npr--2020-06-20--Trump Expected To Suspend H-1B, Other Visas Until End Of Year

Trump Expected To Suspend H-1B , Other Visas Until End Of Year President Trump is expected to sign an order as soon as Saturday to suspend H-1B , L-1 and other temporary work visas through the end of the year , according to the multiple sources familiar with the plan .
The new order — which is expected to come with broad exceptions — comes as the administration continues to wrestle with high unemployment among American workers because of the coronavirus pandemic as well as kick-start the economic recovery .
The order would target H-1B visas , which are designed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employed in the tech industry , as well as L-1 visas , which are meant for executives who work for large corporations .
The executive action is also expected to suspend H-2B visas for seasonal workers such as hotel and construction staff ; J-1 visas , which are meant for research scholars and professors and other cultural and work-exchange programs .
Trump could renew the suspensions when they lapse .
The order is not expected to immediately affect anyone already in the United States .
`` No matter how you slice it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big win for American workers at a critical time , '' said RJ Hauman , government relations director at the Federation for American Immigration Reform , which advocates for lower levels of immigration .
FAIR had called on Trump to suspend guest worker visas .
`` We have some concern over potential abuse of broadly written exceptions , but there is still time for that to be addressed , both now and during implementation , '' Hauman said .
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the plans .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restriction on immigration imposed by the Trump administration since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year .
In May , Trump issued a temporary halt on new green cards but stopped short of suspending guest-worker programs amid concerns from the business community .
Negotiations are ongoing in the latest order over various exceptions , including whether au pairs should be included , and changes could still occur before Trump signs the measure , which could happen imminently .
But plans for the order have already raised significant concerns among business and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who depend on foreign workers and scholars .
`` The ban on H-1B visas , which are often used to fill very niche positions that are not easily found in the American workforce , will ultimately prove to be counterproductive and is an example of using a nuclear bomb to address a bar fight , '' said Leon Fresco , a former deputy assistant attorney general in the Obama administration who now represents H-1B workers .
The order does include many exceptions .
It does not apply to H-2A agriculture workers who Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shelves remain stocked with fruits and vegetables .
Health care workers involved in treating coronavirus patients would also be exempt .
The order would make broad exceptions for travel in the national interest , including in the areas of economics , public health and national security .
The U.S. State Department will review and approve these applications on a case-by-case basis .
In 2018 , the Trump administration first tightened rules for companies that contract out high-skilled workers who are in this country on H-1B visas .
The visas themselves have become controversial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly skilled foreign workers in situations in which they say there is a shortage of U.S.-born talent .
The visas are good for three years and renewable for another three-year term .
Critics of the visas — 85,000 of which are issued every year — say American workers are aced out of competition with workers who can be paid less .

Trump Freezes Green Cards, Many Work Visas Until End Of Year
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images
Updated 5:45 p.m. ET
President Trump on Monday extended a freeze on green cards for new immigrants and signed an executive order to suspend new H-1B, L-1, J and other temporary work visas for skilled workers, managers and au pairs through the end of the year.
The goal of the move is to protect 525,000 jobs as part of the White House response to job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic, said a senior administration official, who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity. NPR first reported the impending order on Saturday.
"Americans have been hurt through no fault of their own due to the coronavirus," the official said. "And the president is prioritizing getting them back into the labor supply and getting them to work and standing on their own two feet again."
The order targets H-1B visas, which are designed for certain skilled workers such as those employed in the tech industry, as well as L-1 visas, which are meant for executives who work for large corporations.
But other workers will also be affected, including foreign au pairs who provide child care. Professors and scholars are not to be included in the order, the official said. There will be a provision to request exemptions. The order is not expected to affect immigrants and visa holders already in the United States.
Business groups are expected to oppose the move. But groups that want less immigration cheered it.
"President Trump has repeatedly promised that he would put American workers first, and to his credit, he did just that," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which advocates for lower levels of immigration. FAIR had called on Trump to suspend guest worker visas.
"For the most part, the president withstood intense pressure from powerful business interests that continue to demand more cheap foreign labor, even as they have laid off an unprecedented number of American workers over the past three months " Stein said.
In May, Trump issued a temporary halt on new green cards but stopped short of suspending guest worker programs amid concerns from the business community.
Plans for Monday's order raised significant concerns among business and industry groups. "The ban on H-1B visas, which are often used to fill very niche positions that are not easily found in the American workforce, will ultimately prove to be counterproductive and is an example of using a nuclear bomb to address a bar fight," said Leon Fresco, a former deputy assistant attorney general in the Obama administration who now represents H-1B workers.
The order did not apply to H-2A agriculture workers, who Trump says are necessary to ensure grocery store shelves remain stocked with fruits and vegetables. Health care workers involved in treating coronavirus patients will also be exempt.


npr--2020-06-20--Judge Allows Bolton Memoir To Proceed, Despite Trump Administration Objection

Judge Allows Bolton Memoir To Proceed , Despite Trump Administration Objection The release of former national security adviser John Bolton 's new book , The Room Where It Happened , remains on track after a federal judge on Saturday rejected the Trump administration 's request to block its release .
Judge Royce Lamberth of the D.C. District Court said that Bolton may still be facing legal trouble and that because of a rush to print , it was likely his book contains classified information .
But with hundreds of thousands of copies of the book already out for sale , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruled that the administration 's efforts had come too late .
`` The damage is done , '' he wrote in a 10-page opinion .
`` Defendant Bolton has gambled with the national security of the United States .
He has exposed his country to harm and himself to civil ( and potentially criminal ) liability , '' Lamberth concluded .
`` But these facts do not control the motion before the Court .
The government has failed to establish that an injunction will prevent irreparable harm . ''
The Justice Department had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his publisher , Simon & Schuster , citing what it called the presence of classified information in Bolton 's manuscript .
But the book already has been widely reported on , and it is scheduled to be released Tuesday .
`` We are grateful that the Court has vindicated the strong First Amendment protections against censorship and prior restraint of publication , '' the publisher said in a statement shared Saturday with NPR .
`` We are very pleased that the public will now have the opportunity to read Ambassador Bolton 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Advisor . ''
Simon & Schuster previously said the injunction `` would accomplish nothing . ''
Indeed , a number of the book 's most damaging allegations against President Trump are free to find in a variety of media outlets , with the book already widely reviewed — including by NPR .
Bolton , who served in the administration for nearly a year and a half , alleges a wide array of indiscretions and outright violations of law , including promising favors to foreign leaders for help with Trump 's reelection and conducting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of life '' at the White House .
`` In fact , '' Bolton writes in the book , `` I am hard-pressed to identify any significant Trump decision during my tenure that was n't driven by reelection calculations . ''
The president and other deputies have denied the allegations made in the book and dismissed them as `` lies and fake stories . ''
Despite the judge 's ruling , the president sought to frame the decision on Saturday as a `` BIG COURT WIN '' .
Trump tweeted that although it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop the book 's release , Lamberth 's rebukes of Bolton offered vindication for the administration .
`` Bolton broke the law and has been called out and rebuked for so doing , with a really big price to pay , '' the president said .
`` He likes dropping bombs on people , and killing them .
Now he will have bombs dropped on him ! ''
In preparation for publishing , Bolton undertook a months-long review of his manuscript with an official on the National Security Council .
According to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late April , that official , Ellen Knight , concluded `` that the manuscript draft did not contain classified information . ''
The government says Bolton abandoned the process after the launch of `` an additional review '' by another member of the NSC , Michael Ellis .
Bolton 's attorneys deny that claim , saying he `` has fully discharged all duties that the Federal Government may lawfully require of him . ''
The judge made his distaste for Bolton 's conduct clear in order .
He noted that , in opting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the former national security adviser was likely to run afoul of his nondisclosure agreements with the government .
And that promises peril for Bolton , who still faces the possibility of prosecution and the government 's attempts to claw back his profits from the book .
`` Unilateral fast-tracking carried the benefit of publicity and sales , and the cost of substantial risk exposure , '' Lamberth said .
`` This was Bolton 's bet : If he is right and the book does not contain classified information , he keeps the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is wrong , he stands to lose his profits from the book deal , exposes himself to criminal liability , and imperils national security , '' the judge added .
`` Bolton was wrong . ''
Bolton 's legal team said Saturday that it welcomed the decision — but took issue with the judge 's preliminary finding that Bolton did n't comply with the government 's prepublication review .
`` The full story of these events has yet to be told , '' attorney Charles J. Cooper said in a statement , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hired the George W. Bush administration veteran as his third national security adviser in 2018 .
But the two men clashed repeatedly over foreign policy and split in a flurry of acrimony last fall .
Trump says he fired Bolton ; Bolton says he offered to resign first .

