npr--2020-03-25--States Get Creative To Find And Deploy More Health Workers In COVID-19 Fight

States Get Creative To Find And Deploy More Health Workers In COVID-19 Fight When Dr. Judy Salerno , who is in her 60s , got word that the New York State health department was looking for retired physicians to volunteer in the coronavirus crisis , she did n't hesitate .
`` As I look to what 's ahead for New York City , where I live , I 'm thinking that if I can use my skills in some way that I will be helpful , I will step up , '' she says .
Salerno says she does n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she 's president of The New York Academy of Medicine , which does public health advocacy .
But she is essentially retired from clinical practice .
Because of her age , Salerno is among those at higher risk of serious illness if they contract COVID-19 .
`` But I feel that I 'm healthy , '' she says .
`` I 'm working full time , I have no other risk factors , so I do need to be there if needed — it 's important for me . ''
Public health experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shortage of health care workers in many places soon , as cases of COVID-19 escalate .
First , the ranks of front-line health workers will be stretched thin , as hospitals fill .
And if health care workers have to scramble to care for sick patients without enough protective gear , they will get infected with the virus and fall ill , too .
`` The reality is that we 're facing the inevitable shortage of health care providers , '' says Dr. Irwin Redlener , director of the National Center for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The people that are coming into close contact — and therefore in greatest danger — are the doctors and nurses and people directly examining patients who possibly have coronavirus . ''
To address the coming shortage , states from Hawaii to New Hampshire are loosening their licensing rules to give those with clinical skill the ability to pitch in , such as allowing out-of-state physicians to practice right away , asking retired physicians to volunteer , and more .
Most states are making these kinds of regulatory changes , according to a tracker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boards .
Changes in state rules are just the first step .
Volunteer doctors ca n't simply show up at a hospital ready to work , FSMB president Dr. Humayan Chaudhry explains .
Hospitals and health systems need to verify that physicians have the training and licenses they claim to have .
`` Sometimes that 's a laborious process , '' he says .
`` Sometimes it takes weeks to complete . ''
To help speed the process along , Chaudhry says , the Federation of State Medical Boards is offering free access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals to quickly verify `` where the physicians went to medical school , where they trained , whether or not they 've been licensed in one or more jurisdictions , whether they 've ever been disciplined , or whether or not they are specially certified by either the American Medical Specialties or the American Osteopathic Association . ''
When Salerno wanted to sign up for clinical service in New York , she filled out a form the state Department of Health had created to collect information from volunteers .
She was told quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , every day , she says , `` there 's a dashboard and I sign in to see what 's needed and if any of my skills match what people are asking for in terms of health personnel . ''
Although the idea of recruiting retired physicians and nurses has been a fairly popular move among states so far , Redlener thinks it 's a bad idea for the front lines of medical care .
`` If you start calling in retired doctors , nurses , whatever — these are de facto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
`` They 're older — that 's why they 're retired .
Many of them will have serious medical risks on top of that .
And if we 're going to put them anywhere near the front lines of this particular pandemic crisis , we are endangering some very high-risk people . ''
In his conversations with public health officials exploring these options , Redlener says , `` all avenues are being explored . ''
Nurse practitioners and physicians assistants can also work on the front lines if they 're willing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials are also talking about retraining specialists like plastic surgeons and dermatologists so that they could help care for COVID-19 patients .
Dentists might be recruited and retrained , too , he adds .
One idea Redlener favors is revisiting the rules about internationally trained physicians who are living in the U.S. `` One of the things that I have been thinking and talking about is eliminating — for now — the regulation that you have to repeat your residency in order to practice in the U.S. , '' he says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and my experience with them is they 're very talented , very well-trained and coming from all different countries .
That 's a pool we should tap . ''
He adds , `` Whatever it is that we do , we should [ recognize ] that we 're putting people in very high risk situations with respect to the coronavirus . ''
How medical students can help There 's another pool of people at the very start of their medical careers who would like to help out : medical students .
`` They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to be practicing physicians , but there 's no reason why they ca n't also be helpful in the current situation , '' says Chaundhry of FSMB .
He says most third- and fourth-year medical students were recently pulled from hospital rotations because of the dearth of personal protective equipment and the risk of exposure .
`` We 're working with the national organizations that oversee medical students — both the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine — to make sure that our next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ training are able to come back to the hospitals soon to help out in any way that they can . ''
Chaudhry says some schools , at least , are considering graduating senior medical students early .
`` We are beginning to have some early conversations about the current duration of medical school training , the current duration of specialty training for physicians — that 's something that we may need to look at at some point , `` he says .
`` We are beginning to have those conversations , because nobody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' With most med students now sidelined from the hospital , many have been brainstorming ways they can help immediately .
Some med students at Harvard , for example , are making infographics and explanatory videos for the general public , which they share on instagram .
And at the University of California , San Francisco , students have held mask drives for local hospitals .
Palak Patel is a fourth-year medical student at Midwestern University .
Inspired by medical students at the University of Minnesota , Patel organized , via google-forms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago and its suburbs .
Some of the things Patel and her peers are volunteering to do make use of their medical training — like fielding calls from patients at several clinics that have been completely inundated , and taking basic medical histories from patients over the phone .
But Patel says some med students are also babysitting for hospital workers whose kids are now out of school , or doing their grocery shopping .
Patel says she 's been delighted with the response from her fellow students .
`` I 've been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 100 volunteers sign up in 72 hours — my email was just blowing up , '' she says , and laughs .
`` We hope that the situation does n't worsen , '' Patel says .
`` But if it does , we 're hoping that we can get more and more involved . ''

States Get Creative To Find And Deploy More Health Workers In COVID-19 Fight
Enlarge this image toggle caption Misha Friedman/Getty Images Misha Friedman/Getty Images
When Dr. Judy Salerno, who is in her 60s, got word that the New York State health department was looking for retired physicians to volunteer in the coronavirus crisis, she didn't hesitate.
"As I look to what's ahead for New York City, where I live, I'm thinking that if I can use my skills in some way that I will be helpful, I will step up," she says.
Salerno says she doesn't think of herself as a retiree — she's president of The New York Academy of Medicine, which does public health advocacy. But she is essentially retired from clinical practice.
Because of her age, Salerno is among those at higher risk of serious illness if they contract COVID-19. "But I feel that I'm healthy," she says. "I'm working full time, I have no other risk factors, so I do need to be there if needed — it's important for me."
Public health experts say the United States is in for a shortage of health care workers in many places soon, as cases of COVID-19 escalate. First, the ranks of front-line health workers will be stretched thin, as hospitals fill. And if health care workers have to scramble to care for sick patients without enough protective gear, they will get infected with the virus and fall ill, too.
"The reality is that we're facing the inevitable shortage of health care providers," says Dr. Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University. "The people that are coming into close contact — and therefore in greatest danger — are the doctors and nurses and people directly examining patients who possibly have coronavirus."
To address the coming shortage, states from Hawaii to New Hampshire are loosening their licensing rules to give those with clinical skill the ability to pitch in, such as allowing out-of-state physicians to practice right away, asking retired physicians to volunteer, and more. Most states are making these kinds of regulatory changes, according to a tracker maintained by the Federation of State Medical Boards.
Changes in state rules are just the first step. Volunteer doctors can't simply show up at a hospital ready to work, FSMB president Dr. Humayan Chaudhry explains. Hospitals and health systems need to verify that physicians have the training and licenses they claim to have. "Sometimes that's a laborious process," he says. "Sometimes it takes weeks to complete."
To help speed the process along, Chaudhry says, the Federation of State Medical Boards is offering free access to its physician database, which allows hospitals to quickly verify "where the physicians went to medical school, where they trained, whether or not they've been licensed in one or more jurisdictions, whether they've ever been disciplined, or whether or not they are specially certified by either the American Medical Specialties or the American Osteopathic Association."
When Salerno wanted to sign up for clinical service in New York, she filled out a form the state Department of Health had created to collect information from volunteers. She was told quickly that her credentials had been verified.
Now, every day, she says, "there's a dashboard and I sign in to see what's needed and if any of my skills match what people are asking for in terms of health personnel."
Downside of including retirees
Although the idea of recruiting retired physicians and nurses has been a fairly popular move among states so far, Redlener thinks it's a bad idea for the front lines of medical care.
"If you start calling in retired doctors, nurses, whatever — these are de facto people at high risk," he says. "They're older — that's why they're retired. Many of them will have serious medical risks on top of that. And if we're going to put them anywhere near the front lines of this particular pandemic crisis, we are endangering some very high-risk people."
In his conversations with public health officials exploring these options, Redlener says, "all avenues are being explored." Nurse practitioners and physicians assistants can also work on the front lines if they're willing, he says. And public health officials are also talking about retraining specialists like plastic surgeons and dermatologists so that they could help care for COVID-19 patients. Dentists might be recruited and retrained, too, he adds.
One idea Redlener favors is revisiting the rules about internationally trained physicians who are living in the U.S. "One of the things that I have been thinking and talking about is eliminating — for now — the regulation that you have to repeat your residency in order to practice in the U.S.," he says. "These people are ready to go, and my experience with them is they're very talented, very well-trained and coming from all different countries. That's a pool we should tap."
He adds, "Whatever it is that we do, we should [recognize] that we're putting people in very high risk situations with respect to the coronavirus."
How medical students can help
There's another pool of people at the very start of their medical careers who would like to help out: medical students.
"They're obviously in the process of learning how to be practicing physicians, but there's no reason why they can't also be helpful in the current situation," says Chaundhry of FSMB. He says most third- and fourth-year medical students were recently pulled from hospital rotations because of the dearth of personal protective equipment and the risk of exposure.
"We're working with the national organizations that oversee medical students — both the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine — to make sure that our next generation of physicians who are currently in training are able to come back to the hospitals soon to help out in any way that they can."
Chaudhry says some schools, at least, are considering graduating senior medical students early. "We are beginning to have some early conversations about the current duration of medical school training, the current duration of specialty training for physicians — that's something that we may need to look at at some point, " he says. "We are beginning to have those conversations, because nobody knows what the future may hold."
With most med students now sidelined from the hospital, many have been brainstorming ways they can help immediately. Some med students at Harvard, for example, are making infographics and explanatory videos for the general public, which they share on instagram. And at the University of California, San Francisco, students have held mask drives for local hospitals.
Palak Patel is a fourth-year medical student at Midwestern University. Inspired by medical students at the University of Minnesota, Patel organized, via google-forms, a med student volunteer sign-up program in Chicago and its suburbs.
Some of the things Patel and her peers are volunteering to do make use of their medical training — like fielding calls from patients at several clinics that have been completely inundated, and taking basic medical histories from patients over the phone. But Patel says some med students are also babysitting for hospital workers whose kids are now out of school, or doing their grocery shopping.
Patel says she's been delighted with the response from her fellow students. "I've been actually overwhelmed. We've had more than 100 volunteers sign up in 72 hours — my email was just blowing up," she says, and laughs.
"We hope that the situation doesn't worsen," Patel says. "But if it does, we're hoping that we can get more and more involved."


