npr--2020-02-23--Portland Stabbing: Man Convicted Of Murder, Hate Crimes In 2017 Attack

A jury in Portland , Ore. , has convicted a man of murder , attempted murder and hate crimes stemming from a 2017 stabbing attack on a light rail train .
On Friday , a jury in Portland , Ore. , convicted a man of murder and hate crimes stemming from a brutal 2017 attack on a light rail train .
As Oregon Public Broadcasting 's Conrad Wilson reports , prosecutors used the attacker 's own social media postings to show that he was motivated by white supremacist ideology .
CONRAD WILSON , BYLINE : On May 26 , 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light rail train .
Christian , who 's white , began a racist rant directed at two black teens , one who was wearing a hijab .
People on the train intervened .
There was shouting and shoving as passengers tried to get Christian off the train .
Christian responded by stabbing three men .
Two of them died .
CHERYL ALBRECHT : Assault in the first degree - the verdict is guilty .
WILSON : After a month-long trial and nearly two full days of deliberations , Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Christian was convicted on all 12 charges .
Family members of the victims in the courtroom gasped when the verdict was read .
Christian did not seem to react to the verdict announcement at all .
Throughout the trial , Christian 's attorneys argued he was acting in self-defense .
Prosecutors showed jurors surveillance and cellphone footage of the stabbings , and they sought to tie Christian to white supremacist ideology through his social media postings .
After the verdict , some of the victims and their families spoke outside the Multnomah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed a sense of relief and gratitude .
Dyjuana Hudson is the mother of one of the teens who was targeted by Christian on the train , which jurors said was a hate crime .
DYJUANA HUDSON : It 's been very emotional , very hard for them .
Just glad to see that I can go home and tell them that it 's OK now .
WILSON : Jurors also convicted Christian of charges stemming from the day before the stabbings when he assaulted Demetria Hester , who 's black , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says the jury 's verdict sends a message .
DEMETRIA HESTER : It let people like Jeremy Joseph Christian know that you 're not going to get away with it , that we do have people that care about all of us because black lives do matter .
And the people that were killed - they did that out of love and protection .
WILSON : Christian faces the possibility of life in prison without parole .

Portland Stabbing: Man Convicted Of Murder, Hate Crimes In 2017 Attack
A jury in Portland, Ore., has convicted a man of murder, attempted murder and hate crimes stemming from a 2017 stabbing attack on a light rail train.
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:
On Friday, a jury in Portland, Ore., convicted a man of murder and hate crimes stemming from a brutal 2017 attack on a light rail train. As Oregon Public Broadcasting's Conrad Wilson reports, prosecutors used the attacker's own social media postings to show that he was motivated by white supremacist ideology.
CONRAD WILSON, BYLINE: On May 26, 2017, Jeremy Christian got on a Portland light rail train. Christian, who's white, began a racist rant directed at two black teens, one who was wearing a hijab. People on the train intervened. There was shouting and shoving as passengers tried to get Christian off the train. Christian responded by stabbing three men. Two of them died.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
CHERYL ALBRECHT: Assault in the first degree - the verdict is guilty.
WILSON: After a month-long trial and nearly two full days of deliberations, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Albrecht read the jury's verdict. Christian was convicted on all 12 charges. Family members of the victims in the courtroom gasped when the verdict was read.
Christian did not seem to react to the verdict announcement at all. Throughout the trial, Christian's attorneys argued he was acting in self-defense. Prosecutors showed jurors surveillance and cellphone footage of the stabbings, and they sought to tie Christian to white supremacist ideology through his social media postings.
After the verdict, some of the victims and their families spoke outside the Multnomah County Courthouse in downtown Portland. They expressed a sense of relief and gratitude.
Dyjuana Hudson is the mother of one of the teens who was targeted by Christian on the train, which jurors said was a hate crime.
DYJUANA HUDSON: It's been very emotional, very hard for them. Just glad to see that I can go home and tell them that it's OK now.
WILSON: Jurors also convicted Christian of charges stemming from the day before the stabbings when he assaulted Demetria Hester, who's black, and made a similar racist diatribe. Hester says the jury's verdict sends a message.
DEMETRIA HESTER: It let people like Jeremy Joseph Christian know that you're not going to get away with it, that we do have people that care about all of us because black lives do matter. And the people that were killed - they did that out of love and protection.
WILSON: Christian faces the possibility of life in prison without parole.
For NPR News, I'm Conrad Wilson in Portland.
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npr--2020-02-24--Hormone Blocker Sticker Shock: Kids Drug Costs 8 Times More Than One For Adults

