npr--2020-04-03--Ventilator Shortages Loom As States Ponder Rules For Rationing

Medical rationing is not something Americans are accustomed to , but COVID-19 may soon change that .
The specter of rationing is most imminent in New York City , where the virus is spreading rapidly and overwhelming hospitals with patients .
According to New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , the state has 2,200 ventilators in its state stockpile .
Current COVID-19 case projections suggest the state may not have enough of the machines , which help critically ill people breathe , as soon as next week .
The survival rate for COVID-19 patients on ventilators may be as low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' effectiveness for those patients is still being studied .
`` At the current burn rate , we have about six days of ventilators in our stockpile , '' Cuomo said on Thursday .
If there are not enough ventilators to provide one for every patient who might benefit , hospitals in New York would need to begin making excruciating decisions about who will receive what care .
So far , Cuomo and other governors have not formally directed hospitals to prepare for so-called crisis triage .
Asked by a reporter on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ventilators if there were too few to go around , Cuomo replied , `` I do n't even want to think about that consequence .
I want to do everything I can to have as many ventilators as we 'll need . ''
`` There 's no protocol , '' he continued , before describing state efforts to increase the number of ventilators available .
However , New York State does have a protocol for allocating ventilators during a pandemic .
The 2015 guidelines were developed by a state bioethics task force over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out detailed protocols for saving the maximum number of lives by assessing how likely every patient is to benefit from ventilator therapy .
The authors of the guidelines noted that the protocols are most effective when the governor or state health commissioner formally directs hospitals to follow them .
On Thursday , the president of the Medical Society of the State of New York , Dr. Art Fougner , released a statement suggesting that , in the absence of clear orders from the state health department , New York hospitals should use the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committees to help make decisions about who gets care if there are limited supplies .
`` At this point , the most difficult decisions facing physicians will have to be made , '' states Fougner .
`` Already , some emergency physicians are reporting being told the equivalent of 'Use your best judgement .
You 're on your own . '
'' When it comes to rationing , doctors and hospitals have good reason to want the support of public officials .
And it 's a tension that may soon be apparent beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a standard of care you can be sued for negligence or medical malpractice , '' says Diane Hoffman , a University of Maryland Law School professor and an expert on health ethics .
`` For example , if somebody is on a ventilator , and they 're doing relatively well , you could n't take them off without facing criminal or civil liability . ''
That changes when public officials declare `` crisis standards of care . ''
`` Most states have a statute in place , '' she says .
`` If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it authorizes the governor to suspend other laws that might prevent hospitals from rationing . ''
But beyond liability worries , doctors say they also want clear ethical rules for rationing .
In Washington State , which saw the country 's first COVID-19 deaths , hospitals and doctors have been familiarizing themselves with a document called the Scarce Resource Management and Crisis Standards of Care Overview .
`` We would be consulting a grid , if it got to that point , '' says Randall Curtis , a professor of medicine and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the University of Washington in Seattle .
He hopes rationing can be avoided , but he and his colleagues have been reviewing the state 's triage process , just in case .
`` We have to be thinking about that [ now ] , because we do n't want to be thinking about it for the first time as we 're trying to implement it , '' Curtis says .
Most states have versions of these guidelines , many written at the encouragement of the CDC in the years after 9/11 .
Hoffman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physicians and bioethicists , while others were based on input from the community .
As a result , the rules vary .
`` There 's pretty much agreement on short-term survival , '' Hoffman says , meaning the policies generally favor giving scarce resources to patients with the best chances of getting well enough to leave the hospital .
But she says they differ on secondary considerations , especially questions of long-term survival .
`` Are we going to look at quality of life ?
Dementia , other disabilities ? ''
Patients ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contentious factor .
Last week , the online version of the Journal of the American Medical Association published a viewpoint article calling for ventilator allocation to take into consideration `` the number of years of life saved . ''
The American College of Physicians countered with a public statement warning against age discrimination .
`` We do not think we should be using the concept of maximizing the number of life-years that are achievable afterward , '' says Robert McLean , ACP president and a physician in New Haven , Conn. `` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disabled , who may not live as long after they would potentially recover . ''
If a younger person is given preference for scarce medical care , McLean says it should be because that person has a better short-term prognosis , not simply because the person is younger .
Over the weekend , the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reminded healthcare providers not to push people with disabilities or elderly people to the bottom of the list when it comes to care .
The fact that Americans are having these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a looming wave of COVID-19 patients , is a worry for the physicians and ethicists who 've spent years laboring over these policies .
Adding to that concern is the apparent reluctance of public officials , so far , to officially declare `` crisis standards of care . ''
Valerie Gutmann Koch , an attorney and bioethicist at the University of Chicago , says states might want to take that step even before they run out of resources such as ventilators .
`` Having time to prepare is incredibly important , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the institutions and the providers , but also for the public .
... Because without the trust of the public in how these things are being done , and without transparency , there 's going to be even more pushback and potentially more liability . ''
But Vicki Sakata , an emergency physician in Tacoma who 's been deeply involved in the development of Washington State 's crisis standard of care policy , says states should do everything they can to avoid crossing that line .
`` It 's absolutely the last thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
To her , a big reason to plan crisis standards of care is to figure out how to avoid letting things get to that point .
But once things do , she says invoking a clear rationing policy will help .
`` It 's terrifying , obviously , for a lot of people , but we need to have information and we need to have a process , and that 's what I 've worked to do . ''

Ventilator Shortages Loom As States Ponder Rules For Rationing
Enlarge this image toggle caption Misha Friedman/Getty Images Misha Friedman/Getty Images
Medical rationing is not something Americans are accustomed to, but COVID-19 may soon change that.
The specter of rationing is most imminent in New York City, where the virus is spreading rapidly and overwhelming hospitals with patients.
According to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the state has 2,200 ventilators in its state stockpile. Current COVID-19 case projections suggest the state may not have enough of the machines, which help critically ill people breathe, as soon as next week.
The survival rate for COVID-19 patients on ventilators may be as low as 20%, though the machines' effectiveness for those patients is still being studied.
"At the current burn rate, we have about six days of ventilators in our stockpile," Cuomo said on Thursday. If there are not enough ventilators to provide one for every patient who might benefit, hospitals in New York would need to begin making excruciating decisions about who will receive what care.
So far, Cuomo and other governors have not formally directed hospitals to prepare for so-called crisis triage. Asked by a reporter on Tuesday how the state would decide who got ventilators if there were too few to go around, Cuomo replied, "I don't even want to think about that consequence. I want to do everything I can to have as many ventilators as we'll need."
"There's no protocol," he continued, before describing state efforts to increase the number of ventilators available.
Guidelines for rationing
However, New York State does have a protocol for allocating ventilators during a pandemic. The 2015 guidelines were developed by a state bioethics task force over more than a decade, and lay out detailed protocols for saving the maximum number of lives by assessing how likely every patient is to benefit from ventilator therapy.
The authors of the guidelines noted that the protocols are most effective when the governor or state health commissioner formally directs hospitals to follow them.
On Thursday, the president of the Medical Society of the State of New York, Dr. Art Fougner, released a statement suggesting that, in the absence of clear orders from the state health department, New York hospitals should use the 2015 guidelines and immediately start using ethics committees to help make decisions about who gets care if there are limited supplies.
"At this point, the most difficult decisions facing physicians will have to be made," states Fougner. "Already, some emergency physicians are reporting being told the equivalent of 'Use your best judgement. You're on your own.'"
'Crisis standards of care'
When it comes to rationing, doctors and hospitals have good reason to want the support of public officials. And it's a tension that may soon be apparent beyond New York.
"If you violate a standard of care you can be sued for negligence or medical malpractice," says Diane Hoffmann, a University of Maryland Law School professor and an expert on health ethics. "For example, if somebody is on a ventilator, and they're doing relatively well, you couldn't take them off without facing criminal or civil liability."
That changes when public officials declare "crisis standards of care."
"Most states have a statute in place," she says. "If the governor declares that type of emergency, it authorizes the governor to suspend other laws that might prevent hospitals from rationing."
But beyond liability worries, doctors say they also want clear ethical rules for rationing. In Washington State, which saw the country's first COVID-19 deaths, hospitals and doctors have been familiarizing themselves with a document called the Scarce Resource Management and Crisis Standards of Care Overview.
"We would be consulting a grid, if it got to that point," says Dr. Randall Curtis, a professor of medicine and a pulmonary and critical care specialist at the University of Washington in Seattle. He hopes rationing can be avoided, but he and his colleagues have been reviewing the state's triage process, just in case.
"We have to be thinking about that [now], because we don't want to be thinking about it for the first time as we're trying to implement it," Curtis says.
Difficult choices
Most states have versions of these guidelines, many written at the encouragement of the CDC in the years after 9/11. Hoffmann says some were drafted by committees of physicians and bioethicists, while others were based on input from the community. As a result, the rules vary.
"There's pretty much agreement on short-term survival," Hoffmann says, meaning the policies generally favor giving scarce resources to patients with the best chances of getting well enough to leave the hospital. But she says they differ on secondary considerations, especially questions of long-term survival. "Are we going to look at quality of life? Dementia, other disabilities?"
Patients' expected life span has become an especially contentious factor. Last week, the online version of the Journal of the American Medical Association published a viewpoint article calling for ventilator allocation to take into consideration "the number of years of life saved."
The American College of Physicians countered with a public statement warning against age discrimination.
"We do not think we should be using the concept of maximizing the number of life-years that are achievable afterward," says Dr. Robert McLean, ACP president and a physician in New Haven, Conn. "It is inherently biased against the elderly or the disabled, who may not live as long after they would potentially recover."
If a younger person is given preference for scarce medical care, McLean says it should be because that person has a better short-term prognosis, not simply because the person is younger.
Over the weekend, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reminded health care providers not to push people with disabilities or elderly people to the bottom of the list when it comes to care.
The fact that Americans are having these ethics debates now, in the shadow of a looming wave of COVID-19 patients, is a worry for the physicians and ethicists who've spent years laboring over these policies.
Adding to that concern is the apparent reluctance of public officials, so far, to officially declare "crisis standards of care."
Valerie Gutmann Koch, an attorney and bioethicist at the University of Chicago, says states might want to take that step even before they run out of resources such as ventilators.
"Having time to prepare is incredibly important," Koch says. "Not just for the institutions and the providers, but also for the public. ... Because without the trust of the public in how these things are being done, and without transparency, there's going to be even more pushback and potentially more liability."
But Dr. Vicki Sakata, an emergency physician in Tacoma who's been deeply involved in the development of Washington State's crisis standard of care policy, says states should do everything they can to avoid crossing that line.
"It's absolutely the last thing we want to do," Sakata says. To her, a big reason to plan crisis standards of care is to figure out how to avoid letting things get to that point. But once things do, she says invoking a clear rationing policy will help.
"It's terrifying, obviously, for a lot of people, but we need to have information and we need to have a process, and that's what I've worked to do."


