npr--2020-02-14--North Dakota And Native American Tribes Settle Voter ID Lawsuits

Native American tribes in North Dakota secured a major victory this week when they settled a pair of lawsuits challenging the state 's restrictive voter identification requirements .
The lawsuits were brought by the Spirit Lake Nation , the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and several individual voters contesting the state law mandating voters present identification that includes their residential street address .
The plaintiffs and voting rights advocates argued the law placed undue hardships on many residents living on reservations , because many residences do not have a street address .
Some tribal members use post office boxes as their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporting documents , such as a birth certificate , to get a state-issued ID .
The principle agreement announced by North Dakota Secretary of State Alvin Jaeger on Thursday , also included a pending court-ordered Consent Decree that `` will ensure all Native Americans who are qualified electors can vote , relieve certain burdens on the Tribes related to determining residential street addresses for their tribal members and issuing tribal IDs ... '' The agreement comes a week after North Dakota Gov .
Doug Burgum formally approved emergency rules that , among other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identification .
`` The rules address the documentation that constitutes a tribal ID , data sharing between tribal offices and the Secretary of State , a form to provide supplemental documentation to a tribal member and an expedited method for ballots to be verified by a tribe to be included in the final vote , '' the Fargo , N.D.-based television station KVRR reported last week .
Jaeger and the North Dakota tribes issued a joint statement vowing they would work together to ensure eligible Native Americans will be able to vote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward to the Court 's final action on the Consent Decree and we will be working together on the details outlined in the emergency Rules and on the final agreement to ensure that Native Americans who are qualified electors will be able to vote in 2020 and beyond , '' the statement read .
How North Dakota Got Here While Native Americans in North Dakota are roughly 5 % of the state 's population , the voting bloc was instrumental in securing a narrow victory for former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp , a Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bismarck Tribune .
Following the election , the paper notes , the Republican-controlled legislature decided to no longer allow voters without proper state-issued ID from casting ballots simply `` by signing an affidavit attesting to their eligibility . ''
A suit brought by a tribe in 2016 challenged the new rules .
But as NPR reported ahead of the 2018 midterms , a federal judge ruled Native Americans had to comply with the tightened voter ID restrictions .
Heitkamp lost her reelection bid that year to Republican Kevin Cramer .
A second lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and several individuals was filed in 2018 and was subsequently joined by The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe .
The state had been seeking a dismissal of that case .
But a federal judge overseeing that proceedings , denied the request earlier this week , allowing the tribes to continue with their suit challenging the law .
That case was set for trial in May , just before the scheduled June primary .
Tribal attorney Tim Purdon told Dave Thompson of Prairie News Service the timing of the judge 's ruling and state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I think that the scheduling of this case for trial in May was the court telling the parties that it wanted to get these issues resolved before the 2020 election , '' Purdon said .
`` And I think , in response to that , the state was motivated to enter settlement agreements .
And it is our desire to get these protections in place in time for 2020 elections . ''

North Dakota And Native American Tribes Settle Voter ID Lawsuits
Enlarge this image toggle caption Blake Nicholson/AP Blake Nicholson/AP
Native American tribes in North Dakota secured a major victory this week when they settled a pair of lawsuits challenging the state's restrictive voter identification requirements.
The lawsuits were brought by the Spirit Lake Nation, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and several individual voters contesting the state law mandating voters present identification that includes their residential street address.
The plaintiffs and voting rights advocates argued the law placed undue hardships on many residents living on reservations, because many residences do not have a street address.
Some tribal members use post office boxes as their permanent address and many others lack the supporting documents, such as a birth certificate, to get a state-issued ID.
The principle agreement announced by North Dakota Secretary of State Alvin Jaeger on Thursday, also included a pending court-ordered Consent Decree that "will ensure all Native Americans who are qualified electors can vote, relieve certain burdens on the Tribes related to determining residential street addresses for their tribal members and issuing tribal IDs..."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Blake Nicholson/AP Blake Nicholson/AP
The agreement comes a week after North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum formally approved emergency rules that, among other things, recognizes various forms of tribal identification.
"The rules address the documentation that constitutes a tribal ID, data sharing between tribal offices and the Secretary of State, a form to provide supplemental documentation to a tribal member and an expedited method for ballots to be verified by a tribe to be included in the final vote," the Fargo, N.D.-based television station KVRR reported last week.
Jaeger and the North Dakota tribes issued a joint statement vowing they would work together to ensure eligible Native Americans will be able to vote in the fall elections.
"We look forward to the Court's final action on the Consent Decree and we will be working together on the details outlined in the emergency Rules and on the final agreement to ensure that Native Americans who are qualified electors will be able to vote in 2020 and beyond," the statement read.
How North Dakota Got Here
While Native Americans in North Dakota are roughly 5% of the state's population, the voting bloc was instrumental in securing a narrow victory for former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat, in 2012, according to The Bismarck Tribune.
Following the election, the paper notes, the Republican-controlled legislature decided to no longer allow voters without proper state-issued ID from casting ballots simply "by signing an affidavit attesting to their eligibility."
A suit brought by a tribe in 2016 challenged the new rules. But as NPR reported ahead of the 2018 midterms, a federal judge ruled Native Americans had to comply with the tightened voter ID restrictions.
Heitkamp lost her reelection bid that year to Republican Kevin Cramer.
A second lawsuit, by the Spirit Lake Nation tribe and several individuals was filed in 2018 and was subsequently joined by The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
2020 Elections Loom Large
The state had been seeking a dismissal of that case.
But a federal judge overseeing that proceedings, denied the request earlier this week, allowing the tribes to continue with their suit challenging the law.
That case was set for trial in May, just before the scheduled June primary.
Tribal attorney Tim Purdon told Dave Thompson of Prairie Public Broadcasting that the timing of the judge's ruling and state's agreement with the tribes was crucial.
"I think that the scheduling of this case for trial in May was the court telling the parties that it wanted to get these issues resolved before the 2020 election," Purdon said.
"And I think, in response to that, the state was motivated to enter settlement agreements. And it is our desire to get these protections in place in time for 2020 elections."


npr--2020-02-14--U.S. Appeals Court Upholds Ruling Blocking States' Medicaid Work Requirements

A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court decision blocking states ' requirements that people must work in order to receive Medicaid .
Residents of Kentucky and Arkansas brought the action against Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar , contending that Azar `` acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner when he approved Medicaid demonstration requests for Kentucky and Arkansas . ''
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit agreed , writing in an opinion posted Friday that the secretary 's authorization was indeed unlawful .
The ruling will apply only to Arkansas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andy Beshear , rescinded his state 's planned requirements in December .
In affirming the lower court 's judgment , the three-judge panel concluded that Azar `` failed to analyze whether the demonstrations would promote the primary objective of Medicaid — to furnish medical assistance . ''
Medicaid establishes certain minimum coverage requirements for states .
But federal law allows states to deviate from those requirements if the HHS secretary approves them to engage in `` experimental , pilot , or demonstration '' projects that are `` likely to assist in promoting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court ruled in March 2019 .
It forced Kentucky to refrain from implementing the requirements , and Arkansas to halt its program .
Arkansas ' plan went into effect in June 2018 , requiring most Medicaid enrollees ages 30-49 to spend 80 hours per month engaged in work or other qualifying activities like volunteering .
The new requirements resulted in over 18,000 people being dropped from state Medicaid rolls in the state by December of that year .
Trump administration officials have promoted work requirements , arguing that working can cause people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Circuit is regarded as the top appeals court below the Supreme Court .
HHS ' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services , which oversees Medicaid , has n't said whether it will appeal the latest ruling to the Supreme Court .
In a statement , the CMS says it `` is reviewing and evaluating the opinion and determining next steps .
CMS remains steadfast in our commitment to considering proposals that would allow states to leverage innovative ideas . ''
Another lawsuit is pending in Michigan , where new work requirements took effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been proposed or are underway in some 20 states .
A few states , like Indiana , have temporarily suspended work requirement initiatives while the issue makes its way through the courts .