Hormone Blocker Sticker Shock : Kids Drug Costs 8 Times More Than One For Adults Sudeep Taksali , an orthopedic surgeon , became worried that his 8-year-old daughter had already grown taller than his 12-year-old son .
And sometimes she had an attitude that seemed more fitting for a teenager too .
Something seemed wrong .
Taksali and his wife , Sara , realized their daughter had grown 7 inches in two years and she was showing signs of puberty .
They took her to the doctor , who referred her to a pediatric endocrinologist for a work-up .
Eventually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precocious puberty .
It 's a rare condition that meant she would go through sexual development years earlier than her peers and would likely stop growing abnormally early too .
Taksali and his wife adopted the girl from India two years ago , and overall , she is adjusting well in their community just outside Portland , Ore. She 's a bright , avid reader who loves to do kettlebell workouts with her dad and Zumba with her mom .
Still , she has moved across the world and learned a new language @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a child of color in their mostly white community just outside Portland .
`` Having one more thing for her to deal with ... where there might be maybe some negative attention drawn to her changing body , '' Taksali says .
`` That was one of my big concerns . ''
On the advice of their daughter 's doctors , the Taksalis decided to put her early puberty on hold .
The recommended treatment is a product commonly known as a hormone blocker .
Implanted beneath the skin in her arm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a drug each day that increases the body 's production of some hormones while it decreases others .
The result is the child 's progression toward adulthood slows .
The doctors told them there were two nearly identical drug implants — each containing 50 mg of histrelin acetate — made by the same company , Endo Pharmaceuticals , an American drugmaker domiciled in Ireland .
But one was considerably cheaper .
Taksali wanted his daughter to get the less expensive option , but his insurer said it would cover only the more expensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital how much it would charge for the expensive drug he had been hoping to avoid .
Then the estimated bill came .
The patient : Sudeep Taksali 's daughter , 8 , whom NPR is not naming to protect her medical privacy .
She is insured through her father 's high-deductible UnitedHealthcare plan .
Total estimated bill : The hospital told Taksali that the insurer would n't cover the cheaper version of the drug , Vantas .
After that , he spent hours trying to get an estimated bill before the implantation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 95,000 , plus the cost of implantation , the hospital 's billing department told him .
Under his health plan , he has a $ 5,000 deductible and 20 % coinsurance , so he was worried how much he might owe .
Medical procedure : implantation of a drug-delivery device containing 50 mg of histrelin acetate , to stave off early puberty .
What gives : Supprelin LA was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2007 for central precocious puberty and has a list price of $ 37,300 .
Vantas was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late-stage prostate cancer and has a list price of $ 4,400 .
Doctors are allowed to prescribe medicines for treatments that have n't been approved by the FDA , something called off-label use .
The main difference between the two medicines is that Supprelin LA releases 65 micrograms of the drug a day and Vantas releases 50 micrograms a day .
Each implant lasts about a year .
The 15-microgram reduction in daily dose with Vantas is less than the weight of an eyelash , and the doctors who recommended the treatment said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for children with central precocious puberty .
The much higher price for the children 's version of the drug grated on Taksali , whose surgery practice is in Salem , Ore. `` From a parent standpoint , as a physician , as a consumer , it feels abusive , '' he says .
`` There 's sort of a predation on parents who have that sense of vulnerability , who will do anything within their means to help their children and who will sacrifice for themselves or their family , for their children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FDA essentially approve the same drug twice ?
FDA spokeswoman Brittney Manchester said by email , `` Generally , it is the sponsor 's decision . ''
The sponsor is the drugmaker , Endo .
Indeed , other drugmakers have sought approval for a single chemical compound as two different drugs .
For example , Pfizer makes two versions of sildenafil citrate : Viagra for erectile dysfunction and Revatio for pulmonary arterial hypertension .
When we asked Endo Pharmaceuticals why Supprelin LA and Vantas had such different price tags , the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treat very different conditions .
It did n't respond to questions about why that meant the prices should be different and whether it was somehow more expensive to manufacture one than the other .
Taksali spent more than a month trying to make sure his daughter could use the cheaper drug , and finally , the week his daughter was scheduled to have the procedure , it was approved .
The hospital submitted the request again , and UnitedHealthcare said it would cover it .
`` Our coverage policies are aligned with FDA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to treat Central Precocious Puberty , '' said UnitedHealthcare spokeswoman Tracey Lempner in an email .
`` In this specific case , when the provider expressed concern over the cost of Supprelin LA , we worked with them to allow for coverage of Vantas . ''
Taksali 's daughter got the Vantas implant in late January .
When he got a breakdown of charges afterward , it listed $ 608 for the implantation and $ 12,598.47 for Vantas — about three times its list price .
`` The price indicated on a patient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or any other hospital is paid for providing medical care , and in most cases , it does n't reflect the amount the patient will be responsible for paying , '' said OHSU spokesperson Tracy Brawley .
According to his explanation of benefits , Taksali will owe , after insurance , $ 4,698.45 — most of his high deductible .
Because it is early in the year , the family had not spent any of its 2020 deductible yet .
`` One of the most mind-blowing things about this whole story is I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar amount of money based on my insurance between Vantas and Supprelin , '' he said .
Taksali said he fought for the lower-cost drug on principle .
`` Even if it is the insurance company 's money , it 's still somebody 's money , '' he said .
`` We are still contributing to those premium dollars . ''
For now , it is unclear how much , if anything , UnitedHealthcare will pay toward the drug .
Taksali seems to owe a little more than the list price of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see what happens , '' Merrit Quarum , the CEO of health care consulting firm WellRithms , wrote in an email .
`` Besides high charges , these types of systems and process problems add to the overall aggravations with healthcare payers and the patient continues to be caught in the middle with no advocate . ''
The takeaway : If you need an expensive drug , the first thing you should do is ask your doctor if there are cheaper alternatives .
Sometimes , generics are available at a fraction of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are other cheaper brand-name options .
If you do n't find out a drug is too expensive until you get to the pharmacy counter , you can also ask the pharmacist about less expensive options .
And there are websites like GoodRx and Drugs.com that can help you compare prices of similar products .
Patients , their families and health care providers can appeal these decisions , though it can be time consuming .
For Taksali , using social media to direct-message UnitedHealthcare garnered prompt responses and some answers .
If there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer coupons to help patients with their copays .
You can find some using GoodRx or visiting the drugmaker 's website directly .
Bill of the Month is a crowdsourced investigation by Kaiser Health News and NPR that dissects and explains medical bills .
Do you have an interesting medical bill you want to share with us ?
Tell us about it !

Hormone Blocker Sticker Shock: Kids Drug Costs 8 Times More Than One For Adults
