npr--2020-06-09--How A U.S. Police Killing Triggered The Toppling Of Statues In U.K. And Belgium

How A U.S. Police Killing Triggered The Toppling Of Statues In U.K. And Belgium The widespread protests that began in the United States are now reverberating through Europe , leading to the removal of two statues in the United Kingdom and one in Belgium with racist , colonial legacies .
On Tuesday evening , officials in London removed a statue associated with Britain 's slave trading past .
It followed activists toppling a statue in Bristol , England , and authorities in Belgium taking down a monument to a former king .
The moves come after the police killing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests across the U.S. and fueled movements against racism in Europe and other parts of the world .
On Sunday , a group at a Black Lives Matter protest toppled the statue of Edward Colston in the southwestern English city of Bristol .
They rolled it through the streets and then pushed it into the green waters of the harbor where it promptly sank amid a swirl of bubbles .
It was a dramatic fall — literally and figuratively — for a deeply divisive statue that celebrated Bristol 's biggest philanthropist , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the late 1600s , Colston led Britain 's Royal African Company , which transported more than 80,000 enslaved people to the New World in exchange for tobacco , sugar and rum .
In less than an hour and a half on Sunday , the protesters in Bristol succeeded where lobbying and negotiation had failed .
`` It was an electrifying atmosphere , '' said Michael Jenkins , a filmmaker who has been documenting the battle over Colston 's place in the city .
`` I think people just thought , 'Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got to go . '
`` Then on Tuesday morning , London Mayor Sadiq Khan said a commission would review statues and landmarks in the British capital , saying that those with links to slavery should go .
In the evening , local officials removed the statue of Robert Milligan , who in the early 19th century helped build London 's West India Docks , which facilitated the trade of sugar and enslaved people .
London was once the world 's fourth-largest slaving port .
`` I do n't condone at all any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or criminal damage , '' Khan told Britain 's Sky News , `` but we 've got to recognize that our public realm , statues , squares , street names do n't accurately reflect our values , or London , in 2020 . ''
Earlier Tuesday , in the Belgian city of Antwerp , authorities took down a statue of King Leopold II and placed it in a museum .
Protesters had burned and vandalized the statue of the Belgian king , whose colonial regime was responsible for the death and mutilation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 20th century .
`` It 's about time [ the Leopold statue was removed ] , because he killed more people than Hitler and he was still there in 2020 , '' said Laura Uwinema , a onetime refugee from Rwanda in Belgium , as she walked by the monument site in Antwerp — now little more than a pile of bricks .
Walking with her two young children , Uwinema said no matter where she would go in the neighborhood , she had to see the towering statue , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I 'm so happy !
I hope all the Leopold II 's will go away , '' she said .
The authorities acted faster than anyone predicted , according to Belgian historian Idesbald Goddeeris .
`` These processes are very gradual and what will happen in the short term is a polarization of society , which is very unfortunate , of course , '' he said .
Bristol `` was getting nowhere '' Activists in Bristol have spent years trying to either remove Edward Colston 's name from institutions in the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his complicated role .
The statue , which was erected in 1895 , had a plaque that described Colston as one of Bristol 's `` most virtuous and wise sons . ''
In 2018 , the local government considered a second plaque to acknowledge Colston 's role in perpetuating the slave trade .
`` This , you would think , would be quite a good way , a straightforward way of saying , 'he 's still here , but he did bad things , ' `` said Kate Williams , a British historian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proved impossible for the council to find a wording that everyone could agree on . ''
Among other things , the proposed wording for the new plaque said Colston played `` an active role in the enslavement of over 84,000 Africans ( including 12,000 children ) of whom over 19,000 died en route to the Caribbean and America . ''
It added that : `` Bristolians who did not subscribe to his religious and political beliefs were not permitted to benefit from his charities . ''
Williams said Colston supporters , including an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wanted to remove the reference to children and focus more on Colston 's philanthropy , which included funding for schools , hospitals and the local concert hall .
`` The city was getting nowhere , '' Williams recalled .
In the end , the fate of Colston 's statue was not resolved by consensus in Bristol , but by a killing on a sidewalk six time zones away in Minneapolis .
The death of George Floyd reminded people here of the United Kingdom 's struggles with racism , its role in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history , which continues to divide Britons .
`` Enough was enough '' Clive Lewis , a member of parliament in Britain 's opposition Labour Party , said if not for Floyd 's killing , Colston 's statue would still be standing today .
`` I think that the George Floyd protests sparked something around the world , something that had been brewing for a long time , '' said Lewis , who is black .
`` Part of the tinder was the COVID-19 lockdown [ and ] the unemployment .
Now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens to George Floyd means people felt enough was enough . ''
Lewis and many other politicians said they wished the statue had been removed through a legitimate , democratic process .
Priti Patel , Britain 's hard-line home secretary and member of the ruling Conservative party , called the toppling an act of vandalism .
Sajid Javid , another Conservative Party member who also served as home secretary , agreed .
`` I grew up in Bristol , '' Javid wrote on Twitter .
`` I detest how Edward Colston profited from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IS NOT OK .
If Bristolians [ want ] to remove a monument it should be done democratically - not by criminal damage . ''
Bristol police are pursuing the people who tore down Colston 's statue .
Marvin Rees , the mayor of Bristol , is also encouraging Sunday 's protest crowds to socially isolate given the ongoing pandemic .
Rees , who is also black , said he saw the statue as a personal affront , but intends to have the city fish it out of the harbor and probably put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's happened to the statue is now a part of the city 's history , '' Rees told Sky News , `` a part of that statue 's story . ''
Some in Bristol , though , would prefer the statue remain at the bottom of the harbor .
`` I think it 's such an appropriate , rusty , watery , undignified grave for Colston , '' said Katie Finnegan-Clarke , who helped found Countering Colston , which lobbies for the removal of Colston 's name from Bristol 's institutions .
Finnegan-Clarke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money paying for a heated room to display the statue .
Nor does she have faith the city will finally present the full story around Colston .
`` I do n't trust them to contextualize it properly , '' said Finnegan-Clarke .
`` Up to now , they 've completely messed it up every time . ''

How A U.S. Police Killing Triggered The Toppling Of Statues In U.K. And Belgium
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
Updated at 5 p.m. ET
The widespread protests that began in the United States are now reverberating through Europe, leading to the removal of two statues in the United Kingdom and one in Belgium with racist, colonial legacies.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ben Birchall/AP Ben Birchall/AP
On Tuesday evening, officials in London removed a statue associated with Britain's slave trading past. It followed activists toppling a statue in Bristol, England, and authorities in Belgium taking down a monument to a former king.
The moves come after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis set off mass protests across the U.S. and fueled movements against racism in Europe and other parts of the world.
On Sunday, a group at a Black Lives Matter protest toppled the statue of Edward Colston in the southwestern English city of Bristol. They rolled it through the streets and then pushed it into the green waters of the harbor where it promptly sank amid a swirl of bubbles.
It was a dramatic fall — literally and figuratively — for a deeply divisive statue that celebrated Bristol's biggest philanthropist, who made his fortune from the slave trade. In the late 1600s, Colston led Britain's Royal African Company, which transported more than 80,000 enslaved people to the New World in exchange for tobacco, sugar and rum.
In less than an hour and a half on Sunday, the protesters in Bristol succeeded where lobbying and negotiation had failed.
"It was an electrifying atmosphere," said Michael Jenkins, a filmmaker who has been documenting the battle over Colston's place in the city. "I think people just thought, 'Well, today is the day he's got to go.' "
London's Robert Milligan statue
Then on Tuesday morning, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said a commission would review statues and landmarks in the British capital, saying that those with links to slavery should go.
In the evening, local officials removed the statue of Robert Milligan, who in the early 19th century helped build London's West India Docks, which facilitated the trade of sugar and enslaved people.
London was once the world's fourth-largest slaving port.
"I don't condone at all any attacks on our police or any disorder or criminal damage," Khan told Britain's Sky News, "but we've got to recognize that our public realm, statues, squares, street names don't accurately reflect our values, or London, in 2020."
Belgium's King Leopold II
Earlier Tuesday, in the Belgian city of Antwerp, authorities took down a statue of King Leopold II and placed it in a museum. Protesters had burned and vandalized the statue of the Belgian king, whose colonial regime was responsible for the death and mutilation of millions of Congolese people at the turn of the 20th century.
"It's about time [the Leopold statue was removed], because he killed more people than Hitler and he was still there in 2020," said Laura Uwinema, a onetime refugee from Rwanda in Belgium, as she walked by the monument site in Antwerp — now little more than a pile of bricks.
