npr--2020-08-31--Look Up! Purple Martins Delight Downtown Nashville

Rare purple martins are dazzling birders and bystanders near Nashville 's tourist district each night for the next week or two .
Biologists estimate 150,000 have chosen to temporarily roost on the plaza outside the Schermerhorn Symphony Center .
And the symphony very nearly ran them off as a nuisance until they realized they were playing host to protected migratory songbirds .
Looking overhead as the martins descend into the trees at sunset is mesmerizing .
`` Oh my gosh , this is amazing .
We 're just enveloped right now , '' avid birder Ed Schneider says as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sky .
`` Sometimes I ca n't even tell that they 're birds , '' says his 8-year-old daughter , Phoebe .
`` I 'm like , 'Where am I ? '
It 's like I 'm in a dream . ''
Then watchers snap out of it when a little bird poop hits them on the forehead .
The unsightly and unsanitary droppings are why the symphony decided to hire a pest control company .
Besides the droppings on the sidewalks and the sides of the Neoclassical symphony hall , the trees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with their limbs drooping under the weight of these tiny travelers .
Purple Martins , which do n't look all that purple as they 're darting around , have a special relationship with humans .
They rely on people to put up boxes for them to nest in .
And then as fall approaches , they congregate in massive roosts , often at the edge of forests or near lakes .
Then they fly south to Brazil to winter in the Amazon , but often they return to the same area at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the long flight .
And birders spend those weeks observing old roosts and looking for new ones , which are so big they show up like rain on weather radar .
Enthusiast and professional biologists like Melinda Welton of the Tennessee Ornithological Society were already out on the symphony plaza in Nashville when a truck pulled up early last week , ready to fog out the flock .
`` We actually were lucky to have been here , '' she says .
Welton informed the crew of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wildlife agencies they could reach after hours .
And the pest removers backed down .
`` They did n't know , and now we all get a chance to celebrate this spectacle , '' Welton says .
The symphony has n't performed since the coronavirus pandemic hit , and its finances have been rocked .
Chief operating officer Jonathan Marx says they were simply trying to protect the $ 100 million building from expensive damage .
Previously , the campus has had trouble with starlings , an invasive species , and Marx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mess this time .
Since realizing their identification error , the symphony has welcomed birders nightly to enjoy the display .
`` This is not necessarily how we would have thought people might come together , '' Marx says .
`` But any opportunity that we can create that , particularly being in the heart of downtown , then we have to embrace that . ''
Martins are roosting at hundreds of sites right now around the country , though none is quite so visible .
Joe Siegrist of the Purple Martin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where they show up each morning as they disperse for the day to hunt for insects .
He says the droppings are just part of the deal .
`` Usually , that 's something the landowner just has to accept , '' Siegrist says .
`` We do our best to reassure the landowners that this is a short lived process . ''
Often , conservation groups or local governments will pitch in to cover the cleanup cost , and that conversation is already started with the Nashville symphony .
But there 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ washers until the martins depart in a week or two .

Look Up! Purple Martins Delight Downtown Nashville
Enlarge this image toggle caption Blake Farmer/WPLN Blake Farmer/WPLN
Rare purple martins are dazzling birders and bystanders near Nashville's tourist district each night for the next week or two. Biologists estimate 150,000 have chosen to temporarily roost on the plaza outside the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. And the symphony very nearly ran them off as a nuisance until they realized they were playing host to protected migratory songbirds.
Looking overhead as the martins descend into the trees at sunset is mesmerizing.
"Oh my gosh, this is amazing. We're just enveloped right now," avid birder Ed Schneider says as the birds swoop around him and pepper the sky.
"Sometimes I can't even tell that they're birds," says his 8-year-old daughter, Phoebe. "I'm like, 'Where am I?' It's like I'm in a dream."
Then watchers snap out of it when a little bird poop hits them on the forehead.
The unsightly and unsanitary droppings are why the symphony decided to hire a pest control company. Besides the droppings on the sidewalks and the sides of the Neoclassical symphony hall, the trees are in pretty rough shape too, with their limbs drooping under the weight of these tiny travelers.
Purple Martins, which don't look all that purple as they're darting around, have a special relationship with humans. They rely on people to put up boxes for them to nest in. And then as fall approaches, they congregate in massive roosts, often at the edge of forests or near lakes.
Then they fly south to Brazil to winter in the Amazon, but often they return to the same area at the end of the summer to fuel up before the long flight. And birders spend those weeks observing old roosts and looking for new ones, which are so big they show up like rain on weather radar.
Enthusiast and professional biologists like Melinda Welton of the Tennessee Ornithological Society were already out on the symphony plaza in Nashville when a truck pulled up early last week, ready to fog out the flock.
"We actually were lucky to have been here," she says.
Welton informed the crew of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. She and her husband called all the wildlife agencies they could reach after hours. And the pest removers backed down.
"They didn't know, and now we all get a chance to celebrate this spectacle," Welton says.
The symphony hasn't performed since the coronavirus pandemic hit, and its finances have been rocked. Chief operating officer Jonathan Marx says they were simply trying to protect the $100 million building from expensive damage. Previously, the campus has had trouble with starlings, an invasive species, and Marx assumed that's what was making such a mess this time.
Since realizing their identification error, the symphony has welcomed birders nightly to enjoy the display.
"This is not necessarily how we would have thought people might come together," Marx says. "But any opportunity that we can create that, particularly being in the heart of downtown, then we have to embrace that."
Martins are roosting at hundreds of sites right now around the country, though none is quite so visible.
Joe Siegrist of the Purple Martin Conservation Association tracks them through radar, where they show up each morning as they disperse for the day to hunt for insects. He says the droppings are just part of the deal.
"Usually, that's something the landowner just has to accept," Siegrist says. "We do our best to reassure the landowners that this is a short lived process."
Often, conservation groups or local governments will pitch in to cover the cleanup cost, and that conversation is already started with the Nashville symphony. But there's no point to break out the pressure washers until the martins depart in a week or two.


npr--2020-08-31--Kentucky's Rupp Arena: A College Basketball Mecca With A Complicated Racial Past

Rupp Arena is named for Adoph Rupp , the famous University of Kentucky basketball coach whose sustained success in the mid-20th century turned the program into the powerhouse it remains today .
The arena has borne Rupp 's name since it opened in 1976 , just a few years after his retirement .
But now at U.K. , a list of demands from the school 's African-American and Africana Studies faculty has brought new life to an old debate about the name of the school 's basketball arena .
Its name celebrates Rupp 's success on the basketball court , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of ways : four national titles , five Coach of the Year awards or , simply , 876 wins — the most ever by any coach when he stepped down , and still the second-most all these years later .
For some , there 's a more important number : One .
Over his entire career at Kentucky , Adolph Rupp coached just a single Black player , beginning with his first season in 1930 through his retirement in 1972 .
Even in the segregated South , Rupp 's record stands out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The Adolph Rupp name has come to stand for racism and exclusion in UK athletics and alienates Black students , fans , and attendees , '' write the faculty of the African-American and Africana Studies department in a letter sent to the university 's president .
The letter , sent in June and published in late July , outlines the challenges faced by Black students , staff , and faculty at the University of Kentucky .
The demands include requiring that undergrads take a course on race and inequality , appointing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and minimizing the school 's relationship with municipal law enforcement .
The demand to change the name of Rupp Arena is last on the list .
Derrick White , a history professor in the department who helped write the letter , says the name change is important because the arena is `` the most recognizable building on our campus to not only the people here , but across the country and even across the globe if they 're basketball fans . ''
The demand has gotten more attention than the others on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so big , and because it has no bigger name than Adolph Rupp .
`` Rupp was the man who built Kentucky basketball into sort of an iconic program , '' says Dick Gabriel , a longtime Kentucky sports broadcaster .
`` But he was and still is criticized for not recruiting African-Americans into his program until the last couple of years of his career . ''
Like many sports , college basketball began to integrate in earnest in the years after World War II .
Kentucky 's peer programs outside the South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indiana signed its first Black player in 1947 .
Kansas followed suit in 1951 .
Before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball , he played basketball at UCLA .
By the 1960s , schools across much of the country were recruiting and winning titles with Black players .
Even in the South , where segregation held on much longer , peer schools like Louisville and North Carolina signed their first Black players in the early '60s .
Rupp fielded exclusively white teams from his first season in 1930 until his second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he finally started his only ever Black player , a 7-foot center named Tom Payne .
`` Rupp developed a reputation as someone who did not want Black players on his team , '' Gabriel says .
The suggestion that the school drop the Rupp name is not new , and the AAAS faculty 's demand has resurfaced old arguments in defense of Rupp .
Some Kentucky fans and people who knew Rupp point out that he did try to recruit several Black players over the course of the 1960s , some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kentucky , but ultimately changed their minds .
He reportedly asked ushers to remove fans who yelled racial slurs .
And his white Kentucky teams did play against integrated teams when some other Southern schools refused .
In an interview recorded in 1971 and housed at the University of Kentucky library and publicized in July month by the Louisville Courier-Journal , Rupp described the university administration 's pressure on him to integrate the team in the 60s and blamed his failure on a variety of external factors .
You ca n't just go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't just go out and find someone .
If I could do that , I 'd go out and find a 7-foot center every afternoon , '' Rupp said on the tape .
`` The next thing after you find someone that you can get , can you get them in school ?
That 's the next thing . ''
`` At the same time , you 're finding these colored boys saying that they do not want to be the first to break the color line in the South , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nor opposes the name change , says growing up in Kentucky in the 1960s and '70s exposed him early and often to a reputation of Rupp as an avowed racist and hardline segregationist .
But when he set out to produce a documentary about Rupp in 2005 , Gabriel says his mind changed about the coach during the process of reviewing records and conducting dozens of interviews with people who knew him .
`` I had to do a complete 180 on my opinion that Rupp was indeed a segregationist .
I came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gabriel said .
The documentary is called `` Adolph Rupp : Myth , Legend , and Fact . ''
But he acknowledges other failings , including that Rupp was known to have used racial slurs .
`` That 's what makes it so confusing , '' Gabriel says .
`` He was active in trying to sign Black players , and yet on the other hand it 's been documented that he used inappropriate language . ''
It 's partly this complicated picture of Rupp that has dampened debate in Lexington , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statues in 2017 just blocks from Rupp Arena .
The timing has quieted things , too , with school on summer break when the letter was written , and the coronavirus pandemic keeping students away from campus .
Still , students have shown an openness to the change .
An op-ed published in the student newspaper in July supported the name change .
Sophomore Chandler Wilcox , who is white , says most of his classmates seem to be open to what he calls `` listening and learning . ''
`` Let 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , looking back , is there enough evidence to prove that Adolph Rupp intended on not allowing African-Americans in the program ?
Was he , in fact , racist ? ''
Wilcox says .
In Rupp 's failures to sign a Black player sooner , history professor Derrick White sees a man who set an unfairly high bar for finding a Black player , and whose interactions with Black players and their families clearly left them looking to attend school elsewhere — the result , White says , of what he calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It 's not so much about the cartoonish , simplistic , racist narrative of Rupp as a Klansman , but rather , Rupp sitting as a sophisticated manager on top of this system of segregation , '' he says .
At the end of the day , White says , in sports , coaches are judged for their results .
`` We do n't give them credit for just showing up to the game , right ?
We give them credit if they win , '' White says .
`` The results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black player in 42 years . ''
Since the demands from the African-American and Africana Studies faculty were publicized about a month ago , the conversation on campus has died down , overtaken by worries about reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic and whether the fall football season will go on .
The University of Kentucky has already responded in some ways to the letter .
The school announced earlier this month that it would commit $ 10 million over the next five years to study issues of race and inequality and says it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about other concerns about equity and inclusion .
On the Rupp name , no word yet .