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kristina Barker for KHN Kristina Barker for KHN
Sudeep Taksali, an orthopedic surgeon, became worried that his 8-year-old daughter had already grown taller than his 12-year-old son. And sometimes she had an attitude that seemed more fitting for a teenager too. Something seemed wrong.
Taksali and his wife, Sara, realized their daughter had grown 7 inches in two years and she was showing signs of puberty. They took her to the doctor, who referred her to a pediatric endocrinologist for a work-up.
Eventually, their daughter was diagnosed with central precocious puberty. It's a rare condition that meant she would go through sexual development years earlier than her peers and would likely stop growing abnormally early too.
Taksali and his wife adopted the girl from India two years ago, and overall, she is adjusting well in their community just outside Portland, Ore.
Share your medical billing story Do you have a medical bill you'd like us to investigate? You can tell us about it and submit it here.
She's a bright, avid reader who loves to do kettlebell workouts with her dad and Zumba with her mom. Still, she has moved across the world and learned a new language. And, he notes, she is a child of color in their mostly white community just outside Portland.
"Having one more thing for her to deal with ... where there might be maybe some negative attention drawn to her changing body," Taksali says. "That was one of my big concerns."
On the advice of their daughter's doctors, the Taksalis decided to put her early puberty on hold. The recommended treatment is a product commonly known as a hormone blocker. Implanted beneath the skin in her arm, it releases a little bit of a drug each day that increases the body's production of some hormones while it decreases others. The result is the child's progression toward adulthood slows.
The doctors told them there were two nearly identical drug implants — each containing 50 mg of histrelin acetate — made by the same company, Endo Pharmaceuticals, an American drugmaker domiciled in Ireland. But one was considerably cheaper.
Taksali wanted his daughter to get the less expensive option, but his insurer said it would cover only the more expensive option. Resigned, he asked the hospital how much it would charge for the expensive drug he had been hoping to avoid.
Then the estimated bill came.
The patient: Sudeep Taksali's daughter, 8, whom NPR is not naming to protect her medical privacy. She is insured through her father's high-deductible UnitedHealthcare plan.
Total estimated bill: The hospital told Taksali that the insurer wouldn't cover the cheaper version of the drug, Vantas. After that, he spent hours trying to get an estimated bill before the implantation. Supprelin LA would cost around $95,000, plus the cost of implantation, the hospital's billing department told him. Under his health plan, he has a $5,000 deductible and 20% coinsurance, so he was worried how much he might owe.
Service provider: OHSU Hospital in Portland, Ore., part of Oregon Health & Science University.
Medical procedure: implantation of a drug-delivery device containing 50 mg of histrelin acetate, to stave off early puberty.
What gives: Supprelin LA was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2007 for central precocious puberty and has a list price of $37,300, according to pricing data from ConnectureDRX. Vantas was approved by the FDA in 2004 for late-stage prostate cancer and has a list price of $4,400. Doctors are allowed to prescribe medicines for treatments that haven't been approved by the FDA, something called off-label use.
The main difference between the two medicines is that Supprelin LA releases 65 micrograms of the drug a day and Vantas releases 50 micrograms a day. Each implant lasts about a year.
The 15-microgram reduction in daily dose with Vantas is less than the weight of an eyelash, and the doctors who recommended the treatment said it doesn't make a clinical difference for children with central precocious puberty.
The much higher price for the children's version of the drug grated on Taksali, whose surgery practice is in Salem, Ore. "From a parent standpoint, as a physician, as a consumer, it feels abusive," he says.
"There's sort of a predation on parents who have that sense of vulnerability, who will do anything within their means to help their children and who will sacrifice for themselves or their family, for their children's physical well-being."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kristina Barker for KHN Kristina Barker for KHN
Why did the FDA essentially approve the same drug twice? FDA spokeswoman Brittney Manchester said by email, "Generally, it is the sponsor's decision." The sponsor is the drugmaker, Endo.
Indeed, other drugmakers have sought approval for a single chemical compound as two different drugs. For example, Pfizer makes two versions of sildenafil citrate: Viagra for erectile dysfunction and Revatio for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
When we asked Endo Pharmaceuticals why Supprelin LA and Vantas had such different price tags, the company said the implants aren't identical and treat very different conditions. It didn't respond to questions about why that meant the prices should be different and whether it was somehow more expensive to manufacture one than the other.
Resolution:
Taksali spent more than a month trying to make sure his daughter could use the cheaper drug, and finally, the week his daughter was scheduled to have the procedure, it was approved. The hospital submitted the request again, and UnitedHealthcare said it would cover it.
"Our coverage policies are aligned with FDA regulations and Vantas is not FDA approved to treat Central Precocious Puberty," said UnitedHealthcare spokeswoman Tracey Lempner in an email. "In this specific case, when the provider expressed concern over the cost of Supprelin LA, we worked with them to allow for coverage of Vantas."
Taksali's daughter got the Vantas implant in late January.
When he got a breakdown of charges afterward, it listed $608 for the implantation and $12,598.47 for Vantas — about three times its list price.
"The price indicated on a patient statement often does not reflect what OHSU or any other hospital is paid for providing medical care, and in most cases, it doesn't reflect the amount the patient will be responsible for paying," said OHSU spokesperson Tracy Brawley.
According to his explanation of benefits, Taksali will owe, after insurance, $4,698.45 — most of his high deductible. Because it is early in the year, the family had not spent any of its 2020 deductible yet.
"One of the most mind-blowing things about this whole story is I probably will end up spending a very similar amount of money based on my insurance between Vantas and Supprelin," he said.
Taksali said he fought for the lower-cost drug on principle.
"Even if it is the insurance company's money, it's still somebody's money," he said. "We are still contributing to those premium dollars."
For now, it is unclear how much, if anything, UnitedHealthcare will pay toward the drug. Taksali seems to owe a little more than the list price of the drug.
"It will be interesting to see what happens," Merrit Quarum, the CEO of health care consulting firm WellRithms, wrote in an email. "Besides high charges, these types of systems and process problems add to the overall aggravations with healthcare payers and the patient continues to be caught in the middle with no advocate."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kristina Barker for KHN Kristina Barker for KHN
The takeaway: If you need an expensive drug, the first thing you should do is ask your doctor if there are cheaper alternatives. Sometimes, generics are available at a fraction of the cost. Other times, there are other cheaper brand-name options.
If you don't find out a drug is too expensive until you get to the pharmacy counter, you can also ask the pharmacist about less expensive options.
And there are websites like GoodRx and Drugs.com that can help you compare prices of similar products.
Patients, their families and health care providers can appeal these decisions, though it can be time consuming. For Taksali, using social media to direct-message UnitedHealthcare garnered prompt responses and some answers.
If there aren't other options, drug manufacturers often offer coupons to help patients with their copays. You can find some using GoodRx or visiting the drugmaker's website directly.
Kaiser Health News senior correspondent JoNel Aleccia contributed reporting.
Bill of the Month is a crowdsourced investigation by Kaiser Health News and NPR that dissects and explains medical bills. Do you have an interesting medical bill you want to share with us? Tell us about it!


