npr--2020-08-07--Postmaster General Touts Postal Service Overhaul But Promises On-Time Election Mail

The head of the U.S .
Postal Service promised Friday to make the organization more efficient and more financially stable , but his remarks may do little to quell fears that the post office 's cost-cutting measures will hurt service during the coronavirus pandemic .
`` We are at the beginning of a transformative process , '' Louis DeJoy said in his first public remarks since becoming postmaster general .
`` Our goal is to change and improve the Postal Service to better serve the American public , and I am excited about the opportunities ahead . ''
DeJoy confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will involve cutting back on overtime costs and `` running our operations on time and on schedule . ''
Many Americans on both sides of the aisle worry that the cuts will delay the delivery of important mail , from prescriptions for veterans to mail ballots for this year 's presidential election , during a once-in-a-century health crisis .
As NPR 's Brian Naylor reported last week , that means that among other things , late-arriving mail will now be left behind by carriers and delivered the next day .
The U.S .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9 billion last year , and DeJoy said that loss could approach $ 11 billion this year .
`` Our financial position is dire , stemming from substantial declines in mail volume , a broken business model and a management strategy that has not adequately addressed these issues , '' DeJoy said .
Later Friday , the Postal Service announced an overhaul of its leadership team in a memo posted on the USPS website .
Lawmakers in Congress have objected to the changes that DeJoy has implemented .
`` While it is true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to face financial challenges , enacting these policies as cost-cutting or efficiency measures as the COVID-19 public health emergency continues is counterproductive and unacceptable , '' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , wrote in a letter to DeJoy on Thursday .
It 's not only Democrats , however , who are worried about the changes .
Many Republicans , including Sen. Steve Daines , R-Mont.
, voiced fears about how the delays could affect rural communities .
`` This action , if not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Montanans and unacceptably increase the risk of late prescriptions , commercial products , or bill delivery , '' Daines wrote in a separate letter Thursday to DeJoy .
Experts said it is n't certain whether the changes will lead to the sort of financial improvements for which DeJoy is hoping .
`` The USPS is not a trucking firm , '' said Phil Rubio , a former letter carrier who is a professor at North Carolina A & T State University , referring to DeJoy 's previous work as the head of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` If letter carriers are out sick or self-quarantining due to COVID-19 , someone has to carry their route , and overtime has to be used to get at least all first-class mail out every day . ''
The idea of `` efficiency '' in the Postal Service is also not new , Rubio explained .
Almost 40 years ago , sociologist Vern Baxter called it the `` prevailing institutional myth '' of the post office in his book Labor and Politics in the U.S .
Postal Service .
Leaving some first-class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ savings in the short term , Rubio said , but it will also probably result in people having less confidence in the institution , leading them to flee potentially to competitors .
`` Leaving any [ first-class mail ] behind is bad service and bad business , '' Rubio said .
In his remarks , DeJoy also alluded to an upcoming `` series of additional actions '' that will `` include new and creative ways for us to fulfill our mission , '' but he did not detail what those actions would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year 's presidential election to include more mail ballots , sent and returned , than ever before .
Some have estimated that as much as 70 % of all votes cast will touch the mail , either in getting to voters or being returned to election officials or both .
Democrats and voting-rights advocates became immediately worried when DeJoy , who has donated millions of dollars to Republican candidates including President Trump , was named postmaster general in May .
The changes he has implemented have not assuaged those concerns .
`` Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an attempt to rig the election in his favor , '' tweeted Sen. Ron Wyden , a Democrat from Oregon , which was the first all vote-by-mail state , earlier this week .
State and local election officials are also worried about the ramifications of the measures .
`` I 'm very concerned that delays in postal delivery is going to have a negative effect on absentee ballots and vote-by-mail elections , '' Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman told NPR last week .
On Friday , DeJoy sought to push back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — both that he is a political crony of Trump 's as well as claims he is making policy changes to slow down or interfere with the delivery of ballots .
`` While I certainly have a good relationship with the president of the United States , the notion that I would ever make decisions concerning the Postal Service at the direction of the president , or anyone else in the administration , is wholly off-base , '' he said .
He said the Postal Service has not changed anything about how it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the organization has `` ample capacity to deliver all election mail securely and on time . ''
Issues arise , he said , when local election administrators or voters do n't take into account how long mail delivery usually takes .
`` We do ask election officials and voters to be mindful of the time that it takes for us to deliver ballots , whether it is a blank ballot going to a voter or a completed ballot going back to election officials , '' he said .
That message is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the week tweeted that the post office would not be able to handle the influx of mail ballots that would result from Nevada 's decision to mail every registered voter in the state a ballot .

Postmaster General Touts Postal Service Overhaul But Promises On-Time Election Mail
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images
Updated at 7:32 p.m. ET
The head of the U.S. Postal Service promised Friday to make the organization more efficient and more financially stable, but his remarks may do little to quell fears that the post office's cost-cutting measures will hurt service during the coronavirus pandemic.
"We are at the beginning of a transformative process," Louis DeJoy said in his first public remarks since becoming postmaster general. "Our goal is to change and improve the Postal Service to better serve the American public, and I am excited about the opportunities ahead."
DeJoy confirmed news reports that part of that transformation will involve cutting back on overtime costs and "running our operations on time and on schedule." Many Americans on both sides of the aisle worry that the cuts will delay the delivery of important mail, from prescriptions for veterans to mail ballots for this year's presidential election, during a once-in-a-century health crisis.
As NPR's Brian Naylor reported last week, that means that among other things, late-arriving mail will now be left behind by carriers and delivered the next day.
The U.S. Postal Service reported a loss of $9 billion last year, and DeJoy said that loss could approach $11 billion this year.
"Our financial position is dire, stemming from substantial declines in mail volume, a broken business model and a management strategy that has not adequately addressed these issues," DeJoy said.
Later Friday, the Postal Service announced an overhaul of its leadership team in a memo posted on the USPS website.
Lawmakers in Congress have objected to the changes that DeJoy has implemented.
"While it is true that the Postal Service has and continues to face financial challenges, enacting these policies as cost-cutting or efficiency measures as the COVID-19 public health emergency continues is counterproductive and unacceptable," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., wrote in a letter to DeJoy on Thursday.
It's not only Democrats, however, who are worried about the changes. Many Republicans, including Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., voiced fears about how the delays could affect rural communities.
"This action, if not rescinded, will negatively impact mail delivery for Montanans and unacceptably increase the risk of late prescriptions, commercial products, or bill delivery," Daines wrote in a separate letter Thursday to DeJoy.
Experts said it isn't certain whether the changes will lead to the sort of financial improvements for which DeJoy is hoping.
"The USPS is not a trucking firm," said Phil Rubio, a former letter carrier who is a professor at North Carolina A&T State University, referring to DeJoy's previous work as the head of a logistics company, in an email. "If letter carriers are out sick or self-quarantining due to COVID-19, someone has to carry their route, and overtime has to be used to get at least all first-class mail out every day."
The idea of "efficiency" in the Postal Service is also not new, Rubio explained. Almost 30 years ago, sociologist Vern Baxter called it the "prevailing institutional myth" of the post office in his book Labor and Politics in the U.S. Postal Service.
Leaving some first-class mail behind may result in small cost savings in the short term, Rubio said, but it will also probably result in people having less confidence in the institution, leading them to flee potentially to competitors.
"Leaving any [first-class mail] behind is bad service and bad business," Rubio said.
In his remarks, DeJoy also alluded to an upcoming "series of additional actions" that will "include new and creative ways for us to fulfill our mission," but he did not detail what those actions would be.
Election mail
Voting experts said they expect this year's presidential election to include more mail ballots, sent and returned, than ever before. Some have estimated that as much as 70% of all votes cast will touch the mail, either in getting to voters or being returned to election officials or both.
Democrats and voting-rights advocates became immediately worried when DeJoy, who has donated millions of dollars to Republican candidates including President Trump, was named postmaster general in May. The changes he has implemented have not assuaged those concerns.
"Donald Trump is sabotaging the U.S Postal Service in an attempt to rig the election in his favor," tweeted Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, which was the first all vote-by-mail state, earlier this week.
State and local election officials are also worried about the ramifications of the measures.
"I'm very concerned that delays in postal delivery is going to have a negative effect on absentee ballots and vote-by-mail elections," Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman told NPR last week.
On Friday, DeJoy sought to push back against what he called "misconceptions" — both that he is a political crony of Trump's as well as claims he is making policy changes to slow down or interfere with the delivery of ballots.
"While I certainly have a good relationship with the president of the United States, the notion that I would ever make decisions concerning the Postal Service at the direction of the president, or anyone else in the administration, is wholly off-base," he said.
He said the Postal Service has not changed anything about how it handles election mail, and he promised that the organization has "ample capacity to deliver all election mail securely and on time."
Issues arise, he said, when local election administrators or voters don't take into account how long mail delivery usually takes.
"We do ask election officials and voters to be mindful of the time that it takes for us to deliver ballots, whether it is a blank ballot going to a voter or a completed ballot going back to election officials," he said.
That message is in stark contrast with Trump, who earlier in the week tweeted that the post office would not be able to handle the influx of mail ballots that would result from Nevada's decision to mail every registered voter in the state a ballot.


