npr--2020-09-24--Alexei Navalny's Accounts Reportedly Frozen While In Berlin Hospital After Poisoning

Alexei Navalny 's Accounts Reportedly Frozen While In Berlin Hospital After Poisoning Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny , who is still recovering from nerve agent poisoning widely seen as the work of Kremlin agents , has had his bank accounts frozen and his apartment `` seized '' in a civil case , according to his spokesperson .
Navalny was released from Berlin 's Charité hospital on Wednesday after undergoing more than a month of treatment .
He had his assets seized on Aug. 27 as he lie in a coma , said the opposition leader 's spokeswoman , Kira Yarmysh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long-running libel case filed .
Along with his bank accounts , authorities placed what amounts to a lien on his Moscow apartment that prevents it from being sold , donated or mortgaged , Yarmysh said .
Navalny fell violently ill on Aug. 20 aboard a plane heading to Moscow .
The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk , where he was hospitalized in critical condition .
After days of wrangling to get permission from Russian authorities , Navalny was transferred to the hospital in Berlin , where he was placed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a German military lab uncovered traces of the Cold War-era nerve agent Novichok in Navalny 's system .
Novichok is the same substance that was used to poison Russian defector Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the U.K. in 2018 – an attack that British authorities say was carried out by two Russian agents .
Both survived the attack .
The Kremlin has denied poisoning either the Skripals or Navalny , but Western intelligence has said it would be nearly impossible for a non-state actor to acquire Novichok for such an attack .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and assets comes in connection with a $ 1.1 million court ruling in favor of Yevgeny Prigozhin , the owner of a catering company who has earned the nickname `` Putin 's chef '' for his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin .
Prigozhin was indicted by the United States for running a troll factory known as the Internet Research Agency that attempted to influence the 2016 presidential election .
Last year , Prigozhin won a judgment against Navalny and his Anti-Corruption Foundation for libeling his catering company , which provides school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's company for an outbreak of dysentery among Moscow schoolchildren .
`` As a result , they seized the assets and the apartment of a person who was in a coma , '' Yarmysh said .
Navalny 's supporters say the libel lawsuit and the poisoning are part of a larger campaign to cripple the activities of the anti-Putin campaigner .
The opposition leader spent 32 days undergoing treatment at Charité hospital , 24 of them in intensive care .
Upon his release , doctors said that based on his condition they expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In his final days in the hospital , Navalny posted regular updates and photos to Instagram of his progress toward recovery .
Just hours before his release , he responded from his hospital bed Tuesday night to a report that Putin had suggested to French President Emmanuel Macron that Navalny `` could have taken the poison himself . ''
`` Good theory , I believe it deserves the most careful attention , '' Navalny wrote in Russian .
`` Cooked Novichok in the kitchen .
Took a sip from a flask on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Putin 's spokesman , Dmitry Peskov , said Wednesday that the report about a conversation between the two world leaders was `` inaccurate in its reported wording . ''

Alexei Navalny's Accounts Reportedly Frozen While In Berlin Hospital After Poisoning
toggle caption Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is still recovering from nerve agent poisoning widely seen as the work of Kremlin agents, has had his bank accounts frozen and his apartment "seized" in a civil case, according to his spokesperson.
Navalny was released from Berlin's Charité hospital on Wednesday after undergoing more than a month of treatment. He had his assets seized on Aug. 27 as he lie in a coma, said the opposition leader's spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh.
The seizure came in connection with a long-running libel case filed.
Along with his bank accounts, authorities placed what amounts to a lien on his Moscow apartment that prevents it from being sold, donated or mortgaged, Yarmysh said.
Navalny fell violently ill on Aug. 20 aboard a plane heading to Moscow. The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk, where he was hospitalized in critical condition. After days of wrangling to get permission from Russian authorities, Navalny was transferred to the hospital in Berlin, where he was placed in a medically induced coma.
Later, a German military lab uncovered traces of the Cold War-era nerve agent Novichok in Navalny's system. Novichok is the same substance that was used to poison Russian defector Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the U.K. in 2018 – an attack that British authorities say was carried out by two Russian agents. Both survived the attack.
The Kremlin has denied poisoning either the Skripals or Navalny, but Western intelligence has said it would be nearly impossible for a non-state actor to acquire Novichok for such an attack.
The reported seizure of Navalny's apartment and assets comes in connection with a $1.1 million court ruling in favor of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of a catering company who has earned the nickname "Putin's chef" for his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin was indicted by the United States for running a troll factory known as the Internet Research Agency that attempted to influence the 2016 presidential election.
Last year, Prigozhin won a judgment against Navalny and his Anti-Corruption Foundation for libeling his catering company, which provides school lunches. The opposition leader blamed Prigozhin's company for an outbreak of dysentery among Moscow schoolchildren.
"As a result, they seized the assets and the apartment of a person who was in a coma," Yarmysh said.
Navalny's supporters say the libel lawsuit and the poisoning are part of a larger campaign to cripple the activities of the anti-Putin campaigner.
The opposition leader spent 32 days undergoing treatment at Charité hospital, 24 of them in intensive care. Upon his release, doctors said that based on his condition they expect him to make a full recovery.
In his final days in the hospital, Navalny posted regular updates and photos to Instagram of his progress toward recovery.
Just hours before his release, he responded from his hospital bed Tuesday night to a report that Putin had suggested to French President Emmanuel Macron that Navalny "could have taken the poison himself."
"Good theory, I believe it deserves the most careful attention," Navalny wrote in Russian. "Cooked Novichok in the kitchen. Took a sip from a flask on the plane. Fell into a coma."
Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Wednesday that the report about a conversation between the two world leaders was "inaccurate in its reported wording."


npr--2020-09-24--Feds, In Unusual Statement, Announce They're Investigating Discarded Ballots

The FBI and the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania said Thursday that they are investigating `` potential issues '' with nine military ballots in one county .
They believe the ballots were opened improperly — though they have not yet filed any charges or taken official action .
U.S. Attorney David Freed noted the investigation remains active , but said he is releasing the news publicly `` based on the limited amount of time before the general election and the vital public importance of these issues . ''
Voting rights experts and Justice Department veterans , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the preliminary nature of the investigation make Freed 's announcement highly unusual .
The potential voting irregularities in Pennsylvania came to light after President Trump mentioned them , offhand , in an interview with a Fox radio host Thursday .
`` We have to be very careful with the ballots , '' the president told reporters later , according to a news pool report .
He described what he called a `` scam '' where ballots had been found in the trash .
The president has been criticizing the integrity of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We want to make sure the election is honest , and I 'm not sure that it can be , '' Trump continued .
Officials said Luzerne County Elections Director Shelby Watchilla discovered the ballots last week and the matter was immediately reported to authorities .
Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis then asked U.S. Attorney David J .
Freed to investigate , according to the Justice Department 's statement .
That led to the involvement of the FBI .
Salavantis leads a working group on the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spearheaded by Attorney General William Barr .
According to a letter from U.S. Attorney Freed to the county elections director , the inquiry into Luzerne County 's ballot handling began Monday , and found that nine military ballots had been `` improperly opened '' by elections staff and `` discarded . ''
He wrote that `` the majority '' of the recovered ballots and envelopes were found in an outside dumpster — seven of the nine ballots outside their official envelopes , and two that elections staff had apparently recovered and sealed back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also found four `` apparently official '' absentee ballot envelopes that were empty .
All the ballots found outside of envelopes were cast for Trump , Freed 's letter said ; it 's unknown who two sealed ones are for .
Pennsylvania law dictates all mail ballots — military or otherwise — be securely stored until processing can begin .
In the commonwealth , that 's not until 7:00 a.m. on Election Day .
Based on interviews , however , Freed said investigators had concluded that all the envelopes — likely a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Luzerne County Board of Elections were opened `` as a matter of course . ''
Workers , he wrote , explained that the envelopes used for mail ballot requests were so similar to the ones used for returned mail ballots that they believed they would miss requests if they preserved all the envelopes unopened .
`` Even though your staff has made some attempts to reconstitute certain of the improperly opened ballots , there is no guarantee that any of these votes will be counted in the general election , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles , said the timing of the announcement alone raises many questions .
`` It is the vital duty of government not to announce partial facts and 'potential issues ' in pending investigations , '' Levitt said in an email interview .
`` Indeed , it 's quite improper to announce the fact of an inquiry .
And grotesquely improper to announce whom the ballots were cast for , as if that mattered in the investigation . ''
On the other hand , Levitt said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigate if local officials were refusing to set aside and count valid ballots .
But it 's not clear that 's what happened , he added .
Levitt said the Trump Justice Department had issued guidance in 2017 requiring that `` any criminal investigation by the department must be conducted in a way that minimizes the likelihood that the investigation itself may become a factor in the election . ''
Matt Wolking , who handles rapid-response communications for the Trump campaign , highlighted the probe and concluded , `` Democrats are trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county where authorities said they are investigating the ballots supported Trump in the 2016 election .
Matthew Miller , a former press spokesman for President Barack Obama 's Justice Department , said in a tweet that the U.S. attorney 's news release amounted to an `` in kind contribution '' to the Trump reelection campaign since it amplified the president 's allegations about the dangers of mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic .
David Thornburgh , who heads the nonpartisan election watchdog group Committee of Seventy , told reporter Katie Meyer of NPR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's release left him a bit nonplussed .
Because the U.S. attorney 's office offered so few details about the situation in Luzerne County , Thornburgh said he 's concerned voters might conclude the situation is much worse than it actually is and wrongly conclude there could be wider problems , based on an anecdotal example .
`` You have to be on the lookout for breakdowns in the system , but we have to be careful not to extrapolate from single-digit incidents to more systemic problems , '' he said .
Katie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Philadelphia .