npr--2020-04-03--Many Who Need Testing For COVID-19 Fail To Get Access

Many Who Need Testing For COVID-19 Fail To Get Access For the past two weeks , Nathan Tetreault of Lillian , Ala. , has suffered through likely COVID-19 symptoms : dry cough , fever , waking up in the middle of the night struggling to breathe .
`` I do n't know if I have it .
However , chances are pretty darn likely , '' Tetreault says .
Doctors would n't test him last week because he did n't meet the required criteria early on : He 's not someone who 's over 65 and showing symptoms , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or come into contact with anyone he knows of who has tested positive .
`` The scariest thing is not getting answers , not knowing what 's gon na happen when you call the doctor and they 're just like , 'Yeah , you 're on your own , ' `` he says .
Tetreault is now feeling better .
He 's supposed to go back to his job at a supermarket .
But he 's worried he could be infectious .
He says if he knew he was positive , he could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's still a serious shortage of testing for COVID-19 across the U.S. , in spite of President Trump insisting the situation is improving .
While COVID-19 testing criteria can vary depending on where you live , tests are being rationed in every state .
Demand is far outstripping capacity from Alabama to Oregon .
In Portland , Ore. , Melissa Burgess , her husband and their 1 1/2-year-old son have been holed up in their small house for two weeks .
She had mild symptoms .
Her husband , though , got much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to the emergency room or get a test , according to their doctor .
`` And so maybe it was n't that , and thank God , but the anxiety in the past few days has been pretty high , '' Burgess says .
Still , Burgess is n't taking any chances .
She wears the family 's one mask — they got it from a neighbor — when she cares for her husband .
They 're worried that if she gets sick , there will be nobody to take care of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and usually they 'd help out , but they ca n't come over and risk getting sick .
`` The point being , if everyone was able to just get a test , to know if they had it or not , then we could at least have comfort in knowing that someone could take care of our son , '' Burgess says .
People who responded to NPR 's call-out on social media were frustrated that testing is still being rationed and not everyone who 's showing symptoms can get one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said her husband is sick with many symptoms of COVID-19 .
Their son has leukemia , and yet their doctor said the only thing they could do for now is to isolate at home .
`` How is that sound medical advice ?
Especially with a highly contagious disease , once both parents go down with it , '' she says .
`` We had no choice but to expose our kids and pray for the best . ''
There are signs that testing is becoming more widely available , with some caveats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Sun Valley Resort , has reported some of the highest rates of COVID-19 in the United States .
A woman there in her 30s was able to get tested .
But because she was n't that sick , her swab was sent to a commercial lab .
She got the positive result 12 days later .
`` We 've never had sufficient test capacity from the beginning of this ordeal , '' says Abner King , CEO of Syringa Hospital & Clinics in rural northern Idaho .
Most of its tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California , which has its own backlog to deal with .
`` We have a lot of people that want to get tested and that are upset when the screening criteria says , no , you do n't qualify to get tested , '' King says .
`` They 'll literally go to the next hospital down the road and try there , but we 're all in the same boat . ''
King just hopes people in his community who think they might be sick are heeding Idaho 's stay-at-home order .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people such as Michelle Burgess and her family next door in Oregon .
Burgess , however , stresses that she lays no blame on local physicians and health care staff .
`` They are working so hard , '' she says .
`` They 're in a hard position to have to tell people , no , we ca n't prescribe you a test right now because there are n't enough . ''

Many Who Need Testing For COVID-19 Fail To Get Access
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Melissa Burgess Courtesy of Melissa Burgess
For the past two weeks, Nathan Tetreault of Lillian, Ala., has suffered through likely COVID-19 symptoms: dry cough, fever, waking up in the middle of the night struggling to breathe.
"I don't know if I have it. However, chances are pretty darn likely," Tetreault says.
Doctors wouldn't test him last week because he didn't meet the required criteria early on: He's not someone who's over 65 and showing symptoms, and he hasn't traveled outside the U.S. or come into contact with anyone he knows of who has tested positive.
National Coronavirus Testing Capacity Remains A Problem Nationwide Coronavirus Testing Capacity Remains A Problem Nationwide Listen · 7:30 7:30
"The scariest thing is not getting answers, not knowing what's gonna happen when you call the doctor and they're just like, 'Yeah, you're on your own,' " he says.
Tetreault is now feeling better. He's supposed to go back to his job at a supermarket. But he's worried he could be infectious. He says if he knew he was positive, he could ask for more time off.
There's still a serious shortage of testing for COVID-19 across the U.S., in spite of President Trump insisting the situation is improving. While COVID-19 testing criteria can vary depending on where you live, tests are being rationed in every state. Demand is far outstripping capacity from Alabama to Oregon.
In Portland, Ore., Melissa Burgess, her husband and their 1 1/2-year-old son have been holed up in their small house for two weeks. She had mild symptoms. Her husband, though, got much sicker — but not bad enough to go to the emergency room or get a test, according to their doctor.
Fortunately, his health is improving.
"And so maybe it wasn't that, and thank God, but the anxiety in the past few days has been pretty high," Burgess says.
Still, Burgess isn't taking any chances. She wears the family's one mask — they got it from a neighbor — when she cares for her husband. They're worried that if she gets sick, there will be nobody to take care of their son. Her parents live nearby and usually they'd help out, but they can't come over and risk getting sick.
"The point being, if everyone was able to just get a test, to know if they had it or not, then we could at least have comfort in knowing that someone could take care of our son," Burgess says.
People who responded to NPR's call-out on social media were frustrated that testing is still being rationed and not everyone who's showing symptoms can get one.
Betsy Larrabee of Longmont, Colo., said her husband is sick with many symptoms of COVID-19. Their son has leukemia, and yet their doctor said the only thing they could do for now is to isolate at home.
"How is that sound medical advice? Especially with a highly contagious disease, once both parents go down with it," she says. "We had no choice but to expose our kids and pray for the best."
There are signs that testing is becoming more widely available, with some caveats.
Idaho's Blaine County, home to the Sun Valley Resort, has reported some of the highest rates of COVID-19 in the United States. A woman there in her 30s was able to get tested. But because she wasn't that sick, her swab was sent to a commercial lab. She got the positive result 12 days later.
"We've never had sufficient test capacity from the beginning of this ordeal," says Abner King, CEO of Syringa Hospital & Clinics in rural northern Idaho.
Most of its tests are sent to a commercial lab in California, which has its own backlog to deal with.
"We have a lot of people that want to get tested and that are upset when the screening criteria says, no, you don't qualify to get tested," King says. "They'll literally go to the next hospital down the road and try there, but we're all in the same boat."
King just hopes people in his community who think they might be sick are heeding Idaho's stay-at-home order. That's not of much solace to people such as Melissa Burgess and her family next door in Oregon.
Burgess, however, stresses that she lays no blame on local physicians and health care staff.
"They are working so hard," she says. "They're in a hard position to have to tell people, no, we can't prescribe you a test right now because there aren't enough."


npr--2020-04-03--The Coronavirus Small Business Loan Program: What You Need To Know

