at EcoHealth Alliance says let 's be clear : it 's not the bats ' fault that people are getting diseases .
`` They 've just sort of coevolved with these viruses and these bugs that basically do n't cause them any harm . ''
The problem , he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new species .
And it 's human activity that makes that likely to happen .
In wildlife markets , like the one in Wuhan , Olival says animals that would rarely mix in nature come together .
A bat in a cage could be stacked over a civet .
And those animals are then mixed with humans — for example , butchers handling animals without gloves .
`` The way that we 're coming into contact with these animals , hunting , selling , and trading them is to a scale that really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says .
Investigators found traces of the virus in 22 stalls and a garbage truck at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan , which also sold live animals .
The market was shut down in early January , as it was tied to many of the early cases .
While the animal in the middle is still a mystery ( some early reports point to pangolin ) , Wang says it 's easy to imagine how an infected animal could spread the virus to humans .
`` The animal can sneeze , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says , `` If a human touches [ it ] and blows their nose or whatever — they 've got it . ''
Infection could also spread through eating undercooked meat .
And bat researchers stress that bats are n't just a possible source of viruses .
They play a hugely important role in Earth 's ecosystem .
They eat tons of insects and pollinate plants and disperse seeds for hundreds of plant species .
And they 've found a way to coexist with the viruses they carry — which means , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the source of viruses that affect humans , they could also be the source of potential therapies if we study their immune systems .

Bats Carry Many Viruses. So Why Don't They Get Sick?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images
Like Ebola virus in Africa and the Nipah virus in Asia, the new coronavirus — 2019-nCoV — appears to have originated in bats.
Chinese researchers took samples of the coronavirus from patients in Wuhan, the city in central China where the outbreak was first detected.
They compared the genetic sequence of the new coronavirus — 2019-nCoV — to a library of known viruses and found a 96% match with a coronavirus found in horseshoe bats in southwest China. The findings were published in a study in Nature this week.
"They're too close in terms of their pure genetics to say they're not related, or that they didn't have a common ancestor," says Vineet Menachery, a virologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston who was not affiliated with the study.
Menachery and many other researchers think this new coronavirus spread from bats to humans, with a possible stop with another animal in between.
It's happened with other coronaviruses. In the case of the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak, from 2002-2003, a bat coronavirus jumped to civets, a member of the mongoose family, and was sold to people as food at markets. The MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak, first detected in 2012, was caused by a coronavirus that jumped from bats to camels to people who maybe drank raw camel milk or ate undercooked meat.
So why do so many infectious diseases emerge from bats?
First, bats carry a great variety of viruses — and the viruses they carry seem more likely to spread to people. Kevin Olival, vice president of research at EcoHealth Alliance, U.S.-based nonprofit, says scientists aren't completely sure why, but it may have to do with the families of viruses that some bats tend to carry. There are over 130 different kinds of viruses found in bats.
Second, bats and humans have a lot of contact. There are billions of bats and more than 1,300 different species living on every continent except Antarctica. "There's a lot of viruses we're finding in bats because there's a lot of bats out there," says Rebekah Kading, who researches emerging infectious pathogens at Colorado State University.
They roost in huge, crowded colonies together. Members of different bat species share caves and hollowed out trees in groups up to the millions, where viruses can pass easily between them through close contact with each other.
They have long lifespans relative to their size, and can live for more than 30 years. "So there's a long time for them to be persistently infected with the virus and shed it into the environment," Kading says. Bat viruses are shed through urine, feces and saliva. Outbreaks of Nipah virus in Bangladesh have been linked with date palm sap collected from trees that bats had licked or urinated on.
Meanwhile, you might be wondering: Why aren't the bats themselves affected by the viruses?
It turns out that the answer to that question has to do with the bat's status as the world's only flying mammal.
During flight, a bat's body temperature spikes to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Its heart rate can surge to more than 1,000 beats per minute.
"For most land mammals, these are signals that would trigger death," says Linfa Wang, who studies bat viruses at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. But bats live it every day.
Wang says it seems that bats have developed special immune systems to deal with the stress of flying.
Their bodies make molecules that other mammals don't have, which help repair cell damage. And their systems don't overreact to infections, which keeps them from falling ill from the many viruses they carry (and also prevents conditions like diabetes and cancer).
This shows that it's not always the virus itself but the body's response to the virus that can make us sick, explains Wang.
Olival at EcoHealth Alliance says let's be clear: it's not the bats' fault that people are getting diseases. "They've just sort of coevolved with these viruses and these bugs that basically don't cause them any harm."
The problem, he says, is when the viruses jump to new species. And it's human activity that makes that likely to happen.
In wildlife markets, like the one in Wuhan, Olival says animals that would rarely mix in nature come together. A bat in a cage could be stacked over a civet. And those animals are then mixed with humans — for example, butchers handling animals without gloves.
"The way that we're coming into contact with these animals, hunting, selling, and trading them is to a scale that really we haven't seen before," he says.
Investigators found traces of the virus in 22 stalls and a garbage truck at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, which also sold live animals. The market was shut down in early January, as it was tied to many of the early cases.
While the animal in the middle is still a mystery (some early reports point to pangolin), Wang says it's easy to imagine how an infected animal could spread the virus to humans. "The animal can sneeze, the animal can urinate," he says, "If a human touches [it] and blows their nose or whatever — they've got it." Infection could also spread through eating undercooked meat.
And bat researchers stress that bats aren't just a possible source of viruses. They play a hugely important role in Earth's ecosystem. They eat tons of insects and pollinate plants and disperse seeds for hundreds of plant species. And they've found a way to coexist with the viruses they carry — which means, says Wang, that even though bats may be the source of viruses that affect humans, they could also be the source of potential therapies if we study their immune systems.


