npr--2020-07-13--Los Angeles And San Diego Schools Announce Online-Only Fall

On Monday , Los Angeles and San Diego public schools announced they will be starting the school year remote-only in August as coronavirus cases rise in Southern California .
`` The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control , '' a joint statement said .
On Sunday , the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 3,322 new cases of COVID-19 and 18 deaths .
Local health department data show a rebound in hospitalizations compared with May .
Los Angeles Unified School District did not detail when , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to open for in-person learning , even on a part-time or staggered schedule .
San Diego Unified School District promised a `` public assessment '' by Aug. 10 of how soon they might return to physical classes .
The Los Angeles system is the nation 's second-largest school district , and the decisions together affect more than 700,000 students and their families .
They come amid pressure from the federal government to open and from local teacher unions to stay remote .
On Thursday , United Teachers Los Angeles called for keeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disparate impact the virus has on Black , brown and Indigenous communities , and that the district employs over 60,000 people .
The statement said : `` When politicians exhort educators and other workers to 'reignite the economy , ' UTLA educators ask : who are you planning to use as kindling ? ''
In a public statement , Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner also promised to improve the quality and accessibility of remote learning .
He pledged `` daily , live interaction , '' `` all students with device @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for English learners and students with disabilities .
In the spring , Los Angeles was unusual among large districts in partnering with local public television as part of its remote learning plan , an acknowledgment of a deep digital divide in the city .
Also under an agreement reached last spring , district teachers were not required to provide live video instruction .

Los Angeles And San Diego Schools Announce Online-Only Fall
Enlarge this image toggle caption Roxanne Turpen for NPR Roxanne Turpen for NPR
On Monday, Los Angeles and San Diego public schools announced they will be starting the school year remote-only in August as coronavirus cases rise in Southern California.
"The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control," a joint statement said.
On Sunday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 3,322 new cases of COVID-19 and 18 deaths. Local health department data show a rebound in hospitalizations compared with May.
Los Angeles Unified School District did not detail when, or under what conditions, schools might be able to open for in-person learning, even on a part-time or staggered schedule. San Diego Unified School District promised a "public assessment" by Aug. 10 of how soon they might return to physical classes.
The Los Angeles system is the nation's second-largest school district, and the decisions together affect more than 700,000 students and their families. They come amid pressure from the federal government to open and from local teacher unions to stay remote. On Thursday, United Teachers Los Angeles called for keeping schools closed. The union noted the disparate impact the virus has on Black, brown and Indigenous communities, and that the district employs over 60,000 people. The statement said: "When politicians exhort educators and other workers to 'reignite the economy,' UTLA educators ask: who are you planning to use as kindling?"
In a public statement, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner also promised to improve the quality and accessibility of remote learning. He pledged "daily, live interaction," "all students with device and internet access," and support for English learners and students with disabilities.
In the spring, Los Angeles was unusual among large districts in partnering with local public television as part of its remote learning plan, an acknowledgment of a deep digital divide in the city. Also under an agreement reached last spring, district teachers were not required to provide live video instruction.


npr--2020-07-13--Migrant Mother Given A Choice: Leave Her Newborn In U.S. Or Return To Mexico Together

Migrant Mother Given A Choice : Leave Her Newborn In U.S. Or Return To Mexico Together Fleeing violence in Mexico , one Honduran family decided to cross into the U.S. illegally last month and turn themselves over to Border Patrol agents in the desert near San Diego .
The father and son were immediately returned to the border and told to walk back to Tijuana , but the mother , who was pregnant , was in pain .
So Border Patrol agents took her to a nearby hospital , where she gave birth .
Two days later , the mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Mexico with or without her newborn , who is a U.S. citizen by birthright .
`` That 's not a choice .
That 's not a legitimate choice , '' said Mitra Ebadolahi , an attorney with the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties .
She said the mother and the baby returned to Mexico .
`` These people — both the mother and the father — were literally driven in a patrol vehicle to the border and forced to walk across into Mexico , by armed agents .
I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
A Border Patrol spokesman said the mother has no `` legal right '' to be in the United States and that the mother could have simply chosen to turn her newborn son over to child services in California .
Immigrant advocates in San Diego say this is n't the first time the Border Patrol has tried to separate a mother from her newborn .
Last December , immigration lawyers say an asylum-seeker was told she 'd be sent back to Mexico without her U.S.-citizen child .
Her lawyers intervened to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to pursue her asylum case from inside the U.S .
The Honduran family had crossed the Rio Grande in Texas earlier this year and tried to claim asylum in the U.S .
Under the `` Remain-In-Mexico '' program , they were given a March court date and told to wait in Mexico .
After they say they were robbed at gunpoint in Monterrey , they moved to Tijuana .
Since the pandemic ramped up in March , the Department of Homeland Security has closed the border to nearly all asylum-seekers based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Control and Prevention .
In June alone , the U.S. turned back more than 27,000 migrants after they were screened and fingerprinted .
`` The CDC was very clear with us , '' Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said when he visited the San Diego border in May .
`` We needed to make sure we do not house these individuals in our facilities , both for our workforce protection and the protection of our DHS officers , the protection of the American people , and the protection of other migrants .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Honduran family could have been handled differently .
`` There are mechanisms in place , there 's authority for the agency to parole family units into the United States , where they can pursue their asylum claims safely and in a humane way , without separation , and without additional trauma , ' she said .
The ACLU , along with Jewish Family Service of San Diego , filed a complaint with the Department of Homeland Security 's inspector general on Friday .
They say the family was denied their legal right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were in danger in Mexico .
The organizations asked Customs and Border Protection to allow the family to enter the U.S. to continue their asylum claim .
Luis Gonzalez , an attorney with Jewish Family Service , said that just because the law is n't clear does n't mean the family should automatically be sent back to Mexico .
`` It leads to really difficult situations like the one we are witnessing right now , '' he said .
`` This could have been resolved by DHS exercising their discretion to parole the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The family has since reunited in Tijuana , where they remain in a rented apartment .
The mother has n't been able to access care in Mexico because local medical professionals are stretched thin by the coronavirus pandemic .
Last month , the Trump administration extended the turnback policy along the southern border indefinitely .

Migrant Mother Given A Choice: Leave Her Newborn In U.S. Or Return To Mexico Together
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gregory Bull/AP Gregory Bull/AP
Fleeing violence in Mexico, one Honduran family decided to cross into the U.S. illegally last month and turn themselves over to Border Patrol agents in the desert near San Diego.
The father and son were immediately returned to the border and told to walk back to Tijuana, but the mother, who was pregnant, was in pain. So Border Patrol agents took her to a nearby hospital, where she gave birth.
Two days later, the mother was given a choice: Go back to Mexico with or without her newborn, who is a U.S. citizen by birthright.
"That's not a choice. That's not a legitimate choice," said Mitra Ebadolahi, an attorney with the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties. She said the mother and the baby returned to Mexico.
"These people — both the mother and the father — were literally driven in a patrol vehicle to the border and forced to walk across into Mexico, by armed agents. I don't see choices there," Ebadolahi said.
Immigration California Court To Rule Soon On Immigration Protections Case With Teen As Lead Plaintiff California Court To Rule Soon On Immigration Protections Case With Teen As Lead Plaintiff Listen · 3:42 3:42
A Border Patrol spokesman said the mother has no "legal right" to be in the United States and that the mother could have simply chosen to turn her newborn son over to child services in California.
Immigrant advocates in San Diego say this isn't the first time the Border Patrol has tried to separate a mother from her newborn. Last December, immigration lawyers say an asylum-seeker was told she'd be sent back to Mexico without her U.S.-citizen child. Her lawyers intervened to stop the separation, and the mother was allowed to pursue her asylum case from inside the U.S.
The Honduran family had crossed the Rio Grande in Texas earlier this year and tried to claim asylum in the U.S. Under the "Remain-In-Mexico" program, they were given a March court date and told to wait in Mexico. After they say they were robbed at gunpoint in Monterrey, they moved to Tijuana.
Since the pandemic ramped up in March, the Department of Homeland Security has closed the border to nearly all asylum-seekers based on an order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In June alone, the U.S. turned back more than 27,000 migrants after they were screened and fingerprinted.
"The CDC was very clear with us," Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said when he visited the San Diego border in May. "We needed to make sure we do not house these individuals in our facilities, both for our workforce protection and the protection of our DHS officers, the protection of the American people, and the protection of other migrants.
The ACLU's Ebadolahi says the case of the Honduran family could have been handled differently.
"There are mechanisms in place, there's authority for the agency to parole family units into the United States, where they can pursue their asylum claims safely and in a humane way, without separation, and without additional trauma,' she said.
Immigration '14 Miles': A Look At The U.S.-Mexico Border, And The Lives Defined By It '14 Miles': A Look At The U.S.-Mexico Border, And The Lives Defined By It Listen · 47:10 47:10
The ACLU, along with Jewish Family Service of San Diego, filed a complaint with the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general on Friday. They say the family was denied their legal right to an interview to determine if they were in danger in Mexico. The organizations asked Customs and Border Protection to allow the family to enter the U.S. to continue their asylum claim.
Luis Gonzalez, an attorney with Jewish Family Service, said that just because the law isn't clear doesn't mean the family should automatically be sent back to Mexico.
"It leads to really difficult situations like the one we are witnessing right now," he said. "This could have been resolved by DHS exercising their discretion to parole the entire family together into the United States."
The family has since reunited in Tijuana, where they remain in a rented apartment. The mother hasn't been able to access care in Mexico because local medical professionals are stretched thin by the coronavirus pandemic.
Last month, the Trump administration extended the turnback policy along the southern border indefinitely.