Judge Allows Bolton Memoir To Proceed, Despite Trump Administration Objection
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Alex Brandon/AP
Updated at 3:09 p.m. ET
The release of former national security adviser John Bolton's new book, The Room Where It Happened, remains on track after a federal judge on Saturday rejected the Trump administration's request to block its release.
Judge Royce Lamberth of the D.C. District Court said that Bolton may still be facing legal trouble and that because of a rush to print, it was likely his book contains classified information.
But with hundreds of thousands of copies of the book already out for sale, according to its publisher, the judge ruled that the administration's efforts had come too late. "The damage is done," he wrote in a 10-page opinion.
"Defendant Bolton has gambled with the national security of the United States. He has exposed his country to harm and himself to civil (and potentially criminal) liability," Lamberth concluded. "But these facts do not control the motion before the Court. The government has failed to establish that an injunction will prevent irreparable harm."
The Justice Department had sought a temporary restraining order against Bolton and his publisher, Simon & Schuster, citing what it called the presence of classified information in Bolton's manuscript. But the book already has been widely reported on, and it is scheduled to be released Tuesday.
"We are grateful that the Court has vindicated the strong First Amendment protections against censorship and prior restraint of publication," the publisher said in a statement shared Saturday with NPR. "We are very pleased that the public will now have the opportunity to read Ambassador Bolton's account of his time as National Security Advisor."
Simon & Schuster previously said the injunction "would accomplish nothing."
Indeed, a number of the book's most damaging allegations against President Trump are free to find in a variety of media outlets, with the book already widely reviewed — including by NPR.
Bolton, who served in the administration for nearly a year and a half, alleges a wide array of indiscretions and outright violations of law, including promising favors to foreign leaders for help with Trump's reelection and conducting "obstruction of justice as a way of life" at the White House.
"In fact," Bolton writes in the book, "I am hard-pressed to identify any significant Trump decision during my tenure that wasn't driven by reelection calculations."
The president and other deputies have denied the allegations made in the book and dismissed them as "lies and fake stories."
Despite the judge's ruling, the president sought to frame the decision on Saturday as a "BIG COURT WIN".
Trump tweeted that although it was too late for the judge to stop the book's release, Lamberth's rebukes of Bolton offered vindication for the administration.
"Bolton broke the law and has been called out and rebuked for so doing, with a really big price to pay," the president said. "He likes dropping bombs on people, and killing them. Now he will have bombs dropped on him!"
In preparation for publishing, Bolton undertook a months-long review of his manuscript with an official on the National Security Council. According to the government's complaint against Bolton, in late April, that official, Ellen Knight, concluded "that the manuscript draft did not contain classified information." The government says Bolton abandoned the process after the launch of "an additional review" by another member of the NSC, Michael Ellis. Bolton's attorneys deny that claim, saying he "has fully discharged all duties that the Federal Government may lawfully require of him."
The judge made his distaste for Bolton's conduct clear in order. He noted that, in opting out of the government's review process, the former national security adviser was likely to run afoul of his nondisclosure agreements with the government.
And that promises peril for Bolton, who still faces the possibility of prosecution and the government's attempts to claw back his profits from the book.
"Unilateral fast-tracking carried the benefit of publicity and sales, and the cost of substantial risk exposure," Lamberth said.
"This was Bolton's bet: If he is right and the book does not contain classified information, he keeps the upside mentioned above; but if he is wrong, he stands to lose his profits from the book deal, exposes himself to criminal liability, and imperils national security," the judge added. "Bolton was wrong."
Bolton's legal team said Saturday that it welcomed the decision — but took issue with the judge's preliminary finding that Bolton didn't comply with the government's prepublication review.
"The full story of these events has yet to be told," attorney Charles J. Cooper said in a statement, "but it will be."
Trump hired the George W. Bush administration veteran as his third national security adviser in 2018. But the two men clashed repeatedly over foreign policy and split in a flurry of acrimony last fall. Trump says he fired Bolton; Bolton says he offered to resign first.


npr--2020-06-20--Beyoncé Releases New Song 'Black Parade' In The Final Hours Of Juneteenth

Beyoncé Releases New Song 'Black Parade ' In The Final Hours Of Juneteenth As she is wont to do , Beyoncé surprised the world overnight with a new song , `` Black Parade . ''
Released in the final hours of Juneteenth — the holiday observing the June 19 , 1865 date which marked the end of slavery in the United States — the song sounds like an outright celebration .
The Juneteenth release date is especially deliberate , coming from Beyoncé , a proud Texas artist : The commemoration itself is tied directly to the day the enslaved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation .
So when Beyoncé sings , `` I 'm goin ' back to the South , '' at the opening of the song , it 's a substantive statement declaring and reclaiming her roots .
Co-produced by Beyoncé and her long-time collaborator Derek Dixie , and penned by a small army of writers ( Blu June , Brittany Coney , Worldwide Fresh , Derek Dixie , Kaydence , Caso , JAY-Z , and Beyoncé herself ) , `` Black Parade '' is the ever-evolving artist 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Juneteenth parades that ca n't take place this year due to Covid-19 .
`` Yeah , yeah , I 'm for us , all Black , '' she boasts on the track .
`` All chrome , Black-owned . ''
According to Beyoncé 's website , proceeds from `` Black Parade '' will support Black-owned small businesses in need , through the singer 's BeyGOOD initiative .
Additionally , the site lists a directory of Black-owned businesses — the `` Black Parade Route '' — curated by Zerina Akers , founder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wardrobe curator '' for celebrities like Beyoncé and Parkwood Entertainment artists Chloe x Halle .
`` Being Black is your activism , '' the post tied to the song 's release states .
Music is Beyoncé 's form of protest .
Outside of the studio , her commitments to Black liberation remain palatable and polite ; in an Instagram video discussing George Floyd 's death posted in May , she calmly calls for petitions and prayer .
But on wax , she 's vocal and vexed : `` Need peace and reparation for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one point in the song .
`` F*** these laid edges , I'ma let it shrivel up / F*** this fade and waves , I'ma let it dread all up . ''
With these lines , Bey is defenestrating respectability politics , especially those that come with policing Black self-expression .
In addition to addressing the Black American experience , Beyoncé uses `` Black Parade '' to draw attention to Africa : `` Motherland drip on me , motherland , motherland drip on me , '' she borderline chants .
Throughout the song @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one another , shouting out the Egyptian Ankh symbol , and name-dropping Osun , a goddess of the Yoruba religion based in Nigeria .
She takes it a step further and expands to include diasporic traditions and routines we 've seldom heard her speak about , like charging crystals in a full moon , and encouraging the ghosts of her ancestors to chat amongst themselves in her home .
As I wrote in 2018 , Beyoncé has methodically transitioned from using her music as a vehicle for pop domination to using it as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black pride , front and center , in all of its iterations .
`` Black Parade , '' a call to action and a salve for a wounded nation , is the latest extension of that .