The Coronavirus Small Business Loan Program : What You Need To Know Starting today , small businesses can apply for the nearly $ 350 billion in loans available through the economic rescue plan from Congress .
The loan program , known as the Paycheck Protection Program , is intended to support businesses so they can ride out the tough economic times and most importantly assist with either keeping current workers or rehire those that were laid off .
It 's sorely needed salve for all sorts of small establishments nationwide .
Half of small businesses have less than 27 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to one 2016 report , and many have already suffered weeks of low or no income .
Below are some basics on how the program will work and what business owners can expect .
How much money can small businesses get ?
They can get up to 2.5 times their total monthly payroll ( with a maximum of $ 10 million ) .
Importantly , as many businesses have already slashed jobs , companies will rely on payroll numbers from before the crisis .
The Small Business Administration , or SBA , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the loans , and repayment will be deferred for six months .
Congress has appropriated $ 349 billion toward this program .
That may not be enough to meet demand , but it is possible Congress will decide to put more funds toward this program .
( Read on to find out more about this . )
A lot of businesses — those with fewer than 500 employees , including sole proprietorships and freelancers , as well as nonprofits .
The application requires much less information than a typical small business loan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the SBA ahead of the program showed there were just two pages of questions on basic information , like payroll size and what the owner intends to use the money for .
Notably , these loans do not require personal guarantees or collateral , which administration officials are hoping will make for a speedy approval process .
The program is currently set to run through June 30 .
Right now , around 1,800 banks are part of the SBA 's primary lending program .
A senior administration official this week said thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this program .
But some wo n't be ready on Friday .
As of Thursday night , JP Morgan Chase 's website said it will `` most likely not be able to start accepting applications on Friday . ''
Reuters also reported this week that some major banks have been considering not participating in the program .
That 's because they would be expected to hand out loans quickly — within days — which could open them up to legal risk .
In addition , some banks initially said that they might not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loan terms laid out by the SBA .
The Independent Community Bankers of America sent a letter this week to SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin laying out its concerns , one of which was the low 0.5 % interest rate initially set by the SBA , even though the Act said interest rates could be as high as 4 % .
`` Community bank lenders can not 'break even ' with such a low rate of interest and for many it will not be economic or feasible to participate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO and President Rebeca Romero Rainey .
At a Thursday White House press briefing , Mnuchin said the interest rates would now be set at 1 % , citing some small banks ' concerns .
Can businesses really get money in one day ?
Here 's what we do know : Friday is when the program opens .
Administration officials have said they 're hopeful that businesses will be able to apply for and get their money within the same day .
Whether that is feasible will quickly become clear once things get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quicker timeline than for standard SBA loans , which usually take 5-10 days to process .
In addition , some banks may not be ready to lend right away on Friday .
`` This is an entirely new program , and that 's something that both banks and customers will have to get used to , '' said James Ballentine , executive vice president of congressional relations and political affairs at the American Bankers Association .
`` There will be some banks that will be ready to go , and there will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do this and still be working on this for a few days . ''
He added that the process may be quicker for businesses with strong ties to their banks already .
`` Those customers that have these relationships with their banks , the banks have a lot of their information on file already , so some of those loans will be easier to turn around , '' he said .
`` Others that may not have a banking relationship with their local bank or national bank .
Certainly we 're encouraging them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those loans and apply for them . ''
The fact that some businesses might be able to get loans more quickly and easily , by virtue of their existing relationships , has raised some concern .
`` The small businesses that [ existing SBA lenders ] serve are not the small businesses who need it most , '' said Michael Roth , managing partner at Next Street , an advisory firm that works with local governments to boost small businesses .
`` They 're not the small businesses that need the cash within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And it 's just going to exacerbate the inequality that already exists . ''
In particular , he said , he is concerned about availability of these loans to nonwhite-owned businesses and those in low-income neighborhoods .
Loans are forgivable if you keep employees A business ' loan could be fully forgiven , but only if a business meets certain criteria .
First , to be forgiven , the money must be spent on payroll , rent , mortgage interest and utilities during the eight weeks after the loan is made .
Any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be forgiven .
In addition , the SBA has said that at least three-quarters of the forgiven portion must be used for payroll , which can include benefits in addition to wages .
Many businesses may see their loans partially forgiven .
The forgiven amount will be reduced if businesses cut their number of full-time workers , as well as if they cut their pay levels beyond a certain amount .
If a business owner has already laid off workers , they can rehire employees and still get forgiveness , as long as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Will there be enough loan money to meet demand ?
It 's not clear .
There is a very real possibility that $ 349 billion wo n't meet the demand .
George Washington University Economics Professor Steven Hamilton walked through some back-of-the-envelope math on Twitter last week , noting that 2.5 times the total payroll of all businesses with fewer than 500 workers is $ 2.76 trillion ( compared to the $ 349 billion in this Paycheck Protection plan ) .
While of course not all small businesses may apply for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a possibility that the pot of money will be quickly exhausted .
`` One of the things I 've heard is this small business program is going to be so popular that we 're going to run out of our $ 350 billion , '' Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC this week .
`` If that 's the case , I can assure you that will be top of the list for me to go back to Congress on .
It has huge bipartisan support and we want to protect small @ @ @

The Coronavirus Small Business Loan Program: What You Need To Know
Enlarge this image toggle caption Suzanne Kreiter/Boston Globe via Getty Images Suzanne Kreiter/Boston Globe via Getty Images
Starting today, small businesses can apply for the nearly $350 billion in loans available through the economic rescue plan from Congress.
The loan program, known as the Paycheck Protection Program, is intended to support businesses so they can ride out the tough economic times and, most importantly, assist with either keeping current workers or rehire those who were laid off.
It's sorely needed salve for all sorts of small establishments nationwide. Half of small businesses have less than 27 days' worth of financial cushion, according to one 2016 report, and many have already suffered weeks of low or no income.
Below are some basics on how the program will work and what business owners can expect.
How much money can small businesses get?
They can get up to 2.5 times their total monthly payroll (with a maximum of $10 million). Importantly, as many businesses have already slashed jobs, companies will rely on payroll numbers from before the crisis. The Small Business Administration has set an interest rate of 1% on the loans, and repayment will be deferred for six months.
Congress has appropriated $349 billion toward this program. That may not be enough to meet demand, but it is possible Congress will decide to put more funds toward this program. (Read on to find out more about this.)
Who is eligible?
A lot of businesses — those with fewer than 500 employees, including sole proprietorships and freelancers, as well as nonprofits.
The application requires much less information than a typical small business loan. A sample form put out by the SBA ahead of the program showed there were just two pages of questions on basic information, like payroll size and what the owner intends to use the money for.
Notably, these loans do not require personal guarantees or collateral, which administration officials are hoping will make for a speedy approval process.
The program is currently set to run through June 30.
Some banks won't be ready immediately
Right now, around 1,800 banks are part of the SBA's primary lending program. A senior administration official this week said thousands of additional financial institutions could also lend through this program.
But some won't be ready on Friday. As of Thursday night, JPMorgan Chase's website said it will "most likely not be able to start accepting applications on Friday."
Reuters also reported this week that some major banks have been considering not participating in the program. That's because they would be expected to hand out loans quickly — within days — which could open them up to legal risk.
In addition, some banks initially said that they might not want to participate because of unattractive loan terms laid out by the SBA. The Independent Community Bankers of America sent a letter this week to SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin laying out its concerns, one of which was the low 0.5% interest rate initially set by the SBA, even though the act said interest rates could be as high as 4%.
"Community bank lenders cannot 'break even' with such a low rate of interest, and for many it will not be economic or feasible to participate in the program," wrote ICBA CEO and President Rebeca Romero Rainey.
At a Thursday White House press briefing, Mnuchin said the interest rates would now be set at 1%, citing some small banks' concerns.
Can businesses really get money in one day?
Here's what we do know: Friday is when the program opens. Administration officials have said they're hopeful that businesses will be able to apply for and get their money within the same day. Whether that is feasible will quickly become clear once things get rolling. One day is a much quicker timeline than for standard SBA loans, which usually take five to 10 days to process.
In addition, some banks may not be ready to lend right away on Friday.
"This is an entirely new program, and that's something that both banks and customers will have to get used to," said James Ballentine, executive vice president of congressional relations and political affairs at the American Bankers Association. "There will be some banks that will be ready to go, and there will be others that will still learn how to do this and still be working on this for a few days."
He added that the process may be quicker for businesses with strong ties to their banks already.
"Those customers that have these relationships with their banks, the banks have a lot of their information on file already, so some of those loans will be easier to turn around," he said. "Others that may not have a banking relationship with their local bank or national bank. Certainly we're encouraging them to go into that bank to get those loans and apply for them."
Indeed, on Friday, Bank of America's website said the program was open to "clients with a business lending and a business deposit relationship at Bank of America."
The fact that some businesses might be able to get loans more quickly and easily, by virtue of their existing relationships, has raised some concern.
"The small businesses that [existing SBA lenders] serve are not the small businesses who need it most," said Michael Roth, managing partner at Next Street, an advisory firm that works with local governments to boost small businesses. "They're not the small businesses that need the cash within 30 days, within 90 days. And it's just going to exacerbate the inequality that already exists."
In particular, he said, he is concerned about availability of these loans to nonwhite-owned businesses and those in low-income neighborhoods.
Loans are forgivable if you keep employees
A business' loan could be fully forgiven, but only if a business meets certain criteria.
First, to be forgiven, the money must be spent on payroll, rent, mortgage interest and utilities during the eight weeks after the loan is made. Any portion spent on anything else won't be forgiven.
In addition, the SBA has said that at least three-quarters of the forgiven portion must be used for payroll, which can include benefits in addition to wages.
Many businesses may see their loans partially forgiven. The forgiven amount will be reduced if businesses cut their number of full-time workers, as well as if they cut their pay levels beyond a certain amount.
If a business owner has already laid off workers, they can rehire employees and still get forgiveness, as long as they rehire those workers by June 30.
Will there be enough loan money to meet demand?
It's not clear. There is a very real possibility that $349 billion won't meet the demand.
George Washington University Economics Professor Steven Hamilton walked through some back-of-the-envelope math on Twitter last week, noting that 2.5 times the total payroll of all businesses with fewer than 500 workers is $2.76 trillion (compared to the $349 billion in this Paycheck Protection plan). While of course not all small businesses may apply for the loans, it certainly shows that there is a possibility that the pot of money will be quickly exhausted.
"One of the things I've heard is this small business program is going to be so popular that we're going to run out of our $350 billion," Mnuchin told CNBC this week. "If that's the case, I can assure you that will be top of the list for me to go back to Congress on. It has huge bipartisan support and we want to protect small business."