Kentucky's Rupp Arena: A College Basketball Mecca With A Complicated Racial Past
Enlarge this image toggle caption Silas Walker/Getty Images Silas Walker/Getty Images
Rupp Arena is named for Adoph Rupp, the famous University of Kentucky basketball coach whose sustained success in the mid-20th century turned the program into the powerhouse it remains today. The arena has borne Rupp's name since it opened in 1976, just a few years after his retirement.
But now at U.K., a list of demands from the school's African-American and Africana Studies faculty has brought new life to an old debate about the name of the school's basketball arena.
Its name celebrates Rupp's success on the basketball court, success that can be counted in any number of ways: four national titles, five Coach of the Year awards or, simply, 876 wins — the most ever by any coach when he stepped down, and still the second-most all these years later.
For some, there's a more important number: One.
Just one Black player
Over his entire career at Kentucky, Adolph Rupp signed just a single Black player, beginning with his first season in 1930 through his retirement in 1972. Even in the segregated South, Rupp's record stands out from his peers in high-power college basketball.
"The Adolph Rupp name has come to stand for racism and exclusion in UK athletics and alienates Black students, fans, and attendees," write the faculty of the African-American and Africana Studies department in a letter sent to the university's president.
The letter, sent in June and published in late July, outlines the challenges faced by Black students, staff, and faculty at the University of Kentucky.
The demands include requiring that undergrads take a course on race and inequality, appointing more Black faculty to leadership positions, and minimizing the school's relationship with municipal law enforcement.
The demand to change the name of Rupp Arena is last on the list.
Derrick White, a history professor in the department who helped write the letter, says the name change is important because the arena is "the most recognizable building on our campus to not only the people here, but across the country and even across the globe if they're basketball fans."
The demand has gotten more attention than the others on the faculty's list because Kentucky basketball is so big, and because it has no bigger name than Adolph Rupp.
"Rupp was the man who built Kentucky basketball into sort of an iconic program," says Dick Gabriel, a longtime Kentucky sports broadcaster. "But he was and still is criticized for not recruiting African-Americans into his program until the last couple of years of his career."
Like many sports, college basketball began to integrate in earnest in the years after World War II. Kentucky's peer programs outside the South integrated years, even decades earlier: Indiana signed its first Black player in 1947. Kansas followed suit in 1951. Before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, he played basketball at UCLA. By the 1960s, schools across much of the country were recruiting and winning titles with Black players.
Even in the South, where segregation held on much longer, peer schools like Louisville and North Carolina signed their first Black players in the early '60s.
Rupp developed a reputation as someone who did not want Black players on his team.
Rupp fielded exclusively white teams from his first season in 1930 until his second-to-last season in 1970, when he finally started his first Black player, a 7-foot center named Tom Payne. In his final season, he coached an additional two Black players who temporarily walked on from the football team and combined for a total of just 48 minutes over the entire season.
"Rupp developed a reputation as someone who did not want Black players on his team," Gabriel says.
The suggestion that the school drop the Rupp name is not new, and the AAAS faculty's demand has resurfaced old arguments in defense of Rupp.
Some Kentucky fans and people who knew Rupp point out that he did try to recruit several Black players over the course of the 1960s, some of whom neared a commitment to play for Kentucky, but ultimately changed their minds. He reportedly asked ushers to remove fans who yelled racial slurs. And his white Kentucky teams did play against integrated teams when some other Southern schools refused.
In an interview recorded in 1971 and housed at the University of Kentucky library and publicized in July month by the Louisville Courier-Journal, Rupp described the university administration's pressure on him to integrate the team in the 60s and blamed his failure on a variety of external factors.
You can't just go out and find someone
"You can't just go out and find someone. If I could do that, I'd go out and find a 7-foot center every afternoon," Rupp said on the tape. "The next thing after you find someone that you can get, can you get them in school? That's the next thing."
"At the same time, you're finding these colored boys saying that they do not want to be the first to break the color line in the South," he added.
Gabriel, who neither supports nor opposes the name change, says growing up in Kentucky in the 1960s and '70s exposed him early and often to a reputation of Rupp as an avowed racist and hardline segregationist.
But when he set out to produce a documentary about Rupp in 2005, Gabriel says his mind changed about the coach during the process of reviewing records and conducting dozens of interviews with people who knew him.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andy Lyons/Getty Images Andy Lyons/Getty Images
"I had to do a complete 180 on my opinion that Rupp was indeed a segregationist. I came to realize he was not," Gabriel said. The documentary is called "Adolph Rupp: Myth, Legend, and Fact."
But he acknowledges other failings, including that Rupp was known to have used racial slurs.
Confusing and complicated
"That's what makes it so confusing," Gabriel says. "He was active in trying to sign Black players, and yet on the other hand it's been documented that he used inappropriate language."
It's partly this complicated picture of Rupp that has dampened debate in Lexington, a progressive college town that removed two Confederate statues in 2017 just blocks from Rupp Arena. The timing has quieted things, too, with school on summer break when the letter was written, and the coronavirus pandemic keeping students away from campus.
Still, students have shown an openness to the change. An op-ed published in the student newspaper in July supported the name change. Sophomore Chandler Wilcox, who is white, says most of his classmates seem to be open to what he calls "listening and learning."
"Let's do the research. Let's figure out, looking back, is there enough evidence to prove that Adolph Rupp intended on not allowing African-Americans in the program? Was he, in fact, racist?" Wilcox says.
In Rupp's failures to sign a Black player sooner, history professor Derrick White sees a man who set an unfairly high bar for finding a Black player, and whose interactions with Black players and their families clearly left them looking to attend school elsewhere — the result, White says, of what he calls a "racially hostile personality."
"It's not so much about the cartoonish, simplistic, racist narrative of Rupp as a Klansman, but rather, Rupp sitting as a sophisticated manager on top of this system of segregation," he says.
At the end of the day, White says, in sports, coaches are judged for their results.
"We don't give them credit for just showing up to the game, right? We give them credit if they win," White says. "The results are that [Rupp signed] one Black player in 42 years."
Since the demands from the African-American and Africana Studies faculty were publicized about a month ago, the conversation on campus has died down, overtaken by worries about reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic and whether the fall football season will go on.
The University of Kentucky has already responded in some ways to the letter. The school announced earlier this month that it would commit $10 million over the next five years to study issues of race and inequality and says it is meeting with the faculty to group about other concerns about equity and inclusion.
On the Rupp name, no word yet.