Beyoncé Releases New Song 'Black Parade' In The Final Hours Of Juneteenth
YouTube
As she is wont to do, Beyoncé surprised the world overnight with a new song, "Black Parade." Released in the final hours of Juneteenth — the holiday observing the June 19, 1865 date which marked the end of slavery in the United States — the song sounds like an outright celebration. The Juneteenth release date is especially deliberate, coming from Beyoncé, a proud Texas artist: The commemoration itself is tied directly to the day the enslaved in Texas were finally informed of their freedom, two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
So when Beyoncé sings, "I'm goin' back to the South," at the opening of the song, it's a substantive statement declaring and reclaiming her roots. Co-produced by Beyoncé and her long-time collaborator Derek Dixie, and penned by a small army of writers (Blu June, Brittany Coney, Worldwide Fresh, Derek Dixie, Kaydence, Caso, JAY-Z, and Beyoncé herself), "Black Parade" is the ever-evolving artist's offering of musical empowerment as a stand-in for the Juneteenth parades that can't take place this year due to Covid-19.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm for us, all Black," she boasts on the track. "All chrome, Black-owned." According to Beyoncé's website, proceeds from "Black Parade" will support Black-owned small businesses in need, through the singer's BeyGOOD initiative. Additionally, the site lists a directory of Black-owned businesses — the "Black Parade Route" — curated by Zerina Akers, founder of Black Owned Everything, and "wardrobe curator" for celebrities like Beyoncé and Parkwood Entertainment artists Chloe x Halle.
"Being Black is your activism," the post tied to the song's release states. Music is Beyoncé's form of protest. Outside of the studio, her commitments to Black liberation remain palatable and polite; in an Instagram video discussing George Floyd's death posted in May, she calmly calls for petitions and prayer. But on wax, she's vocal and vexed: "Need peace and reparation for my people," she sings at one point in the song. "F*** these laid edges, I'ma let it shrivel up / F*** this fade and waves, I'ma let it dread all up." With these lines, Bey is defenestrating respectability politics, especially those that come with policing Black self-expression.
In addition to addressing the Black American experience, Beyoncé uses "Black Parade" to draw attention to Africa: "Motherland drip on me, motherland, motherland drip on me," she borderline chants. Throughout the song, Beyoncé casually weaves those references into one another, shouting out the Egyptian Ankh symbol, and name-dropping Osun, a goddess of the Yoruba religion based in Nigeria. She takes it a step further and expands to include diasporic traditions and routines we've seldom heard her speak about, like charging crystals in a full moon, and encouraging the ghosts of her ancestors to chat amongst themselves in her home.
As I wrote in 2018, Beyoncé has methodically transitioned from using her music as a vehicle for pop domination to using it as a means to position her support of Black pride, front and center, in all of its iterations. "Black Parade," a call to action and a salve for a wounded nation, is the latest extension of that.


npr--2020-06-20--Protesters Fell Confederate Monument In D.C., Provoking Trump's Fury

Another Confederate monument has fallen — this time in a city where such memorials were understandably rare to begin with : the nation 's capital .
Protesters on Friday night toppled a statue of Confederate Gen. Albert Pike , the only outdoor Confederate memorial in the city .
They yanked it down with rope and later set it ablaze as law enforcement looked on .
It was an abrupt end for a controversial monument , which has attracted criticism and often outright confusion from residents .
Born in Massachusetts , the nativist attorney and author fought for the Confederacy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Civil War supporting the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry .
The international fraternal organization commissioned the statue in his honor around the turn of the 20th century .
But , lately , even the Freemasons have n't resisted calls to have it removed .
Last year the District 's nonvoting congressional delegate , Eleanor Holmes Norton , introduced legislation seeking its removal — which , due to D.C. 's unique position , requires federal approval .
The bill has so far languished in the House .
President Trump , however , made it clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall .
`` The D.C. Police are not doing their job as they watch a statue be ripped down & burn , '' he tweeted .
Trump also tagged the city 's mayor , Muriel Bowser , a Democrat with whom he has clashed repeatedly in recent weeks .
`` These people should be immediately arrested .
A disgrace to our Country ! ''
There is little love lost between the president and the mayor .
They have starkly diverged in their public statements about the widespread protests catalyzed by recent killings by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cleared peaceful protesters in order to stage a photo op at a church near the White House , for instance , city authorities rebuked him by naming a nearby stretch of street Black Lives Matter Plaza and splaying the protest slogan across two city blocks .
The anger directed at Confederate statues has not been unique to Washington , D.C .
Protesters on Friday also partly dismantled a Confederate monument in Raleigh , N.C. , pulling down a couple of small statues incorporated into its design .
Both monuments are just the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statues and other symbols of the slaveholding Confederacy that have been removed from public spaces recently — despite the president 's objections .
And it has not just been the work of those without formal permission .
City officials authorized the removal of Confederate monuments in Birmingham , Ala. , and Decatur , Ga. , while a statue of controversial explorer Christopher Columbus came down by formal decree in Columbus , Ohio .

Protesters Fell Confederate Monument In D.C., Provoking Trump's Fury
Another Confederate monument has fallen — this time in a city where such memorials were understandably rare to begin with: the nation's capital.
Protesters on Friday night toppled a statue of Confederate Gen. Albert Pike, the only outdoor Confederate memorial in the city. They yanked it down with rope and later set it ablaze as law enforcement looked on.
It was an abrupt end for a controversial monument, which has attracted criticism and often outright confusion from residents.
Born in Massachusetts, the nativist attorney and author fought for the Confederacy and spent much of his time after the Civil War supporting the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. The international fraternal organization commissioned the statue in his honor around the turn of the 20th century.
But, lately, even the Freemasons haven't resisted calls to have it removed.
Last year the District's nonvoting congressional delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, introduced legislation seeking its removal — which, due to D.C.'s unique position, requires federal approval. The bill has so far languished in the House.
President Trump, however, made it clear that he was upset to see it fall.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images
"The D.C. Police are not doing their job as they watch a statue be ripped down & burn," he tweeted. Trump also tagged the city's mayor, Muriel Bowser, a Democrat with whom he has clashed repeatedly in recent weeks. "These people should be immediately arrested. A disgrace to our Country!"
There is little love lost between the president and the mayor.
They have starkly diverged in their public statements about the widespread protests catalyzed by recent killings by police of Black Americans. After Trump cleared peaceful protesters in order to stage a photo op at a church near the White House, for instance, city authorities rebuked him by naming a nearby stretch of street Black Lives Matter Plaza and splaying the protest slogan across two city blocks.
The anger directed at Confederate statues has not been unique to Washington, D.C.
Protesters on Friday also partly dismantled a Confederate monument in Raleigh, N.C., pulling down a couple of small statues incorporated into its design.
Both monuments are just the latest items on a growing list of controversial statues and other symbols of the slaveholding Confederacy that have been removed from public spaces recently — despite the president's objections.
And it has not just been the work of those without formal permission. City officials authorized the removal of Confederate monuments in Birmingham, Ala., and Decatur, Ga., while a statue of controversial explorer Christopher Columbus came down by formal decree in Columbus, Ohio.


npr--2020-06-20--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

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

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


npr--2020-06-20--Tracking The Pandemic: Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State?

Tracking The Pandemic : Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State ?
More than 2 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 110,000 have died .
The growth in new cases and deaths overall has at least temporarily slowed , but that pattern has n't been consistent across the country .
New hot spots are emerging as others subside .
Many states began relaxing some social distancing measures in May , and health leaders are watching for signs that the virus is starting to spread more aggressively .
In the graphics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases in your state to see whether cases are rising , falling or staying level .
To jump to a map of total cases and deaths by state , click here .
The following chart displays states ' trends in new daily case counts , total cases , and per capita totals .
To compare state outbreaks , the trend lines for average new daily cases are graphed against each state 's total case count to date .
This highlights a state 's daily growth relative to the overall size of its outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts grow quickly , the curve bends upward .
As cases slow , the curve levels or bends down .
In New York , site of the country 's largest outbreak , the state 's curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to 1,000 per day in early June .
Some states , such as Hawaii , have declined to just a handful of new cases per day , while others are growing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ around 15,000 total cases in May , saw a sudden increase in new cases in June .
The coronavirus has hit some states much harder than others .
For much of the pandemic , a large share of U.S. cases have been centered around New York City .
As of early June , New York state , Connecticut and New Jersey accounted for about 30 % of total cases in the nation and 42 % of deaths , although new cases have been dropping in these three states .
Across the country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California , Illinois and Texas have high totals as well .
Some smaller states have had a heavy burden of disease relative to their population size , such as Nebraska and Iowa , which have high case counts per capita , and Louisiana and Michigan which have a high death count per capita .
Explore the map below to see totals and per capita figures around the country .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
For more detail on your state , the table below shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day in each state , week over week .
States marked in shades of red are showing growth , those in shades of green , are showing declines .
The data used here are compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
In early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's daily numbers until the JHU team was able to reconcile the historical data .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wroth edited this story .