Feds, In Unusual Statement, Announce They're Investigating A Few Discarded Ballots
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gene J. Puskar/AP Gene J. Puskar/AP
Updated Friday, Sept. 25 at 11:08 a.m. ET
The FBI and the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania said Thursday that they are investigating "potential issues" with nine military ballots in one county. They believe the ballots were opened improperly, though they have not filed any charges or taken official action.
U.S. Attorney David Freed noted that the investigation remains active but said he is releasing the news publicly "based on the limited amount of time before the general election and the vital public importance of these issues."
Voting rights experts and Justice Department veterans, however, said that proximity to the election and the preliminary nature of the investigation make Freed's announcement highly unusual.
The announcement comes as President Trump continues to baselessly claim that voting by mail will lead to widespread fraud and as the Justice Department is under scrutiny for allegations that its decisions under Attorney General William Barr are increasingly directed at boosting Trump's reelection efforts.
Trump's campaign immediately seized on the announcement of an investigation to conclude that it was evidence Democrats were trying to "steal" the election.
The potential voting irregularities in Pennsylvania came to light after President Trump mentioned them, offhand, in an interview with a Fox radio host Thursday.
"We have to be very careful with the ballots," the president told reporters later, according to a news pool report. He described what he called a "scam" where ballots had been found in the trash. The president has been criticizing the integrity of this year's election for months.
"We want to make sure the election is honest, and I'm not sure that it can be," Trump continued.
Discovery by local officials
Officials said Luzerne County Elections Director Shelby Watchilla discovered the ballots last week and the matter was immediately reported to authorities.
Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis then asked Freed to investigate, according to the Justice Department's statement. That led to the involvement of the FBI.
Salavantis leads a working group on the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, which is spearheaded by Attorney General Barr.
According to a letter from U.S. Attorney Freed to the county elections director, the inquiry into Luzerne County's ballot handling began Monday and found that nine military ballots had been "improperly opened" by elections staff and "discarded."
He wrote that "the majority" of the recovered ballots and envelopes were found in an outside dumpster — seven of the nine ballots outside their official envelopes, and two that elections staff had apparently recovered and sealed back in their envelopes. He said investigators also found four "apparently official" absentee ballot envelopes that were empty.
All of the ballots found outside envelopes were cast for Trump, Freed's letter said; it's unknown who two sealed ones are for.
Pennsylvania law dictates all mail ballots — military or otherwise — be securely stored until processing can begin. In the commonwealth, that's not until 7 a.m. on Election Day.
Based on interviews, however, Freed said investigators had concluded that all the envelopes — likely a very small number — that had been received by the Luzerne County Board of Elections were opened "as a matter of course."
Workers, he wrote, explained that the envelopes used for mail ballot requests were so similar to the ones used for returned mail ballots that they believed they would miss requests if they preserved all the envelopes unopened.
"Even though your staff has made some attempts to reconstitute certain of the improperly opened ballots, there is no guarantee that any of these votes will be counted in the general election," he said.
Highly unusual situation
Voting rights experts and Justice Department veterans immediately reacted to Freed's unusual press statement.
Justin Levitt, a law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said the timing of the announcement alone raises many questions.
"It is the vital duty of government not to announce partial facts and 'potential issues' in pending investigations," Levitt said in an email interview. "Indeed, it's quite improper to announce the fact of an inquiry. And grotesquely improper to announce whom the ballots were cast for, as if that mattered in the investigation."
On the other hand, Levitt said, it would not be improper to investigate if local officials were refusing to set aside and count valid ballots. But it's not clear that's what happened, he added.
Levitt said the Trump Justice Department had issued guidance in 2017 requiring that "any criminal investigation by the department must be conducted in a way that minimizes the likelihood that the investigation itself may become a factor in the election."
Matt Wolking, who handles rapid-response communications for the Trump campaign, highlighted the probe and concluded, "Democrats are trying to steal the election."
The Pennsylvania county where authorities said they are investigating the ballots supported Trump in the 2016 election.
Matthew Miller, a former press spokesman for President Barack Obama's Justice Department, said in a tweet that the U.S. attorney's news release amounted to an "in kind contribution" to the Trump reelection campaign since it amplified the president's allegations about the dangers of mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic.
David Thornburgh, who heads the nonpartisan election watchdog group Committee of Seventy, told reporter Katie Meyer of NPR member station WHYY in Philadelphia that Freed's release left him a bit nonplussed.
Because the U.S. attorney's office offered so few details about the situation in Luzerne County, Thornburgh said he's concerned voters might conclude the situation is much worse than it actually is and wrongly conclude there could be wider problems, based on an anecdotal example.
"You have to be on the lookout for breakdowns in the system, but we have to be careful not to extrapolate from single-digit incidents to more systemic problems," he said.
Katie Meyer is a political reporter for WHYY in Philadelphia.


npr--2020-09-24--Jobless New Yorkers Can Work At Polls And Still Keep Benefits, Gov. Cuomo Says

Jobless New Yorkers Can Work At Polls And Still Keep Benefits , Gov .
Cuomo Says Gov .
Andrew Cuomo wants to encourage unemployed New Yorkers to work at polls during the Nov. 3 election and has signed an executive order that relieves people who receive unemployment benefits from having to report part-time income they get from an election board .
The order , which Cuomo signed as part of a recent extension of New York 's COVID-19 pandemic emergency , is in effect now through Nov. 3 .
It applies to any work that jobless people perform for state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they earn $ 504 or less each week .
A large contingent of people who normally take on jobs as poll workers are of retirement age , meaning they 're also in higher-risk groups for the coronavirus .
Many of them are staying away from the polls this year , leading election officials to worry that some locations could be closed or severely understaffed , in an election season that has drawn intense interest .
During the primaries that were held earlier this year , some precincts around the U.S. were sharply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In one famous example , polling places in Milwaukee — with a population near 600,000 — were cut from 180 to just five .
The desperate national call for poll workers has resulted in more than 500,000 people signing up to help , according to the advocacy group Power the Polls .
A new NPR feature also offers guidance for anyone wanting to know how to sign up to work at the polls .
`` In many states , you need to be a registered voter to work on election day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October , '' NPR 's Clare Lombardo reported .
Earlier this week , Cuomo said he might send National Guard personnel or state employees to help carry out election duties and staff polling places .
`` If you need people to help administer , then tell us and we 'll help you get the bodies , '' the governor said in a news conference , urging local election boards to request help .

Jobless New Yorkers Can Work At Polls And Still Keep Benefits, Gov. Cuomo Says
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angel Weiss/AFP via Getty Images Angel Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to encourage unemployed New Yorkers to work at polls during the Nov. 3 election and has signed an executive order that relieves people who receive unemployment benefits from having to report part-time income they get from an election board.
The order, which Cuomo signed as part of a recent extension of New York's COVID-19 pandemic emergency, is in effect now through Nov. 3. It applies to any work that jobless people perform for state and local election boards — as long as they earn $504 or less each week.
A large contingent of people who normally take on jobs as poll workers are of retirement age, meaning they're also in higher-risk groups for the coronavirus. Many of them are staying away from the polls this year, leading election officials to worry that some locations could be closed or severely understaffed, in an election season that has drawn intense interest.
During the primaries that were held earlier this year, some precincts around the U.S. were sharply reduced or consolidated due to the pandemic. In one famous example, polling places in Milwaukee — with a population near 600,000 — were cut from 180 to just five.
The desperate national call for poll workers has resulted in more than 500,000 people signing up to help, according to the advocacy group Power the Polls. A new NPR feature also offers guidance for anyone wanting to know how to sign up to work at the polls.
"In many states, you need to be a registered voter to work on election day, and most voter registration deadlines are early-to-mid October," NPR's Clare Lombardo reported.
Earlier this week, Cuomo said he might send National Guard personnel or state employees to help carry out election duties and staff polling places.
"If you need people to help administer, then tell us and we'll help you get the bodies," the governor said in a news conference, urging local election boards to request help.


npr--2020-09-24--Maryland Man Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison After Shooting Black Man In Hate Crime