npr--2020-08-31--Indian Economy Shrinks By 24% As The Country Sees Its Highest Coronavirus Numbers

Indian Economy Shrinks By 24 % As The Country Sees Its Highest Coronavirus Numbers With the coronavirus spreading faster in India than anywhere in the world , the Indian government on Monday announced the country 's biggest economic contraction in 24 years .
India 's National Statistical Office said the economy contracted by 23.9 % in the first quarter of the 2020-2021 fiscal year , which ended in June , compared with the same quarter the previous year .
That 's its worst performance since the government began publishing quarterly gross domestic product figures in 1996 .
And it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major economies releasing GDP figures for that same quarter , according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development .
`` This year , we are facing an extraordinary situation , '' India 's finance minister , Nirmala Sitharaman , told a conference last week before the GDP figures were released .
`` We are facing an act of God . ''
Even before the pandemic hit , India 's economy was already ailing .
In 2016 , the government took 85 % of paper money out of circulation as part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tamp corruption but also hurt small , cash-run businesses .
The following year , a new goods and services tax scheme aimed to simplify the tax code but also hurt big manufacturers .
Last year , unemployment hit a four-decade high .
In late March , with cases of COVID-19 still low in India , the government announced the biggest lockdown in the world .
While white-collar workers adapted to working from home , hundreds of millions of impoverished laborers were stranded in urban centers and industrial zones with little to eat .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ food distribution centers for them , but not before dozens starved to death on roadsides .
Millions of migrant workers tried to walk back to their home villages , sometimes hundreds of miles away .
Their exodus helped spread the virus all over the country .
In May , as his government began to ease lockdown restrictions , Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a $ 266 billion COVID-19 stimulus package , with aid earmarked for the poor .
But manufacturing and consumer spending have yet to recover .
On Monday , India reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any other country .
A day earlier , it posted the world 's biggest single-day tally since the pandemic began .
The United States and Brazil still have more COVID-19 cases overall .
India has ramped up testing in recent weeks , but it remains relatively low compared with other countries .
The central government continues to loosen lockdown restrictions to try to alleviate the sudden , widespread unemployment that came with the spring lockdown .
Over the weekend , it issued new national guidance , saying that everything is allowed to reopen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pools and international flights .
State and municipal authorities still maintain certain restrictions in areas with the highest concentrations of infections .
India has seen a number of high-profile cases of coronavirus infection in recent weeks .
Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan was discharged from the hospital earlier this month .
Home Minister Amit Shah was hospitalized twice after testing positive , and was discharged again early Monday .
Also on Monday , the son of former President Pranab Mukherjee announced his father 's death on Twitter .
Mukherjee , 84 , who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was also diagnosed with COVID-19 .
A veteran politician with the opposition Congress party , he held several Cabinet posts and was president , a ceremonial post , from 2012 to 2017 .

Indian Economy Shrinks By 24% As The Country Sees Its Highest Coronavirus Numbers
Enlarge this image toggle caption Anindito Mukherjee/Bloomberg via Getty Images Anindito Mukherjee/Bloomberg via Getty Images
With the coronavirus spreading faster in India than anywhere in the world, the Indian government on Monday announced the country's biggest economic contraction in 24 years.
India's National Statistical Office said the economy contracted by 23.9% in the first quarter of the 2020-2021 fiscal year, which ended in June, compared with the same quarter the previous year. That's its worst performance since the government began publishing quarterly gross domestic product figures in 1996. And it's the worst decline among the world's major economies releasing GDP figures for that same quarter, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
"This year, we are facing an extraordinary situation," India's finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, told a conference last week before the GDP figures were released. "We are facing an act of God."
Even before the pandemic hit, India's economy was already ailing. In 2016, the government took 85% of paper money out of circulation as part of a demonetization policy that aimed to tamp corruption but also hurt small, cash-run businesses. The following year, a new goods and services tax scheme aimed to simplify the tax code but also hurt big manufacturers. Last year, unemployment hit a four-decade high.
In late March, with cases of COVID-19 still low in India, the government announced the biggest lockdown in the world. While white-collar workers adapted to working from home, hundreds of millions of impoverished laborers were stranded in urban centers and industrial zones with little to eat. The government scrambled to open shelters and food distribution centers for them, but not before dozens starved to death on roadsides.
Millions of migrant workers tried to walk back to their home villages, sometimes hundreds of miles away. Their exodus helped spread the virus all over the country.
In May, as his government began to ease lockdown restrictions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a $266 billion COVID-19 stimulus package, with aid earmarked for the poor. But manufacturing and consumer spending have yet to recover.
On Monday, India reported 78,512 new coronavirus infections — more than any other country. A day earlier, it posted the world's biggest single-day tally since the pandemic began.
The United States and Brazil still have more COVID-19 cases overall. India has ramped up testing in recent weeks, but it remains relatively low compared with other countries.
The central government continues to loosen lockdown restrictions to try to alleviate the sudden, widespread unemployment that came with the spring lockdown. Over the weekend, it issued new national guidance, saying that everything is allowed to reopen except schools, movie theaters, swimming pools and international flights.
State and municipal authorities still maintain certain restrictions in areas with the highest concentrations of infections.
India has seen a number of high-profile cases of coronavirus infection in recent weeks. Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan was discharged from the hospital earlier this month. Home Minister Amit Shah was hospitalized twice after testing positive, and was discharged again early Monday.
Also on Monday, the son of former President Pranab Mukherjee announced his father's death on Twitter. Mukherjee, 84, who had been hospitalized for weeks after brain surgery, was also diagnosed with COVID-19. A veteran politician with the opposition Congress party, he held several Cabinet posts and was president, a ceremonial post, from 2012 to 2017.


npr--2020-08-31--United, Delta, American Say They Are Dropping Change Fees For Domestic Flights

United , Delta , American Say They Are Dropping Change Fees For Domestic Flights As airlines try to coax back customers wary of flying during the COVID-19 pandemic , United Airlines , Delta Air Lines and American Airlines are bowing to consumer demand and getting rid of many change fees .
United announced the change on Sunday , and Delta and American followed suit on Monday afternoon .
`` It 's no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has had a historic economic impact on airlines , '' United CEO Scott Kirby said in a video statement .
`` When we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improve , getting rid of this fee is often the top request . ''
Previously , United 's standard domestic change fee was $ 200 , according to the carrier .
Delta charged the same amount for changes within the 50 United States , Canada , Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands .
American 's typical fee for a domestic flight change , before the day of travel , was also $ 200 .
United said Sunday that it was `` permanently getting rid of change fees on all standard Economy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. '' Delta 's change applies to tickets within the domestic U.S. , Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands .
It does not include Basic Economy tickets , the airline 's lower-cost fares .
American said that `` change fees for all domestic and short-haul international flying on Premium Cabin fares and most Main Cabin fares will be eliminated . ''
As of Jan. 1 , United will allow customers to fly same-day standby for free – a service that used to cost $ 75 for people who did n't have status in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a similar policy , starting Oct. 1 .
The changes come as airlines are struggling with far lower demand than usual .
Delta said that last quarter , the number of passengers on its planes was down 93 % compared with the period a year ago .
United said last month that the previous quarter was the worst in its 94-year history .
It lost at least $ 1.6 billion and burned cash at an average of $ 40 million a day .
American 's net losses last quarter were $ 2.1 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been offering increased flexibility as the coronavirus pandemic leads customers to rejigger their travel plans .
After United announced the change to its policy , industry experts noted that it placed pressure on other major airlines to match the changes .
`` American and Delta do n't have much of a choice , '' Henry Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research Group told The Points Guy before the announcements from those two airlines .
`` Southwest and United have boxed them in a corner .
If they do n't match , they risk losing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they do match , it 's a zero-sum game . ''
Southwest does not charge change fees , a policy that has long been popular with its flyers .
This type of fee brings in huge amounts of money for many airlines .
According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics last year , United collected more than $ 625 million , Delta more than $ 830 million , and American $ 818 million in fees for changes and cancellations .
In 2019 , U.S. airlines took in more than $ 2.8 billion in @ @ @

