npr--2020-07-15--In Supreme Court Term, Liberals Stuck Together While Conservatives Appeared Fractured

In Supreme Court Term , Liberals Stuck Together While Conservatives Appeared Fractured The recently concluded Supreme Court term was remarkable for many reasons .
But for SCOTUS geeks who love numbers , it 's worth looking at how the conservatives often split among themselves , while the liberal justices , understanding that they are playing defense , stuck together far more often , refusing to dilute the outcome of their victories by disagreeing with one another .
In all , the four hard-line conservatives wrote way more separate opinions .
They wrote nearly two-thirds of the concurring opinions .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not agree with some or all of the reasoning in the majority opinion .
The conservative justices were also more likely to speak for themselves alone .
Of the 45 solo opinions , the four most conservative justices wrote 31 .
In addition , they wrote more pages than the liberal justices , writing 734 pages of concurring and dissenting opinions , out of 1,214 such pages total .
The most restrained conservative author was Chief Justice John Roberts , who wrote just one concurring opinion and one dissent .
But he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases and often wrote the majority opinion in the most important decisions .
The other four conservatives put pen to paper for themselves in especially ideologically charged cases , whereas the liberal justices stayed their hands in most of these .
On the liberal side of the court , Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote the most concurring opinions — eight of them solo and one joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
But in six of those cases , the decisions were either unanimous or 8-1 .
While members of each bloc of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the liberal justices more often stuck together overall .
Of the 60 votes cast this term , the liberals voted as a unified group 80 % of the time .
The four most conservative justices voted together in 70 % of cases .

In Supreme Court Term, Liberals Stuck Together While Conservatives Appeared Fractured
Enlarge this image toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/AP
The recently concluded Supreme Court term was remarkable for many reasons. But for SCOTUS geeks who love numbers, it's worth looking at how the conservatives often split among themselves, while the liberal justices, understanding that they are playing defense, stuck together far more often, refusing to dilute the outcome of their victories by disagreeing with one another.
In all, the four hard-line conservatives wrote way more separate opinions.
They wrote nearly two-thirds of the concurring opinions. These are the opinions in which individual justices do not agree with some or all of the reasoning in the majority opinion.
The conservative justices were also more likely to speak for themselves alone. Of the 45 solo opinions, the four most conservative justices wrote 31.
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In addition, they wrote more pages than the liberal justices, writing 734 pages of concurring and dissenting opinions, out of 1,214 such pages total.
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The most restrained conservative author was Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote just one concurring opinion and one dissent. But he was the deciding vote in a lot of cases and often wrote the majority opinion in the most important decisions.
The other four conservatives put pen to paper for themselves in especially ideologically charged cases, whereas the liberal justices stayed their hands in most of these.
On the liberal side of the court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote the most concurring opinions — eight of them solo and one joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. But in six of those cases, the decisions were either unanimous or 8-1.
While members of each bloc of justices banded together in most cases, the liberal justices more often stuck together overall. Of the 60 votes cast this term, the liberals voted as a unified group 80% of the time. The four most conservative justices voted together in 70% of cases.


npr--2020-07-15--Trump Overhauls Key Environmental Law To Speed Up Pipelines And Other Projects

Trump Overhauls Key Environmental Law To Speed Up Pipelines And Other Projects In Atlanta today , President Trump will announce big changes to the regulations that govern one of the nation 's most significant environmental laws .
The aim is to speed up approval for major projects like pipelines and highways , but critics say it could sideline the concerns of poor and minority communities impacted by those projects , and discount their impact on climate change .
The 50-year-old National Environmental Policy Act , or NEPA , was signed into law by President Richard Nixon .
It requires federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposed projects before they are approved .
It also gives the public and interest groups the ability to comment on those evaluations .
The administration 's new regulations are expected to reduce the types and number of projects that will be subject to review under the NEPA .
An earlier version of the proposed rules truncated those reviews in an effort to streamline processes that can take years to complete .
It also dropped a requirement that agencies consider the cumulative environmental effects of projects , such as their contribution to climate change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's played a major role in limiting the Trump administration 's agenda of `` energy dominance . ''
In just the last week , environmental reviews have sidelined a series of controversial oil and gas pipeline projects , including the Keystone XL , the Dakota Access and the Atlantic Coast pipelines .
But environmental groups warn the new rules will sideline the environmental effects of pipelines , highways and other projects .
`` What the Trump administration is doing is fundamentally changing those regulations and really gutting them , '' says Sharon Buccino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Resources Defense Council .
What 's more , Buccino says the law was designed to give a voice to communities long hurt by pollution from highways , pipelines and chemical plants that are disproportionately located in their neighborhoods .
`` NEPA gives poor and communities of color a say in the projects that will define their communities for decades to come .
Rather than listen , the Trump administration 's plan aims to silence such voices , '' says Buccino .
President Trump announced the proposed rules at the White House in January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` outrageously slow and burdensome federal approval process '' that can delay major infrastructure projects for years .
He said the country 's infrastructure used to be the envy of the world but red tape has delayed projects making the U.S. `` like a Third World country . ''
In Atlanta , Trump plans to visit a UPS facility to announce the final rules changes .
A senior administration official says one of the first projects to benefit will be an expansion of Interstate 75 designed to reduce congestion by building new lanes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average times for agencies to complete an environmental impact statement is 4 ½ years , says Mary Neumayr , chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality .
When the proposal was announced , she said this delay `` deprives Americans of the benefits of modernized bridges and roads that enable them to get home to their families . ''
The American Petroleum Institute was among the industry groups that sent a letter to the administration last November urging the White House to streamline NEPA reviews .
`` NEPA modernization will help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projects off the drawing board and into development , '' says API President and CEO Mike Sommer .
The administration 's rule changes set a strict two-year time limit for agencies to issue environmental impact statements .
The new regulations also require comments be submitted more quickly , and limit the topics that can be covered in those comments .
Buccino and other environmental lawyers believe the new regulations are illegal and say they will be challenged in court .
That means if Trump loses his reelection bid in November , it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect before he leaves office .
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has said he would reverse environmental rollbacks like this one .
And he has set a very different tone from the Trump administration on environmental issues .
Biden outlined his climate change plan Tuesday , vowing to invest $ 2 trillion to boost clean energy and rebuild infrastructure .
His plan includes environmental justice components with language that suggests he would reject Trump 's NEPA regulations .
One section reads , `` Biden will ensure that frontline and fenceline communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remediation , and investment decisions affecting those communities are made . ''

Trump Overhauls Key Environmental Law To Speed Up Pipelines And Other Projects
Enlarge this image toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP Evan Vucci/AP
Updated 4:40 p.m.
In Atlanta today, President Trump announced a "top to bottom overhaul" of the regulations that govern one of the nation's most significant environmental laws. The aim is to speed up approval for major projects like pipelines and highways, but critics say it could sideline the concerns of poor and minority communities impacted by those projects, and discount their impact on climate change.
Speaking at a UPS facility, Trump decried the "mountains and mountains of bureaucratic red tape in Washington, D.C.," and recalled being frustrated by it as a builder in New York. He said one of the first projects to benefit from his streamlining would be the expansion of a freeway south of Atlanta.
"We are reclaiming America's proud heritage as a nation of builders and an nation that can get things done," he said.
The 50-year-old National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, was signed into law by President Richard Nixon. It requires federal agencies to consider the environmental effects of proposed projects before they are approved. It also gives the public and interest groups the ability to comment on those evaluations.
The administration's new regulations are expected to reduce the types and number of projects that will be subject to review under the NEPA, shorten the timeline for reviews, and drop a requirement that agencies consider the cumulative environmental effects of projects, such as their contribution to climate change.
The changes weaken a law that's played a major role in limiting the Trump administration's agenda of "energy dominance." In just the last week, environmental reviews have sidelined a series of controversial oil and gas pipeline projects, including the Keystone XL, the Dakota Access and the Atlantic Coast pipelines.
But environmental groups warn the new rules will sideline the environmental effects of pipelines, highways and other projects.
"What the Trump administration is doing is fundamentally changing those regulations and really gutting them," says Sharon Buccino, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
What's more, Buccino says the law was designed to give a voice to communities long hurt by pollution from highways, pipelines and chemical plants that are disproportionately located in their neighborhoods.
"NEPA gives poor and communities of color a say in the projects that will define their communities for decades to come. Rather than listen, the Trump administration's plan aims to silence such voices," says Buccino.
Trump announced the proposed rules at the White House in January and said he wanted to streamline an "outrageously slow and burdensome federal approval process" that can delay major infrastructure projects for years. He said the country's infrastructure used to be the envy of the world but red tape has delayed projects making the U.S. "like a Third World country."
The average times for agencies to complete an environmental impact statement is currently 4 ½ years, says Mary Neumayr, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. When the proposal was announced, she said this delay "deprives Americans of the benefits of modernized bridges and roads that enable them to get home to their families."
The American Petroleum Institute was among the industry groups that sent a letter to the administration last November urging the White House to streamline NEPA reviews.
"NEPA modernization will help America streamline permitting to move job-creating infrastructure projects off the drawing board and into development," says API President and CEO Mike Sommer.
The administration's rule changes set a strict two-year time limit for agencies to issue environmental impact statements. The new regulations also require comments be submitted more quickly, and limit the topics that can be covered in those comments.
Buccino and other environmental lawyers believe the new regulations are illegal and say they will be challenged in court. That means if Trump loses his reelection bid in November, it's likely the new rules would not take effect before he leaves office.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has said he would reverse environmental rollbacks like this one. And he has set a very different tone from the Trump administration on environmental issues.
Biden outlined his climate change plan Tuesday, vowing to invest $2 trillion to boost clean energy and rebuild infrastructure. His plan includes environmental justice components with language that suggests he would reject Trump's NEPA regulations. One section reads, "Biden will ensure that frontline and fenceline communities are at the table when enforcement, remediation, and investment decisions affecting those communities are made."