npr--2020-03-25--Kentucky Has 39 New Infections, Including 1 Person Who Attended A 'Coronavirus Party'

Kentucky Has 39 New Infections , Including 1 Person Who Attended A 'Coronavirus Party' Kentucky Gov .
Andy Beshear announced Tuesday 39 new coronavirus cases in the state , including one young adult who attended a `` coronavirus party , '' apparently held to flaunt social distancing guidelines .
`` This is one that makes me mad , and it should make you mad , '' Beshear said of the case that occurred after the person attended a party of people in their 20s , who health officials say are as a group less vulnerable to the COVID-19 disease caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who goes to something like this may think they 're indestructible , but it 's someone else 's loved one that they are going to hurt , '' he said at a news conference in the capital , Frankfort .
`` We are battling for the health and the lives of our parents and our grandparents , '' he said .
`` Do n't be callous as to intentionally go to something and expose yourself to something that will hurt other people .
We ought to be much better than that . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that he would issue an order on Wednesday requiring all businesses not considered `` life-sustaining '' to close as part of the effort to contain the spread of the virus .
He said grocery stores , pharmacies , filling stations and banks would be among those exempted from the order .
The governor said Kentucky has a total of 163 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and that four people in the state had recovered from the virus .

Kentucky Has 39 New Cases; 1 Person Attended A 'Coronavirus Party'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bruce Schreiner/AP Bruce Schreiner/AP
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced Tuesday 39 new coronavirus cases in the state, including one young adult who attended a "coronavirus party," apparently held to flout social distancing guidelines.
"This is one that makes me mad, and it should make you mad," Beshear said of the case that occurred after the person attended a party of people in their 20s, who health officials say are as a group less vulnerable to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear YouTube
"Anyone who goes to something like this may think they're indestructible, but it's someone else's loved one that they are going to hurt," he said at a news conference in the capital, Frankfort.
"We are battling for the health and the lives of our parents and our grandparents," he said. "Don't be callous as to intentionally go to something and expose yourself to something that will hurt other people. We ought to be much better than that."
Beshear, a first-term Democrat, also announced that he would issue an order on Wednesday requiring all businesses not considered "life-sustaining" to close as part of the effort to contain the spread of the virus. He said grocery stores, pharmacies, filling stations and banks would be among those exempted from the order.
The governor said Kentucky has 163 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and that four people in the state had recovered from the virus.


npr--2020-03-25--A Grounded Biden Campaign Is Trying To Reach Voters In The Cloud

A Grounded Biden Campaign Is Trying To Reach Voters In The Cloud Joe Biden is a classic retail politician — a man who loves to shake hands , give hugs , take selfies and look voters directly in the eye , one-on-one .
But now he ca n't do any of those things .
Instead , because of the coronavirus outbreak , his campaign is grounded : no rallies , no travel .
It 's all virtual fundraisers , live-streamed speeches , remote TV interviews , Facebook videos and volunteer Slack channels .
Behind the scenes , the former Vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone with his public health advisory committee , fellow Democratic leaders , and economic advisors , but the public-facing campaign is now exclusively a TV and digital operation .
The coronavirus outbreak has forced the 77-year-old Biden and his campaign to urgently reckon with a new reality in which the internet is the main campaign battlefield — a place where they have often been outdone by rivals , but where voters are currently very much a captive audience .
`` The things that will make us successful now are the things that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general .
It just means that we need to do them faster , '' said Rob Flaherty , Biden 's digital director .
Biden is not officially the Democratic nominee , but given his large delegate lead and the momentum from a string of major primary victories before voting was largely suspended , he is widely seen as the prohibitive front-runner .
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has not conceded , and in fact maintains a robust digital operation through which he 's given competing digital appearances in recent days .
Sanders is seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world of campaign live streaming .
Biden was a late adopter .
His first virtual town hall suffered a technical glitch preventing most people from watching it in real time .
Then , last week , Biden was slow to reappear on camera after the March 17 primaries , doing no TV appearances and just one telephone press conference .
The lack of visibility led to some mockery from Sanders supporters and frustration from some allies .
During a virtual fundraiser over the weekend , one donor asked : `` What I 'm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump every day with this crisis giving his press report .
And I would just love to see you more .
Like how do we get more of you and less of him on our airwaves ? ''
Biden 's answer seemed apparent by Tuesday : Multiple TV interviews all done through the new in-home studio installed in a rec room at his house in Delaware .
But unexpectedly scaling a full digital operation is no easy feat .
`` I think the next weeks or months , however long it is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every campaign , '' said Teddy Goff , digital director for Barack Obama 's 2012 reelection campaign .
`` I also think there 's a huge opportunity : Everyone in America is sitting in front of their device all day and all night . ''
The challenge , he says , is finding the right way to reach voter .
`` People are going to have to figure out what time people are paying attention to , and what channels work best , and what are the tactics you can get to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Beyond the logistical details , Goff says there 's another hurdle in this moment where everything is overshadowed by crisis : getting a message across .
`` People who are not in public office have to figure out how they can contribute effectively to the conversation , you know , give people news they can use , '' he said .
Biden 's campaign is experimenting , trying to figure out how to recreate the feel of retail politics without the crowds .
Over the weekend , the former vice president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by DJ D-Nice .
The campaign sees Facebook as a friendly space .
But that 's also one of Donald Trump 's preferred social media outlets .
The President has far more followers , with 28 million on his page compared to roughly 1.7 million for Biden .
A random Facebook video the President posts can easily receive half a million views .
But while Trump 's videos might receive a lot of eyeballs , often drawn to provocative rhetoric , the Biden campaign believes its strength is empathy and explanation .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a video from early January with Biden delivering remarks about Iran and Trump 's actions in the region , which received over 600,000 views on Facebook .
The campaign also pointed to four of its videos in recent days that have over a million views on Twitter , including a COVID-19 explainer with Biden advisor and former Obama administration Ebola czar Ron Klain in front a white board — it 's received over 4 million views .
Biden , not known for the massive crowds or internet success of Donald Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential reach .
`` The irony is - virtual campaigning - I 'll probably reach more people than I would out there shaking hands , '' he said in an interview with ABC 's The View on Tuesday morning .
It 's one thing for the candidate himself to continue campaigning , and another for his volunteers and organizers to build up a ground organization in key states when they 're not allowed to physically knock on doors or meet in large groups .
Matthew Plourd , a freshman at New York University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporting Biden .
His organization had been planning on hosting a debate night watch party and canvassing New Yorkers in Washington Square Park .
Since in-person classes have been cancelled , he 's been at home in Connecticut trying to spread the word via his cell phone and coordinating with other members of the group Students for Biden .
`` We have a national Slack that we all talk on that we 're all fairly active on , '' said Plourd , referencing the messaging service also used by many businesses .
Plourd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he 's actually seen social media engagement go up since students have been off campus , as internet traffic has surged across the board .
`` You can attribute that to a lot of things , obviously people spending more time on the web while they 're at home , bored , '' he said .
Many upcoming primaries are postponed , and so phone banking to get out the vote is n't an immediate concern .
Volunteers still gather on the video platform Zoom or chat through messaging sites , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Biden 's campaign views organizing in this moment as a way to create community more than fulfill an immediate campaign need .
Bringing voters together while apart '' Campaigns are very much social activities for a lot of people , '' said Paul Ruiz , a volunteer with the Biden campaign in Virginia .
Prior to the virus outbreak , he held weekly phone banks and watch parties , but now he 's had to move all of that over to virtual platforms .
This past weekend , he helped organize a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters via a communal camera he admits can be `` awkward , '' so it was less about the actual work of dialing numbers together and more about the camaraderie , recreating the casual side-conversations volunteers have when they 're making calls in a room together .
`` The purpose of the Zoom is really to bring everybody together and retain the social element of campaigns , '' said Ruiz .
`` This past weekend the conversation was on who should be Joe Biden 's vice presidential pick . ''
Phone banking tools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , people could already easily access the dial-in logistics from their own homes , but Ruiz says they often preferred to come to a phone-banking session so that they could talk to politically like-minded friends .
`` Online organizing around this sense of building communities and getting those communities to take action , that was always going to be the plan , '' said Flaherty .
`` Now that people are home and looking for connection , it means we got to do that sooner . ''
In other words , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would need for a general election , but they 're doing in a strange moment .