npr--2020-04-03--A Must For Millions, Zoom Has A Dark Side — And An FBI Warning

A Must For Millions , Zoom Has A Dark Side — And An FBI Warning Dennis Johnson fell victim last week to a new form of harassment known as `` Zoombombing , '' in which intruders hijack video calls and post hate speech and offensive images such as pornography .
It 's a phenomenon so alarming that the FBI has issued a warning about using Zoom .
Like many people these days , Johnson is doing a lot of things over the Internet that he would normally do in person .
Last week , he defended his doctoral dissertation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big audience — he estimated it was about 40 people , including `` my closest friends , family and my classmates and my dissertation committee '' at California State University , Long Beach , he said .
Johnson is the first member of his family to graduate from college , let alone get a doctorate .
He wanted to share the moment with them .
He said he was in the middle of presenting when someone started drawing male genitalia on the screen .
At first , Johnson said , he was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'm like , 'Whoa ! '
And then I freeze , and everyone who 's watching the screen freezes , '' he said .
It got worse .
The attacker scrawled a racial slur that everyone on the Zoom call could see .
Johnson was horrified .
The organizers blocked everyone 's screen until they could remove the intruder from the meeting .
But , Johnson said , they were not able to identify that person .
Although he was shaken , Johnson managed to finish his presentation .
But what should have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The moment they [ told ] me , 'Congratulations , Dr. Dennis Johnson , ' and it 's all over and I leave the Zoom meeting , everything sets in , '' he said .
`` I could n't even , like , communicate .
I had to just walk out [ of ] my house .
...
I did n't want to talk or see anybody . ''
Zoombombers have disrupted an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in New York , Sunday school in Texas , online classes at the University of Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mich. With schools closed and millions of people working from home , Zoom has become wildly popular .
The company said 200 million people used the app on a daily basis in March , up from just 10 million in December .
But that newfound popularity is bringing new scrutiny .
The FBI is warning schools , in particular , to be careful .
`` The FBI has received multiple reports of conferences being disrupted by pornographic and/or hate images and threatening language , '' the bureau 's Boston office said this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James has sent a letter to Zoom asking about its security and privacy protections .
`` Things you just would like to have in a chat and video application — strong encryption , strong privacy controls , strong security — just seem to be completely missing , '' said Patrick Wardle , a security researcher who previously worked at the National Security Agency .
He and other researchers have turned up flaws in Zoom 's software that could let hackers spy through a computer 's webcam or microphone .
The website Motherboard found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even data on people who are not Facebook users .
Zoom says that was a mistake , but it 's now facing a class action lawsuit .
Wardle says Zoom may be easy to use , but he is wary of its track record .
`` This product was designed to prioritize things other than privacy and security , '' he said .
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan said in a blog post Wednesday that the company is freezing work on new features to focus on fixing its privacy and security problems .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ short of the community 's – and our own – privacy and security expectations , '' he wrote .
`` For that , I am deeply sorry , and I want to share what we are doing about it . ''

A Must For Millions, Zoom Has A Dark Side — And An FBI Warning
Enlarge this image toggle caption Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 11:22 a.m. ET
Dennis Johnson fell victim last week to a new form of harassment known as "Zoombombing," in which intruders hijack video calls and post hate speech and offensive images such as pornography. It's a phenomenon so alarming that the FBI has issued a warning about using Zoom.
Like many people these days, Johnson is doing a lot of things over the Internet that he would normally do in person. Last week, he defended his doctoral dissertation in a Zoom videoconference.
He had a big audience — he estimated it was about 40 people, including "my closest friends, family and my classmates and my dissertation committee" at California State University, Long Beach, he said.
Johnson is the first member of his family to graduate from college, let alone get a doctorate. He wanted to share the moment with them.
He said he was in the middle of presenting when someone started drawing male genitalia on the screen. At first, Johnson said, he was not sure what was happening.
"I'm like, 'Whoa!' And then I freeze, and everyone who's watching the screen freezes," he said.
It got worse. The attacker scrawled a racial slur that everyone on the Zoom call could see.
Johnson was horrified. The organizers blocked everyone's screen until they could remove the intruder from the meeting. But, Johnson said, they were not able to identify that person.
Although he was shaken, Johnson managed to finish his presentation. But what should have been a triumphant celebration was ruined.
"The moment they [told] me, 'Congratulations, Dr. Dennis Johnson,' and it's all over and I leave the Zoom meeting, everything sets in," he said. "I couldn't even, like, communicate. I had to just walk out [of] my house. ... I didn't want to talk or see anybody."
Zoombombers have disrupted an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in New York, Sunday school in Texas, online classes at the University of Southern California and a city meeting in Kalamazoo, Mich.
With schools closed and millions of people working from home, Zoom has become wildly popular. The company said 200 million people used the app on a daily basis in March, up from just 10 million in December. But that newfound popularity is bringing new scrutiny.
The FBI is warning schools, in particular, to be careful.
"The FBI has received multiple reports of conferences being disrupted by pornographic and/or hate images and threatening language," the bureau's Boston office said this week.
As concerns have arisen, Zoom has worked to address them. It published a guide last month on how users can protect meetings. It also changed settings for accounts used by schools and universities to make their meetings more private by default.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has sent a letter to Zoom asking about its security and privacy protections.
"Things you just would like to have in a chat and video application — strong encryption, strong privacy controls, strong security — just seem to be completely missing," said Patrick Wardle, a security researcher who previously worked at the National Security Agency.
He and other researchers have turned up flaws in Zoom's software that could let hackers spy through a computer's webcam or microphone. Zoom says it released fixes for these issues on Wednesday.
Technology An Etiquette Primer For Zoom And Other Videoconferencing Services An Etiquette Primer For Zoom And Other Videoconferencing Services Listen · 2:55 2:55
The website Motherboard found that Zoom was sharing data with Facebook, even data on people who are not Facebook users.
Zoom says that was a mistake and that it stopped sharing that data in March, but it's now facing a class action lawsuit.
Wardle says Zoom may be easy to use, but he is wary of its track record.
"This product was designed to prioritize things other than privacy and security," he said.
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan said in a blog post Wednesday that the company is freezing work on new features to focus on fixing its privacy and security problems.
"We recognize that we have fallen short of the community's – and our own – privacy and security expectations," he wrote. "For that, I am deeply sorry, and I want to share what we are doing about it."
Editor's note: Zoom is among NPR's sponsors.


npr--2020-04-03--'Mike Borrowed My Credibility And Abused It': Fired Bloomberg Campaign Workers Speak