npr--2020-07-15--Video Chats, Driveway Dances And Dino Parades Buffer Pandemic's Loneliness

When COVID-19 barreled into the U.S. this year the predominant public health advice for avoiding infection focused on physical isolation : No parties , concerts , or sports events .
No congregating inside in bars or restaurants .
No on-site family reunions .
No play dates for kids .
Just keep away from other people .
Meanwhile , although social scientists supported that medical advice , they feared the required physical distancing would spark another epidemic — one of loneliness , which was already at a high level in the U.S. '' You might expect this would make things much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a neuroscientist and social psychologist at Brigham Young University .
But several new studies suggest that huge increase in loneliness has n't come to pass — at least , not yet .
And the researchers studying the pandemic 's emotional fallout say we humans may have ourselves to thank .
Angelina Sutin , an associate professor of behavioral sciences at Florida State University College of Medicine , was one of a team of researchers who checked in three times between January and late April with more than 1,500 Americans ages 18 to 98 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aimed each time to get at measures of loneliness , was recently published online in American Psychologist , a peer-reviewed journal .
`` Like most people who study loneliness , we expected loneliness to go up , '' says Sutin .
`` Humans are social creatures .
We like to be together .
We need to be together . ''
Sutin and her colleagues had designed their survey in pre-pandemic days as a one-off look at how loneliness and other aspects of psychological health affect physical health .
Respondents filled out a computer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolated , whether they had people to turn to and whether they had preexisting health conditions .
Then came COVID-19 .
By mid-March , state and local governments were issuing `` shelter in place '' rules .
And even in many communities where it was n't mandated , many people started avoiding face-to-face encounters .
Sutin and her colleagues realized they had a unique opportunity to measure the effects of physical isolation on loneliness .
Between March 18 and 29 they asked those who had participated in their original survey how they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules were in place .
A month later the researchers checked in with the respondents yet again .
On a loneliness scale of 1 to 3 , with 1 being not very lonely and 3 being very lonely , the score was 1.69 in the first survey , 1.71 in the second , and 1.71 in the third — no statistically significant difference .
`` The thing that everybody thought was going to happen did n't happen , '' says Sutin .
There was some variation among the participants .
Some people reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lonely over time .
The researchers say they have n't yet looked at racial differences in the responses , but they did do an age analysis , and found , as have other studies , that people 65 and older tend to be less lonely than the 18- to 64-year-old age group .
The prevalence of loneliness in those 65 and older went from 16 % in the first survey to 21 % in the second and then dropped to 18 % in the third .
There are limits to what can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` This is an internet survey , and so we did not capture people who do n't have an internet connection , '' for example .
And people who have low incomes , or who live rural areas were underrepresented .
The surveys also did n't include residents of nursing homes or assisted living facilities .
Many of those people , Sutin notes , have had tremendous disruptions in their social networks during the pandemic and may not be as resilient as people living outside such facilities .
In hindsight , Holt-Lunstad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the widely expected spike in loneliness did n't occur .
As the pandemic shuttered many stores and businesses , neighbors began to rely on each other more , she notes .
`` I was seeing a real outpouring of communities really trying to band together and look out for neighbors and for those who might be most vulnerable , '' she says , `` and there was the hope that that would mitigate some of the effects of what was going on . ''
There have been other hints of resilience in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In June , researchers from Johns Hopkins University published a research letter in JAMA , the journal of the American Medical Association , citing a national survey done in April and May 2018 , in which 11 percent of U.S. adults reported being lonely .
The Hopkins researchers did their own national survey with other participants this past April , and 13.8 % of their respondents said they were lonely — an increase the scientists characterize as `` only slight . ''
And there are two ongoing studies being conducted by research psychologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Washington .
The research team is texting people in the Seattle area and around the country nightly on their cell phones , asking them each evening to fill out a short survey that includes questions about how much social interaction they had that day , whether they felt understood or cared for by others , and whether they enjoyed being alone .
The data have not yet been published , but Kanter says the responses seem to be pointing in the same direction as the findings from the Florida researchers .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in our national sample also have been largely flat across this entire period of time , '' Kanter says .
Which all leads to the question of — why ?
Why are n't people reporting dramatically more emotional pain at a time when most are more physically distant from other people and normal routines than ever before ?
Neither Kanter 's data nor the FSU study speak directly to that .
But Kanter has some ideas .
`` That sense of solidarity that people are feeling when they are collectively under some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going through a challenge together — seems to be a real strong protective factor , '' he says .
`` And I do n't think we fully appreciated that months ago when all this started . ''
Kanter notes that in social critic Rebecca Solnit 's book A Paradise Built in Hell , Solnit considered a handful of disasters — including the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires , the Sept.11 , 2001 terrorist attacks , the London Blitz and Hurricane Katrina — and found that many survivors experienced `` an emotion graver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The anxiety that psychologists studying teen and adult use of social media call a `` fear of missing out '' has been associated with symptoms of depression and physical problems such as headaches and shortness of breath .
In some ways , Sutin says , this sort of social pressure has taken a dive .
`` I think for some people , they feel like they 're missing out on things like who 's going out to the party , who 's going out to events , '' Sutin says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there 's nothing to miss out on . ''
Lest her findings be taken as unremittingly good news , know that neither she nor other psychologists are happy with the relatively high background level of loneliness that existed in American culture before the pandemic — and continues now .
They would like to not only flatten the loneliness curve , but drive it way down .
They 're also concerned about the people their surveys have n't reached — those with lower incomes and others who are n't online .
Dr. Sandro Galea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Public Health , does research investigating the ways mental health can be affected by social issues .
`` Perhaps it 's good news , he says of Sutin 's study , `` but I think it 's offset by other data that are emerging on poor mental health . ''
Depression and anxiety , he notes , have both increased among all ages in the last several months .
Still , for the moment , there 's this , from Kanter : `` If there is any silver lining to this [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to speak of silver linings — it was that so many people are finding ways to connect and finding ways to keep relationships . ''
Sutin , Kanter and Holt-Lunstad all credit the resilience they 're seeing to the creative ways people are continuing to reach out and connect with one another .
Across the world , including in the U.S. , people have been phoning each other , signing on to Zoom meetings , having porch to porch or fire escape to fire escape chats .
They have been attending virtual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and cheering on virtual or physically distant birthday celebrations , graduations , weddings , funerals and one-man marching bands .
Some people have even entertained their neighbors , while keeping their distance , by dressing up and marching in dinosaur parades .
Holt-Lunstad says we humans appear to inherently understand how important social relationships are — and many recognize those relationships do n't have to include physical proximity .
`` As soon as we had that access threatened , we all felt this urge to connect with others , '' she says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with people who live nearby , when family and friends are distant .
Dana Lacy Amarisa and her mother Jeanne Lacy have found a pretty creative way to do that in San Francisco .
Sixty-four-year-old Dana temporarily closed her Kombucha business in Mazatlan , Mexico , when the pandemic began , and moved to San Francisco to join her 93-year-old mom during the pandemic .
Dana and Jeanne say they 've always been very social — Dana with her nightly salsa dance with friends , her mom with trips to the theater , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clubs .
Stopping those activities was difficult for Jeanne .
`` It was very traumatic at first , '' she says .
`` You do n't know what to do with yourself . ''
The neighborhood had taken to banging on pots every night at 8 p.m. , partly as an affirmation of community , but Dana and Jeanne wanted to do more .
Dana said to her mom , `` Why do n't we just dance ? ''
Jeanne , though she always loved to dance , says she initially found the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but figured it was worth a try .
So they put up a sign on their garage door saying they would play recorded music and be out dancing in front of their house every Saturday evening .
The sign invited neighbors to join them in the weekly dance party — at a 6-foot distance .
For the first seven weeks they danced alone .
Then neighbors started coming , some to watch , some to dance , some to chat .
`` Dancing is healing medicine , '' says Dana .
Jeanne says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to dinner with friends , but is thrilled with the dancing .
`` It breaks up the isolation , '' she says .
`` I 've not been lonely . ''
Will it last ?
Dana and Jeanne plan to continue dancing as long as the pandemic lasts .
And Angelina Sutin and her colleagues have resurveyed their study group .
They should know within about a month , Sutin says , if the positive effects of all the different social outreach efforts like these — the porch chats , Zoom dinners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have persisted in easing loneliness in other parts of the U.S. , as well .