npr--2020-08-08--In Executive Actions, Trump Extends Unemployment Benefits, Defers Payroll Taxes

At his Bedminster , N.J. , golf resort on Saturday , President Trump signed four executive actions to provide economic relief amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The actions amount to a stopgap measure , after failing to secure an agreement with Congress .
The three memorandums and one executive order call for extending enhanced unemployment benefits , taking steps to stop evictions , continuing the suspension of student loan repayments , and deferring payroll taxes .
Trump promised that funds would be `` rapidly distributed '' to Americans in need , although it remains unclear whether the president has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approval .
In any case , legal challenges are expected , which could delay any disbursement of funds .
In one memorandum , Trump authorized the federal government to pay $ 300 per week for people on unemployment .
States would be asked to pay an additional $ 100 , for a total of $ 400 weekly for unemployed workers .
`` If they do n't , they do n't .
That 's up to them , '' Trump said when asked what happens if governors do n't have the funds available .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's sitting there . ''
The previous enhanced unemployment benefits , which added $ 600 a week to standard state unemployment benefits , expired at the end of July .
The text of the memorandum calls for up to $ 44 billion of federal funds for the benefits to come from the Department of Homeland Security 's Disaster Relief Fund .
The White House said states could use funding from the March coronavirus relief package , the CARES Act , to fund their portion of the benefits .
In an executive order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ various federal agencies to make funds available for temporary financial assistance to renters and homeowners facing financial hardship caused by COVID-19 .
`` It 's not their fault that this virus came into our country , '' he said of renters and homeowners .
`` It 's China 's fault . ''
That order also directs the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to consider whether temporarily halting residential evictions for failure to pay rent `` are reasonably necessary to prevent the further spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The federal moratorium on evictions expired on July 24 , allowing landlords to begin issuing 30-day notices to vacate their properties .
It is estimated the temporary ban on evictions covered more than 12 million renters , preventing them from being pushed out of their homes even if they could n't pay rent .
Trump also extended relief for student loan borrowers .
Student loan interest rates were cut to zero earlier this year , and students could suspend payments through September .
Trump directed the secretary of education to extend the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and said an additional extension is likely .
And a fourth action defers payroll tax collection for workers earning less than $ 100,000 a year , beginning Sept. 1 .
`` This will mean bigger paychecks for working families , as we race to produce a vaccine and eradicate the China virus once and for all , '' Trump told reporters .
Trump said the `` payroll tax holiday '' would last through the end of the year but could be made permanent if he is reelected .
The connection to November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If I 'm victorious on Nov. 3 , I plan to forgive these taxes and make permanent cuts to the payroll tax .
I 'm going to make them all permanent , '' Trump said , then turning to jab congressional Democrats and his opponent , former Vice President Joe Biden .
`` So they will have the option of raising everybody 's taxes and taking this away .
But if I win , I may extend and terminate .
In other words , I will extend it beyond the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , we 'll see what happens . ''
Both congressional Democrats and Republicans alike opposed this payroll tax proposal when President Trump was trying to get them to include it in the coronavirus relief package .
Payroll taxes fund Medicare and Social Security and this deferral wo n't do anything to help the millions of Americans currently unemployed .
Trump is likely doing this through the same mechanism that allowed taxpayers to put off filing their taxes until July 15 this year , says Andrew Rudalevige , a professor at Bowdoin College @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The Treasury Secretary is authorized to delay the deadline for any action required under tax law up to one year , '' said Rudalevige , in case of a federally declared disaster , and all states are currently operating under one due to the pandemic .
`` So payroll tax payments could under this provision be delayed .
But , not forgiven — those taxes are still owed . ''
There are already significant concerns about the long-term solvency of the popular social safety net programs .
Reducing payroll taxes would hasten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after weeks of talks between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill over the next round coronavirus relief .
As of Saturday , they were still far from reaching agreement .
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded to Trump 's executive actions on Saturday evening , calling them `` unworkable , weak and narrow policy announcements . ''
In a statement , they called for Republicans to return to negotiations .

In Executive Actions, Trump Extends Some Unemployment Benefits, Defers Payroll Taxes
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 10 a.m. ET Sunday
At his Bedminster, N.J., golf resort on Saturday, President Trump signed four executive actions to provide economic relief amid the coronavirus pandemic. The actions amount to a stopgap measure, after failing to secure an agreement with Congress.
The three memorandums and one executive order call for extending some enhanced unemployment benefits, taking steps to stop evictions, continuing the suspension of student loan repayments and deferring payroll taxes.
Law A Closer Look At Trump's Coronavirus Relief Executive Actions A Closer Look At Trump's Coronavirus Relief Executive Actions Listen · 5:04 5:04
Trump promised that funds would be "rapidly distributed" to Americans in need, although it remains unclear whether the president has the authority to do certain steps unilaterally, without congressional approval. In any case, legal challenges are expected, which could delay any disbursement of funds.
In one memorandum, Trump authorized the federal government to pay $300 per week for people on unemployment. States would be asked to pay an additional $100, for a total of $400 weekly for unemployed workers.
"If they don't, they don't. That's up to them," Trump said when asked what happens if governors don't have the funds available. "The states have the money. It's sitting there."
The previous enhanced unemployment benefits, which added $600 a week to standard state unemployment benefits, expired at the end of July.
The text of the memorandum calls for up to $44 billion of federal funds for the benefits to come from the Department of Homeland Security's Disaster Relief Fund. The White House said states could use funding from the March coronavirus relief package, the CARES Act, to fund their portion of the benefits.
Given the current number of Americans unemployed, those disaster funds would likely last only a handful of weeks.
In an executive order calling to minimize evictions, Trump directed various federal agencies to make funds available for temporary financial assistance to renters and homeowners facing financial hardship caused by COVID-19.
"It's not their fault that this virus came into our country," he said of renters and homeowners. "It's China's fault."
That order also directs the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to consider whether measures to temporarily halt residential evictions for failure to pay rent "are reasonably necessary to prevent the further spread of COVID-19" from one state to another.
A federal moratorium on evictions expired on July 24, allowing landlords to begin issuing 30-day notices to vacate their properties. It is estimated that the temporary ban on evictions covered more than 12 million renters, preventing them from being pushed out of their homes even if they couldn't pay rent.
Trump also extended relief for student loan borrowers. Student loan interest rates were cut to zero earlier this year, and students could suspend payments through September. Trump directed the secretary of education to extend the relief through the end of the year and said an additional extension is likely.
And a fourth action defers payroll tax collection for workers earning less than $100,000 a year, beginning Sept. 1. "This will mean bigger paychecks [for a time] for working families, as we race to produce a vaccine and eradicate the China virus once and for all," Trump told reporters.
Trump said the "payroll tax holiday" would last through the end of the year but could be made permanent if he is reelected. The connection to November's election wasn't subtle.
"If I'm victorious on Nov. 3, I plan to forgive these taxes and make permanent cuts to the payroll tax. I'm going to make them all permanent," Trump said, then turning to jab congressional Democrats and his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden. "So they will have the option of raising everybody's taxes and taking this away. But if I win, I may extend and terminate. In other words, I will extend it beyond the end of the year and terminate the tax. And so, we'll see what happens."
A president cannot forgive taxes without congressional approval.
Both congressional Democrats and Republicans alike opposed this payroll tax proposal when Trump was trying to get them to include it in the coronavirus relief package. Payroll taxes fund Medicare and Social Security, and this deferral won't do anything to help the millions of Americans currently unemployed.
Trump is likely doing this through the same mechanism that allowed taxpayers to put off filing their taxes until July 15 this year, says Andrew Rudalevige, a professor at Bowdoin College who specializes in presidential executive actions.
"The Treasury secretary is authorized to delay the deadline for any action required under tax law up to one year," said Rudalevige, in the case of a federally declared disaster, and all states are currently operating under one because of the pandemic. "So payroll tax payments could under this provision be delayed. But not forgiven — those taxes are still owed."
There are already significant concerns about the long-term solvency of the popular social safety net programs. Reducing payroll taxes would hasten those problems.
Trump's actions come after weeks of talks between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill over the next round coronavirus relief. As of Saturday, they were still far from reaching agreement.
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded to Trump's executive actions on Saturday evening, calling them "unworkable, weak and narrow policy announcements." In a statement, they called for Republicans to return to negotiations.


npr--2020-08-08--Police Fire Tear Gas As Thousands Express Outrage Over Beirut Explosion