A Grounded Biden Campaign Is Trying To Reach Voters In The Cloud
Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images Scott Olson/Getty Images
Joe Biden is a classic retail politician — a man who loves to shake hands, give hugs, take selfies and look voters directly in the eye, one-on-one. But now he can't do any of those things.
Instead, because of the coronavirus outbreak, his campaign is grounded: no rallies, no travel. It's all virtual fundraisers, live-streamed speeches, remote TV interviews, Facebook videos and volunteer Slack channels.
Behind the scenes, the former vice president spends hours a day on the phone with his public health advisory committee, fellow Democratic leaders and economic advisers, but the public-facing campaign is now exclusively a TV and digital operation.
The coronavirus outbreak has forced the 77-year-old Biden and his campaign to urgently reckon with a new reality in which the internet is the main campaign battlefield — a place where they have often been outdone by rivals, but where voters are currently very much a captive audience.
"The things that will make us successful now are the things that are gonna make us successful in the general. It just means that we need to do them faster," said Rob Flaherty, Biden's digital director.
Biden is not officially the Democratic nominee, but given his large delegate lead and the momentum from a string of major primary victories before voting was largely suspended, he is widely seen as the prohibitive front-runner.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has not conceded, and in fact maintains a robust digital operation through which he's given competing digital appearances in recent days.
Sanders is seen as a sort of pioneer in the world of campaign live streaming. Biden was a late adopter.
His first virtual town hall suffered a technical glitch preventing most people from watching it in real time. Then, last week, Biden was slow to reappear on camera after the March 17 primaries, doing no TV appearances and just one telephone press conference. The lack of visibility led to some mockery from Sanders supporters and frustration from some allies.
During a virtual fundraiser over the weekend, one donor asked: "What I'm concerned about is that we see Donald Trump every day with this crisis giving his press report. And I would just love to see you more. Like how do we get more of you and less of him on our airwaves?"
Biden's answer seemed apparent by Tuesday: multiple TV interviews all done through a new in-home studio installed in a rec room at his house in Delaware.
But unexpectedly scaling a full digital operation is no easy feat.
"I think the next weeks or months, however long it is, are going to be really challenging for every campaign," said Teddy Goff, digital director for Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign. "I also think there's a huge opportunity: Everyone in America is sitting in front of their device all day and all night."
The challenge, he says, is finding the right way to reach voters.
"People are going to have to figure out what time people are paying attention to, and what channels work best, and what are the tactics you can get to get people to tune in," he said.
Beyond the logistical details, Goff says there's another hurdle in this moment where everything is overshadowed by crisis: getting a message across. "People who are not in public office have to figure out how they can contribute effectively to the conversation, you know, give people news they can use," he said.
Biden's campaign is experimenting, trying to figure out how to recreate the feel of retail politics without the crowds. Over the weekend, the former vice president popped into a quarantine Instagram party hosted by DJ D-Nice.
Fighting on Trump's turf
The campaign sees Facebook as a friendly space. But that's also one of Donald Trump's preferred social media outlets. The president has far more followers, with 28 million on his page compared to roughly 1.7 million for Biden. A random Facebook video the president posts can easily receive half a million views.
But while Trump's videos might receive a lot of eyeballs, often drawn to provocative rhetoric, the Biden campaign believes its strength is empathy and explanation. It's taking cues from the unexpected success of a video from early January with Biden delivering remarks about Iran and Trump's actions in the region, which received over 600,000 views on Facebook.
The campaign also pointed to four of its videos in recent days that have over a million views on Twitter, including a COVID-19 explainer with Biden adviser and former Obama administration Ebola czar Ron Klain in front a white board — it's received over 4 million views.
Biden, not known for the massive crowds or internet success of Trump and Sanders, seems intrigued by the potential reach.
"The irony is — virtual campaigning — I'll probably reach more people than I would out there shaking hands," he said in an interview with ABC's The View on Tuesday morning.
A ground game, in the cloud
It's one thing for the candidate himself to continue campaigning, and another for his volunteers and organizers to build up a ground organization in key states when they're not allowed to physically knock on doors or meet in large groups.
Matthew Plourd, a freshman at New York University, is part of a student group supporting Biden. His organization had been planning on hosting a debate night watch party and canvassing New Yorkers in Washington Square Park. Since in-person classes have been cancelled, he's been at home in Connecticut trying to spread the word via his cellphone and coordinating with other members of the group Students for Biden.
"We have a national Slack that we all talk on that we're all fairly active on," said Plourd, referencing the messaging service also used by many businesses.
Plourd says the new environment is challenging, but he's actually seen social media engagement go up since students have been off campus, as internet traffic has surged across the board.
"You can attribute that to a lot of things, obviously people spending more time on the web while they're at home, bored," he said.
Many upcoming primaries are postponed, and so phone banking to get out the vote isn't an immediate concern. Volunteers still gather on the video platform Zoom or chat through messaging sites, such as Slack, as Plourd mentioned; but Biden's campaign views organizing in this moment as a way to create community more than fulfill an immediate campaign need.
Bringing voters together while apart
"Campaigns are very much social activities for a lot of people," said Paul Ruiz, a volunteer with the Biden campaign in Virginia. Prior to the virus outbreak, he held weekly phone banks and watch parties, but now he's had to move all of that over to virtual platforms.
This past weekend, he helped organize a remote phone bank via Zoom. Calling voters via a communal camera he admits can be "awkward," so it was less about the actual work of dialing numbers together and more about the camaraderie, recreating the casual side-conversations volunteers have when they're making calls in a room together.
"The purpose of the Zoom is really to bring everybody together and retain the social element of campaigns," said Ruiz. "This past weekend the conversation was on who should be Joe Biden's vice presidential pick."
Phone banking tools already exist online, and prior to the pandemic, people could already easily access the dial-in logistics from their own homes, but Ruiz says they often preferred to come to a phone-banking session so that they could talk to politically like-minded friends.
"Online organizing around this sense of building communities and getting those communities to take action, that was always going to be the plan," said Biden digital director Flaherty. "Now that people are home and looking for connection, it means we got to do that sooner."
In other words, they are beefing up a digital operation they would need for a general election, but they're doing it in a strange moment.


npr--2020-03-25--Amid Pandemic Crisis, U.S. Wages Broader Messaging War With China