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


npr--2020-06-20--As The Culture Wars Shift, President Trump Struggles To Adapt

As The Culture Wars Shift , President Trump Struggles To Adapt Nearly a month after the killing of George Floyd while in police custody and the launch of massive protests against police brutality across the country , President Trump was asked what part of his response would he have handled differently .
`` I think that tone is a very important thing and I try to have a very good tone , a very moderate tone , a very sympathetic — in some cases — tone , but it 's a very important tone , '' Trump said .
Though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the president said , `` I would say if I could , I would do tone . ''
No modern president has been as aggressive a culture warrior as Donald Trump .
He announced his candidacy by accusing Mexican immigrants of being rapists .
He criticized black athletes who knelt during the national anthem .
He championed police officers but promoted rough policing , telling law enforcement officers in a 2017 speech , `` please do n't be too nice '' when making an arrest .
Recently , he announced over Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name of Confederate generals from military bases .
Trump has also fixated on the historic phrase `` law and order . ''
`` I will fight to protect you — I am your president of law and order and an ally of all peaceful protesters , '' Trump said in the Rose Garden on June 1 , as law enforcement began firing pepper spray on peaceful protesters in nearby Lafayette Park .
`` Our nation has been gripped by professional anarchists , violent mobs , arsonists , looters , criminals , rioters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Culture wars have been part of American politics for decades .
Hot-button issues like immigration , family values and respect for the American flag can get a more powerful reaction from voters than dry debates over taxes or Medicare .
But at a time when the country continues to deal with the COVID-19 crisis , an economic recession and , above all , heightened levels of racial unrest , the culture wars are changing , and Trump , who has always relished a fight over white identity and culture is struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culture war allies are defecting — NASCAR decided to ban the Confederate flag and the NFL apologized for punishing its athletes who knelt to protest police brutality .
According to Democratic strategist and former senior advisor to President Barack Obama , David Axelrod , the most notable rift came when military leaders , whom Trump likes to call `` my generals . ''
broke with him .
Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said they would not only consider renaming military bases but also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. military against protesters .
`` That was a seminal , I think , development in this story , '' Axelrod said , who is also a CNN senior political commentator and host of the Axe Files and Hacks on Tap podcasts .
Axelrod added that Trump also faced opposition from retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis , his former defense secretary , and several prominent military leaders who criticized his decision to take a photo in front of St. John 's Church following the removal of protesters on June 1 .
`` Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the military and claim the military as his own .
And what the military was saying there is that 'No .
We 're not yours .
We belong to the Constitution .
We have principles and rules and norms and laws that we 're going to follow . '
And that was an incredible rebuke for him . ''
Axelrod said .
Despite a visible push away from Trump on many of the culture war issues , not every part of the conservative coalition is ready to call a truce .
There has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positions of institutions like the NFL .
Former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich says kneeling athletes will still be a cultural flashpoint and disagrees with the NFL 's decision .
`` Refusing to stand for the national anthem is an insult to America .
It 's not protesting racism .
It 's protesting the United States of America , and that 's what the divide is going to become .
If you want to be anti-American , you 've got a party eager to be with you , '' Gingrich said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably wo n't watch the NFL this year , and I 'm a big Green Bay fan , '' he said .
Gingrich , an experienced culture warrior in his own right , argues that Trump will be able to find new issues to push as his Democratic opponents find new ways to overreach .
And that 's why he believes the culture wars are not over .
`` The nice thing in my entire career about dealing with the left is they ca n't contain themselves , '' Gingrich said , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legitimate demand to reform the police , to defund the police because they just ca n't help themselves . ''
Specific culture war issues can also come and go .
In 2004 , Republican strategist Karl Rove harnessed the backlash to gay marriage during President George W. Bush 's 2004 campaign to help get him reelected .
Although , less than a decade later , the same issue faded following the Supreme Court 's decision to legalize gay marriage in 2015 .
Now , Rove says the same thing is happening , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protects LGBTQ people against workplace discrimination under the 1964 Civil Rights Act .
`` They 'll be some concern in some quarters about the latest decision by the court .
But , yeah , that 's the interesting thing about Supreme Court decisions .
Not always , but many times , they tend to sort of diminish the controversy , '' Rove said .
Another more fundamental reason why culture wars are shifting is that most modern cultural battles are racial .
Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons says that white voters have started to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd 's killing .
`` The video of Black men being killed on television is much like the 1950s and '60s when Martin Luther King had even children marching in Alabama , and being attacked by fire hoses and dogs .
That kind of thing really does speak to the morality that I think most Americans hold , '' Simmons said .
Simmons , who also hosts # ThisisFYI on Instagram , says the events of the past month have changed how many Americans respond to and deal with acts of racism and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just sit by quietly and let it happen . ''
`` It 's raised the stakes on these questions of racial harmony and our ability to get past our history , '' Simmons said , adding , `` and what it seems like — as afraid as people may be of rioters and looters — they may be more afraid of a president who is not against racism and who 's not trying to bring the country together . ''
Trump was originally set to hold his first campaign rally since the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Okla. After receiving criticism for scheduling the event on the holiday Juneteenth , in a city that experienced a racist massacre of black people in June 1921 , Trump changed the date to June 20 .
`` Certainly in the television era , it 's the first time that we 've had a president who 's been so willing to embrace a racially exclusive perspective on American politics , and that may be turning the tide against him , '' Simmons added .

As The Culture Wars Shift, President Trump Struggles To Adapt
Enlarge this image toggle caption Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Nearly a month after the killing of George Floyd while in police custody and the launch of massive protests against police brutality across the country, President Trump was asked what part of his response would he have handled differently.
"I think that tone is a very important thing and I try to have a very good tone, a very moderate tone, a very sympathetic — in some cases — tone, but it's a very important tone," Trump said.
Though when pressed on what he would change, the president said, "I would say if I could, I would do tone."
No modern president has been as aggressive a culture warrior as Donald Trump.
He announced his candidacy by accusing Mexican immigrants of being rapists. He criticized Black athletes who knelt during the national anthem. He championed police officers but promoted rough policing, telling law enforcement officers in a 2017 speech, "please don't be too nice" when making an arrest. Recently, he announced over Twitter that he would never consider removing the name of Confederate generals from military bases.
Trump has also fixated on the historic phrase "law and order."
"I will fight to protect you — I am your president of law and order and an ally of all peaceful protesters," Trump said in the Rose Garden on June 1, as law enforcement began firing pepper spray on peaceful protesters in nearby Lafayette Park.
"Our nation has been gripped by professional anarchists, violent mobs, arsonists, looters, criminals, rioters, Antifa and others," Trump said.
Culture wars have been part of American politics for decades. Hot-button issues like immigration, family values and respect for the American flag can get a more powerful reaction from voters than dry debates over taxes or Medicare.
But at a time when the country continues to deal with the COVID-19 crisis, an economic recession and, above all, heightened levels of racial unrest, the culture wars are changing, and Trump, who has always relished a fight over white identity and culture is struggling to adjust.
Many of Trump's culture war allies are defecting — NASCAR decided to ban the Confederate flag and the NFL apologized for punishing its athletes who knelt to protest police brutality.
According to David Axelrod, a Democratic strategist and former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, the most notable rift came when military leaders, whom Trump likes to call " my generals," broke with him. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said they would not only consider renaming military bases but also rejected Trump's threat to use the U.S. military against protesters.
"That was a seminal, I think, development in this story," Axelrod said, who is also a CNN senior political commentator and host of the Axe Files and Hacks on Tap podcasts.
Axelrod added that Trump also faced opposition from retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis, his former defense secretary, and several prominent military leaders who criticized his decision to take a photo in front of St. John's Church following the removal of protesters on June 1.
"Trump has so tried to cleave himself to the military and claim the military as his own. And what the military was saying there is that 'No. We're not yours. We belong to the Constitution. We have principles and rules and norms and laws that we're going to follow.' And that was an incredible rebuke for him." Axelrod said.
Despite a visible push away from Trump on many of the culture war issues, not every part of the conservative coalition is ready to call a truce. There has even been a backlash to the new positions of institutions like the NFL.
Former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich says kneeling athletes will still be a cultural flashpoint and disagrees with the NFL's decision.
"Refusing to stand for the national anthem is an insult to America. It's not protesting racism. It's protesting the United States of America, and that's what the divide is going to become. If you want to be anti-American, you've got a party eager to be with you," Gingrich said.
"I can tell you I probably won't watch the NFL this year, and I'm a big Green Bay fan," he said.
Gingrich, an experienced culture warrior in his own right, argues that Trump will be able to find new issues to push as his Democratic opponents find new ways to overreach. And that's why he believes the culture wars are not over.
"The nice thing in my entire career about dealing with the left is they can't contain themselves," Gingrich said, adding, "so they go from very legitimate demand to reform the police, to defund the police because they just can't help themselves."
Specific culture war issues can also come and go. In 2004, Republican strategist Karl Rove harnessed the backlash to gay marriage during President George W. Bush's 2004 campaign to help get him reelected. Although, less than a decade later, the same issue faded following the Supreme Court's decision to legalize gay marriage in 2015.
Now, Rove says the same thing is happening, especially following the recent Supreme Court ruling that protects LGBTQ people against workplace discrimination under the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
"They'll be some concern in some quarters about the latest decision by the court. But, yeah, that's the interesting thing about Supreme Court decisions. Not always, but many times, they tend to sort of diminish the controversy," Rove said.
Another more fundamental reason why culture wars are shifting is that most modern cultural battles are racial.
Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons says that white voters have started to think differently in the wake of George Floyd's killing.
"The video of Black men being killed on television is much like the 1950s and '60s when Martin Luther King had even children marching in Alabama, and being attacked by fire hoses and dogs. That kind of thing really does speak to the morality that I think most Americans hold," Simmons said.
Simmons, who also hosts #ThisisFYI on Instagram, says the events of the past month have changed how many Americans respond to and deal with acts of racism and, adding, "They can't just sit by quietly and let it happen."
"It's raised the stakes on these questions of racial harmony and our ability to get past our history," Simmons said, adding, "and what it seems like — as afraid as people may be of rioters and looters — they may be more afraid of a president who is not against racism and who's not trying to bring the country together."
Trump was originally set to hold his first campaign rally since the COVID-19 pandemic on June 19 in Tulsa, Okla. After receiving criticism for scheduling the event on the holiday Juneteenth, in a city that experienced a racist massacre of black people in June 1921, Trump changed the date to June 20.
"Certainly in the television era, it's the first time that we've had a president who's been so willing to embrace a racially exclusive perspective on American politics, and that may be turning the tide against him," Simmons added.


