npr--2020-12-07--'Fauci Effect' Drives Record Number Of Medical School Applications

When COVID-19 restrictions reduced his work schedule at the National Institutes of Health , Sam Smith decided to turn to another time-consuming job : applying to medical school .
He 'd always wanted to go into medicine , but what was happening in the world had a big impact on the kind of medicine he hopes to practice .
Now Smith wants to specialize in infectious diseases .
The experience of the last year `` makes me think , there 's probably going to be another pandemic '' in the future , said Smith , 25 .
`` So I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the next one . ''
Even as college and university enrollment overall has dropped this fall , Smith is part of a wave of what officials say is a record number of applicants to medical school .
The number of applicants is up 18 % this year over last year , according to the Association of American Medical Colleges , or AAMC , driven by the example of medical workers and public health figures such as Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Young , the AAMC 's senior director for student affairs and programs , who compares it to another response to a traumatic moment in American history : the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 , 2001 .
`` After [ Sept. 11 ] , there was a huge increase in the number of men and women that were entering into the military , '' Young said .
`` So far in my lifetime , at least , and for as long as I 've been in medical education , that 's the only comparison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University School of Medicine reports a 50 % jump in the number of applications , or 11,000 applications for 90 seats .
Boston University School of Medicine says applications are up 27 % , to 12,024 for about 110 seats .
`` That , I think , may have a lot to do with the fact that people look at Anthony Fauci , look at the doctors in their community and say , 'You know , that is amazing .
This is a way for me to make a difference , ' '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admissions at the school of medicine at BU .
Medical school admissions officers have started calling this the Fauci Effect .
It 's `` very flattering , '' Fauci said .
`` Probably a more realistic assessment is that , rather than the Fauci Effect , it 's the effect of a physician who is trying to and hopefully succeeding in having an important impact on an individual 's health , as well as on global health .
So if it works to get more young individuals into medical school , go ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guest . ''
Among other reasons admissions officials cite for the increase in prospective medical students is that the pandemic has given people more free time to complete the arduous application process .
`` A lot of the plans they made postgrad honestly fell through , '' said Sahil Mehta , a practicing radiologist and founder of MedSchoolCoach , which prepares students for the Medical College Admission Test , or MCAT .
When the dermatology practice where she was working as a medical assistant shut down temporarily because of COVID , Mary Grace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MCAT and improved her score .
`` This is a perfect time of no distractions , '' said Kelley , 23 , who lives in the Boston suburbs and is applying to medical schools this year .
The deluge of applications comes as the nation faces a projected shortage of physicians .
The United States will be short 54,100 to 139,000 physicians by 2033 , the AAMC estimates .
More than two out of every five doctors now practicing will reach retirement age over the next 10 years .
Thirty-five percent of registered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 'd had trouble finding a doctor , up from 25 % in 2015 .
Medical school graduates finish with a staggering $ 241,560 of student loan debt , on average , according to the National Center for Education Statistics , discouraging many would-be doctors .
Eight percent of medical students are Black and 7 % Hispanic , both proportions smaller than their share of the population .
( Ten percent identify themselves as multiracial . )
`` I do think that the debt probably scares off some people , '' said Goodell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Council on Graduate Medical Education .
This year 's many medical school applicants appear undeterred .
`` Everyone feels some sort of responsibility , '' Kelley said .
`` There 's definitely a call to arms thinking that , if there 's another pandemic , it 'll be up to us . ''
Fauci said he sees the flood of medical school applicants as a sign that people are thinking about social justice — `` that you have responsibility not only to yourself , but as an integral part of society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trend will counterbalance and `` maybe would even overcome the other side of the coin , which is the really somewhat stunning and disturbing fact that people have no regard at all for society , only just focusing very selfishly on themselves . ''
This was produced by The Hechinger Report in collaboration with GBH Boston .
Additional reporting by Kirk Carapezza .

'Fauci Effect' Drives Record Number Of Medical School Applications
Enlarge this image toggle caption Meredith Nierman Meredith Nierman
When COVID-19 restrictions reduced his work schedule at the National Institutes of Health, Sam Smith decided to turn to another time-consuming job: applying to medical school.
He'd always wanted to go into medicine, but what was happening in the world had a big impact on the kind of medicine he hopes to practice. Now Smith wants to specialize in infectious diseases.
The experience of the past year "makes me think, there's probably going to be another pandemic" in the future, said Smith, 25. "So I want to be on the front lines of the next one."
Even as college and university enrollment overall has dropped this fall, Smith is part of a wave of what officials say is a record number of applicants to medical school.
The number of applicants is up 18% this year over last year, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, or AAMC, driven by the example of medical workers and public health figures such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Health COVID-19 Survivor Thanks 116 Doctors, Nurses Who Saved His Life COVID-19 Survivor Thanks 116 Doctors, Nurses Who Saved His Life Listen · 10:45 10:45
"It's unprecedented," said Geoffrey Young, the AAMC's senior director for student affairs and programs, who compares it to another response to a traumatic moment in American history: the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"After [Sept. 11], there was a huge increase in the number of men and women that were entering into the military," Young said. "So far in my lifetime, at least, and for as long as I've been in medical education, that's the only comparison that I could make."
Stanford University School of Medicine reports a 50% jump in the number of applications, or 11,000 applications for 90 seats. Boston University School of Medicine says applications are up 27%, to 12,024 for about 110 seats.
"That, I think, may have a lot to do with the fact that people look at Anthony Fauci, look at the doctors in their community and say, 'You know, that is amazing. This is a way for me to make a difference,'" said Kristen Goodell, associate dean of admissions at the school of medicine at BU.
Medical school admissions officers have started calling this the Fauci Effect.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Meredith Nierman Meredith Nierman
It's "very flattering," Fauci said. "Probably a more realistic assessment is that, rather than the Fauci Effect, it's the effect of a physician who is trying to and hopefully succeeding in having an important impact on an individual's health, as well as on global health. So if it works to get more young individuals into medical school, go ahead and use my name. Be my guest."
Among other reasons admissions officials cite for the increase in prospective medical students is that the pandemic has given people more free time to complete the arduous application process.
"A lot of the plans they made postgrad honestly fell through," said Sahil Mehta, a practicing radiologist and founder of MedSchoolCoach, which prepares students for the Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT.
When the dermatology practice where she was working as a medical assistant shut down temporarily because of COVID-19, Mary Grace Kelley had the chance to retake the MCAT and improved her score.
"This is a perfect time of no distractions," said Kelley, 23, who lives in the Boston suburbs and is applying to medical schools this year.
The deluge of applications comes as the nation faces a projected shortage of physicians.
The United States will be short 54,100 to 139,000 physicians by 2033, the AAMC estimates. More than two out of every five doctors now practicing will reach retirement age over the next 10 years.
Thirty-five percent of registered voters in a survey last year said they'd had trouble finding a doctor, up from 25% in 2015.
Medical school graduates finish with a staggering $241,560 of student loan debt, on average, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, discouraging many would-be doctors.
Eight percent of medical students are Black and 7% Hispanic, both proportions smaller than their share of the population. (Ten percent identify themselves as multiracial.)
"I do think that the debt probably scares off some people," said Goodell, who is also a former chair of the Council on Graduate Medical Education.
This year's many medical school applicants appear undeterred.
"Everyone feels some sort of responsibility," Kelley said. "There's definitely a call to arms thinking that, if there's another pandemic, it'll be up to us."
Fauci said he sees the flood of medical school applicants as a sign that people are thinking about social justice — "that you have responsibility not only to yourself, but as an integral part of society."
He said he hopes the trend will counterbalance and "maybe would even overcome the other side of the coin, which is the really somewhat stunning and disturbing fact that people have no regard at all for society, only just focusing very selfishly on themselves."
This was produced by The Hechinger Report in collaboration with GBH Boston. Additional reporting by Kirk Carapezza.


npr--2020-12-07--Biden Names Health Secretary, COVID Czar, Other Key Members To Health Team

President-elect Joe Biden on Monday announced the team he would like to lead his response to the nation 's greatest public health crisis in a century once he takes office in January .
Biden said in a statement that he will nominate Xavier Becerra to lead the sprawling Health and Human Services Department .
Becerra is California 's attorney general and has led prominent legal fights against President Trump 's efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act .
Becerra would be the first Latino to lead HHS , the Biden transition team said in a statement .
Biden said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Walensky is chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital and a Harvard Medical School professor .
Biden selected Jeff Zients to be the White House coordinator of the coronavirus response , a point person for efforts by agencies and state and local governments on vaccine distribution and supply chain issues .
Zients , a veteran of the Obama administration with extensive business ties , is known for having spearheaded the work to fix the healthcare.gov website used to sign up for Obamacare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden also said he would nominate Dr. Vivek Murthy as surgeon general .
Murthy has been a key coronavirus adviser to Biden , regularly briefing him on the pandemic during his campaign and the transition .
Murthy was surgeon general during the Obama administration .
Murthy faced pushback when Obama nominated him for the job after the National Rifle Association raised alarms about his support for an assault weapons ban .
In his confirmation hearing , when asked about this , Murthy insisted he intended to use his platform as surgeon general not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draw attention to obesity prevention .
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith , director of the Equity Research and Innovation Center at Yale School of Medicine , will lead a new task force aimed at reducing disparities in response , care and treatment for COVID-19 , the Biden team said .
The appointments help round out Biden 's team charged with addressing the pressing COVID-19 crisis .
On Thursday , Biden announced that Dr. Anthony Fauci would continue his role as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases while also serving as his @ @ @ @ @ @