U.S. Appeals Court Upholds Ruling Blocking States' Medicaid Work Requirements
Enlarge this image toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/AP
A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court decision blocking states' requirements that people must work in order to receive Medicaid.
Residents of Kentucky and Arkansas brought the action against Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, contending that Azar "acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner when he approved Medicaid demonstration requests for Kentucky and Arkansas."
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit agreed, writing in an opinion posted Friday that the secretary's authorization was indeed unlawful.
The ruling will apply only to Arkansas because Kentucky's new Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, rescinded his state's planned requirements in December.
In affirming the lower court's judgment, the three-judge panel concluded that Azar "failed to analyze whether the demonstrations would promote the primary objective of Medicaid — to furnish medical assistance."
Medicaid establishes certain minimum coverage requirements for states. But federal law allows states to deviate from those requirements if the HHS secretary approves them to engage in "experimental, pilot, or demonstration" projects that are "likely to assist in promoting the objectives" of Medicaid.
The lower court ruled in March 2019. It forced Kentucky to refrain from implementing the requirements, and Arkansas to halt its program.
Arkansas' plan went into effect in June 2018, requiring most Medicaid enrollees ages 30-49 to spend 80 hours per month engaged in work or other qualifying activities like volunteering. The new requirements resulted in over 18,000 people being dropped from state Medicaid rolls in the state by December of that year.
Trump administration officials have promoted work requirements, arguing that working can cause people to live healthier lives. The D.C. Circuit is regarded as the top appeals court below the Supreme Court. HHS' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees Medicaid, hasn't said whether it will appeal the latest ruling to the Supreme Court.
In a statement, the CMS says it "is reviewing and evaluating the opinion and determining next steps. CMS remains steadfast in our commitment to considering proposals that would allow states to leverage innovative ideas."
Another lawsuit is pending in Michigan, where new work requirements took effect last month.
Such requirements have either been proposed or are underway in some 20 states. A few states, like Indiana, have temporarily suspended work requirement initiatives while the issue makes its way through the courts.


npr--2020-02-14--For U.S. And China, Coronavirus Adds Pressure To Relationship Already Under Strain

For U.S. And China , Coronavirus Adds Pressure To Relationship Already Under Strain As of Friday , China had reported more than 55,500 confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 1,300 deaths from the virus .
In countries around the world , there are now at least 366 cases , including 15 confirmed in the U.S .
Given the sheer scale of the coronavirus outbreak , this should be a time when governments share data and coordinate a response for what could very well turn into a pandemic .
But for two key players , the U.S. and China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Right now , the U.S.-China relationship is suffering from a deep deficit of trust , '' says Evan Medeiros , who served in the Obama administration as chief adviser for Asia on the National Security Council .
He says a certain level of distrust has always been a part of the U.S.-China relationship , but a bruising trade war and significant strategic differences have exacerbated the bad blood between the two countries .
Medeiros , now a professor of Asian studies at Georgetown University 's School of Foreign Service , says even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the COVID-19 outbreak illustrates the need for Beijing and Washington to work together .
`` As China becomes a global power , the U.S. and China are going to need to cooperate on big global issues like climate change , pandemics , global economic growth , '' he says .
Medeiros says there has been cooperation among U.S. and Chinese scientists .
That includes modeling where the virus is going to spread , and analyzing medical cases of some of the victims .
The sharing of information between Chinese and American professional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he notes .
Although Beijing has let some experts in from the World Health Organization , it has not yet allowed in a team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
`` We 're disappointed that we have n't been invited in , '' White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said this week .
But a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Friday that `` China has been active and open towards cooperation with the U.S. '' China has accepted guidance from some experts who are not employed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an epidemiologist at Columbia University who is advising authorities in China on the coronavirus , says the Chinese are very interested in bringing in experts who can complement what they 're trying to do .
`` But you have to come in as a partner , ca n't come in as a colonialist , '' says Lipkin , an infectious disease expert .
`` And if there 's any sort of sense that that 's where it 's going , there 's pushback . ''
The U.S. has also taken a hard stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Late last month , Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Fox Business News the crisis could help create jobs in the U.S. , if companies have to move from China .
`` I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America , '' he said .
Asked Thursday by NPR about whether strains in U.S.-China relations were making it more difficult to cooperate , Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai said : `` I think clearly there is a need for the two countries to cooperate because this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community .
So in the phone call between President Trump and President Xi , they agreed that our two countries should really work closely together to combat this virus .
And we appreciate very much the support assistance given to us by American people , American business ...
But , but , there 's a big but .
For some politician here in this country , maybe for some people in the media , I 'm sorry to say that , they are not being so helpful . ''
The State Department has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , warning U.S. citizens not to travel there , and introduced a two-week quarantine for any U.S. citizens arriving from China 's Hubei province .
The U.S. also announced it would deny entry to foreign nationals who had been in China in the past two weeks .
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying has lashed out at the Trump administration , accusing it of spreading fear and panic .
But Derek Scissors , an economist at the American Enterprise Institute , says other countries have also introduced travel restrictions .
`` The Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closing its borders than any other country because we 're the global leader , '' he says .
`` If Burundi closes its borders , if Belgium closes its borders , if Botswana closes its borders , it does n't really matter . ''
National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien has defended the administration 's decision to place restrictions on anyone who may be carrying the virus .
`` We felt that was an important measure to take , to safeguard the interests , to safeguard the health of the American people , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Atlantic Council .
`` And I think that 's been borne out .
But having said that , this is a tough situation . ''
O'Brien said epidemics can spread very quickly , and indicated there is n't enough known about the scope of COVID-19 or the measures China is taking to contain it .
`` We 're monitoring it extraordinarily closely because there 's so little known or made public , '' he said .
Scott Kennedy , a China specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries are so intertwined that the U.S. is justified pushing Beijing for more information , though Beijing historically wants to control the message .
`` In this circumstance , the U.S. needs a lot more transparency from China , '' he says .
`` We need that to be built in so that if we 're going to continue to allow people to travel back and forth and do business with each other , we do n't have a constant fear about the health consequences of that . ''

For U.S. And China, Coronavirus Adds Pressure To Relationship Already Under Strain
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
As of Friday, China had reported more than 55,500 confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 1,300 deaths from the virus. In countries around the world, there are now at least 366 cases, including 15 confirmed in the U.S.
Given the sheer scale of the coronavirus outbreak, this should be a time when governments share data and coordinate a response for what could very well turn into a pandemic. But for two key players, the U.S. and China, cooperation has proved elusive so far.
"Right now, the U.S.-China relationship is suffering from a deep deficit of trust," says Evan Medeiros, who served in the Obama administration as chief adviser for Asia on the National Security Council. He says a certain level of distrust has always been a part of the U.S.-China relationship, but a bruising trade war and significant strategic differences have exacerbated the bad blood between the two countries.
Medeiros, now a professor of Asian studies at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, says even if the relationship is becoming more competitive, the COVID-19 outbreak illustrates the need for Beijing and Washington to work together.
"As China becomes a global power, the U.S. and China are going to need to cooperate on big global issues like climate change, pandemics, global economic growth," he says.
Medeiros says there has been cooperation among U.S. and Chinese scientists. That includes modeling where the virus is going to spread, and analyzing medical cases of some of the victims. The sharing of information between Chinese and American professional peers would have required Beijing's blessing, he notes.
Although Beijing has let some experts in from the World Health Organization, it has not yet allowed in a team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We're disappointed that we haven't been invited in," White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said this week.
But a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Friday that "China has been active and open towards cooperation with the U.S."
China has accepted guidance from some experts who are not employed by the U.S. government. Dr. Ian Lipkin, an epidemiologist at Columbia University who is advising authorities in China on the coronavirus, says the Chinese are very interested in bringing in experts who can complement what they're trying to do.
"But you have to come in as a partner, can't come in as a colonialist," says Lipkin, an infectious disease expert. "And if there's any sort of sense that that's where it's going, there's pushback."
The U.S. has also taken a hard stand in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. Late last month, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Fox Business News the crisis could help create jobs in the U.S., if companies have to move from China.
"I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America," he said.
Asked Thursday by NPR about whether strains in U.S.-China relations were making it more difficult to cooperate, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai said: "I think clearly there is a need for the two countries to cooperate because this is a challenge to the entire international community. So in the phone call between President Trump and President Xi, they agreed that our two countries should really work closely together to combat this virus. And we appreciate very much the support assistance given to us by American people, American business... But, but, there's a big but. For some politician here in this country, maybe for some people in the media, I'm sorry to say that, they are not being so helpful."
The State Department has issued its highest travel alert to China, warning U.S. citizens not to travel there, and introduced a two-week quarantine for any U.S. citizens arriving from China's Hubei province. The U.S. also announced it would deny entry to foreign nationals who had been in China in the past two weeks.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying has lashed out at the Trump administration, accusing it of spreading fear and panic. But Derek Scissors, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute, says other countries have also introduced travel restrictions.
"The Chinese are more sensitive to the United States closing its borders than any other country because we're the global leader," he says. "If Burundi closes its borders, if Belgium closes its borders, if Botswana closes its borders, it doesn't really matter."
National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien has defended the administration's decision to place restrictions on anyone who may be carrying the virus.
"We felt that was an important measure to take, to safeguard the interests, to safeguard the health of the American people," O'Brien said during a talk this week at the Atlantic Council. "And I think that's been borne out. But having said that, this is a tough situation."
O'Brien said epidemics can spread very quickly, and indicated there isn't enough known about the scope of COVID-19 or the measures China is taking to contain it.
"We're monitoring it extraordinarily closely because there's so little known or made public," he said.
Scott Kennedy, a China specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says says the economies of the two countries are so intertwined that the U.S. is justified pushing Beijing for more information, though Beijing historically wants to control the message.
"In this circumstance, the U.S. needs a lot more transparency from China," he says. "We need that to be built in so that if we're going to continue to allow people to travel back and forth and do business with each other, we don't have a constant fear about the health consequences of that."