Walking with her two young children, Uwinema said no matter where she would go in the neighborhood, she had to see the towering statue, which she said was "torture."
Europe U.K. Lawmaker: 'George Floyd Protests Sparked Something Around The World' U.K. Protesters Topple Slave Trader Statue During Anti-Racism Protests Listen · 3:40 3:40
"I'm so happy! I hope all the Leopold II's will go away," she said.
The authorities acted faster than anyone predicted, according to Belgian historian Idesbald Goddeeris. "These processes are very gradual and what will happen in the short term is a polarization of society, which is very unfortunate, of course," he said.
Bristol "was getting nowhere"
Activists in Bristol have spent years trying to either remove Edward Colston's name from institutions in the city or at least provide historical context to his complicated role. The statue, which was erected in 1895, had a plaque that described Colston as one of Bristol's "most virtuous and wise sons." In 2018, the local government considered a second plaque to acknowledge Colston's role in perpetuating the slave trade.
"This, you would think, would be quite a good way, a straightforward way of saying, 'he's still here, but he did bad things,' " said Kate Williams, a British historian. "But unfortunately, it then proved impossible for the council to find a wording that everyone could agree on."
Among other things, the proposed wording for the new plaque said Colston played "an active role in the enslavement of over 84,000 Africans (including 12,000 children) of whom over 19,000 died en route to the Caribbean and America." It added that: "Bristolians who did not subscribe to his religious and political beliefs were not permitted to benefit from his charities."
Williams said Colston supporters, including an organization called the Society of Merchant Venturers, wanted to remove the reference to children and focus more on Colston's philanthropy, which included funding for schools, hospitals and the local concert hall.
"The city was getting nowhere," Williams recalled.
In the end, the fate of Colston's statue was not resolved by consensus in Bristol, but by a killing on a sidewalk six time zones away in Minneapolis. The death of George Floyd reminded people here of the United Kingdom's struggles with racism, its role in the slave trade as well as its imperial history, which continues to divide Britons.
"Enough was enough"
Clive Lewis, a member of parliament in Britain's opposition Labour Party, said if not for Floyd's killing, Colston's statue would still be standing today. "I think that the George Floyd protests sparked something around the world, something that had been brewing for a long time," said Lewis, who is black. "Part of the tinder was the COVID-19 lockdown [and] the unemployment. Now, you're at a point where what happens to George Floyd means people felt enough was enough."
Lewis and many other politicians said they wished the statue had been removed through a legitimate, democratic process. Priti Patel, Britain's hard-line home secretary and member of the ruling Conservative party, called the toppling an act of vandalism. Sajid Javid, another Conservative Party member who also served as home secretary, agreed.
"I grew up in Bristol," Javid wrote on Twitter. "I detest how Edward Colston profited from the slave trade. But, THIS IS NOT OK. If Bristolians [want] to remove a monument it should be done democratically - not by criminal damage."
Bristol police are pursuing the people who tore down Colston's statue. Marvin Rees, the mayor of Bristol, is also encouraging Sunday's protest crowds to socially isolate given the ongoing pandemic. Rees, who is also black, said he saw the statue as a personal affront, but intends to have the city fish it out of the harbor and probably put it in a museum.
"What's happened to the statue is now a part of the city's history," Rees told Sky News, "a part of that statue's story."
Some in Bristol, though, would prefer the statue remain at the bottom of the harbor.
"I think it's such an appropriate, rusty, watery, undignified grave for Colston," said Katie Finnegan-Clarke, who helped found Countering Colston, which lobbies for the removal of Colston's name from Bristol's institutions.
Finnegan-Clarke says she doesn't want her tax money paying for a heated room to display the statue. Nor does she have faith the city will finally present the full story around Colston.
"I don't trust them to contextualize it properly," said Finnegan-Clarke. "Up to now, they've completely messed it up every time."
NPR London producer Sophie Eastaugh contributed to this report.


npr--2020-06-10--Reflections On A Lost Senior Year With Hope For The Future

Reflections On A Lost Senior Year With Hope For The Future Emma Cockrum was in her second week of quarantine when her father discovered an old bike behind their house .
And that bicycle turned out to be a gift : With school closed at East Ascension High School in Gonzales , La.
, bike riding for Emma became a way of coping with the loss of the rest of her senior year .
`` I would say the first two to three weeks we were out of school , I was not the most fun person to be around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' says the 18-year-old , who 's headed to Northwestern State University in the fall .
`` One minute , I would be fine and dandy , and then the next minute , I would be crying . ''
As she pedaled through her neighborhood each day , those bike rides forced her to stop and take in the world around her — and they became the inspiration behind these words in her valedictorian speech : '' I got to see life happening .
I saw families spending time together , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or fathers teaching their own kids to ride bikes .
When we stop to observe our surroundings , we are oftentimes provided with new perspectives on our situations . ''
The coronavirus pandemic has caused many high school graduations to be replaced with virtual , drive-in and other alternative ceremonies .
And so , the tradition of valedictorians and salutatorians addressing their classmates at this huge moment in their young lives is a little different this year .
NPR spoke with a few student leaders about their speeches and how a not-so-typical senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2020 .
Aside from her bike rides , Cockrum was also inspired by a few words from Sol Rexius , a pastor at The Salt Company Church of Ames in Iowa .
She says Rexius uses the analogy of a dump truck full of dirt being emptied all over their senior year .
Here 's how she put it in her address to her classmates : This may sound harsh , but it 's not untrue to how some of us feel .
It is easy to feel buried by our circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] goes on to paint a picture of a farmer planting a seed .
Did the farmer bury the seed ?
Well , yes , but he also planted it .
Instead of feeling buried by our situation , we must realize that the pain and heartache that has been piled upon us is not meant to bury , but to plant us in a way that will allow us to grow and prosper into who we are meant to be .
As you stop and take in the circumstances around you , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or to be planted ?
As we move on from this place and embark on the next big journey of life , whether that 's college , the workforce or something else , life will at some point begin to feel like it 's going too fast .
My bike rides have taught me a new way to handle these times because they allow me to exercise and be among the beauty of nature , which are things that cause me to slow down .
When life becomes too much like a race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riding a bike .
It may be playing an instrument , sport , creating art or something else entirely .
I encourage you to find that one thing that allows you to unwind and refocus when life seems too much to handle .
Now , I 'd like to take you on a bike ride with me as we share this experience together in our faces , something that is both exciting and terrifying : freedom .
We sit atop our bikes of life as high school graduates and now have the freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we will go .
Chua says he wanted to make his speech something that would provide some happiness to people , even if only be for a little while .
Before offering some advice , he began his speech with a personal take on the famous line from `` Forrest Gump '' : `` Life is like a box of chocolates . ''
`` Life is like a fistful of Sour Patch Kids , '' Chua says in his speech , recorded on video from his home in Paducah .
`` Right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will turn sweet . ''
The sharing of knowledge is just as important as receiving it because , without sharing , knowledge has no value .
The first piece of advice I want to share is to always try new things and challenge yourself , even if you think it 's a bad idea in the process .
Always attempt to answer questions and solve problems .
Find new ways to do the same tasks .
Wear all white to black out .
Take that ridiculously difficult course load .
Buy that oversized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ literally impossible to shuffle just so you can say you own it .
Just spend responsibly , kids .
All in all , just make life spicy .
Make life something you want to reminisce on .
The second lesson is simple .
Just be nice to people .
Trust sows the seeds of freedom , and a little respect truly does go a long way .
It could even solve a few of the world 's problems .
You never know when you 'll need to fall back on someone , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lastly , the phrase `` I do n't know '' is powerful .
By admitting ignorance , you are asking to learn .
Inevitably , I know I will come upon a hard stop , and I hope that when I do , I 'll remind myself to pause and ask for a hand of enlightenment , so that I might come back from that hard experience knowing more than when I started .
Life rarely hands you a golden opportunity , so make one .
Just as the tornado creates a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this class of 2020 will , too , create their own , hopefully without the whole destruction part .
Ross says she wanted to remind her class that they can get through any obstacle .
She recalls the adversities they 've gone through together — like the death of a beloved coach — and the people that doubted her .
Ross says she 'll attend North Carolina A & T State University in the fall , where she plans to study nursing .
Many people did n't , and probably still do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to be where I am now .
I 've had people tell me that I do n't deserve to be where I am now , and that really made me contemplate , `` Do I really deserve this ?
Should I just give up and let them win ? ''
But look at where I am now .
I 'm glad that I did n't stop .
I 'm glad that I did n't let them get to me .