npr--2020-07-13--Seoul Holds Funeral For Mayor As Accuser Details Years Of Alleged Sexual Harassment

Seoul Holds Funeral For Mayor As Accuser Details Years Of Alleged Sexual Harassment Masked mourners in spaced-out chairs bid goodbye to Park Won-soon , the deceased mayor of South Korea 's capital Seoul , at his funeral on a rainy Monday morning .
Colleagues and family members spoke of pain and sadness caused by the sudden death of the mayor known for his civic activism .
Hours later , a former secretary of Park 's said through a representative that she `` suffered and hurt alone during the long hours of silence '' amid four years of alleged sexual harassment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was found dead in a park last Friday after his accuser lodged a formal complaint against him .
Authorities are investigating his death and do not believe foul play was involved .
The country is sharply divided over the legacy of the political heavyweight , who was seen as a potential candidate for the ruling Democratic Party in the next presidential election .
Opposition parties and women 's rights groups objected to the city 's decision to hold an official ceremony , citing the sexual harassment accusation .
At least two lawmakers declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at official mourning sites .
Over 560,000 people signed a petition to the president against holding the municipal funeral service .
The allegation , first reported by local news outlets soon after Park had been reported missing on Thursday , was formally detailed at a press conference on Monday by representatives of the former secretary .
According to Kim Jae-ryun , a lawyer for the accuser , Park repeatedly made and asked for inappropriate physical contact .
He allegedly sent `` lewd '' text messages and pictures through the Telegram messaging app .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from officials in the Seoul city government , only to hear responses that trivialized Park 's actions as `` mistakes . ''
The former secretary , who did not attend the press conference , was not named publicly .
Lee Mikyoung , the director of Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center , told the press conference that Park 's behaviors had `` typical characteristics of sexual violence using the threat of power . ''
Lee noted that Park 's actions are particularly distressing because he allegedly continued his actions in the wake of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misconduct have brought down two other prominent Democratic Party politicians in recent years — former South Chungcheong Gov .
Ahn Hee-jung and former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don .
In addition to the repeated accusations of sexual violence against top politicians of the center-left party , activists and some politicians have expressed concern about how the party 's leaders and supporters have responded to the latest allegations .
Some of Park 's supporters launched an online search to try to identify the accuser , while the party 's leader Lee Hae-chan swore at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaint on Friday .
Faced with public outcry and calls to protect the accuser , Lee issued his first official apology on Monday through the party 's spokesperson , saying it `` will do its best not to have this kind of incident repeated in the future . ''
He offered his `` consolation '' to the former secretary .
The accuser said in a message read by Kim Hyejung , the deputy director of KSVRC , that she `` wanted to shout at [ Park ] in the safety of a courtroom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to forgive him .
I wanted a judgment of the law and a human apology , '' she wrote .
That wish can no longer be fulfilled , as the law enforcement can not indict a dead person under South Korean law .
The police investigation into her allegations is expected to close .
But Koh Mi-kyung , head of the Korea Women 's Hot Line , still called for `` responsible action '' from the local and national governments , parliament and law enforcement at Monday 's press conference .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just because the accused is now absent , '' she said .
`` Accurately determining the facts should be the first step for recovering the victim 's rights . ''

Seoul Holds Funeral For Mayor As Accuser Details Years Of Alleged Sexual Harassment
Enlarge this image toggle caption Lee Jin-man/AP Lee Jin-man/AP
Masked mourners in spaced-out chairs bid goodbye to Park Won-soon, the deceased mayor of South Korea's capital Seoul, at his funeral on a rainy Monday morning. Colleagues and family members spoke of pain and sadness caused by the sudden death of the mayor known for his civic activism.
Hours later, a former secretary of Park's said through a representative that she "suffered and hurt alone during the long hours of silence" amid four years of alleged sexual harassment by Park.
Park, 64, was found dead in a park last Friday after his accuser lodged a formal complaint against him. Authorities are investigating his death and do not believe foul play was involved.
The country is sharply divided over the legacy of the political heavyweight, who was seen as a potential candidate for the ruling Democratic Party in the next presidential election.
Opposition parties and women's rights groups objected to the city's decision to hold an official ceremony, citing the sexual harassment accusation. At least two lawmakers declared they would not pay condolences to him at official mourning sites. Over 560,000 people signed a petition to the president against holding the municipal funeral service.
The allegation, first reported by local news outlets soon after Park had been reported missing on Thursday, was formally detailed at a press conference on Monday by representatives of the former secretary.
According to Kim Jae-ryun, a lawyer for the accuser, Park repeatedly made and asked for inappropriate physical contact. He allegedly sent "lewd" text messages and pictures through the Telegram messaging app.
Her lawyer said she asked for help from officials in the Seoul city government, only to hear responses that trivialized Park's actions as "mistakes."
The former secretary, who did not attend the press conference, was not named publicly.
Lee Mikyoung, the director of Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center, told the press conference that Park's behaviors had "typical characteristics of sexual violence using the threat of power."
Lee noted that Park's actions are particularly distressing because he allegedly continued his actions in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Accusations of sexual misconduct have brought down two other prominent Democratic Party politicians in recent years — former South Chungcheong Gov. Ahn Hee-jung and former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don.
In addition to the repeated accusations of sexual violence against top politicians of the center-left party, activists and some politicians have expressed concern about how the party's leaders and supporters have responded to the latest allegations.
Some of Park's supporters launched an online search to try to identify the accuser, while the party's leader Lee Hae-chan swore at a reporter who asked him about the harassment complaint on Friday.
Faced with public outcry and calls to protect the accuser, Lee issued his first official apology on Monday through the party's spokesperson, saying it "will do its best not to have this kind of incident repeated in the future." He offered his "consolation" to the former secretary.
The accuser said in a message read by Kim Hyejung, the deputy director of KSVRC, that she "wanted to shout at [Park] in the safety of a courtroom to stop."
"I wanted to forgive him. I wanted a judgment of the law and a human apology," she wrote.
That wish can no longer be fulfilled, as the law enforcement cannot indict a dead person under South Korean law. The police investigation into her allegations is expected to close.
But Koh Mi-kyung, head of the Korea Women's Hot Line, still called for "responsible action" from the local and national governments, parliament and law enforcement at Monday's press conference.
"The reality of the incident doesn't disappear just because the accused is now absent," she said. "Accurately determining the facts should be the first step for recovering the victim's rights."


npr--2020-07-13--Statues Of Conquistador Juan De Oñate Come Down As New Mexico Wrestles With History