Biden Names Health Secretary, COVID Czar, Other Key Members To Health Team
Enlarge this image toggle caption Stephen Lam/Getty Images Stephen Lam/Getty Images
President-elect Joe Biden on Monday announced the team he would like to lead his response to the nation's greatest public health crisis in a century once he takes office in January.
Biden said in a statement that he will nominate Xavier Becerra to lead the sprawling Health and Human Services Department. Becerra is California's attorney general and has led prominent legal fights against President Trump's efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Becerra would be the first Latino to lead HHS, the Biden transition team said in a statement.
Biden said he would nominate Dr. Rochelle Walensky as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Walensky is chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital and a Harvard Medical School professor.
Biden selected Jeff Zients to be the White House coordinator of the coronavirus response, a point person for efforts by agencies and state and local governments on vaccine distribution and supply chain issues. Zients, a veteran of the Obama administration with extensive business ties, is known for having spearheaded the work to fix the healthcare.gov website used to sign up for Obamacare after its disastrous rollout in 2013.
Biden also said he would nominate Dr. Vivek Murthy as surgeon general. Murthy has been a key coronavirus adviser to Biden, regularly briefing him on the pandemic during his campaign and the transition. Murthy was surgeon general during the Obama administration.
Murthy faced pushback when Obama nominated him for the job after the National Rifle Association raised alarms about his support for an assault weapons ban. In his confirmation hearing, when asked about this, Murthy insisted he intended to use his platform as surgeon general not to push for gun control but to draw attention to obesity prevention.
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, director of the Equity Research and Innovation Center at Yale School of Medicine, will lead a new task force aimed at reducing disparities in response, care and treatment for COVID-19, the Biden team said.
The appointments help round out Biden's team charged with addressing the pressing COVID-19 crisis. On Thursday, Biden announced that Dr. Anthony Fauci would continue his role as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases while also serving as his chief medical adviser on COVID-19.


npr--2020-12-07--Navajo Nation Extends Lockdown Due To "Dire" Surge Of Coronavirus

Citing an `` uncontrolled spread '' of coronavirus across 75 of its communities , the Navajo Nation expanded its current lockdown by three weeks in an attempt to clamp down on the spread of the virus .
The order , a continuation of the Nov. 16 mandate , remains in place from Monday until Dec. 28 .
The government previously ordered a lockdown for the nation of over 170,000 between March and August .
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez warned in a statement Sunday the situation is severe .
He said , `` We are near a point where our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make very difficult decisions in terms of providing medical treatment to COVID-19 patients with very limited resources such as hospital beds , oxygen resources , medical personnel , and little to no options to transport patients to other regional hospitals because they are also near full capacity . ''
Nez warned that this second wave is `` much more dire and much more severe '' than the first outbreaks in April and May .
The order requires residents to stay home with an exception for essential workers .
Nonessential businesses remain shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Residents are also urged not to meet with anyone outside of their households .
The reservation is also implementing strict weekend lockdowns from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m .
The Navajo Nation Department of Health has reported a total of 17,915 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Dec. 6 , within the community which spreads across parts of Arizona , New Mexico and Utah .
The current cluster of cases is a `` direct result of family gatherings and off-Reservation travel , '' according to Sunday 's order .
The order comes as cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just last week the country surpassed a new daily record of more than 100,000 coronavirus hospitalizations and more than 2,700 deaths from the disease it causes , COVID-19 .
The Navajo Nation continues to have some of the highest infection rates compared to other states .
In May , it had the highest per-capita infection rate in the U.S .

Navajo Nation Extends Lockdown Due To "Dire" Surge Of Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images
Citing an "uncontrolled spread" of coronavirus across 75 of its communities, the Navajo Nation expanded its current lockdown by three weeks in an attempt to clamp down on the spread of the virus.
The order, a continuation of the Nov. 16 mandate, remains in place from Monday until Dec. 28. The government previously ordered a lockdown for the nation of over 170,000 between March and August.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez warned in a statement Sunday the situation is severe.
He said, "We are near a point where our health care providers are going to have to make very difficult decisions in terms of providing medical treatment to COVID-19 patients with very limited resources such as hospital beds, oxygen resources, medical personnel, and little to no options to transport patients to other regional hospitals because they are also near full capacity."
Nez warned that this second wave is "much more dire and much more severe" than the first outbreaks in April and May.
The order requires residents to stay home with an exception for essential workers. Nonessential businesses remain shut and roads are closed to visitors. Residents are also urged not to meet with anyone outside of their households. The reservation is also implementing strict weekend lockdowns from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m.
The Navajo Nation Department of Health has reported a total of 17,915 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Dec. 6, within the community which spreads across parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. The current cluster of cases is a "direct result of family gatherings and off-Reservation travel," according to Sunday's order.
The order comes as cases of coronavirus are increasing across the U.S. Just last week the country surpassed a new daily record of more than 100,000 coronavirus hospitalizations and more than 2,700 deaths from the disease it causes, COVID-19.
The Navajo Nation continues to have some of the highest infection rates compared to other states. In May, it had the highest per-capita infection rate in the U.S.


npr--2020-12-06--California Residents Under Strict Stay-At-Home Orders Through Christmas

Nearly 85 % of California residents are now under sweeping new restrictions as the state 's struggles to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control .
The new restrictions come as coronavirus cases continue to surge and while the state 's intensive care capacity has neared dangerously low levels .
Residents in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley are under a stay-at-home order through the Christmas holiday as of 11:59 Sunday evening .
The order means strict new closures for many businesses and a ban on gatherings with people outside your immediate household in two regions of the state that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
The order will be in effect for at least three weeks .
The order was triggered after ICU capacity in the two regions fell below a 15 % threshold announced this past week by Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
In Southern California , the rate fell to 12.5 % , while in the San Joaquin Valley it had dipped to 8.6 % , state health officials announced Saturday .
`` Unlike previous surges , every hospital in California is under stress .
There is no place to transfer people if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Francisco Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón said .
`` Three-quarters of the state 's hospital beds are currently full . ''
The trend is expected to continue throughout the rest of the state within the next week or two .
`` We are at a tipping point in our fight against the virus , and we need to take decisive action now to prevent California 's hospital system from being overwhelmed in the coming weeks , '' the governor said ahead of Saturday 's announcement .
By invoking the order , Newsom said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as we 've done before and reduce stress on our health care system . ''
The order marks a dramatic shift for California , which for months had managed to avoid the worst of the virus relative to the rest of the United States .
Much of that success was owed to early action .
In March , the state ordered all 39.5 million of its residents to stay at home indefinitely in what was then the widest-ranging directive in the nation .
That order came at a time when California had roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As of Friday , the state had recorded more than 1.3 million cases and nearly 20,000 deaths .
The latest directive will be felt in nearly every aspect of daily life .
It asks residents to stay at home `` as much as possible '' and for `` 100 percent masking '' when they are outside .
Restaurants will be open only for takeout or pickup , while businesses such as hair and nail salons , movie theaters and bars will be closed .
Playgrounds , museums and zoos will be closed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will remain open , but capacity will be limited to 20 % .
Schools that are currently open will be allowed to continue in-person learning .
Places of worship will also be allowed to stay open , but only for outdoor services .
Many small business owners , like hairstylist , Rosey Ibarra , are angry with the new restrictions .
Ibarra , a hair stylist in Temecula in Southern California , said she is not closing her business .
`` I feel confident to properly and safely take care of my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` None of my clients have rescheduled , none of them feel that coming to my salon is going to be unsafe for them at this time . ''
The state has no easy way to enforce these new measures without the help of local police .
But that 's only an option if law enforcement is on board .
L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva expressed his reluctance to shut down individual businesses .
He said his focus will instead be on curbing `` super spreader '' events .
Newsom and health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep people home .
`` Staying home for three weeks is a sacrifice , but if every Californian did that for a month , we could stop this disease in its tracks , '' said Dr. Erica Pan , the state 's acting public health officer , when the restrictions were announced .
`` This public health order strikes the balance between saving lives , providing essential services that we all rely on and still allowing Californians to participate in lower-risk outdoor activities that are crucial for our physical and mental health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three other regions being tracked by the state — the Bay Area , Greater Sacramento and Northern California — ICU capacity was above 21 % .
Some areas , however , were n't waiting for ICU capacity to fall below the state 's threshold .
Los Angeles County adopted a stay-at-home order late last month , and on Friday , health officials in five of the 11 counties that make up the Bay Area chose to follow suit .
The five counties — Alameda , Contra Costa , Marin , Santa Clara and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5.8 million residents .
`` We must do whatever is necessary in order to get the virus under control , '' said San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Friday .
`` This is about protecting people 's lives .
We see how quickly it moves and how devastating the effects .
We need to do everything we can to prevent our hospital system from becoming overwhelmed and to save lives . ''
The rise in cases hitting California has mirrored the surge currently tearing through the rest of the country .
On Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more than 2,200 deaths , according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University .
More than 101,000 Americans were in the hospital , with roughly a fifth of those patients in the ICU .