npr--2020-02-09--The Rise Of The Single-Shot Movie In A Hyper-Edited World

The Rise Of The Single-Shot Movie In A Hyper-Edited World The technical wonder of a movie , 1917 , could win up to 10 Oscars on Sunday .
Filmed to look like a single shot , its view is glued upon two soldiers racing behind enemy lines during the ravages of World War I .
This is the second time in recent years that a one-shot film swept up Oscar nominations .
Birdman won Best Picture , Best Director and Best Cinematography in 2015 .
`` Once I had the idea that it was two hours of real time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do , to lock the audience together with the central characters — in a way that they gradually began to realize , consciously or unconsciously , they could n't get out of , '' director Sam Mendes told NPR 's Weekend Edition in December .
The intensity and immersion of a one-shot film alters viewers ' relationships with its characters , says Sarah Keller , a film professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston .
`` It forces you to sort of be with the characters , '' she says .
That total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , crammed with competing screens .
Keller notes one-shot movies are , in a sense , a relic from the past .
The first movies were all single takes , usually just a minute or two long : For example , the 1895 , Lumière brothers ' short films Workers Leaving The Lumière Factory in Lyon or The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station .
Once editing was invented , one-shot movies seemed primitive .
While experimental films still played with one-shot techniques , they generally fell out of fashion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filmed his 1948 psychodrama Rope to largely look like just one shot .
And the Orson Welles ' noire masterpiece Touch of Evil , from 1958 , begins with a startling three minute long take that still seems daring today .
But one-shot movies went fallow for decades .
Not until the rise of the Internet did they start appearing more in mainstream theaters .
Perhaps when our attention started fragmenting , one-shot films carried more appeal .
The 2000 movie Timecode follows four people simultaneously through an afternoon in Los Angeles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on one split screen .
When the movie opened , director Mike Figgis told Weekend All Things Considered that the Timecode cast committed to their roles more like theater actors than movie stars .
`` The ego works in a different way , '' he said .
`` The performance has a different dynamic .
Actors become aware of the fact that they 're performing for an editor ; that therefore , it does n't really matter if they muck up this bit but they know they 're going for this 10-second moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' For whatever it 's worth , Wikipedia lists only five feature films made – or seemingly made — in one single shot before the year 2000 .
In the past 20 years , that number 's shot up 500 percent , ranging from the grandiose 2002 Russian Ark , which sweeps through the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg , to the audacious 2017 zombie movie One Cut of the Dead , from Japan .
At a moment when it 's so easy to make a movie on a cell phone , Keller believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-shot film marks its director as an auteur .
And these films feel somehow pure — compared , at least to the CGI trickery and hyperactive editing of blockbuster superhero movies .
`` Sort of almost excessive cuts where it 's cutting in fractions of a second , '' Keller says .
Movies are meant to wash over us like a dream .
When we 're tired , jumpy and overstimulated , Keller says , giving yourself over to one perfectly planned shot feels like a pleasure and a relief .