Statues Of Conquistador Juan De Oñate Come Down As New Mexico Wrestles With History The movement for racial justice is toppling statues across America , from Robert E. Lee to Christopher Columbus — and now the Spanish conquistador , Juan de Oñate , the first European to colonize the arid wilderness of New Mexico , the state 's first colonial governor and a despot who inflicted misery on Native Americans .
Tensions boiled over recently at a demonstration to remove his statue , where a man seen defending the statue allegedly shot a protester .
The confrontation has revealed fault @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are told .
Time was when there were costumed pageants in the cities of Santa Fe and Española that reenacted the entry of Spanish governors into New Mexico , but both have been permanently cancelled after protests that they were culturally offensive to Native Americans .
And time was when there were two bronze statues of Oñate , who established the first European settlement in America west of the Mississippi .
In Albuquerque last month , protesters wrapped a chain around the neck of the bearded , armored figure , chanting , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed both statues and put them in storage , with their futures uncertain .
The outrage that erupted over police killings of George Floyd and others has swept across the country and stoked longstanding resentments against symbols of Confederate and colonial oppression .
`` I think it has triggered a lot of reflection on some of these monuments and how these monuments portray , at least in New Mexico , this idea of Spanish American white supremacy , '' said Moises Gonzales , a professor at the University of New Mexico and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the statue protest at the Albuquerque city museum .
Historically , Native Americans say they were tyrannized by Spaniards .
Hispanics say New Mexico would n't have its unique hybrid Spanish-native culture if it were n't for their ancestors .
Melanie Yazzie , who is Navajo , asserts that original inhabitants deserve the dominant voice .
She 's a professor of Native American and American Studies at UNM and a co-founder of the Indian rights group , The Red Nation .
`` I mean , this is Albuquerque , '' she said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an American city .
But this is actually Tewa land .
This is Pueblo land .
And so the people you should be listening to , first and foremost , when it comes to the history of colonization are the native people whose land you 're occupying . ''
New Mexico has a complex history .
For instance , the Spanish were enslaving Native Americans there even before African slavery was widespread in the southern US .
`` Our history has not always been harmonious .
At all , '' said Albuquerque Mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filled with atrocities and with bloodshed and with challenges .
And those scars are still very fresh .
Essentially , they 're like scabs over a wound and they can be picked off and the bleeding begins again . ''
For some New Mexicans , the figure of Oñate in bronze , and the name Oñate on a local elementary school and on a building at UNM , represent a festering wound .
`` Someone might look at the statue and say , ' I see the beginning of Hispanic culture .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I see Catholicism starting here , ' '' said state historian Rob Martinez .
`` But someone else will look at it and say , ' I see my religion being suppressed .
I see my culture being eliminated .
I see my ancestors being forced to work and pay tribute . '
'' The person whom one historian calls the last conquistador is one of the seminal figures in New Mexico history .
Oñate left Mexico in 1598 with a long caravan of settlers , missionaries , and livestock to establish a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the goal of subjugating and Christianizing the Indigenous population and extracting all the riches he could .
He made land grants to his colonists and empowered them to collect tribute from the forced labor of Indians .
In the most infamous episode , Spanish soldiers who had demanded cornmeal and blankets from the Indians of the Acoma Pueblo were attacked by native warriors .
Twelve soldiers died in the fighting .
In retribution , Oñate declared a war `` by fire and blood '' against the Acoma .
Soldiers returned , scaled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sky City '' an hour west of Albuquerque — and slaughtered at least 800 warriors , women and children .
The Spaniards enslaved most of the survivors , and cut a foot off of 24 young men as a warning to other rebellious pueblos .
Even by the harsh standards of the day , Oñate 's actions were judged extreme .
`` He was taken out of here around 1606 and put on trial in Mexico City for cruelty to the pueblo people at Acoma and for cruelty to colonists , '' Martinez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they were unhappy here , so he ordered his soldiers to hunt them down and behead them . ''
`` So , yea , he was n't a heroic figure back then , '' he said .
Over time , Acoma people escaped servitude and returned to their decimated pueblo .
Today , the tribal population numbers just over 5,000 .
Current Acoma Gov .
Brian Vallo says his pueblo has always opposed monuments to Oñate .
`` I am glad that the city has decided to remove the statues , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the city will take a careful look at a direct dialogue with tribes and those individuals who are at the forefront of these protests , '' Vallo said .
But some Hispanic New Mexicans — many who trace their lineage to the founding colonists — are just as adamant that their history be told , not erased .
`` Sure he was n't a saint , but you ca n't put aside what the Spanish brought — the horse , the pig , sheep , the cow , wine and the mining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Rivera , the acclaimed sculptor of the two Oñate statues .
The one in Albuquerque was of the conquistador afoot , leading a procession of settlers with oxcarts and animals , and the sculpture in Alcalde , north of Santa Fe , showed him on a horse ready for battle .
Though Rivera gave his okay for the city to remove the Albuquerque statue for safekeeping , he 's fuming over the outcome .
`` Indian lives matter .
But also my people , Hispanic lives , matter .
I matter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pissed , '' he said .
Some New Mexicans were angry when the state placed a statue of the Pueblo warrior and religious leader , Pópay , in the National Statuary Hall inside the U.S. Capitol in 2005 .
He led the 1680 Pueblo Revolt that drove the Spanish out of New Mexico for 12 years , making it the first successful uprising against colonial Spaniards .
The large Pueblo army killed 400 men , women , children and friars .
`` Some of my ancestors were killed in that rebellion .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people today .
That was then .
This is now .
We 're supposed to live together now , '' says Tom Chavez , a historian and former director of the state history museum .
Yazzie , the Navajo scholar , says the Oñate statues had to come down because there must be honesty if there 's going to be coexistence .
`` These monuments glorify colonialism , '' she said , `` and they have really erased the history of native resistance . ''
Ramón Gutiérrez agrees with her .
He 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the University of Chicago , and a native New Mexican .
`` If they ( the Oñate statues ) are wreaking havoc with the population that is here , and causing these memories of trauma and memories of the violence that was perpetuated on them , '' Gutiérrez said , `` yes , put them away , melt them down . ''
Disagreement over the statues still smolders , but it 's not always so strident , especially when it 's in the same family .
A teenager and his grandmother stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lourdes after a recent morning mass in Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo .
The reservation , located between Santa Fe and Taos , is the home of Pópay .
Matthias Bowie is 16-years-old and identifies as native .
He says he read about Oñate in grade school , and he 's glad the horse-mounted statue — located just outside of his pueblo — is gone .
`` He did make some horrible decisions and mistakes .
And I definitely can see why there 's the whole controversy around him , and I do agree with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His grandmother , Lynda Martinez , is a retired junior college teacher who identifies as Hispanic .
And she thinks the removal of the statue was wrong .
`` We 're mestizo .
You know , it 's not like we 're Hispanic from Spain or we 're totally native .
We 're not .
We are a melting pot , '' she said .
`` And what people do n't understand at this point and time is that we need to come together .
What happened in the past happened .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't a very good person .
But that does n't give anybody the right to come and blame the Hispanic , blame the natives .
It 's not right at all . ''
The renowned Acoma poet , Simon Ortiz , wrote : `` Time does have mercy .
But does n't enumerate or wait .
It moves .
And we move with it . ''
In New Mexico , they 're wrestling with how their history should be told as time changes .