npr--2020-02-14--Rare Weedy Seadragons Hatch At California Aquarium

After years of trying , a Southern California aquarium has two very tiny — and very rare — bundles of joy .
Two weedy seadragons recently hatched at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla , Calif .
The delicate creatures resemble bits of seaweed and are distant cousins of the seahorse .
And they 're notoriously difficult to breed .
Birch announced the news on Thursday and is now one of only a few aquariums worldwide to get the finicky animal to reproduce in captivity .
Jennifer Nero Moffatt , the aquarium 's senior director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called it a `` momentous occasion . ''
`` Seadragons are charismatic , sensitive , and require detailed husbandry , '' Moffatt said in a statement .
`` We have spent over 25 years working with these animals and love that we have made the next steps to conserve this delicate species . ''
Birch Aquarium says it has bred 13 types of seahorses since 1995 and started its weedy seadragon program because of that track record of success .
The aquarium says the inch-long babies are already feeding on tiny shrimp .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's not clear whether the newly hatched little ones are male or female — and the Birch says it likely wo n't know until they reach sexual maturity in a few years .
The weedy seadragon , or Phyllopteryx taeniolatus , is native to waters off Australia .
They have long , thin snouts and small fins that propel them through the water , though they often drift like seaweed .
As part of their mating rituals , the seadragons do a spinning dance , snout to snout — that 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the males .
Like other seahorses , the males carry the eggs after the females deposit them on the male 's spongy tail .
The eggs incubate , then hatch in about six weeks .
The fish was once a `` near-threatened '' species but has since been designated as `` least concern '' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources .
That 's partially because there is little data on the population , according to the Birch Aquarium .
The creatures are especially hard to track because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia 's southern coast — and weedy seadragons are good at camouflage .
But warming oceans and destructive fishing practices threaten their habitat , creating a greater need for aquariums to breed and study the rare animals , the aquarium said .
But if you 're in Southern California and want to get a glimpse at the teeny-tiny seadragons , do n't get your hopes up .
The aquarium says they 'll stay behind-the-scenes and out of the public eye for now .

Rare Weedy Seadragons Hatch At California Aquarium
Enlarge this image toggle caption Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography via AP Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography via AP
After years of trying, a Southern California aquarium has two very tiny — and very rare — bundles of joy.
Two weedy seadragons recently hatched at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif. The delicate creatures resemble bits of seaweed and are distant cousins of the seahorse. And they're notoriously difficult to breed.
Birch announced the news on Thursday and is now one of only a few aquariums worldwide to get the finicky animal to reproduce in captivity. Jennifer Nero Moffatt, the aquarium's senior director of animal care, science and conservation, called it a "momentous occasion."
"Seadragons are charismatic, sensitive, and require detailed husbandry," Moffatt said in a statement. "We have spent over 25 years working with these animals and love that we have made the next steps to conserve this delicate species."
Birch Aquarium says it has bred 13 types of seahorses since 1995 and started its weedy seadragon program because of that track record of success.
The aquarium says the inch-long babies are already feeding on tiny shrimp. They'll grow to about 18 inches.
It's not clear whether the newly hatched little ones are male or female — and the Birch says it likely won't know until they reach sexual maturity in a few years.
The weedy seadragon, or Phyllopteryx taeniolatus, is native to waters off Australia. They have long, thin snouts and small fins that propel them through the water, though they often drift like seaweed.
As part of their mating rituals, the seadragons do a spinning dance, snout to snout — that's how they transfer eggs from the female to the males.
Like other seahorses, the males carry the eggs after the females deposit them on the male's spongy tail. The eggs incubate, then hatch in about six weeks.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography via AP Courtesy of Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography via AP
The fish was once a "near-threatened" species but has since been designated as "least concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. That's partially because there is little data on the population, according to the Birch Aquarium.
The creatures are especially hard to track because of their rugged and remote habitat along Australia's southern coast — and weedy seadragons are good at camouflage.
But warming oceans and destructive fishing practices threaten their habitat, creating a greater need for aquariums to breed and study the rare animals, the aquarium said.
But if you're in Southern California and want to get a glimpse at the teeny-tiny seadragons, don't get your hopes up. The aquarium says they'll stay behind-the-scenes and out of the public eye for now.


npr--2020-02-14--More Than 1,700 Health Workers In China Have Been Infected With New Coronavirus

More Than 1,700 Health Workers In China Have Been Infected With New Coronavirus More than 1,700 health workers in China have been infected with the new coronavirus , according to Chinese officials .
Zeng Yixin , vice minister of the country 's National Health Commission , announced Friday that at least 1,716 health workers had confirmed cases — and that six have died from the disease now known as COVID-19 .
`` At present , the duties of medical workers at the front are indeed extremely heavy , '' Zeng told a news conference , according to Reuters .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the psychological pressures are great , and the risk of infection is high . ''
Those cases are among tens of thousands already reported in mainland China , which has been hardest hit by the fast-spreading strain .
Chinese authorities announced that confirmed coronavirus cases rose by just over 5,000 on Friday — the second spike in as many days , after a change in reporting methods drove the number higher Thursday .
Worldwide , there were at least 64,000 confirmed cases as of Friday afternoon , and more than 1,300 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and particularly in Hubei province , the center of the outbreak .
The World Health Organization announced Friday that a team of 12 international investigators is expected to touch down this weekend in China and begin working with a team of Chinese experts .
`` The goal of the joint mission is to rapidly inform the next steps in the COVID-19 response and preparedness activities in China and globally , '' WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom said during a briefing .
`` Particular attention will be paid to understanding the transmission of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impact of ongoing response measures . ''
`` With the benefit of hindsight , everybody knew that Dr. Li was right '' When Dr. Li Wenliang posted warnings on Chinese social media about cases of a novel coronavirus in late December , government officials took a dim view .
The ophthalmologist working in Wuhan , where the virus emerged , was reprimanded by local police .
They demanded that he retract his `` falsehood . ''
Now , more than a week after Li himself died of the disease — the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , acknowledges that Li 's posts were accurate .
`` Of course , '' Cui tells NPR 's Morning Edition , `` with the benefit of hindsight , everybody knew that Dr. Li was right . ''
But he stops short of acknowledging any particular mistakes made by Chinese officials or offering a direct apology to Li 's family .
Cui also would not explain why the top Communist Party officials in Hubei were recently relieved of their duties .
`` Naturally , under such special circumstances , people who can do the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do it , '' he said .
`` And this is a very heavy responsibility . ''
Questions have begun to swirl around the Summer Olympics , which are slated to begin just over five months from now in Tokyo .
Japan has reported more than two dozen confirmed cases of the coronavirus and one death from COVID-19 .
The Diamond Princess cruise liner has sat quarantined for days in the port of Yokohama , near Tokyo .
Nearly 220 people out of some 3,700 passengers and crew have been infected with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the country 's proximity to the outbreak in China have raised concerns about holding such a massive sporting event .
The chief executive of the Tokyo organizing committee , Toshiro Muto , expressed some of these concerns himself , saying he was `` seriously worried '' that the spread of coronavirus `` could throw cold water on the momentum toward the Games . ''
But officials with the WHO and the International Olympic Committee are sending a different message .
Michael Ryan , executive director of the WHO 's health emergencies program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very much engaged '' with the Olympics planning — but that there has been no specific discussion yet regarding the event .
`` Certainly the advice we 're received externally from the WHO is that there 's no case for any contingency plans or canceling the games or moving the games , '' said John Coates , the head of an IOC inspection team .
About that cruise liner off Japan ...
The Japanese health ministry says 11 particularly vulnerable passengers have disembarked the Diamond Princess after a long quarantine period offshore .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they had to meet at least these criteria : They had to be over 80 years old and test negative for the disease .
Thousands of passengers and crew remain under quarantine — and likely will continue to do so until it is expected to lift next week .
Meanwhile , the nearly 1,500 passengers aboard the MS Westerdam , another cruise liner , were finally allowed to disembark in Cambodia on Friday after being turned away by a string of other countries .
`` I wish to thank Cambodia , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for demonstrating to the world the meaning of solidarity , '' said Tedros , the director-general of the WHO .
`` I hope that other countries will follow Cambodia 's lead . ''
Tally of confirmed cases in the U.S. unchanged That number remains at 15 , while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released more detailed information Friday : Of the 443 people under investigation in the U.S. , 347 have tested negative and 81 others were awaiting their results .
`` But we need to remember it 's a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to prepare in the event that this spreads more fully , '' Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar tells NPR 's Morning Edition .
`` One of the steps that we announced yesterday is we 're working with our flu surveillance network , '' he adds .
`` And in Seattle , San Francisco , LA , New York and Chicago , when individuals present with flu-like symptoms , they will also be tested for the China coronavirus as part of our multilayer surveillance system . ''