California Residents Under Strict Stay-At-Home Orders Through Christmas
Enlarge this image toggle caption Richard Vogel/AP Richard Vogel/AP
Updated at 6:20 a.m.
Nearly 85% of California residents are now under sweeping new restrictions as the state's struggles to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control. The new restrictions come as coronavirus cases continue to surge and while the state's intensive care capacity has neared dangerously low levels.
Residents in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley are under a stay-at-home order through the Christmas holiday as of 11:59 Sunday evening. The order means strict new closures for many businesses and a ban on gatherings with people outside your immediate household in two regions of the state that are collectively home to some 27 million people. The order will be in effect for at least three weeks.
The order was triggered after ICU capacity in the two regions fell below a 15% threshold announced this past week by Gov. Gavin Newsom. In Southern California, the rate fell to 12.5%, while in the San Joaquin Valley it had dipped to 8.6%, state health officials announced Saturday.
"Unlike previous surges, every hospital in California is under stress. There is no place to transfer people if we run out of beds," San Francisco Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón said. "Three-quarters of the state's hospital beds are currently full."
The trend is expected to continue throughout the rest of the state within the next week or two.
"We are at a tipping point in our fight against the virus, and we need to take decisive action now to prevent California's hospital system from being overwhelmed in the coming weeks," the governor said ahead of Saturday's announcement. By invoking the order, Newsom said, "we can flatten the curve as we've done before and reduce stress on our health care system."
The order marks a dramatic shift for California, which for months had managed to avoid the worst of the virus relative to the rest of the United States. Much of that success was owed to early action. In March, the state ordered all 39.5 million of its residents to stay at home indefinitely in what was then the widest-ranging directive in the nation. That order came at a time when California had roughly 1,000 confirmed cases and 19 deaths. As of Friday, the state had recorded more than 1.3 million cases and nearly 20,000 deaths.
Retailers, restaurants curtail operations
The latest directive will be felt in nearly every aspect of daily life. It asks residents to stay at home "as much as possible" and for "100 percent masking" when they are outside. Restaurants will be open only for takeout or pickup, while businesses such as hair and nail salons, movie theaters and bars will be closed. Playgrounds, museums and zoos will be closed as well.
Retailers, including grocery stores, will remain open, but capacity will be limited to 20%. Schools that are currently open will be allowed to continue in-person learning. Places of worship will also be allowed to stay open, but only for outdoor services.
Many small business owners, like hairstylist, Rosey Ibarra, are angry with the new restrictions.
Ibarra, a hair stylist in Temecula in Southern California, said she is not closing her business.
"I feel confident to properly and safely take care of my clients," she told CapRadio. "None of my clients have rescheduled, none of them feel that coming to my salon is going to be unsafe for them at this time."
The state has no easy way to enforce these new measures without the help of local police. But that's only an option if law enforcement is on board.
L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva expressed his reluctance to shut down individual businesses. He said his focus will instead be on curbing "super spreader" events.
Newsom and health officials are counting on the power of persuasion to keep people home.
"Staying home for three weeks is a sacrifice, but if every Californian did that for a month, we could stop this disease in its tracks," said Dr. Erica Pan, the state's acting public health officer, when the restrictions were announced. "This public health order strikes the balance between saving lives, providing essential services that we all rely on and still allowing Californians to participate in lower-risk outdoor activities that are crucial for our physical and mental health."
'Whatever is necessary'
In the three other regions being tracked by the state — the Bay Area, Greater Sacramento and Northern California — ICU capacity was above 21%.
Some areas, however, weren't waiting for ICU capacity to fall below the state's threshold. Los Angeles County adopted a stay-at-home order late last month, and on Friday, health officials in five of the 11 counties that make up the Bay Area chose to follow suit. The five counties — Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara and San Francisco — are home to some 5.8 million residents.
"We must do whatever is necessary in order to get the virus under control," said San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Friday. "This is about protecting people's lives. We see how quickly it moves and how devastating the effects. We need to do everything we can to prevent our hospital system from becoming overwhelmed and to save lives."
The rise in cases hitting California has mirrored the surge currently tearing through the rest of the country. On Saturday, the U.S. recorded 213,875 new cases and more than 2,200 deaths, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University. More than 101,000 Americans were in the hospital, with roughly a fifth of those patients in the ICU.
CapRadio's Nicole Nixon contributed to this report.


npr--2020-12-07--Biden Expected To Nominate Gen. Lloyd Austin As Defense Secretary

President-elect Joe Biden plans to name Lloyd Austin , the retired U.S. Army four-star general , as his pick for secretary of defense in his incoming administration , two sources familiar with the decision confirmed to NPR .
Austin joins a growing and diverse list of nominees for Biden 's cabinet , which the president-elect has said he wants to reflect the diversity of America .
If confirmed , Austin would be the first African American to lead the department .
Austin brings to the table decades of military experience and had previously led the U.S. Central Command .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden came to trust Austin and his experience during Situation Room briefings over the years when Austin was head of Centcom .
The source says Austin emerged as the leading candidate over the course of the past week , noting Austin had `` broken barriers '' during his rise in the military .
`` He also appreciated that General Austin knows the human costs of war first-hand , '' said the source , who was not authorized to speak to reporters .
The news was first reported by Politico .
To be confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military in 2016 — will need a waiver from a law that requires the secretary of defense to be a civilian with at least seven years of retirement from the military .
That waiver has been granted only twice before : once for President Trump 's first secretary , James Mattis , and in 1950 for George Marshall , the top general during World War II .

Biden Expected To Nominate Gen. Lloyd Austin As Defense Secretary
Enlarge this image toggle caption Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP
Updated at 9:25 p.m. ET
President-elect Joe Biden plans to name Lloyd Austin, the retired U.S. Army four-star general, as his pick for secretary of defense in his incoming administration, two sources familiar with the decision confirmed to NPR.
Austin joins a growing and diverse list of nominees for Biden's cabinet, which the president-elect has said he wants to reflect the diversity of America. If confirmed, Austin would be the first African American to lead the department.
Austin brings to the table decades of military experience and had previously led the U.S. Central Command.
A third source familiar with the discussions said Biden came to trust Austin and his experience during Situation Room briefings over the years when Austin was head of Centcom.
The source says Austin emerged as the leading candidate over the course of the past week, noting Austin had "broken barriers" during his rise in the military. "He also appreciated that General Austin knows the human costs of war first-hand," said the source, who was not authorized to speak to reporters.
The news was first reported by Politico.
To be confirmed, Austin — who retired from the military in 2016 — will need a waiver from a law that requires the secretary of defense to be a civilian with at least seven years of retirement from the military. That waiver has been granted only twice before: once for President Trump's first secretary, James Mattis, and in 1950 for George Marshall, the top general during World War II.


npr--2020-12-07--U.S. Judge Halts Trump's TikTok Ban, The 2nd Court To Fully Block The Action

U.S. Judge Halts Trump 's TikTok Ban , The 2nd Court To Fully Block The Action A federal judge on Monday fully blocked the Trump administration 's attempt to ban TikTok in the U.S. , the latest defeat in the White House 's legal crusade against the video-sharing app .
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington found that Trump overstepped his authority in using his emergency economic powers to try to effectively put the wildly popular app out of business .
He was the second judge to rule against the president 's ban .
Lawyers for TikTok demonstrated that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider an obvious and reasonable alternative before banning TikTok renders the crackdown against the app `` arbitrary and capricious , '' wrote Nichols , who is a Trump appointee .
Citing a threat to national security , Trump 's Commerce Department had sought to prevent the app from being downloaded in app stores and attempted to outlaw transactions between Americans and TikTok 's Chinese parent company , ByteDance .
Those sanctions were already blocked in October by another federal judge after TikTok influencers brought a lawsuit in Pennsylvania .
The Trump administration has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event that the Trump administration prevails on appeal in that case , his injunction would remain in order to prevent users from en masse leaving TikTok for a competing app , something that the judge wrote would exact `` irreparable harm '' on TikTok .
Popular for its dance challenge videos and other ridiculous footage that tends to go rapidly viral online , the app has been used for anti-Trump activism and widely used to ridicule and lampoon the president .
White House officials have targeted TikTok over its Beijing ownership .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is at risk of being accessed by Chinese authorities because of the close ties the authoritarian regime has with private business in the country .
U.S. user data is mostly stored by TikTok on servers in Virginia , with backup storage in Singapore .
Company officials say Chinese authorities have never attempted to gain access to Americans ' information .
White House officials have contended , without evidence , that TikTok could be used as a Chinese spy tool .
Still , well before the Trump administration moved to shut it down , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. , an interagency panel that reviews companies operating in the U.S. with overseas ownership .
One proposal that emerged as part of that process would have put American software company Oracle in charge of all U.S. user data , an agreement that is still being hammered out by a number of interested parties .
Despite talks aimed at safeguarding U.S. user data being hashed out in a separate process , Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross continued to push for TikTok to be blacklisted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary did not consider any alternatives before effectively banning TikTok from the United States , nor did the Secretary articulate any justification ( rational or otherwise ) for failing to consider any such alternatives , '' Nichols wrote on Monday .
The Trump administration has several times pushed back the deadline for TikTok 's corporate owner to sell its U.S. operations .
It had until Dec. 4 to reach a deal .
Trump officials will not be offering yet another extension , but sources close to the process say the Justice Department will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in violation of a presidential order .
A TikTok spokesperson said company is pleased with the latest court victory , saying : `` We 're focused on continuing to build TikTok as the home that 100 million Americans , including families and small businesses , rely upon for expression , connection , economic livelihood , and true joy . ''