Statues Of Conquistador Juan De Oñate Come Down As New Mexico Wrestles With History
Enlarge this image toggle caption Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images
The movement for racial justice is toppling statues across America, from Robert E. Lee to Christopher Columbus — and now the Spanish conquistador, Juan de Oñate, the first European to colonize the arid wilderness of New Mexico, the state's first colonial governor and a despot who inflicted misery on Native Americans.
Tensions boiled over recently at a demonstration to remove his statue, where a man seen defending the statue allegedly shot a protester. The confrontation has revealed fault lines over how native and Hispanic history are told.
Time was when there were costumed pageants in the cities of Santa Fe and Española that reenacted the entry of Spanish governors into New Mexico, but both have been permanently cancelled after protests that they were culturally offensive to Native Americans.
And time was when there were two bronze statues of Oñate, who established the first European settlement in America west of the Mississippi. In Albuquerque last month, protesters wrapped a chain around the neck of the bearded, armored figure, chanting, "Tear it down!"
Authorities have removed both statues and put them in storage, with their futures uncertain.
The outrage that erupted over police killings of George Floyd and others has swept across the country and stoked longstanding resentments against symbols of Confederate and colonial oppression.
"I think it has triggered a lot of reflection on some of these monuments and how these monuments portray, at least in New Mexico, this idea of Spanish American white supremacy," said Moises Gonzales, a professor at the University of New Mexico and a Chicano Native American activist who helped organize the statue protest at the Albuquerque city museum.
Historically, Native Americans say they were tyrannized by Spaniards. Hispanics say New Mexico wouldn't have its unique hybrid Spanish-native culture if it weren't for their ancestors.
Melanie Yazzie, who is Navajo, asserts that original inhabitants deserve the dominant voice. She's a professor of Native American and American Studies at UNM and a co-founder of the Indian rights group, The Red Nation.
"I mean, this is Albuquerque," she said, "and it's considered kind of an American city. But this is actually Tewa land. This is Pueblo land. And so the people you should be listening to, first and foremost, when it comes to the history of colonization are the native people whose land you're occupying."
New Mexico has a complex history. For instance, the Spanish were enslaving Native Americans there even before African slavery was widespread in the southern US.
"Our history has not always been harmonious. At all," said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. "It has been filled with atrocities and with bloodshed and with challenges. And those scars are still very fresh. Essentially, they're like scabs over a wound and they can be picked off and the bleeding begins again."
For some New Mexicans, the figure of Oñate in bronze, and the name Oñate on a local elementary school and on a building at UNM, represent a festering wound.
"Someone might look at the statue and say, 'I see the beginning of Hispanic culture. I see the Spanish language being brought. I see Catholicism starting here,'" said state historian Rob Martinez. "But someone else will look at it and say, 'I see my religion being suppressed. I see my culture being eliminated. I see my ancestors being forced to work and pay tribute.'"
The person whom one historian calls the last conquistador is one of the seminal figures in New Mexico history.
Oñate left Mexico in 1598 with a long caravan of settlers, missionaries, and livestock to establish a colony at his own expense, with the goal of subjugating and Christianizing the Indigenous population and extracting all the riches he could. He made land grants to his colonists and empowered them to collect tribute from the forced labor of Indians.
In the most infamous episode, Spanish soldiers who had demanded cornmeal and blankets from the Indians of the Acoma Pueblo were attacked by native warriors. Twelve soldiers died in the fighting. In retribution, Oñate declared a war "by fire and blood" against the Acoma. Soldiers returned, scaled the soaring mesa — now known as "Sky City" an hour west of Albuquerque — and slaughtered at least 800 warriors, women and children. The Spaniards enslaved most of the survivors, and cut a foot off of 24 young men as a warning to other rebellious pueblos.
Even by the harsh standards of the day, Oñate's actions were judged extreme.
"He was taken out of here around 1606 and put on trial in Mexico City for cruelty to the pueblo people at Acoma and for cruelty to colonists," Martinez said. "Some of them deserted because they were unhappy here, so he ordered his soldiers to hunt them down and behead them."
"So, yea, he wasn't a heroic figure back then," he said.
Over time, Acoma people escaped servitude and returned to their decimated pueblo. Today, the tribal population numbers just over 5,000. Current Acoma Gov. Brian Vallo says his pueblo has always opposed monuments to Oñate.
"I am glad that the city has decided to remove the statues, and I hope that the mayor and others at the city will take a careful look at a direct dialogue with tribes and those individuals who are at the forefront of these protests," Vallo said.
But some Hispanic New Mexicans — many who trace their lineage to the founding colonists — are just as adamant that their history be told, not erased.
"Sure he wasn't a saint, but you can't put aside what the Spanish brought — the horse, the pig, sheep, the cow, wine and the mining industry," said Reynaldo "Sonny" Rivera, the acclaimed sculptor of the two Oñate statues.
The one in Albuquerque was of the conquistador afoot, leading a procession of settlers with oxcarts and animals, and the sculpture in Alcalde, north of Santa Fe, showed him on a horse ready for battle. Though Rivera gave his okay for the city to remove the Albuquerque statue for safekeeping, he's fuming over the outcome.
"Indian lives matter. But also my people, Hispanic lives, matter. I matter. My art matters. And I'm pissed," he said.
Some New Mexicans were angry when the state placed a statue of the Pueblo warrior and religious leader, Pópay, in the National Statuary Hall inside the U.S. Capitol in 2005. He led the 1680 Pueblo Revolt that drove the Spanish out of New Mexico for 12 years, making it the first successful uprising against colonial Spaniards. The large Pueblo army killed 400 men, women, children and friars.
"Some of my ancestors were killed in that rebellion. I don't hold it against the Pueblo people today. That was then. This is now. We're supposed to live together now," says Tom Chavez, a historian and former director of the state history museum.
Yazzie, the Navajo scholar, says the Oñate statues had to come down because there must be honesty if there's going to be coexistence.
"These monuments glorify colonialism," she said, "and they have really erased the history of native resistance."
Ramón Gutiérrez agrees with her. He's a noted historian of colonial Latin America at the University of Chicago, and a native New Mexican.
Race DC Statue Of Lincoln Standing Over A Formerly Enslaved Man Sparks Controversy DC Statue Of Lincoln Standing Over A Formerly Enslaved Man Sparks Controversy Listen · 3:53 3:53
"If they (the Oñate statues) are wreaking havoc with the population that is here, and causing these memories of trauma and memories of the violence that was perpetuated on them," Gutiérrez said, "yes, put them away, melt them down."
Disagreement over the statues still smolders, but it's not always so strident, especially when it's in the same family.
A teenager and his grandmother stand outside the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes after a recent morning mass in Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. The reservation, located between Santa Fe and Taos, is the home of Pópay.
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Burnett/NPR John Burnett/NPR
Matthias Bowie is 16-years-old and identifies as native. He says he read about Oñate in grade school, and he's glad the horse-mounted statue — located just outside of his pueblo — is gone.
"He did make some horrible decisions and mistakes. And I definitely can see why there's the whole controversy around him, and I do agree with removing him," Bowie said.
His grandmother, Lynda Martinez, is a retired junior college teacher who identifies as Hispanic. And she thinks the removal of the statue was wrong.
"We're mestizo. You know, it's not like we're Hispanic from Spain or we're totally native. We're not. We are a melting pot," she said. "And what people don't understand at this point and time is that we need to come together. What happened in the past happened. And what my grandson said is Oñate wasn't a very good person. But that doesn't give anybody the right to come and blame the Hispanic, blame the natives. It's not right at all."
The renowned Acoma poet, Simon Ortiz, wrote: "Time does have mercy. But doesn't enumerate or wait. It moves. And we move with it."
In New Mexico, they're wrestling with how their history should be told as time changes.


npr--2020-07-13--Coronavirus Sparks New Interest In Using Ultraviolet Light To Disinfect Indoor Air