I 'm especially glad that I earned this position so that all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City and surrounding areas can look and say that they want to be just like me .
I want those little girls to know that they can do it if no one else believes in them , I will always believe in them .
Classmates , when we 're out in the real world , do n't get discouraged about the obstacles that will approach you .
As Michelle Obama once said , you should never view your challenges as a disadvantage .
Instead , it is important for you to understand that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually one of your biggest advantages .
Andrew says her mind flooded with high school memories as she tried to write her speech .
This inspired her to get her fellow seniors involved .
With the help of her class , she strung together a timeline of national events and local victories .
`` Sometimes it 's the small , seemingly pointless experiences that leave the most lasting and impactful memories , '' she says .
Some of us lost our senior sports seasons , our chances to be captains and team leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compete for clubs that we 've given our all to for the last four years .
Some of us lost our final opportunities to perform or display our art , and all of us lost the chance to have all of the fun and closure that we were promised would come in the last three months of our senior year .
Losing the last third of our senior year to a virus was not what we had planned , but it 's definitely an experience that will affect our lives forever and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forget .
We are made up of our experiences and memories .
All of the things that we have been through up to this point make us who we are , and the best part is , we 're not done yet .
We 'll continue to experience things and make memories every day that mold us here and there and to who we truly are and who we are meant to become .
What kind of experiences will you create for yourself ?
What kind of memories will you make ?
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like our senior year , how you handle the disappointments and challenges that you face will determine the experience that you have and the memory you walk away with .
Gonzalez says there were many other events besides the pandemic that helped his class develop their character .
In his speech , he highlights the election of President Donald Trump and the prevalence of school shootings .
Despite what was happening in the world , he says his class never victimized themselves .
Gonzalez will be attending the University of California , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biology .
The real test came our senior year with the current pandemic .
Although society has developed a higher level of understanding , comprehension and acceptance in years prior , self-victimization has become a common occurrence and is a major impediment in achieving our goals .
We expect others to find the solutions to our problems and to provide excessive help , since we truly are powerless in stopping the external factors that impact us constantly , whether it 'd be natural disasters , terrorism or disease .
Yet , what many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact these unfortunate events have on our lives can be nullified by the effort we place in improving our condition .
Learning this from past experiences , our class did not victimize itself .
Studying and mastering new material is difficult enough with the help of our amazing teachers , with the added responsibilities of helping more at the house , working an essential job and other challenges that come with being at home , it seemed impossible to keep up with schoolwork .
We had to face a multitude of barriers with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here today , despite all of the setbacks and obstacles , because of our drive , our perseverance , our willpower to endure is stronger than any deterrent .
Now , as we step into adulthood and start to reach our goals , there will be harder challenges to overcome .
But our willpower has been proven irrevocable .
Never forget classmates , that as long as you use your unrelenting well , you 're an unstoppable force .
Barto says when her school closed , she tried ignoring some of the emotions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you need to take the time to acknowledge what we have lost and celebrate how we have grown and how this is going to change us as a class , '' she says .
This inspired her to write the speech she felt that she needed to hear .
To be honest with everyone , when I sat down to write this speech , I really wanted to avoid talking about everything we miss as a class .
It would be way easier to reminisce about when the homecoming bonfire was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people told me they were sorry that my whole senior year was turned upside down , I shrugged it off and said it 's not a big deal .
It 's a hard thing to talk about , and not talking about it seems less painful .
But it is a big deal .
We missed senior prom and graduation and our barbecue and awards .
I would even go back for one more class meeting in the auditorium just to sit in South for one more Thursday .
This pandemic was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do n't let it be .
We had monumental events occur every year we were at South .
We have supported our teachers when they rallied for themselves .
They 've supported us when walking into school was harder than it was any other day .
We supported each other through the pains of block day , and air conditioning only working in the winter time , but also shifts in friendships and hard times with family .
South brought us all together to teach us something about ourselves that we did n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lucky to still be able to give a message and was inspired by what has been helping her cope .
`` One of the things that pushes me through everything is knowing that things will go on and stuff will change , '' she says .
`` I just want to remind everyone that the future is still there and it 's still coming to us . ''
Cortez plans on attending the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the fall , where she wants to study civil engineering .
We all deserve to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's upsetting that we wo n't have a traditional graduation ceremony and sadly , we can not control the circumstances that we face today .
What we can do is choose how we respond to it as we take these next steps in life .
It can be hard to imagine what life could look like as time progresses .
The only certainty we have is that time goes on and the future will arrive .
We can use the pandemic as an excuse for why we ca n't move on in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a motivator to find our purpose .
Whether we plan to go to college , trade school , the military or straight into the workforce , there is no denying that society will gain something worthwhile .
The situation we are living through shows how valuable everyone in society is .
The world is finally realizing the importance of the jobs of janitors , cashiers , teachers , politicians , first responders and more .
Whatever we plan on doing after we graduate , it will impact society .
I invite everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thank , and take your time to do so , although the door for high school has abruptly shut for us .
I would like to remind everyone that another has opened and we can do with it what we want .

Reflections On A Lost Senior Year With Hope For The Future
Enlarge this image toggle caption Emily Kask for NPR Emily Kask for NPR
Emma Cockrum was in her second week of quarantine when her father discovered an old bike behind their house.
And that bicycle turned out to be a gift: With school closed at East Ascension High School in Gonzales, La., bike riding for Emma became a way of coping with the loss of the rest of her senior year.
"I would say the first two to three weeks we were out of school, I was not the most fun person to be around. I was a ticking time bomb," says the 18-year-old, who's headed to Northwestern State University in the fall. "One minute, I would be fine and dandy, and then the next minute, I would be crying."
As she pedaled through her neighborhood each day, those bike rides forced her to stop and take in the world around her — and they became the inspiration behind these words in her valedictorian speech:
"I got to see life happening. I saw families spending time together, like children playing basketball on their driveways, or fathers teaching their own kids to ride bikes. When we stop to observe our surroundings, we are oftentimes provided with new perspectives on our situations."
The coronavirus pandemic has caused many high school graduations to be replaced with virtual, drive-in and other alternative ceremonies. And so, the tradition of valedictorians and salutatorians addressing their classmates at this huge moment in their young lives is a little different this year.
NPR spoke with a few student leaders about their speeches and how a not-so-typical senior year inspired their words for the class of 2020.
Emma Cockrum
Valedictorian, East Ascension High School, Gonzales, La.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Emily Kask for NPR Emily Kask for NPR
Aside from her bike rides, Cockrum was also inspired by a few words from Sol Rexius, a pastor at The Salt Company Church of Ames in Iowa. She says Rexius uses the analogy of a dump truck full of dirt being emptied all over their senior year. Here's how she put it in her address to her classmates:
This may sound harsh, but it's not untrue to how some of us feel. It is easy to feel buried by our circumstances. However, he [the pastor] goes on to paint a picture of a farmer planting a seed. Did the farmer bury the seed? Well, yes, but he also planted it. Instead of feeling buried by our situation, we must realize that the pain and heartache that has been piled upon us is not meant to bury, but to plant us in a way that will allow us to grow and prosper into who we are meant to be. As you stop and take in the circumstances around you, will you allow yourself to be buried or to be planted?
As we move on from this place and embark on the next big journey of life, whether that's college, the workforce or something else, life will at some point begin to feel like it's going too fast. My bike rides have taught me a new way to handle these times because they allow me to exercise and be among the beauty of nature, which are things that cause me to slow down. When life becomes too much like a race for you, it may not be riding a bike. It may be playing an instrument, sport, creating art or something else entirely. I encourage you to find that one thing that allows you to unwind and refocus when life seems too much to handle. Now, I'd like to take you on a bike ride with me as we share this experience together in our faces, something that is both exciting and terrifying: freedom. We sit atop our bikes of life as high school graduates and now have the freedom to choose who we are and where we will go.
Ryan Chua
Salutatorian, Paducah Tilghman High School, Paducah, Ky.
Chua says he wanted to make his speech something that would provide some happiness to people, even if only be for a little while. Before offering some advice, he began his speech with a personal take on the famous line from Forrest Gump: "Life is like a box of chocolates."
"Life is like a fistful of Sour Patch Kids," Chua says in his speech, recorded on video from his home in Paducah. "Right now things are sour, but eventually they will turn sweet."