Maryland Man Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison After Shooting Black Man In Hate Crime A Maryland man was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Wednesday over a 2018 incident in which he shot a Black man in a Baltimore suburb and reportedly told him to `` go back to Africa . ''
Brandon Higgs , the white man sentenced , was found to have links to white supremacist groups during the investigation , according to John Magee from the Baltimore County State 's Attorney 's Office .
According to court records , 26-year old Higgs was found guilty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first-degree assault , firearms charges and hate crimes during the altercation in a Baltimore suburb where he shot Elvis Smith in the leg .
Judge Dennis M. Robinson , Jr. handed down a sentence of 40 years , but suspended 15 years during the ruling , Magee told NPR .
That means Higgs will likely serve 25 years , plus five years of supervised probation time .
`` Those 15 [ years ] suspended now are essentially hanging over his head , '' Magee told NPR .
`` If he were to violate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then the judge could reimpose the remaining 15 years . ''
Higgs pleaded not guilty and declined two plea deals , according to The Baltimore Sun .
On the day of the incident in December 2018 , Smith was working with another man to lay concrete in a driveway near Higgs ' home .
Higgs ' dog ran through the wet concrete , and the men had an argument , Magee said .
Higgs went home briefly and then returned , yelling expletives at Smith and telling him to `` go back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` You 're not supposed to be here , '' Smith recalled Higgs saying , according to the Post .
`` This neighborhood is ours . ''
`` At this point he had a loaded weapon in his pocket , '' Magee told NPR .
`` He 's looking for provocation .
He 's looking to incite a violent response . ''
Smith and Higgs tussled , as Smith was `` wrestling for control of the gun , '' Magee said .
`` The victim at that point was trying to survive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gun , shattering Smith 's leg .
During the investigation , police found `` white nationalist type paraphernalia in his home , '' the prosecutor said .
They found a flag of the white supremacist group Vanguard America .
Police also uncovered evidence of Higgs participating in racist conversations online , the prosecutor said .
Magee says he believes Higgs ' motivation was `` hate for African Americans . ''
He called the sentence `` fair and appropriate . ''
`` This crime would not have happened if the victims were Caucasian workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a stain that 's going to be on me for the rest of my life , '' Smith told the Post in a 2019 interview .
`` I will never have closure because , in my heart , I was out there working , doing the honest job .
I was attacked , and I 'm the one walking around with a limp . ''

Maryland Man Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison After Shooting Black Man In Hate Crime
A Maryland man was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Wednesday over a 2018 incident in which he shot a Black man in a Baltimore suburb and reportedly told him to "go back to Africa."
Brandon Higgs, the white man sentenced, was found to have links to white supremacist groups during the investigation, according to John Magee from the Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office.
According to court records, 26-year old Higgs was found guilty in January of attempted voluntary manslaughter, first-degree assault, firearms charges and hate crimes during the altercation in a Baltimore suburb where he shot Elvis Smith in the leg.
Judge Dennis M. Robinson, Jr. handed down a sentence of 40 years, but suspended 15 years during the ruling, Magee told NPR. That means Higgs will likely serve 25 years, plus five years of supervised probation time.
"Those 15 [years] suspended now are essentially hanging over his head," Magee told NPR. "If he were to violate his probation once he's released, then the judge could reimpose the remaining 15 years."
Higgs pleaded not guilty and declined two plea deals, according to The Baltimore Sun.
On the day of the incident in December 2018, Smith was working with another man to lay concrete in a driveway near Higgs' home. Higgs' dog ran through the wet concrete, and the men had an argument, Magee said.
Higgs went home briefly and then returned, yelling expletives at Smith and telling him to "go back to Africa," the Huffington Post reported. "You're not supposed to be here," Smith recalled Higgs saying, according to the Post. "This neighborhood is ours."
"At this point he had a loaded weapon in his pocket," Magee told NPR. "He's looking for provocation. He's looking to incite a violent response."
Smith and Higgs tussled, as Smith was "wrestling for control of the gun," Magee said. "The victim at that point was trying to survive." Then, Higgs fired the gun, shattering Smith's leg.
During the investigation, police found "white nationalist type paraphernalia in his home," the prosecutor said. They found a flag of the white supremacist group Vanguard America.
Police also uncovered evidence of Higgs participating in racist conversations online, the prosecutor said.
Magee says he believes Higgs' motivation was "hate for African Americans." He called the sentence "fair and appropriate."
"This crime would not have happened if the victims were Caucasian workers," he added.
"This is a stain that's going to be on me for the rest of my life," Smith told the Post in a 2019 interview.
"I will never have closure because, in my heart, I was out there working, doing the honest job. I was attacked, and I'm the one walking around with a limp."


npr--2020-09-24--Police Declare 'Riot' In Portland, Ore. After Breonna Taylor Decision

Demonstrations in downtown Portland , Ore. , turned violent as skirmishes broke out between protesters and law enforcement officials in the wake of a Kentucky grand jury decision not to directly charge police for the killing of Breonna Taylor .
Police arrested 13 people in Portland .
Earlier in the night , demonstrators heard speeches from Black activists and chanted of `` no justice , no peace '' outside of the Multnomah County Justice Center , according to Oregon Public Broadcasting .
Tensions escalated through the night , the member station reported , as some in the crowd began throwing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It described the scene as `` the most significant clash seen between protesters and Portland police officers since massive wildfires over the Labor Day weekend briefly paused the demonstrations due to smoke . ''
The Portland Police Bureau later declared the gathering a riot .
`` A mass gathering devolved into a riot after individuals broke windows , vandalized and lit fires to the Justice Center , and threw Molotov cocktails towards officers , '' a PPB said in a press release early Thursday .
Police said a crowd grew to nearly 300 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near the center 's Central Precinct , where police said they blocked vehicle traffic and began throwing rocks , shattering glass windows .
The police statement added that fireworks and glass bottles were thrown at the officers .
At around 10:16 p.m. local time , police said they gave the order over a loudspeaker to disperse , warning the crowd that failure to do so would result in law enforcement using `` impact weapons and/or OC munitions , '' which causes eye and skin irritation .
Earlier this month , Portland Mayor Ted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a crowd control tactic .
The substances contains a chlorine compound and is one of the most common forms of tear gas .
`` The scene mirrored many July nights , when federal officers regularly and aggressively dispersed crowds outside the courthouse , '' The Oregonian reported , referring to the weeks of clashes following the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police .
Police said Thursday that three officers suffered minor injuries .

Police Declare 'Riot' In Portland, Ore. After Breonna Taylor Decision
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nathan Howard/Getty Images Nathan Howard/Getty Images
Demonstrations in downtown Portland, Ore., turned violent as skirmishes broke out between protesters and law enforcement officials in the wake of a Kentucky grand jury decision not to directly charge police for the killing of Breonna Taylor. Police arrested 13 people in Portland.
Earlier in the night, demonstrators heard speeches from Black activists and chanted of "no justice, no peace" outside of the Multnomah County Justice Center, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Tensions escalated through the night, the member station reported, as some in the crowd began throwing objects at buildings and towards officers. It described the scene as "the most significant clash seen between protesters and Portland police officers since massive wildfires over the Labor Day weekend briefly paused the demonstrations due to smoke."
The Portland Police Bureau later declared the gathering a riot.
"A mass gathering devolved into a riot after individuals broke windows, vandalized and lit fires to the Justice Center, and threw Molotov cocktails towards officers," a PPB said in a press release early Thursday.
Police said a crowd grew to nearly 300 people at one point. Some gathered near the center's Central Precinct, where police said they blocked vehicle traffic and began throwing rocks, shattering glass windows. The police statement added that fireworks and glass bottles were thrown at the officers.
At around 10:16 p.m. local time, police said they gave the order over a loudspeaker to disperse, warning the crowd that failure to do so would result in law enforcement using "impact weapons and/or OC munitions," which causes eye and skin irritation.
Earlier this month, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler banned the use of CS gas as a crowd control tactic. The substances contains a chlorine compound and is one of the most common forms of tear gas.
"The scene mirrored many July nights, when federal officers regularly and aggressively dispersed crowds outside the courthouse," The Oregonian reported, referring to the weeks of clashes following the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.
Police said Thursday that three officers suffered minor injuries.


npr--2020-09-24--Cuomo Says N.Y. Health Officials Will Review Any U.S.-Approved COVID-19 Vaccine

Cuomo Says N.Y. Health Officials Will Review Any U.S.-Approved COVID-19 Vaccine New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo says he does n't trust the Trump administration to deliver a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine because the approval process has become so politicized that its integrity ca n't be taken for granted .
At a news conference Thursday , Cuomo said state health officials will screen any federally approved vaccines .
`` The first question is , is the vaccine safe ?
Frankly , I 'm not going to trust the federal government 's opinion , '' Cuomo said , adding , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own review when the federal government has finished with their review and says its safe . ''
The Democratic governor has often clashed with President Trump over the pandemic response .
`` We 're going to put together a group [ of scientists ] for them to review the vaccine , '' Cuomo said , adding that he would n't recommend New Yorkers get vaccinated until that state-run process is complete .
`` I want to make sure we know it 's safe to take , '' he said .
On Wednesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Drug Administration issues stricter guidelines for a COVID-19 vaccine , he might not approve them and accused the agency of playing politics .
`` That has to be approved by the White House .
We may or may not approve it .
That sounds like a political move , '' Trump said during a press briefing at the White House .
`` The president is once again in a dispute with the FDA , '' Cuomo said .
`` The FDA says they want to make the approval more rigorous , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to politicize it .
Why would the FDA be politicizing the approval ?
Between the president and the FDA , only one entity is engaged in the political process and is headed for the Election Day .
It 's not the FDA . ''
The timing of a vaccine has increasingly been a source of contention .
Trump has said a vaccine could be ready for widespread release as early as next month .
`` We remain on track to deliver a vaccine before the end of the year and maybe even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said early this month .
`` We think we can probably have it sometime during the month of October . ''
That 's a timeline some of President Trump 's own scientific advisers have called into question .
New York is still the state hardest-hit COVID-19 , with more than 32,000 deaths so far , but stringent public health measures have sharply reduced infection rates .
Roughly 1 % of the state 's coronavirus tests now come back positive , and the number of people dying each day has fallen into the single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statewide on Wednesday .