npr--2020-06-20--President Trump Fires Top U.S. Prosecutor Who Investigated His Allies, Barr Says

President Trump Fires Top U.S .
Prosecutor Who Investigated His Allies , Barr Says President Trump has removed Geoffrey Berman , the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York , from office , ending the tenure of a top Justice Department official whose office has overseen the prosecutions of several of the president 's associates .
Attorney General William Barr announced the termination Saturday , less than a day after initially suggesting that Berman was resigning — only to be contradicted by Berman himself .
`` Unfortunately , with your statement of last night , you have chosen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barr said in a letter to Berman Saturday .
`` Because you have declared that you have no intention of resigning , I have asked the President to remove you as of today , and he has done so . ''
By Saturday evening , Berman confirmed that he would indeed step down , effective immediately , and allow for Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss to become acting U.S. attorney .
Despite Barr invoking his name , President Trump attempted to distance himself from the firing .
`` Attorney General Barr is working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not my department , '' Trump told reporters as he was leaving the White House for a campaign rally in Tulsa , Okla. `` But we have a very capable attorney general .
So that 's really up to him .
I 'm not involved . ''
Berman 's eventual agreement to leave his post ended a nearly day-long showdown between Barr and the prosecutor .
Berman 's removal also prompted action from the head of the House Judiciary Committee .
On Saturday , chairman Jerry Nadler , D-N.Y. , announced his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as a hearing for Wednesday where two whistleblowers will testify against Barr .
`` The whole thing smacks of corruption and incompetence , which is what we have come to expect from this President and his Attorney General , '' Nadler said in a statement .
The standoff began late Friday night , when the attorney general released a statement saying that Berman was `` stepping down . ''
In the announcement , he said that the president would be nominating Jay Clayton , chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time later , Berman fired off his own announcement , denying Barr 's statement .
`` I learned in a press release from the Attorney General tonight that I was 'stepping down ' as United States Attorney , '' said Berman , who spearheaded the prosecution of Trump 's former personal attorney Michael Cohen and brought the grand jury indictment against associates of the president 's current personal attorney Rudy Giuliani .
`` I have not resigned , and have no intention of resigning , my position , to which I was appointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District Court for the Southern District of New York , '' he said .
`` I will step down when a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate .
Until then , our investigations will move forward without delay or interruption . ''
Under Berman 's watch , Cohen ultimately pleaded guilty to financial crimes , lying to Congress and campaign finance crimes .
Under oath , Cohen implicated Trump in payments made to two women ahead of the 2016 elections to keep them quiet about affairs they said they had with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jury indictment against Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman , two Giuliani associates .
The two have pleaded not guilty to setting up a shell company to hide the foreign sourcing of a $ 325,000 donation to a superPAC committed to Trump 's reelection .
The two also allegedly helped Giuliani in efforts to dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter in Ukraine .
And Berman 's office has investigated the business dealings of Giuliani himself , but no charges have been brought against him .
`` This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historically independent Southern District of New York , '' Elie Honig , a former assistant U.S. attorney for the district , said in an interview with NPR 's Weekend Edition before Berman 's formal firing .
`` When you look at the timing of this — the fact that it was announced late on a Friday night , the fact that the attorney general immediately was caught in a misleading statement when he said the U.S. attorney is stepping down ... and you look at all the important pending cases in the SDNY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me is that this is a political move . ''
Honig said that if the Trump administration wishes to proceed without Senate confirmation for Berman 's replacement , it 's likely to end up in the courts .
`` The question is , can the president just fire or move aside the U.S. attorney barring [ Senate approval ] ? ''
he said .
`` In other words , can the attorney general and the president just say 'You 're out , somebody else ' ? ''
During Berman 's tenure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-profile cases , including the prosecution of multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein on federal sex trafficking charges .
Berman later charged two corrections officers who were supposed to guard Epstein with dereliction of their duties after Epstein 's apparent suicide in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center .
Berman praised his acting successor in his statement Saturday evening : `` It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as this District 's U.S. Attorney and a custodian of its proud legacy , but I could leave the District in no better hands @ @ @ @ @

President Trump Fires Top U.S. Prosecutor Who Investigated His Allies, Barr Says
Enlarge this image toggle caption Seth Wenig/AP Seth Wenig/AP
Updated at 7:17 p.m. ET
President Trump has removed Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, from office, ending the tenure of a top Justice Department official whose office has overseen the prosecutions of several of the president's associates.
Attorney General William Barr announced the termination Saturday, less than a day after initially suggesting that Berman was resigning — only to be contradicted by Berman himself.
"Unfortunately, with your statement of last night, you have chosen public spectacle over public service," Barr said in a letter to Berman Saturday. "Because you have declared that you have no intention of resigning, I have asked the President to remove you as of today, and he has done so."
By Saturday evening, Berman confirmed that he would indeed step down, effective immediately, and allow for Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss to become acting U.S. attorney.
Despite Barr invoking his name, President Trump attempted to distance himself from the firing.
"Attorney General Barr is working on that. That's his department, not my department," Trump told reporters as he was leaving the White House for a campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla. "But we have a very capable attorney general. So that's really up to him. I'm not involved."
Berman's eventual agreement to leave his post ended a nearly day-long showdown between Barr and the prosecutor. Berman's removal also prompted action from the head of the House Judiciary Committee.
On Saturday, chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., announced his intention to investigate Berman's removal as well as a hearing for Wednesday where two whistleblowers will testify against Barr.
"The whole thing smacks of corruption and incompetence, which is what we have come to expect from this President and his Attorney General," Nadler said in a statement.
The standoff began late Friday night, when the attorney general released a statement saying that Berman was "stepping down." In the announcement, he said that the president would be nominating Jay Clayton, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, to succeed Berman.
Just a short time later, Berman fired off his own announcement, denying Barr's statement.
"I learned in a press release from the Attorney General tonight that I was 'stepping down' as United States Attorney," said Berman, who spearheaded the prosecution of Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen and brought the grand jury indictment against associates of the president's current personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.
"I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning, my position, to which I was appointed by the Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York," he said. "I will step down when a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate. Until then, our investigations will move forward without delay or interruption."
Under Berman's watch, Cohen ultimately pleaded guilty to financial crimes, lying to Congress and campaign finance crimes. Under oath, Cohen implicated Trump in payments made to two women ahead of the 2016 elections to keep them quiet about affairs they said they had with Trump.
Berman also issued a grand jury indictment against Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two Giuliani associates. The two have pleaded not guilty to setting up a shell company to hide the foreign sourcing of a $325,000 donation to a superPAC committed to Trump's reelection. The two also allegedly helped Giuliani in efforts to dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter in Ukraine.
And Berman's office has investigated the business dealings of Giuliani himself, but no charges have been brought against him.
"This is clearly a political takeover of the historically independent Southern District of New York," Elie Honig, a former assistant U.S. attorney for the district, said in an interview with NPR's Weekend Edition before Berman's formal firing.
"When you look at the timing of this — the fact that it was announced late on a Friday night, the fact that the attorney general immediately was caught in a misleading statement when he said the U.S. attorney is stepping down ... and you look at all the important pending cases in the SDNY right now, the only logical conclusion to me is that this is a political move."
Honig said that if the Trump administration wishes to proceed without Senate confirmation for Berman's replacement, it's likely to end up in the courts.
"The question is, can the president just fire or move aside the U.S. attorney barring [Senate approval]?" he said. "In other words, can the attorney general and the president just say 'You're out, somebody else'?"
During Berman's tenure, the SDNY has also taken on other high-profile cases, including the prosecution of multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein on federal sex trafficking charges. Berman later charged two corrections officers who were supposed to guard Epstein with dereliction of their duties after Epstein's apparent suicide in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
Berman praised his acting successor in his statement Saturday evening: "It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as this District's U.S. Attorney and a custodian of its proud legacy, but I could leave the District in no better hands than Audrey's."