United, Delta, American Say They Are Dropping Change Fees For Domestic Flights
Enlarge this image toggle caption Seth Wenig/AP Seth Wenig/AP
Updated at 5:15 p.m. ET
As airlines try to coax back customers wary of flying during the COVID-19 pandemic, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines are bowing to consumer demand and getting rid of many change fees.
United announced the change on Sunday, and Delta and American followed suit on Monday afternoon.
"It's no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has had a historic economic impact on airlines," United CEO Scott Kirby said in a video statement. "When we hear from customers about where we can improve, getting rid of this fee is often the top request."
Previously, United's standard domestic change fee was $200, according to the carrier. Delta charged the same amount for changes within the 50 United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. American's typical fee for a domestic flight change, before the day of travel, was also $200.
United said Sunday that it was "permanently getting rid of change fees on all standard Economy and Premium cabin tickets for travel within the U.S."
Delta's change applies to tickets within the domestic U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. It does not include Basic Economy tickets, the airline's lower-cost fares.
American said that "change fees for all domestic and short-haul international flying on Premium Cabin fares and most Main Cabin fares will be eliminated."
As of Jan. 1, United will allow customers to fly same-day standby for free – a service that used to cost $75 for people who didn't have status in its rewards program. American is launching a similar policy, starting Oct. 1.
The changes come as airlines are struggling with far lower demand than usual. Delta said that last quarter, the number of passengers on its planes was down 93% compared with the period a year ago.
United said last month that the previous quarter was the worst in its 94-year history. It lost at least $1.6 billion and burned cash at an average of $40 million a day. American's net losses last quarter were $2.1 billion.
These three airlines and other carriers have been offering increased flexibility as the coronavirus pandemic leads customers to rejigger their travel plans.
After United announced the change to its policy, industry experts noted that it placed pressure on other major airlines to match the changes.
"American and Delta don't have much of a choice," Henry Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research Group told The Points Guy before the announcements from those two airlines. "Southwest and United have boxed them in a corner. If they don't match, they risk losing customers to Southwest and United. If they do match, it's a zero-sum game."
Southwest does not charge change fees, a policy that has long been popular with its flyers.
This type of fee brings in huge amounts of money for many airlines. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics last year, United collected more than $625 million, Delta more than $830 million, and American $818 million in fees for changes and cancellations. In 2019, U.S. airlines took in more than $2.8 billion in these fees.


npr--2020-08-31--Coronavirus Maps: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Maps : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 6 million people in the U.S. have been infected with the coronavirus and more than 180,000 have died .
Tens of thousands of new cases are reported daily .
Some state outbreaks are worse than others .
In the graphics below , explore the trends in your state .
View the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , curve charts , a table of state-by-state trends over four weeks , or a map of total cases and deaths .
The map above shows the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on new daily cases per capita .
These color-coded risk levels were developed by a consortium of researchers and public health experts .
The group advises states in the red category to issue stay-home orders .
Orange states may need to consider stay-home orders , along with increased testing and contact tracing .
Yellow states need to keep up social distancing and mask usage , and both yellow and green states should continue testing and contact tracing .
To compare state outbreaks , the chart above graphs trend lines for average new daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totals to date .
This type of visualization highlights a state 's daily growth or decline relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In New York , the curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 600 per day in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see totals and per capita figures around the country for both new confirmed cases and reported deaths from COVID-19 .
New York was the original epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. As of mid August , California , Florida and Texas have surpassed New York for total cases to date , though New York still has the highest death total .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
To show trends state by state , the table below shows the change in average new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over week for the last 28 days .
States marked in shades of red are showing growth , those in shades of green , are showing declines .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
In early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's daily numbers until the JHU team was able to reconcile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn contributed to and Carmel Wroth edited this story .

Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
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Note: This page was last updated on Feb. 1, 2023. It will no longer be updated. For current data on COVID cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Feb. 1, there have been more than 101 million confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. and more than 1 million people have died of COVID-19. In the graphics below, explore the trends in your state.
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The above charts show average new cases per 100,000 people for each state over the last 12 months.
Note: Actual cases may be substantially higher, since many who test positive with at-home tests don't report their cases.
For additional data about COVID-19 in the U.S, including cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
To show trends, the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state, week over week for the last 28 days. States marked in shades of red have growing outbreaks; those in shades of green, are declining.
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Methodology
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the World Health Organization; national, state and local government health departments; 1point3acres; and local media reports.
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies. This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds. There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department's website. Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships.
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases, process testing backlogs or update their methodologies. The JHU team maintains a list of such changes.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2020. Elena Renken was a co-author on that version. Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story. Carmel Wroth edited this story.


npr--2020-08-31--With Israel-UAE Flight, Israelis And Emiratis Mark Closer Ties As Palestinians Worry

With Israel-UAE Flight , Israelis And Emiratis Mark Closer Ties As Palestinians Worry The official treaty between their countries has not yet been signed , but — amid some opposition in the region — Israelis and Emiratis are engulfed in charm offensives , media buzz , dreams of business and travel .
Jared Kushner , President Trump 's son-in-law and senior adviser , joined U.S. and Israeli officials Monday on the first official Israeli flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi to advance the Aug. 13 deal to establish diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word `` peace '' written outside the cockpit in Hebrew , Arabic and English , along with U.S. , Israeli and Emirati flags .
The plane headrests bore the message `` Making History . ''
After the deal was announced earlier this month , Tel Aviv 's city hall was lit up in the red , green , white and black of the Emirati flag , and Israeli news channels quickly dispatched reporters to the United Arab Emirates for the first time .
`` Good morning from Dubai , '' said Channel 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audiences views of Dubai 's Burj Khalifa , the world 's tallest building , and later , a peek at his cappuccino dusted in gold flakes .
`` Welcome to the neighborhood , '' wrote United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Al Otaiba in Yediot Ahronot , an Israeli newspaper .
The Emirati newspaper Al-Ittihad tweeted a video greeting card : `` Shalom , '' says a young Emirati man in a traditional white kandora robe , speaking in fluent Hebrew as `` Hava Nagila '' plays in the background .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ win-win-win for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , Emirati Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President Trump , who present it as a boon for business and geopolitical stability .
For Israelis barred from most of the Middle East , the luxuries of Dubai and the prospect of greater acceptance in the region and access to the Emirati economy suddenly appear within reach .
For Emiratis , the deal offers the possibility of U.S. weapons and access to Israeli technology know-how .
`` It 's new times , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of several Israeli businesspeople who are coming forward now about their years of secret trade with the Emirates .
He sells his signature bigger-than-king-sized beds in Dubai — `` you know , they live luxury life , '' he said — via Slovakia to hide their Israeli origins .
Now he expects direct and booming trade with the Emirates .
`` I 'm dying to go there , '' he said .
`` A lot of my friends and families , they said enough is enough , '' Mahmood Alawadi , an Emirati @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told NPR .
His father suffers from Parkinson 's disease and hopes Israel 's medical expertise may help him .
`` We want economy .
We want stability in the region .
Enough hatred . ''
Left out of the new relationship are the Palestinians , who lost major leverage : a prominent Arab country has now cracked the unified stance by nearly all Arab countries to withhold official relations with Israel until it resolves its conflict with the Palestinians .
The Palestinian Authority recalled its ambassador to the UAE in protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emirates of betrayal .
`` They are letting us down , '' said Palestinian pediatric oncologist Lama al-Akhras , outside a West Bank hospital emergency room bearing the name of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan , the late Emirati leader who founded it .
`` Making peace with Israel is not a bad idea at all .
But peace not like this peace .
Peace whereby you give me my country , you give me my rights .
Not like this , '' said Palestinian hospital patient Ayman Ramiyeh .
On the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kushner how Palestinians might fit into the Israel-UAE relationship .
Kushner responded , `` We ca n't want peace for them more than they want it for themselves .
We have a good offer on the table and when they 're ready , they 'll call us .
We are not going to pressure them , we are not going to pay them .
We are focused on what we can do to make the lives of the Palestinian people better . ''
Israel and the UAE have never faced off on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shared quiet trade , security ties and a common enemy in Iran .
The UAE has hosted Israeli athletes for competitions in recent years , too .
The Emirates said it will establish official ties with Israel in exchange for Israel shelving its West Bank annexation plans , though Israeli annexation had already been derailed by international and internal Israeli opposition .
The Emirates now seeks F-35 fighter jets from the U.S. , and finds President Trump — who boasts of a historic foreign policy win in the diplomatic deal as he seeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` buying a little bit of political risk insurance in the post-Trump era , '' says David Makovsky of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy .
`` If Trump does not win a second term ... what if the Democrats go back to reviving the Iranian nuclear deal ?
Will they somehow , as Gulf Arab states , feel marginalized , as American focus is elsewhere ? ''
Makovksy , whose podcast explores the Israeli leaders who made peace with Egypt and Jordan , said the Israel-UAE deal is an important achievement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Israeli leader bills it as `` peace for peace , '' boasting of forging ties with an Arab country without needing to surrender captured territory .
The enthusiasm is not universal among Israelis .
`` When Netanyahu says it 's peace for peace ... it 's just a slogan , unless it goes deeper ... not just what 's going on with who can buy weapons from whom , '' says Israeli yoga teacher Yoav Shamash , reflecting the skepticism Israelis have toward a peace deal based on geopolitical interests .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moon .
Who cares ?
Are we at war with Dubai ?
Do we have a shared border ?
No !
It 's like two kids fighting in kindergarten and telling the kid , make up with a kid at a different kindergarten , '' Eyal Berkovic , co-host of the popular Israeli TV talk show Ofira & Berkovic , said on a recent show .
It is harder to gauge the range of public opinion about the deal in the Emirates .
A Washington Institute poll conducted earlier this summer found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business and sports contacts with Israel .
But when the deal was announced this month , if Emiratis opposed it , they hardly expressed their opposition on social media .
Those who commented on the deal mostly offered support — even as anti-deal Twitter hashtags were trending in neighboring Gulf countries .
In a 2019 report , Human Rights Watch said the UAE `` showed no tolerance for any manner of peaceful dissent . ''
An Emirati social scientist , who asked that NPR not use her name because she feared retribution from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told NPR that she and several other Emiratis made their Twitter accounts private when the deal was announced , out of concern that government agents would monitor their response to the normalization .
`` This should have been a pan-Gulf decision , not one country 's doing .
It should have prioritized Palestinians .
It was premature , especially when Netanyahu is the premier .
It was the worst time , '' she says .
But Mina Al-Oraibi , the Iraqi-British editor-in-chief of The National , an Abu Dhabi-based newspaper , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and are evolving to accept ties with Israel .
`` While the establishment of ties is incredibly big news , it still is something that I think has been worked towards , '' Al-Oraibi says .
`` It has been gradual for people culturally ... to be more accepting of it . ''