'Mike Borrowed My Credibility And Abused It ' : Fired Bloomberg Campaign Workers Speak When Amol Jethwani interviewed for a job on Mike Bloomberg 's presidential campaign in December , the benefits were unlike anything he had heard of for political campaign field workers .
`` They offered an incredible benefits package , which is unheard of for field staff , offering $ 8,000 a month for a regional role in addition to health care , technology , laptops , cellphones , '' said Jethwani .
Bloomberg also offered something else : a job through the general election , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's nominee .
Jethwani signed on as a regional organizing director .
As part of his job , he interviewed potential field staffers , giving them the same assurances .
`` That employment is guaranteed through November , location is not , '' Jethwani said .
Bloomberg 's four months as a candidate represented the most expensive presidential candidacy in history .
He amassed a staff of more than 2,000 people , including an enormous field operation that he and his aides promised would work through November to defeat President Trump , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that army of field staff is out of work , having been laid off by the Bloomberg campaign and struggling to recover while hiring has slowed down as the nation grapples with the coronavirus pandemic .
They are also speaking out publicly about what they say were false promises made by Bloomberg 's campaign .
Matthew Jeweler , who worked as a regional organizing director and Colorado digital director , gave up an IT job he 'd had for 10 years to join Bloomberg 's campaign , hoping to make a career pivot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he confirmed repeatedly that the job would last through November .
`` I honestly do n't know if I would have taken the job if it were n't for that specific guarantee , because I knew I wanted to work on the general election , '' Jeweler said .
After a disappointing showing on Super Tuesday , Bloomberg dropped out of the race .
He endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden and promised to put the force of his massive operation behind Biden .
Jeweler said he learned that Bloomberg had dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been told before the news broke : `` I had people texting me saying , 'Why did I just find out that we dropped out from a New York Times article , or something that we heard on the radio ? '
'' Jeweler said that even though the primary campaign was ending , he still hoped that most field staffers would have jobs moving forward .
Instead , there were two rounds of staff layoffs .
In the first round , hundreds of staffers across the country were let go , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 31 .
They were encouraged to apply to work for Bloomberg 's organization in battleground states .
Then , Bloomberg abandoned his plans to form a new independent entity , and announced that he would instead give $ 18 million to the Democratic National Committee for the party 's battleground states program , and he transferred the leases for some campaign offices to state parties .
In a memo at that time , Bloomberg 's campaign said that , even though they had considered forming an independent group , `` this race is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with good intentions but that are not coordinated and united in strategy and execution . ''
In a statement to NPR , campaign manager Kevin Sheekey said they are `` fulfilling Mike 's promise to defeat Donald Trump in November , '' particularly through six battleground states — Wisconsin , Michigan , Pennsylvania , Arizona , Florida and North Carolina .
`` We reached out to every single organizing staffer in those six states as well as others and asked them to consider continuing this work through November , with the DNC , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is prioritizing , '' the statement said .
`` Already , hundreds of former Bloomberg campaign staff have been contacted and are in the hiring pipeline to join the DNC organizing efforts — which would not have happened without this campaign 's transfer of funds . ''
But the workers were let go without guarantees .
Donna Wood in Miami lost her job on a March 20 conference call .
`` It was read off a script from HR , and then it was like , 'Goodbye , you can hang up now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview .
`` It was a low blow .
I felt very used and very kicked to the curb , after all that I had given to the campaign in the short time that I did work for it . ''
Asked how he feels now about the assurances he made as a recruiter to potential staffers , Jethwani said , `` Mike borrowed my credibility and abused it in that moment . ''
`` Any time a candidate takes on staff , the staff executing that candidate 's message utilize their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's how persuasive organizing really works , '' Jethwani said .
`` Or even , in the hiring process it 's , 'This candidate assured me that I have a job through November , and you have a job through November , so that 's why I am assuring you that you have a job through November . '
'' Former field organizers for Bloomberg 's campaign have filed proposed class action lawsuits , where these complaints have been detailed in court documents .
Donna Wood filed the first breach of contract suit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposed class action lawsuit against the campaign here . )
It 's now grown from one plaintiff to roughly 80 .
The complaint in Wood 's case alleges that the Bloomberg campaign `` deprived [ staff ] of promised income and health care benefits , leaving them and their families potentially uninsured in the face of a global pandemic . ''
`` I just know what I was promised , and I 'm a woman of my word .
I would just think other people would be the same , '' said Wood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something and assure them that you 'll be transitioning to an independent expenditure , that that would happen . ''
One of Wood 's lawyers , Gregg I. Shavitz , argued that without the promise of work through November , Bloomberg field staffers may have chosen to pursue other opportunities .
`` They would have taken different positions , they would have done different things with their lives , '' Shavitz said .
`` They would not have moved to take on this job , they would not have left jobs that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position . ''
Another proposed class action lawsuit was filed the same day by former Bloomberg field staffers in Georgia , Utah and Washington .
That complaint alleges that after Bloomberg lost the Democratic nomination , `` his campaign unceremoniously dumped thousands of staffers , leaving them with no employment , no income , and no health insurance . ''
It adds that `` thousands of people who relied on the Bloomberg campaign 's promise are left to fend for themselves . ''
`` We want people like Mike to know , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Mike 's philanthropy to know that it is not okay to discard us as though we 're mere tools , '' Jethwani said .
`` We are essential infrastructure to what results in wins for candidates up and down the ballot , again and again and again . ''
Campaign manager Kevin Sheekey pointed out to NPR that staff worked 39 days on average , and were given several weeks of severance and health care through March .
Staffers received an email late last month from campaign human resources , letting them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cover the cost of health insurance through April .
`` Given these extraordinary circumstances , we have worked to establish a special fund to cover the cost of COBRA through April , '' the unsigned email said .
`` This is aimed at those who are not able or interested in continuing on with the DNC in battleground states through the hiring effort announced on Friday , and who have not already secured replacement healthcare coverage . ''
The campaign hopes many of its former staffers will be hired by the DNC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers say Bloomberg 's campaign promised them continued employment , they acknowledge they signed at-will contracts , meaning they could be let go at any time .
`` The point is n't the contract that we signed that said at-will , '' said Jeweler .
`` It 's the countless conversations that 2,000 former staffers had with hiring people who all said you have a guaranteed job through November .
It 's written on official interview documents that they used internally . ''
NPR has reviewed copies of internal interview notes provided by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employment through November 2020 with Team Bloomberg ( not guaranteed location you are at now ) . ''
Many staffers expressed frustration that Bloomberg extensively self-funded his campaign , but does n't appear to be making good on the things that made thousands of people work for him .
`` The man spent $ 500 million on ads alone in a four month period , '' said Jeweler .
`` He could spend 10 % of that and give every single one of his field staff their entire salaries for the remainder of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an employment law litigator who is not involved in these lawsuits , said he sees these types of cases all the time and that it will likely be an uphill battle for Bloomberg 's former staffers .
`` Everybody wants to think that their new job is going to be great and their new boss that hired you is going to be genuine , '' Wilkenfeld said .
`` There 's a psychological impediment to saying , 'Hey , brand new boss , you 've made some promises , can you put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new boss probably knows that .
That 's why they make promises in writing that they 're willing to commit to , and verbally ones that they 're not sure of or ca n't commit to . ''
Some staffers receiving their final paychecks this week are also facing another issue , receiving less money than they were anticipating .
Multiple staffers said they were told that if they kept their Bloomberg issued iPhones and MacBooks , they would be taxed in the future , on their 2020 tax returns .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they added it as supplemental income on all of our paychecks , meaning it put some of us in a different tax bracket , meaning we got taxed at a higher percentage , '' Jeweler said .
That means some people saw withholding for as much as $ 700 or $ 800 , including Jeweler .
The campaign informed staff after the fact that they can receive refunds if they return the devices .

'Mike Borrowed My Credibility And Abused It': Fired Bloomberg Campaign Workers Speak
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP
When Amol Jethwani interviewed for a job on Mike Bloomberg's presidential campaign in December, the benefits were unlike anything he had heard of for political campaign field workers.
"They offered an incredible benefits package, which is unheard of for field staff, offering $8,000 a month for a regional role in addition to health care, technology, laptops, cellphones," said Jethwani.
Bloomberg also offered something else: a job through the general election, even if he was not the Democratic Party's nominee. Jethwani signed on as a regional organizing director. As part of his job, he interviewed potential field staffers, giving them the same assurances. "That employment is guaranteed through November, location is not," Jethwani said.
Bloomberg's four months as a candidate represented the most expensive presidential candidacy in history. He amassed a staff of more than 2,000 people, including an enormous field operation that he and his aides promised would work through November to defeat President Trump, no matter what.
But now much of that army of field staff is out of work, having been laid off by the Bloomberg campaign and struggling to recover while hiring has slowed down as the nation grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. They are also speaking out publicly about what they say were false promises made by Bloomberg's campaign.
Matthew Jeweler, who worked as a regional organizing director and Colorado digital director, gave up an IT job he had had for 10 years to join Bloomberg's campaign, hoping to make a career pivot.
During the interview process, he said he confirmed repeatedly that the job would last through November.
"I honestly don't know if I would have taken the job if it weren't for that specific guarantee, because I knew I wanted to work on the general election," Jeweler said.
After a disappointing showing on Super Tuesday, Bloomberg dropped out of the race. He endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden and promised to put the force of his massive operation behind Biden.
Jeweler said he learned that Bloomberg had dropped out online — many staff hadn't been told before the news broke: "I had people texting me saying, 'Why did I just find out that we dropped out from a New York Times article, or something that we heard on the radio?' "
Jeweler said that even though the primary campaign was ending, he still hoped that most field staffers would have jobs moving forward.
Instead, there were two rounds of staff layoffs.
In the first round, hundreds of staffers across the country were let go, told that they would be paid through March 31. They were encouraged to apply to work for Bloomberg's organization in battleground states.
Then, Bloomberg abandoned his plans to form a new independent entity and announced that he would instead give $18 million to the Democratic National Committee for the party's battleground states program, and he transferred the leases for some campaign offices to state parties. In a memo at that time, Bloomberg's campaign said that even though it had considered forming an independent group, "this race is too important to have many competing groups with good intentions but that are not coordinated and united in strategy and execution."
In a statement to NPR, campaign manager Kevin Sheekey said Bloomberg staffers are "fulfilling Mike's promise to defeat Donald Trump in November," particularly through six battleground states — Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida and North Carolina.
"We reached out to every single organizing staffer in those six states as well as others and asked them to consider continuing this work through November, with the DNC, in those states or others the DNC is prioritizing," the statement said. "Already, hundreds of former Bloomberg campaign staff have been contacted and are in the hiring pipeline to join the DNC organizing efforts — which would not have happened without this campaign's transfer of funds."
But the workers were let go without guarantees.
Donna Wood in Miami lost her job on a March 20 conference call.
"It was a low blow. I felt very used and very kicked to the curb."
"It was read off a script from HR, and then it was like, 'Goodbye, you can hang up now,' " she said in an interview. "It was a low blow. I felt very used and very kicked to the curb, after all that I had given to the campaign in the short time that I did work for it."
Asked how he feels now about the assurances he made as a recruiter to potential staffers, Jethwani said, "Mike borrowed my credibility and abused it in that moment."
"Any time a candidate takes on staff, the staff executing that candidate's message utilize their own credibility to carry that message. That's how persuasive organizing really works," Jethwani said. "Or even, in the hiring process it's 'this candidate assured me that I have a job through November, and you have a job through November, so that's why I am assuring you that you have a job through November.' "
Enlarge this image toggle caption Lynne Sladky/AP Lynne Sladky/AP
Former field organizers for Bloomberg's campaign have filed proposed class action lawsuits, where these complaints have been detailed in court documents. Wood filed the first breach of contract suit last month. (View a second proposed class action lawsuit against the campaign here.)
It has grown from one plaintiff to roughly 80.
The complaint in Wood's case alleges that the Bloomberg campaign "deprived [staff] of promised income and health care benefits, leaving them and their families potentially uninsured in the face of a global pandemic."
"I just know what I was promised, and I'm a woman of my word. I would just think other people would be the same," said Wood. "If you repeatedly tell someone something and assure them that you'll be transitioning to an independent expenditure, that that would happen."
One of Wood's lawyers, Gregg I. Shavitz, argued that without the promise of work through November, Bloomberg field staffers may have chosen to pursue other opportunities.
"They would have taken different positions; they would have done different things with their lives," Shavitz said. "They would not have moved to take on this job; they would not have left jobs that they had for years to take on this position."
Another proposed class action lawsuit was filed the same day by former Bloomberg field staffers in Georgia, Utah and Washington. That complaint alleges that after Bloomberg lost the Democratic nomination, "his campaign
unceremoniously dumped thousands of staffers, leaving them with no employment, no income, and no health insurance."
It adds that "thousands of people who relied on the Bloomberg campaign's promise are left to fend for themselves."
"We want people like Mike to know, and the people in the party who benefit from Mike's philanthropy to know that it is not OK to discard us as though we're mere tools," Jethwani said. "We are essential infrastructure to what results in wins for candidates up and down the ballot, again and again and again."
We are essential infrastructure to what results in wins for candidates up and down the ballot, again and again and again.
Campaign manager Sheekey pointed out to NPR that staff worked 39 days on average and were given several weeks of severance and health care through March.
Staffers received an email late last month from campaign human resources, letting them know that a fund had been established to cover the cost of health insurance through April.
"Given these extraordinary circumstances, we have worked to establish a special fund to cover the cost of COBRA through April," the unsigned email said. "This is aimed at those who are not able or interested in continuing on with the DNC in battleground states through the hiring effort announced on Friday, and who have not already secured replacement healthcare coverage."
The campaign hopes many of its former staffers will be hired by the DNC in that time.
While the former workers say Bloomberg's campaign promised them continued employment, they acknowledge they signed at-will contracts, meaning they could be let go at any time.
"The point isn't the contract that we signed that said at-will," said Jeweler. "It's the countless conversations that 2,000 former staffers had with hiring people who all said you have a guaranteed job through November. It's written on official interview documents that they used internally."
NPR has reviewed copies of internal interview notes provided by a former campaign aide that include "employment through November 2020 with Team Bloomberg (not guaranteed location you are at now)."
Many staffers expressed frustration that Bloomberg extensively self-funded his campaign but doesn't appear to be making good on the things that made thousands of people work for him.
"The man spent $500 million on ads alone in a four-month period," said Jeweler. "He could spend 10% of that and give every single one of his field staff their entire salaries for the remainder of a year."
Attorney Ari Wilkenfeld, an employment law litigator who is not involved in these lawsuits, said that he sees these types of cases all the time and that it will likely be an uphill battle for Bloomberg's former staffers.
"Everybody wants to think that their new job is going to be great and their new boss that hired you is going to be genuine," Wilkenfeld said. "There's a psychological impediment to saying, 'Hey, Brand New Boss, you've made some promises, can you put them in writing?' Unfortunately, the new boss probably knows that. That's why they make promises in writing that they're willing to commit to, and verbally ones that they're not sure of or can't commit to."
Some staffers receiving their final paychecks this week are also facing another issue, receiving less money than they were anticipating.
Multiple staffers said they were told that if they kept their Bloomberg-issued iPhones and MacBooks, they would be taxed on their 2020 returns.
"How they did it instead, was they added it as supplemental income on all of our paychecks, meaning it put some of us in a different tax bracket, meaning we got taxed at a higher percentage," Jeweler said. That means some people saw withholding for as much as $700 or $800, including Jeweler.
The campaign informed staff after the fact that they can receive refunds if they return the devices.