npr--2020-02-24--They Fell In Love Helping Drug Users. But Fear Kept Him From Helping Himself

They Fell In Love Helping Drug Users .
But Fear Kept Him From Helping Himself She was in medical school .
He was just out of prison .
Sarah Ziegenhorn and Andy Beeler 's romance grew out of a shared passion to do more about the country 's drug overdose crisis .
Ziegenhorn moved back to her home state of Iowa when she was 26 .
She had been working in Washington , D.C. , where she also volunteered at a needle exchange .
She was ambitious and driven to help those in her community who were overdosing and dying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with .
`` Many people were just missing because they were dead , '' says Ziegenhorn , who is now 31 .
`` I could n't believe more was n't being done . ''
She started doing addiction advocacy in Iowa City while in medical school — lobbying local officials and others to support drug users with social services .
Beeler had the same conviction , born from his personal experience .
`` He had been a drug user for about half of his life — primarily a longtime opiate user , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and out of the criminal justice system for a variety of drug-related crimes , such as burglary and possession .
In early 2018 , he was released from prison .
He was on parole and looking for ways to help drug users in his hometown .
He found his way to advocacy work as well , and through that work , found Ziegenhorn .
Soon they were dating .
`` He was just this really sweet , no-nonsense person who was committed to justice and equity , '' she says .
`` Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he had a very calming presence . ''
People close to Beeler describe him as a `` blue collar guy '' who liked motorcycles and home carpentry , someone who was gentle and endlessly curious .
Those qualities could sometimes hide his own struggle with anxiety and depression .
Over the next year , Beeler 's other struggle , with opioid addiction , would flicker around the edges of their life together .
People on parole and under supervision can face barriers to receiving appropriate treatment for opioid addiction .
Ziegenhorn says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linked to the many obstacles to medical care he experienced while on parole .
About 4.5 million people are on parole or probation in the U.S. , and research shows those under community supervision are much more likely to have a history of substance use disorder than the general population .
Yet rules and practices guiding these agencies can preclude parolees and people who are on probation from getting evidence-based treatment for their addiction .
From their first meeting , Ziegenhorn says she and Beeler were totally in sync , passionate about their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After she moved to Iowa , Ziegenhorn founded a small nonprofit , called the Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition .
The group distributes the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone and other free supplies to drug users , with the goal of keeping them safe from illness and overdose .
The group also works to reduce the stigma that can dehumanize and isolate drug users .
Beeler served as Harm Reduction Services Coordinator for the group — he was passionate about the work .
`` In Iowa , there was a feeling that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Ziegenhorn says .
`` Andy was just so excited to find out someone was doing it . ''
Meanwhile , Ziegenhorn was busy with medical school .
Beeler helped her study .
She remembers how they used to take her practice tests together .
`` Andy had a really sophisticated knowledge of science and medicine , '' she says .
`` Most of the time he 'd been in prison and jails , he 'd spent his time reading and learning . ''
Beeler was trying to stay away from opioids , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sometimes .
Twice , she was there to save his life when he overdosed .
During one episode , a bystander called the police , which led to his parole officer finding out .
`` That was really a period of a lot of terror for him , '' Ziegenhorn says .
Beeler was constantly afraid the next slip — another overdose or a failed drug test — would send him back to prison .
A fall on the ice , a search for relief A year into their relationship , a series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of opioid use into painful focus .
It began with a fall on the winter ice .
Beeler dislocated his shoulder — the same one he 'd had surgery on as a teenager .
`` At the emergency room , they put his shoulder back into place for him , '' Ziegenhorn says .
`` The next day it came out again . ''
She says doctors would n't prescribe him prescription opioids for the pain because Beeler had a history of illegal drug use .
His shoulder would dislocate daily , sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living with this daily , really severe constant pain — he started using heroin very regularly , '' Ziegenhorn says .
Beeler knew what precautions to take when using opioids : Keep naloxone on hand , test the drugs first and never use alone .
Still , his use was escalating quickly .
The couple discussed the future and their hope of having a baby together , and eventually Ziegenhorn and Beeler agreed : He had to stop using heroin .
They thought his best chance was to start on an FDA-approved medication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or buprenorphine .
Methadone is an opioid , and buprenorphine engages many of the same opioid receptors in the brain ; both drugs can curb opioid cravings and stabilize patients .
Studies show daily maintenance therapy with such treatment reduces the risks of overdose and improves health outcomes .
But Beeler was on parole .
His parole officer drug-tested him for opioids and buprenorphine specifically .
Beeler worried that if a test came back positive , the officer might see that as a signal that Beeler had been using drugs illegally .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if it was for a medication to treat his addiction — would land him in prison .
Ziegenhorn says Beeler felt trapped : `` He could go back to prison , or continue trying to obtain opioids off the street and slowly detox himself . ''
A few days later , Ziegenhorn woke up early for school .
Beeler had worked late and fallen asleep in the living room .
Ziegenhorn gave him a kiss and headed out the door .
Later that day , she texted him .
No reply .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to check on him Not long afterward , Beeler was found dead , slumped over in his chair at his desk .
He 'd overdosed .
`` He was my partner in thought , and in life and in love , '' Ziegenhorn says .
It 's hard for her not to rewind what happened that day and wonder how it could have been different .
But mostly she 's angry that he did n't have better choices .
`` Andy died because he was too afraid to get treatment , '' she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
It depends It 's not clear Beeler would have gone back to prison for admitting he 'd relapsed if he 'd started treatment .
His parole officer did not agree to an interview .
Ken Kolthoff oversees the parole program that supervised Beeler in Iowa 's First Judicial District Department of Correctional Services .
He says generally he and his colleagues would not punish someone who seeks out treatment because of a relapse .
`` We would see that that would be an example of somebody actually taking an active role in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed , '' says Kolthoff .
The department does n't have rules prohibiting any form of medication for opioid addiction , he says , as long as it 's prescribed by a doctor .
`` We have people relapse every single day under our supervision .
And are they being sent to prison ?
No .
Are they being sent to jail ?
No , '' Kolthoff says .
But Dr. Andrea Weber , an addiction psychiatrist with the University of Iowa , says Beeler 's reticence to start treatment is not unusual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my patients would tell me they would n't necessarily trust going to their [ parole officer ] , '' says Weber , who is assistant director of Addiction Medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine .
`` The punishment is so high , '' she says .
`` The consequences can be so great . ''
Weber finds probation and parole officers have `` inconsistent '' attitudes toward her patients who are on medication-assisted treatment .
`` Treatment providers , especially in our area , are still very much ingrained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which traditionally has meant no medications , '' Weber says .
`` That perception then invades the entire system . ''
Experts say it 's difficult to draw any comprehensive picture about the availability of medication for opioid addiction in the parole and probation system .
The limited amount of research suggests medication-assisted treatment is significantly underused .
`` It 's hard to quantify because there are such a large number of individuals under community supervision in different jurisdictions , '' says Michael Gordon , a senior research scientist at the Friend 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baltimore .
A national survey published in 2013 found that about half of drug courts did not allow methadone or other evidence-based medications to treat opioid use disorder .
A more recent study of probation and parole agencies in Illinois reported that about a third had regulations preventing the use of medications for opioid use disorder .
Researchers found the most common barrier for those on probation or parole `` was lack of experience by medical personnel . ''
Faye Taxman , a criminology professor at George Mason University , says decisions about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often boil down to the individual officer 's judgement .
`` We have a long way to go , '' she says .
`` Given that these agencies do n't typically have access to medical care for clients , they are often fumbling in terms of trying to think of the best policies and practices . ''
Increasingly , there is a push to make opioid addiction treatment available within prisons and jails .
In 2016 , the Rhode Island Department of Corrections started allowing all three FDA-approved medications for opioid addiction .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fatal opioid overdoses among those who had been recently incarcerated .
Such efforts have only indirectly affected parole and probation .
`` When you are incarcerated in prison or jail , the institution has a constitutional responsibility to provide medical services , '' Taxman says .
`` In community corrections , that same standard does not exist . ''
Taxman says agencies may be reluctant to offer these medications because it 's one more thing to monitor .
Those under supervision are often left to figure out on their own what 's allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raise too many issues because their freedom and liberties are attached to the response , '' she says .
Richard Hahn , a researcher at New York University 's Marron Institute of Urban Management who consults on crime and drug policy , says some agencies are shifting their approach .
`` There is a lot of pressure on probation and parole agencies not to violate people just on a dirty urine or for an overdose '' says Hahn , who is executive director of the institute 's Crime & Justice Program .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Services Administration calls medication-assisted treatment the `` gold standard '' for treating opioid addiction when used alongside `` other psychosocial support . ''
Addiction is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act , says Sally Friedman , vice president of legal advocacy for the Legal Action Center , a nonprofit law firm based in New York .
She says disability protections extend to the millions of people who are on parole or probation .
But people under community supervision , Friedman says , often do n't have an attorney who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for them when they need treatment .
`` Prohibiting people with that disability from taking medication that can keep them alive and well violates the ADA , '' she says .
This story is part of a partnership between NPR and Kaiser Health News .