Coronavirus Sparks New Interest In Using Ultraviolet Light To Disinfect Indoor Air High up near the ceiling , in the dining room of his Seattle-area restaurant , Musa Firat recently installed a `` killing zone '' — a place where swaths of invisible electromagnetic energy penetrate the air , ready to disarm the coronavirus and other dangerous pathogens that drift upward in tiny , airborne particles .
Firat 's new system draws on a century-old technology of fending off infectious diseases : energetic waves of ultraviolet light , known as germicidal UV or GUV , are delivered in the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other microorganisms .
Research already shows that germicidal UV can effectively inactivate airborne microbes that transmit measles , tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-1 , a close relative of the novel coronavirus .
Now , with concern mounting that the coronavirus may be easily transmitted through microscopic floating particles known as aerosols , some researchers and physicians hope the technology can be recruited yet again to help disinfect high-risk indoor settings .
`` I thought it was a great idea , and I want my customers to be safe , '' Firat says .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a casual eatery 20 minutes south of downtown Seattle .
As the U.S. grapples with how to interrupt the spread of the highly infectious virus , UV is being used to decontaminate surfaces on public transit and in hospitals where infectious droplets may have landed as well as to disinfect N95 masks for reuse .
But so far using this technology to provide continuous air disinfection has remained outside of most mainstream , policy-setting conversations about the coronavirus .
Experts attribute this to a combination of factors : misconceptions about UV 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and technical know-how , concerns about the costs of installing the technology , and a general reluctance to consider the role of aerosols in the spread of the coronavirus .
Aerosols are microdroplets that are expelled when someone exhales , speaks or coughs .
Unlike the larger and heavier respiratory droplets that fall quickly to the ground , aerosols can linger in the air for long periods of time and travel through indoor spaces .
This process is also called `` airborne transmission . ''
It 's already recognized that the coronavirus can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is why health care workers are advised to wear respirators , such as N95 masks , that filter out these tiny particles .
Yet there is still considerable debate over how likely someone is to spread the virus in other settings via aerosols .
Recently , the question of airborne transmission gained new urgency when a group of 239 scientists called on the World Health Organization to take the threat of infectious aerosols more seriously , arguing the `` lack of clear recommendations on the control measures against the airborne virus will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , WHO acknowledged the possibility that airborne transmission `` can not be ruled out '' in some public settings that are `` crowded , closed , poorly ventilated . ''
WHO officials conceded that more research is needed but maintained that most infections do not happen this way .
As the science continues to evolve , UV could emerge as an attractive safeguard against airborne transmission — one with a track record against previous pathogens — that can be deployed to cut down the risk of infectious aerosols accumulating in indoor settings such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Welcome to the `` killing zone '' At Marlaina 's restaurant , diners will only encounter two visible clues of the UV disinfection system installed while the restaurant was closed during Washington state 's lockdown : a subtle glow of blue light above the black grates of the drop ceiling , and a posted sign at the door , proudly announcing to diners : `` Coronavirus Disinfected Here ! ''
This setup is known as `` upper-room germicidal UV '' because the UV fixtures are mounted high up near the ceiling and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the restaurant , ceiling fans circulate the air , eventually pushing any suspended viral particles that have accumulated in the dining space through the grated drop ceiling , to the area where UV lights , positioned horizontally , blast them with radiant energy .
The inspiration and technical assistance for Marlaina 's owner came from a customer , Bruce Davidson , a pulmonary physician who was Philadelphia 's `` tuberculosis czar '' in the mid-'90s .
Back then , the U.S. was grappling with a new outbreak of TB that included strains resistant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the most important part , because we had no drugs , no vaccine , '' recalls Davidson , who now lives outside Seattle .
UV light proved to be a key strategy back then , and Davidson thinks it can help again : `` It really ought to be in most indoor public spaces now . ''
To demonstrate the concept , Davidson lit a cigar inside Marlaina 's and showed how the smoke danced upward , collecting in the ceiling space with the UV fixtures .
`` If somebody has undetected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask and is talking and so on , the vast majority of their particles are going to get pulled up there into the killing zone and circulate and bounce around , '' Davidson says .
`` Statistically , the risk to other people is going to be very low . ''
Research shows close to 90 % of airborne particles from a previous coronavirus ( SARS-CoV-1 ) can be inactivated in about 16 seconds when exposed to the same strength of UV as in the restaurant 's ceiling .
Other types of viruses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more resistant and require a higher dose of UV .
`` Although it 's not perfect , it probably offers the best solution for direct air disinfection '' in the current pandemic , says David Sliney , a faculty member at Johns Hopkins University and longtime researcher on germicidal UV .
When used with proper ventilation , upper-room GUV is about 80 % effective against the spread of airborne tuberculosis , according to several studies .
This is equivalent to replacing the air in an indoor room up to 24 times in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uphill battle , Sliney says , because in the U.S. , interest in using UV for air disinfection has waned in recent decades as scientists focused their attention on powerful vaccines and drugs to deal with infectious diseases .
Understanding the role of aerosols and airborne transmission UV can be a powerful weapon against an airborne virus , but it can only go so far .
For one thing , people can still get sick from the larger , heavier droplets ejected via coughs and sneezes .
They can directly inhale those larger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , and then touch their eyes , nose or mouth .
UV also does not prevent someone from being exposed to infectious aerosols that have just emerged from an infected person — and are lingering quite near his or her body — what researcher Richard Corsi describes as the `` near field . ''
`` In that scenario , you 're inhaling a very concentrated cloud of these tiny particles that you ca n't see if we 're close together , '' said Corsi , dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` You 're getting a pretty significant dose in your respiratory system . ''
So , even if there is upper-room UV in a building , Corsi says face masks and social distancing are still necessary to block larger respiratory droplets and remove some of the aerosols in the `` near field . ''
But Corsi says there 's now enough evidence to show that coronavirus aerosols can hang around in the air and spread throughout a room ( `` the far field '' ) , and it 's time to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health authorities downplayed that risk early in the pandemic , and that worries him : `` That put the public at maybe a little bit too much ease and people kept going to busy restaurants where there 's lots of people in poorly ventilated environments , '' he said .
Corsi and Shelly Miller , a professor at the University of Colorado , Boulder , both signed onto the letter calling for WHO to update its guidance on airborne transmission .
`` We have a strong degree of certainty that it plays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met , '' Miller says .
`` So that 's crowded indoor spaces with inadequate ventilation , many people are not wearing a mask , and they 're talking loudly and you 're there for a long time . ''
One of the most alarming examples , cited by the group , was a study of a restaurant in China at which some diners seated apart contracted the virus despite never coming into close contact .
Another piece of evidence came from a March 10 choir practice in Mount Vernon , Wash. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , even though they took some precautions to stay a few feet apart .
The WHO letter also notes that MERS , another coronavirus that is similar to the novel coronavirus , can spread through aerosols , and `` there is every reason to expect that SARS-CoV-2 behaves similarly . ''
In a recent publication , Miller and other experts suggest increasing ventilation , using high-efficiency particulate air filters and installing upper-room germicidal ultraviolet in poorly ventilated environments where transmission is more likely .
`` What we really need in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside air that will dilute any airborne concentrations of the virus , '' Miller explains .
`` You ca n't necessarily go into buildings and retrofit them with a new ventilation system .
But you can bring in high-powered air purifiers and hang UV lights . ''
Miller , who has studied GUV , describes it as an effective tool that should now be considered for a variety of settings , such as schools , nursing facilities , jails and homeless shelters .
A recent paper from Spain , authored by experts in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a similar conclusion , saying UV is the most affordable and deployable technology for reducing the spread of the coronavirus , both to disinfect high-touch surfaces and the interior air .
Germicidal UV harnesses a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that contains short waves of radiant energy , called UV-C .
This wavelength is further away from the visible spectrum than other forms of UV light , which reach the Earth from the sun .
Think of it like giving the virus a lethal sunburn .
In the mid-1930s , William Wells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were suspended in the air .
He later installed the technology in schools outside Philadelphia to prevent the spread of measles .
It was widely used in the 1950s and '60s in health care settings and gained renewed attention during the U.S. outbreak of drug-resistant tuberculosis , when it was placed in some TB clinics and homeless shelters .
It 's still used in other parts of the world such as Africa , Asia and South America , where drug resistant TB is a particular problem .
Germicidal UV is also a common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplies , but that requires a much higher dose of UV ( more watts ) than what 's used for disinfecting the air .
`` We have very little practical experience to show how effective it can be [ in a pandemic ] since it 's been out of use in this country and in Western Europe , '' said Sliney of Johns Hopkins , who chairs a committee with the Illuminating Engineering Society , which recently released new guidance on GUV .
Sliney recommends installing UV in big-box stores , restaurants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ceilings .
`` There needs to be vertical air exchange , '' he adds , such as ceiling fans , so `` it 's not just sterilizing the air in the upper space of the room . ''
GUV is sometimes seen as `` an orphan technology '' because it straddles the fields of optical engineering , interior architecture and infection control , says Dr. Edward Nardell , a professor at Harvard Medical School who is a GUV researcher .
`` It 's a well-proven , extremely safe technology that is underused and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` No one doubts the efficacy of germicidal UV in killing small microorganisms and pathogens .
I think the bigger controversy , if there is any , is misperceptions around safety . ''
Low-dose germicidal UV can damage the eyes and the skin , but Nardell says those risks can be avoided if the appropriate guidelines are followed .
While international guidelines warn against directly exposing humans to UV-C , the risks of skin cancer are considered negligible , especially compared with longer wavelengths of UV that can penetrate more deeply .
Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous has persisted for decades , making it difficult to drum up more support for the technology .
Installing UV light is an investment in infrastructure .
It requires finding the appropriate lamps and fixtures , getting enough air circulation and ensuring that UV does not hit people below .
Since the 1980s , Nardell and his colleagues have worked on how to deploy GUV more widely , including using `` louvered fixtures '' in rooms to shield people below .
These do work but reduce efficiency , because most of the UV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Nardell is an `` egg crate '' or gridded ceiling ( like the one used at Firat 's restaurant in Washington state ) that lets air ascend into the killing zone but prevents any UV light rays from pointing down into the room .
`` The problem is that creating an egg crate ceiling is n't simple , '' Nardell says .
`` You have to really pick and choose the places where you 're going to try and stop transmission because you ca n't do it everywhere . ''
Buildings with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UV can be mounted away from humans , with shielding .
To be effective , UV light must directly hit the virus or microorganism .
Any impediments or even shade will block the effect .
And yet once they are installed , germicidal ultraviolet lighting systems provide a permanent and efficient means of disinfection .
A major challenge to rolling out the technology during the pandemic is not only limits on the supply chain but a lack of standardization among manufacturers and no clear mechanism for quality control .
`` There has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Jim Malley , a professor at the University of New Hampshire who studies public health and disinfection .
`` The average consumer would have no way of telling what 's cool or crap . ''
With demand for UV now soaring , Malley says he 's concerned about shoddy products on the market and exaggerated claims about their effectiveness against the virus .
Consumers should be wary of marketing claims about `` UV wands '' that can be waved quickly over surfaces or special `` portals '' that people walk through , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not correctly calibrated to inactivate the virus and could be dangerous .
Malley says he does n't think there 's much of a viable market for upper-room GUV outside health care settings , but he supports installing the technology in the most high-risk settings , such as meatpacking plants and nursing facilities .
`` My gut feeling is we should do anything we can in those places , because we have a horrendous fatality record '' from the coronavirus , he says .
Malley says he 's skeptical that places such as gyms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges to make it a worthwhile investment .
`` I just do n't see you getting the protection that unfortunately we wish you were going to get , '' he says .
Malley says he believes the best use of UV during the pandemic is to disinfect places such as subway cars or airplanes once passengers get off .
Even in those settings though , GUV would work in tandem with manually wiping down surfaces .
At Marlaina 's restaurant , the endeavor was relatively straightforward .
The owner , Firat , purchased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 165 ) , hired an electrician to install the fans and bought black gridded plastic panels to enclose the ceiling space where the UV is mounted .
Firat still encourages his customers to wear masks and maintain social distance .
But he says the UV has become another part of the ambiance .
`` It 's more modern and clean , and the response is great , absolutely great , '' he says .