Loneliness Hasn't Increased Despite Pandemic, Research Finds. What Helped?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Janice Chang for NPR Janice Chang for NPR
When the coronavirus barreled into the U.S. this year, the predominant public health advice for avoiding infection focused on physical isolation: No parties, concerts or sports events. No congregating inside bars or restaurants. No on-site family reunions. No play dates for kids. Just keep away from other people.
Meanwhile, although social scientists supported that medical advice, they feared the required physical distancing would spark another epidemic — one of loneliness, which was already at a high level in the U.S.
"You might expect this would make things much worse," says Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a neuroscientist and social psychologist at Brigham Young University.
But several new studies suggest that huge increase in loneliness hasn't come to pass — at least, not yet. And the researchers studying the pandemic's emotional fallout say humans may have ourselves to thank.
"That sense of solidarity that people are feeling when they ... are collectively going through a challenge together seems to be a real strong protective factor."
Angelina Sutin, an associate professor of behavioral sciences at Florida State University College of Medicine, was one of a team of researchers who checked in three times between January and late April with more than 1,500 Americans ages 18 to 98. Her team's survey, which aimed each time to get at measures of loneliness, was recently published online in American Psychologist, a peer-reviewed journal.
"Like most people who study loneliness, we expected loneliness to go up," Sutin says. "Humans are social creatures. We like to be together. We need to be together."
Sutin and her colleagues had designed their survey in pre-pandemic days as a one-off look at how loneliness and other aspects of psychological health affect physical health. Respondents filled out a computer questionnaire about whether they felt lonely or isolated, whether they had people to turn to and whether they had preexisting health conditions.
Then came the coronavirus. By mid-March, state and local governments were issuing "shelter in place" rules. And even in many communities where it wasn't mandated, many people started avoiding face-to-face encounters.
Sutin and her colleagues realized they had a unique opportunity to measure the effects of physical isolation on loneliness. Between March 18 and 29 they asked those who had participated in their original survey how they were doing now that all those social distancing rules were in place. A month later the researchers checked in with the respondents yet again.
On a loneliness scale of 1 to 3, with 1 being not very lonely and 3 being very lonely, the score was 1.69 in the first survey, 1.71 in the second and 1.71 in the third — no statistically significant difference. "The thing that everybody thought was going to happen didn't happen," says Sutin.
There was some variation among the participants. Some people reported being newly lonely; some felt less lonely over time. The researchers say they found no racial differences in the responses, but did do an age analysis and found, as have other studies, that people 65 and older tend to be less lonely than the 18- to 64-year-old age group. The prevalence of loneliness in those 65 and older went from 16% in the first survey to 21% in the second and then dropped to 18% in the third.
There are limits to what can be concluded from the findings, Sutin says. "This is an Internet survey, and so we did not capture people who don't have an Internet connection," for example. And people who have low incomes or who live rural areas were underrepresented.
The surveys also didn't include residents of nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Many of those people, Sutin notes, have had tremendous disruptions in their social networks during the pandemic and may not be as resilient as people living outside such facilities.
In hindsight, Holt-Lunstad says, she's not that surprised that the widely expected spike in loneliness didn't occur. As the pandemic shuttered many stores and businesses, neighbors began to rely on each other more, she notes.
"I was seeing a real outpouring of communities really trying to band together and look out for neighbors and for those who might be most vulnerable," she says, "and there was the hope that that would mitigate some of the effects of what was going on."
There have been other hints of resilience in neighborhoods and communities across the US. In June, researchers from Johns Hopkins University published a research letter in JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association, citing a national survey done in April and May 2018, in which 11% of U.S. adults reported being lonely. The Hopkins researchers did their own national survey with other participants this past April, and 13.8% of their respondents said they were lonely — an increase the scientists characterize as "only slight."
And there are two ongoing studies being conducted by research psychologist Jonathan Kanter and colleagues at the University of Washington. The research team is texting people in the Seattle area and around the country nightly on their cellphones, asking them each evening to fill out a short survey that includes questions about how much social interaction they had that day, whether they felt understood or cared for by others and whether they enjoyed being alone. The data have not yet been published, but Kanter says the responses seem to be pointing in the same direction as the findings from the Florida researchers.
"The levels of loneliness in our sample and in our national sample also have been largely flat across this entire period of time," Kanter says.
Which all leads to the question of — why? Why aren't people reporting dramatically more emotional pain at a time when most are more physically distant from other people and normal routines than ever before? Neither Kanter's data nor the FSU study speak directly to that. But Kanter has some ideas.
"That sense of solidarity that people are feeling when they are collectively under some threat together — when they are collectively going through a challenge together — seems to be a real strong protective factor," he says. "And I don't think we fully appreciated that months ago when all this started."
Kanter notes that in social critic Rebecca Solnit's book A Paradise Built in Hell, Solnit considered a handful of disasters — including the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires, the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the London Blitz and Hurricane Katrina — and found that many survivors experienced "an emotion graver than happiness, but deeply positive."
The anxiety that psychologists studying teen and adult use of social media call a "fear of missing out" has been associated with symptoms of depression and physical problems such as headaches and shortness of breath. In some ways, Sutin says, this sort of social pressure has taken a dive.
"I think for some people, they feel like they're missing out on things like who's going out to the party, who's going out to events," Sutin says. "But when everybody's at home, there's nothing to miss out on."
Lest her findings be taken as unremittingly good news, know that neither she nor other psychologists are happy with the relatively high background level of loneliness that existed in American culture before the pandemic — and continues now. They would like to not only flatten the loneliness curve, but drive it way down. They're also concerned about the people their surveys haven't reached — those with lower incomes and others who aren't online.
Dr. Sandro Galea, dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, does research investigating the ways mental health can be affected by social issues. "Perhaps it's good news," he says of Sutin's study, "but I think it's offset by other data that are emerging on poor mental health." Depression and anxiety, he notes, have both increased among all ages in the past several months.
Still, for the moment, there's this, from Kanter: "If there is any silver lining to this [pandemic] — and it's really hard to speak of silver linings — it was that so many people are finding ways to connect and finding ways to keep relationships."
Sutin, Kanter and Holt-Lunstad all credit the resilience they're seeing to the creative ways people are continuing to reach out and connect with one another. Across the world, including in the U.S., people have been phoning each other, signing onto Zoom meetings, having porch to porch or fire escape to fire escape chats. They have been attending virtual religious services, enjoying virtual dinner parties, and cheering on virtual or physically distant birthday celebrations, graduations, weddings, funerals and one-man marching bands. Some people have even entertained their neighbors, while keeping their distance, by dressing up and marching in dinosaur parades.
Holt-Lunstad says humans appear to inherently understand how important social relationships are — and many recognize those relationships don't have to include physical proximity. "As soon as we had that access threatened, we all felt this urge to connect with others," she says.
And sometimes that has meant connecting with people who live nearby, when family and friends are distant.
Dana Lacy Amarisa and her mother Jeanne Lacy have found a pretty creative way to do that in San Francisco. Sixty-four-year-old Dana temporarily closed her Kombucha business in Mazatlán, Mexico, when the pandemic began, and moved to San Francisco to join her 93-year-old mom during the pandemic. Dana and Jeanne say they've always been very social — Dana with her nightly salsa dance with friends, her mom with trips to the theater, ballet, bridge groups and two book clubs. Stopping those activities was difficult for Jeanne.
"It was very traumatic at first," she says. "You don't know what to do with yourself."
The neighborhood had taken to banging on pots every night at 8 p.m., partly as an affirmation of community, but Dana and Jeanne wanted to do more. Dana said to her mom, "Why don't we just dance?"
Jeanne, though she always loved to dance, says she initially found the suggestion "a little ridiculous," but figured it was worth a try. So they put up a sign on their garage door saying they would play recorded music and be out dancing in front of their house every Saturday evening. The sign invited neighbors to join them in the weekly dance party — at a distance.
For the first seven weeks they danced alone. Then neighbors started coming, some to watch, some to dance, some to chat. "Dancing is healing medicine," Dana says.
Jeanne says she still misses being able to go out to dinner with friends but is thrilled with the dancing. "It breaks up the isolation," she says. "I've not been lonely."
Will it last?
Dana and Jeanne plan to continue dancing as long as the pandemic lasts. And Angelina Sutin and her colleagues have resurveyed their study group.
They should know within about a month, Sutin says, if the positive effects of all the different social outreach efforts like these — the porch chats, Zoom dinners, dino parades and the like — have persisted in easing loneliness in other parts of the U.S. as well.