More Than 1,700 Health Workers In China Have Been Infected With New Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 3:15 p.m. ET
More than 1,700 health workers in China have been infected with the new coronavirus, according to Chinese officials. Zeng Yixin, vice minister of the country's National Health Commission, announced Friday that at least 1,716 health workers had confirmed cases — and that six have died from the disease now known as COVID-19.
"At present, the duties of medical workers at the front are indeed extremely heavy," Zeng told a news conference, according to Reuters. "Their working and resting circumstances are limited, the psychological pressures are great, and the risk of infection is high."
Those cases are among tens of thousands already reported in mainland China, which has been hardest hit by the fast-spreading strain. Chinese authorities announced that confirmed coronavirus cases rose by just over 5,000 on Friday — the second spike in as many days, after a change in reporting methods drove the number higher Thursday.
Worldwide, there were at least 64,000 confirmed cases as of Friday afternoon, and more than 1,300 deaths — the vast bulk in mainland China, and particularly in Hubei province, the center of the outbreak.
The World Health Organization announced Friday that a team of 12 international investigators is expected to touch down this weekend in China and begin working with a team of Chinese experts.
"The goal of the joint mission is to rapidly inform the next steps in the COVID-19 response and preparedness activities in China and globally," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom said during a briefing. "Particular attention will be paid to understanding the transmission of the virus, the severity of disease and the impact of ongoing response measures."
toggle caption Kisha Ravi/NPR
"With the benefit of hindsight, everybody knew that Dr. Li was right"
When Dr. Li Wenliang posted warnings on Chinese social media about cases of a novel coronavirus in late December, government officials took a dim view. The ophthalmologist working in Wuhan, where the virus emerged, was reprimanded by local police. They demanded that he retract his "falsehood."
Now, more than a week after Li himself died of the disease — the Chinese ambassador to the U.S., Cui Tiankai, acknowledges that Li's posts were accurate.
"Of course," Cui tells NPR's Morning Edition, "with the benefit of hindsight, everybody knew that Dr. Li was right."
But he stops short of acknowledging any particular mistakes made by Chinese officials or offering a direct apology to Li's family. Cui also would not explain why the top Communist Party officials in Hubei were recently relieved of their duties.
"Naturally, under such special circumstances, people who can do the job better should be given the responsibility to do it," he said. "And this is a very heavy responsibility."
Worries about the Tokyo Olympics
Questions have begun to swirl around the Summer Olympics, which are slated to begin just over five months from now in Tokyo.
Japan has reported more than two dozen confirmed cases of the coronavirus and one death from COVID-19. The Diamond Princess cruise liner has sat quarantined for days in the port of Yokohama, near Tokyo. Nearly 220 people out of some 3,700 passengers and crew have been infected with the virus. The number of cases and the country's proximity to the outbreak in China have raised concerns about holding such a massive sporting event.
The chief executive of the Tokyo organizing committee, Toshiro Muto, expressed some of these concerns himself, saying he was "seriously worried" that the spread of coronavirus "could throw cold water on the momentum toward the Games."
But officials with the WHO and the International Olympic Committee are sending a different message. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO's health emergencies program, said that the organization is "very much engaged" with the Olympics planning — but that there has been no specific discussion yet regarding the event.
"Certainly the advice we're received externally from the WHO is that there's no case for any contingency plans or canceling the games or moving the games," said John Coates, the head of an IOC inspection team.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images
About that cruise liner off Japan ...
The Japanese health ministry says 11 particularly vulnerable passengers have disembarked the Diamond Princess after a long quarantine period offshore. The ministry says that to do so, they had to meet at least these criteria: They had to be over 80 years old and test negative for the disease.
Thousands of passengers and crew remain under quarantine — and likely will continue to do so until it is expected to lift next week.
Meanwhile, the nearly 1,500 passengers aboard the MS Westerdam, another cruise liner, were finally allowed to disembark in Cambodia on Friday after being turned away by a string of other countries.
"I wish to thank Cambodia, especially the prime minister [Hun Sen], for demonstrating to the world the meaning of solidarity," said Tedros, the director-general of the WHO. "I hope that other countries will follow Cambodia's lead."
Tally of confirmed cases in the U.S. unchanged
That number remains at 15, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released more detailed information Friday: Of the 443 people under investigation in the U.S., 347 have tested negative and 81 others were awaiting their results.
Health HHS Secretary Leads U.S. Effort To Stop Coronavirus From Spreading HHS Secretary Leads U.S. Effort To Stop Coronavirus From Spreading Listen · 3:36 3:36
"But we need to remember it's a rapidly changing situation, and so we have to prepare in the event that this spreads more fully," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar tells NPR's Morning Edition.
"One of the steps that we announced yesterday is we're working with our flu surveillance network," he adds. "And in Seattle, San Francisco, LA, New York and Chicago, when individuals present with flu-like symptoms, they will also be tested for the China coronavirus as part of our multilayer surveillance system."


npr--2020-02-14--'Not A Paramilitary.' Inside A Washington Militia's Efforts To Go Mainstream

'Not A Paramilitary . '
Inside A Washington Militia 's Efforts To Go Mainstream On a recent morning , Matt Marshall sat at a back table in Jim Bob 's Chuck Wagon , a café in an old timber town about a half-hour outside of Seattle .
It was the eve of a political rally that Marshall had spent months planning .
He scribbled last-minute notes in a homemade booklet , a Christmas present from his daughter .
On the front , in black marker , she had drawn the logo of the Washington Three Percent , the name of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's not the word he uses .
`` We 're absolutely not a paramilitary , '' he said .
`` We 're a nonprofit corporation . ''
To Marshall , `` militia '' conjures images of wannabes in the woods with guns – all bluster , no action .
He said that is why he has grown frustrated with the national leadership of the Three Percent , which is named for the ( debunked ) belief that only 3 % of colonists fought in the American Revolution .
It 's part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an assortment of militias , survivalists and self-described `` constitutionalist conservatives '' that question the legitimacy of the federal government and seek to limit its powers .
Typically , these factions get lumped together under one catchall : anti-government extremists .
`` The narrative is , we 're an all-white man , Christian Dominion-type , crazy , out-there , far-right militia , '' Marshall said .
So , he set about changing that image .
First , Marshall broke with the national Three Percent and took his group independent .
He registered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — a move soon copied by groups in other states .
Marshall 's next step was even bolder : He ran for a spot on the Eatonville school board , pledging to represent conservative values .
Headlines portrayed him as a danger .
Then , Marshall won .
The victory was bigger than a school board seat — it was a ticket to the mainstream .
But before he could get too far from the fringe , a domestic terrorism scandal yanked him back .
A report commissioned by Washington state lawmakers found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to three armed standoffs with the government and had advocated `` biblical warfare , '' even suggesting death was appropriate for those who disobey biblical law .
Shea 's own party painted him as a domestic terrorist ; he became a pariah at the Statehouse .
Still , Shea refuses to resign and brags that labeling him an extremist has only boosted his popularity .
Shea does n't have many friends left at the Capitol , but he does have a friend in Matt Marshall , as well as the support of several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region .
Marshall said he has spoken extensively with Shea and is convinced that the claims against him are sensationalized .
`` It is very much a leaked thing that was used in a political way to make him look bad when he was giving a Bible study , '' Marshall said .
`` While you read Scripture , it can sound very , very violent .
It does n't mean he 's saying , 'We need to go do these things . '
`` Marshall knows he 's gambling with his political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he thinks it 's a safe bet .
Voters have known Shea 's reputation for years , and they continue to elect him .
Marshall said state lawmakers are missing the resentment bubbling up in rural , conservative areas that feel steamrolled by big-city liberals in Olympia and Seattle .
`` They can try to marginalize us as extremists all they want , '' he said .
`` But we 're much more mainstream than they realize . ''
That 's why Marshall has decided the time is right for his next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run for the state Legislature .
The militia and the leftists Perhaps the unlikeliest twist in Marshall 's rebranding of the Washington Three Percent is the long , under-the-radar communication he had with armed leftists .
For more than a year , Marshall was in talks with the Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club , named after the abolitionist who led the 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry .
The relationship ended in disputed circumstances .
The gun club warns that its experience with the Three Percent is a cautionary tale as Marshall wades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes from Marshall as well as interviews with five members of the John Brown group .
Only one of them agreed to be fully identified : Shannon McMinimee , a 41-year-old civil rights attorney who serves as the group 's lawyer .
`` There was an open line of communication , historically , '' McMinimee said .
`` But that kind of went down in a ball of flames courtesy of some of the choices they made . ''
The talks began as a security measure to reassure each other – two armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spectrum – that there would be no friction if they were in the same area .
But , both camps said , the dialogue eventually deepened and they broached ideology .
They found common ground on the Second Amendment but fought over some of the company Marshall kept .
Namely , far-right figures known for espousing white nationalism and hatred of Muslims and Jews .
`` The conversation was , 'Do you really want to be affiliated with that ? '
`` McMinimee said .
`` Because you say you are n't racist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a racist , that makes it really hard for us to believe you . ''
There were other concerns , too .
The leftists sometimes joke that their `` blogging hands '' get tired from chronicling all the dog-whistle racism and anti-Semitism that crops up on the Washington Three Percent 's social media accounts .
And then there was Marshall 's appearance on Infowars , the conspiracy-peddling outlet McMinimee called `` pure tinfoil hat . ''
Marshall said much of the criticism is unfair .
There are around 330 vetted members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a screening process .
But he said it 's a losing battle trying to police the comments of a few thousand unknown followers on their public pages .
And Marshall admitted that he has `` dropped into '' some chats where he commented without first realizing racists were in the same forum .
But he does n't expect his detractors to believe that it was n't intentional .
`` We 're stuck in the middle .
The true neo-Nazis hate us , which they should because we hate them too , '' Marshall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who we do n't have any problems with , hate us because they believe that we 're neo-Nazis . ''
McMinimee said the John Brown Gun Club eventually decided it `` was done trying to make this work . ''
Among the reasons : Marshall 's support for Matt Shea , the state lawmaker and accused extremist .
`` Doubling down on your support for someone whose own party wants to expel him from the state Legislature ? ''
McMinimee said .
`` There have to be some lines . ''
Marshall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the break came in the aftermath of an attack last July on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) detention center in Tacoma .
Willem Van Spronsen , a far-left activist who previously belonged to the John Brown club , allegedly attacked the center with `` incendiary devices '' and was shot dead by police .
`` I am Antifa , '' Van Spronsen reportedly wrote in a manifesto , referring to the militant anti-fascist movement .
Marshall said some Three Percenters made crude jokes about Van Spronsen – an affront to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Brown club .
`` That pretty quickly burned the bridge , '' Marshall said .
Marshall recently released bodycam footage that documents a key moment in that relationship .
The footage shows a contingent of John Brown members — including Van Spronsen — crossing police lines to talk face to face with Marshall at a rally last year .
`` It was a respectful debate , a conversation , '' Marshall said .
He said he had hoped that channel would grow , maybe help bridge the polarization that he sees as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , however , all that has fizzled .
Marshall said he had invited leftists to join him again , at his latest rally in downtown Seattle .
There were no takers .
On the day of the event , the Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club showed up .
Only this year , the members did n't cross the cordon in a goodwill gesture .
Instead , they carried long guns and stood guard over the protesters who tried to drown out Marshall 's speech with their chants : `` Hey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Percent has got to go . ''