They Fell In Love Helping Drug Users. But Fear Kept Him From Helping Himself
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sarah Ziegenhorn Sarah Ziegenhorn
She was in medical school. He was just out of prison.
Sarah Ziegenhorn and Andy Beeler's romance grew out of a shared passion to do more about the country's drug overdose crisis.
Ziegenhorn moved back to her home state of Iowa when she was 26. She had been working in Washington, D.C., where she also volunteered at a needle exchange. She was ambitious and driven to help those in her community who were overdosing and dying, including people she had grown up with.
"Many people were just missing because they were dead," says Ziegenhorn, who is now 31. "I couldn't believe more wasn't being done."
She started doing addiction advocacy in Iowa City while in medical school — lobbying local officials and others to support drug users with social services.
Beeler had the same conviction, born from his personal experience.
"He had been a drug user for about half of his life — primarily a longtime opiate user," Ziegenhorn says.
Beeler spent years in and out of the criminal justice system for a variety of drug-related crimes, such as burglary and possession.
In early 2018, he was released from prison. He was on parole and looking for ways to help drug users in his hometown.
He found his way to advocacy work and, through that work, found Ziegenhorn.
Soon they were dating.
"He was just this really sweet, no-nonsense person who was committed to justice and equity," she says. "Even though he was suffering in many ways, he had a very calming presence."
People close to Beeler describe him as a "blue-collar guy" who liked motorcycles and home carpentry, someone who was gentle and endlessly curious. Those qualities could sometimes hide his own struggle with anxiety and depression. Over the next year, Beeler's other struggle, with opioid addiction, would flicker around the edges of their life together.
Eventually, it killed him.
People on parole and under supervision can face barriers to receiving appropriate treatment for opioid addiction. Ziegenhorn says she believes Beeler's death is linked to the many obstacles to medical care that he experienced while on parole.
About 4.5 million people are on parole or probation in the U.S., and research shows that those under community supervision are much more likely to have a history of substance use disorder than the general population. Yet rules and practices guiding these agencies can preclude parolees and people who are on probation from getting evidence-based treatment for their addiction.
A shared passion for reducing harm
From their first meeting, Ziegenhorn says, she and Beeler were totally in sync, passionate about their work in harm reduction and true partners.
After she moved to Iowa, Ziegenhorn founded a small nonprofit called the Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition. The group distributes the opioid-overdose reversal drug naloxone and other free supplies to drug users, with the goal of keeping them safe from illness and overdose. The group also works to reduce the stigma that can dehumanize and isolate drug users. Beeler served as harm reduction services coordinator for the group — he was passionate about the work.
"In Iowa, there was a feeling that this kind of work was really radical," Ziegenhorn says. "Andy was just so excited to find out someone was doing it."
Meanwhile, Ziegenhorn was busy with medical school. Beeler helped her study. She remembers how they used to take her practice tests together.
"Andy had a really sophisticated knowledge of science and medicine," she says. "Most of the time he'd been in prison and jails, he'd spent his time reading and learning."
Beeler was trying to stay away from opioids, but Ziegenhorn says he still used heroin sometimes. Twice, she was there to save his life when he overdosed. During one episode, a bystander called the police, which led to his parole officer finding out.
"That was really a period of a lot of terror for him," Ziegenhorn says.
Beeler was constantly afraid the next slip — another overdose or a failed drug test — would send him back to prison.
A fall on the ice, a search for relief
A year into their relationship, a series of events suddenly brought Beeler's history of opioid use into painful focus.
It began with a fall on the winter ice. Beeler dislocated his shoulder — the same one he'd had surgery on as a teenager.
"At the emergency room, they put his shoulder back into place for him," Ziegenhorn says. "The next day it came out again."
She says doctors wouldn't prescribe him prescription opioids for the pain because Beeler had a history of illegal drug use. His shoulder would dislocate daily, sometimes more than once.
"He was living with this daily, really severe constant pain — he started using heroin very regularly," Ziegenhorn says.
Beeler knew what precautions to take when using opioids: Keep naloxone on hand, test the drugs first and never use alone.
Still, his use was escalating quickly.
A painful dilemma
The couple discussed the future and their hope of having a baby together, and eventually Ziegenhorn and Beeler agreed: He had to stop using heroin.
They thought his best chance was to start on a Food and Drug Administration-approved medication for opioid addiction, such as methadone or buprenorphine. Methadone is an opioid, and buprenorphine engages many of the same opioid receptors in the brain; both drugs can curb opioid cravings and stabilize patients. Studies show daily maintenance therapy with such treatment reduces the risks of overdose and improves health outcomes.
But Beeler was on parole.
His parole officer drug-tested him for opioids and buprenorphine specifically. Beeler worried that if a test came back positive, the officer might see that as a signal that Beeler had been using drugs illegally.
He worried that a failed drug test — even if it was for a medication to treat his addiction — would land him in prison.
Ziegenhorn says Beeler felt trapped: "He could go back to prison or continue trying to obtain opioids off the street and slowly detox himself."
Beeler decided against the medication.
A few days later, Ziegenhorn woke up early for school. Beeler had worked late and fallen asleep in the living room.
Ziegenhorn gave him a kiss and headed out the door. Later that day, she texted him. No reply.
She started to worry and asked a friend to check on him.
Not long afterward, Beeler was found dead, slumped over in his chair at his desk. He'd overdosed.
"He was my partner in thought, and in life and in love," Ziegenhorn says.
It's hard for her not to rewind what happened that day and wonder how it could have been different. But mostly she's angry that he didn't have better choices.
"Andy died because he was too afraid to get treatment," she says.
How does parole handle relapse? It depends
It's not clear that Beeler would have gone back to prison for admitting he'd relapsed if he'd started treatment.
His parole officer did not agree to an interview.
Ken Kolthoff oversees the parole program that supervised Beeler in Iowa's First Judicial District Department of Correctional Services.
He says generally he and his colleagues would not punish someone who sought out treatment because of a relapse.
"We would see that that would be an example of somebody actually taking an active role in their treatment and getting the help they needed," says Kolthoff.
The department doesn't have rules prohibiting any form of medication for opioid addiction, he says, as long as it's prescribed by a doctor.
"We have people relapse every single day under our supervision. And are they being sent to prison? No. Are they being sent to jail? No," Kolthoff says.
But Dr. Andrea Weber, an addiction psychiatrist with the University of Iowa, says Beeler's reticence to start treatment is not unusual.
"I think a majority of my patients would tell me they wouldn't necessarily trust going to their [parole officer]," says Weber, who is assistant director of addiction medicine at the University of Iowa's Carver College of Medicine.
"The punishment is so high," she says. "The consequences can be so great."
Weber finds probation and parole officers have "inconsistent" attitudes toward her patients who are on medication-assisted treatment.
"Treatment providers, especially in our area, are still very much ingrained in an abstinence-only, 12-step mentality, which traditionally has meant no medications," Weber says. "That perception then invades the entire system."
Attitudes and policies vary widely
Experts say it's difficult to draw any comprehensive picture about the availability of medication for opioid addiction in the parole and probation system.
The limited amount of research suggests that medication-assisted treatment is significantly underused.
toggle caption Sarah Ziegenhorn
"It's hard to quantify because there are such a large number of individuals under community supervision in different jurisdictions," says Michael Gordon, a senior research scientist at the Friends Research Institute, which is based in Baltimore.
A national survey published in 2013 found that about half of drug courts did not allow methadone or other evidence-based medications used to treat opioid use disorder.
A more recent study of probation and parole agencies in Illinois reported that about a third had regulations preventing the use of medications for opioid use disorder. Researchers found the most common barrier for those on probation or parole "was lack of experience by medical personnel."
Faye Taxman, a criminology professor at George Mason University, says decisions about how to handle a client's treatment often boil down to the individual officer's judgment.
"We have a long way to go," she says. "Given that these agencies don't typically have access to medical care for clients, they are often fumbling in terms of trying to think of the best policies and practices."
Increasingly, there is a push to make opioid addiction treatment available within prisons and jails. In 2016, the Rhode Island Department of Corrections started allowing all three FDA-approved medications for opioid addiction. That led to a dramatic decrease in fatal opioid overdoses among those who had been recently incarcerated.
Massachusetts has taken similar steps.
Such efforts have only indirectly affected parole and probation.
"When you are incarcerated in prison or jail, the institution has a constitutional responsibility to provide medical services," Taxman says. "In community corrections, that same standard does not exist."
toggle caption Sarah Ziegenhorn
Taxman says agencies may be reluctant to offer these medications because it's one more thing to monitor. Those under supervision are often left to figure out on their own what's allowed.
"They don't want to raise too many issues because their freedom and liberties are attached to the response," she says.
Richard Hahn, a researcher at New York University's Marron Institute of Urban Management who consults on crime and drug policy, says some agencies are shifting their approach.
"There is a lot of pressure on probation and parole agencies not to violate people just on a dirty urine or for an overdose" says Hahn, who is executive director of the institute's Crime & Justice Program.
The federal government's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration calls medication-assisted treatment the "gold standard" for treating opioid addiction when used alongside "other psychosocial support."
Addiction is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, says Sally Friedman, vice president of legal advocacy for the Legal Action Center, a nonprofit law firm based in New York.
She says disability protections extend to the millions of people who are on parole or probation. But people under community supervision, Friedman says, often don't have an attorney who can use this legal argument to advocate for them when they need treatment.
"Prohibiting people with that disability from taking medication that can keep them alive and well violates the ADA," she says.
This story is part of a partnership between NPR and Kaiser Health News.