Thousands of protesters outraged over this week 's deadly explosion in Beirut amassed in the Lebanese capital on Saturday , as public anger gave way to clashes with police and the storming of the nation 's foreign ministry .
Blame for the blast — which killed more than 150 people and injured thousands more — has been widely cast on a culture of corruption and negligence among the nation 's ruling class .
Demonstrators set up a mock gallows , hanging cardboard cutouts of politicians , including the country 's president , Michel Aoun , and Prime Minister Hassan Diab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day with protesters hurling rocks and police firing tear gas .
Gunfire was heard at the city 's Martyrs ' Square , according to the BBC , and multiple news organizations reported that protesters had entered the foreign ministry .
Once inside the ministry , demonstrators burned a framed photo of Aoun , according to Reuters .
The Associated Press reported that protesters were claiming the building as headquarters for a `` revolution '' and calling on the government to resign .
At least 170 people were reported injured during the protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Citing police , Reuters reported that at least one officer was killed after being chased and falling down an elevator shaft .
Responding to the protests , Diab took to the airwaves to call for early elections .
Diab said it was the only solution to the unrest and announced plans for a draft bill .
Also on Saturday , three legislators from the country 's Christian opposition Kataeb Party announced they were resigning from parliament out of a show of anger .
An official with the party was killed in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press .
Tuesday 's explosion at a port warehouse that held 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate — a chemical used for fertilizer and as an ingredient in bombs — followed repeated warnings to authorities about the facility and came amid growing strife in Lebanon , including over the toll taken by the coronavirus pandemic .
Many hospitals already treating COVID-19 patients struggled to meet the influx of injured caused by the blast .
Some hospitals were severely damaged or destroyed by the explosion , whose shock waves wrought destruction on large swaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crises of the explosion and the pandemic , Lebanon had been roiled by an economic collapse and power outages blamed on mismanagement and corruption .
Massive protests erupted late last year but had dwindled .
The explosion has introduced concerns about food shortages , as the port 's decimation is expected to significantly interfere with imports .
Since the explosion , blame and scrutiny has been cast around over how ammonium nitrate was allowed to sit at Beirut 's port for some six years .
The cache arrived at the port in 2013 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Mozambique .
After a dispute over port fees , the cargo was impounded and stored in a warehouse .
The port 's customs director has said he sounded the alarm for years .
In the aftermath of the blast , several port officials were placed under house arrest .
The most widespread scrutiny has landed on the country 's politicians .
Aoun and Diab have responded by forming an investigative committee , while various members of the country 's ruling class , many of whom have stakes in the port , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , the influential Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah sought to distance itself from any blame for the blast , with the group 's leader , Hassan Nasrallah , categorically stating , `` Hezbollah does not run or control Beirut 's port and does not interfere with it . ''

Police Fire Tear Gas As Thousands Express Outrage Over Beirut Explosion
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bilal Hussein/AP Bilal Hussein/AP
Thousands of protesters outraged over this week's deadly explosion in Beirut amassed in the Lebanese capital on Saturday, as public anger gave way to clashes with police and the storming of the nation's foreign ministry.
Blame for the blast — which killed more than 150 people and injured thousands more — has been widely cast on a culture of corruption and negligence among the nation's ruling class.
Demonstrators set up a mock gallows, hanging cardboard cutouts of politicians, including the country's president, Michel Aoun, and Prime Minister Hassan Diab.
Skirmishes between protesters began early in the day with protesters hurling rocks and police firing tear gas. Gunfire was heard at the city's Martyrs' Square, according to the BBC, and multiple news organizations reported that protesters had entered the foreign ministry.
Once inside the ministry, demonstrators burned a framed photo of Aoun, according to Reuters. The Associated Press reported that protesters were claiming the building as headquarters for a "revolution" and calling on the government to resign.
At least 170 people were reported injured during the protests, according to the Lebanese Red Cross. Citing police, Reuters reported that at least one officer was killed after being chased and falling down an elevator shaft.
Responding to the protests, Diab took to the airwaves to call for early elections. Diab said it was the only solution to the unrest and announced plans for a draft bill.
Also on Saturday, three legislators from the country's Christian opposition Kataeb Party announced they were resigning from parliament out of a show of anger. An official with the party was killed in this week's blast, according to the Associated Press.
Tuesday's explosion at a port warehouse that held 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate — a chemical used for fertilizer and as an ingredient in bombs — followed repeated warnings to authorities about the facility and came amid growing strife in Lebanon, including over the toll taken by the coronavirus pandemic.
Many hospitals already treating COVID-19 patients struggled to meet the influx of injured caused by the blast. Some hospitals were severely damaged or destroyed by the explosion, whose shock waves wrought destruction on large swaths of Beirut.
Even before the dual crises of the explosion and the pandemic, Lebanon had been roiled by an economic collapse and power outages blamed on mismanagement and corruption. Massive protests erupted late last year but had dwindled.
The explosion has introduced concerns about food shortages, as the port's decimation is expected to significantly interfere with imports.
Since the explosion, blame and scrutiny has been cast around over how ammonium nitrate was allowed to sit at Beirut's port for some six years. The cache arrived at the port in 2013 aboard a ship said to be bound for Mozambique. After a dispute over port fees, the cargo was impounded and stored in a warehouse.
The port's customs director has said he sounded the alarm for years. In the aftermath of the blast, several port officials were placed under house arrest. The most widespread scrutiny has landed on the country's politicians.
Aoun and Diab have responded by forming an investigative committee, while various members of the country's ruling class, many of whom have stakes in the port, have attempted to place responsibility elsewhere.
On Friday, the influential Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah sought to distance itself from any blame for the blast, with the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, categorically stating, "Hezbollah does not run or control Beirut's port and does not interfere with it."
Nada Homsi contributed to this report.


npr--2020-08-08--Children Can Get Severe COVID-19, CDC Says — Especially Black And Hispanic Children

Children Can Get Severe COVID-19 , CDC Says — Especially Black And Hispanic Children While most children who catch the coronavirus have either no symptoms or mild ones , they are still at risk of developing `` severe '' symptoms requiring admission to an intensive care unit , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a new report released Friday .
Hispanic and Black children in particular were much more likely to require hospitalization for COVID-19 , with Hispanic children about eight times as likely as white children to be hospitalized , while Black children were five times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children are `` almost immune '' from the virus , the analysis of 576 children hospitalized for the virus across 14 states found that one out of three was admitted to the ICU — similar to the rate among adults .
Almost 1 in 5 of those were infants younger than 3 months .
The most common symptoms included fever and chills , inability to eat , nausea and vomiting .
The findings come as school districts across the country are figuring out how to educate the nation 's children while still protecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ravages of the virus .
The American Federation of Teachers has said it considers in-person schooling to be safe only when fewer than 5 % of coronavirus tests in an area are positive .
Researchers do n't fully understand why some racial groups are hospitalized at higher rates than others .
But the CDC 's findings are consistent with other studies , the authors of the report said , citing a recent analysis from the Baltimore-District of Columbia region that found that Hispanics had more COVID-19 infections than other groups .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be at increased risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection because they are overrepresented in frontline ( e.g.
, essential and direct-service ) occupations with decreased opportunities for social distancing , which might also affect children living in those households , '' the CDC researchers wrote .
Underlying medical conditions might have contributed to the children 's hospitalization , researchers wrote , noting that Hispanic and Black children are more likely to suffer from conditions like obesity .
If there 's any good news , it 's that even among children hospitalized with severe COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , researchers said .
A separate study in the journal Pediatrics also found racial and socioeconomic disparities in children and young adults tested for COVID-19 in Washington , D.C. Hispanic children were more than six times as likely as white children to test positive for the virus ; Black children were over four times as likely .
Ultimately , the CDC concluded , it 's crucial to continue prevention efforts wherever children gather , specifically citing schools and child care centers .

Children Can Get Severe COVID-19, CDC Says — Especially Black And Hispanic Children
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jemal Countess/Getty Images for ParentsTogether Jemal Countess/Getty Images for ParentsTogether
While most children who catch the coronavirus have either no symptoms or mild ones, they are still at risk of developing "severe" symptoms requiring admission to an intensive care unit, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a new report released Friday.
Hispanic and Black children in particular were much more likely to require hospitalization for COVID-19, with Hispanic children about eight times as likely as white children to be hospitalized, while Black children were five times as likely.
Despite persistent rumors that children are "almost immune" from the virus, the analysis of 576 children hospitalized for the virus across 14 states found that one out of three was admitted to the ICU — similar to the rate among adults. Almost 1 in 5 of those were infants younger than 3 months. The most common symptoms included fever and chills, inability to eat, nausea and vomiting.
The findings come as school districts across the country are figuring out how to educate the nation's children while still protecting kids, teachers and family members from the ravages of the virus. The American Federation of Teachers has said it considers in-person schooling to be safe only when fewer than 5% of coronavirus tests in an area are positive.
Researchers don't fully understand why some racial groups are hospitalized at higher rates than others. But the CDC's findings are consistent with other studies, the authors of the report said, citing a recent analysis from the Baltimore-District of Columbia region that found that Hispanics had more COVID-19 infections than other groups.
"It has been hypothesized that Hispanic adults might be at increased risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection because they are overrepresented in frontline (e.g., essential and direct-service) occupations with decreased opportunities for social distancing, which might also affect children living in those households," the CDC researchers wrote.
Underlying medical conditions might have contributed to the children's hospitalization, researchers wrote, noting that Hispanic and Black children are more likely to suffer from conditions like obesity.
If there's any good news, it's that even among children hospitalized with severe COVID-19 complications, the fatality rate remains low, researchers said.
A separate study in the journal Pediatrics also found racial and socioeconomic disparities in children and young adults tested for COVID-19 in Washington, D.C. Hispanic children were more than six times as likely as white children to test positive for the virus; Black children were over four times as likely.
Ultimately, the CDC concluded, it's crucial to continue prevention efforts wherever children gather, specifically citing schools and child care centers.