npr--2020-04-03--In Southeast Asia, Governments Exploit Coronavirus Fears To Tighten Grip

Three Southeast Asian nations — Thailand , Cambodia and Myanmar — are using fears over the coronavirus to double down on repressive measures aimed at silencing critics or opponents .
In Thailand , general-turned-prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha declared a state of emergency on March 26 , granting him broad powers to protect the `` safety of the people . ''
It allows him to confine people to their homes , prohibits public assembly and includes additional powers of arrest and search and seizure .
The most public examples of its use so far are a limited lockdown in Bangkok and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The curfew will be in effect each night from 10 p.m.to 4 a.m. Thailand 's restrictions extend to the news media .
They are prohibited from sharing `` any kind of news or information related to COVID-19 that is false and might instigate fear amongst the public . ''
Taken together with Thailand 's military-drafted Computer Crime Act , the government now has carte blanche to determine what is `` fake news '' and silence whomever it sees fit .
`` Thai authorities should not use the COVID-19 emergency situation as a pretext @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations , '' said Shawn Crispin , the Southeast Asia representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists , in a statement .
`` Journalists ... should be allowed to do their jobs without fear of reprisal . ''
In neighboring Cambodia , Prime Minister Hun Sen has already been jailing journalists , outlawing opposition groups and shuttering independent news outlets for the past two years .
His rubber-stamp legislature is expected to grant him additional powers that Hun Sen claims are needed to help combat the virus .
In a statement , Human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disagreed .
`` [ T ] he Cambodian government is using the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to assert absolute power over all aspects of civil , political , social , and economic life – all without any time limits or checks on abuses of power . ''
And in Myanmar , the military , or Tatmadaw , that once held absolute sway over the nominally democratic country , also appears to be leveraging COVID-19 to shore up its power .
`` Freedom of speech and the press are already under renewed assault @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on independent media it clearly believes have connections to the insurgent Arakan Army ( AA ) , '' writes Thai-based journalist Bertil Lintner in this week 's Asia Times .
`` Although not directly related to the virus crisis , the measures show what the Tatmadaw can get away with in the new Covid-19 influenced political climate of fear and loathing . ''
The military has detained several journalists for interviewing AA representatives after Myanmar last month declared it a terrorist organization .
Aung San Suu Kyi 's government — faced with both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election — has n't intervened .

In Southeast Asia, Governments Exploit Coronavirus Fears To Tighten Grip
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sakchai Lalit/AP Sakchai Lalit/AP
Three Southeast Asian nations — Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar — are using fears over the coronavirus to double down on repressive measures aimed at silencing critics or opponents.
In Thailand, general-turned-prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha declared a state of emergency on March 26, granting him broad powers to protect the "safety of the people." It allows him to confine people to their homes, prohibits public assembly and includes additional powers of arrest and search and seizure.
The most public examples of its use so far are a limited lockdown in Bangkok and a nationwide curfew that begins today. The curfew will be in effect each night from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Thailand's restrictions extend to the news media. They are prohibited from sharing "any kind of news or information related to COVID-19 that is false and might instigate fear amongst the public." Taken together with Thailand's military-drafted Computer Crime Act, the government now has carte blanche to determine what is "fake news" and silence whomever it sees fit.
"Thai authorities should not use the COVID-19 emergency situation as a pretext to censor or restrict journalists or media organizations," said Shawn Crispin, the Southeast Asia representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists, in a statement. "Journalists ... should be allowed to do their jobs without fear of reprisal."
In neighboring Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen has already been jailing journalists, outlawing opposition groups and shuttering independent news outlets for the past two years. His rubber-stamp legislature is expected to grant him additional powers that Hun Sen claims are needed to help combat the virus. In a statement, Human Rights Watch Asia Director Brad Adams strongly disagreed.
"[T]he Cambodian government is using the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to assert absolute power over all aspects of civil, political, social, and economic life — all without any time limits or checks on abuses of power."
And in Myanmar, the military, or Tatmadaw, that once held absolute sway over the nominally democratic country, also appears to be leveraging COVID-19 to shore up its power.
"Freedom of speech and the press are already under renewed assault as the Tatmadaw launches a fierce crackdown on independent media it clearly believes have connections to the insurgent Arakan Army (AA)," writes Thai-based journalist Bertil Lintner in this week's Asia Times.
"Although not directly related to the virus crisis, the measures show what the Tatmadaw can get away with in the new Covid-19 influenced political climate of fear and loathing."
The military has detained several journalists for interviewing AA representatives after Myanmar last month declared it a terrorist organization. Aung San Suu Kyi's government — faced with both the rapidly spreading virus and an upcoming election — hasn't intervened.


npr--2020-04-03--A Coronavirus Plus: Wide-Open Highways In Los Angeles

The traffic jams of Los Angeles are legendary , with cars often inching along for miles , bumper to bumper .
But you can add L.A. gridlock to the long list of things that the coronavirus pandemic has changed .
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Thursday there were 59 % fewer accidents between the first half of March and the two weeks since March 19 , when the municipal government ordered people to stay home and limit outside activity to only the essentials .
Garcetti urged Angelinos not to be tempted to speed through the city 's newly empty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make it harder for them to do so .
`` We 're acting to make our roads even safer by setting traffic lights to a late-night schedule with more frequent red lights to slow drivers down , '' he told a news conference .
`` There are a lot more people walking and biking and just because there is n't traffic , that 's not an excuse to break the speed limit . ''
In recent days , the Central Los Angeles branch of the California Highway Patrol has been tweeting images @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow down .