npr--2020-02-24--Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Illustrator Starts Drawing Off The Page, And On Bodies

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Illustrator Starts Drawing Off The Page , And On Bodies Even on one of the coldest days of winter , there 's a lot of bare flesh on display at Oxbow Tattoo in Easthampton , Mass .
It 's where artist Eric Talbot , who 's been drawing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the franchise since the late 1980s is about to ink his first full-color Ninja Turtle tattoo .
`` I have two greens that I 'm considering , '' Talbot says as he follows a stencil outline on his client 's arm .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a flat color .
`` I 'm working colors together like I do with my traditional art . ''
Talbot says as a kid , he was more than happy to stay inside with a pile of paper and copy images he saw in comic books while other children played outside .
He also watched a lot of monster movies and began to draw his own creatures .
While Talbot describes himself as shy , he recently finished a two-year tattoo apprenticeship which included studying up on bloodborne pathogens and CPR , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he 's going to be touching a lot of strangers .
`` I just find [ tattooing ] so fascinating , '' Talbot says .
`` I love to put the needle in the skin and see that crisp , clean line come out .
The canvas is moving !
The canvas is pliable ! ''
Inking his first Ninja Turtle on a true fan In his first few months of solo tattooing on that canvas , Talbot deliberately stayed away from doing any Ninja Turtles art , until he knew he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first of likely many whose skin Talbot will use to ink his signature art , drove a couple of hours from New Hampshire to get here .
He 's lying down on a table , right arm under a light .
He 's been tattooed before , but never by an artist he so admires .
`` This one is going to be Donatello on my forearm , '' MacArthur says .
`` Yah , but Donatello is your favorite , '' Talbot points out .
`` So we 're starting with Donatello @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focal point of the tattoo . ''
The tattoo will grow from there , explains MacArthur , who is part of a dedicated fan base that ca n't seem to get enough of their Ninja Turtles .
They follow Turtle artists on social media , and clamor to meet them at comic conventions .
From his prone position , bearing up under the buzzing needle , MacArthur says getting a tattoo from Talbot is surreal .
`` It 's definitely a fanboy moment , '' MacArthur says .
`` You grow up seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you get to have a piece of history on your arm . ''
MacArthur says he shared online with other fans that he was getting a tattoo from Talbot .
He got a little teasing , he says .
But every day he 's in some online chat about the vintage Ninja Turtles comics — and also about life .
`` [ The Turtles ] have really brought a lot of people together , '' MacArthur says .
It makes sort of a motley crew of a family , if you will .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turtles art for more than 30 years , but after drawing them on paper for that long , Talbot began to lose interest in the work .
`` I was kind of sitting in my basement with my dog , drawing turtles and not really seeing people , '' Talbot says .
`` I really got complacent with my style and what I was drawing .
I was n't really trying as hard . ''
Learning to tattoo , being with other artists , and getting outside his comfort zone has re-infused his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donatello tattoo , not surprisingly , stands in a sort of defensive pose .
`` He 's saying , 'Come on !
Let 's get going !
Let 's fight ! '
'' Talbot says .
`` 'Let 's have some pizza ! '
'' Pizza is the only thing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles seem to eat .
As he brushes away some blood from MacArthur 's arm , Talbot says a few years ago , he would never have been able to touch anyone like this .
The two of them are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot in the next few months .
After Donatello , there 's still Leonardo , Rafael and Michelangelo left to ink .

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Illustrator Starts Drawing Off The Page, And On Bodies
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jill Kaufman/New England Public Radio Jill Kaufman/New England Public Radio
Even on one of the coldest days of winter, there's a lot of bare flesh on display at Oxbow Tattoo in Easthampton, Mass. It's where artist Eric Talbot, who's been drawing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the franchise since the late 1980s is about to ink his first full-color Ninja Turtle tattoo.
"I have two greens that I'm considering," Talbot says as he follows a stencil outline on his client's arm. "But I'm not going to just have a flat color. "I'm working colors together like I do with my traditional art."
Strange News Actor Orlando Bloom Gets His Tattoo Fixed To Account For Missing Dot Actor Orlando Bloom Gets His Tattoo Fixed To Account For Missing Dot Listen · 0:27 0:27
Talbot says as a kid, he was more than happy to stay inside with a pile of paper and copy images he saw in comic books while other children played outside. He also watched a lot of monster movies and began to draw his own creatures.
While Talbot describes himself as shy, he recently finished a two-year tattoo apprenticeship which included studying up on bloodborne pathogens and CPR, because in this new line of work, he's going to be touching a lot of strangers.
"I just find [tattooing] so fascinating," Talbot says. "I love to put the needle in the skin and see that crisp, clean line come out. The canvas is moving! The canvas is pliable!"
Inking his first Ninja Turtle on a true fan
In his first few months of solo tattooing on that canvas, Talbot deliberately stayed away from doing any Ninja Turtles art, until he knew he was ready.
Randy MacArthur, the first of likely many whose skin Talbot will use to ink his signature art, drove a couple of hours from New Hampshire to get here.
He's lying down on a table, right arm under a light. He's been tattooed before, but never by an artist he so admires.
"This one is going to be Donatello on my forearm," MacArthur says.
"Yah, but Donatello is your favorite," Talbot points out. "So we're starting with Donatello. He's going to be the focal point of the tattoo."
The tattoo will grow from there, explains MacArthur, who is part of a dedicated fan base that can't seem to get enough of their Ninja Turtles. They follow Turtle artists on social media, and clamor to meet them at comic conventions.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jill Kaufman/New England Public Radio Jill Kaufman/New England Public Radio
From his prone position, bearing up under the buzzing needle, MacArthur says getting a tattoo from Talbot is surreal.
"It's definitely a fanboy moment," MacArthur says. "You grow up seeing the art that he did and then you get to have a piece of history on your arm."
MacArthur says he shared online with other fans that he was getting a tattoo from Talbot. He got a little teasing, he says. But every day he's in some online chat about the vintage Ninja Turtles comics — and also about life.
"[The Turtles] have really brought a lot of people together," MacArthur says. It makes sort of a motley crew of a family, if you will."
Talbot's creative funk reversed
Fans have been cooing over Ninja Turtles art for more than 30 years, but after drawing them on paper for that long, Talbot began to lose interest in the work.
"I was kind of sitting in my basement with my dog, drawing turtles and not really seeing people," Talbot says. "I really got complacent with my style and what I was drawing. I wasn't really trying as hard."
Learning to tattoo, being with other artists, and getting outside his comfort zone has re-infused his creativity, Talbot says.
His first Donatello tattoo, not surprisingly, stands in a sort of defensive pose.
"He's saying, 'Come on! Let's get going! Let's fight!'" Talbot says. "'Let's have some pizza!'"
Pizza is the only thing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles seem to eat.
As he brushes away some extra ink from MacArthur's arm, Talbot says a few years ago, he would never have been able to touch anyone like this. The two of them are going to be seeing each other a lot in the next few months. After Donatello, there's still Leonardo, Rafael and Michelangelo left to ink.


npr--2020-02-24--Hmong Leaders Rally Against Trump Administration Deportation Push

Efforts by the Trump administration to increase deportations to Laos have galvanized the Hmong community in the U.S. , and some leaders are speaking out in ways they have n't before .
The Hmong , a Southeast Asian ethnic group , fought as U.S. allies in the Vietnam War .
After the war , tens of thousands of them were forced to flee Laos and a crackdown from its Communist government .
They came to the U.S. as refugees beginning in the 1970s .
Now the Trump administration is negotiating with Laos to deport thousands of Hmong who have broken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiations has triggered a response in Hmong communities across the nation , and organizers are seeking to rally opposition to new deportations .
Ka Lo 's parents came to the U.S. as refugees in the late 1970s .
Her father was a war veteran .
In 2018 , Lo became the first Hmong woman elected to the Marathon County Board in Wausau , Wis. At a February rally , Lo spoke out against Trump administration immigration policy .
`` Policies that rip American communities and families apart have no part in the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assembled in front of the city 's Hmong-Lao Veterans Memorial , a statue erected in 2016 in honor of Hmong service in the Vietnam War .
Lo in her speech also addressed Hmong leaders directly .
In an interview after the rally , she said some leaders were hesitant to hold the rally in the Republican-leaning county that voted for Trump .
The event was organized by Tricia Zunker , a Democratic candidate for Congress .
`` There were Hmong leaders who did n't want to say anything because they did n't want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` This is n't a partisan issue .
This is a human rights issue . ''
There are about 300,000 Hmong people in the U.S. , and most are citizens , either because their status as refugees allowed them to become naturalized or because they are part of generations who were born here .
But some are green card holders — legal permanent residents , but not citizens .
An estimated 4,500 of these people have deportation orders against them , usually because they have been convicted of a crime .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades , even after these individuals have served their time .
Hmong have generally been protected from deportation in the past because the government of Laos would n't accept most U.S. deportees .
According to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement report , there were five deportations to Laos in the last fiscal year .
But the State Department told NPR that the Trump administration is calling on Laos to accept more deportees , and has offered funding for a reintegration program there .
The administration has secured a similar agreement with Cambodia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Advocates say Hmong people could still face persecution in Laos , and very few of them have any connection to the country .
`` Many of these individuals came into the United States as children , '' said Chai Moua of Stevens Point , Wis. Moua works for Freedom Inc. , a nonprofit that is helping those at risk of deportation to get legal protections .
She met this month with a group of Hmong women in Wisconsin who fled Laos decades ago .
In the group of 20 , she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of deportation .
`` These mothers are saying : These are the children that we had on our backs while we crossed the Mekong River , '' Moua said .
`` These are the children that we had risked our lives for , to bring here to the United States . ''
In the last 20 years , the U.S. has initiated deportation proceedings in court against 4,955 citizens of Laos , many of whom were Hmong .
( Court data do not specify the individuals ' ethnic group . )
Court records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how long the individuals had been in the United States .
According to immigration data compiled by Syracuse University , more than 80 % of those had been in the U.S. for more than a decade .
Forty-nine percent had been in the U.S. for 20 years or more .
The Trump administration has given little indication about where negotiations with Laos stand .
But the news has been enough to trigger panic in some parts of the Hmong community , and a spread of misinformation , such as the false notion that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deportation .
Leaders say they 're trying to quell those fears , while also connecting those who could be at risk with resources to help them .
And they 're asking elected officials at all levels to try to influence Trump policy .
In Wisconsin , Democrats in the state legislature have said they 'll introduce a resolution condemning the Trump administration 's efforts .
Congresswoman Betty McCollum , a Minnesota Democrat , says she 'll introduce legislation this week that would stop Hmong deportations .
`` Because there 's no information [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this fear , '' said Yee Leng Xiong , director of Wausau 's Hmong American Center .
`` It 's a fear of the unknown . ''