npr--2020-08-08--TikTok To Sue Trump Administration Over Ban, As Soon As Tuesday

TikTok To Sue Trump Administration Over Ban , As Soon As Tuesday TikTok is planning to sue the Trump administration , challenging the president 's executive order banning the service from the United States .
The video-sharing app hugely popular with the smartphone generation will file the federal lawsuit as soon as Tuesday , according to a person who was directly involved in the forthcoming suit but was not authorized to speak for the company .
It will be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California , where TikTok 's American operations are based , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the lawsuit will argue that President Trump 's far-reaching action is unconstitutional because it failed to give the company a chance to respond .
It also alleges that the administration 's national security justification for the order is baseless , according to the source .
`` It 's based on pure speculation and conjecture , '' the source said .
`` The order has no findings of fact , just reiterates rhetoric about China that has been kicking around . ''
The White House declined to comment on the expected litigation but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The Administration is committed to protecting the American people from all cyber related threats to critical infrastructure , public health and safety , and our economic and national security , '' according to White House spokesman Judd Deere .
What the Thursday night executive order does Under the president 's Thursday night executive order , `` any transaction '' between a U.S. citizen and TikTok 's Beijing-based parent company , ByteDance , will be outlawed in 45 days for national security reasons .
Such a sweeping ban would be fatal for TikTok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among teenagers and 20-somethings in the U.S. , where more than 100 million users have downloaded the app .
They use it to share dances and comedy skits in 60-second video bites , which often go viral .
The app is such a cultural phenomenon that it has become a platform to discover new music and has even launched several breakout hits that have topped the Billboard charts .
The app has also been used to antagonize the president , including when thousands of teens reserved tickets to the president 's rally in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of going , inflating the Trump campaign 's expectations for the event and causing embarrassment over the disappointing turnout .
If the presidential ban goes into effect , the app may no longer be able to send software updates , rendering TikTok unmanageable on smartphones and eventually nonfunctional .
The president 's executive order stands to cut off American advertisers on its app and force Apple and Google to remove it from mobile app stores .
TikTok 's more than 1,000 U.S.-based employees could have their paychecks indefinitely frozen .
It could force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And Trump 's order could make it impossible for American lawyers to represent TikTok in any U.S. legal proceedings .
The source familiar with TikTok 's internal discussions on the matter says the president 's order appeared rushed and did not include carveouts or exceptions for TikTok to maintain any legal representation , which the company plans to argue is a violation of due process rights .
Typically , if the federal government launches an investigation , it will inform the company with a subpoena or some other kind of notice demanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ malfeasance .
Federal investigators at times also call representatives of the company for a confidential meeting about a looming enforcement action .
According to those working on TikTok 's legal team , no such outreach from the White House requesting evidence took place before Thursday 's executive order .
TikTok lawyers view that as shortcutting standard procedure .
As such , the president 's move took many inside TikTok aback .
Officials at TikTok acknowledged as much in its response to the order .
`` We are shocked by the recent Executive Order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process , '' TikTok said in a statement .
`` The text of the decision makes it plain that there has been a reliance on unnamed 'reports ' with no citations , fears that the app 'may be ' used for misinformation campaigns with no substantiation of such fears , and concerns about the collection of data that is industry standard for thousands of mobile apps around the world . ''
Officials at TikTok declined to publicly comment on the looming legal battle .
Violating the order carries stiff penalties .
After the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could result in a $ 300,000 fine per violation and `` willful '' offenders could even face criminal prosecution .
Another issue that may be raised in TikTok 's legal challenge is the argument that Trump overstepped his authority .
The order was issued in part under an executive power known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act , which arms the president with broad authority to impose economic sanctions when presented with an `` unusual and extraordinary threat , '' such as a risk to national security .
There are exceptions to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely underscore in their litigation .
For instance , the authority can not be used to regulate or prohibit either `` personal communication '' or sharing of film and other forms of media , which TikTok can argue is the primary use of its app .
If Congress believes the president has used the emergency economic powers unjustly , lawmakers can overrule the order by passing a resolution that would terminate the order .
But any pushback from Congress is unlikely , as the skepticism about the Chinese Communist Party 's potential ties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathered bipartisan support .
Already , the Senate , by a unanimous vote , passed a bill Thursday banning TikTok on all government-issued devices .
TikTok 's terms of service spells out what it captures from users , including location data , browsing history and personal contacts .
The app also informs users that data can be shared with its Chinese parent company , ByteDance .
This has has stirred fears in Washington that authorities in the Chinese government could potentially gain access to American citizens ' data and put that information to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a targeted disinformation campaign .
Neither the Trump administration nor TikTok critics outside of government have offered evidence that the short-form video app has ever cooperated with Chinese authorities .
Some technology experts say the worries over China are warranted .
Former White House official Lindsay Gorman , who is now a fellow with the Alliance for Securing Democracy , told NPR that TikTok 's parent company , ByteDance , is ultimately beholden to the Chinese Communist Party .
`` The harsh reality of how businesses operate in China means that if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get it , '' Gorman said .
She added : `` Leaving TikTok in Chinese ownership creates an information space vulnerability at a time leading up to an election when political communication is increasingly happening on the platform . ''
TikTok officials see the executive order as essentially a pressure campaign , a way of forcing an American company to move quickly to acquire the app 's U.S. assets .
Microsoft — the American tech giant that owns Xbox , LinkedIn and Skype — is already in talks to buy TikTok , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Editor 's note : TikTok helps fund NPR content that appears on the social media platform .