Coronavirus Sparks New Interest In Using Ultraviolet Light To Disinfect Indoor Air
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sergei Karpukhin/Tass via Getty Images Sergei Karpukhin/Tass via Getty Images
High up near the ceiling, in the dining room of his Seattle-area restaurant, Musa Firat recently installed a "killing zone" — a place where swaths of invisible electromagnetic energy penetrate the air, ready to disarm the coronavirus and other dangerous pathogens that drift upward in tiny, airborne particles.
Firat's new system draws on a century-old technology of fending off infectious diseases: energetic waves of ultraviolet light, known as germicidal UV or GUV, are delivered in the right dose to wipe out viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms.
Research already shows that germicidal UV can effectively inactivate airborne microbes that transmit measles, tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-1, a close relative of the novel coronavirus.
Now, with concern mounting that the coronavirus may be easily transmitted through microscopic floating particles known as aerosols, some researchers and physicians hope the technology can be recruited yet again to help disinfect high-risk indoor settings.
"I thought it was a great idea, and I want my customers to be safe," Firat says.
His restaurant, Marlaina's Mediterranean Kitchen, is a casual eatery 20 minutes south of downtown Seattle.
As the U.S. grapples with how to interrupt the spread of the highly infectious virus, UV is being used to decontaminate surfaces on public transit and in hospitals where infectious droplets may have landed as well as to disinfect N95 masks for reuse. But so far using this technology to provide continuous air disinfection has remained outside of most mainstream, policy-setting conversations about the coronavirus.
Experts attribute this to a combination of factors: misconceptions about UV's safety, a lack of public awareness and technical know-how, concerns about the costs of installing the technology, and a general reluctance to consider the role of aerosols in the spread of the coronavirus.
Aerosols are microdroplets that are expelled when someone exhales, speaks or coughs. Unlike the larger and heavier respiratory droplets that fall quickly to the ground, aerosols can linger in the air for long periods of time and travel through indoor spaces. This process is also called "airborne transmission."
It's already recognized that the coronavirus can spread through aerosols during medical procedures, which is why health care workers are advised to wear respirators, such as N95 masks, that filter out these tiny particles. Yet there is still considerable debate over how likely someone is to spread the virus in other settings via aerosols.
Recently, the question of airborne transmission gained new urgency when a group of 239 scientists called on the World Health Organization to take the threat of infectious aerosols more seriously, arguing the "lack of clear recommendations on the control measures against the airborne virus will have significant consequences." In response, WHO acknowledged the possibility that airborne transmission "cannot be ruled out" in some public settings that are "crowded, closed, poorly ventilated." WHO officials conceded that more research is needed but maintained that most infections do not happen this way.
As the science continues to evolve, UV could emerge as an attractive safeguard against airborne transmission — one with a track record against previous pathogens — that can be deployed to cut down the risk of infectious aerosols accumulating in indoor settings such as schools, public buildings and businesses.
Welcome to the "killing zone"
At Marlaina's restaurant, diners will only encounter two visible clues of the UV disinfection system installed while the restaurant was closed during Washington state's lockdown: a subtle glow of blue light above the black grates of the drop ceiling, and a posted sign at the door, proudly announcing to diners: "Coronavirus Disinfected Here!"
This setup is known as "upper-room germicidal UV" because the UV fixtures are mounted high up near the ceiling and angled away from humans below.
toggle caption Will Stone/NPR
At the restaurant, ceiling fans circulate the air, eventually pushing any suspended viral particles that have accumulated in the dining space through the grated drop ceiling, to the area where UV lights, positioned horizontally, blast them with radiant energy.
The inspiration and technical assistance for Marlaina's owner came from a customer, Bruce Davidson, a pulmonary physician who was Philadelphia's "tuberculosis czar" in the mid-'90s. Back then, the U.S. was grappling with a new outbreak of TB that included strains resistant to existing drugs.
"Preventing transmission was the most important part, because we had no drugs, no vaccine," recalls Davidson, who now lives outside Seattle. UV light proved to be a key strategy back then, and Davidson thinks it can help again: "It really ought to be in most indoor public spaces now."
toggle caption Will Stone/NPR
To demonstrate the concept, Davidson lit a cigar inside Marlaina's and showed how the smoke danced upward, collecting in the ceiling space with the UV fixtures.
"If somebody has undetected coronavirus and doesn't eat with a mask and is talking and so on, the vast majority of their particles are going to get pulled up there into the killing zone and circulate and bounce around," Davidson says. "Statistically, the risk to other people is going to be very low."
Research shows close to 90% of airborne particles from a previous coronavirus (SARS-CoV-1) can be inactivated in about 16 seconds when exposed to the same strength of UV as in the restaurant's ceiling. Other types of viruses, such as the adenovirus, are more resistant and require a higher dose of UV.
"Although it's not perfect, it probably offers the best solution for direct air disinfection" in the current pandemic, says David Sliney, a faculty member at Johns Hopkins University and longtime researcher on germicidal UV.
When used with proper ventilation, upper-room GUV is about 80% effective against the spread of airborne tuberculosis, according to several studies. This is equivalent to replacing the air in an indoor room up to 24 times in an hour.
But it could be an uphill battle, Sliney says, because in the U.S., interest in using UV for air disinfection has waned in recent decades as scientists focused their attention on powerful vaccines and drugs to deal with infectious diseases.
Understanding the role of aerosols and airborne transmission
UV can be a powerful weapon against an airborne virus, but it can only go so far.
For one thing, people can still get sick from the larger, heavier droplets ejected via coughs and sneezes. They can directly inhale those larger droplets or touch a surface contaminated with them, and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth.
UV also does not prevent someone from being exposed to infectious aerosols that have just emerged from an infected person — and are lingering quite near his or her body — what researcher Richard Corsi describes as the "near field."
"In that scenario, you're inhaling a very concentrated cloud of these tiny particles that you can't see if we're close together," said Corsi, dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science at Portland State University. "You're getting a pretty significant dose in your respiratory system."
So, even if there is upper-room UV in a building, Corsi says face masks and social distancing are still necessary to block larger respiratory droplets and remove some of the aerosols in the "near field." But Corsi says there's now enough evidence to show that coronavirus aerosols can hang around in the air and spread throughout a room ("the far field"), and it's time to take that airborne spread seriously.
Corsi says public health authorities downplayed that risk early in the pandemic, and that worries him: "That put the public at maybe a little bit too much ease and people kept going to busy restaurants where there's lots of people in poorly ventilated environments," he said.