The sharing of knowledge is just as important as receiving it because, without sharing, knowledge has no value. The first piece of advice I want to share is to always try new things and challenge yourself, even if you think it's a bad idea in the process. Always attempt to answer questions and solve problems. Find new ways to do the same tasks. Wear all white to black out. Take that ridiculously difficult course load. Buy that oversized $30 pack of UNO that is literally impossible to shuffle just so you can say you own it. Just spend responsibly, kids. All in all, just make life spicy. Make life something you want to reminisce on. The second lesson is simple. Just be nice to people. Trust sows the seeds of freedom, and a little respect truly does go a long way. It could even solve a few of the world's problems. You never know when you'll need to fall back on someone, so build strong connections early and maintain them. Lastly, the phrase "I don't know" is powerful. By admitting ignorance, you are asking to learn. Inevitably, I know I will come upon a hard stop, and I hope that when I do, I'll remind myself to pause and ask for a hand of enlightenment, so that I might come back from that hard experience knowing more than when I started. Life rarely hands you a golden opportunity, so make one. Just as the tornado creates a path in the wake of its destruction, this class of 2020 will, too, create their own, hopefully without the whole destruction part.
Kimani Ross
Valedictorian, Lake City High School, Lake City, S.C.
toggle caption Taylor Adams/SCNow
Ross says she wanted to remind her class that they can get through any obstacle. She recalls the adversities they've gone through together — like the death of a beloved coach — and the people that doubted her.
Ross says she'll attend North Carolina A&T State University in the fall, where she plans to study nursing.
Many people didn't, and probably still don't believe that I have worked hard enough to be where I am now. I've had people tell me that I don't deserve to be where I am now, and that really made me contemplate, "Do I really deserve this? Should I just give up and let them win?" But look at where I am now. I'm glad that I didn't stop. I'm glad that I didn't let them get to me. I'm especially glad that I earned this position so that all of the other little girls around Lake City and surrounding areas can look and say that they want to be just like me. I want those little girls to know that they can do it if no one else believes in them, I will always believe in them. Classmates, when we're out in the real world, don't get discouraged about the obstacles that will approach you. As Michelle Obama once said, you should never view your challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it is important for you to understand that your experience facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of your biggest advantages.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Taylor Adams/SCNow Taylor Adams/SCNow
Lindley Andrew
Salutatorian, Jordan-Matthews High School, Siler City, N.C.
Andrew says her mind flooded with high school memories as she tried to write her speech. This inspired her to get her fellow seniors involved. With the help of her class, she strung together a timeline of national events and local victories.
"Sometimes it's the small, seemingly pointless experiences that leave the most lasting and impactful memories," she says.
Some of us lost our senior sports seasons, our chances to be captains and team leaders. Some lost our final chances to compete for clubs that we've given our all to for the last four years. Some of us lost our final opportunities to perform or display our art, and all of us lost the chance to have all of the fun and closure that we were promised would come in the last three months of our senior year. Losing the last third of our senior year to a virus was not what we had planned, but it's definitely an experience that will affect our lives forever and a memory that we will never, ever forget. We are made up of our experiences and memories. All of the things that we have been through up to this point make us who we are, and the best part is, we're not done yet. We'll continue to experience things and make memories every day that mold us here and there and to who we truly are and who we are meant to become. What kind of experiences will you create for yourself? What kind of memories will you make? When things don't go quite as planned, like our senior year, how you handle the disappointments and challenges that you face will determine the experience that you have and the memory you walk away with.
Favio Gonzalez
Valedictorian, Central Valley High School, Ceres, Calif.
Gonzalez says there were many other events besides the pandemic that helped his class develop their character. In his speech, he highlights the election of President Donald Trump and the prevalence of school shootings. Despite what was happening in the world, he says his class never victimized themselves.
Gonzalez will be attending the University of California, Riverside, where he plans to study biology.
The real test came our senior year with the current pandemic. Although society has developed a higher level of understanding, comprehension and acceptance in years prior, self-victimization has become a common occurrence and is a major impediment in achieving our goals. We expect others to find the solutions to our problems and to provide excessive help, since we truly are powerless in stopping the external factors that impact us constantly, whether it'd be natural disasters, terrorism or disease. Yet, what many people don't realize is that the impact these unfortunate events have on our lives can be nullified by the effort we place in improving our condition. Learning this from past experiences, our class did not victimize itself. Studying and mastering new material is difficult enough with the help of our amazing teachers, with the added responsibilities of helping more at the house, working an essential job and other challenges that come with being at home, it seemed impossible to keep up with schoolwork. We had to face a multitude of barriers with our unrelenting will to succeed. Standing here today, despite all of the setbacks and obstacles, because of our drive, our perseverance, our willpower to endure is stronger than any deterrent. Now, as we step into adulthood and start to reach our goals, there will be harder challenges to overcome. But our willpower has been proven irrevocable. Never forget classmates, that as long as you use your unrelenting well, you're an unstoppable force.
Barrie Barto
Valedictorian, South High School, Denver
Barto says when her school closed, she tried ignoring some of the emotions she was processing. "I realized that you need to take the time to acknowledge what we have lost and celebrate how we have grown and how this is going to change us as a class," she says.
This inspired her to write the speech she felt that she needed to hear.
To be honest with everyone, when I sat down to write this speech, I really wanted to avoid talking about everything we miss as a class. It would be way easier to reminisce about when the homecoming bonfire was in the back parking lot. But when people told me they were sorry that my whole senior year was turned upside down, I shrugged it off and said it's not a big deal. It's a hard thing to talk about, and not talking about it seems less painful. But it is a big deal. We missed senior prom and graduation and our barbecue and awards. I would even go back for one more class meeting in the auditorium just to sit in South for one more Thursday. This pandemic was not the defining event for our class. Don't let it be. We had monumental events occur every year we were at South. We have supported our teachers when they rallied for themselves. They've supported us when walking into school was harder than it was any other day. We supported each other through the pains of block day, and air conditioning only working in the winter time, but also shifts in friendships and hard times with family. South brought us all together to teach us something about ourselves that we didn't know before.
Haylie Cortez
Valedictorian, Bartlett High School, Anchorage, Alaska
Cortez says she feels lucky to still be able to give a message and was inspired by what has been helping her cope.
"One of the things that pushes me through everything is knowing that things will go on and stuff will change," she says. "I just want to remind everyone that the future is still there and it's still coming to us."
Cortez plans on attending the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the fall, where she wants to study civil engineering.


npr--2020-06-10--Prosecutors In Sweden Finally Close Case On 1986 Assassination Of Olof Palme

Prosecutors In Sweden Finally Close Case On 1986 Assassination Of Olof Palme Prosecutors in Sweden announced Wednesday the name of the man they believe gunned down Prime Minister Olof Palme more than three decades ago on a Stockholm street .
At a news conference in the capital , chief prosecutor Krister Petersson identified the likely assassin as Stig Engström , a graphic designer who was interviewed along with more than a dozen others who said they saw someone fleeing the scene immediately after the attack in 1986 .
Engström was at the time briefly considered a suspect .
It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a case against him .
Engström died , by apparent suicide , in 2000 .
`` Because the person is dead , I can not bring charges against him and have decided to close the investigation , '' Petersson said .
`` How he acted was how we believe the murderer would have acted , '' he added .
Much like the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy , the murder of Palme — a long-time leftist prime minister credited with shaping modern Sweden — has been a favorite topic of conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involvement of the CIA , Kurdish separatists , the South African security services and Chilean fascists , among others .
Engström , who was dubbed by the Swedish media as `` The Skandia man '' because he worked at the headquarters of the Skandia insurance company near the site of Palme 's murder , has figured prominently in much of the speculation over the years .
Most notably , freelance journalist Thomas Petterson has been among those who have pointed to Engström as the likely assassin .
On the night of February 28 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissed his security detail earlier in the day , was fatally shot in the back at point-blank range on one of the busiest streets in downtown Stockholm as he and his wife Lisbet were leaving a movie theater .
Lisbet , who was also slightly wounded in the attack on her husband , later identified Christer Pettersson , ( unrelated to either the prosecutor or the journalist ) as the killer .
Palme 's son , Marten , who was also present at the assassination , identified Pettersson as well .
Petterson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the assassination in 1989 , but his conviction was overturned the following year in a decision citing lack of evidence – most notably the absence of a murder weapon , which investigators believed to have been a .357 Smith & Wesson Magnum .
Christer Petterson died in 2004 .
In a 2018 interview with The New York Times , Thomas Petterson , the journalist , said Engström , who had served in the military , had access to the same kind of weapon used in the assassination , had been active in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private motives .