With Israel-UAE Flight, Israelis And Emiratis Mark Closer Ties As Palestinians Worry
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nir Elias/Pool Photo via AP Nir Elias/Pool Photo via AP
The official treaty between their countries has not yet been signed, but — amid some opposition in the region — Israelis and Emiratis are engulfed in charm offensives, media buzz, dreams of business and travel.
Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, joined U.S. and Israeli officials Monday on the first official Israeli flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi to advance the Aug. 13 deal to establish diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The U.S. government-chartered El Al plane had the word "peace" written outside the cockpit in Hebrew, Arabic and English, along with U.S., Israeli and Emirati flags. The plane headrests bore the message "Making History."
After the deal was announced earlier this month, Tel Aviv's city hall was lit up in the red, green, white and black of the Emirati flag, and Israeli news channels quickly dispatched reporters to the United Arab Emirates for the first time.
"Good morning from Dubai," said Channel 13's Doron Herman, offering his Israeli audiences views of Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, and later, a peek at his cappuccino dusted in gold flakes.
"Welcome to the neighborhood," wrote United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Al Otaiba in Yediot Ahronot, an Israeli newspaper.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Emirati newspaper Al-Ittihad tweeted a video greeting card: "Shalom," says a young Emirati man in a traditional white kandora robe, speaking in fluent Hebrew as "Hava Nagila" plays in the background.
The deal is being touted as a win-win-win for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Emirati Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President Trump, who present it as a boon for business and geopolitical stability. For Israelis barred from most of the Middle East, the luxuries of Dubai and the prospect of greater acceptance in the region and access to the Emirati economy suddenly appear within reach. For Emiratis, the deal offers the possibility of U.S. weapons and access to Israeli technology know-how.
"It's new times," said mattress company owner Avi Barssessat, one of several Israeli businesspeople who are coming forward now about their years of secret trade with the Emirates. He sells his signature bigger-than-king-sized beds in Dubai — "you know, they live luxury life," he said — via Slovakia to hide their Israeli origins. Now he expects direct and booming trade with the Emirates. "I'm dying to go there," he said.
"A lot of my friends and families, they said enough is enough," Mahmood Alawadi, an Emirati journalist for the Arabic news site Elaph, told NPR. His father suffers from Parkinson's disease and hopes Israel's medical expertise may help him. "We want economy. We want stability in the region. Enough hatred."
Left out of the new relationship are the Palestinians, who lost major leverage: a prominent Arab country has now cracked the unified stance by nearly all Arab countries to withhold official relations with Israel until it resolves its conflict with the Palestinians.
The Palestinian Authority recalled its ambassador to the UAE in protest, and many Palestinians have accused the Emirates of betrayal.
"They are letting us down," said Palestinian pediatric oncologist Lama al-Akhras, outside a West Bank hospital emergency room bearing the name of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late Emirati leader who founded it.
"Making peace with Israel is not a bad idea at all. But peace not like this peace. Peace whereby you give me my country, you give me my rights. Not like this," said Palestinian hospital patient Ayman Ramiyeh.
On the flight to Abu Dhabi, NPR asked Kushner how Palestinians might fit into the Israel-UAE relationship. Kushner responded, "We can't want peace for them more than they want it for themselves. We have a good offer on the table and when they're ready, they'll call us. We are not going to pressure them, we are not going to pay them. We are focused on what we can do to make the lives of the Palestinian people better."
Israel and the UAE have never faced off on a battlefield. Instead, they have long shared quiet trade, security ties and a common enemy in Iran. The UAE has hosted Israeli athletes for competitions in recent years, too.
The Emirates said it will establish official ties with Israel in exchange for Israel shelving its West Bank annexation plans, though Israeli annexation had already been derailed by international and internal Israeli opposition. The Emirates now seeks F-35 fighter jets from the U.S., and finds President Trump — who boasts of a historic foreign policy win in the diplomatic deal as he seeks reelection — sympathetic.
The Emiratis are "buying a little bit of political risk insurance in the post-Trump era," says David Makovsky of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "If Trump does not win a second term ... what if the Democrats go back to reviving the Iranian nuclear deal? Will they somehow, as Gulf Arab states, feel marginalized, as American focus is elsewhere?"
Makovksy, whose podcast explores the Israeli leaders who made peace with Egypt and Jordan, said the Israel-UAE deal is an important achievement but bears little political risk for Netanyahu. The Israeli leader bills it as "peace for peace," boasting of forging ties with an Arab country without needing to surrender captured territory.
The enthusiasm is not universal among Israelis.
"When Netanyahu says it's peace for peace ... it's just a slogan, unless it goes deeper ... not just what's going on with who can buy weapons from whom," says Israeli yoga teacher Yoav Shamash, reflecting the skepticism Israelis have toward a peace deal based on geopolitical interests.
"This is like making peace with the moon. Who cares? Are we at war with Dubai? Do we have a shared border? No! It's like two kids fighting in kindergarten and telling the kid, make up with a kid at a different kindergarten," Eyal Berkovic, co-host of the popular Israeli TV talk show Ofira & Berkovic, said on a recent show.
It is harder to gauge the range of public opinion about the deal in the Emirates.
A Washington Institute poll conducted earlier this summer found 80% of Emiratis surveyed were opposed business and sports contacts with Israel. But when the deal was announced this month, if Emiratis opposed it, they hardly expressed their opposition on social media. Those who commented on the deal mostly offered support — even as anti-deal Twitter hashtags were trending in neighboring Gulf countries.
In a 2019 report, Human Rights Watch said the UAE "showed no tolerance for any manner of peaceful dissent."
An Emirati social scientist, who asked that NPR not use her name because she feared retribution from her government for speaking against the deal, told NPR that she and several other Emiratis made their Twitter accounts private when the deal was announced, out of concern that government agents would monitor their response to the normalization.
"This should have been a pan-Gulf decision, not one country's doing. It should have prioritized Palestinians. It was premature, especially when Netanyahu is the premier. It was the worst time," she says.
But Mina Al-Oraibi, the Iraqi-British editor-in-chief of The National, an Abu Dhabi-based newspaper, says Emiratis have high trust in their leadership and are evolving to accept ties with Israel.
"While the establishment of ties is incredibly big news, it still is something that I think has been worked towards," Al-Oraibi says. "It has been gradual for people culturally ... to be more accepting of it."


npr--2020-08-31--Coronavirus-Hit Brazil Considers Major Public Funds For Poor And Unemployed