A Coronavirus Plus: Wide-Open Highways In Los Angeles
Enlarge this image toggle caption Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
The traffic jams of Los Angeles are legendary, with cars often inching along for miles, bumper to bumper.
But you can add LA gridlock to the long list of things that the coronavirus pandemic has changed.
LA Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Thursday there were 59% fewer accidents between the first half of March and the two weeks since March 19, when the municipal government ordered people to stay home and limit outside activity to only the essentials.
Garcetti urged Angelinos not to be tempted to speed through the city's newly empty streets — and he announced a measure to make it harder for them to do so.
"We're acting to make our roads even safer by setting traffic lights to a late-night schedule with more frequent red lights to slow drivers down," he told a news conference.
"There are a lot more people walking and biking and just because there isn't traffic, that's not an excuse to break the speed limit."
In recent days, the Central Los Angeles branch of the California Highway Patrol has been tweeting images of wrecked vehicles and imploring people to slow down.


npr--2020-04-03--Jobs Data Will Be From Way Back When Things Were Normal: 3 Weeks Ago

Jobs Data Will Be From Way Back When Things Were Normal : 3 Weeks Ago Job losses for the first time in nearly a decade .
A slightly higher unemployment rate .
Bad news , yes .
But the Labor Department report coming out Friday will be just a hint of the economic misery that 's hitting Americans as the U.S. shuts down to fight the coronavirus .
The monthly report for March is based on surveys conducted three weeks ago , before the widespread closing of restaurants , retail shops and other businesses began .
That unprecedented shutdown has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of work .
But most of those job losses wo n't show up until the April employment report is published a month from now .
Even so , Friday 's report will likely be a milestone .
It 's expected to show a net loss of 50,000 to 100,000 jobs in March , snapping a record-long streak of employment gains that has lasted almost a decade .
The unemployment rate is expected to climb from 3.5 % in February — matching a 50-year low – to about 3.7 % .
`` That will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said Lydia Boussour , senior U.S. economist at Oxford Economics .
`` We think April will be really the month where you will see the full magnitude of that labor market collapse . ''
Boussour likens the abrupt halt in economic activity to what the Gulf Coast experienced during Hurricane Katrina .
But in this case , the shutdown stretches across the country .
She projects that the U.S. will lose as many as 20 million jobs before the pandemic is under control and that unemployment will soar higher than at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We would n't have thought a few weeks ago that something like this would be possible , '' Boussour said .
`` You 're basically asking people to stay home and not go to work . ''
More than 6.6 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week alone , 10 times the number who did so during the worst week of the Great Recession .
Losses are concentrated in restaurants , retail , recreation and manufacturing — all jobs that can not easily be done at home or while practicing social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even before the coronavirus pandemic , but restaurants and hotels had been adding jobs at a rapid pace .

U.S. Lost 701,000 Jobs In March; Much Worse To Come
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rogelio V. Solis/AP Rogelio V. Solis/AP
Updated at 10:09 a.m. ET
For the first time in nearly a decade, the U.S. suffered a net loss of jobs as the coronavirus began to take hold in the country. But a monthly snapshot from the Labor Department shows only the first pinpricks of what will soon be a gaping wound.
U.S. employers shed 701,000 jobs in March — the most since 2009, during the depths of the Great Recession, according to the monthly survey. But that was conducted three weeks ago — before the pandemic forced the widespread closing of restaurants, retail shops and other businesses.
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That unprecedented shutdown has already pushed some 10 million people out of work, according to initial claims for unemployment filed in the past two weeks. Most of those job losses won't show up until the April employment report is published a month from now.
Still, Friday's report is a milestone. It snaps a record-long streak of employment gains that stretches back to the fall of 2010. The job losses, while understated, are the worst since March 2009.
The unemployment rate rose from 3.5% in February to 4.4%. That's the highest jobless rate in nearly three years, and it marks the sharpest increase since 1975.
"That will only be the tip of the iceberg," said Lydia Boussour, senior U.S. economist at Oxford Economics. "We think April will be really the month where you will see the full magnitude of that labor market collapse."
Boussour likens the abrupt halt in economic activity to what the Gulf Coast experienced during Hurricane Katrina. But in this case, the shutdown stretches across the country.
She projects that the U.S. will lose as many as 20 million jobs before the pandemic is under control and that unemployment will soar higher than at any time since World War II.
"We wouldn't have thought a few weeks ago that something like this would be possible," Boussour said. "You're basically asking people to stay home and not go to work."
More than 6.6 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week alone, 10 times the number who did so during the worst week of the Great Recession.
Losses are concentrated in restaurants, retail, recreation and manufacturing — all jobs that cannot easily be done at home or while practicing social distancing.
Retail and manufacturing were struggling even before the coronavirus pandemic, but restaurants and hotels had been adding jobs at a rapid pace.
About two-thirds of the job losses in Friday's report were in leisure and hospitality, especially bars and restaurants. But few industries were unscathed. Retailers shed 46,000 jobs. Construction companies lost 29,000. Even health care employment declined by 43,000 as doctors and dentists closed their offices for all nonemergency services.


npr--2020-04-02--The 1918 Flu Pandemic Was Brutal, Killing As Many As 100 Million People Worldwide

The 1918 Flu Pandemic Was Brutal , Killing As Many As 100 Million People Worldwide Last week in a Fox News town hall , President Trump said the 1918 flu pandemic , took the lives of close to 100 million people globally , and those who contracted the illness faced a 50-50 chance , `` or very close '' of survival .
During World War I in Europe , the flu struck troops and civilians in the spring of 1918 and it flared up later in the U.S. A third of the global population at that time perished as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Nancy Bristow , a history professor at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma , Wash. Of that , 675,000 Americans died .
`` The death rate in 1918 was very high ... somewhere between 2 and 2 and a half percent , '' Bristow told NPR .
In the fall of that year a second wave of the virus engulfed the globe , Bristow said .
The young and the old were hit hard , but middle-aged , otherwise healthy individuals also suffered ; those aged 20-40 accounted for about half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` What 's remarkable is this was contagious enough that it appears to have landed in places for which there 's no apparent contact , '' Bristow said , citing an Inuit village in Alaska , where 72 out of 80 residents died from the 1918 flu over the course of 5 days .
Around 50 to 100 million people were killed worldwide , according to Amesh Adalja , an infectious disease physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security .
He puts the death rate from the 1918 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globally .
Other academics have estimated the death rate from the pandemic to range from 10 to 20 % .
All the numbers are best-estimates .
`` In 1918 death certificate recording and epidemiology was really in its infancy , '' said Adalja .
`` We did n't have all of that data .
And there were many parts of the world that were not connected to other parts of the world .
So you were n't able to get data from some of the resource-poor areas that existed at that time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ generally agree that the flu pandemic sickened around 50 to 100 million people .
In comparison , worldwide coronavirus cases surpassed 1 million on Thursday .
As much as medicine is struggling with the current illness , doctors had even less to fight back with a century ago .
`` The 1918 pandemic was the most severe pandemic that we have on record , '' said Adalja .
`` We had no ICUs at that time .
We had no antivirals , had no vaccines for flu .
We had no idea that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that time . ''
One thing is for certain , the 1918 pandemic proved that social distancing is effective , according to Bristow .
`` In 1918 we applied social distancing but did n't know that it worked or not ; now we know , '' she said .
`` It 's very inconvenient , but it is clearly the easiest thing , it 's a way that every human being can be involved and can participate in fighting this virus , and the outcomes will be positive.
``

The 1918 Flu Pandemic Was Brutal, Killing More Than 50 Million People Worldwide
Enlarge this image toggle caption Hulton Archive/Getty Images Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Almost exactly 100 years ago, one-third of the world's population found itself infected in a deadly viral pandemic. It was the Spanish flu. Its death toll is unknown but is generally considerd to be more than 50 million.
"The death rate in 1918 was very high ... somewhere between 2 and 2 1/2%," Nancy Bristow, a history professor at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash., told NPR.
Some reseachers have estimated a death rate as high as 10 to 20%.
During World War I in Europe, the flu struck troops and civilians in the spring of 1918 and it flared up later in the U.S., where 675,000 people died.
In the fall of that year, a second wave of the virus engulfed the globe, Bristow said. The young and the old were hit hard, but middle-aged, otherwise healthy individuals also suffered; those aged 20-40 accounted for about half of the deaths in the pandemic.
"What's remarkable is this was contagious enough that it appears to have landed in places for which there's no apparent contact," Bristow said, citing an Inuit village in Alaska, where 72 out of 80 residents died from the 1918 flu over the course of five days.
Around 50 to 100 million people were killed worldwide, according to Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. He puts the death rate from the 1918 epidemic at about 1 to 2% globally.
Other academics have estimated the death rate from the pandemic to range from 10 to 20%.
All the numbers are best estimates. "In 1918, death certificate recording and epidemiology was really in its infancy," said Adalja. "We didn't have all of that data. And there were many parts of the world that were not connected to other parts of the world. So you weren't able to get data from some of the resource-poor areas that existed at that time."
Bristow, Adalja and other academics generally agree that the flu pandemic sickened around 500 million people. In comparison, worldwide coronavirus cases surpassed 1 million on Thursday.
As much as medicine is struggling with the current illness, doctors had even less to fight back with a century ago.
"The 1918 pandemic was the most severe pandemic that we have on record," said Adalja. "We had no ICUs at that time. We had no antivirals, had no vaccines for flu. We had no idea that the flu was even a virus at that time."
One thing is for certain, the 1918 pandemic proved that social distancing is effective, according to Bristow.
"In 1918, we applied social distancing but didn't know that it worked or not; now we know," she said. "It's very inconvenient, but it is clearly the easiest thing, it's a way that every human being can be involved and can participate in fighting this virus, and the outcomes will be positive. "


npr--2020-04-02--FACT CHECK: Trump Claims U.S. Testing For Coronavirus Most Per Capita — It's Not

FACT CHECK : Trump Claims U.S .
Testing For Coronavirus Most Per Capita — It 's Not During his Thursday night briefing with the coronavirus task force , President Trump repeated a claim that the United States has done more testing for the contagion on a per-capita basis than any other country .
`` We 're now conducting well over 100,000 coronavirus tests per day , '' Trump said .
`` It 's over 100,000 tests a day .
And these are accurate tests , and they 're moving rapidly , which is more than any other country in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raw number and also on a per-capita basis , the most . ''
While the United States has improved its testing numbers significantly , it still lags behind Germany and South Korea , for example , in terms of per-capita testing .
During Wednesday 's briefing , Vice President Pence said more than 1.2 million tests have been performed on Americans .
Given the population of the U.S. ( about 327 million ) , that 's roughly one in every 273 people , as of April 2 .
That 's a better testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has tested about one in every 404 people .
( The U.K. 's population is about 66 million , and it 's tested 163,194 people . )
South Korea , with its population of 51.5 million , has done 431,743 tests , according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
That 's approximately one in every 119 people .
Germany has done even better .
It has tested about one-in-90 people — 918,460 with a population of 82.8 million .
Germany also happens to have one of the lowest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests conducted , according to the Italian health ministry , and a population of roughly 60.5 million , Italy 's testing per capita is on par with South Korea — about one in every 104 .