The Rise Of The Single-Shot Movie In A Hyper-Edited World
Enlarge this image toggle caption François Duhamel /Universal Pictures François Duhamel /Universal Pictures
The technical wonder of a movie, 1917, could win up to 10 Oscars on Sunday. Filmed to look like a single shot, its view is glued upon two soldiers racing behind enemy lines during the ravages of World War I. This is the second time in recent years that a one-shot film swept up Oscar nominations. Birdman won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Cinematography in 2015.
"Once I had the idea that it was two hours of real time, it seemed like the natural thing to do, to lock the audience together with the central characters — in a way that they gradually began to realize, consciously or unconsciously, they couldn't get out of," director Sam Mendes told NPR's Weekend Edition in December.
The intensity and immersion of a one-shot film alters viewers' relationships with its characters, says Sarah Keller, a film professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston. "It forces you to sort of be with the characters," she says.
That total focus feels counterintuitive in our jacked-up world, crammed with competing screens. Keller notes one-shot movies are, in a sense, a relic from the past. The first movies were all single takes, usually just a minute or two long: For example, the 1895, Lumière brothers' short films Workers Leaving The Lumière Factory in Lyon or The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station.
YouTube
Once editing was invented, one-shot movies seemed primitive. While experimental films still played with one-shot techniques, they generally fell out of fashion, with a few exceptions. Alfred Hitchcock filmed his 1948 psychodrama Rope to largely look like just one shot. And the Orson Welles' noire masterpiece Touch of Evil, from 1958, begins with a startling three minute long take that still seems daring today.
YouTube
But one-shot movies went fallow for decades. Not until the rise of the Internet did they start appearing more in mainstream theaters. Perhaps when our attention started fragmenting, one-shot films carried more appeal. The 2000 movie Timecode follows four people simultaneously through an afternoon in Los Angeles. They're filmed in four long shots on one split screen.
When the movie opened, director Mike Figgis told Weekend All Things Considered that the Timecode cast committed to their roles more like theater actors than movie stars. "The ego works in a different way," he said. "The performance has a different dynamic. Actors become aware of the fact that they're performing for an editor; that therefore, it doesn't really matter if they muck up this bit but they know they're going for this 10-second moment or this look at the camera."
For whatever it's worth, Wikipedia lists only five feature films made – or seemingly made — in one single shot before the year 2000. In the past 20 years, that number's shot up 500 percent, ranging from the grandiose 2002 Russian Ark, which sweeps through the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, to the audacious 2017 zombie movie One Cut of the Dead, from Japan.
At a moment when it's so easy to make a movie on a cell phone, Keller believes that the technical virtuosity required of a one-shot film marks its director as an auteur. And these films feel somehow pure — compared, at least to the CGI trickery and hyperactive editing of blockbuster superhero movies. "Sort of almost excessive cuts where it's cutting in fractions of a second," Keller says.
Movies are meant to wash over us like a dream. When we're tired, jumpy and overstimulated, Keller says, giving yourself over to one perfectly planned shot feels like a pleasure and a relief.


npr--2020-02-09--Ever Wonder About That 'Old Truck'? 2 Brothers Wrote Its Backstory

Ever Wonder About That 'Old Truck ' ?
2 Brothers Wrote Its Backstory Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey have been `` making stuff '' together since they were kids .
They grew up in a family of four brothers , and from a young age , Jarrett says , he and Jerome `` just clicked . ''
Their latest project is a particularly special one , because it 's the first time they 've created a book that they both authored and illustrated .
Inspiration for The Old Truck came when Jerome was driving through central Texas , on his way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farm after farm , he saw old , aging trucks sitting out in the fields .
`` It 's such an iconic image , '' Jerome says .
`` But it makes you wonder : What 's the story that could be behind that truck or the family that lives there ? ''
So the brothers decided to write and illustrate a story about a family and a farm — all centered around a pickup truck that more or less stays in one place throughout the book .
Around the truck , seasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long , the little girl from the beginning of the story has taken over the family farm .
Making every spread feel different was `` a bit challenging '' Jerome says .
But by placing the truck consistent across every page , he and Jarrett `` were reinforcing the idea of the truck being a permanent part of life on the farm and in the girl 's life . ''
The brothers handmade more than 250 stamps to create the artwork in the book .
`` We set up these rules like : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the same spread multiple times . ''
Jarrett explains .
The goal was to `` make sure that each spread was unique and special . ''
They 'd work together at Jarrett 's house — he and Jerome now live five minutes apart in Austin , Texas .
`` We do have disagreements — obviously we 're brothers and we do n't see eye to eye on everything — but for the most part ... we can find a place where it just clicks , '' Jarrett says .
It helps that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a really long time , '' Jarrett says — and that their family history offers them shared points of reference and inspiration .
`` We had all these women in our lives growing up — our mom , our grandmothers , our great grandmother ... strong women who really showed us what it was like to persist , '' Jarrett explains .
Both of their grandmothers worked for the U.S. Post Office in the segregated South .
`` They were black women working in a place that was dominated by males , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot , '' Jarrett says .
One of their great grandmothers picked cotton and saved and saved until she could finally purchase her own farm in Louisiana — and the family still owns it .
`` She said : Never sell that property because she picked a lot of cotton to pay for that .
... '' Jerome recalls .
`` I really respect that and would like to accomplish some things in my life that I can look back on and be really proud of . ''
Jarrett says his great grandmother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have learned growing up , and he hopes to pass it on to his own children : `` Stick to it , work hard , get what you want to get , and do what you want to do , '' he says .
And speaking of getting what you want to get ... after the brothers finished working on the book , Jarrett was inspired to go out and get his own old truck .
`` It 's a 1956 Ford F100 , '' he says .
`` I started working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it down .
It 's all the way down to the frame now .
...
It 's a lot harder in real life to restore a truck than it was in the book . ''
Jarrett 's hoping to get his truck up and running by the summer .
He wants to drive it around to local schools , where he and Jerome will be sharing the story of The Old Truck — about family , farm life , hard work , and persistence — to a new generation of kids .
Barrie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beth Novey adapted it for the Web .