'Not A Paramilitary.' Inside A Washington Militia's Efforts To Go Mainstream
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Urquhart for NPR Jim Urquhart for NPR
On a recent morning, Matt Marshall sat at a back table in Jim Bob's Chuck Wagon, a café in an old timber town about a half-hour outside of Seattle.
It was the eve of a political rally that Marshall had spent months planning. He scribbled last-minute notes in a homemade booklet, a Christmas present from his daughter. On the front, in black marker, she had drawn the logo of the Washington Three Percent, the name of her dad's militia.
Although, that's not the word he uses.
"We're absolutely not a paramilitary," he said. "We're a nonprofit corporation."
To Marshall, "militia" conjures images of wannabes in the woods with guns – all bluster, no action. He said that is why he has grown frustrated with the national leadership of the Three Percent, which is named for the (debunked) belief that only 3% of colonists fought in the American Revolution.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Urquhart for NPR Jim Urquhart for NPR
It's part of the broader "Patriot Movement," an assortment of militias, survivalists and self-described "constitutionalist conservatives" that question the legitimacy of the federal government and seek to limit its powers. Typically, these factions get lumped together under one catchall: anti-government extremists.
"The narrative is, we're an all-white man, Christian Dominion-type, crazy, out-there, far-right militia," Marshall said.
So, he set about changing that image.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Urquhart for NPR Jim Urquhart for NPR
First, Marshall broke with the national Three Percent and took his group independent. He registered the Washington Three Percent as a nonprofit corporation — a move soon copied by groups in other states. Marshall's next step was even bolder: He ran for a spot on the Eatonville school board, pledging to represent conservative values. Headlines portrayed him as a danger.
Then, Marshall won. The victory was bigger than a school board seat — it was a ticket to the mainstream. But before he could get too far from the fringe, a domestic terrorism scandal yanked him back.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Urquhart for NPR Jim Urquhart for NPR
A report commissioned by Washington state lawmakers found that Republican Rep. Matt Shea was linked to three armed standoffs with the government and had advocated "biblical warfare," even suggesting death was appropriate for those who disobey biblical law. Shea's own party painted him as a domestic terrorist; he became a pariah at the Statehouse. Still, Shea refuses to resign and brags that labeling him an extremist has only boosted his popularity.
Shea doesn't have many friends left at the Capitol, but he does have a friend in Matt Marshall, as well as the support of several other militias and Patriot factions across the region. Marshall said he has spoken extensively with Shea and is convinced that the claims against him are sensationalized.
"It is very much a leaked thing that was used in a political way to make him look bad when he was giving a Bible study," Marshall said. "While you read Scripture, it can sound very, very violent. It doesn't mean he's saying, 'We need to go do these things.' "
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Urquhart for NPR Jim Urquhart for NPR
Marshall knows he's gambling with his political future by standing up for Shea — and he thinks it's a safe bet. Voters have known Shea's reputation for years, and they continue to elect him. Marshall said state lawmakers are missing the resentment bubbling up in rural, conservative areas that feel steamrolled by big-city liberals in Olympia and Seattle.
"They can try to marginalize us as extremists all they want," he said. "But we're much more mainstream than they realize."
That's why Marshall has decided the time is right for his next big move. He just announced a run for the state Legislature.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Urquhart for NPR Jim Urquhart for NPR
The militia and the leftists
Perhaps the unlikeliest twist in Marshall's rebranding of the Washington Three Percent is the long, under-the-radar communication he had with armed leftists.
For more than a year, Marshall was in talks with the Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club, named after the abolitionist who led the 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry. The relationship ended in disputed circumstances. The gun club warns that its experience with the Three Percent is a cautionary tale as Marshall wades deeper into state politics.
This account comes from Marshall as well as interviews with five members of the John Brown group. Only one of them agreed to be fully identified: Shannon McMinimee, a 41-year-old civil rights attorney who serves as the group's lawyer.
"There was an open line of communication, historically," McMinimee said. "But that kind of went down in a ball of flames courtesy of some of the choices they made."
The talks began as a security measure to reassure each other – two armed groups on opposite sides of the political spectrum – that there would be no friction if they were in the same area. But, both camps said, the dialogue eventually deepened and they broached ideology.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Urquhart for NPR Jim Urquhart for NPR
They found common ground on the Second Amendment but fought over some of the company Marshall kept. Namely, far-right figures known for espousing white nationalism and hatred of Muslims and Jews.
"The conversation was, 'Do you really want to be affiliated with that?' " McMinimee said. "Because you say you aren't racist, but when you stand next to a racist, that makes it really hard for us to believe you."
There were other concerns, too. The leftists sometimes joke that their "blogging hands" get tired from chronicling all the dog-whistle racism and anti-Semitism that crops up on the Washington Three Percent's social media accounts. And then there was Marshall's appearance on Infowars, the conspiracy-peddling outlet McMinimee called "pure tinfoil hat."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Urquhart for NPR Jim Urquhart for NPR
Marshall said much of the criticism is unfair. There are around 330 vetted members of the Washington Three Percent — they've passed a screening process. But he said it's a losing battle trying to police the comments of a few thousand unknown followers on their public pages. And Marshall admitted that he has "dropped into" some chats where he commented without first realizing racists were in the same forum. But he doesn't expect his detractors to believe that it wasn't intentional.
"We're stuck in the middle. The true neo-Nazis hate us, which they should because we hate them too," Marshall said. "And the far left, who we don't have any problems with, hate us because they believe that we're neo-Nazis."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Urquhart for NPR Jim Urquhart for NPR
McMinimee said the John Brown Gun Club eventually decided it "was done trying to make this work." Among the reasons: Marshall's support for Matt Shea, the state lawmaker and accused extremist.
"Doubling down on your support for someone whose own party wants to expel him from the state Legislature?" McMinimee said. "There have to be some lines."
Marshall's version is different. He said the break came in the aftermath of an attack last July on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Tacoma. Willem Van Spronsen, a far-left activist who previously belonged to the John Brown club, allegedly attacked the center with "incendiary devices" and was shot dead by police. "I am Antifa," Van Spronsen reportedly wrote in a manifesto, referring to the militant anti-fascist movement.
Marshall said some Three Percenters made crude jokes about Van Spronsen – an affront to his shocked, grieving friends in the John Brown club.
"That pretty quickly burned the bridge," Marshall said.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Urquhart for NPR Jim Urquhart for NPR
Marshall recently released bodycam footage that documents a key moment in that relationship. The footage shows a contingent of John Brown members — including Van Spronsen — crossing police lines to talk face to face with Marshall at a rally last year.
"It was a respectful debate, a conversation," Marshall said. He said he had hoped that channel would grow, maybe help bridge the polarization that he sees as a threat to the country's stability.
Now, however, all that has fizzled. Marshall said he had invited leftists to join him again, at his latest rally in downtown Seattle. There were no takers.
On the day of the event, the Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club showed up. Only this year, the members didn't cross the cordon in a goodwill gesture.
Instead, they carried long guns and stood guard over the protesters who tried to drown out Marshall's speech with their chants: "Hey hey, ho ho, the Three Percent has got to go."