Cuomo Says N.Y. Health Officials Will Review Any U.S.-Approved COVID-19 Vaccine
Enlarge this image toggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images Spencer Platt/Getty Images
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he doesn't trust the Trump administration to deliver a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine because the approval process has become so politicized that its integrity can't be taken for granted.
At a news conference Thursday, Cuomo said state health officials will screen any federally approved vaccines.
"The first question is, is the vaccine safe? Frankly, I'm not going to trust the federal government's opinion," Cuomo said, adding, "New York state will have its own review when the federal government has finished with their review and says its safe."
The Democratic governor has often clashed with President Trump over the pandemic response.
"We're going to put together a group [of scientists] for them to review the vaccine," Cuomo said, adding that he wouldn't recommend New Yorkers get vaccinated until that state-run process is complete.
"I want to make sure we know it's safe to take," he said.
On Wednesday, the president said that if the Food and Drug Administration issues stricter guidelines for a COVID-19 vaccine, he might not approve them and accused the agency of playing politics.
"That has to be approved by the White House. We may or may not approve it. That sounds like a political move," Trump said during a press briefing at the White House.
Cuomo brought up Trump's comments during Thursday's announcement.
"The president is once again in a dispute with the FDA," Cuomo said. "The FDA says they want to make the approval more rigorous, more transparent. The president says they're trying to politicize it. Why would the FDA be politicizing the approval? Between the president and the FDA, only one entity is engaged in the political process and is headed for the Election Day. It's not the FDA."
The timing of a vaccine has increasingly been a source of contention. Trump has said a vaccine could be ready for widespread release as early as next month.
"We remain on track to deliver a vaccine before the end of the year and maybe even before Nov. 1," the president said early this month. "We think we can probably have it sometime during the month of October."
That's a timeline some of President Trump's own scientific advisers have called into question.
New York is still the state hardest-hit COVID-19, with more than 32,000 deaths so far, but stringent public health measures have sharply reduced infection rates. Roughly 1% of the state's coronavirus tests now come back positive, and the number of people dying each day has fallen into the single digits, with just two fatalities reported statewide on Wednesday.


npr--2020-09-24--As Pro-Trump Caravans Hit Roads Across U.S., Organizers Are Upbeat Despite Tensions

As Pro-Trump Caravans Hit Roads Across U.S. , Organizers Are Upbeat Despite Tensions In the age of social distancing , car and truck caravans of MAGA flag-waving supporters of President Trump have hit the road from New York to California .
`` We stretched for a very long distance ; I mean miles back , '' said Shawn Farash , who organized a caravan of hundreds of motorcycles , cars and trucks that drove through the streets of Long Island last weekend .
Farash describes himself as a `` regular guy '' who works in advertising , not politics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the turnout .
In his best Trump impression , he deadpans : `` You do n't have to trust the polls .
Just look at the people who are showing up every weekend .
The silent majority , silent no more . ''
The caravans are promoted on social media , and in some cases , organized by people who have never before been politically active .
Just this past weekend , boisterous convoys , with horns honking and Trump flags flying , also rolled through Michigan and North Carolina .
These mobile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned deadly last month in Portland , Ore. A supporter of a far-right group was killed following clashes between participants in a pro-Trump caravan and counterprotesters .
The suspect , who supported antifa , a militant leftist movement , was killed by authorities serving a warrant for his arrest .
Most of the events since then have been peaceful , though tensions have flared .
In Elon , N.C. , on Saturday , a pro-Trump caravan drove through town , hurling insults and white supremacist slogans at a lone counterprotester , who posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While the caravans have n't drawn much national media attention , videos of some of them have been shared online by RT , the television network funded by the Kremlin .
This comes as U.S. intelligence experts warn that Russia is again trying to influence the election in favor of Trump .
Car caravans emerged in the spring as part of protests against state lockdown rules to protect against the spread of the coronavirus .
Those events were coordinated , in part , by pro-business lobbying groups in Washington , D.C. Organizers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grassroots efforts aimed at showing the country is united — not divided by racism or violence .
They say they deliberately try to avoid clashes with counterprotesters .
`` We do n't condone any racism , racist comments , '' said Keith Lee , a convoy organizer from Texas .
`` We do n't want people dragging a Black Lives Matter flag or an antifa flag underneath their truck .
If we see any of that stuff , they 're out of there . ''
Lee is one of the organizers of MAGA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's helping to coordinate caravans on major highways around big cities .
So far , he says they 've held events in 46 states , and they 're planning to host caravans nationwide during the first weekend in October .
`` This is about making America patriotic again , '' Lee said .
But counterprotesters said some events have stoked hate .
Megan Squire , who studies far-right extremist groups at Elon University , where she 's a professor of computer science , was the one who filmed the North Carolina caravan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matter sign , and video shows people driving by shouting , `` No they f****** do n't , b**** '' and `` white power . ''
`` I was literally standing on that corner silent , listening , and I heard exactly what they had to say , and it was hate , '' Squire said .
`` He even , like , cupped his hands to make sure , and he enunciated .
And I remember thinking that at the time , I was like , 'Wow , you really wanted me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really . ''
The caravan was organized by a local activist who 's well-known for defending Confederate monuments .
He did not respond to a request for comment .
Other caravans have gone off without incident .
In Ohio on Saturday , a caravan of Amish and Mennonite Trump supporters in horse-drawn buggies drove through Fredericksburg .
And in Michigan on Saturday , hundreds of cars and trucks drove through Grand Rapids .
Christina Medema , a stay-at-home mom , helped organize the Grand Rapids caravan .
She also said she 'd never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motivated in part by the relentless stream of `` negative '' stories in the news .
`` It surprised me just because I 'm a little Rockford housewife , '' Medema said .
`` Not a ton of people know me , so it shocked me to see all of those people coming , all of those cars coming . ''
Video from the Michigan event taken by RT features clips of participants talking about the `` silent majority '' against `` radicals '' who do n't like America and `` BLM garbage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian propaganda machine that tries to highlight divisions in U.S. society , but Medema does n't see it that way .
She said American media just wo n't cover this story and only focus on caravans when something goes wrong .
`` I was actually really thankful that he was there .
He pretty much posted everything that we did , showing it all , not splicing it or editing in a weird way , '' Medema said of the RT producer .
`` It made me a little bit disappointed in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medema said she believes turnout at her caravan is an indicator that Trump will win Michigan — and the election — even though polls show former Vice President Joe Biden in the lead .
`` I would be pretty shocked if he did n't , to be honest , '' she said of a possible Trump win .
`` Every car that passed us , it felt like honked and gave us a thumbs-up . ''

As Pro-Trump Caravans Hit Roads Across U.S., Organizers Are Upbeat Despite Tensions
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Arellano/AP Michael Arellano/AP
In the age of social distancing, car and truck caravans of MAGA flag-waving supporters of President Trump have hit the road from New York to California.
"We stretched for a very long distance; I mean miles back," said Shawn Farash, who organized a caravan of hundreds of motorcycles, cars and trucks that drove through the streets of Long Island last weekend.
Farash describes himself as a "regular guy" who works in advertising, not politics, and says even he was surprised by the turnout. In his best Trump impression, he deadpans: "You don't have to trust the polls. Just look at the people who are showing up every weekend. The silent majority, silent no more."
The caravans are promoted on social media, and in some cases, organized by people who have never before been politically active. Just this past weekend, boisterous convoys, with horns honking and Trump flags flying, also rolled through Michigan and North Carolina.
These mobile rallies have continued, even after one turned deadly last month in Portland, Ore. A supporter of a far-right group was killed following clashes between participants in a pro-Trump caravan and counterprotesters. The suspect, who supported antifa, a militant leftist movement, was killed by authorities serving a warrant for his arrest.
Most of the events since then have been peaceful, though tensions have flared. In Elon, N.C., on Saturday, a pro-Trump caravan drove through town, hurling insults and white supremacist slogans at a lone counterprotester, who posted a video of the incident on Twitter.
While the caravans haven't drawn much national media attention, videos of some of them have been shared online by RT, the television network funded by the Kremlin. This comes as U.S. intelligence experts warn that Russia is again trying to influence the election in favor of Trump.
Car caravans emerged in the spring as part of protests against state lockdown rules to protect against the spread of the coronavirus. Those events were coordinated, in part, by pro-business lobbying groups in Washington, D.C.
Organizers of the latest caravans say these are grassroots efforts aimed at showing the country is united — not divided by racism or violence. They say they deliberately try to avoid clashes with counterprotesters.
"We don't condone any racism, racist comments," said Keith Lee, a convoy organizer from Texas. "We don't want people dragging a Black Lives Matter flag or an antifa flag underneath their truck. If we see any of that stuff, they're out of there."
Lee is one of the organizers of MAGA Drag the Interstate, a group that's helping to coordinate caravans on major highways around big cities. So far, he says they've held events in 46 states, and they're planning to host caravans nationwide during the first weekend in October.
"This is about making America patriotic again," Lee said.
But counterprotesters said some events have stoked hate. Megan Squire, who studies far-right extremist groups at Elon University, where she's a professor of computer science, was the one who filmed the North Carolina caravan.
She was holding up a Black Lives Matter sign, and video shows people driving by shouting, "No they f****** don't, b****" and "white power."
"I was literally standing on that corner silent, listening, and I heard exactly what they had to say, and it was hate," Squire said. "He even, like, cupped his hands to make sure, and he enunciated. And I remember thinking that at the time, I was like, 'Wow, you really wanted me to hear that.' Creepy, really."
The caravan was organized by a local activist who's well-known for defending Confederate monuments. He did not respond to a request for comment.
Other caravans have gone off without incident.
In Ohio on Saturday, a caravan of Amish and Mennonite Trump supporters in horse-drawn buggies drove through Fredericksburg. And in Michigan on Saturday, hundreds of cars and trucks drove through Grand Rapids.
Christina Medema, a stay-at-home mom, helped organize the Grand Rapids caravan. She also said she'd never done anything political until now but was motivated in part by the relentless stream of "negative" stories in the news.
"It surprised me just because I'm a little Rockford housewife," Medema said. "Not a ton of people know me, so it shocked me to see all of those people coming, all of those cars coming."
Video from the Michigan event taken by RT features clips of participants talking about the "silent majority" against "radicals" who don't like America and "BLM garbage."
RT YouTube
Experts say RT is a Russian propaganda machine that tries to highlight divisions in U.S. society, but Medema doesn't see it that way. She said American media just won't cover this story and only focus on caravans when something goes wrong.
"I was actually really thankful that he was there. He pretty much posted everything that we did, showing it all, not splicing it or editing in a weird way," Medema said of the RT producer. "It made me a little bit disappointed in our local news outlets for sure."
Medema said she believes turnout at her caravan is an indicator that Trump will win Michigan — and the election — even though polls show former Vice President Joe Biden in the lead.
"I would be pretty shocked if he didn't, to be honest," she said of a possible Trump win. "Every car that passed us, it felt like honked and gave us a thumbs-up."