The journalist , who said he had investigated the case for 12 years , also noted that Engström had lied to police , had `` the right timing , the right clothing ... unique information , '' and that he had `` a deep political interest and a deep anti-Palme sentiment . ''

Prosecutors In Sweden Finally Close Case On 1986 Assassination Of Olof Palme
Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP
Prosecutors in Sweden announced Wednesday the name of the man they believe gunned down Prime Minister Olof Palme more than three decades ago on a Stockholm street.
At a news conference in the capital, chief prosecutor Krister Petersson identified the likely assassin as Stig Engström, a graphic designer who was interviewed along with more than a dozen others who said they saw someone fleeing the scene immediately after the attack in 1986. At the time, Engström was briefly considered a suspect.
It's too late, however, to pursue a case against him. Engström died, by apparent suicide, in 2000.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Stina Stjernkvist /TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images Stina Stjernkvist /TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images
"Because the person is dead, I cannot bring charges against him and have decided to close the investigation," Petersson said.
"How he acted was how we believe the murderer would have acted," he added.
Much like the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, the killing of Palme — a long-time leftist prime minister credited with shaping modern Sweden — has been a favorite topic of conspiracy theorists, who have variously posited the involvement of the CIA, Kurdish separatists, the South African security services and Chilean fascists, among others.
Engström, who was dubbed by the Swedish media as "The Skandia man" because he worked at the headquarters of the Skandia insurance company near the site of Palme's slaying, has figured prominently in much of the speculation over the years. Most notably, freelance journalist Thomas Petterson has been among those who have pointed to Engström as the likely assassin.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Goran Arnbaeck/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images Goran Arnbaeck/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images
On the night of Feb. 28, 1986, Palme, who had dismissed his security detail earlier in the day, was fatally shot in the back at point-blank range on one of the busiest streets in downtown Stockholm as he and his wife, Lisbet, were leaving a movie theater.
Lisbet, who was slightly wounded in the attack on her husband, later identified Christer Pettersson, (unrelated to either the prosecutor or the journalist) as the killer. Palme's son, Marten, who was also present at the assassination, identified Pettersson as well.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images
Pettersson, a petty criminal, was found guilty of the assassination in 1989, but his conviction was overturned the following year in a decision citing lack of evidence – most notably the absence of a weapon, which investigators believed to have been a .357 Smith & Wesson Magnum. Christer Pettersson died in 2004.
In a 2018 interview with The New York Times, Thomas Petterson, the journalist, said Engström, who had served in the military, had access to the same kind of weapon used in the assassination, had been active in a shooting club and had political and private motives.
The journalist, who said he had investigated the case for 12 years, also noted that Engström had lied to police, had "the right timing, the right clothing ... unique information" and he had "a deep political interest and a deep anti-Palme sentiment."


npr--2020-06-10--When You Can't Quarantine At Home: COVID-19 Contact Tracers Aim To Help

When You Ca n't Quarantine At Home : COVID-19 Contact Tracers Aim To Help As an infectious disease nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic , Debbie Sorensen works as a memory detective on a tight deadline .
The mystery she 's trying to untangle is where an infected person has been and who 's been with them .
Her sleuthing tools include a telephone , a wall calendar and the firm , but calming voice that comes with 20 years of experience with the Salt Lake County Public Health Department in Salt Lake City .
On a recent weekday she puts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a young woman who had tested positive .
Sorensen goes through a five-page `` investigation '' form with the woman , collecting information needed to learn who else may have been exposed to the virus — and how to find them .
`` Do you live in an apartment or a home ? ''
she starts .
`` And how many people live with you ? ''
Known as contact tracing , this kind of investigative work is fundamental to an effective response to infectious diseases , experts say .
Contact tracers like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be tested and possibly isolated to slow the spread .
`` Could you tell me what day your symptoms started — what day you started getting ill ? ''
she continues .
Sorensen and her colleagues are busy , averaging five cases a day .
As Utah 's most populous county , Salt Lake has more than half the cases in the state — recently climbing above 6,400 — and it has a positive test rate of around 6 % .
Over the past few months , contact tracers in the county have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. , states are building similar armies of contact tracers , having trying to contain the spread of COVID-19 .
Utah is among the states at the forefront of the effort , more than tripling the number of its investigators and tapping state employees to help monitor people who are in quarantine .
Before the pandemic , Sorensen was one of the county 's 30 investigators .
Since getting its first coronavirus case in early March , Salt Lake County has added 100 more as the health department reassigned other nurses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the early stages of the pandemic that testing alone would n't be enough to stop viral spread , Lt. Gov .
Spencer Cox says .
He characterizes contact tracing as the surgical approach needed to get past the `` sledgehammer '' of extreme social distancing , especially because many people who can spread the virus may not yet have developed obvious symptoms .
`` It 's really important to find those contacts and test them to see if they 're [ also positive for the virus ] and if they are , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
`` We 're actually working backwards as well , to try to find the source of that spread . ''
Contact tracing : What it looks like Within 24 hours of a positive test , contact tracers reach out to a patient , then trace back two days before symptoms first appeared .
They use calendars , social media — anything that can jog a memory .
They gather phone numbers , email and physical addresses to track down contacts .
All of that can take hours .
Although each person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they also can have as many as 100 .
Co-investigators then interview those contacts to see if they have symptoms and need to be tested .
Tracers also tell each person contacted whether they need to go into isolation ( when they have tested positive for the virus or they have COVID-19 symptoms ) or quarantine ( if they have merely had prolonged contact with someone who has tested positive ) .
Most people are willing to help , even if they feel awful and tired , says Tair Kiphibane , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County .
`` Some said ' I 've been waiting for you guys to call me , ' '' Kiphibane says .
`` They 're so ready to just unload the information that we are trying to gather . ''
Some people contacted worry about privacy or deportation But not everyone is receptive , says public health nurse Lee Cherie Booth .
Some worry about privacy concerns , or they distrust the government .
Others fear deportation because of their immigration status .
Investigators work to build trust and educate patients on why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does n't work , contact tracers may try another approach to help a patient understand why their assistance is needed .
`` Sometimes we use guilt tactics , '' Booth says.
`` 'You do n't want to be the one spreading this infection .
You would n't want grandma or grandpa to get it . '
`` Appeal to their heart strings . ''
If that does n't work there 's not much else an investigator can do , Booth says .
Often , they can offer little more than empathy , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job or concerned about social stigma .
`` You are pleading with their — hopefully — common sense , '' Booth says .
`` Sometimes there are no good answers other than ' I hear you . '
`` LuAnn Miller did n't need to be coaxed into quarantine after displaying symptoms .
But she did need a place to go .
After recently returning to her native Salt Lake City , Miller , who is 64 , was homeless in mid-April when she started to experience respiratory problems like she 'd never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a women 's shelter , looking for a place to live , and worried she 'd been exposed to the virus there .
Following a brief stay in a local hospital , where she was tested for the coronavirus and later came up negative , Miller spent the next 10 days in the care of Salt Lake County .
For local residents who , like Miller , do n't have a home or a safe place to quarantine or isolate , county officials have repurposed seven buildings into shelters .
To help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those shelters , the county does not disclose the location of these buildings nor allow media visits .
Elsewhere in Utah and around the U.S. , officials have turned to local hotels , college dorms , nursing homes and even military barracks for this purpose .
In Salt Lake , the county-owned and leased buildings alternate between serving as isolation units and temporary residences for quarantine — depending on the area 's shifting needs .
The buildings can accommodate up to 444 people , including families , says Nicholas Rupp , a spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 500 people have stayed in the county 's facilities since the outbreak began , according to the health department .
Miller said the decision to go into quarantine was easy for her .
`` I wanted to make sure I was safe and others were safe , '' she says .
`` I felt they [ county employees ] were very concerned about us .
They were so protective and loving . ''
Staffed by employees from other departments who have had their jobs affected by COVID-19 , the county estimated it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine and isolation facilities and operations .
Salt Lake expects to be reimbursed by the federal government through the CARES Act , Rupp says .
Help for other people who ca n't self-isolate or quarantine at home The county first opened its facilities to the unsheltered , then expanded its services to include other people exposed to the virus who needed shelter — such as people who live in abusive households , those who live in small apartments and members of large families where one or more members had tested positive for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay in the quarantine and isolation facilities is around a week , but has been as long as 20 days , county officials say .
Members of the community who come into these facilities for temporary isolation after testing positive for the coronavirus are housed with others who have tested positive for the virus .
So far , only about a dozen such cases have subsequently needed to be hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19 symptoms .
According to guidelines , Rupp says , the temporary residents of these facilities who have been isolated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until a ) their symptoms are gone and it has been 10 days since the onset of symptoms , or b ) three days after a fever breaks without the aid of medication — whichever is longer .