U.S. Judge Halts Trump's TikTok Ban, The 2nd Court To Fully Block The Action
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kiichiro Sato/AP Kiichiro Sato/AP
A federal judge on Monday fully blocked the Trump administration's attempt to ban TikTok in the U.S., the latest defeat in the White House's legal crusade against the video-sharing app.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington found that Trump overstepped his authority in using his emergency economic powers to try to effectively put the wildly popular app out of business. He was the second judge to rule against the president's ban.
Lawyers for TikTok demonstrated that Trump officials' "failure to adequately consider an obvious and reasonable alternative before banning TikTok" renders the crackdown against the app "arbitrary and capricious," wrote Nichols, who is a Trump appointee.
Citing a threat to national security, Trump's Commerce Department had sought to prevent the app from being downloaded in app stores and attempted to outlaw transactions between Americans and TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
Those sanctions were already blocked in October by another federal judge after TikTok influencers brought a lawsuit in Pennsylvania. The Trump administration has appealed.
Nichols wrote that in the event that the Trump administration prevails on appeal in that case, his injunction would remain in order to prevent users from leaving TikTok en masse for a competing app, something that the judge wrote would exact "irreparable harm" on TikTok.
Popular for its dance challenge videos and other ridiculous footage that tends to go rapidly viral online, the app has also been used for anti-Trump activism and widely used to ridicule and lampoon the president.
White House officials have targeted TikTok over its Beijing ownership.
According to Trump officials, U.S. user data is at risk of being accessed by Chinese authorities because of the close ties the authoritarian regime has with private business in the country.
U.S. user data is mostly stored by TikTok on servers in Virginia, with backup storage in Singapore. Company officials say Chinese authorities have never attempted to gain access to Americans' information.
White House officials have contended, without evidence, that TikTok could be used as a Chinese spy tool.
Still, well before the Trump administration moved to shut it down, the company had been undergoing a national security review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., an interagency panel that reviews companies operating in the U.S. with overseas ownership.
One proposal that emerged as part of that process would have put American software company Oracle in charge of all U.S. user data, an agreement that is still being hammered out by a number of interested parties.
Despite talks aimed at safeguarding U.S. user data being hashed out in a separate process, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross continued to push for TikTok to be blacklisted in the U.S.
"Here, the Secretary did not consider any alternatives before effectively banning TikTok from the United States, nor did the Secretary articulate any justification (rational or otherwise) for failing to consider any such alternatives," Nichols wrote on Monday.
The Trump administration has several times pushed back the deadline for TikTok's corporate owner to sell its U.S. operations.
It had until Dec. 4 to reach a deal. Trump officials will not be offering yet another extension, but sources close to the process say the Justice Department is declining to enforce TikTok technically being in violation of a presidential order.
A TikTok spokesperson said company is pleased with the latest court victory, saying: "We're focused on continuing to build TikTok as the home that 100 million Americans, including families and small businesses, rely upon for expression, connection, economic livelihood, and true joy."


npr--2020-12-07--New COVID-19 Data Release Shows Where Hospitals Around The Country Are Filling Up

New COVID-19 Data Release Shows Where Hospitals Around The Country Are Filling Up New data released by the Department of Health and Human Services on Monday gives the most detailed picture to date of how COVID-19 is stressing individual hospitals in the United States .
The information provides nationwide data on hospital capacity and bed use at a hospital-by-hospital level .
This is the first time the federal agency has released the COVID-19 hospital data it collects at the facility level .
Previously , HHS only released data aggregated at the state level .
`` The new data paints the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiencing the pandemic , '' says Pinar Karaca-Mandic , a professor at the University of Minnesota who worked with HHS to vet the data before it was published , through her work with the COVID-19 Hospitalization Tracking Project .
The dataset — which includes capacity reporting from hospitals in 2,200 counties in the U.S. — spotlights areas where hospitals are getting dangerously full .
In 126 counties , the average hospital is at least 90 % occupied , according to an analysis of the data by the COVID-19 Hospitalization Tracking Project .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threshold are Kentucky , Georgia , Minnesota , Oklahoma and Texas .
Hospitals both large and small are feeling the strain , the data show .
In Texas , for example , both the Memorial Hermann Hospital System , with its 250 beds , and the Hereford Regional Medical Center , with its 31 beds , were above 90 % capacity in the past week .
Previously , with only state-level data available , it was hard for health leaders and researchers to identify regional hot spots .
The new data show where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when a state overall is n't at crisis levels .
`` I was surprised and blown away [ that they 're releasing this data ] , '' says Karaca-Mandic , `` Facility-level data , the ability to look at an area smaller than a state , is very important . ''
The dataset , uploaded to Healthdata.gov , provides a weekly snapshot of how COVID-19 is impacting individual hospitals across the country , including the number of COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital and the number of severely ill patients requiring intensive care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 31 .
Going forward , the data is expected to be updated each week .
As NPR reported in October , HHS has collected this facility data since mid-July and has shared it internally , but not publicly .
Researchers have been calling on the federal government to release this data .
HHS says the severity of the pandemic in the U.S. caused them to publish the data now .
`` The COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased dramatically over the last two months , and the data needs to be available for all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including at the local level , '' wrote a spokesperson for HHS , in an email to NPR , `` Additionally , the general public needs to be able to see the severity of the impact in their local area at their local facility . ''
Data transparency advocates celebrated the release .
`` This is really huge , '' says Ryan Panchadsaram , co-founder of the website COVID Exit Strategy , who was consulted by HHS about the dataset .
`` What you can see in this data is that our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And when we 're thinking about how serious we should be taking this crisis , this open data release is helping provide the data that 's needed to help people make the right decisions . ''
The data can help local and state leaders make decisions when to implement restrictions or mandates in their communities to avoid overwhelming hospitals or where hospitals need support .
And it can help the public understand why they should comply with such guidance .
Using the state 's own data , for example , California Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ would use regional ICU capacity figures to dictate stay-at-home orders .
While the data can inform people about the capacity of their local hospitals , it should not stop people from seeking care , says HHS .
`` Patients should not be discouraged from seeking hospital care based on their interpretation of the data , '' an HHS spokesperson wrote in an email to NPR , `` Hospitals have protocols in place to keep patients safe from exposure and to ensure all patients are prioritized for care . ''
Alexis Madrigal , cofounder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff writer at The Atlantic , also reviewed the data before it was released .
He says that in addition to health care leaders being able to make better decisions , making the data available to the public can also help address concerns that political appointees may have changed the data to downplay the pandemic .
`` The most important thing was ... did we see any hint that there was an attempt to minimize the impact of COVID in these hospitals ? ''
he says .
`` These were the things that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that HHS is running this data , is there political influence on it ?
And I can say we have n't been able to detect anything like that . ''
Public health experts raised concerns about possible political influence when HHS took over the collection of COVID-19 hospital data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in mid-July .
At the time , HHS officials said the CDC 's hospital data collection was incomplete and time-lagged — which HHS has tried to remedy by mandating daily hospital reporting , on the threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More hospitals have reported more data into the HHS system in recent months .
And the quality of the reported hospital data , which was severely compromised by the July reporting change , appears to be improving .
`` The data release is not perfect , '' says a GitHub FAQ about the data , written by data journalists and researchers who reviewed the data .
But `` [ it ] has been reliable enough to be used in Federal response planning for some time and continues to improve each day . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Panchadsaram , is a clear link between the data collected and federal guidance .
`` There 's this void of connecting the data being reported about the virus and the guidelines and thresholds that go with them .
The Administration continues to hesitate to share how the guidance that CDC issues connects with the data being reported , '' says Panchadsaram , who worked as a data official in the Obama administration .