Since he was laid off from a São Paulo auto repair shop in March , mechanic Edson Santana has struggled to find a job .
His fiancée , Jessica Andrade , has been unable to work for weeks because of lingering fatigue and shortness of breath after a case of COVID-19 .
But they 're pulling through with each receiving a pandemic emergency stipend of $ 109 per month .
`` We 've been able to manage , and I have been able to take care of her , '' Santana , 38 , says .
He says they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` He 's helping the neediest people .
It 's the right thing to do . ''
Pressured by civil society , the government launched the benefits in April as pandemic shutdowns were battering the nation 's already shaky economy .
As of July , they reached more than 30 million households — home to half the population of the largest country in Latin America — with an average monthly benefit of $ 163 per home .
Now the relief is also providing an unlikely popularity boost for Bolsonaro , a far-right president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protested measures to prevent what became one of the world 's largest coronavirus outbreaks .
Approval for Bolsonaro rose to 37 % in August from 32 % in June , according to pollster Datafolha , his highest rating since taking office in January 2019 .
Datafolha found that much of his increased popularity came from the demographic eligible for the new stipend .
Now , with the emergency stipend set to expire in September , Bolsonaro says his administration is planning a `` Brazil Income '' — an expansion of cash transfers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the country 's left .
Brazil is renowned for its massive , nearly 2-decade-old cash-transfer program for the poor , Bolsa Família ( often translated as `` family allowance '' ) .
As of March , it reached 13.8 million families , paying an average of $ 34 per month .
( The national minimum wage is about $ 190 per month . )
The emergency stipend greatly expanded the payment , raising meager incomes for many and replacing lost earnings for others .
Luis Carlos Aranha , 34 , a day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paulo state who received Bolsa Família before the pandemic , says what changed for him with the larger stipend was becoming able to `` buy food like fruit and ham for our daughters , instead of just rice and beans . ''
But the stipend was meant to be temporary .
Legislators from different parties are now pushing the Bolsonaro administration to launch broad , long-term income support for the poor .
While implementing a basic income could lift Bolsonaro 's popularity , it could also bring him to a crossroads regarding an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His economy minister , Paulo Guedes , trained at the University of Chicago with thinkers who helped direct the economic `` shock treatment '' of Chile 's Augusto Pinochet dictatorship .
That unleashed a spree of harsh government spending cuts and privatization to stem chronic inflation in Chile .
Bolsonaro 's pledges to dramatically slim down Brazil 's government won praise from investors .
Government economists predict the nation 's debt will reach about 95 % of gross domestic product with this year 's emergency budget .
But in 2021 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after President Dilma Rousseff of the Workers ' Party was impeached over fiscal issues in 2016 .
Guedes and business leaders have repeatedly warned that generous government spending should be kept in check to keep the economy stable and maintain investor confidence .
If Bolsonaro `` cedes to the populist temptation of irresponsible spending and breaks the rule of the ceiling , it could bring the country to a crisis like the one that we lived through in the Dilma [ Rousseff ] government , '' Fernando Schüler , a professor at business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week .
Bolsonaro 's economic team floated a `` Brazil Income '' proposal that would set the average Bolsa Família payment at around $ 46 per family , but Bolsonaro rejected it as too low .
Many lawmakers want a higher transfer amount to be available to a wider range of Brazilians after the pandemic assistance expires .
With a larger cash transfer , says congressman Felipe Rigoni , `` we can avoid millions of people falling into extreme poverty while also establishing security so they could train for better jobs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party , is a coordinator of a congressional bloc for basic income that formed last month with members from 23 of the 24 parties in Congress .
Rigoni says a robust basic income could stay within budget by cutting costs elsewhere .
Leandro Ferreira of the Brazilian Basic Income Network , a research group that 's advising the congressional bloc , says a guaranteed income for more than 30 % of Brazilians could be financed through measures such as closing tax loopholes for the rich .
Bolsonaro has displayed a new friendliness to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inaugurate public works in Brazil 's poor northeast , much in the style of his political nemesis , the Workers ' Party .
Gleicyelen Silva , a 25-year-old saleswoman in the northeastern state of Maranhão who voted for Bolsonaro , says she is not bothered by his apparent economic shift , adding that `` he is still very different from the Workers ' Party in that he stands for conservative Christian values . ''
There 's another group untroubled by Bolsonaro 's shift : the military , a major pillar of his support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cuts last year , military benefits remained largely untouched .
Bolsonaro 's economic legacy may thus end up looking less like Pinochet 's pro-market regime in Chile and more like a period during Brazil 's own military regime in which the government spent heavily .

Coronavirus-Hit Brazil Considers Major Public Funds For Poor And Unemployed
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bruna Prado/Getty Images Bruna Prado/Getty Images
Since he was laid off from a São Paulo auto repair shop in March, mechanic Edson Santana has struggled to find a job. His fiancée, Jessica Fernandes de Andrade, has been unable to work for weeks because of lingering fatigue and shortness of breath after a case of COVID-19.
But they're pulling through with each receiving a pandemic emergency stipend of $109 per month. "We've been able to manage, and I have been able to take care of her," Santana, 38, says.
He says they have Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to thank: "He's helping the neediest people. It's the right thing to do."
Pressured by civil society, the government launched the benefits in April as pandemic shutdowns were battering the nation's already shaky economy. As of July, they reached more than 30 million households — home to half the population of the largest country in Latin America — with an average monthly benefit of $163 per home. Now the relief is also providing an unlikely popularity boost for Bolsonaro, a far-right president who has insulted welfare recipients and who protested measures to prevent what became one of the world's largest coronavirus outbreaks.
Approval for Bolsonaro rose to 37% in August from 32% in June, according to pollster Datafolha, his highest rating since taking office in January 2019. Datafolha found that much of his increased popularity came from the demographic eligible for the new stipend.
Now, with the emergency stipend set to expire in September, Bolsonaro says his administration is planning a "Brazil Income" — an expansion of cash transfers to the poor that have been traditionally associated with the country's left.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kiko Sierich/Getty Images Kiko Sierich/Getty Images
Family allowance
Brazil is renowned for its massive, nearly 2-decade-old cash-transfer program for the poor, Bolsa Família (often translated as "family allowance"). As of March, it reached 13.8 million families, paying an average of $34 per month. (The national minimum wage is about $190 per month.)
The emergency stipend greatly expanded the payment, raising meager incomes for many and replacing lost earnings for others.
Luis Carlos Aranha, 34, a day laborer in a small town in São Paulo state who received Bolsa Família before the pandemic, says what changed for him with the larger stipend was becoming able to "buy food like fruit and ham for our daughters, instead of just rice and beans."
But the stipend was meant to be temporary. Legislators from different parties are now pushing the Bolsonaro administration to launch broad, long-term income support for the poor.
Whither the Chicago school
While implementing a basic income could lift Bolsonaro's popularity, it could also bring him to a crossroads regarding an election promise to keep a tight budget.
His economy minister, Paulo Guedes, trained at the University of Chicago with thinkers who helped direct the economic "shock treatment" of Chile's Augusto Pinochet dictatorship. That unleashed a spree of harsh government spending cuts and privatization to stem chronic inflation in Chile. Bolsonaro's pledges to dramatically slim down Brazil's government won praise from investors.
Government economists predict the nation's debt will reach about 95% of gross domestic product with this year's emergency budget. But in 2021, the government risks exceeding a spending limit imposed after President Dilma Rousseff of the Workers' Party was impeached over fiscal issues in 2016.
Guedes and business leaders have repeatedly warned that generous government spending should be kept in check to keep the economy stable and maintain investor confidence.
If Bolsonaro "cedes to the populist temptation of irresponsible spending and breaks the rule of the ceiling, it could bring the country to a crisis like the one that we lived through in the Dilma [Rousseff] government," Fernando Schüler, a professor at business school Insper, wrote in an op-ed last week.
Bolsonaro's economic team floated a "Brazil Income" proposal that would set the average Bolsa Família payment at around $46 per family, but Bolsonaro rejected it as too low.
Many lawmakers want a higher transfer amount to be available to a wider range of Brazilians after the pandemic assistance expires.
With a larger cash transfer, says congressman Felipe Rigoni, "we can avoid millions of people falling into extreme poverty while also establishing security so they could train for better jobs." Rigoni, of the Brazilian Socialist Party, is a coordinator of a congressional bloc for basic income that formed last month with members from 23 of the 24 parties in Congress.
Rigoni says a robust basic income could stay within budget by cutting costs elsewhere. Leandro Ferreira of the Brazilian Basic Income Network, a research group that's advising the congressional bloc, says a guaranteed income for more than 30% of Brazilians could be financed through measures such as closing tax loopholes for the rich.
Bolsonaro has displayed a new friendliness to social spending, including recent visits to inaugurate public works in Brazil's poor northeast, much in the style of his political nemesis, the Workers' Party.
Gleicyelen Silva, a 25-year-old saleswoman in the northeastern state of Maranhão who voted for Bolsonaro, says she is not bothered by his apparent economic shift, adding that "he is still very different from the Workers' Party in that he stands for conservative Christian values."
There's another group untroubled by Bolsonaro's shift: the military, a major pillar of his support. In a pension reform and budget cuts last year, military benefits remained largely untouched.
Bolsonaro's economic legacy may thus end up looking less like Pinochet's pro-market regime in Chile and more like a period during Brazil's own military regime in which the government spent heavily.


npr--2020-08-31--6 Million Coronavirus Infections Now Confirmed In U.S., A Country In Limbo