npr--2020-02-14--Former FBI Official Andrew McCabe Won't Face Charges

The Justice Department announced Friday that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe will not be charged following an allegation by the department 's inspector general that he lied to investigators about a leak to the media .
In a letter to McCabe 's attorneys , the department said that `` based on the totality of the circumstances and all of the information known to the government at this time , we consider the matter closed . ''
The decision is not likely to sit well with President Trump .
Trump has repeatedly criticized McCabe online and in public remarks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican leaders who allege political bias within the FBI .
McCabe 's wife ran for the state legislature in Virginia as a Democrat , prompting early attacks that he might be going easy on Hillary Clinton .
Later , McCabe was fired after investigators concluded he lacked candor about an episode involving the release of information to a reporter .
He was relieved of duty in March , hours before he was set to retire .
McCabe always has maintained he has done nothing wrong and called himself the victim of political vengeance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been done in this matter , '' McCabe 's lawyers said on Friday .
`` We said at the outset of the criminal investigation , almost two years ago , that if the facts and the law determined the result , no charges would be brought , '' they said in a statement .
`` We are pleased that Andrew McCabe and his family can go on with their lives without this cloud hanging over them . ''
The allegations against McCabe stemmed from a Justice Department Office of Inspector General 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lacked candor '' when he told investigators that he did not know who authorized an aide to talk to the Wall Street Journal about the FBI investigation into the Clinton Foundation .
The Justice Department 's decision not to pursue charges against McCabe comes a day after Attorney General William Barr publicly lashed out at Trump , saying his tweets `` make it impossible for me to do my job . ''
McCabe has sued the Justice Department , alleging that his March 2018 firing by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions was a politically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` unlawful . ''

Former FBI Official Andrew McCabe Won't Face Charges
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jacquelyn Martin/AP Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Updated at 1:37 p.m. ET
The Justice Department announced Friday that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe will not be charged following an allegation by the department's inspector general that he lied to investigators about a leak to the media.
In a letter to McCabe's attorneys, the department said that "based on the totality of the circumstances and all of the information known to the government at this time, we consider the matter closed."
The decision is not likely to sit well with President Trump.
Trump has repeatedly criticized McCabe online and in public remarks. McCabe has long been the target of Republican leaders who allege political bias within the FBI.
McCabe's wife ran for the state legislature in Virginia as a Democrat, prompting early attacks that he might be going easy on Hillary Clinton. Later, McCabe was fired after investigators concluded he lacked candor about an episode involving the release of information to a reporter.
He was relieved of duty in March, hours before he was set to retire.
McCabe always has maintained he has done nothing wrong and called himself the victim of political vengeance.
"At long last, justice has been done in this matter," McCabe's lawyers said on Friday.
"We said at the outset of the criminal investigation, almost two years ago, that if the facts and the law determined the result, no charges would be brought," they said in a statement. "We are pleased that Andrew McCabe and his family can go on with their lives without this cloud hanging over them."
The allegations against McCabe stemmed from a Justice Department Office of Inspector General's report, which found that McCabe "lacked candor" when he told investigators that he did not know who authorized an aide to talk to the Wall Street Journal about the FBI investigation into the Clinton Foundation.
The Justice Department's decision not to pursue charges against McCabe comes a day after Attorney General William Barr publicly lashed out at Trump, saying his tweets "make it impossible for me to do my job."
McCabe has sued the Justice Department, alleging that his March 2018 firing by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions was a politically motivated act of retribution by Trump and "unlawful."


npr--2020-02-14--How COVID-19 Kills: The New Coronavirus Disease Can Take A Deadly Turn

How COVID-19 Kills : The New Coronavirus Disease Can Take A Deadly Turn More than 1,300 people , almost all in China , have now died from COVID-19 — the newly minted name for the coronavirus disease first identified in Wuhan , China , that has infected more than 55,000 people .
Yet according to the World Health Organization , the disease is relatively mild in about 80 % of cases , based on preliminary data from China .
What does mild mean ?
And how does this disease turn fatal ?
The first symptoms of COVID-19 are pretty common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dry cough and shortness of breath , says Dr. Carlos del Rio , a professor of medicine and global health at Emory University who has consulted with colleagues treating coronavirus patients in China and Germany .
`` Some people also get a headache , sore throat , '' he says .
Fatigue has also been reported — and less commonly , diarrhea .
It may feel as if you have a cold .
Or you may feel that flu-like feeling of being hit by a train .
Doctors say these patients with milder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure their symptoms do n't progress to something more serious , but they do n't require major medical intervention .
But the new coronavirus attacks the lungs , and in about 20 % of patients , infections can get more serious .
As the virus enters lung cells , it starts to replicate , destroying the cells , explains Dr. Yoko Furuya , an infectious disease specialist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center .
`` Because our body senses all of those viruses as basically foreign invaders , that triggers our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contain and control the virus and stop it from making more and more copies of itself , '' she says .
But Furuya says that this immune system response to this invader can also destroy lung tissue and cause inflammation .
The end result can be pneumonia .
That means the air sacs in the lungs become inflamed and filled with fluid , making it harder to breathe .
Del Rio says that these symptoms can also make it harder for the lungs to get oxygen to your blood , potentially triggering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of oxygen leads to more inflammation , more problems in the body .
Organs need oxygen to function , right ?
So when you do n't have oxygen there , then your liver dies and your kidney dies , '' he says .
That 's what seems to be happening in the most severe cases .
About 3 % to 5 % of patients end up in intensive care , according to the WHO .
And many hospitalized patients require supplemental oxygen .
In extreme cases , they need mechanical ventilation — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as ECMO ( extracorporeal membrane oxygenation ) , which basically acts as the patient 's lungs , adding oxygen to their blood and removing carbon dioxide .
The technology `` allows us to save more severe patients , '' Dr. Sylvie Briand , director of the WHO 's pandemic and epidemic diseases department , said at a press conference Monday .
Many of the more serious cases have been in people who are middle-aged and elderly — Furuya notes that our immune system gets weaker as we age .
She says for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse because their airways and lungs are more vulnerable .
People with other underlying medical conditions , such as heart disease , diabetes or chronic lung disease , have also proved most vulnerable .
Furuya says those kinds of conditions can make it harder for the body to recover from infections .
`` Of course , you have outliers — people who are young and otherwise previously healthy who are dying , '' Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , recently told NPR 's 1A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the vast majority of the people who have serious disease and who will ultimately die , they are in that group that are either elderly and/or have underlying conditions . ''
The WHO has said most deaths so far appear to be from multi-organ failure and has calculated the case fatality rate at about 2 % or less , based on earlier data from China .
However , infectious disease experts note that it 's hard to know the true numbers at this point in the epidemic .
But del Rio notes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can bring on multi-organ failure .
Just last month , he saw the same thing in a previously healthy flu patient in the U.S. who had not gotten a flu shot .
`` He went in to a doctor .
They said , 'You have the flu — do n't worry . '
He went home .
Two days later , he was in the ER .
Five days later , he was very sick and in the ICU '' with organ failure , del Rio says .
While it 's possible for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , recovery can take many weeks or months .
In fact , many infectious disease experts have been making comparisons between this new coronavirus and the flu and common cold , because it appears to be highly transmissible .
`` What this is acting like — it 's spreading much more rapidly than SARS [ severe acute respiratory syndrome ] , the other coronavirus , but the fatality rate is much less , '' Fauci told 1A .
`` It 's acting much more like a really bad influenza . ''
What experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , COVID-19 will keep coming back year after year .