npr--2020-09-24--United Airlines Says It Will Offer Travelers Coronavirus Tests At The Airport

United Airlines Says It Will Offer Travelers Coronavirus Tests At The Airport In another effort aimed at getting travelers back on planes , United Airlines will begin offering on-the-spot coronavirus testing to some passengers at the airport before they board their flight .
The tests will be offered to United customers going to Hawaii from San Francisco International Airport in a pilot program beginning Oct. 15 .
The rapid tests , developed by Abbott Laboratories , can provide results in 15 minutes .
United customers also will have the option of a self-administered , mail-in test that they would need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flight .
The airline says it worked alongside the Hawaiian government to ensure the test meets state requirements — so travelers who test negative for the coronavirus within 72 hours of their arrival will not be subject to Hawaii 's mandatory 14-day quarantine for those coming to the state .
Hawaii 's economy is largely dependent on tourism and has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic .
According to data from the industry group Airlines for America , carriers are flying 70 % fewer flights to and from the Hawaiian islands , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 94 % .
United is the first U.S. airline to offer such on-the-spot , preflight coronavirus testing .
If the pilot program is successful , United says it hopes to expand preflight testing to other airports across the country .
`` Our new COVID testing program is another way we are helping customers meet their destinations ' entry requirements , safely and conveniently , '' United Chief Customer Officer Toby Enqvist said in a statement .
`` We 'll look to quickly expand customer testing to other destinations and U.S. airports later this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus testing will complement `` state-of-the-art cleaning and safety measures that include a mandatory mask policy , antimicrobial and electrostatic spraying '' of airplane cabin interiors , and `` hospital-grade HEPA air filtration systems . ''
Other airlines are working on developing their own coronavirus testing for passengers in hopes that enabling travelers to bypass quarantine requirements would spark an increase in air travel , especially to international destinations .
To try to boost business , airlines and travel trade groups have been calling on the U.S. government to establish a federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been pleading for a federal policy requiring passengers to wear face masks .
The Trump administration has refused to implement such a regulation , leaving the U.S. carriers to enforce their own mask policies .
The airlines have also been calling on government officials in the U.S. and the European Union to establish a joint coronavirus testing program to kick-start international air travel , but no such agreement on testing protocols has been reached .
Even though the EU reopened borders between nations this summer , it still restricts American travelers because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States .
The German airline Lufthansa also announced Thursday that it will begin offering on-the-spot coronavirus testing to passengers boarding intercontinental flights in October .
The routes on which the testing will be offered has n't yet been determined , but many will likely be to the United States .

United Airlines Says It Will Offer Travelers Coronavirus Tests At The Airport
Enlarge this image toggle caption Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
In another effort aimed at getting travelers back on planes, United Airlines will begin offering on-the-spot coronavirus testing to some passengers at the airport before they board their flight.
The tests will be offered to United customers going to Hawaii from San Francisco International Airport in a pilot program beginning Oct. 15. The rapid tests, developed by Abbott Laboratories, can provide results in 15 minutes. United customers also will have the option of a self-administered, mail-in test that they would need to submit within 72 hours before their flight.
The airline says it worked alongside the Hawaii government to ensure the test meets state requirements — so travelers who test negative for the coronavirus within 72 hours of their arrival will not be subject to Hawaii's mandatory 14-day quarantine for those coming to the state.
Hawaii's economy is largely dependent on tourism and has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to data from the industry group Airlines for America, carriers are flying 70% fewer flights to and from the Hawaiian islands, and travel into the state is down 94%.
United is the first U.S. airline to offer such on-the-spot, preflight coronavirus testing. If the pilot program is successful, United says it hopes to expand preflight testing to other airports across the country.
"Our new COVID testing program is another way we are helping customers meet their destinations' entry requirements, safely and conveniently," United Chief Customer Officer Toby Enqvist said in a statement. "We'll look to quickly expand customer testing to other destinations and U.S. airports later this year."
The airline notes that the coronavirus testing will complement "state-of-the-art cleaning and safety measures that include a mandatory mask policy, antimicrobial and electrostatic spraying" of airplane cabin interiors, and "hospital-grade HEPA air filtration systems."
Other airlines are working on developing their own coronavirus testing for passengers in hopes that enabling travelers to bypass quarantine requirements would spark an increase in air travel, especially to international destinations.
To try to boost business, airlines and travel trade groups have been calling on the U.S. government to establish a federal coronavirus testing program. They've also been pleading for a federal policy requiring passengers to wear face masks. The Trump administration has refused to implement such a regulation, leaving the U.S. carriers to enforce their own mask policies.
The airlines have also been calling on government officials in the U.S. and the European Union to establish a joint coronavirus testing program to kick-start international air travel, but no such agreement on testing protocols has been reached. Even though the EU reopened borders between nations this summer, it still restricts American travelers because of the stubbornly high coronavirus infection rate in the United States.
The German airline Lufthansa also announced Thursday that it will begin offering on-the-spot coronavirus testing to passengers boarding intercontinental flights in October. The routes on which the testing will be offered hasn't yet been determined, but many will likely be to the United States.


npr--2020-09-24--Family Ordeal Catapults A Young Filipina To The U.S. — And The Pandemic Front Lines