6 Million Coronavirus Infections Now Confirmed In U.S. , A Country In Limbo Updated at 1:15 p.m .
ET Fewer than eight months ago , the U.S. had yet to experience its first confirmed case of a deadly disease that was sweeping through China and threatening to go global .
Today , more than 6 million Americans have been infected with the coronavirus and some 183,000 have died from it , according to a tally maintained by Johns Hopkins University .
And while 6 million is the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. , experts warn that it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions more cases have not been recorded .
In June , the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Dr. Robert Redfield , estimated that for every case reported , there were 10 other infections .
Although the numbers of COVID-19 deaths each day have declined slightly in recent weeks , the U.S. continues to see about 42,000 new cases daily .
Several states , including Iowa , North Dakota , South Dakota and Hawaii , have reported a surge in new cases in recent days .
Dr. Scott Gottlieb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commissioner , said the numbers are concerning .
`` August should have been a slow month .
We should have seen infection levels come down in July and August .
They did n't .
We saw an epidemic cross over the Sun Belt , and we saw infections actually increase , '' he told CBS ' Face the Nation on Sunday .
Still , he said there are some positive trends : a decline in case numbers and hospitalizations .
But Gottlieb warned that the months ahead will be challenging : `` As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids back to school , people start to return to work , we 're likely to see infections start to go up again . ''
That has been true at colleges around the country .
Some universities reopened for in-person classes , only to see immediate outbreaks on campus .
The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa reported more than 1,000 student cases since Aug. 18 , the day before the school reopened .
The University of Missouri now has more than 300 active cases among students .
The University of North Carolina at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them tested positive in the first week of classes .
At Georgia College , more than 550 cases have been reported since June 18 .
There have been some medical advances in recent months that have helped health care professionals save lives of those who get the disease .
For instance , early studies found the antiviral drug remdesivir can help some hospitalized patients with COVID-19 recover faster .
The steroid dexamethasone was found to reduce mortality , according to a study in the United Kingdom .
Convalescent plasma has also shown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FDA has issued an emergency use authorization , but the Trump administration has come under criticism for overselling its effectiveness .
Some doctors are also putting seriously ill patients on their stomachs because it can help them breathe .
Many of the issues that the U.S. saw early on in the pandemic persist : shortages of masks and protective gear , testing backlogs , the politicization of masks , scorn and threats aimed at public health officials .
Meanwhile , the disease has crippled the U.S. economy , leading to massive layoffs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Depression , and has helped fuel civil unrest across the country .
Unemployment has skyrocketed .
After hitting 14.7 % in April , the unemployment rate is still above 10 % .
Nearly 30 million Americans are receiving unemployment benefits .
But the economic pain is spread unevenly .
While the country is in a recession and many people are out of work , home sales are booming and the stock market has rebounded .
Parents are struggling to juggle jobs and child care as students start the school year learning at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live with their parents and trying to find jobs in a suddenly weakened economy .
Many people , including the elderly , are dealing with isolation and loneliness as the necessity of social distancing makes normal interactions more difficult .
The ongoing stress of the pandemic is taking a toll on Americans ' mental health .
More than 1 in 3 Americans reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in a recent pulse survey by the U.S. Census Bureau .
A year ago , that figure was 1 in 10 .
The U.S. is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Worldwide , the number of confirmed cases has surpassed 25 million , with more than 846,000 deaths .
Some countries found early success in controlling the virus , only to be faced with a fresh wave of cases now .
India has become a new epicenter for the disease , with 78,000 new cases reported Saturday .
The country went into lockdown in March , followed by an easing of restrictions in June when its case numbers were relatively low .
The virus is now surging there , with daily cases outpacing those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France came out of two months of lockdown in mid-May during which its cases and deaths were largely brought under control .
But on Friday , the country saw its highest case count since March , and masks are now required in Paris and its suburbs .
A successful vaccine could help life return to normal — though there are concerns that the process of bringing a vaccine to market in the U.S. will be complicated by politics .
`` We have two ways out of this pandemic .
One is hygienic measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good at — and two is the vaccine , '' Paul Offit , a vaccine developer at Children 's Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the FDA 's vaccine advisory committee , recently told NPR 's Joe Palca .
`` The vaccine is our best way out of it at this point , '' Offit said .
`` And to shake the American confidence further with either an unsafe or ineffective vaccine would be , I think , a disaster . ''

6 Million Coronavirus Infections Now Confirmed In U.S., A Country In Limbo
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 1:15 p.m. ET
Fewer than eight months ago, the U.S. had yet to experience its first confirmed case of a deadly disease that was sweeping through China and threatening to go global. Today, more than 6 million Americans have been infected with the coronavirus and some 183,000 have died from it, according to a tally maintained by Johns Hopkins University.
And while 6 million is the number of confirmed cases in the U.S., experts warn that it is an undercount. Epidemiologists said tens of millions more cases have not been recorded. In June, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert Redfield, estimated that for every case reported, there were 10 other infections.
Although the numbers of COVID-19 deaths each day have declined slightly in recent weeks, the U.S. continues to see about 42,000 new cases daily. Several states, including Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Hawaii, have reported a surge in new cases in recent days.
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, said the numbers are concerning.
"August should have been a slow month. We should have seen infection levels come down in July and August. They didn't. We saw an epidemic cross over the Sun Belt, and we saw infections actually increase," he told CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday.
Still, he said there are some positive trends: a decline in case numbers and hospitalizations.
But Gottlieb warned that the months ahead will be challenging: "As we head into September and October, kids back to school, people start to return to work, we're likely to see infections start to go up again."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Elaine Thompson/AP Elaine Thompson/AP
That has been true at colleges around the country. Some universities reopened for in-person classes, only to see immediate outbreaks on campus.
The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa reported more than 1,000 student cases since Aug. 18, the day before the school reopened. The University of Missouri now has more than 300 active cases among students. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sent students home after 130 of them tested positive in the first week of classes. At Georgia College, more than 550 cases have been reported since June 18.
There have been some medical advances in recent months that have helped health care professionals save lives of those who get the disease.
For instance, early studies found the antiviral drug remdesivir can help some hospitalized patients with COVID-19 recover faster. The steroid dexamethasone was found to reduce mortality, according to a study in the United Kingdom. Convalescent plasma has also shown some benefit in reducing mortality. The FDA has issued an emergency use authorization, but the Trump administration has come under criticism for overselling its effectiveness. Some doctors are also putting seriously ill patients on their stomachs because it can help them breathe.
Many of the issues that the U.S. saw early on in the pandemic persist: shortages of masks and protective gear, testing backlogs, the politicization of masks, scorn and threats aimed at public health officials.
Meanwhile, the disease has crippled the U.S. economy, leading to massive layoffs and business closures not seen since the Great Depression, and has helped fuel civil unrest across the country.
Unemployment has skyrocketed. After hitting 14.7% in April, the unemployment rate is still above 10%. Nearly 30 million Americans are receiving unemployment benefits.
But the economic pain is spread unevenly. While the country is in a recession and many people are out of work, home sales are booming and the stock market has rebounded.
Parents are struggling to juggle jobs and child care as students start the school year learning at home. Young people are moving home to live with their parents and trying to find jobs in a suddenly weakened economy. Many people, including the elderly, are dealing with isolation and loneliness as the necessity of social distancing makes normal interactions more difficult.
The ongoing stress of the pandemic is taking a toll on Americans' mental health. More than 1 in 3 Americans reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in a recent pulse survey by the U.S. Census Bureau. A year ago, that figure was 1 in 10.
The U.S. is far from the only nation struggling. Worldwide, the number of confirmed cases has surpassed 25 million, with more than 846,000 deaths.
Some countries found early success in controlling the virus, only to be faced with a fresh wave of cases now.
India has become a new epicenter for the disease, with 78,000 new cases reported Saturday. The country went into lockdown in March, followed by an easing of restrictions in June when its case numbers were relatively low. The virus is now surging there, with daily cases outpacing those in both the U.S. and Brazil.
France came out of two months of lockdown in mid-May during which its cases and deaths were largely brought under control. But on Friday, the country saw its highest case count since March, and masks are now required in Paris and its suburbs.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
A successful vaccine could help life return to normal — though there are concerns that the process of bringing a vaccine to market in the U.S. will be complicated by politics.
"We have two ways out of this pandemic. One is hygienic measures — which we don't seem very good at — and two is the vaccine," Paul Offit, a vaccine developer at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the FDA's vaccine advisory committee, recently told NPR's Joe Palca.
"The vaccine is our best way out of it at this point," Offit said. "And to shake the American confidence further with either an unsafe or ineffective vaccine would be, I think, a disaster."


npr--2020-08-31--Biden: Trump 'Can't Stop The Violence Because For Years He Has Fomented It'

Biden : Trump 'Ca n't Stop The Violence Because For Years He Has Fomented It' Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Monday forcefully pushed back against President Trump 's campaign message that voters would n't be safe under a Biden administration .
`` The simple truth is Donald Trump failed to protect America .
So now he 's trying to scare America , '' Biden said in remarks at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh .
Biden called Trump power hungry and lambasted the president for what Biden sees as a lack of moral leadership — a common refrain from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We are facing multiple crises — crises that , under Donald Trump , keep multiplying , '' Biden said .
`` COVID , economic devastation , unwarranted police violence , emboldened white nationalists , a reckoning on race , declining faith in a bright American future .
The common thread ?
An incumbent president who makes things worse , not better .
An incumbent president who sows chaos rather than providing order . ''
Biden 's trip to Pennsylvania comes amid national protests in response to police violence and the recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Wis. That shooting has led to several days of unrest in the city , which resulted in the shooting deaths of two people , allegedly by an armed vigilante .
In Portland , Ore. , a man was fatally shot during a night of confrontations between Trump supporters and counterprotesters .
`` [ Trump ] ca n't stop the violence because for years he has fomented it , '' Biden said .
`` He may believe mouthing the words 'law and order ' makes him strong , but his failure to call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an armed militia in this country shows how weak he is . ''
Trump , who will travel to Kenosha Tuesday and then Latrobe , Pa. , on Thursday , apparently watched Biden 's remarks and tweeted that in his view , Biden is `` blaming the Police far more than he 's blaming the Rioters , Anarchists , Agitators , and Looters . ''
( Biden told reporters after the event that he hopes to soon be able to go to Kenosha as well . )
Trump continues to present himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president , a message that was front and center during last week 's Republican National Convention .
In a statement after Biden 's remarks , Tim Murtaugh , the Trump campaign 's communications director , said : `` As predicted , Joe Biden today failed to condemn the left-wing mobs burning , looting , and terrorizing American cities . ''
But Biden indeed doubled down on an earlier statement condemning the violence that has come out of various protests , saying on Monday : `` Rioting is not protesting .
Looting is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
None of this is protesting .
It 's lawlessness , plain and simple . ''
He added that those who loot and burn buildings should be prosecuted .
`` You know my heart , '' Biden added in Pittsburgh .
`` You know my story , my family 's story .
Ask yourself : Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters ?
Really ?
I want a safe America , safe from COVID , safe from crime and looting , safe from racially motivated violence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Trump looks at instances of violence as his `` political lifeline . ''
`` He keeps telling you if only he was president , it would n't happen , '' Biden said .
`` If he was president , you 'd feel safe .
Well , he is president , whether he knows it or not .
And it is happening .
It 's getting worse , and you know why ?
Because Donald Trump adds fuel to every fire . ''
Biden argued that he would be able to unite the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would abandon the divisive language Trump uses and get both police and those fighting for racial justice to the table to bring about lasting change .
Biden then seemingly tried to use Trump 's tactics against him , saying the real fear that Americans feel comes from the destabilization that has happened because of Trump 's handling of the coronavirus pandemic , his plans to undermine Social Security programs and his relationship with leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin .
`` Never before has an American president played such a subservient role to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only dangerous — it 's humiliating and embarrassing for the rest of the world to see .
It weakens us , '' Biden said .