How COVID-19 Kills: The New Coronavirus Disease Can Take A Deadly Turn
Enlarge this image toggle caption AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images
Updated on March 17 at 6:43 p.m. ET:
Thousands of people have now died from COVID-19 — the name for the disease caused by the coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China.
According to the World Health Organization, the disease is relatively mild in about 80% of cases.
What does mild mean?
And how does this disease turn fatal?
The first symptoms of COVID-19 are pretty common with respiratory illnesses — fever, a dry cough and shortness of breath, says Dr. Carlos del Rio, a professor of medicine and global health at Emory University who has consulted with colleagues treating coronavirus patients in China and Germany. "Some people also get a headache, sore throat," he says. Fatigue has also been reported — and less commonly, diarrhea. It may feel as if you have a cold. Or you may feel that flu-like feeling of being hit by a train.
Doctors say these patients with milder symptoms should check in with their physician to make sure their symptoms don't progress to something more serious, but they don't require major medical intervention.
But the new coronavirus attacks the lungs, and in about 20% of patients, infections can get more serious. As the virus enters lung cells, it starts to replicate, destroying the cells, explains Dr. Yoko Furuya, an infectious disease specialist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
"Because our body senses all of those viruses as basically foreign invaders, that triggers our immune system to sweep in and try to contain and control the virus and stop it from making more and more copies of itself," she says.
But Furuya says that this immune system response to this invader can also destroy lung tissue and cause inflammation. The end result can be pneumonia. That means the air sacs in the lungs become inflamed and filled with fluid, making it harder to breathe.
Del Rio says that these symptoms can also make it harder for the lungs to get oxygen to your blood, potentially triggering a cascade of problems. "The lack of oxygen leads to more inflammation, more problems in the body. Organs need oxygen to function, right? So when you don't have oxygen there, then your liver dies and your kidney dies," he says. Lack of oxygen can also lead to septic shock.
The most severe cases — about 6% of patients — end up in intensive care with multi-organ failure, respiratory failure and septic shock, according to a February report from the WHO. And many hospitalized patients require supplemental oxygen. In extreme cases, they need mechanical ventilation — including the use of a sophisticated technology known as ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), which basically acts as the patient's lungs, adding oxygen to their blood and removing carbon dioxide. The technology "allows us to save more severe patients," Dr. Sylvie Briand, director of the WHO's pandemic and epidemic diseases department, said at a press conference In February.
Many of the more serious cases have been in people who are middle-aged and elderly — Furuya notes that our immune system gets weaker as we age. She says for long-term smokers, it could be even worse because their airways and lungs are more vulnerable. People with other underlying medical conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes or chronic lung disease, have also proved most vulnerable. Furuya says those kinds of conditions can make it harder for the body to recover from infections.
"Of course, you have outliers — people who are young and otherwise previously healthy who are dying," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told NPR's 1A show. "But if you look at the vast majority of the people who have serious disease and who will ultimately die, they are in that group that are either elderly and/or have underlying conditions."
Estimates for the case fatality rate for COVID-19 vary depending on the country. But data from both China and Lombardy, Italy, show the fatality rate starts rising for people in their 60s. In Lombardy, for instance, the case fatality rate for those in their 60s is nearly 3 percent. It's nearly 10 percent for people in their 70s and more than 16 percent for those in their 80s.
Del Rio notes that it's not just COVID-19 that can bring on multi-organ failure. Just last month, he saw the same thing in a previously healthy flu patient in the U.S. who had not gotten a flu shot.
"He went in to a doctor. They said, 'You have the flu — don't worry.' He went home. Two days later, he was in the ER. Five days later, he was very sick and in the ICU" with organ failure, del Rio says. While it's possible for patients who reach this stage to survive, recovery can take many weeks or months.
In fact, many infectious disease experts have been making comparisons between this new coronavirus and the flu and common cold, because it appears to be highly transmissible.
"What this is acting like — it's spreading much more rapidly than SARS [severe acute respiratory syndrome], the other coronavirus, but the fatality rate is much less," Fauci told 1A. "It's acting much more like a really bad influenza."
What experts fear is that, like the flu, COVID-19 will keep coming back year after year. But unlike the flu, there is no vaccine yet for the coronavirus disease.


npr--2020-02-14--U.S. Reaches 'Reduction In Violence' Deal With Taliban In Afghanistan

U.S .
Reaches 'Reduction In Violence ' Deal With Taliban In Afghanistan The U.S. says it has reached a deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan that lays out what could be the first steps toward ending America 's longest-running war .
Administration officials , speaking on the condition of anonymity at the Munich Security Conference , say there will be a seven-day `` reduction in violence '' but did not specify when it would start .
The seven days are meant as an initial confidence-building measure .
The next step would involve the signing of an agreement between the U.S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way for intra-Afghan talks to determine the future of Afghanistan and the role the Taliban could play in it .
The U.S. military will monitor the reduction in violence , according to a senior administration official .
A weeklong decline in violence would be an abrupt shift from one of the most violent years of the 18-year conflict .
An overall deal with the Taliban would lay out a four-and-a-half month timetable to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to 8,600 from around 12,000 .
This initial agreement was worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Taliban over months of negotiations in Doha , Qatar .
The U.S. and Taliban had reached an agreement last summer , but President Trump walked away from that near-deal in September after a U.S. service member was killed in a car bombing in Kabul , Afghanistan .
Trump had indicated that the U.S. was close to working out a deal Thursday in a podcast interview with Geraldo Rivera .
`` I think there 's a good chance that we 'll have a deal , and we 'll see .
We 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks . ''
En route to Munich for a security conference on Thursday , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said U.S. negotiators had made significant progress in recent days .
`` [ W ] e hope we can get to the place where we can get a significant reduction in violence — not only on a piece of paper , but demonstrated in the capability to actually deliver a serious reduction of violence in Afghanistan , '' Pompeo said .
`` And if we can get there and we can hold that posture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to begin the real serious discussion , which is all the Afghans sitting at a table , finding a true reconciliation path forward — a difficult set of conversations , but one that 's long overdue . ''
The announcement follows an ultimatum by the Taliban earlier this week for a U.S. reply to the group 's offer of a weeklong reduction in violence .
The Taliban have resisted agreeing to a formal cease-fire until the rest of the deal is in place .
Among the Taliban 's demands is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's government participating in the negotiations be there only as regular citizens , not as officials , The Associated Press reports : `` The Taliban do not recognize the Afghan government and have refused to negotiate directly with Ghani , effectively sidelining Kabul from the process . ''
Ghani 's future is unclear , as there is still no official winner from last year 's presidential election .
The U.S. conflict in Afghanistan began more than 18 years ago , shortly after the Sept. 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks .
Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come home , but a withdrawal of NATO or U.S. forces could result in further instability and violence in the troubled country .
NPR 's Michele Kelemen and Rob Schmitz contributed to this report .

U.S. Reaches 'Reduction In Violence' Deal With Taliban In Afghanistan
Enlarge this image toggle caption Massoud Hossaini/AP Massoud Hossaini/AP
Updated 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper spoke Saturday about a newly reached deal between the U.S. and the Taliban to deescalate the longest-running war in American history.
The "reduction in violence" deal will take place over a seven-day period and ultimately will aim to bring the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan down to 8,600 from around 12,000 over the following months.
The 8,600 number will still include counterterrorism and training operations.
"It's all conditions-based," Esper told a group of reporters during the Munich Security Conference. "We are going to suspend a significant part of our operations."
The defense secretary said that the seven-day period has not started. A concrete date for when the deal will begin is yet to be determined amid outstanding consultations, including a meeting on Friday involving Esper, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
Only after assessing the outcomes of the reduction in violence deal will a more permanent peace deal be discussed.
"If all sides hold up, meet their obligations under that reduction of violence, then we'll start talking about the next part and whether to move forward," Esper said.
The next step would involve the signing of an agreement between the U.S and the Taliban. That would pave the way for intra-Afghan talks to determine the future of Afghanistan and the role the Taliban could play in it.
The U.S. military will monitor the reduction in violence, according to a senior administration official.
This initial agreement was worked out by U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban over months of negotiations in Doha, Qatar. The U.S. and Taliban had reached an agreement last summer, but President Trump walked away from that near-deal in September after a U.S. service member was killed in a car bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan.
On Thursday, Trump had indicated that the U.S. was close to working out a deal in a podcast interview with Geraldo Rivera. "I think there's a good chance that we'll have a deal, and we'll see. We're going to know over the next two weeks."
En route to Munich for the security conference on Thursday, Pompeo said U.S. negotiators had made significant progress in recent days.
"[W]e hope we can get to the place where we can get a significant reduction in violence — not only on a piece of paper, but demonstrated in the capability to actually deliver a serious reduction of violence in Afghanistan," Pompeo said. "And if we can get there and we can hold that posture for a while, we may well be able to begin the real serious discussion, which is all the Afghans sitting at a table, finding a true reconciliation path forward — a difficult set of conversations, but one that's long overdue."
The announcement follows an ultimatum by the Taliban earlier this week for a U.S. reply to the group's offer of a weeklong reduction in violence. The Taliban have resisted agreeing to a formal cease-fire until the rest of the deal is in place.
Among the Taliban's demands is that any members of Ghani's government participating in the negotiations be there only as regular citizens, not as officials, The Associated Press reports: "The Taliban do not recognize the Afghan government and have refused to negotiate directly with Ghani, effectively sidelining Kabul from the process." Ghani's future is unclear, as there is still no official winner from last year's presidential election.
The U.S. conflict in Afghanistan began more than 18 years ago, shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Trump has said it's time for American troops to come home, but a withdrawal of NATO or U.S. forces could result in further instability and violence in the troubled country.
NPR's Michele Kelemen, Rob Schmitz and KROC Fellow Isabella Gomez Sarmiento contributed to this report.


npr--2020-02-14--Power Of The Past: Retelling Utah's Suffragette History To Empower Modern Women