Hmong Leaders Rally Against Trump Administration Deportation Push
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rob Mentzer/Wisconsin Public Radio Rob Mentzer/Wisconsin Public Radio
Efforts by the Trump administration to increase deportations to Laos have galvanized the Hmong community in the U.S., and some leaders are speaking out in ways they haven't before.
The Hmong, a Southeast Asian ethnic group, fought as U.S. allies in the Vietnam War. After the war, tens of thousands of them were forced to flee Laos and a crackdown from its Communist government. They came to the U.S. as refugees beginning in the 1970s.
Now the Trump administration is negotiating with Laos to deport thousands of Hmong who have broken the law here.
News of those negotiations has triggered a response in Hmong communities across the nation, and organizers are seeking to rally opposition to new deportations.
Ka Lo's parents came to the U.S. as refugees in the late 1970s. Her father was a war veteran. In 2018, Lo became the first Hmong woman elected to the Marathon County Board in Wausau, Wis.
At a February rally, Lo spoke out against Trump administration immigration policy.
"Policies that rip American communities and families apart have no part in the American lexicon," Lo told a group assembled in front of the city's Hmong-Lao Veterans Memorial, a statue erected in 2016 in honor of Hmong service in the Vietnam War.
Lo in her speech also addressed Hmong leaders directly. In an interview after the rally, she said some leaders were hesitant to hold the rally in the Republican-leaning county that voted for Trump. The event was organized by Tricia Zunker, a Democratic candidate for Congress.
"There were Hmong leaders who didn't want to say anything because they didn't want to seem partisan," Lo said. "This isn't a partisan issue. This is a human rights issue."
There are about 300,000 Hmong people in the U.S., and most are citizens, either because their status as refugees allowed them to become naturalized or because they are part of generations who were born here.
But some are green card holders — legal permanent residents, but not citizens. An estimated 4,500 of these people have deportation orders against them, usually because they have been convicted of a crime. Those deportation orders can stay in effect for decades, even after these individuals have served their time.
Hmong have generally been protected from deportation in the past because the government of Laos wouldn't accept most U.S. deportees. According to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement report, there were five deportations to Laos in the last fiscal year.
But the State Department told NPR that the Trump administration is calling on Laos to accept more deportees, and has offered funding for a reintegration program there. The administration has secured a similar agreement with Cambodia, and has also increased deportations to Vietnam.
Advocates say Hmong people could still face persecution in Laos, and very few of them have any connection to the country.
"Many of these individuals came into the United States as children," said Chai Moua of Stevens Point, Wis.
Moua works for Freedom Inc., a nonprofit that is helping those at risk of deportation to get legal protections. She met this month with a group of Hmong women in Wisconsin who fled Laos decades ago. In the group of 20, she said, four had children now at risk of deportation.
"These mothers are saying: These are the children that we had on our backs while we crossed the Mekong River," Moua said. "These are the children that we had risked our lives for, to bring here to the United States."
In the last 20 years, the U.S. has initiated deportation proceedings in court against 4,955 citizens of Laos, many of whom were Hmong. (Court data do not specify the individuals' ethnic group.) Court records for 3,932 of them included information on how long the individuals had been in the United States. According to immigration data compiled by Syracuse University, more than 80% of those had been in the U.S. for more than a decade. Forty-nine percent had been in the U.S. for 20 years or more.
The Trump administration has given little indication about where negotiations with Laos stand. But the news has been enough to trigger panic in some parts of the Hmong community, and a spread of misinformation, such as the false notion that any Hmong resident could become eligible for deportation. Leaders say they're trying to quell those fears, while also connecting those who could be at risk with resources to help them. And they're asking elected officials at all levels to try to influence Trump policy. In Wisconsin, Democrats in the state legislature have said they'll introduce a resolution condemning the Trump administration's efforts. Congresswoman Betty McCollum, a Minnesota Democrat, says she'll introduce legislation this week that would stop Hmong deportations.
"Because there's no information [from official sources], it creates this fear," said Yee Leng Xiong, director of Wausau's Hmong American Center. "It's a fear of the unknown."


npr--2020-02-24--Off The Record: Trump Administration Criticized For How It Keeps Documents