The United States and China are locked in a struggle over influence and messaging about the coronavirus pandemic even as governments around the world struggle to control the outbreak .
State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus hailed comments by China 's ambassador walking back an earlier false claim in Beijing that the U.S. Army had introduced the coronavirus to its epicenter in the Chinese city of Wuhan .
Her statement was part of what the Trump administration says is a coordinated effort to push back on a disinformation campaign by the Chinese communist government .
A senior administration official tells NPR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communist government against suppressing accurate information .
Trump is sending that message , too .
`` I 'm a little upset with China .
I 'll be honest with you , '' Trump told reporters last Sunday , charging that Beijing should have alerted authorities earlier and allowed U.S. experts to analyze findings about the coronavirus .
The Cold War-like spat has waxed and waned by the day depending on the public remarks of officials in both governments .
But the background throughout has been the desire of each power to position itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As Trump and aides talked up their discussions with G7 allies , China 's messaging to Europeans was that their most meaningful support , including in the form of aid to European countries hobbled by the outbreak , is coming not from the West , but the east As Trump and his aides faulted China 's repressive regime for squelching dissent and information , Beijing 's spokesmen fired right back , including with mockery and with false allegations such as the `` Army '' claim .
For some specialists , imposing a geostrategic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this way is counterproductive .
Bonnie Glaser , a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies , says the blame game has become a distraction from the real work that needs to take place .
`` At this point , it seems to me to be quite a waste of energy for the U.S. and Chinese governments to be focused on that question when they should be working hard on protecting their own citizens , contributing where they can to help other countries around the world that are very ill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Glaser said .
In the telling of Trump and some Republican supporters , the pandemic is the fault of an oppressive Chinese Communist Party that pressured underlings and suppressed free expression so much that the virus raged for too long within China with too little warning for the world .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo complained to reporters that disinformation about the virus — which he said was coming from China , Russia and Iran , among other apparent sources — hurt public health efforts and corroded trust .
The Trump administration is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it does want to ensure that accurate data sets are shared with public health officials who continue to fight the spread , he said .
Tara O'Toole , a former undersecretary for Homeland Security under President Obama , said she thought finger pointing is counterproductive .
But she did agree that information is critical in a global era that makes epidemics likelier and deadlier .
Outbreaks such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome , H1N1 influenza and Zika are happening because of expanding trade and travel patterns .
`` These epidemics are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is now executive vice president at In-Q-Tel , a venture capital firm closely linked to the national security establishment .
`` We have that to get much better at handling them .
So understanding what really happened , from whence these viruses originate and how to fight them , is important for the whole world at the same time , '' she said .
At the same time , if the coronavirus crisis has underscored the new risks associated with a closely connected globe , some insiders also say it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dynamic between the United States and China .
Tim Morrison , who formerly led biodefense issues at the National Security Council in the Trump administration , said the crisis has exposed the critical American dependence on Chinese manufacturing , including of medical supplies and specialized respirator masks that are now scarce .
Trump 's polices already had complicated the economic relationship between China and the U.S. before the coronavirus disaster — and Morrison said the crisis now will force Washington to try to evolve that relationship again to stanch Chinese production of so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tough choices we have to make is we are going to have to figure out how to uncouple or decouple our pharmaceutical , our health care commodity supply chain from China , because we have seen the bulk of it move to China , '' said Morrison , who is now a fellow at the Hudson Institute .
The problem – Morrison warns – is China is in control of these and other vital products , which might give it a veto over access to them .
The United States and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reliable manufacturer of nearly everything , but for Morrison and other skeptics , the question posed by the outbreak is whether Washington can live in a world in which its supplies are at Beijing 's mercy .
China 's leaders reject these kinds of charges , but they have embraced the battle with America over global messaging .
In the view from Beijing , quick and stringent action made possible by China 's unique system quashed the virus .
President Xi Jinping already has taken what amounted to a victory lap through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ originated , and pointed to China 's success in flattening its curve of new infections after a broad crackdown there .
China is one of only two countries so far , along with South Korea , that have proceeded up and then down its curve of infections .
New cases continue growing everywhere else .
Official messaging by spokesmen such as Hua Chunying of the foreign ministry also has embraced what China calls the aid it has given to Italy , the European epicenter of the pandemic , and China 's preparedness for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have become a meta-commentary about the messaging war itself , including with links to stories about the American desire to criticize Beijing .
`` Saving lives is more important than saving face !
Be honest and responsible ! ''
Hua wrote .
China 's global messaging is not only deliberate , but focused : Twitter is banned inside the people 's republic ; the intended audience for these messages are outsiders and nations , such as those in Europe , that China 's leaders have selected .
Reverberations within the U.S. American officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have become muddled and intermingled with what critics call racist or ethnocentric language , including that used by Trump himself .
But if the United States won a minor victory in the messaging war this week , so , in this context did China .
After a stream of news conferences in which Trump insisted upon using the term `` Chinese virus , '' the president ditched that phrase on Monday .
Trump has n't abandoned his complaint about how much information he says China 's government concealed about the early phase of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abandon the phrase `` Chinese virus . ''
The president told Fox News in an interview on Tuesday that he did n't regret using that term — `` but I decided we should n't make any more of a big deal out of it . ''

Amid Pandemic Crisis, U.S. Wages Broader Messaging War With China
Enlarge this image Ahn Young-joon/AP Ahn Young-joon/AP
The United States and China are locked in a struggle over influence and messaging about the coronavirus pandemic even as governments around the world struggle to control the outbreak.
This week, Washington claimed a small victory.
State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus hailed comments by China's ambassador walking back an earlier false claim in Beijing that the U.S. Army had introduced the coronavirus to its epicenter in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
Her statement was part of what the Trump administration says is a coordinated effort to push back on a disinformation campaign by the Chinese communist government.
A senior administration official tells NPR that the United States has warned the communist government against suppressing accurate information. Trump is sending that message, too.
"I'm a little upset with China. I'll be honest with you," Trump told reporters last Sunday, charging that Beijing should have alerted authorities earlier and allowed U.S. experts to analyze findings about the coronavirus.
The Cold War-like spat has waxed and waned by the day depending on the public remarks of officials in both governments.
But the background throughout has been the desire of each power to position itself as the leader of the response. As Trump and aides talked up their discussions with G7 allies, China's messaging to Europeans was that their most meaningful support, including in the form of aid to European countries hobbled by the outbreak, is coming not from the West, but the east.
As Trump and his aides faulted China's repressive regime for squelching dissent and information, Beijing's spokesmen fired right back, including with mockery and with false allegations such as the "Army" claim.
For some specialists, imposing a geostrategic superstructure onto a public health crisis in this way is counterproductive.
Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says the blame game has become a distraction from the real work that needs to take place.
"At this point, it seems to me to be quite a waste of energy for the U.S. and Chinese governments to be focused on that question when they should be working hard on protecting their own citizens, contributing where they can to help other countries around the world that are very ill prepared to deal with this virus," Glaser said.
A tale of two systems
In the telling of Trump and some Republican supporters, the pandemic is the fault of an oppressive Chinese Communist Party that pressured underlings and suppressed free expression so much that the virus raged for too long within China with too little warning for the world.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo complained to reporters that disinformation about the virus — which he said was coming from China, Russia and Iran, among other apparent sources — hurt public health efforts and corroded trust.
The Trump administration isn't casting blame for the virus, but it does want to ensure that accurate data sets are shared with public health officials who continue to fight the spread, he said.
Tara O'Toole, a former undersecretary for Homeland Security under President Obama, said she thought finger pointing is counterproductive. But she did agree that information is critical in a global era that makes epidemics likelier and deadlier.
Outbreaks such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, H1N1 influenza and Zika are happening because of expanding trade and travel patterns.
"These epidemics are going to keep coming," said O'Toole, who is now executive vice president at In-Q-Tel, a venture capital firm closely linked to the national security establishment.
"We have that to get much better at handling them. So understanding what really happened, from whence these viruses originate and how to fight them, is important for the whole world at the same time," she said.
At the same time, if the coronavirus crisis has underscored the new risks associated with a closely connected globe, some insiders also say it has exposed specific challenges associated with the bilateral dynamic between the U.S. and China.
Tim Morrison, who formerly led biodefense issues at the National Security Council in the Trump administration, said the crisis has exposed the critical American dependence on Chinese manufacturing, including of medical supplies and specialized respirator masks that are now scarce.
Trump's polices already had complicated the economic relationship between China and the U.S. before the coronavirus disaster — and Morrison said the crisis now will force Washington to try to evolve that relationship again to stanch Chinese production of so many vital products.
"One of the tough choices we have to make is we are going to have to figure out how to uncouple or decouple our pharmaceutical, our health care commodity supply chain from China, because we have seen the bulk of it move to China," said Morrison, who is now a fellow at the Hudson Institute.
The problem – Morrison warns – is China is in control of these and other vital products, which might give it a veto over access to them.
The United States and the West grew to depend on Asia as a reliable manufacturer of nearly everything, but for Morrison and other skeptics, the question posed by the outbreak is whether Washington can live in a world in which its supplies are at Beijing's mercy.
Beijing touts its own leadership
China's leaders reject these kinds of charges, but they have embraced the battle with America over global messaging.
In the view from Beijing, quick and stringent action made possible by China's unique system quashed the virus.
President Xi Jinping already has taken what amounted to a victory lap through Hubei Province, where the coronavirus outbreak originated, and pointed to China's success in flattening its curve of new infections after a broad crackdown there.
China is one of only two countries so far, along with South Korea, that have proceeded up and then down its curve of infections. New cases continue growing everywhere else.
Official messaging by spokesmen such as Hua Chunying of the foreign ministry also has embraced what China calls the aid it has given to Italy, the European epicenter of the pandemic, and China's preparedness for global leadership.
Hua's posts also have become a meta-commentary about the messaging war itself, including with links to stories about the American desire to criticize Beijing.
"Saving lives is more important than saving face! Be honest and responsible!" Hua wrote.
China's global messaging is not only deliberate, but focused: Twitter is banned inside the people's republic; the intended audience for these messages are outsiders and nations, such as those in Europe, that China's leaders have selected.
Reverberations within the U.S.
American officials' complaints about Chinese communists' repression have become muddled and intermingled with what critics call racist or ethnocentric language, including that used by Trump himself.
But if the United States won a minor victory in the messaging war this week, so, in this context did China.
After a stream of news conferences in which Trump insisted upon using the term "Chinese virus," the president ditched that phrase on Monday.
Trump hasn't abandoned his complaint about how much information he says China's government concealed about the early phase of the coronavirus outbreak, but he did abandon the phrase "Chinese virus."
The president told Fox News in an interview on Tuesday that he didn't regret using that term — "but I decided we shouldn't make any more of a big deal out of it."