FACT CHECK: Trump Claims U.S. Testing For Coronavirus Most Per Capita — It's Not
Enlarge this image toggle caption Christian Petersen/Getty Images Christian Petersen/Getty Images
During his Thursday night briefing with the coronavirus task force, President Trump repeated a claim that the United States has done more testing for the contagion on a per capita basis than any other country.
"We're now conducting well over 100,000 coronavirus tests per day," Trump said. "It's over 100,000 tests a day. And these are accurate tests, and they're moving rapidly, which is more than any other country in the world, both in terms of the raw number and also on a per capita basis, the most."
While the United States has improved its testing numbers significantly, it still lags behind Germany and South Korea, for example, in terms of per capita testing.
During Wednesday's briefing, Vice President Pence said more than 1.2 million tests have been performed on Americans. Given the population of the U.S. (about 327 million), that's roughly 1 in every 273 people, as of April 2.
That's a better testing per capita rate than the United Kingdom, which has tested about 1 in every 404 people. (The U.K.'s population is about 66 million, and it's tested 163,194 people.)
South Korea, with its population of 51.5 million, has done 431,743 tests, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's approximately 1 in every 119 people.
Germany has done even better. It has tested about 1 in 90 people — 918,460, with a population of 82.8 million. Germany also happens to have one of the lowest fatality rates from COVID-19.
With 581,232 tests conducted, according to the Italian health ministry, and a population of roughly 60.5 million, Italy's testing per capita is on par with South Korea — about 1 in every 104.


npr--2020-04-02--FACT CHECK: Money-To-Hospitals Plan To Treat Coronavirus Patients Could Face Problems

Vice President Mike Pence said the White House may ask hospitals to use some of their federal aid to cover the medical costs of COVID-19 treatment for people who have lost their health insurance in recent weeks , along with their jobs .
Some medical experts have called on the administration to allow newly uninsured people to sign up for health insurance under Obamacare .
But at a White House briefing on Thursday , President Trump rejected that idea , saying that `` we 're doing better than that '' with what he called `` a cash payment . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Task Force is drafting a proposal `` to use some of the $ 100 billion that we 're making available to hospitals to compensate the hospitals directly for any coronavirus treatment that they provide to uninsured Americans .
`` We 've been working every day to make sure that Americans do n't have to worry about the cost of treatment , '' Pence said .
The idea looks simple at first glance – something akin to `` single payer '' health coverage for COVID treatment in hospitals , with hospitals providing free treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In practice , though , there could be lots of complications , including whether the pot of money that hospitals are getting actually will be enough .
The plan also does not appear to cover the expense of health care that people may need outside hospitals , including testing .
According to Pence , President Trump will consider the proposal and make a final decision on Friday .

FACT CHECK: Money-To-Hospitals Plan To Treat Coronavirus Patients Could Face Problems
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
Vice President Mike Pence said the White House may ask hospitals to use some of their federal aid to cover the medical costs of COVID-19 treatment for people who have lost their health insurance in recent weeks, along with their jobs.
Some medical experts have called on the administration to allow newly uninsured people to sign up for health insurance under Obamacare. But at a White House briefing on Thursday, President Trump rejected that idea, saying that "we're doing better than that" with what he called "a cash payment."
Pence explained that the White House Coronavirus Task Force is drafting a proposal "to use some of the $100 billion that we're making available to hospitals to compensate the hospitals directly for any coronavirus treatment that they provide to uninsured Americans.
"We've been working every day to make sure that Americans don't have to worry about the cost of treatment," Pence said.
The idea looks simple at first glance – something akin to "single payer" health coverage for COVID treatment in hospitals, with hospitals providing free treatment using money provided by the federal government.
In practice, though, there could be lots of complications, including whether the pot of money that hospitals are getting actually will be enough. The plan also does not appear to cover the expense of health care that people may need outside hospitals, including testing.
According to Pence, President Trump will consider the proposal and make a final decision on Friday.


npr--2020-04-02--Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Testing, Unemployment And Home Schooling

On this broadcast of The National Conversation , we answer your questions about the unemployment in the U.S. , home @ @ @ @ @ and playing sports during the pandemic .

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Testing, Unemployment And Home Schooling On this broadcast of The National Conversation, we answer your questions about the unemployment in the U.S., home schooling, testing for COVID-19 and playing sports during the pandemic.


npr--2020-04-02--SXSW Film Festival Heads to Amazon

SXSW Film Festival Heads to Amazon

Amazon Prime Video will be hosting some of the movies that never got screen time at this year 's cancelled SXSW Film Festival .
Amazon and SXSW announced today that the online film festival will be free to all audiences for 10 days — but you will need an Amazon account .
According to the statement , the slate of films offered will depend on which filmmakers choose to opt into the festival .
`` Filmmakers who choose to participate will receive a screening fee for streaming their film over the 10-day period ... SXSW has shared details on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opt in starting today . ''
SXSW joins a number of cancelled and delayed film festivals going the online route : the Tribeca Film Festival has been posting a short film every day , the Greenwich International Film Festival will be bringing its May festival online , and the Washington D.C. Environmental Film Festival has also posted a number of this year 's movies , along with an archive going back to 1990 .
The film distributor Kino Lorber has also began working with independent and art-house theaters across the country to `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the acclaimed Brazilian movie Bacurau .
No date has been announced for the Amazon Prime SXSW Film Festival , though the companies are shooting for an April launch .

SXSW Film Festival Heads To Amazon
Enlarge this image toggle caption Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images
Amazon Prime Video will be hosting some of the movies that never got screen time at this year's canceled SXSW Film Festival. Amazon and SXSW announced today that the online film festival will be free to all audiences for 10 days — but you will need an Amazon account.
According to the statement, the slate of films offered will depend on which filmmakers choose to opt in to the festival. "Filmmakers who choose to participate will receive a screening fee for streaming their film over the 10-day period ... SXSW has shared details on the opportunity with 2020 filmmakers, who can opt in starting today."
SXSW joins a number of canceled and delayed film festivals going the online route: the Tribeca Film Festival has been posting a short film every day, the Greenwich International Film Festival will be bringing its May festival online, and the Washington, D.C., Environmental Film Festival has posted a number of this year's movies, along with an archive going back to 1990. And the film distributor Kino Lorber has begun working with independent and art house theaters across the country to "screen" current independent releases, starting with the acclaimed Brazilian movie Bacurau.
No date has been announced for the Amazon Prime SXSW Film Festival, though the companies are shooting for an April launch.


npr--2020-04-02--Trump Administration To Recommend People In Coronavirus Hotspots Wear Masks

The Trump administration is set to recommend that people who live in areas with high transmission of the coronavirus wear masks in public to avoid further spread of the virus , a White House official tells NPR 's Tamara Keith .
Mayors in New York and Los Angeles have already urged people in their cities to use face coverings in public .
President Trump told reporters at a White House briefing on Thursday that he was waiting for guidance from public health experts on whether people should wear masks in public .
Dr. Deborah Birx , a member of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she has been concerned that people would be less vigilant about staying six feet away from others and washing their hands if they are told to wear masks .
`` We do n't want people to feel like , 'Oh I 'm wearing a mask , ' '' and get a false sense of security , she said .
`` This worries us and that 's why the debate is continuing about the mask , '' she said .
Any recommendation to wear a mask would be in addition to the existing guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ socially distance include avoiding gatherings and unnecessary travel and other outings .
Public health experts say face coverings could help prevent the spread of the virus , even if the benefit is minimal .
President Trump in recent days had suggested wearing scarves , so masks can be reserved for hospital workers .

Trump Administration To Recommend People In Coronavirus Hot Spots Wear Masks
Enlarge this image toggle caption Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
The Trump administration is set to recommend that people who live in areas with high transmission of the coronavirus wear masks in public to avoid further spread of the virus, a White House official tells NPR's Tamara Keith.
Mayors in New York and Los Angeles have already urged people in their cities to use face coverings in public.
President Trump told reporters at a White House briefing on Thursday that he was waiting for guidance from public health experts on whether people should wear masks in public.
Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, said she has been concerned that people would be less vigilant about staying six feet away from others and washing their hands if they are told to wear masks. "We don't want people to feel like, 'Oh I'm wearing a mask,'" and get a false sense of security, she said.
"This worries us and that's why the debate is continuing about the mask," she said. Any recommendation to wear a mask would be in addition to the existing guidelines, Birx said. Those guidelines to socially distance include avoiding gatherings, unnecessary travel and other outings.
Public health experts say face coverings could help prevent the spread of the virus, even if the benefit is minimal. President Trump in recent days had suggested wearing scarves, so masks can be reserved for hospital workers.