When the time to leave the facility comes , the county offers those who have been isolated or quarantined in one of these buildings transportation back to their homes or wherever in the county they choose to go .
Miller says she was housed for about 10 days in a building with other people that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposed to the coronavirus — in a ward-like setting with about 50 to 60 cots .
She had three meals a day and access to showers ; a staff member at the facility even ran to the store on Miller 's behalf to buy vitamins .
She was given protective masks to wear and had her clothes cleaned .
And when she mentioned that she missed playing music , someone at the facility mentioned it to the owner of a local store , which donated a ukulele .
County officials report few problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to those staying at the facilities , though Miller says she had some of her pain medication stolen the first few days of her quarantine .
Staff members do not manage or dispense medications , Rupp says .
They will get prescriptions filled , so guests can safely maintain their quarantine or isolation .
Officials in Salt Lake County do not track how many people follow a contact tracer 's request that they self-isolate or quarantine themselves , Rupp says , nor do they track demographic data on race or ethnicity .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fluctuates .
On some days officials have fewer than 10 people in quarantine or self-isolation .
During a COVID-19 outbreak at a local men 's shelter , the county housed as many as 140 patients at a time , Rupp says .
Miller says during her time in quarantine there were fewer than a dozen people housed in the facility — and not all the residents were interested in hunkering down .
`` There was a group of people who fought to get out of there , '' she says .
Salt Lake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those who come into prolonged contact with an infected person end up testing positive .
Around 11 % of infections arise from community spread .
But as Utah reopens its economy , that number could increase .
Kiphibane says that prospect makes her nervous .
`` If we 're gon na — maybe — hit another big spike or something , then I would think that we might need more manpower , '' she says .
State officials say they 're preparing for those larger outbreaks — and they may need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of June , Utah saw its highest single-day numbers of new coronavirus cases since the outbreak began — 546 cases reported on Saturday , according to the state 's department of health , with cases spiking particularly high in some areas .
That 's happened as most places in the state — save for Salt Lake City , which is still considered moderate risk — have loosened social-distancing restrictions and increased the size of gatherings that are now permitted .
Health officials worry this easing of restrictions in certain areas will increase exposure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially as protests against police violence continue .
Like many county and regional health departments in Utah , state officials are adding contact tracers , too .
In late March , Utah launched a program for state employees to help with the next step in the tracing process : active monitoring .
Monitors follow up with the close contacts of people who have tested positive for the virus to see if those contacts have symptoms or have fallen ill. More than 1,000 state employees volunteered for this job , and 150 or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Diana Monago .
An employee of the state 's Department of Public Safety , Monago says she jumped at the chance to help .
`` When I first heard about it , I said , 'Oh , yeah , sure .
Whatever I can do to help , ' '' she says .
Within a couple of weeks of raising her hand , and after a two-hour web training , she was making calls .
Monago , who is a native Spanish speaker , now leads a team of 13 active monitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are also fluent in Spanish .
Latinos , who number around 14 % of Utah 's population , make up roughly four out of 10 COVID cases in Utah .
The Spanish-speaking monitors on Monago 's team are averaging about 15 calls a day , which is two to three times more than the calls conducted in English .
Monago , who is originally from Peru , says it can be a challenge to persuade Latinos to get help if they 've tested positive or need to get tested ; some hesitate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think it has a lot to do with the cost , '' she says .
`` They do n't know where to go .
They do n't know if people speak English where they 're going .
We 'll try to reassure them that 'It 's safe for you to get tested .
These are free testing sites that you could go to .
Please get help . '
`` While those who themselves have tested positive for the coronavirus might welcome a call from a contact tracing investigator , others who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposure to the virus often get upset when her team calls , Monago says .
`` I would think , if I was in that situation , I would be very happy that they 're monitoring me , '' she says .
`` A lot of people — I 'm surprised by how they get either annoyed or upset . ''
Working from home , Monago recently dialed a Spanish-speaking woman named Maria who was about to end her 14-day quarantine at home .
( NPR agreed to use only Maria 's first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I 'm happy to hear this , '' Monago says in Spanish .
Maria was still worried , though , because her husband had tested positive for the coronavirus .
Monago explains that , while she ca n't give medical advice , the woman should check with a doctor to make sure she 's healthy , adding that Maria 's husband should isolate himself from the family — probably outside their home .
Before ending the 15-minute call , the two women discuss where to get more information in Spanish , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test results .
A man named Doug Winward was also on Monago 's call list .
He , too , was coming to the end of his 14-day monitoring period , after having been exposed to a co-worker who tested positive for the virus .
`` Have you experienced any of the symptoms as far as fevers , coughing or maybe difficulty breathing ? ''
Monago asks Winward when she calls .
`` No ?
You 've been good ?
Awesome . ''
It had been a challenging couple of weeks for Winward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children , ages 12 , 10 and 7 .
Winward works in construction , and when his boss tested positive for the coronavirus , Winward — who had no symptoms — was sent home from the job site , too .
Since then , he has been quarantining himself , away from others , as best he can .
On his way home that first day after getting the news about his boss ' test , Winward stopped at a market and bought $ 500 worth of groceries , all out of pocket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinking to myself , ' I need to go home and quarantine for 14 days , ' and I was like — 'Whoa whoa whoa — I have to go home and still feed my children ? '
We ate pork and beans and hot dogs a lot of nights . ''
Adding to the stress of a lost paycheck , Winward says his ex-wife sought to get custody of his kids while he was in quarantine .
He ultimately tested negative , but remained homebound , without pay , for the duration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to him by phone when the two weeks were up , Winward was ready to be done with the whole episode — and be back on the job .
The quarantine had taken a toll on him — financially , emotionally and psychologically .
`` When the only person you have contact with is the Health Department calling at the same time of day with the same generic questions — 'Are you feeling OK ? '
'' he says , `` ... it was disturbing . ''
Veteran investigative journalist Andrew Becker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ KUER in Salt Lake City .

When You Can't Quarantine At Home: COVID-19 Contact Tracers Aim To Help
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Becker/ KUER Andrew Becker/ KUER
As an infectious disease nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic, Debbie Sorensen works as a memory detective on a tight deadline.
The mystery she's trying to untangle is where an infected person has been and who's been with them. Her sleuthing tools include a telephone, a wall calendar and the firm, but calming voice that comes with 20 years of experience with the Salt Lake County Public Health Department in Salt Lake City.
On a recent weekday she puts her interviewing skills to use when calling a young woman who had tested positive. Sorensen goes through a five-page "investigation" form with the woman, collecting information needed to learn who else may have been exposed to the virus — and how to find them.
"Do you live in an apartment or a home?" she starts. "And how many people live with you?"
Known as contact tracing, this kind of investigative work is fundamental to an effective response to infectious diseases, experts say. Contact tracers like Sorensen want to determine who needs to be tested and possibly isolated to slow the spread.
"Could you tell me what day your symptoms started — what day you started getting ill?" she continues.
Sorensen and her colleagues are busy, averaging five cases a day. As Utah's most populous county, Salt Lake has more than half the cases in the state — recently climbing above 6,400 — and it has a positive test rate of around 6%. Over the past few months, contact tracers in the county have made an estimated 35,000 calls.
Across the U.S., states are building similar armies of contact tracers, having trying to contain the spread of COVID-19. Utah is among the states at the forefront of the effort, more than tripling the number of its investigators and tapping state employees to help monitor people who are in quarantine.
Before the pandemic, Sorensen was one of the county's 30 investigators. Since getting its first coronavirus case in early March, Salt Lake County has added 100 more as the health department reassigned other nurses and staff.
toggle caption George Frey/AFP via Getty Images
State officials say they realized during the early stages of the pandemic that testing alone wouldn't be enough to stop viral spread, Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox says. He characterizes contact tracing as the surgical approach needed to get past the "sledgehammer" of extreme social distancing, especially because many people who can spread the virus may not yet have developed obvious symptoms.
"It's really important to find those contacts and test them to see if they're [also positive for the virus] and if they are, then to isolate them," he says. "We're actually working backwards as well, to try to find the source of that spread."
Contact tracing: What it looks like
Within 24 hours of a positive test, contact tracers reach out to a patient, then trace back two days before symptoms first appeared. They use calendars, social media — anything that can jog a memory. They gather phone numbers, email and physical addresses to track down contacts.
All of that can take hours. Although each person identified typically has seven or eight contacts, they also can have as many as 100. Co-investigators then interview those contacts to see if they have symptoms and need to be tested.