npr--2020-03-25--White House, Senate Agree To $2 Trillion Coronavirus Rescue Package

Updated at 2:20 a.m .
ET The Trump administration and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced early Wednesday that the White House and Senate had reached a deal for an unprecedented $ 2 trillion spending package aimed at propping up individuals , businesses and the nation 's health care system amid the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic .
White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland made the announcement at about 1 a.m .
ET .
`` Ladies and gentlemen , we are done .
We have a deal , '' Ueland said .
McConnell appeared on the Senate floor shortly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news . ''
McConnell said of the legislation that , `` in effect , it is a wartime level of investment , '' adding that it would come up for a vote later Wednesday .
The Senate will reconvene at noon .
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said President Trump would `` absolutely '' sign the bill if Congress approved it .
McConnell called the growing epidemic `` the most serious threat to Americans ' health in over a century and quite likely the greatest risk to America 's jobs and prosperity that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer followed McConnell on the Senate floor , saying , `` We have a bipartisan agreement on the largest rescue package in American history . ''
He called the occasion `` not a moment of celebration , but one of necessity . ''
Schumer said the deal was meant as a `` Marshall Plan '' for hospitals and medical needs .
Hospitals , which are on the front lines of a wave of new patients that have already strained resources , would get more than $ 130 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get $ 150 billion to help cover expenses incurred by the response to the pandemic .
The package would also give direct cash payments to most Americans , expand unemployment benefits and put forth a $ 367 billion program to help small businesses make payroll , according to The Associate Press .
Every laid-off or furloughed worker would have their salary `` remunerated by the federal government , '' Schumer said .
The deal also includes `` strict oversight , accountability and transparency '' of all loans to `` corporate America '' enabled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The agreement followed days of intense wrangling amid pressure to do a deal quickly as much of the country went into lock down to contain the spread of the virus and global markets crashed .
The sudden movement on the legislation occurred after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that Republicans and Democrats had seemed close to bridging disagreements that had previously stalled the package .
`` I think there is real optimism we could get something done in the next few hours , '' Pelosi said in an interview on CNBC .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the aisle that the package was urgently needed , ironing out the details proved tricky .
One of the final sticking points was over the size of government-guaranteed , subsidized loans to larger industries , including the airlines .
Ultimately , the figure arrived at was $ 500 billion , according to the AP .

White House, Senate Agree To $2 Trillion Coronavirus Rescue Package
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP
Updated at 2:20 a.m. ET
The Trump administration and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced early Wednesday that the White House and Senate had reached a deal for an unprecedented $2 trillion spending package aimed at propping up individuals, businesses and the nation's health care system amid the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic.
White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland made the announcement at about 1 a.m. ET.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are done. We have a deal," Ueland said.
McConnell appeared on the Senate floor shortly after to say he had "good news."
McConnell said of the legislation that, "in effect, it is a wartime level of investment," adding that it would come up for a vote later Wednesday. The Senate will reconvene at noon.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said President Trump would "absolutely" sign the bill if Congress approved it.
McConnell called the growing epidemic "the most serious threat to Americans' health in over a century and quite likely the greatest risk to America's jobs and prosperity that we've seen since the Great Depression."
At last, we have a deal.
After days of intense discussions, the Senate has reached a bipartisan agreement on a historic relief package for this pandemic.
We’re going to pass this legislation later today. — Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) March 25, 2020
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer followed McConnell on the Senate floor, saying, "We have a bipartisan agreement on the largest rescue package in American history." He called the occasion "not a moment of celebration, but one of necessity."
Schumer said the deal was meant as a "Marshall Plan" for hospitals and medical needs.
Hospitals, which are on the front lines of a wave of new patients that have already strained resources, would get more than $130 billion, while states and local governments would get $150 billion to help cover expenses incurred by the response to the pandemic.
The package would also give direct cash payments to most Americans, expand unemployment benefits and put forth a $367 billion program to help small businesses make payroll, according to The Associated Press.
Every laid-off or furloughed worker would have their salary "remunerated by the federal government," Schumer said.
The deal also includes "strict oversight, accountability and transparency" of all loans to "corporate America" enabled by the legislation, he said.
The agreement followed days of intense wrangling amid pressure to do a deal quickly as much of the country went into lockdown to contain the spread of the virus and global markets crashed.
The sudden movement on the legislation occurred after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that Republicans and Democrats had seemed close to bridging disagreements that had previously stalled the package.
"I think there is real optimism we could get something done in the next few hours," Pelosi said in an interview on CNBC.
Despite broad agreement on both sides of the aisle that the package was urgently needed, ironing out the details proved tricky.
One of the final sticking points was over the size of government-guaranteed, subsidized loans to larger industries, including the airlines. Ultimately, the figure arrived at was $500 billion, according to the AP.


npr--2020-03-24--VA Wants Retired Health Care Workers Back To Treat Surge In Vets With Coronavirus

VA Wants Retired Health Care Workers Back To Treat Surge In Vets With Coronavirus The number of veterans who have have tested positive for coronavirus has increased from 204 on Monday to 296 confirmed cases on Tuesday .
Reported deaths also inched up from two on Monday , to four on Tuesday .
The uptick comes as the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs braces for an influx of patients , and asks for additional health care workers to staff medical facilities .
The department has called out to retired VA and federal health care workers on Twitter and Facebook , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WE NEED YOU !
Help us in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic .
Consider # VA re-employment . ''
The appeals from the VA , which is the largest health care system in the U.S. , come after Secretary Robert Wilkie said last week that the department was getting ready to deploy 3,000 medical staff to assist in the national fight against coronavirus .
The department entered the coronavirus epidemic short-staffed with 44,000 vacancies .
Those health care workers willing to come out of retirement to help VA clinics and hospitals may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus , because they 're likely to be in the most vulnerable age group .
The job openings `` could include both direct patient care and telehealth options , as well as call center and other administrative support . ''

VA Wants Retired Health Care Workers Back To Treat Surge In Vets With Coronavirus
The number of veterans who have have tested positive for coronavirus has increased from 204 on Monday to 296 confirmed cases on Tuesday. Reported deaths also inched up from two on Monday, to four on Tuesday.
The uptick comes as the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs braces for an influx of patients, and asks for additional health care workers to staff medical facilities.
The department has called out to retired VA and federal health care workers on Twitter and Facebook, to reapply for clinical jobs: "WE NEED YOU! Help us in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Consider #VA re-employment."
The appeals from the VA, which is the largest health care system in the U.S., come after Secretary Robert Wilkie said last week that the department was getting ready to deploy 3,000 medical staff to assist in the national fight against coronavirus.
The department entered the coronavirus epidemic short-staffed with 44,000 vacancies.
Those health care workers willing to come out of retirement to help VA clinics and hospitals may themselves be at higher risk of contracting coronavirus, because they're likely to be in the most vulnerable age group.
The job openings "could include both direct patient care and telehealth options, as well as call center and other administrative support."


npr--2020-03-24--'Wonder Woman' And 'In The Heights' Films Delayed During Coronavirus Outbreak

'Wonder Woman ' And 'In The Heights ' Films Delayed During Coronavirus Outbreak With movie theaters closed around the world @ @ @ @ @ , Warner Brothers is postponing the openings of some of its big summer movies , @ @ @ @ @ It was originally set for June 5 .
Now , it will hit theaters on @ @ @ @ @ star Gal Gadot tweeted , `` In these dark and scary times , I am @ @ @ @ @ future ahead where we can share the power of cinema together again . ''
Warner @ @ @ @ @ animated movie Scoob , the thriller Malignant and its film version of Lin-Manuel Miranda 's @ @ @ @ @ Heights .
Directed by John M. Chu , that film was supposed to open on @ @ @ @ @ no new date in place for it yet , but on Twitter , Miranda promised @ @ @ @ @ in New York City 's Washington Heights neighborhood will have its premiere uptown , `` @ @ @ @ @ again , flags in hand . ''