npr--2020-07-15--Despite COVID-19, Some Hikers Go The Distance On The Appalachian Trail

Despite COVID-19 , Some Hikers Go The Distance On The Appalachian Trail Every year , several thousand adventurous souls set out to hike all 2,190 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine .
But in March , thru-hikers were kindly asked to put their dreams on hold because of the pandemic .
`` We asked people that had n't started their hike to postpone it and we asked people who were on the trail to please leave , '' says Sandi Marra , president and CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy , which manages and protects the trail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were regular outbreaks of other viruses in crowded bunkhouses and shelters .
Hikers often do n't have access to soap and water for days at a time so good hygiene can be a challenge .
There were concerns hikers would infect each other or spread the virus to rural towns where they went to pick up food and supplies .
Overnight facilities and privies along the trail were closed .
But then came a tremendous flood of day hikers trying to escape the confines of their homes .
At that point everyone was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many thru-hikers , including Zack Chen of Poughkeepsie , N.Y , bailed .
Chen said he made the decision after getting yelled at in a North Carolina post office .
`` It was something along the lines of , 'you 're endangering a lot of elder folk .
You 're really putting peoples ' lives in jeopardy , ' '' Chen said .
He waited until July before trying again and this time he 's going in reverse from Maine to Georgia , but other thru-hikers decided to stay the course .
Drew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set off from Georgia on Feb. 29 .
They both quit their jobs to make the trip and briefly discussed giving up .
`` I mean , for me personally , I put so many other things in life on hold to come out and do the trail and this was my one chance to do it , '' Kornegay said .
`` So I was not gon na stop .
That 's what it came down to . ''
The decision of thru-hikers not to follow the Conservancy 's guidance generated harsh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Yeah , we did hear that , '' Kristen Glennie said .
`` Right at the peak when everything was getting worse , people were throwing around like 'Grandma Killers ' and like stuff like that . ''
Glennie and Mary Szatkowski , both from Maine , finished their 2,200-mile journey on July 4 .
Along the way , Szatkowski said , they were confident they could follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
`` When we went to town we would feel like we were being safer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` We were masking up .
We were sanitizing . ''
But other northbound hikers who finished several days ahead of the two women faced one other obstacle .
The trail officially ends at the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine 's Baxter State Park which did n't completely open until July 1 .
So a few hikers sneaked in to do the climb and shared photos of themselves doing it .
That created more hard feelings .
`` That puts a bad mark on the trail community , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hostel for hikers .
And that 's just saying ... you can do whatever you want .
Do n't listen to anybody . ''
For Sandi Marra of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy it demonstrated what she calls `` privileged behavior '' especially as COVID-19 cases continue to climb around the country .
The hikers finishing now say they have no regrets .
`` I do n't know , I think we 're living our best lives right now , '' Kornegay said .
`` Been nice having most everything to ourselves . ''

Despite Coronavirus, Some Hikers Go The Distance On The Appalachian Trail
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Kristen Glennie Courtesy of Kristen Glennie
Every year, several thousand adventurous souls set out to hike all 2,190 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. But in March, thru-hikers were kindly asked to put their dreams on hold because of the pandemic.
"We asked people that hadn't started their hike to postpone it and we asked people who were on the trail to please leave," says Sandi Marra, president and CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, which manages and protects the trail.
Marra said even before the pandemic there were regular outbreaks of other viruses in crowded bunkhouses and shelters. Hikers often don't have access to soap and water for days at a time, so good hygiene can be a challenge. There were concerns hikers would infect each other or spread the virus to rural towns where they went to pick up food and supplies.
Overnight facilities and privies along the trail were closed. But then came a tremendous flood of day hikers trying to escape the confines of their homes.
At that point everyone was asked to get off the trail. Many thru-hikers, including Zack Chen of Poughkeepsie, N.Y, bailed. Chen said he made the decision after getting yelled at in a North Carolina post office.
"It was something along the lines of, 'You're endangering a lot of elder folk. You're really putting peoples' lives in jeopardy,' " Chen said.
He waited until July before trying again, and this time he's going in reverse from Maine to Georgia, but other thru-hikers decided to stay the course.
Drew Miller and Dustin Kornegay of North Carolina set off from Georgia on Feb. 29. They both quit their jobs to make the trip and briefly discussed giving up.
"I mean, for me personally, I put so many other things in life on hold to come out and do the trail, and this was my one chance to do it," Kornegay said. "So I was not gonna stop. That's what it came down to."
toggle caption Courtesy of Kristen Glennie
The decision of thru-hikers not to follow the Conservancy's guidance generated harsh criticism in the online trail community.
"Yeah, we did hear that," Kristen Glennie said. "Right at the peak when everything was getting worse, people were throwing around like 'Grandma Killers' and like stuff like that."
Glennie and Mary Szatkowski, both from Maine, finished their 2,200-mile journey on July 4. Along the way, Szatkowski said, they were confident they could follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"When we went to town we would feel like we were being safer than the residents there," Szatkowski said. "We were masking up. We were sanitizing."
But other northbound hikers who finished several days ahead of the two women faced one other obstacle. The trail officially ends at the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine's Baxter State Park, which didn't completely open until July 1. So a few hikers sneaked in to do the climb and shared photos of themselves doing it. That created more hard feelings.
"That puts a bad mark on the trail community," said Paul Renaud, who runs a nearby hostel for hikers. And that's just saying ... you can do whatever you want. Don't listen to anybody."
For Sandi Marra of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, it demonstrated what she calls "privileged behavior," especially as coronavirus cases continue to climb around the country.
The hikers finishing now say they have no regrets.
"I don't know, I think we're living our best lives right now," Kornegay said. "Been nice having most everything to ourselves."


npr--2020-07-15--China Threatens Response After U.S. Sanctions Over Crackdown On Hong Kong

China Threatens Response After U.S. Sanctions Over Crackdown On Hong Kong China on Wednesday promised to retaliate against `` U.S. institutions and individuals '' after President Trump signed legislation and an executive order sanctioning Beijing for imposing a sweeping new national security law on Hong Kong .
Trump on Tuesday signed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act , which approves sanctions on Chinese officials and banks , as well as an executive order ending Hong Kong 's preferential trade treatment .
`` Today I signed legislation , and an executive order to hold China accountable for its aggressive actions against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told reporters at the White House Rose Garden .
`` Hong Kong will now be treated the same as mainland China , '' he said .
`` No special privileges , no special economic treatment and no export of sensitive technologies . ''
China 's foreign ministry condemned the move , saying Beijing would protect `` its legitimate interests '' by imposing sanctions `` against related U.S. institutions and individuals . ''
Although the foreign ministry did not elaborate , Maryland Democrat Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Patrick Toomey , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were likely to be among the sanctioned individuals , Chen Long , a partner at the independent research agency Plenum , told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post .
Hong Kong , a former British colony , reverted to Chinese control in 1997 under an agreement with London that was to have guaranteed a `` high degree of autonomy '' for the territory , including substantial political freedoms , for a period of 50 years .
However , Beijing has slowly eroded those freedoms and reneged on promises for more representative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2014 and again in recent months in Hong Kong have opposed what activists see as Beijing 's heavy handling of the territory .
Late last month Beijing imposed the national security law , which criminalizes — in the words of the law — secession , subversion of state power , terrorism and collusion with foreign entities , with penalties of up to life in prison .
The Hong Kong Autonomy Act and Trump 's executive order eliminate special treatment for Hong Kong passport holders and end an extradition agreement between Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eliminates joint U.S.-Hong Kong police training and revokes license exceptions for exports to Hong Kong .
It also ends cooperation between U.S. and Chinese agencies , such as the U.S. Geological Survey .
The Trump administration 's latest moves against Beijing follow a souring of relations that has come amid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic , which originated in central China and has since spread globally , infecting and killing more people in the U.S. than in any other country .
Washington blames China for covering up the extent of the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even suggested that the virus may have escaped from a Chinese lab , a scenario widely dismissed by scientists .
On Monday , the Trump administration rejected Beijing 's maritime claims in the South China Sea , a long-running conflict between China and several Southeast Asian countries over control of key islands in the region .
`` We are making clear : Beijing 's claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful , as is its campaign of bullying to control them , '' Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just prior to the pandemic , Trump had praised China 's President Xi Jinping after the two leaders negotiated a Phase 1 trade deal .
However , at Tuesday 's White House news conference , Trump said he had no interest in talking with Xi .