Tracers also tell each person contacted whether they need to go into isolation (when they have tested positive for the virus or they have COVID-19 symptoms) or quarantine (if they have merely had prolonged contact with someone who has tested positive).
Most people are willing to help, even if they feel awful and tired, says Tair Kiphibane, the infectious disease bureau manager for Salt Lake County.
"Some said 'I've been waiting for you guys to call me,'" Kiphibane says. "They're so ready to just unload the information that we are trying to gather."
Some people contacted worry about privacy or deportation
But not everyone is receptive, says public health nurse Lee Cherie Booth. Some worry about privacy concerns, or they distrust the government. Others fear deportation because of their immigration status.
Investigators work to build trust and educate patients on why they need to cooperate. If that doesn't work, contact tracers may try another approach to help a patient understand why their assistance is needed.
"Sometimes we use guilt tactics," Booth says. " 'You don't want to be the one spreading this infection. You wouldn't want grandma or grandpa to get it.' " Appeal to their heart strings."
If that doesn't work there's not much else an investigator can do, Booth says. Often, they can offer little more than empathy, especially when someone is worried about losing their job or concerned about social stigma.
"You are pleading with their — hopefully — common sense," Booth says. "Sometimes there are no good answers other than 'I hear you.' "
Homeless and quarantined
LuAnn Miller didn't need to be coaxed into quarantine after displaying symptoms. But she did need a place to go.
After recently returning to her native Salt Lake City, Miller, who is 64, was homeless in mid-April when she started to experience respiratory problems like she'd never felt before.
She'd been staying at a women's shelter, looking for a place to live, and worried she'd been exposed to the virus there. Following a brief stay in a local hospital, where she was tested for the coronavirus and later came up negative, Miller spent the next 10 days in the care of Salt Lake County.
For local residents who, like Miller, don't have a home or a safe place to quarantine or isolate, county officials have repurposed seven buildings into shelters. To help protect the privacy of the people in those shelters, the county does not disclose the location of these buildings nor allow media visits.
Elsewhere in Utah and around the U.S., officials have turned to local hotels, college dorms, nursing homes and even military barracks for this purpose.
In Salt Lake, the county-owned and leased buildings alternate between serving as isolation units and temporary residences for quarantine — depending on the area's shifting needs. The buildings can accommodate up to 444 people, including families, says Nicholas Rupp, a spokesperson for the county health department.
More than 500 people have stayed in the county's facilities since the outbreak began, according to the health department. Miller said the decision to go into quarantine was easy for her.
"I wanted to make sure I was safe and others were safe," she says. "I felt they [county employees] were very concerned about us. They were so protective and loving."
Staffed by employees from other departments who have had their jobs affected by COVID-19, the county estimated it will spend $2.5 million on the quarantine and isolation facilities and operations. Salt Lake expects to be reimbursed by the federal government through the CARES Act, Rupp says.
Help for other people who can't self-isolate or quarantine at home
The county first opened its facilities to the unsheltered, then expanded its services to include other people exposed to the virus who needed shelter — such as people who live in abusive households, those who live in small apartments and members of large families where one or more members had tested positive for the virus, Rupp says. The average stay in the quarantine and isolation facilities is around a week, but has been as long as 20 days, county officials say.
Members of the community who come into these facilities for temporary isolation after testing positive for the coronavirus are housed with others who have tested positive for the virus. So far, only about a dozen such cases have subsequently needed to be hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19 symptoms.
According to guidelines, Rupp says, the temporary residents of these facilities who have been isolated because of a positive coronavirus test stay until a) their symptoms are gone and it has been 10 days since the onset of symptoms, or b) three days after a fever breaks without the aid of medication — whichever is longer. When the time to leave the facility comes, the county offers those who have been isolated or quarantined in one of these buildings transportation back to their homes or wherever in the county they choose to go.
Miller says she was housed for about 10 days in a building with other people that contact tracers had determined had likely been exposed to the coronavirus — in a ward-like setting with about 50 to 60 cots. She had three meals a day and access to showers; a staff member at the facility even ran to the store on Miller's behalf to buy vitamins. She was given protective masks to wear and had her clothes cleaned. And when she mentioned that she missed playing music, someone at the facility mentioned it to the owner of a local store, which donated a ukulele.
County officials report few problems with their guests, as officials refer to those staying at the facilities, though Miller says she had some of her pain medication stolen the first few days of her quarantine. Staff members do not manage or dispense medications, Rupp says. They will get prescriptions filled, so guests can safely maintain their quarantine or isolation.
Officials in Salt Lake County do not track how many people follow a contact tracer's request that they self-isolate or quarantine themselves, Rupp says, nor do they track demographic data on race or ethnicity.
The number of people staying in the facilities fluctuates. On some days officials have fewer than 10 people in quarantine or self-isolation. During a COVID-19 outbreak at a local men's shelter, the county housed as many as 140 patients at a time, Rupp says.
Miller says during her time in quarantine there were fewer than a dozen people housed in the facility — and not all the residents were interested in hunkering down.
"There was a group of people who fought to get out of there," she says.
Salt Lake officials say 50% to 80% of those who come into prolonged contact with an infected person end up testing positive. Around 11% of infections arise from community spread. But as Utah reopens its economy, that number could increase.
Kiphibane says that prospect makes her nervous.
"If we're gonna — maybe — hit another big spike or something, then I would think that we might need more manpower," she says.
Hot spots beginning to flare
State officials say they're preparing for those larger outbreaks — and they may need to take action soon.
At the start of June, Utah saw its highest single-day numbers of new coronavirus cases since the outbreak began — 546 cases reported on Saturday, according to the state's department of health, with cases spiking particularly high in some areas.
That's happened as most places in the state — save for Salt Lake City, which is still considered moderate risk — have loosened social-distancing restrictions and increased the size of gatherings that are now permitted. Health officials worry this easing of restrictions in certain areas will increase exposure to the coronavirus and cases of COVID-19, especially as protests against police violence continue.
Like many county and regional health departments in Utah, state officials are adding contact tracers, too. In late March, Utah launched a program for state employees to help with the next step in the tracing process: active monitoring.
Monitors follow up with the close contacts of people who have tested positive for the virus to see if those contacts have symptoms or have fallen ill. More than 1,000 state employees volunteered for this job, and 150 or so have been trained so far, including Diana Monago.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Becker/ KUER Andrew Becker/ KUER
An employee of the state's Department of Public Safety, Monago says she jumped at the chance to help.
"When I first heard about it, I said, 'Oh, yeah, sure. Whatever I can do to help,'" she says.
Latinos hit hard by COVID in Utah
Within a couple of weeks of raising her hand, and after a two-hour web training, she was making calls. Monago, who is a native Spanish speaker, now leads a team of 13 active monitors in the state program, including several who are also fluent in Spanish.
Latinos, who number around 14% of Utah's population, make up roughly four out of 10 COVID cases in Utah. The Spanish-speaking monitors on Monago's team are averaging about 15 calls a day, which is two to three times more than the calls conducted in English.
Monago, who is originally from Peru, says it can be a challenge to persuade Latinos to get help if they've tested positive or need to get tested; some hesitate, she's found.
"I think it has a lot to do with the cost," she says. "They don't know where to go. They don't know if people speak English where they're going. We'll try to reassure them that 'It's safe for you to get tested. These are free testing sites that you could go to. Please get help.' "
While those who themselves have tested positive for the coronavirus might welcome a call from a contact tracing investigator, others who are simply being monitored because of a possible exposure to the virus often get upset when her team calls, Monago says.
"I would think, if I was in that situation, I would be very happy that they're monitoring me," she says. "A lot of people — I'm surprised by how they get either annoyed or upset."
Working from home, Monago recently dialed a Spanish-speaking woman named Maria who was about to end her 14-day quarantine at home. (NPR agreed to use only Maria's first name to protect her medical privacy).
Maria never developed symptoms.
"I'm happy to hear this," Monago says in Spanish.
Maria was still worried, though, because her husband had tested positive for the coronavirus. Monago explains that, while she can't give medical advice, the woman should check with a doctor to make sure she's healthy, adding that Maria's husband should isolate himself from the family — probably outside their home.
Before ending the 15-minute call, the two women discuss where to get more information in Spanish, and how to get further testing and test results.
Unintended consequences of quarantine
A man named Doug Winward was also on Monago's call list. He, too, was coming to the end of his 14-day monitoring period, after having been exposed to a co-worker who tested positive for the virus.
"Have you experienced any of the symptoms as far as fevers, coughing or maybe difficulty breathing?" Monago asks Winward when she calls. "No? You've been good? Awesome."