'Wonder Woman' And 'In The Heights' Films Delayed During Coronavirus Outbreak
With movie theaters closed around the world because of the coronavirus pandemic, Warner Brothers is postponing the openings of some of its big summer movies, including Wonder Woman 1984. It was originally set for June 5. Now, it will hit theaters on Aug. 14.
Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot tweeted, "In these dark and scary times, I am looking forward to a brighter future ahead where we can share the power of cinema together again." Warner Brothers is also postponing its animated movie Scoob, the thriller Malignant and its film version of Lin-Manuel Miranda's hit Broadway musical In the Heights.
Directed by John M. Chu, that film was supposed to open on June 26. There's no new date in place for it yet, but on Twitter, Miranda promised that the film they shot in New York City's Washington Heights neighborhood will have its premiere uptown, "when we can safely gather again, flags in hand."


npr--2020-03-24--Workers In 8 Amazon Warehouses Test Positive For Coronavirus

Workers in at least eight Amazon warehouses across the country have tested positive for coronavirus , just as the e-commerce giant ramps up hiring to meet surging online sales .
In recent days , warehouse workers at two separate sites in New York City , in Staten Island and Queens , in addition to employees at warehouses in Jacksonville , Fla. , Oklahoma City , Brownstown , Mich. , Katy , Tex.
, Wallingford , Conn. and Shepherdsville , Ky. , have tested positive for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , according to media reports and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporarily closed down facilities in some cases in order for the centers to be sanitized .
Amazon has announced it plans to hire 100,000 new workers for warehouses and delivery services in order to meet the rise in orders to the company 's fulfillment centers , as millions of Americans obey orders to stay indoors and turn increasingly to online shopping .
Hundreds of workers have signed a petition saying they do not think Amazon has done enough to ensure they are protected during the coronavirus-fueled boom for the company .
The workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and child care .
Among other demands , the workers asked that Amazon extend paid sick leave part-time and seasonal delivery employees .
Amazon says employees diagnosed with COVID-19 or quarantined will have two weeks of pay in addition to unlimited unpaid leave through the end of March , as previously announced .
Additionally , Amazon has established a $ 25 million fund from which `` independent delivery service partners and their drivers , Amazon Flex participants , and seasonal employees '' under financial distress can apply for grants equal to up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in quarantine .
An Amazon official told NPR that the company has increased `` the frequency and intensity '' of cleaning at all sites .
Amazon also has made changes at its work sites in accordance with social distancing , including eliminating stand up meetings during shifts and staggering start and break times .
Still , workers say the $ 947 billion company can do more to safeguard them from the fast-spreading virus .
A New York-based group of Amazon warehouse workers says when a coronavirus case is confirmed in a facility , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The facility must be shut down and workers given paid leave at their normal pay rate while the facility is thoroughly sterilized and workers are tested for the virus , '' says Amazonians United NYC .

Workers In 8 Amazon Warehouses Test Positive For Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Johannes Eiselle/AFP via Getty Images Johannes Eiselle/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 11:35 p.m. ET
Workers in at least eight Amazon warehouses across the country have tested positive for the coronavirus, just as the e-commerce giant ramps up hiring to meet surging online sales.
In recent days, warehouse workers at two separate sites in New York City — in Staten Island and Queens — in addition to employees at warehouses in Jacksonville, Fla., Oklahoma City, Brownstown, Mich., Katy, Tex., Wallingford, Conn. and Shepherdsville, Ky., have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to media reports and Amazon officials.
In response, Amazon temporarily closed down facilities in some cases in order for the centers to be sanitized.
Amazon has announced it plans to hire 100,000 additional workers for warehouses and delivery services to meet the rise in orders to the company's fulfillment centers, as millions of Americans obey orders to stay indoors and turn increasingly to online shopping.
Hundreds of workers have signed a petition saying they do not think Amazon has done enough to ensure they are protected during the coronavirus-fueled boom for the company. The workers demanded hazard pay, paid sick leave and child care.
Among other demands, the workers asked that Amazon extend paid sick leave to part-time and seasonal delivery employees.
Amazon says employees diagnosed with COVID-19 or quarantined will have two weeks of pay in addition to unlimited unpaid leave through the end of March, as previously announced.
Additionally, Amazon has established a $25 million fund from which "independent delivery service partners and their drivers, Amazon Flex participants, and seasonal employees" under financial distress can apply for grants equal to up to two weeks if diagnosed with coronavirus or in quarantine.
An Amazon official told NPR that the company has increased "the frequency and intensity" of cleaning at all sites.
Amazon also has made changes at its work sites in accordance with social distancing, including eliminating standup meetings during shifts and staggering start and break times.
Still, workers say the $947 billion company can do more to safeguard them from the fast-spreading virus.
A New York-based group of Amazon warehouse workers says when a coronavirus case is confirmed in a facility, the site should be closed.
"The facility must be shut down and workers given paid leave at their normal pay rate while the facility is thoroughly sterilized and workers are tested for the virus," says Amazonians United NYC.


npr--2020-03-24--U.S. Seeks Coronavirus Tests From South Korea

Updated at 5:25 a.m .
ET Wednesday President Trump has requested test kits from South Korea to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S .
According to a readout from the Blue House , as the presidential office here is known , a 23-minute phone call with President Moon Jae-in was initiated at the `` urgent request '' of Trump .
Neither the White House , which confirmed the call , nor the Blue House initially specified exactly what medical equipment Trump requested .
But on Wednesday morning , Moon confirmed that it was in fact test kits .
Moon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seegene , a Korean biotech firm which recently agreed to sell an initial batch of 20,000 test kits to Los Angeles for $ 1.25 million .
The Blue House says Moon would provide as much support as South Korea can spare .
But he cautioned that it might require U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval .
Trump replied that he could secure that approval the same day .
South Korea has lately garnered praise for quickly ramping up mass production and use of test kits .
Not long after the first cases were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seegene and several other local companies to start making test kits .
It also lined up nearly 100 labs to analyze samples and get quick test results .
South Korea can now do some 15,000 to 20,000 tests a day .
Since January , it has tested nearly 350,000 people , far more than the U.S .
Testing has been the linchpin in South Korea 's efforts to slow the spread of the disease .
After peaking in late February at more than 900 new cases a day , infections have gradually declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this downward trend in the call , and said South Korea is `` doing very good . ''
On other issues , though , Trump has been harshly critical of Seoul , describing it as a wealthy freeloader that benefits from the stationing of U.S. troops on its soil , without paying its fair share .
Failure to reach a deal on South Korean payment by the end of this month is expected to result in the furloughing without pay of thousands of Korean employees , which the U.S. says will affect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its military readiness .
The Blue House did not elaborate on whether the two presidents discussed the defense cost issue , or any linkage with the epidemic .

U.S. Seeks Coronavirus Tests From South Korea
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 5:25 a.m. ET Wednesday
President Trump has requested test kits from South Korea to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.
According to a readout from the Blue House, as the presidential office here is known, a 23-minute phone call with President Moon Jae-in was initiated at the "urgent request" of Trump.
Neither the White House, which confirmed the call, nor the Blue House initially specified exactly what medical equipment Trump requested. But on Wednesday morning, Moon confirmed that it was in fact test kits.
Moon made the revelation on a visit to Seegene, a Korean biotech firm which recently agreed to sell an initial batch of 20,000 test kits to Los Angeles for $1.25 million.
The Blue House says Moon would provide as much support as South Korea can spare. But he cautioned that it might require U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. Trump replied that he could secure that approval the same day.
South Korea has lately garnered praise for quickly ramping up mass production and use of test kits. Not long after the first cases were discovered, South Korea fast-tracked approval for Seegene and several other local companies to start making test kits. It also lined up nearly 100 labs to analyze samples and get quick test results.
South Korea can now do some 15,000 to 20,000 tests a day. Since January, it has tested nearly 350,000 people, far more than the U.S. Testing has been the linchpin in South Korea's efforts to slow the spread of the disease. After peaking in late February at more than 900 new cases a day, infections have gradually declined.
The Blue House says Trump mentioned this downward trend in the call, and said South Korea is "doing very good."
On other issues, though, Trump has been harshly critical of Seoul, describing it as a wealthy freeloader that benefits from the stationing of U.S. troops on its soil, without paying its fair share.
Failure to reach a deal on South Korean payment by the end of this month is expected to result in the furloughing without pay of thousands of Korean employees, which the U.S. says will affect the functioning of its bases in South Korea and its military readiness.
The Blue House did not elaborate on whether the two presidents discussed the defense cost issue, or any linkage with the epidemic.