COVID-19 Data Release Shows Where Hospitals Around The Country Are Filling Up
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Edelman/Getty Images Alex Edelman/Getty Images
New data released by the Department of Health and Human Services on Monday gives the most detailed picture to date of how COVID-19 is stressing individual hospitals in the United States.
The information provides nationwide data on hospital capacity and bed use at a hospital-by-hospital level. This is the first time the federal agency has released the COVID-19 hospital data it collects at the facility level. Previously, HHS released data aggregated at the state level only.
"The new data paints the picture of how a specific hospital is experiencing the pandemic," says Pinar Karaca-Mandic, a professor at the University of Minnesota who worked with HHS to vet the data before it was published, through her work with the COVID-19 Hospitalization Tracking Project.
The dataset — which includes capacity reporting from hospitals in 2,200 counties in the U.S. — spotlights areas where hospitals are getting dangerously full. In 126 counties, the average hospital is at least 90% occupied, according to an analysis of the data by the COVID-19 Hospitalization Tracking Project. The states with the most counties above this threshold are Kentucky, Georgia, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Texas.
Hospitals both large and small are feeling the strain, the data show. In Texas, for example, both the Memorial Hermann Hospital System, with its 250 beds, and the Hereford Regional Medical Center, with its 31 beds, were above 90% capacity in the past week.
Previously, with only state-level data available, it was hard for health leaders and researchers to identify regional hot spots. The new data show where individual hospitals are being overwhelmed, even when a state overall isn't at crisis levels.
"I was surprised and blown away [that they're releasing this data]," says Karaca-Mandic, "Facility-level data, the ability to look at an area smaller than a state, is very important."
The dataset, uploaded to Healthdata.gov, provides a weekly snapshot of how COVID-19 is impacting individual hospitals across the country, including the number of COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital and the number of severely ill patients requiring intensive care. The information dates back to July 31. Going forward, the data is expected to be updated each week.
As NPR reported in October, HHS has collected this facility data since mid-July and has shared it internally, but not publicly. Researchers have been calling on the federal government to release this data.
HHS says the severity of the pandemic in the U.S. caused it to publish the data now. "The COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased dramatically over the last two months, and the data needs to be available for all of those who can assist in the response, including at the local level," a spokesperson for HHS wrote in an email to NPR. "Additionally, the general public needs to be able to see the severity of the impact in their local area at their local facility."
Data transparency advocates celebrated the release. "This is really huge," says Ryan Panchadsaram, co-founder of the website COVID Exit Strategy, who was consulted by HHS about the dataset. "What you can see in this data is that our hospitals are under so much stress. And when we're thinking about how serious we should be taking this crisis, this open data release is helping provide the data that's needed to help people make the right decisions."
The data can help local and state leaders make decisions about when to implement restrictions or mandates in their communities to avoid overwhelming hospitals or where hospitals need support. And it can help the public understand why they should comply with such guidance. Using the state's own data, for example, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last week that the state would use regional ICU capacity figures to dictate stay-at-home orders.
While the data can inform people about the capacity of their local hospitals, it should not stop people from seeking care, says HHS. "Patients should not be discouraged from seeking hospital care based on their interpretation of the data," an HHS spokesperson wrote in an email to NPR. "Hospitals have protocols in place to keep patients safe from exposure and to ensure all patients are prioritized for care."
Alexis Madrigal, co-founder of the COVID Tracking Project and a staff writer at The Atlantic, also reviewed the data before it was released. He says that in addition to health care leaders being able to make better decisions, making the data available to the public can also help address concerns that political appointees may have changed the data to downplay the pandemic.
"The most important thing was ... did we see any hint that there was an attempt to minimize the impact of COVID in these hospitals?" he says. "These were the things that people were really worried about. Now that HHS is running this data, is there political influence on it? And I can say we haven't been able to detect anything like that."
Public health experts raised concerns about possible political influence when HHS took over the collection of COVID-19 hospital data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in mid-July. At the time, HHS officials said the CDC's hospital data collection was incomplete and time-lagged — which HHS has tried to remedy by mandating daily hospital reporting, on the threat of losing Medicare and Medicaid funding.
More hospitals have reported more data into the HHS system in recent months. And the quality of the reported hospital data, which was severely compromised by the July reporting change, appears to be improving.
"The data release is not perfect," says a GitHub FAQ about the data, written by data journalists and researchers who reviewed the data. But "[it] has been reliable enough to be used in Federal response planning for some time and continues to improve each day."
What's still missing nationally, says Panchadsaram, is a clear link between the data collected and federal guidance. "There's this void of connecting the data being reported about the virus and the guidelines and thresholds that go with them. The administration continues to hesitate to share how the guidance that CDC issues connects with the data being reported," says Panchadsaram, who worked as a data official in the Obama administration.


npr--2020-12-07--Looted Nazi Art Again Before Supreme Court

Jed Leiber remembers playing chess with his grandfather when he was a boy , and learning about all that Saemy Rosenberg had left behind behind when he fled Germany in the 1930s .
`` I made a promise to myself that one day I would find everything that was taken from him and have it returned , '' Leiber says .
So Leiber was listening intently on Monday when the justices dealt with his grandfather 's famous art collection and its coerced sale to the Nazis .
It was not the first time the court has dealt with the Nazis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2004 , the court ruled that Maria Altmann , an elderly Jewish refuge living in Los Angeles , could sue the government of Austria in the United States to recover one of the most famous works by painter Gustav Klimt , the Woman in Gold , a portrait of her aunt .
She won in the high court , and the Austrian government ultimately returned the painting , which she sold for $ 135 million to Ronald Lauder for his Neue Galerie in New York City .
Fast forward to Monday when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , centered on the Guelph Treasure , one of the most famous collections of medieval artifacts in existence .
It was once owned by Leiber 's grandfather and two other Jewish art dealers .
They were forced to sell it for a fraction of its value in 1935 , and it is now on display in a German state museum in Berlin .
`` This was purchased by Hermann Goering , perhaps one of the most notorious art thieves of all time , for his pal Adolf Hitler , the monster who killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Lieber says .
`` Why would Germany want to defend '' that ?
In the Supreme Court Monday , the German government , backed by the Trump administration , argued that foreign governments and their agencies are shielded from lawsuits under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act .
But Leiber 's lawyer , Nicholas O'Donnell , contended that this suit and others like it are specific exceptions under the law because , as he put it , `` The Nazi government set out explicitly to destroy the German Jewish people by taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified the Nazis ' looting of art from the Jewish people as genocidal . ''
This is not a human rights case , he maintained , but a property rights case .
But justices both liberal and conservative , justices who are Jewish and those who are not , seemed doubtful .
Would n't your reading amount to `` a radical departure '' in the way the law is interpreted , asked Justice Clarence Thomas .
Justice Stephen Breyer said that O'Donnell 's argument seemed to have `` no limit . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he noted , adding that the list of terribles `` goes on and on . ''
And if we can bring court cases in the U.S. for those things , `` can these other countries do the same and accuse us ? ''
he said , citing the `` Japanese internment , which involved 30,000 people in World War II . ''
Breyer said that 's why , in his view , commissions set up to deal with these kinds of questions may work better .
In an interview , O'Donnell said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the Altmann case by setting up a commission that has settled with hundreds of Jewish heirs in cases involving Nazi art theft , Germany has not .
`` Germany , a much larger country with a much more central role in the events in question '' has handled just 17 such cases , he says .
He adds that the archival records of the sale in this case tell a dark tale .
When the Nazis were talking among themselves , he says , it is clear what they were doing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ overt terms about the undervaluing of the collection they were targeting . ''
In fact , he notes , any museum that wanted to offer a fair price was simply waved off .
In the end , Saemy Rosenberg , Leiber 's grandfather , would flee with his wife and their daughter to the United states where he would rebuild his life as an art dealer .
The other two owners would not fare as well .
Julius Goldschmidt escaped to London , a broken man .
And Z.M .
Hackenbroch was beaten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frankfurt .
It 's not clear what Jed Lieber and the other heirs ultimately want , or would settle for .
The Guelph Treasure is valued at $ 250 million .
At the very least , Leiber says he wants an acknowledgment .
`` The story about how it came to be in that museum [ in Berlin ] is important to me , '' he says .
`` My grandfather needs to be part of that story and how it was recovered . ''
In the lower court , Leiber won the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tone of Monday 's argument , his odds for preserving that victory at the Supreme Court look iffy .

Looted Nazi Art Again Before Supreme Court
Enlarge this image toggle caption Markus Schreiber/AP Markus Schreiber/AP
Jed Leiber remembers playing chess with his grandfather when he was a boy, and learning about all that Saemy Rosenberg had left behind behind when he fled Germany in the 1930s.
"I made a promise to myself that one day I would find everything that was taken from him and have it returned," Leiber says.
So Leiber was listening intently on Monday when the justices dealt with his grandfather's famous art collection and its coerced sale to the Nazis. It was not the first time the court has dealt with the Nazis theft of important works of art.
In 2004, the court ruled that Maria Altmann, an elderly Jewish refuge living in Los Angeles, could sue the government of Austria in the United States to recover one of the most famous works by painter Gustav Klimt, the Woman in Gold, a portrait of her aunt. She won in the high court, and the Austrian government ultimately returned the painting, which she sold for $135 million to Ronald Lauder for his Neue Galerie in New York City.
Fast forward to Monday when the justices were hearing Leiber's case, centered on the Guelph Treasure, one of the most famous collections of medieval artifacts in existence. It was once owned by Leiber's grandfather and two other Jewish art dealers. They were forced to sell it for a fraction of its value in 1935, and it is now on display in a German state museum in Berlin.
"This was purchased by Hermann Goering, perhaps one of the most notorious art thieves of all time, for his pal Adolf Hitler, the monster who killed 6 million people, for a museum," Lieber says. "Why would Germany want to defend" that?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Jed Leiber Courtesy of Jed Leiber
In the Supreme Court Monday, the German government, backed by the Trump administration, argued that foreign governments and their agencies are shielded from lawsuits under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.
But Leiber's lawyer, Nicholas O'Donnell, contended that this suit and others like it are specific exceptions under the law because, as he put it, "The Nazi government set out explicitly to destroy the German Jewish people by taking their property. And Congress has specifically identified the Nazis' looting of art from the Jewish people as genocidal." This is not a human rights case, he maintained, but a property rights case.
But justices both liberal and conservative, justices who are Jewish and those who are not, seemed doubtful.
Wouldn't your reading amount to "a radical departure" in the way the law is interpreted, asked Justice Clarence Thomas.
Justice Stephen Breyer said that O'Donnell's argument seemed to have "no limit."
"Terrible things happen in this world," he noted, adding that the list of terribles "goes on and on." And if we can bring court cases in the U.S. for those things, "can these other countries do the same and accuse us?" he said, citing the "Japanese internment, which involved 30,000 people in World War II." Breyer said that's why, in his view, commissions set up to deal with these kinds of questions may work better.
In an interview, O'Donnell said that while the Austrian government surprised many after the Altmann case by setting up a commission that has settled with hundreds of Jewish heirs in cases involving Nazi art theft, Germany has not.
"Germany, a much larger country with a much more central role in the events in question" has handled just 17 such cases, he says.
He adds that the archival records of the sale in this case tell a dark tale. When the Nazis were talking among themselves, he says, it is clear what they were doing. Nazi officials "were talking in very overt terms about the undervaluing of the collection they were targeting." In fact, he notes, any museum that wanted to offer a fair price was simply waved off.
In the end, Saemy Rosenberg, Leiber's grandfather, would flee with his wife and their daughter to the United states where he would rebuild his life as an art dealer. The other two owners would not fare as well. Julius Goldschmidt escaped to London, a broken man. And Z.M. Hackenbroch was beaten to death by a Nazi mob in Frankfurt.
It's not clear what Jed Lieber and the other heirs ultimately want, or would settle for. The Guelph Treasure is valued at $250 million. At the very least, Leiber says he wants an acknowledgment.
"The story about how it came to be in that museum [in Berlin] is important to me," he says. "My grandfather needs to be part of that story and how it was recovered."
In the lower court, Leiber won the right to sue, but based on the tone of Monday's argument, his odds for preserving that victory at the Supreme Court look iffy.