Family Ordeal Catapults A Young Filipina To The U.S. — And The Pandemic Front Lines If there is such a thing as a model citizen , Quimberly `` Kym '' Villamer might qualify .
`` Excited , '' she says , to vote in her first U.S. presidential election , Villamer is part of the huge diaspora from the Philippines who have moved abroad for a chance at a more prosperous life .
Villamer had been a U.S. citizen for just a matter of months when , as a staff nurse at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital , she handled one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afterward she was tapped to manage the New York City hospital 's nursing staff while being called to serve on the front lines herself .
Successive generations of Filipinos have pulled each other along to the United States , bound by a shared culture and history , and economic opportunity .
The Villamer family migration personifies that Philippine national dream which seems to reach an apex in young Kym Villamer 's against-the-odds story .
But for the doggedness of parents and the grit of their young girl , it may never have happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to New York City to care for the sick and dying .
Villamer , 29 , recalls her childhood upended .
In 2001 , her parents left Villamer , their youngest of seven children , for the United States .
The couple departed their home in Iriga City in the central Philippine region of Bicol when she was just ten years old .
The eldest , a sister in real estate living in North Carolina with her American husband , petitioned for her parents , Baldomero and Bernadette Villamer , to join them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her parents were solid members of the middle class in the Philippines , but sought to `` give [ their children ] the opportunity , '' for betterment in the United States .
They were committed to becoming naturalized U.S. citizens and subsequently petitioning for their six of seven children to come to America .
A 15-year gap separates Kym Villamer from her siblings , and as the youngest child , she felt the brunt of their parents ' migration keenest .
`` Before that , I was sleeping with them in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bedtime .
And that time , I was devastated to see them leave , '' she told NPR .
As she recollects the separation , Villamer 's voice catches with emotion as she confides : `` Until this moment it was one of the saddest moments of my life . ''
This was not a case of abandonment .
The Villamers fought to have their daughter accompany them to the States , but she says her mother gave birth to her late , in her 40s .
Her father was older , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she might not be theirs .
Villamer remembers tearful scenes at the embassy begging to be allowed to go .
`` I think they doubted that I was a legitimate daughter , '' she says .
Her parents made brief visits back home for special school occasions , but Villamer says nearly a decade would pass before she could be reunited with them in the States .
Villamer 's parents eventually settled in San Leandro , a suburban town in Alameda County , Calif .
The pair performed all manner of menial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For many years , Baldomero Villamer was a custodian at a local public school .
During the long parentless period , one of Villamer 's six siblings , a 26-year-old sister , took Villamer in .
Her parents provided the financial support for their young daughter .
But Villamer says her parents kept their word to call `` every day , '' and sent home trendy tennis shoes and clothes like `` the Spice Girls wore . ''
A young daughter pining for her parents came to understand the trade-off : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to make to provide a better future for our family ... Now that I 'm older it 's one of the best decisions that they made . ''
But relations between the two sisters deteriorated and Villamer found herself trying to escape a home that she described as increasingly volatile — and a sister who she says grew increasingly `` abusive . ''
Villamer , a young teen by then , decides she is better off on her own , and comes into her own at the Universidad de Sta .
Isabel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Southeast Asia .
A private Catholic university in Naga City , not far from Villamer 's hometown , it runs from high school through post-graduate studies .
With her parents ' permission , she moved off campus and skipped the obligatory 6:00 a.m. daily mass , arguing it was `` too early . ''
She says the nuns called the 14 year old `` an old soul '' with survival instincts who became an inveterate joiner .
`` I joined the debate team .
I joined the Young Writers Club .
I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Villamer says she did not feel `` wounded '' by all that had happened to her , but rather she was animated by the desire to `` survive , '' `` grow , '' and surpass family expectations .
The nuns who administered the school noticed her intelligence and potential , and took the girl , whose parents toiled thousands of miles away , under their wing .
Villamer was a champion debater , where she won accolades from the nuns and tournaments for the school 's debate team , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Naturally , Villamer says she had envisioned a career in law upon graduating from high school .
But her mother , who worked three jobs , including as a parking lot attendant to send money home from the U.S. , vetoed that career path .
`` Suddenly Mom said , 'You 're going to be a nurse .
It 's your passport to the American dream , ' `` she says .
Her mom thought it if she became a nurse , she could land a good job in the U.S. `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'm not going to pay for your college if you do n't become a nurse , ' she told me .
I said 'Okay , fine ! '
`` Villamer explains , laughing .
She picked up her studies at her alma mater St. Isabel , won a scholarship , and — overcoming `` a fear of blood '' — earned a degree in a profession she says is now her passion .
`` Who ca n't fall in love with a profession that allows you to spend so much time with these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; to be able to be their voice when they ca n't speak for themselves ; and to also spend the last moments of their life when their family 's not around .
Who ca n't fall in love with a profession as beautiful as that ? ''
Villamer says .
Villamer 's mother suffered a stroke in 2008 and stopped working .
A year later , the couple 's California home was foreclosed on following the collapse of the real estate market in the Great Recession of 2008 .
But there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was 18 and still a minor , Villamer was cleared to join her parents in the United States .
They got an apartment where they briefly lived with their daughter before she returned to the Philippines to pursue her nursing studies , considering education in United States too expensive .
The personal cost had been high .
But by 2013 , when Villamer graduated , her parents ' mission of having a nurse for a daughter in the U.S. was complete .
And the couple continued to petition for their remaining adult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sixteen years after arriving in the States , in 2017 , Villamer 's parents retired to the Philippines .
Their daughter , who places great store in diversity , headed to New York City , a place where she was certain to be welcomed .
`` To be able to come here and not forget about my identity and find out that , 'Oh , wow ... New York celebrates the difference that I bring to the city . ''
Embracing her new hometown , Villamer ran the New York City Marathon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took `` seven hours . ''
The coronavirus is relatively under control at present in New York City .
But Villamer recalled the staggering surge in the early months of the pandemic when refrigerated trucks served as morgues , and hospitals overflowed with the sick and dying .
`` I 've never seen so many sick people .
I had to step out , cry five minutes and then come back , '' she says .
Risking their lives , the front liners of New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital have saved more than 2,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Villamer says for her , walking into a patient 's room was enough to conquer the fear of the virus .
`` You forget .
You forget about COVID .
And all you see are just human beings who need you .
So it 's not scary .
It 's just someone 's dad , someone 's mom , someone 's loved one who needs you , '' she says .
The Philippines is the leading exporter of nurses in the world .
These health care professionals are considered one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sprawling overseas workforce .
Villamer is among 150,000 of her compatriots who earned a nursing degree in the Philippines and are now practicing in the United States .
She says being steeped in Philippine culture may be the secret to their success beside a sickbed .
`` We are a caring bunch .
I cry with my patients .
I celebrate their victories .
I think about them when I 'm home .
You know , opening your heart out for people , '' she says .
The coronavirus is taking an outsized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Villamer says she does worry about the Filipino nurses who staff intensive care units .
One in every four Filipinos in the New York-New Jersey area is employed in the health care industry — and because of their profession , are falling ill at higher rates than other ethnicities .
Villamer says COVID-19 tests each of us , and she evinces the optimism of a new citizen in her conviction that the United States can defeat it by doing what it has historically done facing great adversity .
`` Regardless of our differences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for one another , '' she says .
`` It 's what the world needs at the moment .
So you are being a light to the world . ''
Villamer tapped a network of former classmates and raised money and materials for fellow front liners badly in need of personal protective equipment in the Philippines .
She does charity work for children , most recently providing toys for kids in the Philippines .
`` I recognize the fact that it 's not easy for the people I left behind , '' she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people around her , Villamer likes to sing .
The New York Presbyterian Queens Hospital shared a video of her masked up and crooning alongside a colleague , belting out crowd-pleasers to hearten stressed patients and staff .
A version of `` Ai n't No Mountain High Enough '' rouses masked colleagues to their feet and gets them dancing and singing around the nurses ' station , celebrating the mini concerts , which have become a welcome ritual as the months of the pandemic rolled on .