Corsi and Shelly Miller, a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, both signed onto the letter calling for WHO to update its guidance on airborne transmission.
"We have a strong degree of certainty that it plays a significant role when certain conditions are met," Miller says. "So that's crowded indoor spaces with inadequate ventilation, many people are not wearing a mask, and they're talking loudly and you're there for a long time."
One of the most alarming examples, cited by the group, was a study of a restaurant in China at which some diners seated apart contracted the virus despite never coming into close contact. Another piece of evidence came from a March 10 choir practice in Mount Vernon, Wash., after which the majority of singers contracted the coronavirus, even though they took some precautions to stay a few feet apart. The WHO letter also notes that MERS, another coronavirus that is similar to the novel coronavirus, can spread through aerosols, and "there is every reason to expect that SARS-CoV-2 behaves similarly."
In a recent publication, Miller and other experts suggest increasing ventilation, using high-efficiency particulate air filters and installing upper-room germicidal ultraviolet in poorly ventilated environments where transmission is more likely.
"What we really need in an outbreak is to have a lot of outside air that will dilute any airborne concentrations of the virus," Miller explains. "You can't necessarily go into buildings and retrofit them with a new ventilation system. But you can bring in high-powered air purifiers and hang UV lights."
Miller, who has studied GUV, describes it as an effective tool that should now be considered for a variety of settings, such as schools, nursing facilities, jails and homeless shelters.
A recent paper from Spain, authored by experts in virology, aerosols and architecture, came to a similar conclusion, saying UV is the most affordable and deployable technology for reducing the spread of the coronavirus, both to disinfect high-touch surfaces and the interior air.
A time-tested yet still misunderstood technology
Germicidal UV harnesses a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that contains short waves of radiant energy, called UV-C. This wavelength is further away from the visible spectrum than other forms of UV light, which reach the Earth from the sun.
Think of it like giving the virus a lethal sunburn.
In the mid-1930s, William Wells first demonstrated UV could inactivate microorganisms that were suspended in the air. He later installed the technology in schools outside Philadelphia to prevent the spread of measles. It was widely used in the 1950s and '60s in health care settings and gained renewed attention during the U.S. outbreak of drug-resistant tuberculosis, when it was placed in some TB clinics and homeless shelters. It's still used in other parts of the world such as Africa, Asia and South America, where drug resistant TB is a particular problem.
Germicidal UV is also a common method of clearing germs from public water supplies, but that requires a much higher dose of UV (more watts) than what's used for disinfecting the air.
"We have very little practical experience to show how effective it can be [in a pandemic] since it's been out of use in this country and in Western Europe," said Sliney of Johns Hopkins, who chairs a committee with the Illuminating Engineering Society, which recently released new guidance on GUV.
Sliney recommends installing UV in big-box stores, restaurants and grocery stores, which typically have high ceilings. "There needs to be vertical air exchange," he adds, such as ceiling fans, so "it's not just sterilizing the air in the upper space of the room."
GUV is sometimes seen as "an orphan technology" because it straddles the fields of optical engineering, interior architecture and infection control, says Dr. Edward Nardell, a professor at Harvard Medical School who is a GUV researcher.
"It's a well-proven, extremely safe technology that is underused and often misunderstood," Nardell says. "No one doubts the efficacy of germicidal UV in killing small microorganisms and pathogens. I think the bigger controversy, if there is any, is misperceptions around safety."
Low-dose germicidal UV can damage the eyes and the skin, but Nardell says those risks can be avoided if the appropriate guidelines are followed.
While international guidelines warn against directly exposing humans to UV-C, the risks of skin cancer are considered negligible, especially compared with longer wavelengths of UV that can penetrate more deeply.
Yet Nardell says the perception that UV is dangerous has persisted for decades, making it difficult to drum up more support for the technology.
Could UV make a comeback?
Installing UV light is an investment in infrastructure. It requires finding the appropriate lamps and fixtures, getting enough air circulation and ensuring that UV does not hit people below.
Since the 1980s, Nardell and his colleagues have worked on how to deploy GUV more widely, including using "louvered fixtures" in rooms to shield people below. These do work but reduce efficiency, because most of the UV generated is blocked. Another approach devised by Nardell is an "egg crate" or gridded ceiling (like the one used at Firat's restaurant in Washington state) that lets air ascend into the killing zone but prevents any UV light rays from pointing down into the room.
"The problem is that creating an egg crate ceiling isn't simple," Nardell says. "You have to really pick and choose the places where you're going to try and stop transmission because you can't do it everywhere."
Buildings with high ceilings are more straightforward because the UV can be mounted away from humans, with shielding. To be effective, UV light must directly hit the virus or microorganism. Any impediments or even shade will block the effect.
And yet once they are installed, germicidal ultraviolet lighting systems provide a permanent and efficient means of disinfection.
A major challenge to rolling out the technology during the pandemic is not only limits on the supply chain but a lack of standardization among manufacturers and no clear mechanism for quality control.
"There has been a kind of regulatory abyss," says Jim Malley, a professor at the University of New Hampshire who studies public health and disinfection. "The average consumer would have no way of telling what's cool or crap."
With demand for UV now soaring, Malley says he's concerned about shoddy products on the market and exaggerated claims about their effectiveness against the virus.
Consumers should be wary of marketing claims about "UV wands" that can be waved quickly over surfaces or special "portals" that people walk through, he says, because those are probably not correctly calibrated to inactivate the virus and could be dangerous.
Malley says he doesn't think there's much of a viable market for upper-room GUV outside health care settings, but he supports installing the technology in the most high-risk settings, such as meatpacking plants and nursing facilities.
toggle caption Will Stone/NPR
"My gut feeling is we should do anything we can in those places, because we have a horrendous fatality record" from the coronavirus, he says.
Malley says he's skeptical that places such as gyms and restaurants can pull off the technical challenges to make it a worthwhile investment.
"I just don't see you getting the protection that unfortunately we wish you were going to get," he says.
Malley says he believes the best use of UV during the pandemic is to disinfect places such as subway cars or airplanes once passengers get off. Even in those settings though, GUV would work in tandem with manually wiping down surfaces.
At Marlaina's restaurant, the endeavor was relatively straightforward.
The owner, Firat, purchased four UV fixtures (each priced at $165), hired an electrician to install the fans and bought black gridded plastic panels to enclose the ceiling space where the UV is mounted.
Firat still encourages his customers to wear masks and maintain social distance. But he says the UV has become another part of the ambiance.
"It's more modern and clean, and the response is great, absolutely great," he says.