China Threatens Response After U.S. Sanctions Over Crackdown On Hong Kong
Enlarge this image toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP Evan Vucci/AP
China on Wednesday promised to retaliate against "U.S. institutions and individuals" after President Trump signed legislation and an executive order sanctioning Beijing for imposing a sweeping new national security law on Hong Kong.
Trump on Tuesday signed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which approves sanctions on Chinese officials and banks, as well as an executive order ending Hong Kong's preferential trade treatment.
"Today I signed legislation, and an executive order to hold China accountable for its aggressive actions against the people of Hong Kong," Trump told reporters at the White House Rose Garden.
"Hong Kong will now be treated the same as mainland China," he said. "No special privileges, no special economic treatment and no export of sensitive technologies."
China's foreign ministry condemned the move, saying Beijing would protect "its legitimate interests" by imposing sanctions "against related U.S. institutions and individuals."
Although the foreign ministry did not elaborate, Maryland Democrat Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Patrick Toomey, who introduced the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, were likely to be among the sanctioned individuals, Chen Long, a partner at the independent research agency Plenum, told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.
Hong Kong, a former British colony, reverted to Chinese control in 1997 under an agreement with London that was to have guaranteed a "high degree of autonomy" for the territory, including substantial political freedoms, for a period of 50 years.
However, Beijing has slowly eroded those freedoms and reneged on promises for more representative government in Hong Kong. Mass protests in 2014 and again in recent months in Hong Kong have opposed what activists see as Beijing's heavy handling of the territory. Late last month Beijing imposed the national security law, which criminalizes — in the words of the law — secession, subversion of state power, terrorism and collusion with foreign entities, with penalties of up to life in prison.
The Hong Kong Autonomy Act and Trump's executive order eliminate special treatment for Hong Kong passport holders and end an extradition agreement between Hong Kong and the U.S. The executive order eliminates joint U.S.-Hong Kong police training and revokes license exceptions for exports to Hong Kong.
It also ends cooperation between U.S. and Chinese agencies, such as the U.S. Geological Survey.
The Trump administration's latest moves against Beijing follow a souring of relations that has come amid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in central China and has since spread globally, infecting and killing more people in the U.S. than in any other country.
Washington blames China for covering up the extent of the outbreak in its earliest days and Trump has even suggested that the virus may have escaped from a Chinese lab, a scenario widely dismissed by scientists.
On Monday, the Trump administration rejected Beijing's maritime claims in the South China Sea, a long-running conflict between China and several Southeast Asian countries over control of key islands in the region.
"We are making clear: Beijing's claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
Just prior to the pandemic, Trump had praised China's President Xi Jinping after the two leaders negotiated a Phase 1 trade deal. However, at Tuesday's White House news conference, Trump said he had no interest in talking with Xi.


npr--2020-07-15--Court Halts Dakota Access Pipeline Shutdown As Legal Fight Goes Forward

The Dakota Access Pipeline may continue to pump crude oil through South Dakota after a federal appellate court on Tuesday temporarily blocked a shutdown ordered by a lower court that was to begin next month .
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued an administrative stay that will be in effect at least through next Thursday while the pipeline 's operator , Energy Transfer LP , and its opponents file briefs .
The company is appealing the lower court 's shutdown order and asking it be blocked pending the final outcome of its appeal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ project for years with environmentalists and Native American tribes , under whose land a small portion of the $ 3.8 billion , 1,172-mile North Dakota-to-Illinois pipeline runs .
`` The purpose of this administrative stay is to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the emergency motion for stay and should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of that motion , '' the court said in the order .
GAIN Coalition , a consortium of businesses , trade associations and labor groups that supports the pipeline , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key step forward in reaffirming the Dakota Access Pipeline 's critical role in the American energy infrastructure network . ''
North Dakota Republican U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer hailed the order as `` common sense . ''
Members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe contend a part of the pipeline that runs beneath Lake Oahe could contaminate the reservation 's drinking water and sacred lands .
In legal filings , they claim the Army Corps of Engineers improperly issued construction permits and failed to conduct adequate environmental analysis of the pipeline 's impact .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ An administrative stay is not in any way indicative of how the court is going to rule — it just buys the court a little additional time to make a decision , '' Earthjustice attorney Jan Hasselman , who represents the tribe , said in a statement to the Bismark Tribune .
Months of sometimes violent protests against the pipeline took place in 2016 and 2017 during construction near Standing Rock Sioux Reservation , which straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border .
On July 6 , U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ordered Energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pipeline within 30 days .
Boasberg ruled in March that the Army Corps had failed to address concerns about the risk of oil spills and ordered it to conduct a full environmental impact study .
That study could take another year to complete .
The appeals court has given the tribe until Monday to respond to Energy Transfer 's request to be allowed to continue operating pending its appeal of the shutdown .
The company then has until July 23 to file its reply .

Court Halts Dakota Access Pipeline Shutdown As Legal Fight Goes Forward
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images
The Dakota Access Pipeline may continue to pump crude oil through South Dakota after a federal appellate court on Tuesday temporarily blocked a shutdown ordered by a lower court that was to begin next month.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued an administrative stay that will be in effect at least through next Thursday while the pipeline's operator, Energy Transfer LP, and its opponents file briefs. The company is appealing the lower court's shutdown order and asking it be blocked pending the final outcome of its appeal.
The company has been fighting over the project for years with environmentalists and Native American tribes, under whose land a small portion of the $3.8 billion, 1,172-mile North Dakota-to-Illinois pipeline runs.
"The purpose of this administrative stay is to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the emergency motion for stay and should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of that motion," the court said in the order.
GAIN Coalition, a consortium of businesses, trade associations and labor groups that supports the pipeline, called Tuesday's temporary stay "a key step forward in reaffirming the Dakota Access Pipeline's critical role in the American energy infrastructure network."
North Dakota Republican U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer hailed the order as "common sense."
Members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe contend a part of the pipeline that runs beneath Lake Oahe could contaminate the reservation's drinking water and sacred lands. In legal filings, they claim the Army Corps of Engineers improperly issued construction permits and failed to conduct adequate environmental analysis of the pipeline's impact.
"It's important to recognize: An administrative stay is not in any way indicative of how the court is going to rule — it just buys the court a little additional time to make a decision," Earthjustice attorney Jan Hasselman, who represents the tribe, said in a statement to the Bismark Tribune.
Months of sometimes violent protests against the pipeline took place in 2016 and 2017 during construction near Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, which straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border.
On July 6, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ordered Energy Transfer to halt oil flow and empty the pipeline within 30 days. Boasberg ruled in March that the Army Corps had failed to address concerns about the risk of oil spills and ordered it to conduct a full environmental impact study. That study could take another year to complete.
The appeals court has given the tribe until Monday to respond to Energy Transfer's request to be allowed to continue operating pending its appeal of the shutdown. The company then has until July 23 to file its reply.


npr--2020-07-15--Senator Lifts Hold On Military Promotions After Assurances On Impeachment Witness

Senator Lifts Hold On Military Promotions After Assurances On Impeachment Witness Sen. Tammy Duckworth , D-Ill. , said Tuesday that she would lift a hold on more than 1,100 senior military promotions after the Department of Defense assured her that it did not block the promotion of Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman — a key witness in the impeachment inquiry of President Trump .
Duckworth , a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and combat veteran , put the hold on promotions earlier this month , demanding written confirmation from Defense Secretary Mike Esper that the former National Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to full colonel .
`` Donald Trump 's unprecedented efforts to further politicize our military by retaliating against Lt. Col. Vindman — for doing his patriotic duty of telling the truth under oath — are unconscionable , '' the senator said in a statement announcing that she would lift the hold .
`` I 'm glad the Department of Defense was finally able to set the record straight that Vindman had earned and was set to receive a promotion to Colonel . ''
`` We must always protect the merit-based system that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political corruption and unlawful retaliation , '' she added .
Vindman , who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine as a child , testified before the House Intelligence Committee last year , raising concerns about a call he listened in on between President Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy .
The testimony earned him Trump 's ire .
In February , Vindman was fired from the NSC and escorted out of the White House .
His twin brother , Yevgeny , also an Army lieutenant colonel , who did not testify at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same day from his job as an ethics lawyer at the council .
Through his lawyer , Vindman announced last week that he would retire from the Army following a campaign of `` bullying , intimidation , and retaliation '' against him that had `` made it clear that his future within the institution he has dutifully served will forever be limited . ''
Under Senate rules , any member can place a hold on legislation , effectively blocking its consideration .
The Pentagon recommends military promotions to the White House , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmation .
Duckworth , a former Army helicopter pilot who lost both legs after getting shot down in Iraq , has been an advocate for veterans ' affairs .
She was elected to the U.S. House in 2012 and to the Senate in 2016 .