Family Ordeal Catapults A Young Filipina To The U.S. — And The Pandemic Front Lines
Enlarge this image toggle caption Robert Gonzales Robert Gonzales
If there is such a thing as a model citizen, Quimberly "Kym" Villamer might qualify.
She's a dynamo in a five-foot-one-inch frame.
"Excited," she says, to vote in her first U.S. presidential election, Villamer is part of the huge diaspora from the Philippines who have moved abroad for a chance at a more prosperous life.
Villamer had been a U.S. citizen for just a matter of months when, as a staff nurse at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, she handled one of its first COVID-19 cases.
Shortly afterward she was tapped to manage the New York City hospital's nursing staff while being called to serve on the front lines herself.
Successive generations of Filipinos have pulled each other along to the United States, bound by a shared culture and history, and economic opportunity. The Villamer family migration personifies that Philippine national dream which seems to reach an apex in young Kym Villamer's against-the-odds story. But for the doggedness of parents and the grit of their young girl, it may never have happened.
toggle caption Image from Kym Villamer
A tumultuous personal journey brought Villamer to New York City to care for the sick and dying. Villamer, 29, recalls her childhood upended.
In 2001, her parents left Villamer, their youngest of seven children, for the United States.
The couple departed their home in Iriga City in the central Philippine region of Bicol when she was just ten years old. The eldest, a sister in real estate living in North Carolina with her American husband, petitioned for her parents, Baldomero and Bernadette Villamer, to join them, and they did.
Villamer says her parents were solid members of the middle class in the Philippines, but sought to "give [their children] the opportunity," for betterment in the United States. They were committed to becoming naturalized U.S. citizens and subsequently petitioning for their six of seven children to come to America.
A 15-year gap separates Kym Villamer from her siblings, and as the youngest child, she felt the brunt of their parents' migration keenest.
"Before that, I was sleeping with them in their bedroom. We would pray together before bedtime. And that time, I was devastated to see them leave," she told NPR. As she recollects the separation, Villamer's voice catches with emotion as she confides: "Until this moment it was one of the saddest moments of my life."
This was not a case of abandonment. The Villamers fought to have their daughter accompany them to the States, but she says her mother gave birth to her late, in her 40s. Her father was older, and officials at the U.S. embassy were suspicious that she might not be theirs.
Villamer remembers tearful scenes at the embassy begging to be allowed to go. "I think they doubted that I was a legitimate daughter," she says. Her parents made brief visits back home for special school occasions, but Villamer says nearly a decade would pass before she could be reunited with them in the States.
Villamer's parents eventually settled in San Leandro, a suburban town in Alameda County, Calif. The pair performed all manner of menial jobs to earn money to send home. For many years, Baldomero Villamer was a custodian at a local public school.
During the long parentless period, one of Villamer's six siblings, a 26-year-old sister, took Villamer in. Her parents provided the financial support for their young daughter.
But Villamer says her parents kept their word to call "every day," and sent home trendy tennis shoes and clothes like "the Spice Girls wore." A young daughter pining for her parents came to understand the trade-off: "That it was a difficult decision they had to make to provide a better future for our family ... Now that I'm older it's one of the best decisions that they made."
But relations between the two sisters deteriorated and Villamer found herself trying to escape a home that she described as increasingly volatile — and a sister who she says grew increasingly "abusive."
Villamer, a young teen by then, decides she is better off on her own, and comes into her own at the Universidad de Sta. Isabel, the oldest school for girls in Southeast Asia. A private Catholic university in Naga City, not far from Villamer's hometown, it runs from high school through post-graduate studies.
With her parents' permission, she moved off campus and skipped the obligatory 6:00 a.m. daily mass, arguing it was "too early." She says the nuns called the 14 year old "an old soul" with survival instincts who became an inveterate joiner.
"I joined the debate team. I joined the Young Writers Club. I was a dancer. I was a singer." Villamer says she did not feel "wounded" by all that had happened to her, but rather she was animated by the desire to "survive," "grow," and surpass family expectations.
The nuns who administered the school noticed her intelligence and potential, and took the girl, whose parents toiled thousands of miles away, under their wing.
Villamer was a champion debater, where she won accolades from the nuns and tournaments for the school's debate team, which she coached well into her college years.
toggle caption Julrose Dela Torre
Naturally, Villamer says she had envisioned a career in law upon graduating from high school.
But her mother, who worked three jobs, including as a parking lot attendant to send money home from the U.S., vetoed that career path.
"Suddenly Mom said, 'You're going to be a nurse. It's your passport to the American dream,' " she says. Her mom thought it if she became a nurse, she could land a good job in the U.S. "She actually threatened me: 'I'm not going to pay for your college if you don't become a nurse,' she told me. I said 'Okay, fine!' " Villamer explains, laughing.
She picked up her studies at her alma mater St. Isabel, won a scholarship, and — overcoming "a fear of blood" — earned a degree in a profession she says is now her passion.
"Who can't fall in love with a profession that allows you to spend so much time with these patients in the darkest of their days; to be able to be their voice when they can't speak for themselves; and to also spend the last moments of their life when their family's not around. Who can't fall in love with a profession as beautiful as that?" Villamer says.
Villamer's mother suffered a stroke in 2008 and stopped working. A year later, the couple's California home was foreclosed on following the collapse of the real estate market in the Great Recession of 2008.
But there was an upside: In 2009, when she was 18 and still a minor, Villamer was cleared to join her parents in the United States. They got an apartment where they briefly lived with their daughter before she returned to the Philippines to pursue her nursing studies, considering education in United States too expensive.
The personal cost had been high. But by 2013, when Villamer graduated, her parents' mission of having a nurse for a daughter in the U.S. was complete. And the couple continued to petition for their remaining adult children to come to the United States.
Sixteen years after arriving in the States, in 2017, Villamer's parents retired to the Philippines.
Their daughter, who places great store in diversity, headed to New York City, a place where she was certain to be welcomed. "To be able to come here and not forget about my identity and find out that, 'Oh, wow ... New York celebrates the difference that I bring to the city."
Embracing her new hometown, Villamer ran the New York City Marathon in 2018, modesty adding that it took "seven hours."
toggle caption Image from Kym Villamer
The coronavirus is relatively under control at present in New York City. But Villamer recalled the staggering surge in the early months of the pandemic when refrigerated trucks served as morgues, and hospitals overflowed with the sick and dying.
"I've never seen so many sick people. I had to step out, cry five minutes and then come back," she says.
Risking their lives, the front liners of New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital have saved more than 2,000 COVID-19 patients who recovered and walked out. Villamer says for her, walking into a patient's room was enough to conquer the fear of the virus.
"You forget. You forget about COVID. And all you see are just human beings who need you. So it's not scary. It's just someone's dad, someone's mom, someone's loved one who needs you," she says.
The Philippines is the leading exporter of nurses in the world. These health care professionals are considered one of the most successful segments of the country's sprawling overseas workforce. Villamer is among 150,000 of her compatriots who earned a nursing degree in the Philippines and are now practicing in the United States. She says being steeped in Philippine culture may be the secret to their success beside a sickbed.
"We are a caring bunch. I cry with my patients. I celebrate their victories. I think about them when I'm home. You know, opening your heart out for people," she says.
The coronavirus is taking an outsized toll on Filipino American nurses, and Villamer says she does worry about the Filipino nurses who staff intensive care units. One in every four Filipinos in the New York-New Jersey area is employed in the health care industry — and because of their profession, are falling ill at higher rates than other ethnicities.
Villamer says COVID-19 tests each of us, and she evinces the optimism of a new citizen in her conviction that the United States can defeat it by doing what it has historically done facing great adversity. "Regardless of our differences, we've got to be there for one another," she says. "It's what the world needs at the moment. So you are being a light to the world."
Villamer tapped a network of former classmates and raised money and materials for fellow front liners badly in need of personal protective equipment in the Philippines. She does charity work for children, most recently providing toys for kids in the Philippines.
"I recognize the fact that it's not easy for the people I left behind," she says.
As a way to uplift people around her, Villamer likes to sing.
The New York Presbyterian Queens Hospital shared a video of her masked up and crooning alongside a colleague, belting out crowd-pleasers to hearten stressed patients and staff.
A version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" rouses masked colleagues to their feet and gets them dancing and singing around the nurses' station, celebrating the mini concerts, which have become a welcome ritual as the months of the pandemic rolled on.


npr--2020-09-24--Who Is Amy Coney Barrett, Front-Runner For The Supreme Court Nomination?

Who Is Amy Coney Barrett , Front-Runner For The Supreme Court Nomination ?
Amy Coney Barrett is viewed as the leading candidate to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court .
The 48-year-old judge on the 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago is a favorite among social conservatives .
They , and others on the right , view her record as anti-abortion rights and hostile to the Affordable Care Act .
If nominated and confirmed , Barrett would be the youngest justice on the Supreme Court and could help reshape the law and society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony Kennedy retired from the court in 2018 , President Trump passed over Barrett , giving the nod instead to then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh .
At the time , Trump told Barrett supporters that he was `` saving '' her to fill the Ginsburg seat , should the justice retire or die , sources say .
Behind the scenes , though , Barrett 's interview with Trump back then did not go particularly well , say sources close to the process but who are not authorized to speak publicly .
She had conjunctivitis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview and was `` not at her best , '' as one source put it .
But this week , Barrett 's interview seems to have gone far better .
Moreover , these sources say , she has the support of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , who views her as a judge with a clearly proven conservative track record .
What kind of judge would Barrett be ?
Barrett was raised in Metairie , La.
, a suburb of New Orleans .
Her father , Mike , was an attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a stay-at-home mom .
Barrett attended St. Mary 's Dominican High School for girls , then graduated with honors from Rhodes College , a Presbyterian-affiliated school in Tennessee , followed by graduation , summa cum laude , from Notre Dame Law School .
She clerked for the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia , and during her clerkships , she was nicknamed `` The Conenator '' by fellow law clerks `` for destroying flimsy legal arguments , '' the Chicago Tribune reported .
Afterward , Barrett briefly practiced law and then taught for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in South Bend , Ind .
She is married to Jesse Barrett , a former prosecutor now in private practice , and the couple have seven children , one with Down syndrome and two adopted from Haiti .
They live in South Bend , and she commutes to Chicago — almost an hour and 45 minutes away — where the appeals court sits .
Barrett has been a federal judge for three years .
She has written about 100 opinions and `` several telling dissents in which Barrett displayed her clear and consistent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted of her judicial record .
From guns and sexual assault on campus to health care and abortion rights , Barrett has shown herself to be a conservative jurist and legal thinker in her rulings and academic writings .
`` The dogma lives loudly within you '' Barrett 's confirmation hearing for the appeals court in 2017 raised hackles on both the right and the left .
The left saw Barrett as a socially conservative mirror image of Scalia , famous for his conservative approach to constitutional interpretation and passionate dissents from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Barrett , like Scalia , is seen as an `` originalist '' or `` textualist . ''
It 's a philosophy that looks strictly at the text of the Constitution or statute and tries to apply original intention from the framers .
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California , in particular , infuriated Republicans when she ticked off a list of the nominee 's writings and speeches about faith and the law .
`` The dogma lives loudly within you , and that 's of concern , '' Feinstein told the nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're asking whether I take my Catholic faith seriously , I do , though I would stress that my personal church affiliation or my religious belief would not bear on the discharge of my duties as a judge . ''
Republicans charged that Feinstein 's question betrayed an anti-Catholic bias , and Barrett was confirmed by a 55-43 vote , with three Democrats voting in favor of confirmation , and two not voting .
Barrett is a member of a particularly conservative Christian faith group , People of Praise .
Newsweek reported that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assume authority as the head of the household . ''
( Her parents are also members , and her father was a coordinator of the group 's Southern chapters . )
The New York Times reported that People of Praise `` grew out of the Catholic charismatic renewal movement that began in the late 1960s and adopted Pentecostal practices such as speaking in tongues , belief in prophecy and divine healing . ''
If nominated and confirmed for the Supreme Court , Barrett would be the sixth Catholic justice .
All but Sonia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Neil Gorsuch was raised Catholic but now lists himself as Episcopalian .
Two other justices — Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan — are Jewish .
Barrett has been critical of Roe v. Wade , the Supreme Court 's 1973 abortion decision , but in 2016 , she suggested that the court most likely would hollow out the decision , leaving the basic right to abortion in place , but allowing states wide latitude to make abortion difficult to obtain .
`` I do n't think the core case , Roe 's core @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an abortion , I do n't think that would change , '' Barrett said in a discussion at Jacksonville University .
`` But I think the question of whether people can get very late-term abortions , you know , how many restrictions can be put on clinics , I think that will change . ''
That , however , was before Trump 's election and the composition of the court moved more starkly to the right , making the outright reversal of Roe more plausible .
Similarly , the future of Obamacare could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The court is scheduled to hear a third challenge to the law the week after the election .
Twice before the court has upheld much of the law , but that could change now , with a possible Barrett vote pivotal .
Indeed , she criticized Chief Justice John Roberts ' reasoning in upholding the Affordable Care Act .
`` Chief Justice Roberts pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute , '' Barrett wrote in 2017 .
`` He construed the penalty imposed on those without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permitted him to sustain the statute as a valid exercise of the taxing power ; had he treated the payment as the statute did — as a penalty — he would have had to invalidate the statute as lying beyond Congress 's commerce power . ''
In her academic work , Barrett has written dismissively about the doctrine of respecting the Supreme Court 's precedents , known as stare decisis .
`` I tend to agree with those who say that a justice 's duty is to the Constitution and that it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her best understanding of the Constitution rather than a precedent she thinks clearly in conflict with it , '' she wrote in a 2013 law review article .
While on the 7th Circuit , Barrett wrote that the Second Amendment did not necessarily ban people convicted of felonies from owning a gun .
She declared a Wisconsin law , barring anyone convicted of a felony even if they are n't convicted of a violent crime , to be unconstitutional .
`` [ L ] egislatures have the power to prohibit dangerous people from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only to people who are dangerous , '' Barrett wrote in a 37-page dissent .
Her reliance on originalism also came through a few lines later : `` In 1791 — and for well more than a century afterward — legislatures disqualified categories of people from the right to bear arms only when they judged that doing so was necessary to protect the public safety . ''
Barrett voted to uphold the Trump administration 's `` public charge '' rule , which `` adds barriers for immigrants seeking green cards if they rely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing vouchers , '' Courthouse News Service reported .
The 7th Circuit blocked the administration 's ability to enforce its interpretation of the public charge rule in Illinois .
Barrett wrote in a dissent that the Department of Homeland Security 's definition is not `` unreasonable , '' especially considering that `` the text of the current statute ... was amended in 1996 to increase the bite of the public charge determination . ''