npr--2020-12-07--Think Health Care Workers Are Tested Often For The Coronavirus? Think Again

Think Health Care Workers Are Tested Often For The Coronavirus ?
Think Again In a recent roundtable with Joe Biden , nurse Mary Turner told the president-elect something he found surprising : '' Do you know that I have not been tested yet ? ''
said Turner , who is president of the Minnesota Nurses Association .
`` And I have been on the front lines of the ICU since February . ''
Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that health care personnel be tested if they are symptomatic or have a known exposure to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing personal protective equipment does n't count as exposure that warrants testing .
A recent survey by National Nurses United , the nation 's largest union of registered nurses , found just 42 % of RNs in hospitals said they had ever been tested for the virus .
`` It continues to amaze me that we are not doing this , '' said Michael Mina , an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health .
While personal protective equipment goes a long way toward protecting health care workers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at hospitals .
At Brigham and Women 's Hospital in Boston , where Mina runs the virology lab , an outbreak this fall infected 42 employees and 15 patients .
The hospital said factors in the outbreak included patients not wearing masks , staff not wearing eye protection and employees failing to social distance while eating .
But Mina believes that with more testing , the virus would not have spread so widely .
`` That is an outbreak that should n't have happened .
I believe pretty firmly that we would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so quickly — and it would n't have even been able to get started if we were doing frequent testing . ''
Mina said to imagine physicians at a hospital who have the virus but are asymptomatic .
The doctors do n't realize they have been exposed and are now working when they are most infectious .
`` They pose a very serious risk , '' Mina said .
`` At some point in the day , you 're taking off your mask to eat lunch .
If you 're eating lunch in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people without knowing it — especially in a hospital setting where you could have vulnerable people all around you . ''
Ideally , he said , people are wearing masks and social distancing .
But especially with the arrival of winter , more things will be happening indoors .
`` People are going to have to eat .
Whether it 's in a break room or a cafeteria , you really do run a risk of getting other people exposed . ''
Nancy Foster , the American Hospital Association 's vice president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals are following the CDC 's scientific guidance .
`` These strategies were put into effect in the early days of the pandemic , when there were persistent concerns about shortages of testing kits and supplies .
Hospital staff and the CDC did not want to divert available testing supplies away from patients and the general population , '' Foster said in a statement to NPR , adding that the AHA continues to urge the federal government to increase the supply of personal protective equipment and testing supplies .
Maggie McGillick , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Physicians , said masks and PPE offer strong protection .
`` It is nearly impossible to transmit virus through an N95 mask , [ powered air purifying respirators ] , or other devices , '' she wrote in an email to NPR .
`` Those who do not have close contact routinely wear masks .
Handwashing and the use of gloves is part of their routine , so it is very rare for an infected health care professional to transmit the disease to anyone at work . ''
`` The precautions and personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care workers are contracting the virus via community spread , just like other Americans .
Last month , the Mayo Clinic said that more than 900 employees in Minnesota and Wisconsin had gotten COVID-19 in the previous two weeks , out of its 55,000 staff members there .
The Mayo Clinic 's medical director for occupational health , Laura Breeher , said the primary source of exposure for infected staff members is a known exposure to someone at home .
How does the clinic know the virus is n't spreading among staff ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ very carefully , '' Breeher said — and she said the infection rate of the clinic 's health care workers working on campus in patient care roles is similar to that of on-campus staff not working with patients and those who are working from home .
`` So that 's very , very reassuring to us that the precautions and personal protective equipment are working , '' Breeher said .
Many hospitals now require patients to test negative for the coronavirus in the few days before an inpatient procedure .
Physicians and nurses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been tested before conducting the procedure .
Why the different standards ?
Breeher said it 's because for many procedures , patients ca n't be masked .
She said many patients `` are needing procedures that increase risk , such as being on CPAP machines at night or things like that .
So we want to make sure that we keep our health care campuses as safe as possible . ''
Mina , the Harvard epidemiologist , said there are methods that hospitals could be using to do regular testing of large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by using rapid antigen tests or pooling PCR tests .
`` They could have everyone swab and put 50 swabs at a time into one tube and run that one tube and pool the tests for very , very cheap .
You could do whole hospital departments with one test for 50 bucks a day , '' he said .
If the pool tests positive , the hospital can then go back and test the people in it individually to see who has the virus .
And rapid antigen tests could work even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they 're infectious . ''
Mina said that could make antigen tests an ideal choice for screening purposes , because some people continue to test positive on PCR tests for many weeks after they 've stopped being infectious .
That could help hospitals already stretched thin on staffing .
`` Many people are only infectious , say , for four days .
So maybe [ with antigen testing ] you come back to work after two days of being negative .
Maybe it 's only a five- or six-day isolation , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department announced new guidance two weeks ago that strongly recommends hospitals do weekly testing of health care personnel — and suggested pooled testing might be a way to do it .
But Susan Butler-Wu , associate professor of clinical pathology at the University of Southern California and director of the clinical microbiology lab at a large hospital in Los Angeles , said the state 's new recommendations are going to be hard for most hospital labs to implement .
At her own hospital , she estimated that 10,000 people would need to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state , she predicted the new protocols are going to cause problems — including further delays in testing .
`` When you get some big mandate that , 'Hey , test all the health care workers in your hospital , ' I do n't have a bunch of pixies with magic swabs and magic reagents that will just magically run this , '' Butler-Wu said .
The guidelines could also create staffing shortages , Butler-Wu said , if employees who recently had COVID-19 asymptomatically suddenly get positive PCR tests .
They may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now what do we do ?
We tell them to isolate .
Now we lose a whole bunch of staff as a result of that , '' she said .
`` We 're asking people to stay home and not work when they 're truly essential and may not even be an infectious risk to anybody . ''
The larger problem is a systemic one , Butler-Wu said .
`` As a country , because we do n't have a national plan or a national strategy , this is the situation we find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she said .
`` People choosing to socialize and wanting to feel safer doing so , even though it 's a pandemic , can get tests . ''
But a national program to test the country 's health care workers regularly ?
There is n't one .
Anne Jackson is a nurse at the University of Michigan health system .
She said it 's frustrating to read about how the university 's football players and coaches are tested daily , while hospital staff are only tested if they 're symptomatic or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ university also has a surveillance testing program that is open to staff who want to be tested . )
`` Football makes them money , '' Jackson said .
`` The health system employees do as well , but not to the extent that the football players do , and the football players are more valuable to them than we are . ''
For Mina , the Harvard epidemiologist , the lack of regular testing of health care workers raises other questions .
`` There 's a clear problem when we 're saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are at the greatest risk to themselves and to their patients are the health care workers , '' Mina said .
`` And so that 's why we 're going to give them vaccines before anyone else .
But then when we do n't have a vaccine , and it 's just testing , we say , 'Do n't worry about it , it 's not a big deal , you do n't need to be tested . '
`` It 's an approach , he said , that does n't make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .

Think Health Care Workers Are Tested Often For The Coronavirus? Think Again
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jeff Roberson/AP Jeff Roberson/AP
In a recent roundtable with Joe Biden, nurse Mary Turner told the president-elect something he found surprising:
"Do you know that I have not been tested yet?" said Turner, who is president of the Minnesota Nurses Association. "And I have been on the front lines of the ICU since February."
"You're kidding me!" Biden replied.
She wasn't kidding.
Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that health care personnel be tested if they are symptomatic or have a known exposure to the coronavirus. But treating COVID-19 patients while wearing personal protective equipment doesn't count as exposure that warrants testing.
A recent survey by National Nurses United, the nation's largest union of registered nurses, found just 42% of RNs in hospitals said they had ever been tested for the virus.
"It continues to amaze me that we are not doing this," said Michael Mina, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. While personal protective equipment goes a long way toward protecting health care workers, he said, there have been outbreaks at hospitals.
At Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, where Mina runs the virology lab, an outbreak this fall infected 42 employees and 15 patients. The hospital said factors in the outbreak included patients not wearing masks, staff not wearing eye protection and employees failing to social distance while eating.
But Mina believes that with more testing, the virus would not have spread so widely.
"That is an outbreak that shouldn't have happened. I believe pretty firmly that we would not have seen an outbreak grow so, so quickly — and it wouldn't have even been able to get started if we were doing frequent testing."
Defining the risk
Mina said to imagine physicians at a hospital who have the virus but are asymptomatic. The doctors don't realize they have been exposed and are now working when they are most infectious.
"They pose a very serious risk," Mina said. "At some point in the day, you're taking off your mask to eat lunch. If you're eating lunch in a cafeteria, you might expose 10 people without knowing it — especially in a hospital setting where you could have vulnerable people all around you."
Ideally, he said, people are wearing masks and social distancing. But especially with the arrival of winter, more things will be happening indoors. "People are going to have to eat. Whether it's in a break room or a cafeteria, you really do run a risk of getting other people exposed."
Nancy Foster, the American Hospital Association's vice president of quality and patient safety policy, said hospitals are following the CDC's scientific guidance.
"These strategies were put into effect in the early days of the pandemic, when there were persistent concerns about shortages of testing kits and supplies. Hospital staff and the CDC did not want to divert available testing supplies away from patients and the general population," Foster said in a statement to NPR, adding that the AHA continues to urge the federal government to increase the supply of personal protective equipment and testing supplies.
Maggie McGillick, a spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians, said masks and PPE offer strong protection.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jae C. Hong/AP Jae C. Hong/AP
"It is nearly impossible to transmit virus through an N95 mask, [powered air purifying respirators], or other devices," she wrote in an email to NPR. "Those who do not have close contact routinely wear masks. Handwashing and the use of gloves is part of their routine, so it is very rare for an infected health care professional to transmit the disease to anyone at work."
"The precautions and personal protective equipment are working"
Many health care workers are contracting the virus via community spread, just like other Americans. Last month, the Mayo Clinic said that more than 900 employees in Minnesota and Wisconsin had gotten COVID-19 in the previous two weeks, out of its 55,000 staff members there.
The Mayo Clinic's medical director for occupational health, Laura Breeher, said the primary source of exposure for infected staff members is a known exposure to someone at home.
How does the clinic know the virus isn't spreading among staff?
"We track the source for infections very carefully," Breeher said — and she said the infection rate of the clinic's health care workers working on campus in patient care roles is similar to that of on-campus staff not working with patients and those who are working from home.
"So that's very, very reassuring to us that the precautions and personal protective equipment are working," Breeher said.
Many hospitals now require patients to test negative for the coronavirus in the few days before an inpatient procedure. Physicians and nurses themselves, meanwhile, are unlikely to have been tested before conducting the procedure.
Why the different standards?
Breeher said it's because for many procedures, patients can't be masked.
She said many patients "are needing procedures that increase risk, such as being on CPAP machines at night or things like that. So we want to make sure that we keep our health care campuses as safe as possible."
Screening health care workers at scale
Mina, the Harvard epidemiologist, said there are methods that hospitals could be using to do regular testing of large numbers of health care workers – either by using rapid antigen tests or pooling PCR tests.
"They could have everyone swab and put 50 swabs at a time into one tube and run that one tube and pool the tests for very, very cheap. You could do whole hospital departments with one test for 50 bucks a day," he said. If the pool tests positive, the hospital can then go back and test the people in it individually to see who has the virus.
And rapid antigen tests could work even better: "They only detect people when they're infectious."
Mina said that could make antigen tests an ideal choice for screening purposes, because some people continue to test positive on PCR tests for many weeks after they've stopped being infectious. That could help hospitals already stretched thin on staffing.
"Many people are only infectious, say, for four days. So maybe [with antigen testing] you come back to work after two days of being negative. Maybe it's only a five- or six-day isolation," Mina said.
In California, new guidance strongly recommends weekly testing
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
California's state health department announced new guidance two weeks ago that strongly recommends hospitals do weekly testing of health care personnel — and suggested pooled testing might be a way to do it.
But Susan Butler-Wu, associate professor of clinical pathology at the University of Southern California and director of the clinical microbiology lab at a large hospital in Los Angeles, said the state's new recommendations are going to be hard for most hospital labs to implement.
At her own hospital, she estimated that 10,000 people would need to be tested weekly. Without operational support from the state, she predicted the new protocols are going to cause problems — including further delays in testing.
"When you get some big mandate that, 'Hey, test all the health care workers in your hospital,' I don't have a bunch of pixies with magic swabs and magic reagents that will just magically run this," Butler-Wu said.
The guidelines could also create staffing shortages, Butler-Wu said, if employees who recently had COVID-19 asymptomatically suddenly get positive PCR tests.
They may no longer be infectious, "but now what do we do? We tell them to isolate. Now we lose a whole bunch of staff as a result of that," she said. "We're asking people to stay home and not work when they're truly essential and may not even be an infectious risk to anybody."
The larger problem is a systemic one, Butler-Wu said.
"As a country, because we don't have a national plan or a national strategy, this is the situation we find ourselves: Football players can get tests," she said. "People choosing to socialize and wanting to feel safer doing so, even though it's a pandemic, can get tests."
But a national program to test the country's health care workers regularly? There isn't one.
Anne Jackson is a nurse at the University of Michigan health system. She said it's frustrating to read about how the university's football players and coaches are tested daily, while hospital staff are only tested if they're symptomatic or have a CDC-defined exposure. (The university also has a surveillance testing program that is open to staff who want to be tested.)
"Football makes them money," Jackson said. "The health system employees do as well, but not to the extent that the football players do, and the football players are more valuable to them than we are."
For Mina, the Harvard epidemiologist, the lack of regular testing of health care workers raises other questions.
"There's a clear problem when we're saying that the greatest-risk people, the people who are at the greatest risk to themselves and to their patients are the health care workers," Mina said. "And so that's why we're going to give them vaccines before anyone else. But then when we don't have a vaccine, and it's just testing, we say, 'Don't worry about it, it's not a big deal, you don't need to be tested.' "
It's an approach, he said, that doesn't make sense.
Will Stone contributed to this report.


npr--2020-12-07--After Once Touting Self-Driving Cars, Uber Sells Unit To Refocus On Core Businesses

After Once Touting Self-Driving Cars , Uber Sells Unit To Refocus On Core Businesses Ride-hailing giant Uber is selling its autonomous vehicle research unit , Advanced Technologies Group , to the self-driving startup Aurora .
It 's a significant symbolic shift for a company that just a few years ago promoted the development of self-driving technology as key to its long-term profitability .
Uber has n't given up on the promise of autonomous vehicles .
But after investing billions of dollars , it is now going to outsource that expensive effort .
Aurora , a startup founded by former Tesla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prioritizing self-driving technology for the commercial trucking sector over robotaxi systems .
Uber will also be investing $ 400 million in Aurora , in addition to transferring its ATG research group , Aurora said in a statement .
Uber has lost money since it was founded , and a highly anticipated IPO did not fare as well as expected .
Uber 's self-driving technology also courted controversy after a high-profile fatal accident in Arizona .
As the company continues to chase profitability , it appears to be refocusing attention on its core businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year , it sold its scooter and electric bike division to a micromobility company .

After Once Touting Self-Driving Cars, Uber Sells Unit To Refocus On Core Businesses
Enlarge this image toggle caption Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
Ride-hailing giant Uber is selling its autonomous vehicle research unit, Advanced Technologies Group, to the self-driving startup Aurora.
It's a significant symbolic shift for a company that just a few years ago promoted the development of self-driving technology as key to its long-term profitability.
Uber hasn't given up on the promise of autonomous vehicles. But after investing billions of dollars, it is now going to outsource that expensive effort.
Aurora, a startup founded by former Tesla, Uber and Google executives, is prioritizing self-driving technology for the commercial trucking sector over robotaxi systems.
Uber will also be investing $400 million in Aurora, in addition to transferring its ATG research group, Aurora said in a statement.
Uber has lost money since it was founded, and a highly anticipated IPO did not fare as well as expected.
Uber's self-driving technology also courted controversy after a high-profile fatal accident in Arizona.
As the company continues to chase profitability, it appears to be refocusing attention on its core businesses — ride-hailing and food deliveries. Earlier this year, it sold its scooter and electric bike division to a micromobility company.


npr--2020-12-07--Virginia Military Institute Removes Statue of Confederate Gen. 'Stonewall' Jackson

The Virginia Military Institute removed a statue of Confederate Gen. Thomas `` Stonewall '' Jackson on Monday morning .
A small group watched as the bronze figure was hoisted off its pedestal in front of the VMI barracks .
The historic figure is being relocated from the campus in Lexington , Va. , to its future home at the Virginia Museum of the Civil War and New Market Battlefield State Historical Park .
The statue was sculpted by Moses Ezekiel , a member of the class of 1866 , and donated to VMI in 1912 .
And after standing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board voted in favor of its removal in October .
Confederate statues across the U.S. came under attack over the summer as the nation wrestled with issues of racial injustice .
VMI , the oldest state-supported military university in the country , was thrust into the spotlight after a Washington Post article alleged Black cadets and alumni endured `` relentless racism . ''
The university was reluctant to remove the statue .
Jackson was a professor at VMI before joining the Confederacy in 1861 .
Many of the institute 's cadets served as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Civil War started and others served and died in the name of the Confederacy .
The school 's former superintendent , retired Army Gen. J.H .
Binford Peay III , resigned shortly after an investigation into the allegations was announced .
The interim superintendent , retired Army Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins , is the first African American to assume the position , The Associated Press reported last month .
`` VMI does not define itself by this statue and that is why this move is appropriate .
We are defined by our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and character of the graduates the Institute produces , '' Wins , a 1985 VMI graduate , said in a news release .
`` Our graduates embody the values of honor , respect , civility , self-discipline , and professionalism .
This is how we will continue to be defined . ''
Dustin Jones is an intern with NPR 's News Desk .