Ever Wonder About That 'Old Truck'? 2 Brothers Wrote Its Backstory
Enlarge this image Norton Young Readers Norton Young Readers
Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey have been "making stuff" together since they were kids. They grew up in a family of four brothers, and from a young age, Jarrett says, he and Jerome "just clicked."
Their latest project is a particularly special one, because it's the first time they've created a book that they both authored and illustrated. Inspiration for The Old Truck came when Jerome was driving through central Texas, on his way to visit Jarrett. As he passed farm after farm, he saw old, aging trucks sitting out in the fields.
"It's such an iconic image," Jerome says. "But it makes you wonder: What's the story that could be behind that truck or the family that lives there?"
Norton Young Readers
So the brothers decided to write and illustrate a story about a family and a farm — all centered around a pickup truck that more or less stays in one place throughout the book. Around the truck, seasons change, years pass, and before long, the little girl from the beginning of the story has taken over the family farm.
Making every spread feel different was "a bit challenging" Jerome says. But by placing the truck consistent across every page, he and Jarrett "were reinforcing the idea of the truck being a permanent part of life on the farm and in the girl's life."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Norton Young Readers Norton Young Readers
The brothers handmade more than 250 stamps to create the artwork in the book. "We set up these rules like: We wouldn't use the same stamp on the same spread multiple times." Jarrett explains. The goal was to "make sure that each spread was unique and special."
They'd work together at Jarrett's house — he and Jerome now live five minutes apart in Austin, Texas. "We do have disagreements — obviously we're brothers and we don't see eye to eye on everything — but for the most part ... we can find a place where it just clicks," Jarrett says.
It helps that they've "been making stuff together for a really long time," Jarrett says — and that their family history offers them shared points of reference and inspiration.
"We had all these women in our lives growing up — our mom, our grandmothers, our great grandmother ... strong women who really showed us what it was like to persist," Jarrett explains.
Norton Young Readers
Both of their grandmothers worked for the U.S. Post Office in the segregated South. "They were black women working in a place that was dominated by males, so they were putting up with a lot," Jarrett says.
One of their great grandmothers picked cotton and saved and saved until she could finally purchase her own farm in Louisiana — and the family still owns it. "She said: Never sell that property because she picked a lot of cotton to pay for that. ..." Jerome recalls. "I really respect that and would like to accomplish some things in my life that I can look back on and be really proud of."
Jarrett says his great grandmother's tenacity is something he was lucky to have learned growing up, and he hopes to pass it on to his own children: "Stick to it, work hard, get what you want to get, and do what you want to do," he says.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Norton Young Readers Norton Young Readers
And speaking of getting what you want to get ... after the brothers finished working on the book, Jarrett was inspired to go out and get his own old truck. "It's a 1956 Ford F100," he says. "I started working on it right away — I stripped it down. It's all the way down to the frame now. ... It's a lot harder in real life to restore a truck than it was in the book."
Jarrett's hoping to get his truck up and running by the summer. He wants to drive it around to local schools, where he and Jerome will be sharing the story of The Old Truck — about family, farm life, hard work, and persistence — to a new generation of kids.
Norton Young Readers
Barrie Hardymon edited this interview for broadcast. Beth Novey adapted it for the Web.