npr--2020-06-21--Vehicle Attacks Rise As Extremists Target Protesters

Right-wing extremists are turning cars into weapons , with reports of 50 vehicle-ramming incidents since protests against police violence erupted nationwide in late May .
At least 18 are categorized as deliberate attacks ; another two dozen are unclear as to motivation or are still under investigation , according to a count released Friday by Ari Weil , a terrorism researcher at the University of Chicago 's Chicago Project on Security and Threats .
Weil has tracked vehicle ramming attacks , or VRAs , since protests began .
The 20 people facing prosecution in the rammings include a state leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as a California man who was charged with attempted murder after antagonizing protesters and then driving into them , striking a teenage girl .
Video footage of some attacks shows drivers yelling at or threatening Black Lives Matter protesters before hitting the gas .
`` The message they 're trying to send is : you need to get out of the street and stop these protests , '' Weil said .
`` They 're trying to intimidate the most recent wave of BLM protesters , to stop their movement . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2015 and 2016 , Weil said , when the `` Run Them Over '' meme was popularized in far-right circles in response to Black Lives Matter protests and demonstrations against the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline .
The most high-profile attack occurred a year later , during the 2017 `` Unite the Right '' rally in Charlottesville , Virginia .
A white supremacist plowed his car into a crowd , killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and wounding dozens of others in a bloody weekend that jolted the country into recognizing the resurgent threat of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car attacks against peaceful protesters is increasingly a deliberate terror tactic for white supremacists , '' said Amy Spitalnick , executive director of Integrity First for America , a civil rights nonprofit that 's leading a civil suit on behalf of Charlottesville ramming victims .
The goal of the suit is to bankrupt and dismantle several hate groups that helped organize the rally .
`` As detailed in our lawsuit , the Charlottesville violence was planned months in advance online – including discussions of hitting protesters with cars , '' Spitalnick said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen not just in extremist channels , but also is spreading in more mainstream Republican and conservative spaces .
After the Charlottesville attack , Fox News deleted and apologized for running a syndicated piece that encouraged car ramming attacks .
Originally published by the right-wing The Daily Caller , the online article included a video montage of car attacks under the headline , `` Here 's A Reel Of Cars Plowing Through Protesters Trying To Block The Road . ''
After public backlash , Fox News deleted the version that had run on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told CNN Money that `` the item was inappropriate and we 've taken it down . ''
The Daily Caller also deleted its original post .
`` I want to caution that this is n't just a far-right , neo-Nazi thing , but it 's becoming something that 's encouraged broadly , and I think that should worry everyone , '' Weil said .
From May 27 to June 17 , Weil recorded at least 50 vehicle ramming attacks nationwide .
Of those , five were by law enforcement and 45 by civilians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incidents involved malice and another 23 remain unclear as to motive , according to Weil 's analysis of police and court records , as well as news reports .
The bulk of the attacks occurred in the first 14 days of protests .
`` To see dozens of these incidents occur over two weekends was surprisingly high , '' Weil said .
Four were ruled accidental , including the viral incident when a tanker barreled down a highway in Minneapolis , sending terrified protesters running for their lives .
Authorities later released the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acted foolishly but did not deliberately target protesters .
Most of the recent rammings have been captured on video .
The footage follows a grim pattern : Protesters are shown walking peacefully when , suddenly , a car or truck appears in the frame and hurtles toward the crowd .
People run , crouch and scream , `` Oh my God ! ''
Then the driver either manages to speed off or is surrounded and set upon by the outraged protesters .
One ramming in Boston unfolded live on the local TV news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying , `` Several people just got hit !
Several people just got run over ! ''
Weil said he suspects his tally is an undercount because incidents go unrecorded .
Minnesota protester Nuny Nichols , for example , never reported what happened to her and a couple of friends on the night of May 30 .
They had just returned to St. Paul after spending the day passing out food to protesters across the river in Minneapolis .
The three of them – all black women – were walking to Nichols ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where a white man in an SUV was waiting at the light .
`` He kind of like motioned for us to come , you know , like , come on , '' Nichols said .
`` So we started walking out .
And as soon as we got right in front of his car , he just sped up . ''
Nichols and her friends screamed and ran .
They escaped without being hit , but Nichols said she 'll never forget what it felt like to have a car aiming for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driver knew exactly what he was doing .
`` He deliberately did it , '' Nichols said .
`` It was n't like , oh he ran the light , or we walked , no .
He literally waited until we got almost right in front of his car , then he put his foot on the gas and sped up . ''
Nichols said it was jarring to go from standing shoulder to shoulder with white protesters during the day to the evening 's reminder of the hate that 's out there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cops and protesters right now , Nichols said , she did n't report the incident .
Instead , she stayed in her bedroom for a day , too rattled to go right back to the protests .
Nichols ' sister died in 2014 after being accidentally struck by a car ; Nichols said she could n't shake the thought that her mother almost lost another daughter the same way .
`` I 've never been in a predicament like that before , where somebody just wanted to kill me , '' Nichols said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about me , he just tried to run me over . ''
Nichols searched online for information about rammings and discovered the disturbing forums that celebrate and encourage car attacks .
She saw the recent news reports about a fire chief in West Virginia who was dismissed from his post for wearing a T-shirt showing a car hitting protesters and the words , `` All Lives Splatter . ''
Nichols saved the chief 's photo to her phone as a reminder that her experience was n't isolated .
`` I was , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It made me think about , maybe this is more of an actual thought-out process , a deliberate plan for them to run people over . ''