Power Of The Past : Retelling Utah 's Suffragette History To Empower Modern Women When Neylan McBaine told her friends in Brooklyn that she was moving to Salt Lake City a few years ago , she was shocked by the negative reactions she got .
People warned her that Utah was unfriendly to women .
`` I got a lot of comments that my girls were not going to be raised in an environment that empowered them , '' she said .
`` They were going to be told that they could n't work , and would have no examples @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Utah had always been the homeland of McBaine 's faith , as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .
The negative perceptions of Utah 's women rattled her .
Ready to prove all the haters wrong , she and her family moved West .
It turns out that , in at least one way , her friends back in New York City had a point .
`` My children have very few peers who have moms who are professional women , '' she said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the worst place for women in the United States , the more that becomes a reality . ''
Determined to change this national narrative , McBaine started a grassroots organization called Better Days 2020 to teach people what Utah women were doing 150 years ago .
Specifically , pioneering the right to vote .
A suffrage experiment that nobody would object to Utah women were enfranchised 50 years before most American women , and they were the first women in America to vote under an equal suffrage law .
They may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting rights , and set it back .
Voting in Utah started with a joke in a newspaper .
In the 1800s , the idea of women voting was just a fringe movement on the East Coast until The New York Times had a clever idea .
`` Female suffrage might perhaps be tried with novel effect in the territory of Utah , '' read an editorial in 1868 .
`` Perhaps it would result in casting out polygamy and Mormonism in general .
Here would be a capital field for woman suffrage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presume nobody would object to the experiment . ''
When this idea reached the women and men in Utah , they loved it .
Yes , enfranchise women in Utah .
But rather than casting out polygamy , Utah women hoped that voting would finally prove that had chosen the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — or Mormonism — willingly .
`` They really wanted to counter the notion that they were being coerced , '' said Laurel Thatcher Ulrich , Harvard historian emerita .
She 's author of the book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and women 's rights in early Mormonism .
Polygamy was decried as a form of `` barbarism '' in the 1800s , and the women who were married into polygamous families were often seen as victims of a fanatical religious sect .
If these polygamous women voted , people in Utah reasoned , they might prove that gender relationship among the Latter-day Saints were more nuanced .
`` They wanted people to know that they were intelligent , that they understood their rights as citizens , '' Ulrich said .
Women in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months earlier , but Utah had an election first .
On Valentine 's Day in 1870 , the women of Utah started voting .
Women 's suffrage — and voting rights in general — did not extend to most of the Native Americans in Utah for decades .
The New York Times amended its endorsement of women 's suffrage in Utah .
`` Let 's let them vote , but if they vote the wrong way , let 's cancel the vote , '' Ulrich summarized .
That 's exactly what happened .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the U.S. government 17 years later .
But the damage was done .
`` There are hundreds of examples of the way the Mormon vote in Utah impeded the progress of suffrage in the rest of the country , '' Ulrich said .
Women 's suffrage was tainted for decades by association with theocracy and polygamy .
`` Woman suffrage is part of the feminist movement , and is wanted by every socialist , every I.W.W .
( labor union ) and every Mormon , '' read an advertisement against women 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Do not join hands with these enemies of the home and of Christian civilization . ''
The advertisement was right — Mormons did want women 's suffrage .
Having tasted the power of voting , Utah women worked furiously to get the vote back .
Once they did , they worked side-by-side with national suffragists to secure an amendment to the Constitution .
Using the past to change the present '' Utah early on understood that women brought a value and a perspective that was needed to public life , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senator in Utah .
`` We 've forgotten that we once believed that . ''
Henderson is just one of six women in the Utah State Senate this year .
She 's working with Better Days 2020 to try to resurrect Utah 's history with women voting and running for office , in the hopes that more women will join her in the state legislature .
She 's particularly interested in sharing the story of Martha Hughes Cannon , who won a state senate race in Salt Lake City in 1896 .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a state senate .
Henderson is helping to get a statue of Martha Hughes Cannon installed in the U.S. Capitol this summer .
She hopes that retelling Cannon 's story will inspire more women to run , to pursue professional careers , and to lead the state .
But she 's meeting strong resistance .
`` It is because of polygamy , '' Handerson said .
Martha Hughes Cannon shared her husband with five other women .
`` It 's a part of our past that we 're embarrassed about .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's really uncomfortable . ''
Utah has been trying to run away from its history with polygamy ever since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially ended the practice in 1890 .
By the mid 20th century , the ghosts of polygamy had mostly receded into the past .
But Utahans have found that full acceptance by mainstream American society has been tenuous .
`` The most sure-fire way to jeopardize it is to amplify our polygamous background , '' Neylan McBaine said .
But she also feels like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for voting rights might give everyone a new model for what being a Utah woman could mean today .
She 's one of many women in Utah who hope that 150 years is far enough in the past that people can stop focusing on how Utah women once married , and start celebrating the ways that they led the charge for equal voting rights .
Dianna Douglas hosts the podcast Zion 's Suffragists , about the history of women voting in Utah .

Power Of The Past: Retelling Utah's Suffragist History To Empower Modern Women
Enlarge this image toggle caption Utah Governor's Office Utah Governor's Office
When Neylan McBaine told her friends in Brooklyn that she was moving to Salt Lake City a few years ago, she was shocked by the negative reactions she got. People warned her that Utah was unfriendly to women.
"I got a lot of comments that my girls were not going to be raised in an environment that empowered them," she said. "They were going to be told that they couldn't work, and would have no examples of modern women to look up to."
History 100 Years Ago This Week, House Passes Bill Advancing 19th Amendment 100 Years Ago This Week, House Passes Bill Advancing 19th Amendment Listen · 3:49 3:49
Utah had always been the homeland of McBaine's faith, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The negative perceptions of Utah's women rattled her.
Ready to prove all the haters wrong, she and her family moved West. It turns out that, in at least one way, her friends back in New York City had a point.
"My children have very few peers who have moms who are professional women," she said. "The more we're told that we are the worst place for women in the United States, the more that becomes a reality."
Determined to change this national narrative, McBaine started a grassroots organization called Better Days 2020 to teach people what Utah women were doing 150 years ago. Specifically, pioneering the right to vote.
A suffrage experiment that nobody would object to
Utah women were enfranchised 50 years before most American women, and they were the first women in America to vote under an equal suffrage law. They may have simultaneously advanced the cause of women's voting rights, and set it back.
Voting in Utah started with a joke in a newspaper. In the 1800s, the idea of women voting was just a fringe movement on the East Coast until The New York Times had a clever idea.
"Female suffrage might perhaps be tried with novel effect in the territory of Utah," read an editorial in 1868. "Perhaps it would result in casting out polygamy and Mormonism in general. Here would be a capital field for woman suffrage to make a start, and we presume nobody would object to the experiment."
When this idea reached the women and men in Utah, they loved it. Yes, enfranchise women in Utah. But rather than casting out polygamy, Utah women hoped that voting would finally prove that they had chosen the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — or Mormonism — willingly.
"They really wanted to counter the notion that they were being coerced," said Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Harvard historian emerita. She's author of the book A House Full of Females about polygamy and women's rights in early Mormonism.
Polygamy was decried as a form of "barbarism" in the 1800s, and the women who were married into polygamous families were often seen as victims of a fanatical religious sect.
If these polygamous women voted, people in Utah reasoned, they might prove that gender relationship among the Latter-day Saints were more nuanced. "They wanted people to know that they were intelligent, that they understood their rights as citizens," Ulrich said.
Women in the Wyoming territory had been enfranchised a few months earlier, but Utah had an election first. On Valentine's Day in 1870, the women of Utah started voting. Women's suffrage — and voting rights in general — did not extend to most of the Native Americans in Utah for decades.
The New York Times amended its endorsement of women's suffrage in Utah. "Let's let them vote, but if they vote the wrong way, let's cancel the vote," Ulrich summarized.
That's exactly what happened. Women's suffrage in Utah was revoked by the U.S. government 17 years later.
But the damage was done.
"There are hundreds of examples of the way the Mormon vote in Utah impeded the progress of suffrage in the rest of the country," Ulrich said.
Women's suffrage was tainted for decades by association with theocracy and polygamy.
"Woman suffrage is part of the feminist movement, and is wanted by every socialist, every I.W.W. (labor union) and every Mormon," read an advertisement against women's suffrage in a Boston newspaper in 1915. "Do not join hands with these enemies of the home and of Christian civilization."
The advertisement was right — Mormons did want women's suffrage. Having tasted the power of voting, Utah women worked furiously to get the vote back. Once they did, they worked side-by-side with national suffragists to secure an amendment to the Constitution.
Using the past to change the present
"Utah early on understood that women brought a value and a perspective that was needed to public life," said Deidre Henderson, a Republican state senator in Utah. "We've forgotten that we once believed that."
Henderson is just one of six women in the Utah State Senate this year. She's working with Better Days 2020 to try to resurrect Utah's history with women voting and running for office, in the hopes that more women will join her in the state legislature.
She's particularly interested in sharing the story of Martha Hughes Cannon, who won a state senate race in Salt Lake City in 1896. She was the first woman in America elected to a state senate.
Henderson is helping to get a statue of Martha Hughes Cannon installed in the U.S. Capitol this summer. She hopes that retelling Cannon's story will inspire more women to run, to pursue professional careers, and to lead the state. But she's meeting strong resistance.
"It is because of polygamy," Handerson said. Martha Hughes Cannon shared her husband with five other women. "It's a part of our past that we're embarrassed about. We don't like to talk about it. It's really uncomfortable."
Utah has been trying to run away from its history with polygamy ever since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially ended the practice in 1890. By the mid 20th century, the ghosts of polygamy had mostly receded into the past. But Utahans have found that full acceptance by mainstream American society has been tenuous.
"The most sure-fire way to jeopardize it is to amplify our polygamous background," Neylan McBaine said. But she also feels like excavating the stories of Utah's pioneers for voting rights might give everyone a new model for what being a Utah woman could mean today.
She's one of many women in Utah who hope that 150 years is far enough in the past that people can stop focusing on how Utah women once married, and start celebrating the ways that they led the charge for equal voting rights.
Dianna Douglas hosts the podcast Zion's Suffragists, about the history of women voting in Utah.