TikTok To Sue Trump Administration Over Ban, As Soon As Tuesday
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Schiefelbein/AP Mark Schiefelbein/AP
TikTok is planning to sue the Trump administration, challenging the president's executive order banning the service from the United States.
The video-sharing app hugely popular with the smartphone generation will file the federal lawsuit as soon as Tuesday, according to a person who was directly involved in the forthcoming suit but was not authorized to speak for the company. It will be filed in U.S. District Court in California, where TikTok's American operations are based, the person said.
NPR has learned that the lawsuit will argue that President Trump's far-reaching action is unconstitutional because it failed to give the company a chance to respond. It also alleges that the administration's national security justification for the order is baseless, according to the source.
"It's based on pure speculation and conjecture," the source said. "The order has no findings of fact, just reiterates rhetoric about China that has been kicking around."
The White House declined to comment on the expected litigation but defended the president's executive order. "The Administration is committed to protecting the American people from all cyber related threats to critical infrastructure, public health and safety, and our economic and national security," according to White House spokesman Judd Deere.
What the Thursday night executive order does
Under the president's Thursday night executive order, "any transaction" between a U.S. citizen and TikTok's Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, will be outlawed in 45 days for national security reasons.
Such a sweeping ban would be fatal for TikTok in the U.S.
It is popular among teenagers and 20-somethings in the U.S., where more than 100 million users have downloaded the app. They use it to share dances and comedy skits in 60-second video bites, which often go viral. The app is such a cultural phenomenon that it has become a platform to discover new music and has even launched several breakout hits that have topped the Billboard charts.
The app has also been used to antagonize the president, including when thousands of teens reserved tickets to the president's rally in Tulsa, Okla., with no intention of going, inflating the Trump campaign's expectations for the event and causing embarrassment over the disappointing turnout.
If the presidential ban goes into effect, the app may no longer be able to send software updates, rendering TikTok unmanageable on smartphones and eventually nonfunctional.
The president's executive order stands to cut off American advertisers on its app and force Apple and Google to remove it from mobile app stores.
TikTok's more than 1,000 U.S.-based employees could have their paychecks indefinitely frozen. It could force landlords housing TikTok operations to evict them. And Trump's order could make it impossible for American lawyers to represent TikTok in any U.S. legal proceedings.
The source familiar with TikTok's internal discussions on the matter says the president's order appeared rushed and did not include carveouts or exceptions for TikTok to maintain any legal representation, which the company plans to argue is a violation of due process rights.
Typically, if the federal government launches an investigation, it will inform the company with a subpoena or some other kind of notice demanding a response to allegations of misconduct or malfeasance. Federal investigators at times also call representatives of the company for a confidential meeting about a looming enforcement action.
According to those working on TikTok's legal team, no such outreach from the White House requesting evidence took place before Thursday's executive order. TikTok lawyers view that as shortcutting standard procedure.
As such, the president's move took many inside TikTok aback.
Officials at TikTok acknowledged as much in its response to the order. "We are shocked by the recent Executive Order, which was issued without any due process," TikTok said in a statement. "The text of the decision makes it plain that there has been a reliance on unnamed 'reports' with no citations, fears that the app 'may be' used for misinformation campaigns with no substantiation of such fears, and concerns about the collection of data that is industry standard for thousands of mobile apps around the world."
Officials at TikTok declined to publicly comment on the looming legal battle.
Breaking the TikTok ban carries a $300,000 fine
Violating the order carries stiff penalties. After the 45-day period, doing business with TikTok could result in a $300,000 fine per violation and "willful" offenders could even face criminal prosecution.
Another issue that may be raised in TikTok's legal challenge is the argument that Trump overstepped his authority.
The order was issued in part under an executive power known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which arms the president with broad authority to impose economic sanctions when presented with an "unusual and extraordinary threat," such as a risk to national security.
There are exceptions to that power that lawyers for TikTok will likely underscore in their litigation. For instance, the authority cannot be used to regulate or prohibit either "personal communication" or sharing of film and other forms of media, which TikTok can argue is the primary use of its app.
If Congress believes the president has used the emergency economic powers unjustly, lawmakers can overrule the order by passing a resolution that would terminate the order.
But any pushback from Congress is unlikely, as the skepticism about the Chinese Communist Party's potential ties to the country's technology companies has gathered bipartisan support.
Already, the Senate, by a unanimous vote, passed a bill Thursday banning TikTok on all government-issued devices.
Washington fears China access to American citizens' data
TikTok's terms of service spells out what it captures from users, including location data, browsing history and personal contacts.
The app also informs users that data can be shared with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. This has has stirred fears in Washington that authorities in the Chinese government could potentially gain access to American citizens' data and put that information to use in a blackmailing scheme or in a targeted disinformation campaign.
Neither the Trump administration nor TikTok critics outside of government have offered evidence that the short-form video app has ever cooperated with Chinese authorities.
Some technology experts say the worries over China are warranted.
Former White House official Lindsay Gorman, who is now a fellow with the Alliance for Securing Democracy, told NPR that TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is ultimately beholden to the Chinese Communist Party.
"The harsh reality of how businesses operate in China means that if the CCP wants that data, it will get it," Gorman said.
She added: "Leaving TikTok in Chinese ownership creates an information space vulnerability at a time leading up to an election when political communication is increasingly happening on the platform."
TikTok officials see the executive order as essentially a pressure campaign, a way of forcing an American company to move quickly to acquire the app's U.S. assets.
Microsoft — the American tech giant that owns Xbox, LinkedIn and Skype — is already in talks to buy TikTok, but those discussions are in the early stages.
Editor's note: TikTok helps fund NPR content that appears on the social media platform.


npr--2020-08-08--Virginia Supreme Court Grants Temporary Moratorium on Evictions

Virginia 's Supreme Court has granted a request from Gov .
Ralph Northam to temporarily stop evictions proceedings , extending protections for tenants who ca n't pay their rent through the beginning of September .
In a 4-3 ruling Friday , the court agreed to a moratorium on eviction proceedings through Sept. 7 , declaring that public safety concerns due to the coronavirus pandemic constituted a `` judicial emergency . ''
`` The ease with which the COVID-19 virus can spread , the risks associated with traveling to and appearing in the courthouse for those ... with certain health conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the inability of many citizens to access the courts remotely or to hire lawyers who can argue on their behalf , may 'substantially endanger ' or 'impede ' the 'ability of [ tenants ] to avail themselves of the court , ' `` the majority wrote in their decision .
Northam praised the decision on Friday .
The Democratic governor had requested the moratorium in a July 24 letter to the court 's chief justice , Donald Lemons , as congressional efforts to provide relief for renters stalled , allowing for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic hardships due to the pandemic .
Virginia had used some $ 50 million in federal coronavirus aid to fund rent-relief programs .
`` As the ongoing Congressional stalemate leaves hundreds of thousands of Virginians without federal housing protection or unemployment relief , this is a critical step towards keeping families safely in their homes , '' Northam said in a statement following the decision .
The court 's moratorium begins Monday , granting time for Virginia 's legislature to take up potential relief efforts in a special session later this month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice said relief efforts fell to `` the legislative branch and its responsibility to provide sufficient appropriations to fund rent relief efforts and with the executive branch to effectively administer such programs . ''
`` If there is to be a subsidy , it is properly the responsibility of the legislative and executive branches .
The judicial branch should not put a heavy thumb on the scales of justice and deny property owners access to the courts and enforcement of their long-established rights under the law , '' Lemon wrote .
Another dissenting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a spate of evictions due to the pandemic did not constitute a judicial emergency , arguing that `` the alleged inability of a tenant to pay rent '' did not affect the operation of or access to courts .
Kelsey also argued that the decision infringed on the rights of landlords , taking away their ability to seek legal redress or action against nonpaying tenants .
`` It does not matter whether the landlord will eventually get paid everything that he is owed ( a highly optimistic supposition at best ) or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tenant becomes employed or starts receiving government subsidies .
What the landlord wants is possession of his property .
He does not want to continue in a breached lease against his will , '' Kelsey wrote .

Virginia Supreme Court Grants Temporary Moratorium on Evictions
Enlarge this image toggle caption Zach Gibson/Getty Images Zach Gibson/Getty Images
Virginia's Supreme Court has granted a request from Gov. Ralph Northam to temporarily stop evictions proceedings, extending protections for tenants who can't pay their rent through the beginning of September.
In a 4-3 ruling Friday, the court agreed to a moratorium on eviction proceedings through Sept. 7, declaring that public safety concerns due to the coronavirus pandemic constituted a "judicial emergency."
"The ease with which the COVID-19 virus can spread, the risks associated with traveling to and appearing in the courthouse for those ... with certain health conditions that disproportionately afflict the economically disadvantaged, and the inability of many citizens to access the courts remotely or to hire lawyers who can argue on their behalf, may 'substantially endanger' or 'impede' the 'ability of [tenants] to avail themselves of the court,' " the majority wrote in their decision.
Northam praised the decision on Friday. The Democratic governor had requested the moratorium in a July 24 letter to the court's chief justice, Donald Lemons, as congressional efforts to provide relief for renters stalled, allowing for the expiration of federal protections for Americans facing economic hardships due to the pandemic.
Virginia had used some $50 million in federal coronavirus aid to fund rent-relief programs.
"As the ongoing Congressional stalemate leaves hundreds of thousands of Virginians without federal housing protection or unemployment relief, this is a critical step towards keeping families safely in their homes," Northam said in a statement following the decision.
The court's moratorium begins Monday, granting time for Virginia's legislature to take up potential relief efforts in a special session later this month.
In a dissenting opinion, the chief justice said relief efforts fell to "the legislative branch and its responsibility to provide sufficient appropriations to fund rent relief efforts and with the executive branch to effectively administer such programs."
"If there is to be a subsidy, it is properly the responsibility of the legislative and executive branches. The judicial branch should not put a heavy thumb on the scales of justice and deny property owners access to the courts and enforcement of their long-established rights under the law," Lemon wrote.
Another dissenting justice, D. Arthur Kelsey, contended that a spate of evictions due to the pandemic did not constitute a judicial emergency, arguing that "the alleged inability of a tenant to pay rent" did not affect the operation of or access to courts.
Kelsey also argued that the decision infringed on the rights of landlords, taking away their ability to seek legal redress or action against nonpaying tenants.
"It does not matter whether the landlord will eventually get paid everything that he is owed (a highly optimistic supposition at best) or whether he can collect future rents if the tenant becomes employed or starts receiving government subsidies. What the landlord wants is possession of his property. He does not want to continue in a breached lease against his will," Kelsey wrote.


npr--2020-08-08--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak Since the new coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan , China , in December , the infectious respiratory disease COVID-19 has spread rapidly within China and to neighboring countries and beyond .
The first confirmed coronavirus cases outside China occurred on Jan. 20 , in Japan , Thailand and South Korea .
On Jan. 21 , the first case in the U.S. was identified in Washington state .
On Jan. 24 , the first two European cases were confirmed in France .
By Feb. 1 , eight European nations had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month later that count had risen to 24 countries with at least 2,200 cases , most of them in Italy .
On March 11 , Italy eclipsed 10,000 cases and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic — the first since H1N1 in 2009 .
That 's also when China , the original epicenter , began seeing drops in daily counts of new cases .
March also saw exponential spread of the virus throughout the U.S. , with all 50 states reporting cases by March 17 .
This particular virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third strain of coronavirus known to frequently cause severe symptoms in humans .
The other two strains cause Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on March 30 , 2020 .