Who Is Supreme Court Nominee Amy Coney Barrett?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
Updated Saturday at 5:22 p.m. ET
President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, is a judge on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago and is a favorite among social conservatives. They, and others on the right, view her record as anti-abortion rights and hostile to the Affordable Care Act.
If confirmed, the 48-year-old Barrett would be the youngest justice on the Supreme Court and could help reshape the law and society for generations to come.
When Justice Anthony Kennedy retired from the court in 2018, President Trump passed over Barrett, giving the nod instead to then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh. At the time, Trump told Barrett supporters that he was "saving" her to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat, should the justice retire or die, sources say.
Behind the scenes, though, Barrett's interview with Trump then did not go particularly well, say sources close to the process but who are not authorized to speak publicly. She had conjunctivitis, had to wear dark glasses during the interview and was "not at her best," as one source put it.
But this week, Barrett's interview seems to have gone far better. Moreover, these sources say, she has the support of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who views her as a judge with a clearly proven conservative track record.
What kind of judge would Barrett be?
Barrett was raised in Metairie, La., a suburb of New Orleans. Her father, Mike, was an attorney for Shell Oil, and her mother was a stay-at-home mom. Barrett attended St. Mary's Dominican High School for girls, then graduated with honors from Rhodes College, a Presbyterian-affiliated school in Tennessee, followed by graduation, summa cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School.
She clerked for the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, and during her clerkships, she was nicknamed "The Conenator" by fellow law clerks "for destroying flimsy legal arguments," the Chicago Tribune reported.
Afterward, Barrett briefly practiced law and then taught for 15 years at Notre Dame Law School in South Bend, Ind.
She is married to Jesse Barrett, a former prosecutor now in private practice, and the couple have seven children, one with Down syndrome and two adopted from Haiti. They live in South Bend, and she commutes to Chicago — almost an hour and 45 minutes away — where the appeals court sits.
Barrett has been a federal judge for three years. She has written about 100 opinions and "several telling dissents in which Barrett displayed her clear and consistent conservative bent," The Associated Press noted of her judicial record.
From guns and sexual assault on campus to health care and abortion rights, Barrett has shown herself to be a conservative jurist and legal thinker in her rulings and academic writings.
"The dogma lives loudly within you"
Barrett's confirmation hearing for the appeals court in 2017 raised hackles on both the right and the left.
The left saw Barrett as a socially conservative mirror image of Scalia, famous for his conservative approach to constitutional interpretation and passionate dissents from the high court's abortion- and gay-rights rulings. Barrett, like Scalia, is seen as an "originalist" or "textualist." It's a philosophy that looks strictly at the text of the Constitution or statute and tries to apply original intention from the framers.
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, in particular, infuriated Republicans when she ticked off a list of the nominee's writings and speeches about faith and the law.
"The dogma lives loudly within you, and that's of concern," Feinstein told the nominee.
Barrett responded, "If you're asking whether I take my Catholic faith seriously, I do, though I would stress that my personal church affiliation or my religious belief would not bear on the discharge of my duties as a judge."
Republicans charged that Feinstein's question betrayed an anti-Catholic bias, and Barrett was confirmed by a 55-43 vote, with three Democrats voting in favor of confirmation, and two not voting.
Barrett is a member of a particularly conservative Christian faith group, People of Praise. Newsweek reported that the group "teaches that husbands should assume authority as the head of the household." (Her parents are also members, and her father was a coordinator of the group's Southern chapters.)
The New York Times reported that People of Praise "grew out of the Catholic charismatic renewal movement that began in the late 1960s and adopted Pentecostal practices such as speaking in tongues, belief in prophecy and divine healing."
If confirmed for the Supreme Court, Barrett would be the sixth Catholic justice. All but Sonia Sotomayor were nominated by Republican presidents. Justice Neil Gorsuch was raised Catholic but now lists himself as Episcopalian. Two other justices — Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan — are Jewish.
Barrett has also received thousands of dollars in honoraria for appearances from the Alliance Defending Freedom, according to a 2017 financial disclosure posted by Fix the Court, a group that seeks to reform the Supreme Court and federal court system, advocating for term limits and cameras in the courtroom.
ADF describes itself as advocating "for religious liberty, the sanctity of human life, freedom of speech, and marriage and family." ADF represented Jack Phillips, who owns Masterpiece Cake shop and declined to bake a cake for a same-sex couple celebrating their marriage.
Barrett reported receiving $4,200 from ADF in the disclosure, which covers 2016 through the first four months of 2017.
Barrett has been critical of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court's 1973 abortion decision, but in 2016, she suggested that the court most likely would hollow out the decision, leaving the basic right to abortion in place, but allowing states wide latitude to make abortion difficult to obtain.
"I don't think the core case, Roe's core holding that women have a right to an abortion, I don't think that would change," Barrett said in a discussion at Jacksonville University. "But I think the question of whether people can get very late-term abortions, you know, how many restrictions can be put on clinics, I think that will change."
YouTube
That, however, was before Trump's election and the composition of the court moved more starkly to the right, making the outright reversal of Roe more plausible.
Similarly, the future of Obamacare could be at stake with Barrett's nomination. The court is scheduled to hear a third challenge to the law the week after the election. Twice before the court has upheld much of the law, but that could change now, with a possible Barrett vote pivotal.
Indeed, she criticized Chief Justice John Roberts' reasoning in upholding the Affordable Care Act.
"Chief Justice Roberts pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute," Barrett wrote in 2017. "He construed the penalty imposed on those without health insurance as a tax, which permitted him to sustain the statute as a valid exercise of the taxing power; had he treated the payment as the statute did — as a penalty — he would have had to invalidate the statute as lying beyond Congress's commerce power."
Precedent
In her academic work, Barrett has written dismissively about the doctrine of respecting the Supreme Court's precedents, known as stare decisis.
"I tend to agree with those who say that a justice's duty is to the Constitution and that it is thus more legitimate for her to enforce her best understanding of the Constitution rather than a precedent she thinks clearly in conflict with it," she wrote in a 2013 law review article.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP
Guns
While on the 7th Circuit, Barrett wrote that the Second Amendment did not necessarily ban people convicted of felonies from owning a gun. She declared a Wisconsin law, barring anyone convicted of a felony even if they aren't convicted of a violent crime, to be unconstitutional.
"[L]egislatures have the power to prohibit dangerous people from possessing guns. But that power extends only to people who are dangerous," Barrett wrote in a 37-page dissent.
Her reliance on originalism also came through a few lines later: "In 1791 — and for well more than a century afterward — legislatures disqualified categories of people from the right to bear arms only when they judged that doing so was necessary to protect the public safety."
Immigration
Barrett voted to uphold the Trump administration's "public charge" rule, which "adds barriers for immigrants seeking green cards if they rely on public benefits, food stamps or housing vouchers," Courthouse News Service reported.
The 7th Circuit blocked the administration's ability to enforce its interpretation of the public charge rule in Illinois. Barrett wrote in a dissent that the Department of Homeland Security's definition is not "unreasonable," especially considering that "the text of the current statute ... was amended in 1996 to increase the bite of the public charge determination."