Virginia Military Institute Removes Statue Of Confederate Gen. 'Stonewall' Jackson
Enlarge this image toggle caption Virginia Military Institute Archives Virginia Military Institute Archives
The Virginia Military Institute removed a statue of Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson on Monday morning. A small group watched as the bronze figure was hoisted off its pedestal in front of the VMI barracks.
The historic figure is being relocated from the campus in Lexington, Va., to its future home at the Virginia Museum of the Civil War and New Market Battlefield State Historical Park.
The statue was sculpted by Moses Ezekiel, a member of the class of 1866, and donated to VMI in 1912. And after standing for more than a century, VMI's board voted in favor of its removal in October.
Confederate statues across the U.S. came under attack over the summer as the nation wrestled with issues of racial injustice. VMI, the oldest state-supported military university in the country, was thrust into the spotlight after a Washington Post article alleged Black cadets and alumni endured "relentless racism."
The university was reluctant to remove the statue. Jackson was a professor at VMI before joining the Confederacy in 1861. Many of the institute's cadets served as drill instructors at Camp Lee when the Civil War started and others served and died in the name of the Confederacy.
The school's former superintendent, retired Army Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III, resigned shortly after an investigation into the allegations was announced. The interim superintendent, retired Army Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, is the first African American to assume the position, The Associated Press reported last month.
"VMI does not define itself by this statue and that is why this move is appropriate. We are defined by our unique system of education and the quality and character of the graduates the Institute produces," Wins, a 1985 VMI graduate, said in a news release. "Our graduates embody the values of honor, respect, civility, self-discipline, and professionalism. This is how we will continue to be defined."
Dustin Jones is an intern with NPR's News Desk.


npr--2020-12-07--NIH Director Predicts Vaccinations Will Start This Month

Dr. Francis Collins , director of the National Institutes of Health , says millions of people in high-risk groups will likely `` start rolling up their sleeves '' to get a COVID-19 vaccine soon .
An advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration is meeting on Thursday to talk about the Pfizer vaccine .
The same committee of scientists and health experts will meet again on Dec. 17 to talk about the Moderna vaccine .
Both vaccines have been highly effective in trials , according to the companies .
`` If they vote to approve , which most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the data we 've seen so far , then vaccinations could start quite shortly after that , '' Collins told Noel King on NPR 's Morning Edition .
The advisory group makes a recommendation , but then it 's up to the FDA 's career scientists to approve the vaccine ultimately .
Those scientists `` have been poring over the details of how these trials have been turning out , '' Collins said .
The FDA scientists `` look at every single record .
It 's the most detailed analysis you can imagine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excerpts of the interview : What percentage of the population needs to get vaccinated in order for the threat of COVID-19 to subside ?
We really need to get to 80 % , 90 % of individuals being immune before you could really say this virus is done , because that 's what it takes to achieve the kind of so-called herd immunity .
So that 's a ways off .
We can get started in December and January , but it 's unlikely that we 'll reach that level of immunization , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until the spring or even the early summer , which means we all got to double down on those public health measures that we know can work in order to keep this pandemic , which is running wild across the country right now , from getting even worse .
There is a big concern here regarding the vaccine , which is that a lot of Americans say they will not take it when it 's available .
I 'm very worried about this .
... We know there are vaccines that look extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about that this week and next week [ when the FDA releases data ] .
My hope is that that kind of data , because Americans do tend to make decisions based on data most of the time , will convince some of the skeptics that this is something they would not want to miss out on .
This is a way to save lives .
And when we look around us and see somebody 's dying every minute now from COVID-19 , how could you walk away from something that might put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ought to be looking at the data to decide whether you believe it 's safe for yourself and your family .
And I think if people do that , they will be fairly convinced that this is something they want to take part in .
If you do manage to get the message across and a vast majority of Americans do opt to take the vaccine , how quickly will we be able to return to normal social interactions as the population of vaccinated people grows ?
There 's a lot of uncertainties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that my crystal ball is any clearer than anybody else 's .
But I think there 's a reason to be optimistic that by the summer we may get to the point where regular social gatherings can happen .
I 'm hoping to go to a baseball game this summer ; that 'll be a really good indication that we got there or go to a concert .
We know how adults responded to the vaccines in these trials , but what about kids ?
Have kids been part of the vaccine trials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial is now looking at children down to age 12 .
But no vaccination trials have been done on kids younger than that .
Those will get underway in the very near future .
But this is the way we always do things with a new treatment , whether it 's a drug or a vaccine .
First , you want to find out , is it safe and effective in adults before you try this on children — recognizing that they may be more vulnerable .
There 's every reason to think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids , but we will need to get that data and make sure that 's true so kids will be coming late in the schedule of those who get immunized .
Arezou Rezvani and Lilly Quiroz produced the audio interview .
James Doubek produced for the Web .

NIH Director Predicts Vaccinations Will Start This Month
Enlarge this image toggle caption Greg Nash/Pool/Getty Images Greg Nash/Pool/Getty Images
Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, says millions of people in high-risk groups will likely "start rolling up their sleeves" to get a COVID-19 vaccine soon.
An advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration is meeting on Thursday to talk about the Pfizer vaccine. The same committee of scientists and health experts will meet again on Dec. 17 to talk about the Moderna vaccine. Both vaccines have been highly effective in trials, according to the companies.
"If they vote to approve, which most of us believe they will get based on the data we've seen so far, then vaccinations could start quite shortly after that," Collins told Noel King on NPR's Morning Edition.
The advisory group makes a recommendation, but then it's up to the FDA's career scientists to approve the vaccine ultimately. Those scientists "have been poring over the details of how these trials have been turning out," Collins said.
The FDA scientists "look at every single record. It's the most detailed analysis you can imagine," he added.
Here are excerpts of the interview:
What percentage of the population needs to get vaccinated in order for the threat of COVID-19 to subside?
We really need to get to 80%, 90% of individuals being immune before you could really say this virus is done, because that's what it takes to achieve the kind of so-called herd immunity. So that's a ways off. We can get started in December and January, but it's unlikely that we'll reach that level of immunization, even with everything that's being done until the spring or even the early summer, which means we all got to double down on those public health measures that we know can work in order to keep this pandemic, which is running wild across the country right now, from getting even worse.
There is a big concern here regarding the vaccine, which is that a lot of Americans say they will not take it when it's available.
I'm very worried about this. ... We know there are vaccines that look extremely promising, and we'll know more about that this week and next week [when the FDA releases data]. My hope is that that kind of data, because Americans do tend to make decisions based on data most of the time, will convince some of the skeptics that this is something they would not want to miss out on.
This is a way to save lives. And when we look around us and see somebody's dying every minute now from COVID-19, how could you walk away from something that might put an end to that? Surely you ought to be looking at the data to decide whether you believe it's safe for yourself and your family. And I think if people do that, they will be fairly convinced that this is something they want to take part in.
If you do manage to get the message across and a vast majority of Americans do opt to take the vaccine, how quickly will we be able to return to normal social interactions as the population of vaccinated people grows?
There's a lot of uncertainties here. Let me not tell you that my crystal ball is any clearer than anybody else's. But I think there's a reason to be optimistic that by the summer we may get to the point where regular social gatherings can happen. I'm hoping to go to a baseball game this summer; that'll be a really good indication that we got there or go to a concert.
We know how adults responded to the vaccines in these trials, but what about kids? Have kids been part of the vaccine trials?
They have not. The Pfizer trial is now looking at children down to age 12. But no vaccination trials have been done on kids younger than that. Those will get underway in the very near future.
But this is the way we always do things with a new treatment, whether it's a drug or a vaccine. First, you want to find out, is it safe and effective in adults before you try this on children — recognizing that they may be more vulnerable. There's every reason to think this vaccine is going to work in kids, but we will need to get that data and make sure that's true so kids will be coming late in the schedule of those who get immunized.
Arezou Rezvani and Lilly Quiroz produced the audio interview. James Doubek produced for the Web.