Senator Lifts Hold On Military Promotions After Assurances On Impeachment Witness
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said Tuesday that she would lift a hold on more than 1,100 senior military promotions after the Department of Defense assured her that it did not block the promotion of Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman — a key witness in the impeachment inquiry of President Trump.
Duckworth, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and combat veteran, put the hold on promotions earlier this month, demanding written confirmation from Defense Secretary Mark Esper that the former National Security Council aide had been recommended for advancement to full colonel.
"Donald Trump's unprecedented efforts to further politicize our military by retaliating against Lt. Col. Vindman — for doing his patriotic duty of telling the truth under oath — are unconscionable," the senator said in a statement announcing that she would lift the hold. "I'm glad the Department of Defense was finally able to set the record straight that Vindman had earned and was set to receive a promotion to Colonel."
"We must always protect the merit-based system that is the foundation of our Armed Forces from political corruption and unlawful retaliation," she added.
Vindman, who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine as a child, testified before the House Intelligence Committee last year, raising concerns about a call he listened in on between President Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The testimony earned him Trump's ire.
Fake News @CNN & MSDNC keep talking about “Lt. Col.” Vindman as though I should think only how wonderful he was. Actually, I don’t know him, never spoke to him, or met him (I don’t believe!) but, he was very insubordinate, reported contents of my “perfect” calls incorrectly, &... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 8, 2020
In February, Vindman was fired from the NSC and escorted out of the White House. His twin brother, Yevgeny, also an Army lieutenant colonel, who did not testify at the impeachment hearings, was fired the same day from his job as an ethics lawyer at the council.
Through his lawyer, Vindman announced last week that he would retire from the Army following a campaign of "bullying, intimidation, and retaliation" against him that had "made it clear that his future within the institution he has dutifully served will forever be limited."
Duckworth, a former Army helicopter pilot who lost both legs after getting shot down in Iraq, has been an advocate for veterans' affairs. She was elected to the U.S. House in 2012 and to the Senate in 2016.


npr--2020-07-14--Federal Judge Rejects Harvey Weinstein's $19 Million Settlement With Alleged Victims

A federal New York judge has thrown out a proposed $ 18.9 million settlement between convicted rapist and former movie producer Harvey Weinstein , and several women .
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein said the offer failed to adequately compensate many of the victims who allege they were sexually assaulted or raped by Weinstein .
He also faulted the money included in the settlement that would help pay Weinstein 's legal bills .
In a telephone hearing , Hellerstein said it was unfair to include women who 'd merely met Weinstein with those making more grievous charges , Reuters reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the same way , '' Hellerstein said .
`` Your settlement would create inequality among all of those people . ''
Under the proposal , which was drafted after years of negotiation , each woman would have been entitled to file a claim for up to $ 750,000 .
A sum attorneys representing alleged victims say does n't come close to covering the pain , suffering and legal costs many of the women have faced .
Weinstein would not have admitted any wrongdoing under the settlement .
`` We have been saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the settlement terms and conditions were unfair and should never be imposed on sexual assault survivors , '' attorneys Douglas Wigdor , Bryan Arbeit and Kevin Mintzer said in a joint statement .
They represent six accusers who objected to the settlement .
`` We were surprised that class counsel and the New York Attorney General did not recognize this fact but are pleased that Judge Hellerstein swiftly rejected the one-sided proposal .
On behalf of our clients , we look forward to pursuing justice against Harvey Weinstein and his many enablers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposed to the settlement filed to the court on Monday claimed the proposed settlement `` diverted approximately $ 7.3 million to The Weinstein Company estate to cover administrative and general unsecured claims in the company 's bankruptcy proceeding .
...
According to public records , among those unsecured creditors included Harvey and Robert Weinstein , other former Weinstein Company directors , lawyers , major corporations and famous actors . ''
Meanwhile , Elizabeth Fegan , an attorney representing the class action plaintiffs , said she was disappointed by Hellerstein 's ruling .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find justice for all the women that Weinstein preyed upon in a fair and equitable way , '' Fegan said in a statement .
`` Now , we need to turn our attention to litigating our clients ' individual cases . ''
New York Attorney General Letitia James , who spearheaded litigation against Weinstein and his company , said her office is considering how to proceed .
`` We will review the decision and determine next steps .
Our office has been fighting tirelessly to provide these brave women with the justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do so , '' James said in a statement .
Attorneys for Weinstein have not replied to a request for comment from NPR .
Weinstein , now 68 , is serving a 23-year sentence for sexually assaulting one woman and raping another .
He has denied all allegations against him and contends he has never forced anyone to engage in any sex acts .
He is appealing the verdict while also facing rape and sexual assault charges in Los Angeles .

Federal Judge Rejects Harvey Weinstein's $19 Million Settlement With Alleged Victims
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Lennihan/AP Mark Lennihan/AP
A federal New York judge has thrown out a proposed $18.9 million settlement between convicted rapist and former movie producer Harvey Weinstein, and several women.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein said the offer failed to adequately compensate many of the victims who allege they were sexually assaulted or raped by Weinstein.
He also faulted the money included in the settlement that would help pay Weinstein's legal bills.
In a telephone hearing, Hellerstein said it was unfair to include women who'd merely met Weinstein with those making more grievous charges, Reuters reported.
"Not every woman was captured in the same way," Hellerstein said. "Your settlement would create inequality among all of those people."
Under the proposal, which was drafted after years of negotiation, each woman would have been entitled to file a claim for up to $750,000. A sum attorneys representing alleged victims say doesn't come close to covering the pain, suffering and legal costs many of the women have faced.
Weinstein would not have admitted any wrongdoing under the settlement.
"We have been saying for over a year and a half that the settlement terms and conditions were unfair and should never be imposed on sexual assault survivors," attorneys Douglas Wigdor, Bryan Arbeit and Kevin Mintzer said in a joint statement. They represent six accusers who objected to the settlement.
"We were surprised that class counsel and the New York Attorney General did not recognize this fact but are pleased that Judge Hellerstein swiftly rejected the one-sided proposal. On behalf of our clients, we look forward to pursuing justice against Harvey Weinstein and his many enablers."
A 36-page brief by those opposed to the settlement filed to the court on Monday claimed the proposed settlement "diverted approximately $7.3 million to The Weinstein Company estate to cover administrative and general unsecured claims in the company's bankruptcy proceeding. ... According to public records, among those unsecured creditors included Harvey and Robert Weinstein, other former Weinstein Company directors, lawyers, major corporations and famous actors."
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Fegan, an attorney representing the class action plaintiffs, said she was disappointed by Hellerstein's ruling.
"We've long held that we needed to find justice for all the women that Weinstein preyed upon in a fair and equitable way," Fegan said in a statement.
"Now, we need to turn our attention to litigating our clients' individual cases."
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who spearheaded litigation against Weinstein and his company, said her office is considering how to proceed.
"We will review the decision and determine next steps. Our office has been fighting tirelessly to provide these brave women with the justice they are owed and will continue to do so," James said in a statement.
Attorneys for Weinstein have not replied to a request for comment from NPR.
Weinstein, now 68, is serving a 23-year sentence for sexually assaulting one woman and raping another.
He has denied all allegations against him and contends he has never forced anyone to engage in any sex acts. He is appealing the verdict while also facing rape and sexual assault charges in Los Angeles.


npr--2020-07-14--Jeff Sessions Loses Comeback Bid For Alabama Senate Seat

Updated at 4:45 a.m .
ET on Wednesday Jeff Sessions has lost a bid to regain his old Alabama U.S. Senate after falling from grace as President Trump 's attorney general .
Sessions had been hoping for redemption after enduring months of relentless ridicule from Trump that eventually led to his resignation as the country 's top lawyer .
But it was not to be .
Instead , Sessions conceded defeat to former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville , a political neophyte , who handily beat him in the state 's runoff election for the Republican nomination for U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with my integrity intact , '' Sessions told reporters .
`` I hold my head high . ''
Tuberville , 65 , who was endorsed by the president in the GOP matchup — edged ahead of Sessions in Alabama 's state primary in March but failed to secure a majority of the vote , setting up Tuesday 's runoff .
Tuberville will now face Democratic incumbent Sen. Doug Jones in November .
As the race was called late Tuesday , Trump was quick to tweet about the stinging defeat .
`` Tommy Tuberville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a GREAT Senator for the incredible people of Alabama , '' Trump wrote .
Sessions was an early endorser of Trump 's presidential bid and then served as the president 's attorney general until he was ousted in the fall of 2018 .
Sessions faced prolonged criticism from the president for choosing to recuse himself from special counsel Robert Mueller 's investigation into Russian election interference .
Sessions said he was bound by law to recuse himself .
Trump has continued to mock Sessions , calling him a `` disaster '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I know that he has his strong feelings about this race , '' said Sessions , who previously held the Alabama Senate seat for 20 years .
`` I know he 's upset about the long , prolonged investigation that really disrupted his life and , in many ways , made it hard for him to govern effectively . ''
In a recent advertisement , Tuberville highlighted Sessions ' tenure in the Trump administration , saying Sessions `` was n't man enough to stand with President Trump when things got tough .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsement , Tuberville outraised Sessions by more than $ 1 million .
Tuberville faced attacks from the Sessions campaign over his lack of political experience .
As NPR 's Debbie Elliott reported , the former coach `` faced scrutiny for his role in a hedge fund that defrauded investors , and Sessions has criticized him for living in Florida before coming back to Alabama to run for Senate . ''
Looking ahead to the general election , Jones ' seat in the Senate is likely to be the hardest for Democrats to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a 2017 special election amid Moore being accused of sexual assault and having controversial engagements with underage women .
Jones was the first Alabama Democrat to be elected to the U.S. Senate since 1997 .
The race is expected to lean Republican , according to the Cook Political Report .