npr--2020-07-13--South Africa Introduces Alcohol Ban And Curfew As Coronavirus Surges

In a somber speech broadcast in prime time on Sunday , South African President Cyril Ramaphosa painted a worrying picture as the new coronavirus spikes in the country .
`` The storm is upon us , '' he said .
South Africa has now surpassed Italy , Pakistan , Spain and Iran in the number of confirmed COVID-19 infections , with more than 276,000 cases and more than 4,000 related deaths .
Ramaphosa warned that the worst is yet to come , with some models predicting 40,000 to 50,000 deaths in the country before the end of the year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ away sick patients .
So , he reimposed a ban on the sale and distribution of alcohol and rolled out a nighttime curfew .
The hope is that alcohol-related incidents will plummet and open up emergency room beds for COVID-19 patients .
In March , South Africa imposed one of the earliest and most draconian lockdowns of any country and successfully flattened the curve of new infection numbers .
Ramaphosa said that bought the country time to learn about COVID-19 , expand testing and beef up hospital capabilities .
He credited the social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to about 1 % , among the lowest in the world .
Slowly , however , South Africa rolled back its confinement and , as it did , the virus began to spread faster .
South Africa is now reporting more than 10,000 cases a day and a quarter of the total deaths have been recorded in the past week .
But the president said that at this point — with the economy in recession and the virus so prevalent — a new lockdown would cause more harm than good , so he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility , wear masks , keep a distance from each other and stop gathering en masse .
`` This is in our collective hands , '' he said .
`` Let us remember that every individual action that we undertake does and can make a big difference .
... Now more than ever we are responsible for the lives of those around us . ''
The Economic Freedom Fighters , one of the main opposition parties in South Africa , issued a statement condemning the president .
If the country is not shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Africans will die .
`` Despite this , Ramaphosa continues to ignore pleas to prioritize life over profits , '' the statement read , `` and keeps casinos , restaurants , hotels and domestic air-travel operational in the face of the death of the people of this country . ''

South Africa Introduces Alcohol Ban And Curfew As Coronavirus Surges
Enlarge this image toggle caption Denis Farrell/AP Denis Farrell/AP
In a somber speech broadcast in prime time on Sunday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa painted a worrying picture as the new coronavirus spikes in the country.
"The storm is upon us," he said.
South Africa has now surpassed Italy, Pakistan, Spain and Iran in the number of confirmed COVID-19 infections, with more than 276,000 cases and more than 4,000 related deaths. Ramaphosa warned that the worst is yet to come, with some models predicting 40,000 to 50,000 deaths in the country before the end of the year.
He said some hospitals have begun turning away sick patients. So, he reimposed a ban on the sale and distribution of alcohol and rolled out a nighttime curfew. The hope is that alcohol-related incidents will plummet and open up emergency room beds for COVID-19 patients.
In March, South Africa imposed one of the earliest and most draconian lockdowns of any country and successfully flattened the curve of new infection numbers. Ramaphosa said that bought the country time to learn about COVID-19, expand testing and beef up hospital capabilities. He credited the social restrictions with bringing down the death rate to about 1%, among the lowest in the world.
Slowly, however, South Africa rolled back its confinement and, as it did, the virus began to spread faster. South Africa is now reporting more than 10,000 cases a day and a quarter of the total deaths have been recorded in the past week.
But the president said that at this point — with the economy in recession and the virus so prevalent — a new lockdown would cause more harm than good, so he pleaded with South Africans to take personal responsibility, wear masks, keep a distance from each other and stop gathering en masse.
"This is in our collective hands," he said. "Let us remember that every individual action that we undertake does and can make a big difference. ... Now more than ever we are responsible for the lives of those around us."
The Economic Freedom Fighters, one of the main opposition parties in South Africa, issued a statement condemning the president. If the country is not shut down, they warned, many more South Africans will die.
"Despite this, Ramaphosa continues to ignore pleas to prioritize life over profits," the statement read, "and keeps casinos, restaurants, hotels and domestic air-travel operational in the face of the death of the people of this country."


npr--2020-07-13--'Glee' Actor Naya Rivera's Body Recovered From California Lake

The Ventura County Sheriff 's Office confirms it has recovered the body of Naya Rivera from a California lake .
Divers have been searching the lake since shortly after Naya Rivera disappeared on July 8 while boating with her 4-year-old son .
Best known for her starring role on the Fox show Glee , the actor is presumed to have drowned on Wednesday while boating on Lake Piru in the Los Padres National Forest , not far from Los Angeles .
Rivera was 33 years old .
Sheriff William `` Bill '' Ayub says Rivera was not wearing a life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the boat .
For six seasons , from 2009 to 2015 , Rivera played the role of an unexpectedly popular television antihero .
Glee 's Santana Lopez was a cynical , initially closeted high school cheerleader with charisma to burn and an ax to grind .
`` The only straight I am is straight-up bitch , '' Santana announced in Season 2 .
But the character 's bullying eventually yielded to team spirit and a tender romance with another cheerleader , the sweet natured but dim Brittany .
Glee fans pushed for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most popular arcs on the show .
`` Who knows if the writers would have taken that relationship so seriously if there had n't been such an outpouring for them to get together , '' Rivera told The Los Angeles Times in 2011 .
A child actor and model , Rivera was barely more than a toddler when she played Redd Foxx 's granddaughter on the CBS comedy The Royal Family .
More television work followed , with appearances on such programs as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air , Baywatch , The Bernie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her breakthrough character , Glee 's Santana , was originally conceived as a minor role , but Rivera brought swagger and unexpected sensitivity to the spiky character .
Although some critics at the time complained about seeing yet another traditionally beautiful queer femme of color , the character has also been celebrated as an outspoken , charismatic Latinx who pushes back against stereotyping .
`` Honestly , I never thought I 'd actually be playing a teen lesbian , '' Rivera said in The Los Angeles Times interview .
`` I did n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far .
But I 'm glad that it did , because there have been a lot of fans who have expressed that they 've been going through similar situations in their lives .
I 've heard from girls that are in high school — they 're 16 , 17 — and they 're like , ' I came out to my mom , ' or ' I came out to my friends , and thank you for helping me do that . '
`` Rivera was not gay in real life ; she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with whom she recorded a single in 2013 .
She later married the actor Ryan Dorsey , whom she divorced in 2018 .
After Glee ended in 2015 , Rivera appeared on the Lifetime show Devious Maids and the YouTube Red series Step Up : High Water .
Rivera rented a boat on the afternoon of Wednesday , July 8 , with her 4-year-old son .
The boy was found safely in the boat and told authorities that his mother had gone swimming .
She is the third regular cast member of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the past five years .

'Glee' Actor Naya Rivera's Death Ruled Accidental Drowning
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Livingston/Getty Images David Livingston/Getty Images
Updated at 8:39 p.m. ET Tuesday
The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office has ruled the death of actor Naya Rivera to be an accidental drowning. She had disappeared on July 8 while boating with her 4-year-old son, and her body was recovered from a Southern California lake on Monday.
Best known for her starring role on the Fox show Glee, Rivera was 33 years old.
Sheriff William "Bill" Ayub said Monday Rivera's remains were found in Lake Piru in the Los Padres National Forest, not far from Los Angeles.
For six seasons, from 2009 to 2015, Rivera played the role of an unexpectedly popular television antihero. Glee's Santana Lopez was a cynical, initially closeted high school cheerleader with charisma to burn and an ax to grind. "The only straight I am is straight-up bitch," Santana announced in Season 2. But the character's bullying eventually yielded to team spirit and a tender romance with another cheerleader, the sweet natured but dim Brittany.
Glee fans pushed for the storyline, which became one of the most popular arcs on the show. "Who knows if the writers would have taken that relationship so seriously if there hadn't been such an outpouring for them to get together," Rivera told The Los Angeles Times in 2011.
A child actor and model, Rivera was barely more than a toddler when she played Redd Foxx's granddaughter on the CBS comedy The Royal Family. More television work followed, with appearances on such programs as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Baywatch, The Bernie Mac Show and CSI: Miami.
Her breakthrough character, Glee's Santana, was originally conceived as a minor role, but Rivera brought swagger and unexpected sensitivity to the spiky character. Although some critics at the time complained about seeing yet another traditionally beautiful queer femme of color, the character has also been celebrated as an outspoken, charismatic Latinx who pushes back against stereotyping.
"Honestly, I never thought I'd actually be playing a teen lesbian," Rivera said in The Los Angeles Times interview. "I didn't think it was going to go this far. But I'm glad that it did, because there have been a lot of fans who have expressed that they've been going through similar situations in their lives. I've heard from girls that are in high school — they're 16, 17 — and they're like, 'I came out to my mom,' or 'I came out to my friends, and thank you for helping me do that.' "
Rivera was not gay in real life; she was engaged to the rapper Big Sean, with whom she recorded a single in 2013. She later married the actor Ryan Dorsey, whom she divorced in 2018. After Glee ended in 2015, Rivera appeared on the Lifetime show Devious Maids and the YouTube Red series Step Up: High Water.
Rivera rented a boat on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 8, with her son. The boy was found safely in the boat and told authorities that his mother had gone swimming. She is the third regular cast member of Glee to have died tragically and unexpectedly in the past five years.