It had been a challenging couple of weeks for Winward, a 51-year-old single father of three children, ages 12, 10 and 7. Winward works in construction, and when his boss tested positive for the coronavirus, Winward — who had no symptoms — was sent home from the job site, too. Since then, he has been quarantining himself, away from others, as best he can.
On his way home that first day after getting the news about his boss' test, Winward stopped at a market and bought $500 worth of groceries, all out of pocket, he recalls.
"I'm thinking to myself, 'I need to go home and quarantine for 14 days,' and I was like — 'Whoa whoa whoa — I have to go home and still feed my children?' We ate pork and beans and hot dogs a lot of nights."
Adding to the stress of a lost paycheck, Winward says his ex-wife sought to get custody of his kids while he was in quarantine. He ultimately tested negative, but remained homebound, without pay, for the duration of his quarantine.
When Monago reached out to him by phone when the two weeks were up, Winward was ready to be done with the whole episode — and be back on the job. The quarantine had taken a toll on him — financially, emotionally and psychologically.
"When the only person you have contact with is the Health Department calling at the same time of day with the same generic questions — 'Are you feeling OK?'" he says, "... it was disturbing."
Veteran investigative journalist Andrew Becker is executive editor for special projects at KUER in Salt Lake City.


npr--2020-06-10--Vaccine Makers Hedge Bets On Which One Will Emerge As Effective And Safe

Vaccine Makers Hedge Bets On Which One Will Emerge As Effective And Safe Once upon a time , developing a new vaccine was a step-by-step process that went from concept , to design , to tests in humans , to regulatory approval , to manufacturing .
It was a process that could take a decade or more .
But the urgent need for a COVID-19 vaccine has radically changed all that .
Now , the hope is the entire process can be completed in a year or less .
A good example of the new paradigm is a vaccine being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's called a protein subunit vaccine .
The proteins are encased in a nanoparticle that gets injected into a person , along with a generalized immune stimulant known as an adjuvant .
`` We have a lot of confidence based on what we 've see so far based on our animal modeling that the vaccine will work , '' says Gregory Glenn , president of research and development at Novavax .
Positive results with animal testing does n't always translate to successful results in people , so , typically , Glenn would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human testing that has just begun before making any big decisions about manufacturing .
But he wo n't be waiting this time .
A lot of steps that used to come one after another are taking place concurrently .
`` One of the most dramatic things we 're doing in parallel is to assume the vaccine is going to work , so we scale it up now , '' Glenn says .
It 's called at-risk manufacturing and scaling up means being able to produce the hundreds of millions of doses or more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in the vaccine development business .
It does n't have the ability to manufacture those hundreds of millions of doses .
So the company has turned to Emergent Biosolutions .
Sean Kirk , executive vice president of manufacturing and technical operations for Emergent Biosolutions , recently took me on a virtual tour of the company 's advance manufacturing facility in Baltimore , Md .
His phone camera shows Kirk standing with some colleagues in a corridor next to a large glass window .
On the other side of the glass is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made .
`` What you 're looking at right here is one step in a multiple step process , '' Kirk tells me .
He points his cellphone camera into the room .
I can see several stainless steel pieces of equipment , each about the size of a commercial refrigerator .
The vaccine is actually generated by living cells called a tissue culture that are grown inside a large plastic bag .
`` You can see the bag sticking out the top .
Can you see it ? ''
Kirk asks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bag into a 50-liter vessel that is part of what 's called a bioreactor .
`` Around the outside of this is the vessel itself that provides the heating , the cooling , and with the inserted agitators , the mixing , '' Kirk explains .
`` From here we grow the culture and we transfer it to a larger bioreactor , thousand-liter , two thousand-liter , 4 thousand-liter to be able to expand up the volume and get the yields that we need to successfully produce the doses . ''
All of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Food and Drug Administration standards known as Current Good Manufacturing Practices .
The process can be finicky .
It 's a challenging task , but Kirk says he and his team is up to it .
That confidence may be because the company they work for was created specifically to deal with public health crises .
`` Emergent Biosolutions has been around for a little over 20 years , '' says Bob Kramer , president and CEO .
The company specializes in dealing with public health issues and dangerous substances .
It makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cholera .
Kramer says in 2012 , the Department of Health and Human Services asked Emergent to build for them a special kind of facility , `` where they could bring new technology into that facility and be able to quickly scale up and manufacture large volumes of vaccines for whatever emerging infectious disease we were presented with . ''
That facility is where the Novavax vaccine is being manufactured .
The company also has agreements to manufacture a vaccine being developed by Vaxart and another by Johnson and Johnson .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was providing Emergent with an additional $ 628 million to make and package vaccines .
Kramer says his company has a robust manufacturing capacity .
`` We already have the capability to produce hundreds of millions of doses in our existing infrastructure , '' he says .
But all that infrastructure and all the money that 's being spent to expand it will be for naught if the vaccines do n't work .
It 's a gamble health officials say the country has to make .

Vaccine Makers Hedge Bets On Which One Will Emerge As Effective And Safe
Enlarge this image toggle caption Philip Taciak/Emergent Biosolutions Philip Taciak/Emergent Biosolutions
Once upon a time, developing a new vaccine was a step-by-step process that went from concept, to design, to tests in humans, to regulatory approval, to manufacturing.
It was a process that could take a decade or more.
But the urgent need for a COVID-19 vaccine has radically changed all that. Now, the hope is the entire process can be completed in a year or less.
A good example of the new paradigm is a vaccine being developed by Novavax. It's what's called a protein subunit vaccine. The proteins are encased in a nanoparticle that gets injected into a person, along with a generalized immune stimulant known as an adjuvant.
"We have a lot of confidence based on what we've see so far based on our animal modeling that the vaccine will work," says Gregory Glenn, president of research and development at Novavax.
Positive results with animal testing doesn't always translate to successful results in people, so, typically, Glenn would be waiting to see the results of the human testing that has just begun before making any big decisions about manufacturing.
But he won't be waiting this time. A lot of steps that used to come one after another are taking place concurrently.
"One of the most dramatic things we're doing in parallel is to assume the vaccine is going to work, so we scale it up now," Glenn says.
It's called at-risk manufacturing and scaling up means being able to produce the hundreds of millions of doses or more that will be needed.
But Novavax is in the vaccine development business. It doesn't have the ability to manufacture those hundreds of millions of doses. So the company has turned to Emergent Biosolutions.
Sean Kirk, executive vice president of manufacturing and technical operations for Emergent Biosolutions, recently took me on a virtual tour of the company's advance manufacturing facility in Baltimore, Md.
His phone camera shows Kirk standing with some colleagues in a corridor next to a large glass window. On the other side of the glass is a room where the Novavax vaccine is being made.
"What you're looking at right here is one step in a multiple step process," Kirk tells me.
He points his cellphone camera into the room. I can see several stainless steel pieces of equipment, each about the size of a commercial refrigerator.
The vaccine is actually generated by living cells called a tissue culture that are grown inside a large plastic bag.
"You can see the bag sticking out the top. Can you see it?" Kirk asks.
Technicians inside the room are loading the bag into a 50-liter vessel that is part of what's called a bioreactor.
"Around the outside of this is the vessel itself that provides the heating, the cooling, and with the inserted agitators, the mixing," Kirk explains. "From here we grow the culture and we transfer it to a larger bioreactor, thousand-liter, two thousand-liter, 4 thousand-liter to be able to expand up the volume and get the yields that we need to successfully produce the doses."
All of this has to be done to strict Food and Drug Administration standards known as Current Good Manufacturing Practices. The process can be finicky.
It's a challenging task, but Kirk says he and his team is up to it. That confidence may be because the company they work for was created specifically to deal with public health crises.
"Emergent Biosolutions has been around for a little over 20 years," says Bob Kramer, president and CEO.
The company specializes in dealing with public health issues and dangerous substances. It makes vaccines for anthrax, smallpox, typhoid and cholera.
Kramer says in 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services asked Emergent to build for them a special kind of facility, "where they could bring new technology into that facility and be able to quickly scale up and manufacture large volumes of vaccines for whatever emerging infectious disease we were presented with."
That facility is where the Novavax vaccine is being manufactured. The company also has agreements to manufacture a vaccine being developed by Vaxart and another by Johnson and Johnson.
On June 1, the government announced it was providing Emergent with an additional $628 million to make and package vaccines.
Kramer says his company has a robust manufacturing capacity.
"We already have the capability to produce hundreds of millions of doses in our existing infrastructure," he says.
But all that infrastructure and all the money that's being spent to expand it will be for naught if the vaccines don't work. It's a gamble health officials say the country has to make.