Jeff Sessions Loses Comeback Bid For Alabama Senate Seat
Enlarge this image toggle caption Vasha Hunt/AP Vasha Hunt/AP
Updated at 4:45 a.m. ET on Wednesday
Jeff Sessions has lost a bid to regain his old Alabama U.S. Senate after falling from grace as President Trump's attorney general.
Sessions had been hoping for redemption after enduring months of relentless ridicule from Trump that eventually led to his resignation as the country's top lawyer.
But it was not to be. Sessions conceded defeat to former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville, a political neophyte, who handily beat him in the state's runoff election for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.
"I leave elected office with my integrity intact," Sessions told reporters. "I hold my head high."
Tuberville, 65, who was endorsed by the president in the GOP matchup, edged ahead of Sessions in Alabama's state primary in March but failed to secure a majority of the vote, setting up Tuesday's runoff. Tuberville will now face Democratic incumbent Sen. Doug Jones in November.
As the race was called late Tuesday, Trump was quick to tweet about the stinging defeat.
Wow, just called! @TTuberville - Tommy Tuberville WON big against Jeff Sessions. Will be a GREAT Senator for the incredible people of Alabama. @DougJones is a terrible Senator who is just a Super Liberal puppet for Schumer & Pelosi. Represents Alabama poorly. On to November 3rd. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 15, 2020
"Tommy Tuberville WON big against Jeff Sessions. Will be a GREAT Senator for the incredible people of Alabama," Trump wrote.
toggle caption Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Sessions was an early endorser of Trump's presidential bid and then served as the president's attorney general until he was ousted in the fall of 2018. Sessions faced prolonged criticism from the president for choosing to recuse himself from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference. Sessions said he was bound by law to recuse himself.
Trump has continued to mock Sessions, calling him a "disaster" and loudly endorsing Tuberville for the seat.
"I know that he has his strong feelings about this race," said Sessions, who previously held the Alabama Senate seat for 20 years. "I know he's upset about the long, prolonged investigation that really disrupted his life and, in many ways, made it hard for him to govern effectively."
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In a recent advertisement, Tuberville highlighted Sessions' tenure in the Trump administration, saying Sessions "wasn't man enough to stand with President Trump when things got tough."
In addition to securing Trump's endorsement, Tuberville outraised Sessions by more than $1 million.
Tuberville faced attacks from the Sessions campaign over his lack of political experience. As NPR's Debbie Elliott reported, the former coach "faced scrutiny for his role in a hedge fund that defrauded investors, and Sessions has criticized him for living in Florida before coming back to Alabama to run for Senate."
Looking ahead to the general election, Jones' seat in the Senate is likely to be the hardest for Democrats to hold onto. Jones narrowly defeated Roy Moore in a 2017 special election amid Moore being accused of sexual assault and having controversial engagements with underage girls.
Jones was the first Alabama Democrat to be elected to the U.S. Senate since 1992. The race is expected to lean Republican, according to the Cook Political Report.


npr--2020-07-16--Psychiatrist: America's 'Extremely Punitive' Prisons Make Mental Illness Worse

Psychiatrist Christine Montross has spent years treating people with serious mental illnesses — sometimes in hospitals , other times in jails or prisons .
`` The patients that I was seeing in my hospital were indistinguishable many times from the men and women that I was evaluating in jail , '' Montross says .
`` But the environments were so markedly different .
One [ is ] charged with ... trying to help and heal , and the other [ is ] really designed to control and punish . ''
Montross is a 2015 Guggenheim fellow and an associate professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University 's medical school .
In her new book , Waiting for an Echo : The Madness of American Incarceration , she writes that in the U.S. , people with serious mental illnesses are far more likely to be incarcerated than they are to be treated in a psychiatric hospital — despite the fact that incarceration often makes mentally ill people worse .
`` People who are mentally ill to begin with are in circumstances that are not therapeutic and supportive at all , that are extremely punitive , '' she says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagine that people can emerge from those situations psychologically intact . ''
Montross advocates for rethinking the U.S. approach to mental illness and incarceration .
While researching her book , she studied Norway 's prison system , which focuses on reducing recidivism by treating the behaviors that led to the arrest .
`` That fundamental shift in philosophy was really fascinating to me , '' Montross says .
`` The [ American ] system is broken , but we do n't have to reinvent the wheel in order to fix it .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ road map for how to achieve the outcomes we desire without us starting from scratch . ''
On what police call a `` compassionate arrest '' of mentally ill people Police officers , sometimes in an attempt to provide mentally ill people with treatment , have said things to me : `` We know if we take them to jail , they will at least get 'three hots and a cot . '
They will at least get their psychiatric medications . ''
And so taking them to jail feels like an act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` compassionate arrest '' struck me so deeply , because we would never do something like that for someone to make sure that someone received their treatment for diabetes .
We would never arrest someone to make sure that they received treatment for their cancer .
We only do that in this situation of the mentally ill , and that , to me , seems like a travesty .
On how incarceration makes people with mental illnesses worse When you are in the prison system , the expectations are very clear .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; you 're meant to follow those rules .
If you do n't follow the rules , there are consequences , and the consequences result in greater punishment , greater control .
When a person with mental illness enters into that system , there is a misalignment between the straightforward system and their ability to comply with that system .
So if someone is not thinking clearly , if they 're feeling extremely paranoid , they are not going to trust the rules that are being told to them or the people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentally ill people are not able to comply with the instructions and expectations that are laid out for them in jail , the result is greater and greater punishment .
So one of the things that we see frequently is that as punishments escalate , the end-of-the-line punishment is solitary confinement .
So if people run afoul of the rules in prison enough times , they can be sent to solitary confinement — which is a disastrous outcome for people with mental illness .
On a disgusting and dehumanizing prison meal known as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach , for lack of a better word , in many correctional facilities across our country .
It goes by many different names , but essentially it is a food item that is supplied to people in prison — often as punishment , oftentimes within realms of solitary confinement .
Nutrition , the nutritional needs of the person , are all ostensibly met , but they are met by grinding up , for example , the leftovers of several prison meals , having those ground-up [ leftovers ] put into a loaf pan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Or sometimes there 'll be a very detailed list of ingredients ... like beans , oats , margarine , mechanically separated poultry — ingredients that tick off a checklist of nutritional needs but are then combined and prepared in a way that is absolutely disgusting when you hear people describe the experience of eating it .
It 's intended to be disgusting .
And so the reason that I wrote about it was really to get at the urge that I see so much in our nation 's [ incarceration ] practices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I think nutraloaf , to me , was just a prime example of how blatant our intention is that we say that we incarcerate people to rehabilitate them or to keep our communities safe , and yet the foremost thing that I saw over and over again is how much we want people to suffer once they 're held within our jails and prisons .
On how Norway changed its prison system In the 1980s and '90s , Norway had a prison system that looked very much like our prison system .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ within their jails and prisons .
They had a high recidivism rate .
...
The government looked at the situation and acknowledged that it was n't working , that they were n't having the outcomes that they desired .
... And so they took a very hard look at the prison system to revamp it , to see how their outcomes could improve and how the safety of the system could improve .
...
They assigned a working group within the justice system to look at changes that could be made .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of that working group was to stop meeting hard with hard and start meeting hard with soft .
And what I learned they meant by this was that if you take a harsh stance of punishment toward people when they enter the legal system , you do n't get the outcomes that you desire .
...
So they decided to do a needs assessment of everyone who came into prison immediately and when they arrived to see , `` Do you have a substance use problem ?
Well , then we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get you mental health treatment for your addiction .
Do you need job training ?
Do you need education ?
Do you need language assistance ?
Do you need anger management classes or parenting classes ?
What are the root causes of the behaviors that are getting you arrested that we can try to address so that we 'll use this time in prison constructively , so that when you leave prison , you do n't come back ? ''
And that fundamental shift in philosophy was really fascinating to me .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ being shocked by what she saw [ It was ] completely antithetical to any prison I had ever seen .
I was picked up at the train station by the warden , driven onto these very parklike grounds in a really beautiful setting .
And the warden explained to me that when the architects designed the facility at Halden Prison , that it was really important to them to have the prison feel as though it was set in nature .
And there 's historical precedent for this , even in our own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of yore .
It was seen to be really critical that people had fresh air and fresh water and a beautiful view .
That that was understood even back then to be restorative .
But that was very much implemented intentionally in the design of Halden prison .
...
These are men who have committed extremely serious crimes — no different from men who are held in high-security prisons in America .
The living quarters essentially look like a new and clean youth hostel or spartan dormitory .
Each man has his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He has a bed with a colorful bedspread , and he has his own bathroom .
There 's a TV on the wall ... and the door closes because part of the Norwegian philosophy is that everyone is entitled to their own privacy .
And that 's not something that you lose when you are incarcerated .
Then there 's a communal living area that looks kind of like a living room would be in a dormitory , and there 's a kitchen .
And one of the things that was extremely surprising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprising to all visitors that come from America to Halden Prison , is that there was a magnetic knife strip on the wall of the kitchen with all manner of cooking knives .
There was a dart board [ and ] a silverware drawer .
As someone who 's trained to look for risk , I 'm seeing all of these implements that could be used for one person to hurt another .
But these men use the knives to cook their own meals , and they use the darts to entertain themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their rooms for sleep , and they use the silverware to eat their meals .
The level of personal responsibility is so much greater , and that 's reflected in the environment .
It was really striking .
Sam Briger and Thea Chaloner produced and edited the audio of this interview .
Bridget Bentz , Molly Seavy-Nesper and Deborah Franklin adapted it for the Web .