Coronavirus world map: We've now passed the 600 million mark for infections
Editor's note: This page is no longer being updated. The last update was Sept. 5, 2022. For current data about COVID-19 cases and deaths around the world, Johns Hopkins University and Our World in Data are useful resources.
In late January 2020 only a few dozen COVID-19 infections had been identified outside of China. A year later, the world tallied its first 100 million cases. It took the globe just 7 more months to pass the 200 million mark— then another 5 months to hit 300 million, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Now the virus has spread to every corner of the globe and has been blamed for more than 6 million deaths.
The United States, India and Brazil in that order have had the most COVID cases and the three nations collectively account for almost half of all recorded infections so far in the pandemic.
Explore the chart below to find a country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January 2020.
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Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time. The first chart compares each continent to each other, while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region.
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This story was originally published on March 30, 2020.


npr--2020-08-08--Tracking The Pandemic: Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State?

Tracking The Pandemic : Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State ?
More than 4 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 150,000 have died .
Though growth in new cases slowed in late spring , by mid-June new cases began to trend upward nationally .
In the graphics below , explore the trend in new cases in your state to see whether cases are rising , falling or staying level .
You can view the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , a curve chart and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case trends over the last three weeks .
Or to see states ' total cases and deaths on a map , click here .
The following chart displays states ' trends in new daily case counts , total cases , and per capita totals .
To compare state outbreaks , the trend lines for average new daily cases are graphed against each state 's total case count to date .
This highlights a state 's daily growth relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case counts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As cases slow , the curve levels or bends down .
In New York , site of the country 's largest outbreak , the state 's curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 800 per day in mid July .
Conversely , Florida peaked around 1,200 new cases per day on average in April , only to surge again to nearly 12,000 per day in mid-July Coronavirus case totals are much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the spring , a large share of U.S. cases were centered around New York City .
As of mid July , other large , populous states such as California , Florida and Texas have reached high totals as well .
Some other states such as Arizona and Louisiana show a heavy burden of infection relative to their population size .
Explore the map below to see totals and per capita figures around the country for both cases and deaths .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state , week over week .
States marked in shades of red are showing growth , those in shades of green , are showing declines .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
In early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JHU team was able to reconcile the historical data .
On June 25 , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn contributed to and Carmel Wroth edited this story .

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


npr--2020-08-08--A Yazidi Survivor's Struggle Shows The Pain That Endures After ISIS Attack

A Yazidi Survivor 's Struggle Shows The Pain That Endures After ISIS Attack Um Hiba 's trauma over being enslaved , raped and beaten by ISIS after fighters raided her village did n't end when she was freed three years ago .
Instead , like thousands of other survivors of the genocide against Yazidis , she languishes , still traumatized , with what 's left of her family .
The young woman was 16 when she became one of more than 6,000 Yazidis taken captive by the group that considered the ancient religious minority infidels , according to human rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yazidis after Kurdish security forces protecting the Sinjar region of Iraq withdrew and ISIS took over large parts of northern Iraq in August 2014 , say Yazidi activists .
Um Hiba means the `` mother of Hiba '' in Arabic — a customary way of identifying women by the name of their eldest child .
NPR is not using her real name because of her vulnerability .
Her first meeting with NPR was several months ago in a camp for displaced Yazidis in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq .
She sat on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face scrubbed , her dark hair pulled back and her expression haunted .
Um Hiba was married and two months pregnant when ISIS invaded the Yazidi homeland in Sinjar .
She and her husband along with hundreds of thousands of other Yazidis tried to escape by climbing higher up Mount Sinjar .
But without food , water or even shade in the searing heat , they came back down and were captured by ISIS .
Um Hiba has n't heard from her husband since .
The fighters threw her and other women into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against ISIS ordered by then-President Barack Obama , took them to Syria .
She lost the child she was carrying .
`` They were beating us with their boots , the rifle butts , anything they had in their hands , '' she says .
`` I started bleeding and the baby was gone . ''
ISIS drove buses full of Yazidi women and girls for sale through the markets of various towns .
`` Sometimes ISIS fighters would board the bus and choose one of us , '' she says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying , 'If you do n't have an infidel yet , this is your chance to take one . '
`` The teenager was bought by four ISIS men in the three years she was enslaved .
She ended up being taken by an Iraqi fighter to live with his family in Mosul , where she was raped , beaten and starved .
The fighter 's wife forced her to serve as a maid .
She became pregnant by the ISIS fighter enslaving her .
When she had the baby , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from hitting the child .
In 2017 , Iraqi and U.S. forces started liberating neighborhoods in Mosul from ISIS .
Um Hiba was freed and had a joyful reunion with her family in the displacement camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq .
But it was no home for her 1 1/2-year-old child .
The closed Yazidi community does n't accept children fathered by ISIS fighters who killed and enslaved their people .
Under Yazidi religious law , only a child born to two members of the faith can be considered Yazidi .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people were saying that she is a daughter of ISIS , '' says Um Hiba .
She says she believes her daughter felt the hostility .
`` Then she got sick , she stopped walking .
...
I really wanted to keep her but some people were saying , 'If you do not abandon her , we will either kill her or burn your tent down so you will all burn together . '
`` Um Hiba agreed to give her daughter to an aid organization .
She did n't go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so she could n't read the document giving up her right to see the child and or find out what happened to her .
`` Anytime I see a mother calling , carrying or taking her child to a shop , I wish I had my child too to take care of her , play with her , kiss her and smell her , '' she says .
Um Hiba knows how distraught her mother was while she was missing , dressing in black in mourning and searching constantly for anyone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But when she returned with the baby , relations with her mother and brother deteriorated .
She says her brother insults her for having been held as a slave , even though Yazidi religious authorities decreed that ISIS captivity survivors were to be respected .
And her mother shouts at her .
`` Yesterday evening , I found myself angry and I was in a completely different world , '' she says at the camp .
`` Our neighbor 's daughter came over and I was playing with her and I even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her mother said she did n't want me to play with her daughter , and my family started shouting at me . ''
Um Hiba says she was so upset she decided to kill herself .
She says she thought of walking out in the highway in front of a car but was too afraid .
So she bought rat poison from the local shop and locked herself in the kitchen .
Her friend screamed at her from the other side of the door .
`` She said , 'You 're not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are thousands , ' `` Um Hiba recalls .
Her mother was crying and her neighbors were shouting as her family broke the door lock with a brick to take the poison away from her .
`` They said , 'Have you lost your mind ? '
`` says Um Hiba .
`` I said , 'If a mother is alive and not able to see her daughter and goes through all of this , why did God make it that human beings love their children ? '
`` Her suicide attempt thwarted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camp .
In a phone interview last week , she said she is still dreaming that she might somehow get her child back and find a place where she and her daughter could be together .
Six years after ISIS began the genocide , most Yazidis are stuck , without homes , jobs , income or psychological support .
Although about 250 families ( or about 2,000 people ) have returned to Sinjar to either live in tents on the mountain or to try to rebuild destroyed homes , most remain in camps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surviving family members .
The Iraqi government and the international community , which had pledged to help survivors rebuild their lives , have provided little concrete help .
`` They are really living in limbo , '' says Dr. Nemam Ghafouri of the Swedish-Kurdish nongovernmental organization Joint Help for Kurdistan , which runs aid projects in some of the camps .
`` They are coming back to life in a camp and they are between two worlds — the emptiness of when they came back and the heaviness of what they were forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ International report last week found that many Yazidi survivors of the genocide needed critical psychological help they are not getting and concluded that Yazidi children have been essentially abandoned by governments .
The trauma has rippled through families even after remaining relatives were reunited .
`` I was really shocked by the destruction of the family unit through ISIS 's attack on the Yazidi community , '' says Nicolette Waldman , the researcher who interviewed Yazidi women and children for the extensive report .
Despair and lack of support have led to suicides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Yazidi physician in Sinjar .
`` Just as Yazidis suffer from the genocide , from everything they 've lost and from displacement , they suffer from the promises of the local governments and the international community , '' he says .
`` We no longer believe in anything . ''
Sangar Khaleel contributed to this story from Irbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq .

A Yazidi Survivor's Struggle Shows The Pain That Endures After ISIS Attack
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrea DiCenzo for NPR Andrea DiCenzo for NPR
Um Hiba's trauma over being enslaved, raped and beaten by ISIS after fighters raided her village didn't end when she was freed three years ago. Instead, like thousands of other survivors of the genocide against Yazidis, she languishes, still traumatized, with what's left of her family.
The young woman was 16 when she became one of more than 6,000 Yazidis taken captive by the group that considered the ancient religious minority infidels, according to human rights groups. ISIS fighters killed another 3,000 Yazidis after Kurdish security forces protecting the Sinjar region of Iraq withdrew and ISIS took over large parts of northern Iraq in August 2014, say Yazidi activists.
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Um Hiba means the "mother of Hiba" in Arabic — a customary way of identifying women by the name of their eldest child. NPR is not using her real name because of her vulnerability. Her first meeting with NPR was several months ago in a camp for displaced Yazidis in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. She sat on a plastic chair in a trailer, her face scrubbed, her dark hair pulled back and her expression haunted.
Um Hiba was married and two months pregnant when ISIS invaded the Yazidi homeland in Sinjar. She and her husband along with hundreds of thousands of other Yazidis tried to escape by climbing higher up Mount Sinjar. But without food, water or even shade in the searing heat, they came back down and were captured by ISIS.
Um Hiba hasn't heard from her husband since. The fighters threw her and other women into car trunks and, amid U.S. airstrikes against ISIS ordered by then-President Barack Obama, took them to Syria.
She lost the child she was carrying.
"They were beating us with their boots, the rifle butts, anything they had in their hands," she says. "I started bleeding and the baby was gone."
ISIS drove buses full of Yazidi women and girls for sale through the markets of various towns.
"Sometimes ISIS fighters would board the bus and choose one of us," she says. "They would drive around with a speaker, saying, 'If you don't have an infidel yet, this is your chance to take one.' "
The teenager was bought by four ISIS men in the three years she was enslaved. She ended up being taken by an Iraqi fighter to live with his family in Mosul, where she was raped, beaten and starved. The fighter's wife forced her to serve as a maid.
She became pregnant by the ISIS fighter enslaving her. When she had the baby, she says, she struggled to keep him from hitting the child.
In 2017, Iraqi and U.S. forces started liberating neighborhoods in Mosul from ISIS. Um Hiba was freed and had a joyful reunion with her family in the displacement camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrea DiCenzo for NPR Andrea DiCenzo for NPR
But it was no home for her 1 1/2-year-old child. The closed Yazidi community doesn't accept children fathered by ISIS fighters who killed and enslaved their people. Under Yazidi religious law, only a child born to two members of the faith can be considered Yazidi.
"When we came to the camp, people were saying that she is a daughter of ISIS," says Um Hiba. She says she believes her daughter felt the hostility. "Then she got sick, she stopped walking. ... I really wanted to keep her but some people were saying, 'If you do not abandon her, we will either kill her or burn your tent down so you will all burn together.' "
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Um Hiba agreed to give her daughter to an aid organization. She didn't go to school and can't read or write, so she couldn't read the document giving up her right to see the child and or find out what happened to her.
"Anytime I see a mother calling, carrying or taking her child to a shop, I wish I had my child too to take care of her, play with her, kiss her and smell her," she says.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrea DiCenzo for NPR Andrea DiCenzo for NPR
Um Hiba knows how distraught her mother was while she was missing, dressing in black in mourning and searching constantly for anyone who might have seen her daughter in captivity. But when she returned with the baby, relations with her mother and brother deteriorated. She says her brother insults her for having been held as a slave, even though Yazidi religious authorities decreed that ISIS captivity survivors were to be respected. And her mother shouts at her.
"Yesterday evening, I found myself angry and I was in a completely different world," she says at the camp. "Our neighbor's daughter came over and I was playing with her and I even called her Hiba by mistake. Then her mother said she didn't want me to play with her daughter, and my family started shouting at me."
Um Hiba says she was so upset she decided to kill herself. She says she thought of walking out in the highway in front of a car but was too afraid. So she bought rat poison from the local shop and locked herself in the kitchen.
Her friend screamed at her from the other side of the door. "She said, 'You're not the only one taken by ISIS — there are thousands,' " Um Hiba recalls. Her mother was crying and her neighbors were shouting as her family broke the door lock with a brick to take the poison away from her.
"They said, 'Have you lost your mind?' " says Um Hiba. "I said, 'If a mother is alive and not able to see her daughter and goes through all of this, why did God make it that human beings love their children?' "
Her suicide attempt thwarted, Um Hiba still languishes in the camp. In a phone interview last week, she said she is still dreaming that she might somehow get her child back and find a place where she and her daughter could be together.
Six years after ISIS began the genocide, most Yazidis are stuck, without homes, jobs, income or psychological support. Although about 250 families (or about 2,000 people) have returned to Sinjar to either live in tents on the mountain or to try to rebuild destroyed homes, most remain in camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq with surviving family members. The Iraqi government and the international community, which had pledged to help survivors rebuild their lives, have provided little concrete help.
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"They are really living in limbo," says Dr. Nemam Ghafouri of the Swedish-Kurdish nongovernmental organization Joint Help for Kurdistan, which runs aid projects in some of the camps. "They are coming back to life in a camp and they are between two worlds — the emptiness of when they came back and the heaviness of what they were forced to go through."
An Amnesty International report last week found that many Yazidi survivors of the genocide needed critical psychological help they are not getting and concluded that Yazidi children have been essentially abandoned by governments. The trauma has rippled through families even after remaining relatives were reunited.
"I was really shocked by the destruction of the family unit through ISIS's attack on the Yazidi community," says Nicolette Waldman, the researcher who interviewed Yazidi women and children for the extensive report.
Despair and lack of support have led to suicides among Yazidis, says Dr. Hussein Rasho, a Yazidi physician in Sinjar.
"Just as Yazidis suffer from the genocide, from everything they've lost and from displacement, they suffer from the promises of the local governments and the international community," he says. "We no longer believe in anything."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrea DiCenzo for NPR Andrea DiCenzo for NPR
Sangar Khaleel contributed to this story from Irbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.


npr--2020-08-08--Welcome To New York, Traveler. Now Please Begin Your Quarantine

Welcome To New York , Traveler .
Now Please Begin Your Quarantine New York City is hitting bridges , tunnels , Penn Station and the Port Authority Bus Terminal to intercept travelers — and returning residents — from states designated high-risk by Governor Andrew Cuomo and warn them : isolate yourself for 14 days or risk paying fines up to $ 10,000 .
But on the first day of the new program earlier this week , it became clear the enhanced efforts , which build on initiatives already in place at airports , are much more like adding personnel to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection at busy travel hubs .
`` I know what I 'm doing , '' said Harold Cerra , at Penn Station , after getting off an Amtrak train from Florida and brushing quickly past a greeter from Mayor Bill de Blasio 's Public Engagement Unit who was handing out flyers .
`` I take precautions . ''
Cerra , a construction worker from Rockland County , N.Y. , had spent three months visiting family in Melbourne , Fla. '' It 's good to be back — things are pretty crazy down there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dark-colored neck gaiter pulled above his nose .
`` No one wants to wear masks . ''
`` I think it 's a good idea , '' Cerra said of the 14-day quarantine .
But regarding the need for government monitoring and follow-up , he said simply , `` I got this . ''
The quarantine is legally binding , but authorities can not force people to register for follow-up , leaving the measure largely dependent on goodwill and voluntary compliance .
Critics have lambasted the program as a potential invasion of privacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the New York Times that the new push — which also includes random traffic stops at interstate bridges and tunnels for handing out flyers — `` amounts to 'theatrics . ''
The quarantine requirements were spelled out in an executive order from the governor that went into effect in late June and covers travelers `` entering New York from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents , or higher than a 10 % test positivity rate , over a seven day rolling average . ''
Until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only circulated flyers at airports .
Their efforts have netted more than 400,000 registrations , city officials say .
With fines ranging from $ 2,000 to $ 10,000 for violating the quarantine , the executive order has some teeth .
`` If there 's at least a symbolic effort , then you know you might be stopped , and if it 's a $ 2,000 fine , that 's not inconsiderable , '' said Dan Feldman , a professor and Director of Inspection & Oversight at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think symbolism and psychology are without impact .
They do have an impact . ''
But with a limited likelihood that quarantine breakers will get caught , Brian Higgins doubts the measures will have much deterrent value .
Higgins is a retired director of public safety in Bergen County , N.J. , and a professor at John Jay .
`` There 's an element of honesty and compliance on the citizens ' side that the police can only follow up so much on , '' he said .
`` There are not enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not enough people to do this . ''
Caitlin Girouard , a spokesperson for Gov .
Cuomo , said the state has not issued any fines , but it is not clear whether any local law enforcement agencies have .
A spokesperson for the Health and Hospitals Corporation , which operates New York City 's Testing and Tracing Corps , says the city also has not issued warnings or citations of any kind .
Queens resident Gloria Rebas , returning on the same Silver Meteor train from Florida as Cerra , did take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family in West Palm Beach for a month , and she said she planned to register for the quarantine and observe it .
`` It 's our responsibility to take care of ourselves and take care of others , '' she said .