Vehicle Attacks Rise As Extremists Target Protesters
Enlarge this image toggle caption Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images
Editor's note: A previous version of this story included a photo of a protester being struck by a car in Louisville, Kentucky. The photo, chosen by editors, does not appear to be an example of the assaults described in the story, and has been replaced. Police have not charged the driver, but have charged two of the protesters involved in that incident. Authorities continue to investigate.
Right-wing extremists are turning cars into weapons, with reports of at least 50 vehicle-ramming incidents since protests against police violence erupted nationwide in late May.
At least 18 are categorized as deliberate attacks; another two dozen are unclear as to motivation or are still under investigation, according to a count released Friday by Ari Weil, a terrorism researcher at the University of Chicago's Chicago Project on Security and Threats. Weil has tracked vehicle-ramming attacks, or VRAs, since protests began.
The 20 people facing prosecution in the rammings include a state leader of the Virginia Ku Klux Klan, as well as a California man who was charged with attempted murder after antagonizing protesters and then driving into them, striking a teenage girl. Video footage of some attacks shows drivers yelling at or threatening Black Lives Matter protesters before hitting the gas.
"The message they're trying to send is, 'You need to get out of the street and stop these protests,' " Weil said. "They're trying to intimidate the most recent wave of BLM protesters, to stop their movement."
The last rash of vehicle rammings occurred in 2015 and 2016, Weil said, when the "Run Them Over" meme was popularized in far-right circles in response to Black Lives Matter protests and demonstrations against the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline.
The most high-profile attack occurred a year later, during the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. A white supremacist plowed his car into a crowd, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and wounding dozens of others in a bloody weekend that jolted the country into recognizing the resurgent threat of far-right violence.
"The use of car attacks against peaceful protesters is increasingly a deliberate terror tactic for white supremacists," said Amy Spitalnick, executive director of Integrity First for America, a civil rights nonprofit that's leading a civil suit on behalf of Charlottesville ramming victims. The goal of the suit is to bankrupt and dismantle several hate groups that helped organize the rally.
"As detailed in our lawsuit, the Charlottesville violence was planned months in advance online — including discussions of hitting protesters with cars," Spitalnick said.
Weil said support for the attacks is not just seen in extremist channels but is also spreading in more mainstream Republican and conservative spaces.
After the Charlottesville attack, Fox News deleted and apologized for running a syndicated piece that encouraged car-ramming attacks. Originally published by the right-wing Daily Caller, the online article included a video montage of car attacks under the headline "Here's A Reel Of Cars Plowing Through Protesters Trying To Block The Road."
After public backlash, Fox News deleted the version that had run on Fox Nation. A Fox News executive told CNN Money that "the item was inappropriate and we've taken it down." The Daily Caller also deleted its original post.
"I want to caution that this isn't just a far-right, neo-Nazi thing, but it's becoming something that's encouraged broadly, and I think that should worry everyone," Weil said.
From May 27 to June 17, Weil recorded at least 50 vehicle-ramming incidents nationwide. Of those, five were by law enforcement and 45 by civilians. At least 18 of the civilian incidents involved malice, and another 23 remain unclear as to motive, according to Weil's analysis of police and court records, as well as news reports. The bulk of the attacks occurred in the first 14 days of protests.
"To see dozens of these incidents occur over two weekends was surprisingly high," Weil said.
Four were ruled accidental, including the viral incident when a tanker barreled down a highway in Minneapolis, sending terrified protesters running for their lives. Authorities later released the driver without charges, saying he had acted foolishly but did not deliberately target protesters.
Most of the recent rammings have been captured on video. The footage follows a grim pattern: Protesters are shown walking peacefully when, suddenly, a car or truck appears in the frame and hurtles toward the crowd. People run, crouch and scream, "Oh my God!" Then the driver either manages to speed off or is surrounded and set upon by the outraged protesters.
One ramming in Boston unfolded live on the local TV news, with the reporter at the scene saying, "Several people just got hit! Several people just got run over!"
Weil said he suspects his tally is an undercount because incidents go unrecorded.
Minnesota protester Nuny Nichols, for example, never reported what happened to her and a couple of friends on the night of May 30. They had just returned to St. Paul, Minn., after spending the day passing out food to protesters across the river in Minneapolis. The three of them — all black women — were walking to Nichols' place when they came to an intersection where a white man in an SUV was waiting at the light.
"He kind of like motioned for us to come, you know, like, come on," Nichols said. "So we started walking out. And as soon as we got right in front of his car, he just sped up."
Nichols and her friends screamed and ran. They escaped without being hit, but Nichols said she'll never forget what it felt like to have a car aiming for her body. She's convinced the driver knew exactly what he was doing.
"He deliberately did it," Nichols said. "It wasn't like, oh, he ran the light, or we walked, no. He literally waited until we got almost right in front of his car — then he put his foot on the gas and sped up."
Nichols said it was jarring to go from standing shoulder to shoulder with white protesters during the day to the evening's reminder of the hate that's out there. But because of the tensions between cops and protesters right now, Nichols said, she didn't report the incident.
Instead, she stayed in her bedroom for a day, too rattled to go right back to the protests. Nichols' sister died in 2014 after being accidentally struck by a car; Nichols said she couldn't shake the thought that her mother almost lost another daughter the same way.
"I've never been in a predicament like that before, where somebody just wanted to kill me," Nichols said. "He didn't know anything about me — he just tried to run me over."
Nichols searched online for information about rammings and discovered the disturbing forums that celebrate and encourage car attacks. She saw the recent news reports about a fire chief in West Virginia who was dismissed from his post for wearing a T-shirt showing a car hitting protesters and the words "All Lives Splatter." Nichols saved the chief's photo to her phone as a reminder that her experience wasn't isolated.
"I was, like, 'Wow,' " Nichols said. "It made me think about, maybe this is more of an actual thought-out process, a deliberate plan for them to run people over."


npr--2020-06-21--Nursing Homes Struggle As Staff Choose Unemployment Checks Over Paychecks

Shanna LaFountain has been a nursing assistant in New England for 20 years .
About two months ago , in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic , she stopped working .
`` It was an extremely hard decision , '' she said .
LaFountain has three children and made the decision once their schools closed and their learning went online .
`` My son was not answering teachers , not doing assignments , '' she said .
`` I had to be home with my children . ''
Instead of working , she gets state unemployment benefits , and receives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government .
She is making more money now than when she works .
LaFountain is not alone .
As part of the CARES Act , the federal government added an extra $ 600 per week to individuals ' unemployment checks .
Such benefits may be available not only to those who were let go but also to those who quit their jobs due to the virus .
While a Federal Reserve report said the expanded benefits provide a critical lifeline to many individuals , there is concern that the additional money is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nursing homes and long-term care facilities , hard hit by the pandemic , have been struggling with understaffing .
The nurse staffing agency LaFountain used to work for , called IntelyCare , reports that about 30 percent of its certified nursing assistants , or CNAs , are choosing to take unemployment during the pandemic .
`` Without them , you 've got administrators , cafeteria workers , you 've got all sorts of nurses performing the CNA duties .
And then you just have people that are n't getting attention because there 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said David Coppins , CEO of IntelyCare , which operates in 14 states and helps long- term care facilities fill their empty shifts .
In a typical nursing home , about two-thirds of the workforce are CNAs , Coppins said .
They often have the closest relationships with the patients and spot early signs of health problems .
Before the pandemic , IntelyCare found workers for about 80 percent of the shifts that long-term care facilities asked help in filling .
Now , Coppins said , it 's lucky to fill 50 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administrators day and night and they 're all crying about this , '' said Micha Shalev , who co-owns Dodge Park and Oasis at Dodge Park , two facilities in Worcester , Massachusetts , that specialize in dementia care .
So far , none of Shalev 's residents have tested positive for the virus .
His facilities and others have been taking extra precautions , he said , but are doing so with far less staff than they need – in large part because of the unemployment checks .
`` I 'm not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
`` But in order to do justice , they should be paying all the frontline workers in health care at least the same , if not even more . ''
Shalev has resorted to offering his staff bonuses during the pandemic , but said that 's not realistic for all facilities .
He said the government should supplement the wages of nurses and CNAs .
Congress is debating whether to extend the extra $ 600 a week unemployment benefit beyond the end of July .
`` Without that 600 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said LaFountain .
While she misses her patients , she added , the pay rates do n't match the risks .

Nursing Homes Struggle As Staff Choose Unemployment Checks Over Paychecks
Enlarge this image toggle caption SolStock/Getty Images SolStock/Getty Images
Shanna LaFountain has been a nursing assistant in New England for 20 years. About two months ago, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, she stopped working.
"It was an extremely hard decision," she said.
LaFountain has three children and made the decision once their schools closed and their learning went online.
"My son was not answering teachers, not doing assignments," she said. "I had to be home with my children."
Instead of working, she gets state unemployment benefits and receives another $600 each week from the federal government. She is making more money now than when she works.
LaFountain is not alone. As part of the CARES Act, the federal government added an extra $600 per week to individuals' unemployment checks. Such benefits may be available not only to those who were let go but also to those who quit their jobs due to the virus.
While a Federal Reserve report said the expanded benefits provide a critical lifeline to many individuals, there is concern that the additional money is leading crucial workers to stay home. Nursing homes and long-term-care facilities, hard hit by the pandemic, have been struggling with understaffing.
The nurse staffing agency LaFountain used to work for, called IntelyCare, reports that about 30% of its certified nursing assistants, or CNAs, are choosing to take unemployment during the pandemic.
"Without them, you've got administrators, cafeteria workers, you've got all sorts of nurses performing the CNA duties. And then you just have people that aren't getting attention because there's just not enough people working," said David Coppins, CEO of IntelyCare, which operates in 14 states and helps long- term-care facilities fill their empty shifts.
In a typical nursing home, about two-thirds of the workforce are CNAs, Coppins said. They often have the closest relationships with the patients and spot early signs of health problems.
Before the pandemic, IntelyCare found workers for about 80% of the shifts that long-term-care facilities asked help in filling. Now, Coppins said, it's lucky to fill 50%.
"I've been talking with administrators day and night and they're all crying about this," said Micha Shalev, who co-owns Dodge Park and Oasis at Dodge Park, two facilities in Worcester, Mass., that specialize in dementia care.
So far, none of Shalev's residents have tested positive for the virus. His facilities and others have been taking extra precautions, he said, but are doing so with far less staff than they need — in large part because of the unemployment checks.
"I'm not against paying people for their unemployment," he said. "But in order to do justice, they should be paying all the front-line workers in health care at least the same, if not even more."
Shalev has resorted to offering his staff bonuses during the pandemic, but said that's not realistic for all facilities. He said the government should supplement the wages of nurses and CNAs.
Congress is debating whether to extend the extra $600 a week unemployment benefit beyond the end of July.
"Without that 600, I would have to go back," said LaFountain. While she misses her patients, she added, the pay rates don't match the risks.


npr--2020-06-21--Drinking Has Surged During The Pandemic. Do You Know The Signs Of Addiction?