Psychiatrist: America's 'Extremely Punitive' Prisons Make Mental Illness Worse
Enlarge this image toggle caption Heiko Junge/AFP via Getty Images Heiko Junge/AFP via Getty Images
Psychiatrist Christine Montross has spent years treating people with serious mental illnesses — sometimes in hospitals, other times in jails or prisons.
"The patients that I was seeing in my hospital were indistinguishable many times from the men and women that I was evaluating in jail," Montross says. "But the environments were so markedly different. One [is] charged with ... trying to help and heal, and the other [is] really designed to control and punish."
Montross is a 2015 Guggenheim fellow and an associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University's medical school. In her new book, Waiting for an Echo: The Madness of American Incarceration, she writes that in the U.S., people with serious mental illnesses are far more likely to be incarcerated than they are to be treated in a psychiatric hospital — despite the fact that incarceration often makes mentally ill people worse.
"People who are mentally ill to begin with are in circumstances that are not therapeutic and supportive at all, that are extremely punitive," she says. "It's unrealistic for us to imagine that people can emerge from those situations psychologically intact."
Montross advocates for rethinking the U.S. approach to mental illness and incarceration. While researching her book, she studied Norway's prison system, which focuses on reducing recidivism by treating the behaviors that led to the arrest.
"That fundamental shift in philosophy was really fascinating to me," Montross says. "The [American] system is broken, but we don't have to reinvent the wheel in order to fix it. There are places that can show us a road map for how to achieve the outcomes we desire without us starting from scratch."
Interview highlights
On what police call a "compassionate arrest" of mentally ill people
We would never arrest someone to make sure that they received treatment for their cancer. We only do that in this situation of the mentally ill, and that, to me, seems like a travesty.
Police officers, sometimes in an attempt to provide mentally ill people with treatment, have said things to me: "We know if we take them to jail, they will at least get 'three hots and a cot.' They will at least get their psychiatric medications." And so taking them to jail feels like an act of compassion.
So this idea of a "compassionate arrest" struck me so deeply, because we would never do something like that for someone to make sure that someone received their treatment for diabetes. We would never arrest someone to make sure that they received treatment for their cancer. We only do that in this situation of the mentally ill, and that, to me, seems like a travesty.
On how incarceration makes people with mental illnesses worse
Enlarge this image Penguin Random House Penguin Random House
When you are in the prison system, the expectations are very clear. You're given a set of rules; you're meant to follow those rules. If you don't follow the rules, there are consequences, and the consequences result in greater punishment, greater control. When a person with mental illness enters into that system, there is a misalignment between the straightforward system and their ability to comply with that system. So if someone is not thinking clearly, if they're feeling extremely paranoid, they are not going to trust the rules that are being told to them or the people who are expressing those rules. ...
When mentally ill people are not able to comply with the instructions and expectations that are laid out for them in jail, the result is greater and greater punishment. So one of the things that we see frequently is that as punishments escalate, the end-of-the-line punishment is solitary confinement. So if people run afoul of the rules in prison enough times, they can be sent to solitary confinement — which is a disastrous outcome for people with mental illness.
On a disgusting and dehumanizing prison meal known as "nutraloaf"
The foremost thing that I saw over and over again is how much we want people to suffer once they're held within our jails and prisons.
Nutraloaf is a nutritional approach, for lack of a better word, in many correctional facilities across our country. It goes by many different names, but essentially it is a food item that is supplied to people in prison — often as punishment, oftentimes within realms of solitary confinement. Nutrition, the nutritional needs of the person, are all ostensibly met, but they are met by grinding up, for example, the leftovers of several prison meals, having those ground-up [leftovers] put into a loaf pan, baked and then sliced into chunks. Or sometimes there'll be a very detailed list of ingredients ... like beans, oats, margarine, mechanically separated poultry — ingredients that tick off a checklist of nutritional needs but are then combined and prepared in a way that is absolutely disgusting when you hear people describe the experience of eating it.
It's intended to be disgusting. And so the reason that I wrote about it was really to get at the urge that I see so much in our nation's [incarceration] practices, which is to make people suffer. I think nutraloaf, to me, was just a prime example of how blatant our intention is that we say that we incarcerate people to rehabilitate them or to keep our communities safe, and yet the foremost thing that I saw over and over again is how much we want people to suffer once they're held within our jails and prisons.
On how Norway changed its prison system
In the 1980s and '90s, Norway had a prison system that looked very much like our prison system. They had quite a bit of violence within their jails and prisons. They had a high recidivism rate. ... The government looked at the situation and acknowledged that it wasn't working, that they weren't having the outcomes that they desired. ... And so they took a very hard look at the prison system to revamp it, to see how their outcomes could improve and how the safety of the system could improve. ... They assigned a working group within the justice system to look at changes that could be made. And one of the central tenets that came out of that working group was to stop meeting hard with hard and start meeting hard with soft. And what I learned they meant by this was that if you take a harsh stance of punishment toward people when they enter the legal system, you don't get the outcomes that you desire. ...
So they decided to do a needs assessment of everyone who came into prison immediately and when they arrived to see, "Do you have a substance use problem? Well, then we will use the time that you're incarcerated to get you mental health treatment for your addiction. Do you need job training? Do you need education? Do you need language assistance? Do you need anger management classes or parenting classes? What are the root causes of the behaviors that are getting you arrested that we can try to address so that we'll use this time in prison constructively, so that when you leave prison, you don't come back?" And that fundamental shift in philosophy was really fascinating to me.
On visiting Halden Prison in Norway and being shocked by what she saw
[It was] completely antithetical to any prison I had ever seen. I was picked up at the train station by the warden, driven onto these very parklike grounds in a really beautiful setting. And the warden explained to me that when the architects designed the facility at Halden Prison, that it was really important to them to have the prison feel as though it was set in nature. And there's historical precedent for this, even in our own country — asylums and hospitals in days of yore. It was seen to be really critical that people had fresh air and fresh water and a beautiful view. That was understood even back then to be restorative. But that was very much implemented intentionally in the design of Halden prison. ...
These are men who have committed extremely serious crimes — no different from men who are held in high-security prisons in America. The living quarters essentially look like a new and clean youth hostel or spartan dormitory. Each man has his own room with a door that closes. He has a bed with a colorful bedspread, and he has his own bathroom. There's a TV on the wall ... and the door closes because part of the Norwegian philosophy is that everyone is entitled to their own privacy. And that's not something that you lose when you are incarcerated.
Then there's a communal living area that looks kind of like a living room would be in a dormitory, and there's a kitchen. And one of the things that was extremely surprising to me, and I think is surprising to all visitors that come from America to Halden Prison, is that there was a magnetic knife strip on the wall of the kitchen with all manner of cooking knives. There was a dart board [and] a silverware drawer.
As someone who's trained to look for risk, I'm seeing all of these implements that could be used for one person to hurt another. But these men use the knives to cook their own meals, and they use the darts to entertain themselves in the evenings before they all go to their rooms for sleep, and they use the silverware to eat their meals. The level of personal responsibility is so much greater, and that's reflected in the environment. It was really striking.
Sam Briger and Thea Chaloner produced and edited the audio of this interview. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Deborah Franklin adapted it for the Web.