npr--2020-03-24--Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine: 'We've Got To Have Help From The Federal Government'

Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine : 'We 've Got To Have Help From The Federal Government' Thousands of Ohioans are out of work on the first full day of a statewide stay-at-home order to control the spread of the coronavirus .
On Tuesday , officials confirmed at least 564 cases and eight deaths .
The shutdown of nonessential businesses is having a massive effect .
Almost 140,000 people filed for unemployment benefits in Ohio last week compared with fewer than 5,000 a week earlier .
Republican Gov .
Mike DeWine says the state is taking two tracks to fight the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home to limit new infections while simultaneously increasing hospital capacity .
`` We have closed down about everything that we really in the state can close down , '' he said .
Here is some Ailsa Chang 's interview with DeWine on All Things Considered on Ohio 's unemployment crisis : Can you just bring us up to speed on what the numbers are right now ... of people filing for unemployment in Ohio ?
We 've had massive numbers .
I have not looked at where they are today .
But as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you start closing businesses , people are trying to apply for unemployment .
And , you know , frankly , this is an area where we really do need help from the federal government .
And we 've got people who do not pay into the unemployment , you know , people who come into a different category [ such as independent contractors ] .
...
Sometimes these are very , very small businesses ... they have one , two people .
Sole person working many times , but they technically are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it as a real challenge for Ohio to be able to shore up resources to absorb all the thousands and thousands of more people on unemployment right now ?
Oh , absolutely .
Look , we 've got to have help from the federal government , you know , some of the things that the federal government , the Congress has been talking about .
That would be one thing .
That would be a great help if they could help in that area .
I mean , look , we have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to speak .
I mean , we ca n't do that .
We can not run a deficit .
So we 've already ordered all my members of the Cabinet to make cuts .
And we 've frozen the number of people who are being hired .
And we 've ... frozen spending .
Listen to the full audio of the interview here .

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine: 'We've Got To Have Help From The Federal Government'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tony Dejak/AP Tony Dejak/AP
Thousands of Ohioans are out of work on the first full day of a statewide stay-at-home order to control the spread of the coronavirus. On Tuesday, officials confirmed at least 564 cases and eight deaths.
The shutdown of nonessential businesses is having a massive effect. Almost 140,000 people filed for unemployment benefits in Ohio last week compared with fewer than 5,000 a week earlier.
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine says the state is taking two tracks to fight the coronavirus — urging residents to stay at home to limit new infections while simultaneously increasing hospital capacity. "We have closed down about everything that we really in the state can close down," he said.
Here is some Ailsa Chang's interview with DeWine on All Things Considered on Ohio's unemployment crisis:
Can you just bring us up to speed on what the numbers are right now ... of people filing for unemployment in Ohio?
We've had massive numbers. I have not looked at where they are today. But as you can expect, you would expect when you start closing businesses, people are trying to apply for unemployment. And, you know, frankly, this is an area where we really do need help from the federal government. And we've got people who do not pay into the unemployment, you know, people who come into a different category [such as independent contractors]. ...
Sometimes these are very, very small businesses ... they have one, two people. Sole person working many times, but they technically are an independent contractor.
So you see it as a real challenge for Ohio to be able to shore up resources to absorb all the thousands and thousands of more people on unemployment right now?
Oh, absolutely. Look, we've got to have help from the federal government, you know, some of the things that the federal government, the Congress has been talking about. That would be one thing. That would be a great help if they could help in that area. I mean, look, we have a constitutional prohibition against printing money, so to speak. I mean, we can't do that. We cannot run a deficit.
So we've already ordered all my members of the Cabinet to make cuts. And we've frozen the number of people who are being hired. And we've ... frozen spending.
Listen to the full audio of the interview here.


npr--2020-03-24--LA County Sheriff: Gun Shops Are Not 'Essential' And Must Immediately Shut Down

LA County Sheriff : Gun Shops Are Not 'Essential ' And Must Immediately Shut Down Gun shops are not essential businesses and need to close immediately , the sheriff of Los Angeles said on Tuesday .
The type of announcement has angered gun rights activists , who have promised a challenge .
It also comes as cities nationwide experience a spike in gun and ammunition sales as coronavirus spreads .
`` It 's not an issue of banning the sales of guns , '' Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva said during a press conference .
Villanueva said those in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipped during the pandemic .
`` However , that is not a license , then , for everyone to do a panic gun buy and rushing to stores , which is now what we 're seeing , '' he said .
`` That violates the whole issue of social distancing , and it 's creating its own attractive nuisance . ''
There appears to some some disagreement among Los Angeles officials about how gun shops should be classified .
The county counsel 's office disagrees with the sheriff that gun shops are categorized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
County Counsel Mary Wickham could not immediately be reached for comment .
Meanwhile , gun rights advocates have a undisputed perspective : that forcing gun stores to close as a social distancing precaution is a violation of constitutional rights .
`` Our priorities remain constant , as we believe our right to keep and bear arms is essential to protecting the ones we love .
In these times of uncertainty , our rights are more critical than ever , '' Sam Paredes , executive director of Gun Owners of California , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out across Los Angeles County to enforce business closures .
Residents have complained that some other businesses — among then , night clubs , bars and strip clubs — have not been complying with orders to shut down , according to Villanueva .
He said no citations have been issued to businesses yet , saying he is hopeful most will cooperate voluntarily .
`` Hopefully we can keep it that way , '' Villanueva said .

LA County Sheriff: Gun Shops Are Not 'Essential' And Must Immediately Shut Down
Enlarge this image toggle caption Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
Gun shops are not essential businesses and need to close immediately, the sheriff of Los Angeles said on Tuesday.
The type of announcement has angered gun rights activists, who have promised a challenge.
It also comes as cities nationwide experience a spike in gun and ammunition sales as coronavirus spreads.
"It's not an issue of banning the sales of guns," Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva said during a press conference.
Villanueva said those in the security business still need to be properly equipped during the pandemic.
"However, that is not a license, then, for everyone to do a panic gun buy and rushing to stores, which is now what we're seeing," he said. "That violates the whole issue of social distancing, and it's creating its own attractive nuisance."
There appears to some some disagreement among Los Angeles officials about how gun shops should be classified. The county counsel's office disagrees with the sheriff that gun shops are categorized as nonessential, the Associated Press reports. County Counsel Mary Wickham could not immediately be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, gun rights advocates have a undisputed perspective: that forcing gun stores to close as a social distancing precaution is a violation of constitutional rights.
"Our priorities remain constant, as we believe our right to keep and bear arms is essential to protecting the ones we love. In these times of uncertainty, our rights are more critical than ever," Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, said.
Some 1,300 deputies will be fanning out across Los Angeles County to enforce business closures.
Residents have complained that some other businesses — among then, night clubs, bars and strip clubs — have not been complying with orders to shut down, according to Villanueva.
He said no citations have been issued to businesses yet, saying he is hopeful most will cooperate voluntarily.
"Hopefully we can keep it that way," Villanueva said.


npr--2020-03-24--Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Great Smoky Mountains Close Over Coronavirus Fears

Those eager to retreat into the wilderness amid the coronavirus pandemic were delivered disappointing news on Tuesday : three major national parks are now closed to visitors .
Yellowstone , Grand Teton and the Great Smoky Mountains have shut their gates to the public .
Park officials said a crush of visitors moving through the trails was beginning to run afoul of social distancing .
About 30,000 people visited each day last week , a sharp increase from the same time last year , officials said .
As a result , the Great Smoky Mountains will be closed until April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country have flocked to the area due to Spring Break , wildflowers , and warm weather conditions , '' park officials said on Tuesday .
`` This two-week park closure allows the park to support local efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 . ''
All trails and roads and other access to the park will be affected by the closure .
Officials said the Foothills Parkway and the Spur will not be affected .
Likewise , Yellowstone and Grand Teton are closing `` until further notice . ''
`` We are committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and local partners as we progress through this closure period and are prepared when the timing is right to reopen as quickly and safely as possible , '' said Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly and Grand Teton Acting Superintendent Gopaul Noojibail .
Park officials said various digital offerings , including virtual tours of the parks , are still available on the National Park Service 's website .

Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Great Smoky Mountains Close Over Coronavirus Fears
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matthew Brown/AP Matthew Brown/AP
Those eager to retreat into the wilderness amid the coronavirus pandemic were delivered disappointing news on Tuesday: three major national parks are now closed to visitors.
Yellowstone, Grand Teton and the Great Smoky Mountains have shut their gates to the public.
Park officials said a crush of visitors moving through the trails was beginning to run afoul of social distancing.
About 30,000 people visited each day last week, a sharp increase from the same time last year, officials said.
As a result, the Great Smoky Mountains will be closed until April 6.
"Visitors from across the country have flocked to the area due to Spring Break, wildflowers, and warm weather conditions," park officials said on Tuesday. "This two-week park closure allows the park to support local efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19."
All trails and roads and other access to the park will be affected by the closure. Officials said the Foothills Parkway and the Spur will not be affected.
Likewise, Yellowstone and Grand Teton are closing "until further notice."
"We are committed to continued close coordination with our state and local partners as we progress through this closure period and are prepared when the timing is right to reopen as quickly and safely as possible," said Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly and Grand Teton Acting Superintendent Gopaul Noojibail.
Park officials said various digital offerings, including virtual tours of the parks, are still available on the National Park Service's website.


npr--2020-03-25--Commission Issues Verdict: Women, Like Men, Should Have To Sign Up For Draft

Commission Issues Verdict : Women , Like Men , Should Have To Sign Up For Draft When President Jimmy Carter urged Congress in 1980 to revive a lapsed national requirement to register for possible conscription into the military , he said it should apply to everyone , regardless of gender .
Congress disagreed , and for the last four decades only males in the U.S. and men overseas who are U.S. citizens have been required , between ages 18 and 25 , to register with the Selective Service System .
Now a congressionally mandated commission says the time is right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign up for a possible revival of the military draft , which has been mothballed since the U.S. military became volunteer-only in 1973 .
After dozens of hearings across the country in 42 cities and 22 states over the past two years , the 11-member , bipartisan National Commission on Military , National and Public Service on Wednesday revealed 49 findings in its final report .
Finding number 49 : `` The Commission recommends that Congress amend the Military Selective Service Act ( MSSA ) to eliminate male-only registration and expand draft eligibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cohort . ''
`` A qualified and capable force means we must extend the registration requirement to all Americans , men and women , '' Debra Wada , the panel 's vice chair for military service , said in a conference call with reporters .
`` By leveraging the skills , abilities and talents of all Americans , regardless of gender , qualified men and women alike will be able to fill any and all personnel needs . ''
The recommendation that women register for possible obligatory military service comes five years after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the armed forces to women , including combat duty .
Congress had previously refused to expand the Selective Service sign-up requirement to women on the grounds that a draft would be primarily to fill combat positions in which women at that time were ineligible to serve .
The rescinding of the policy excluding women from combat positions prompted a debate in Congress over extending the Selective Service registration requirement to women .
Rather than putting the question to a vote , in 2017 the late Sen. John McCain , R-Ariz. , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the commission to examine the question and issue recommendations to Congress .
`` This is not a report that should sit on the shelf — this is a call to action , '' Reed said on Wednesday .
`` It focuses on insuring that our military and public sectors can attract and retain the talent necessary to defend and support the nation . ''
Yet neither Reed nor five other lawmakers who spoke without taking questions during a conference call mentioned the report 's call for expanding the Selective Service sign-up requirement to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to modify the Selective Service Act if it were to include women .
Public support for such a change has divided sharply along gender lines .
In a 2016 Rasmussen poll , 61 % of men favored extending draft registration to everyone in the 18-to-25 age cohort , while only 38 % of women supported doing so .
There are more than 224,000 women on active duty in the U.S. military , making up close to 19 % of the armed forces ' 1.2 million active duty members .
According to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women have served in Army combat positions since 2016 .
`` It 's insulting to suggest America 's mothers and wives and daughters could n't contribute , whether the need were rebuilding levees after a natural disaster or repelling an invasion from our shores , '' Kori Schake , director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute , told the panel .
`` America 's daughters should be slotted into service as their physical and emotional suitability proves capable of , just like America 's sons . ''
Beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men in the draft sign-up , the commission points out that U.S. population growth rate is at its lowest point in more than 80 years and that seven out of ten Americans of draft age , both male and female , are unfit for military service .
`` Roughly doubling the pool from which the Nation might obtain conscripts , '' the commission writes , `` would improve military readiness by raising the quality of those who might serve , as some women would be more qualified to serve than some men .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Department of Defense concluded that women could vastly expand the number of potential draftees .
`` Were Congress and the President to authorize the registration of women , the current cohort of about 11 million women in the primary age rage of 18-25 would need to be registered in short order , '' the Pentagon study notes .
`` Annually thereafter , the inclusion of females would almost double the number of registrants . ''
Nine groups of anti-war activists panned the blue ribbon commission 's recommendation that everyone of draft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Making contingency plans for a draft that would include women would be an exercise in self-delusion by the Selective Service System and military planners , '' the groups write in a statement .
`` Even more women than men would resist if the government tried to draft them . ''
Earlier this month , a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard arguments in a lawsuit brought by The National Coalition for Men , an advocacy group , challenging the male-only Selective Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Texas last year ruled that requiring only males to register violated the Constitution .
`` If there ever was a time to discuss 'the place of women in the Armed Services , ' `` wrote Senior Judge Gray Miller of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas , `` that time has passed . ''

Commission Issues Verdict: Women, Like Men, Should Have To Sign Up For Draft
When President Jimmy Carter urged Congress in 1980 to revive a lapsed national requirement to register for possible conscription into the military, he said it should apply to everyone, regardless of gender. Congress disagreed, and for the last four decades only males in the U.S. and men overseas who are U.S. citizens have been required, between ages 18 and 25, to register with the Selective Service System.
Now a congressionally mandated commission says the time is right for women as well as men to sign up for a possible revival of the military draft, which has been mothballed since the U.S. military became volunteer-only in 1973.
After dozens of hearings across the country in 42 cities and 22 states over the past two years, the 11-member, bipartisan National Commission on Military, National and Public Service on Wednesday revealed 49 findings in its final report. Finding number 49: "The Commission recommends that Congress amend the Military Selective Service Act (MSSA) to eliminate male-only registration and expand draft eligibility to all individuals of the applicable age cohort."
"A qualified and capable force means we must extend the registration requirement to all Americans, men and women," Debra Wada, the panel's vice chair for military service, said in a conference call with reporters. "By leveraging the skills, abilities and talents of all Americans, regardless of gender, qualified men and women alike will be able to fill any and all personnel needs."
The recommendation that women register for possible obligatory military service comes five years after then-Defense Secretary Ashton Carter opened all positions in the armed forces to women, including combat duty.
Congress had previously refused to expand the Selective Service sign-up requirement to women on the grounds that a draft would be primarily to fill combat positions in which women at that time were ineligible to serve.
The rescinding of the policy excluding women from combat positions prompted a debate in Congress over extending the Selective Service registration requirement to women. Rather than putting the question to a vote, in 2017 the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., formed the commission to examine the question and issue recommendations to Congress.
"This is not a report that should sit on the shelf — this is a call to action," Reed said on Wednesday. "It focuses on insuring that our military and public sectors can attract and retain the talent necessary to defend and support the nation."
Yet neither Reed nor five other lawmakers who spoke without taking questions during a conference call mentioned the report's call for expanding the Selective Service sign-up requirement to women. Action by Congress would be needed to modify the Selective Service Act if it were to include women.
Public support for such a change has divided sharply along gender lines. In a 2016 Rasmussen poll, 61% of men favored extending draft registration to everyone in the 18-to-25 age cohort, while only 38% of women supported doing so.
There are more than 224,000 women on active duty in the U.S. military, making up close to 19% of the armed forces' 1.2 million active duty members. According to the commission, more than 2,900 of those women have served in Army combat positions since 2016.
"It's insulting to suggest America's mothers and wives and daughters couldn't contribute, whether the need were rebuilding levees after a natural disaster or repelling an invasion from our shores," Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, told the panel. "America's daughters should be slotted into service as their physical and emotional suitability proves capable of, just like America's sons."
Beyond advocating for equal treatment of women and men in the draft sign-up, the commission points out that U.S. population growth rate is at its lowest point in more than 80 years and that seven out of ten Americans of draft age, both male and female, are unfit for military service.
"Roughly doubling the pool from which the Nation might obtain conscripts," the commission writes, "would improve military readiness by raising the quality of those who might serve, as some women would be more qualified to serve than some men."
In a 2017 report to Congress, the Department of Defense concluded that women could vastly expand the number of potential draftees. "Were Congress and the President to authorize the registration of women, the current cohort of about 11 million women in the primary age rage of 18-25 would need to be registered in short order," the Pentagon study notes. "Annually thereafter, the inclusion of females would almost double the number of registrants."
Nine groups of anti-war activists panned the blue ribbon commission's recommendation that everyone of draft age sign up with the Selective Service. "Making contingency plans for a draft that would include women would be an
exercise in self-delusion by the Selective Service System and military planners," the groups write in a statement. "Even more women than men would resist if the government tried to draft them."
Earlier this month, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard arguments in a lawsuit brought by The National Coalition for Men, an advocacy group, challenging the male-only Selective Service registration.
A federal district court judge in Texas last year ruled that requiring only males to register violated the Constitution. "If there ever was a time to discuss 'the place of women in the Armed Services,' " wrote Senior Judge Gray Miller of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, "that time has passed."