Welcome To New York, Traveler. Now Please Begin Your Quarantine
Enlarge this image toggle caption Pacific Press/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Ge Pacific Press/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Ge
New York City is hitting bridges, tunnels, Penn Station and the Port Authority Bus Terminal to intercept travelers — and returning residents — from states designated high-risk by Governor Andrew Cuomo and warn them: isolate yourself for 14 days or risk paying fines up to $10,000.
But on the first day of the new program earlier this week, it became clear the enhanced efforts, which build on initiatives already in place at airports, are much more like adding personnel to the information booth than beefing up coronavirus protection at busy travel hubs.
"I know what I'm doing," said Harold Cerra, at Penn Station, after getting off an Amtrak train from Florida and brushing quickly past a greeter from Mayor Bill de Blasio's Public Engagement Unit who was handing out flyers. "I take precautions."
Cerra, a construction worker from Rockland County, N.Y., had spent three months visiting family in Melbourne, Fla.
"It's good to be back — things are pretty crazy down there," he said, through a dark-colored neck gaiter pulled above his nose. "No one wants to wear masks."
"I think it's a good idea," Cerra said of the 14-day quarantine. But regarding the need for government monitoring and follow-up, he said simply, "I got this."
The quarantine is legally binding, but authorities cannot force people to register for follow-up, leaving the measure largely dependent on goodwill and voluntary compliance. Critics have lambasted the program as a potential invasion of privacy. Councilman Joseph Borelli of Staten Island told the New York Times that the new push — which also includes random traffic stops at interstate bridges and tunnels for handing out flyers — "amounts to 'theatrics."
The quarantine requirements were spelled out in an executive order from the governor that went into effect in late June and covers travelers "entering New York from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10% test positivity rate, over a seven day rolling average."
Until now, city and state workers have only circulated flyers at airports. Their efforts have netted more than 400,000 registrations, city officials say.
With fines ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 for violating the quarantine, the executive order has some teeth.
"If there's at least a symbolic effort, then you know you might be stopped, and if it's a $2,000 fine, that's not inconsiderable," said Dan Feldman, a professor and Director of Inspection & Oversight at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "It's a mistake to think symbolism and psychology are without impact. They do have an impact."
But with a limited likelihood that quarantine breakers will get caught, Brian Higgins doubts the measures will have much deterrent value. Higgins is a retired director of public safety in Bergen County, N.J., and a professor at John Jay.
"There's an element of honesty and compliance on the citizens' side that the police can only follow up so much on," he said. "There are not enough cops, not enough officials — just not enough people to do this."
Caitlin Girouard, a spokesperson for Gov. Cuomo, said the state has not issued any fines, but it is not clear whether any local law enforcement agencies have. A spokesperson for the Health and Hospitals Corporation, which operates New York City's Testing and Tracing Corps, says the city also has not issued warnings or citations of any kind.
Queens resident Gloria Rebas, returning on the same Silver Meteor train from Florida as Cerra, did take a flyer. She had been visiting family in West Palm Beach for a month, and she said she planned to register for the quarantine and observe it.
"It's our responsibility to take care of ourselves and take care of others," she said.


npr--2020-08-08--Why The 2020 Presidential Election Is Not 2016

Why The 2020 Presidential Election Is Not 2016 Democrats are haunted by the ghosts of 2016 .
Hillary Clinton led in many polls over Donald Trump throughout that election cycle , and while the national polls were pretty dead-on when it came to the popular vote , some key battleground state polls got it wrong .
So who can blame Democrats when they do n't believe surveys showing Biden with a significant lead nationally and in key states ?
The latest NPR Battleground Map released this week , for example , shows Trump slipping and Biden expanding his advantage in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to retain control of the House , and Republicans are worried about losing the Senate .
`` This is n't hard .
Right now , Trump is losing , and the Senate is leaning towards Democrats , '' one GOP strategist told NPR 's Susan Davis .
The Biden campaign and Democratic strategists do expect the presidential race to tighten .
One reason for that is while Biden is at or close to 50 % in the national polling average and his lead has doubled from 4 points in March to 8 points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved .
Biden was polling at 49.7 % against Trump on March 5 in the FiveThirtyEight average of the polls .
As of Friday , it 's 49.9 % .
So what accounts for Biden 's lead ?
Trump 's support has declined .
In early March , Trump was at 45.6 % against Biden .
Now it 's down to 42.1 % .
If those soft Trump voters who have slipped into the undecided column wind up seeing Trump as doing even marginally better in handling the coronavirus pandemic , the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back Trump 's way .
But there are plenty of reasons why 2020 is not 2016 : 1 .
Trump appears to have a ceiling of 46 % : More concerning for the Trump campaign than a slippage in the polls is the very real possibility that he has n't gotten higher against Biden than the 46 % of the popular vote he got in 2016 .
Trump 's 45.6 % average of the polls at the end of February was his peak against Biden over the last 10 months .
What 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has only reached even 47 % in a few .
2 .
The third-party vote share is likely to be lower : Roughly 6 % of voters in 2016 voted third-party , the highest percentage since 1996 .
That helped Trump win the Electoral College .
But the percentage of people voting third-party in 2020 this fall is likely to be lower for multiple reasons , including : • Biden is working closely with primary rival Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and has a better relationship with Sanders than Clinton did ; • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prominent and getting less attention than in 2016 ; and • Perhaps most importantly , no one is underestimating Trump 's chances as some did in 2016 .
Democrats see him far more as a clear , present and urgent threat who very well could win reelection .
3 .
People do n't dislike Biden as much as they did Clinton : Trump and Clinton were the two of the most disliked presidential candidates in American history .
There will probably be books written on what that says about Americans and gender in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't the same disdain for Biden that there was for Clinton .
The fact that Biden 's `` very negative '' score is 10 points lower than Clinton 's is significant .
It might not only contribute to fewer third-party votes , but also reduce vitriol toward Biden that may mean potential Trump voters will be less fired up to turn out to cast a vote ( or mail one in ) .
Already , the Trump campaign has tried repeated attacks , trying to tie Biden to the `` radical '' left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if Biden wins .
Biden 's voters are far more motivated to vote against Trump than for Biden , and that may be enough .
An election with a president running for a second term is all about the incumbent after all , and those ghosts of 2016 are very real .

Why The 2020 Presidential Election Is Not 2016
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Democrats are haunted by the ghosts of 2016.
Hillary Clinton led in many polls over Donald Trump throughout that election cycle, and while the national polls were pretty dead-on when it came to the popular vote, some key battleground state polls got it wrong.
So who can blame Democrats when they don't believe surveys showing Biden with a significant lead nationally and in key states? The latest NPR Battleground Map released this week, for example, shows Trump slipping and Biden expanding his advantage in the key states. Democrats are favored to retain control of the House, and Republicans are worried about losing the Senate.
"This isn't hard. Right now, Trump is losing, and the Senate is leaning towards Democrats," one GOP strategist told NPR's Susan Davis.
The Biden campaign and Democratic strategists do expect the presidential race to tighten. One reason for that is while Biden is at or close to 50% in the national polling average and his lead has doubled from 4 points in March to 8 points now, his top-line number hasn't moved.
Biden was polling at 49.7% against Trump on March 5 in the FiveThirtyEight average of the polls. As of Friday, it's 49.9%.
So what accounts for Biden's lead? Trump's support has declined. In early March, Trump was at 45.6% against Biden. Now it's down to 42.1%.
If those soft Trump voters who have slipped into the undecided column wind up seeing Trump as doing even marginally better in handling the coronavirus pandemic, the economy or race relations, they could go back Trump's way.
But there are plenty of reasons why 2020 is not 2016:
1. Trump appears to have a ceiling of 46%: More concerning for the Trump campaign than a slippage in the polls is the very real possibility that he hasn't gotten higher against Biden than the 46% of the popular vote he got in 2016.
Trump's 45.6% average of the polls at the end of February was his peak against Biden over the last 10 months. What's more, in hundreds of surveys, Trump has only reached even 47% in a few.
2. The third-party vote share is likely to be lower: Roughly 6% of voters in 2016 voted third-party, the highest percentage since 1996. That helped Trump win the Electoral College. But the percentage of people voting third-party in 2020 this fall is likely to be lower for multiple reasons, including:
Biden is working closely with primary rival Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and has a better relationship with Sanders than Clinton did;
The third-party candidates this time are less prominent and getting less attention than in 2016; and
Perhaps most importantly, no one is underestimating Trump's chances as some did in 2016. Democrats see him far more as a clear, present and urgent threat who very well could win reelection.
3. People don't dislike Biden as much as they did Clinton: Trump and Clinton were the two of the most disliked presidential candidates in American history.
There will probably be books written on what that says about Americans and gender in U.S. politics, but there just isn't the same disdain for Biden that there was for Clinton.
Let's compare:
July 2016 : Clinton 34% positive, 56% negative with 43% "very negative" (NBC/WSJ poll)
: Clinton 34% positive, 56% negative with 43% "very negative" (NBC/WSJ poll) July 2020: Biden 34% positive, 46% negative, with 33% "very negative" (NBC/WSJ poll)
The fact that Biden's "very negative" score is 10 points lower than Clinton's is significant. It might not only contribute to fewer third-party votes, but also reduce vitriol toward Biden that may mean potential Trump voters will be less fired up to turn out to cast a vote (or mail one in).
Already, the Trump campaign has tried repeated attacks, trying to tie Biden to the "radical" left and saying that crime would run rampant if Biden wins.
Biden's voters are far more motivated to vote against Trump than for Biden, and that may be enough.
An election with a president running for a second term is all about the incumbent after all, and those ghosts of 2016 are very real.