Drinking Has Surged During The Pandemic .
Do You Know The Signs Of Addiction ?
Despite the lack of dine-in customers for nearly two and half long months during the shutdown , Darrell Loo of Waldo Thai stayed busy .
Loo is the bar manager for the popular restaurant in Kansas City , Mo.
, and he credits increased drinking and looser liquor laws during the pandemic for his brisk business .
Alcohol also seemed to help his customers deal with all the uncertainty and fear .
`` Drinking definitely was a way of coping with it , '' says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot more when it happened .
I , myself , did drink a lot more . ''
Many state laws seemed to be waived overnight as stay-at-home orders were put into place and drinkers embraced trends such as liquor delivery , virtual happy hours and online wine tasting .
Curbside cocktails in 12 and 16-ounce bottles particularly helped Waldo Thai make up for its lost revenue from dine-in customers .
Retail alcohol sales jumped by 55 % nationally during the third week of March , when many stay-at-home orders were put in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online sales skyrocketed .
Many of these trends remained for weeks .
Nielsen also notes that selling to-go alcohol has helped restaurants sustain businesses .
But the consumption of all this alcohol can be problematic for individuals , even those who have n't had issues with drinking in the past .
Dr. Sarah Johnson , medical director of Landmark Recovery , an addiction treatment program based in Louisville , Ky. , with locations in the Midwest says that , virtual events aside , the lockdowns nearly put an end to social drinking .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ out and incorporating alcohol into a dinner or time spent with family or friends , '' Johnson says .
`` Lots of people are sitting home drinking alone now , and historically , that 's been viewed as more of a high-risk drinking behavior . ''
There are some objective measures of problematic drinking .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines heavy drinking as 15 or more drinks a week for a man or eight or more for a woman .
But Johnson says that more important clues come from changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for some people , a bit of extra drinking now and then is n't a big deal .
If you can still meet all your life obligations , make your Zoom meetings , care for your children , she says , then it may be fine .
But if any of those every day life duties start to be affected `` then it would be a signal that they are drinking too much and that it 's a problem , '' she says .
There are signs to watch out for , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increases in the amount of alcohol consumed • Changes in sleep patterns , either more or less sleep than usual • Any time that drinking interferes with everyday life Johnson explains that while some people maybe predisposed to problematic drinking or alcohol use disorder , these can also result from someone 's environment .
Johnson notes that for many people , spending days at home without the demands of a daily commute or lunch break could be problematic .
`` Routine and structure are important to overall mental health because they reduce stress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in daily life , '' Johnson says .
`` These can trigger individuals in recovery to revert to unhealthy coping skills , such as drinking . ''
Johnson says that people who are unable to stop problematic drinking on their own should seek help .
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 's runs a 24/7 helpline ( 800-662-HELP ) , and website , www.findtreatment.gov , offering referrals for addiction treatment .
You can also find help online .
Many Alcoholics Anonymous groups have started to offer virtual meetings , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And for people who are looking for more informal peer support apps such as Loosid , that can help you connect to a community of sober people .
Darrell Loo at Waldo Thai says that he has been concerned at times about people 's drinking , but he says he 's generally seen customers back off from the heavy drinking they were doing early in the pandemic .
Loo and others in the Kansas City restaurant business are pushing for the carryout cocktails and other looser laws to stay in place even as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This will go on for a while .
It 's going to change people 's habit , '' Loo says .
`` People 's spending habit .
People 's dining out habit .
So there 's definitely a need to keep doing it . ''
This story is part of a reporting partnership that includes KCUR , NPR and Kaiser Health News .

Drinking Has Surged During The Pandemic. Do You Know The Signs Of Addiction?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Copyright Artem Vorobiev/Getty Images Copyright Artem Vorobiev/Getty Images
Despite the lack of dine-in customers for nearly two and half long months during the shutdown, Darrell Loo of Waldo Thai stayed busy.
Loo is the bar manager for the popular restaurant in Kansas City, Mo., and he credits increased drinking and looser liquor laws during the pandemic for his brisk business. Alcohol also seemed to help his customers deal with all the uncertainty and fear.
"Drinking definitely was a way of coping with it," says Loo. "People did drink a lot more when it happened. I, myself, did drink a lot more."
Many state laws seemed to be waived overnight as stay-at-home orders were put into place and drinkers embraced trends such as liquor delivery, virtual happy hours and online wine tasting. Curbside cocktails in 12 and 16-ounce bottles particularly helped Waldo Thai make up for its lost revenue from dine-in customers.
Retail alcohol sales jumped by 55% nationally during the third week of March, when many stay-at-home orders were put in place, according to Nielsen data, and online sales skyrocketed.
Many of these trends remained for weeks. Nielsen also notes that selling to-go alcohol has helped restaurants sustain businesses.
But the consumption of all this alcohol can be problematic for individuals, even those who haven't had issues with drinking in the past.
Dr. Sarah Johnson, medical director of Landmark Recovery, an addiction treatment program based in Louisville, Ky., with locations in the Midwest says that, virtual events aside, the lockdowns nearly put an end to social drinking.
"It's not as much going out and incorporating alcohol into a dinner or time spent with family or friends," Johnson says. "Lots of people are sitting home drinking alone now, and historically, that's been viewed as more of a high-risk drinking behavior."
There are some objective measures of problematic drinking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines heavy drinking as 15 or more drinks a week for a man or eight or more for a woman.
But Johnson says that more important clues come from changes in behavior.
She explains that, for some people, a bit of extra drinking now and then isn't a big deal. If you can still meet all your life obligations, make your Zoom meetings, care for your children, she says, then it may be fine.
But if any of those every day life duties start to be affected "then it would be a signal that they are drinking too much and that it's a problem," she says.
There are signs to watch out for, she says. They include:
Big increases in the amount of alcohol consumed
Concern expressed by family or friends
Changes in sleep patterns, either more or less sleep than usual
Any time that drinking interferes with everyday life
Johnson explains that while some people maybe predisposed to problematic drinking or alcohol use disorder, these can also result from someone's environment.
Johnson notes that for many people, spending days at home without the demands of a daily commute or lunch break could be problematic.
"Routine and structure are important to overall mental health because they reduce stress and elements of unknown or unexpected events in daily life," Johnson says. "These can trigger individuals in recovery to revert to unhealthy coping skills, such as drinking."
Johnson says that people who are unable to stop problematic drinking on their own should seek help. The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's runs a 24/7 helpline (800-662-HELP), and website, www.findtreatment.gov, offering referrals for addiction treatment.
You can also find help online. Many Alcoholics Anonymous groups have started to offer virtual meetings, as does the secular recovery group LifeRing. And for people who are looking for more informal peer support apps such as Loosid, that can help you connect to a community of sober people.
Darrell Loo at Waldo Thai says that he has been concerned at times about people's drinking, but he says he's generally seen customers back off from the heavy drinking they were doing early in the pandemic.
Loo and others in the Kansas City restaurant business are pushing for the carryout cocktails and other looser laws to stay in place even as restaurants slowly start to reopen.
"This will go on for a while. It's going to change people's habit," Loo says. "People's spending habit. People's dining out habit. So there's definitely a need to keep doing it."
This story is part of a reporting partnership that includes KCUR, NPR and Kaiser Health News.