Biden: Trump 'Can't Stop The Violence Because For Years He Has Fomented It'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 4:44 p.m. ET
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Monday forcefully pushed back against President Trump's campaign message that voters wouldn't be safe under a Biden administration.
"The simple truth is Donald Trump failed to protect America. So now he's trying to scare America," Biden said in remarks at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
Biden called Trump power hungry and lambasted the president for what Biden sees as a lack of moral leadership — a common refrain from the former vice president on the campaign trail.
"We are facing multiple crises — crises that, under Donald Trump, keep multiplying," Biden said. "COVID, economic devastation, unwarranted police violence, emboldened white nationalists, a reckoning on race, declining faith in a bright American future. The common thread? An incumbent president who makes things worse, not better. An incumbent president who sows chaos rather than providing order."
Biden's trip to Pennsylvania comes amid national protests in response to police violence and the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis. That shooting has led to several days of unrest in the city, which resulted in the shooting deaths of two people, allegedly by an armed vigilante. In Portland, Ore., a man was fatally shot during a night of confrontations between Trump supporters and counterprotesters.
"[Trump] can't stop the violence because for years he has fomented it," Biden said. "He may believe mouthing the words 'law and order' makes him strong, but his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows how weak he is."
Trump, who will travel to Kenosha Tuesday and then Latrobe, Pa., on Thursday, apparently watched Biden's remarks and tweeted that in his view, Biden is "blaming the Police far more than he's blaming the Rioters, Anarchists, Agitators, and Looters." (Biden told reporters after the event that he hopes to soon be able to go to Kenosha as well.)
Trump continues to present himself as a "tough on crime" president, a message that was front and center during last week's Republican National Convention.
In a statement after Biden's remarks, Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign's communications director, said: "As predicted, Joe Biden today failed to condemn the left-wing mobs burning, looting, and terrorizing American cities."
But Biden indeed doubled down on an earlier statement condemning the violence that has come out of various protests, saying on Monday: "Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting. None of this is protesting. It's lawlessness, plain and simple."
He added that those who loot and burn buildings should be prosecuted.
"You know my heart," Biden added in Pittsburgh. "You know my story, my family's story. Ask yourself: Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really? I want a safe America, safe from COVID, safe from crime and looting, safe from racially motivated violence, safe from bad cops."
Biden said Trump looks at instances of violence as his "political lifeline."
"He keeps telling you if only he was president, it wouldn't happen," Biden said. "If he was president, you'd feel safe. Well, he is president, whether he knows it or not. And it is happening. It's getting worse, and you know why? Because Donald Trump adds fuel to every fire."
Biden argued that he would be able to unite the country and foster healing, saying he would abandon the divisive language Trump uses and get both police and those fighting for racial justice to the table to bring about lasting change.
Biden then seemingly tried to use Trump's tactics against him, saying the real fear that Americans feel comes from the destabilization that has happened because of Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, his plans to undermine Social Security programs and his relationship with leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Never before has an American president played such a subservient role to a Russian leader. It's not only dangerous — it's humiliating and embarrassing for the rest of the world to see. It weakens us," Biden said.


npr--2020-08-31--Officials Identify Slain Portland Trump Supporter, President Threatens Intervention

After violence Saturday night in Portland , Ore. , left a man dead , President Trump responded by threatening to take unspecified action in the city .
In one of several tweets Monday morning , Trump said , `` Portland is a mess , and it has been for many years .
If this joke of a mayor does n't clean it up , we will go in and do it for them ! ''
The tweet came after clashes between Trump supporters , who entered the city in a caravan of hundreds of trucks , and Black Lives Matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man who was killed as Aaron J. Danielson on Monday evening ; they are still investigating possible shooters and motives .
Danielson reportedly was a supporter of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer .
Trump on Sunday tweeted his support for the pro-Trump activists , calling them `` GREAT PATRIOTS . ''
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler , a Democrat , on Sunday blamed Trump for the violence .
`` Do you seriously wonder , Mr. President , '' he asked , `` why this is the first time in decades that America has seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you who have created the hate and the division . ''
Trump has been using violence in Portland ; Kenosha , Wis. ; and elsewhere as a campaign issue , calling for law and order and falsely accusing Democratic opponent Joe Biden of failing to condemn the actions .
In an event in Pittsburgh on Monday , Biden lambasted the president , saying that Trump `` sows chaos rather than providing order . ''
`` [ Trump ] ca n't stop the violence because for years he has fomented it , '' Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the words 'law and order ' makes him strong , but his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows you how weak he is . ''
On Tuesday , Trump plans to visit Kenosha , where Jacob Blake , a Black man , was seriously wounded by police last week .
In a subsequent protest , two demonstrators were shot and killed and a third wounded ; a 17-year-old has been charged with homicide .
Asked during a Monday press briefing whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during his Tuesday visit , the president said he would not , citing a wariness of attending a meeting with the family 's attorney .
When asked if he condemned the Kenosha shooter 's actions , Trump declined to outright denounce him , saying that the gunman 's actions appeared to be self defense .
`` He was trying to get away from them , I guess , it looks like , '' Trump said , noting the incident was under investigation .
`` I guess he was in very big trouble .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Wisconsin Gov .
Tony Evers has urged Trump not to come to Kenosha , saying , `` I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing . ''
`` It is a sad state of affairs when Governor Evers asks the president of the United States to stay out of Wisconsin , '' he said .
`` Throughout this rolling tragedy , I 've pleaded for calm but also for political leadership that provides the resolve and manpower to end the rioting and allow the safe reopening of downtown Kenosha .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday .

Officials Identify Slain Portland Trump Supporter; President Threatens Intervention
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Rudoff/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images John Rudoff/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Updated at 6:50 p.m. ET
After violence Saturday night in Portland, Ore., left a man dead, President Trump responded by threatening to take unspecified action in the city.
In one of several tweets Monday morning, Trump said, "Portland is a mess, and it has been for many years. If this joke of a mayor doesn't clean it up, we will go in and do it for them!"
The tweet came after clashes between Trump supporters, who entered the city in a caravan of hundreds of trucks, and Black Lives Matter demonstrators.
Portland police officially identified the man who was killed as Aaron J. Danielson on Monday evening; they are still investigating possible shooters and motives. Danielson reportedly was a supporter of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer.
Trump on Sunday tweeted his support for the pro-Trump activists, calling them "GREAT PATRIOTS."
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, on Sunday blamed Trump for the violence. "Do you seriously wonder, Mr. President," he asked, "why this is the first time in decades that America has seen this level of violence? It's you who have created the hate and the division."
Trump has been using violence in Portland; Kenosha, Wis.; and elsewhere as a campaign issue, calling for law and order and falsely accusing Democratic opponent Joe Biden of failing to condemn the actions.
In an event in Pittsburgh on Monday, Biden lambasted the president, saying that Trump "sows chaos rather than providing order."
"[Trump] can't stop the violence because for years he has fomented it," Biden said. "He may believe mouthing the words 'law and order' makes him strong, but his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows you how weak he is."
On Tuesday, Trump plans to visit Kenosha, where Jacob Blake, a Black man, was seriously wounded by police last week. In a subsequent protest, two demonstrators were shot and killed and a third wounded; a 17-year-old has been charged with homicide.
Asked during a Monday press briefing whether he would meet with Blake's family during his Tuesday visit, the president said he would not, citing a wariness of attending a meeting with the family's attorney.
When asked if he condemned the Kenosha shooter's actions, Trump declined to outright denounce him, saying that the gunman's actions appeared to be self defense.
"He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like," Trump said, noting the incident was under investigation."I guess he was in very big trouble. He probably would have been killed."
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has urged Trump not to come to Kenosha, saying, "I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing."
In a statement, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., pushed back on Evers.
"It is a sad state of affairs when Governor Evers asks the president of the United States to stay out of Wisconsin," he said. "Throughout this rolling tragedy, I've pleaded for calm but also for political leadership that provides the resolve and manpower to end the rioting and allow the safe reopening of downtown Kenosha."
Johnson said he will welcome Trump on Tuesday.