Off The Record : Trump Administration Criticized For How It Keeps Documents The Trump administration is coming under fire for its handling of certain government records .
Historians and activists charge that the White House has failed to keep notes of the president 's meetings with foreign leaders , including with Russian President Vladimir Putin , and that other papers , including records of alleged abuses of undocumented immigrants , could be destroyed .
Immigration activists fear that records relating to the treatment of undocumented immigrants — including detainee deaths , complaints about medical conditions and alleged sexual assault and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) .
The American Immigration Council , an advocacy organization , along with three other groups last week filed Freedom of Information Act requests with ICE asking for the documents , as a way to keep them intact .
Emily Creighton , the council 's directing attorney for transparency , calls it `` mind boggling '' that some documents detailing detention conditions could be destroyed in 10 , 20 or 30 years .
`` It 's almost as though we are , you know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says .
In a statement to NPR , ICE says it is following `` standard government practice '' for determining which documents to retain , and that the ultimate arbiter of how records are preserved is the National Archives and Records Administration , or NARA .
NARA is responsible for collecting and preserving documents throughout government .
In a press release , it says that after receiving public comments , it will preserve some immigration documents for 25 years .
That includes records involving allegations of sexual assault and abuse of detainees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Connelly says that 's not really sufficient .
`` They feel like that 's long enough for people to file FOIAs , for litigation to play out , '' he says .
`` But what that means is that , you know , 30 years from now , none of those records will any longer exist .
They 'll all be gone . ''
The National Archives turned down NPR 's request for an interview .
Connelly admits the agency is overwhelmed .
`` In fairness , the National Archives has always had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` You know , in effect , they 're trying to predict history .
They 're trying to predict what historians are going to be interested in many years from now . ''
But that job has gotten a lot harder , Connelly says , because the National Archives has been `` starved of resources . ''
The Trump administration has requested $ 358 million for the agency in fiscal year 2020 .
That 's less than the $ 411 million the agency received in 2008 .
Historians are fighting on another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the preservation or , in some cases , the creation of presidential records .
President Trump is reportedly averse to having note-takers present at his meetings with foreign leaders and is said to have torn up some notes , in violation of the Presidential Records Act .
`` This is an administration that does n't want to keep a ... record [ that ] might contradict the president , '' says Thomas Blanton , director of George Washington University 's National Security Archive , which advocates for a more open government .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future at the White House . ''
Blanton says the Trump administration 's practices `` show up the Presidential Records Act as a kind of honor system that is really outdated today . ''
GW 's National Security Archive and other groups filed suit to try to force the Trump White House to do a better job of keeping and preserving records .
It was dismissed by federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson , who essentially ruled it was n't up to the court to enforce the act based on the way it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Off The Record: Trump Administration Criticized For How It Keeps Documents
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
The Trump administration is being criticized for its handling of certain government records.
Historians and activists charge that the White House has failed to keep notes of the president's meetings with foreign leaders, including with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that other papers, including records of alleged abuses of undocumented immigrants, could be destroyed.
Immigration activists fear that records relating to the treatment of undocumented immigrants — including detainee deaths, complaints about medical conditions, and alleged sexual assault and abuse of detainees — could be destroyed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The American Immigration Council, an advocacy organization, along with three other groups last week filed Freedom of Information Act requests with ICE asking for the documents, as a way to keep them intact.
Emily Creighton, the council's directing attorney for transparency, calls it "mind-boggling" that some documents detailing detention conditions could be destroyed in 10, 20 or 30 years.
"It's almost as though we are, you know, erasing our nation's conscience," she says.
In a statement to NPR, ICE says it is following "standard government practice" for determining which documents to retain, and that the ultimate arbiter of how records are preserved is the National Archives and Records Administration, or NARA.
NARA is responsible for collecting and preserving documents throughout government. In a press release, it says that after receiving public comments it will preserve some immigration documents for 25 years. That includes records involving allegations of sexual assault and abuse of detainees.
But Columbia University history professor Matthew Connelly says that's not really sufficient. "They feel like that's long enough for people to file FOIAs, for litigation to play out," he says. "But what that means is that, you know, 30 years from now, none of those records will any longer exist. They'll all be gone."
The National Archives turned down NPR's request for an interview.
Connelly admits the agency is overwhelmed. "In fairness, the National Archives has always had a difficult job," he says. "You know, in effect, they're trying to predict history. They're trying to predict what historians are going to be interested in many years from now." But that job has gotten a lot harder, Connelly says, because the National Archives has been "starved of resources."
The Trump administration has requested $358 million for the agency in fiscal year 2020. That's less than the $411 million the agency received in 2008.
Historians are fighting on another front with the Trump administration: over the preservation or, in some cases, the creation of presidential records. President Trump is reportedly averse to having note-takers present at his meetings with foreign leaders and is said to have torn up some notes, in violation of the Presidential Records Act.
"This is an administration that doesn't want to keep a ... record [that] might contradict the president," says Thomas Blanton, director of George Washington University's National Security Archive, which advocates for a more open government. "That would be bad for your professional future at the White House."
Blanton says the Trump administration's practices "show up the Presidential Records Act as a kind of honor system that is really outdated today."
GW's National Security Archive and other groups filed suit to try to force the Trump White House to do a better job of keeping and preserving records. It was dismissed by federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who essentially ruled it wasn't up to the court to enforce the act based on the way it was written. The groups are appealing.


npr--2020-02-24--B. Smith, Restaurateur And Lifestyle Icon, Dies At 70 Of Early-Onset Alzheimer's

B. Smith , Restaurateur And Lifestyle Icon , Dies At 70 Of Early-Onset Alzheimer's The world is less generous , and less welcoming because B. Smith , former model , entertainer and lifestyle doyenne , has left it .
At age 70 , Smith succumbed to early-onset Alzheimer 's , which she 'd been battling for years .
She died Saturday at her Long Island home with family nearby .
Plenty of media have described Smith as `` The Black Martha Stewart . ''
And superficially , one could see why : both women had been models ( Smith appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the first brown-skinned black model to be featured on Mademoiselle 's cover in the 1970s . )
Both had a genius for cooking and entertaining .
Both eventually built an empire based on their skills ( food , decorating , entertaining , home keeping ) .
And when people ( mostly white people ) called Smith the black Martha , they meant it as a compliment .
Smith saw it as well-intended , but short-sighted .
`` Martha Stewart has presented herself doing the things domestics and African Americans have done for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ magazine in a 1997 interview .
`` We were always expected to redo the chairs and use everything in the garden .
This is the legacy that I was left .
Martha just got there first . ''
True , but Smith made up for that by diving into everything she did with passion .
Born to a steelworker father and a mother who was a part-time housekeeper , Barbara Elaine Smith left her Western Pennsylvania hometown of Scottsdale for a modeling career right after high school .
Barbara became B. as her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successful career with modeling agency Wilhelmina and several lucrative corporate contracts , Smith became interested in restaurants .
She married her second husband , Dan Gasby in 1992 , and together they created an empire that encompassed best-selling cookbooks , the weekly show and a lifestyle magazine that was briefly published by American Express .
Eventually there were also housewares , bed linens and even an At Home with B. Smith furniture line .
Smith opened her first eponymous restaurant in Manhattan 's theater district in 1986 .
Two more B. Smith 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Long Island and the other in the historic Union Station complex in Washington , D.C. Smith had been showing signs of forgetfulness for a while .
In 2013 , after she lost her train of thought while she was doing a cooking demonstration on NBC 's Today , she sought a doctor 's opinion .
The devastating verdict : tests indicated she was in the beginning stages of early-onset Alzheimer 's disease .
She and Gasby went public with the news in 2014 .
Smith put on a brave face , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and enjoy life until she could n't .
The B. Smith who appeared in a public service announcement the following year was a woman whose wattage had dimmed considerably .
Her disease was progressing swiftly .
Her famously radiant smile flashed less frequently .
Her sparkling eyes looked vacant , she forgot things easily , and once became lost in Manhattan for several hours .
Despite that , she and Gasby did several interviews to educate the public and destigmatize Alzheimer 's .
They also wrote a book , Before I Forget , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were determined to try to make a difference , as Alzheimer 's is known to be more prevalent in women and African Americans .
The interviews tapered off , though , as Smith 's condition continued to deteriorate .
She lived quietly with Gasby in their weekend home on Long Island Sound .
But someone else was living with them , and seeking to control the narrative .
In 2018 Gasby confirmed the rumors : he had a girlfriend , Alex Lerner , and together they were caring for Smith .
Last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend Al Roker how painful it was to watch Smith fade .
You meet and fall in love with someone , he explained , `` ( and they are ) the perfect person for you , and you watch them slowly dissolve , and you go down with them ... '' Some people understood and sympathized .
Others , like The View 's Sonny Hostin ( who 'd helped care for a grandmother with Alzheimer 's ) were appalled .
`` I find it very disrespectful that he is with his wife and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their home , '' an emotional Hostin told her co-hosts .
Gasby has heard his critics , and it bothers him , but he feels strongly that his life counts , too .
`` I believe in the sanctity of marriage , '' he told the Washington Post last year , but not in 'till death do you part .
If the person you love , he said , is no longer mentally or emotionally present , he does n't believe `` that you should sit there and watch your life shrivel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ View to face Hostin and explain his side of the story . )
It 's a hard call that more and more Americans are going to have to make , as more of us are diagnosed with Alzheimer 's .
Last year , the Alzheimer 's Association estimated 5.8 million people have the disease ; 200,000 of those have early onset .
As our population continues to age , the numbers continue to climb , and more caregivers will have to ask themselves : how do you honor the life of your loved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?

B. Smith, Restaurateur And Lifestyle Icon, Dies At 70 Of Early Onset Alzheimer's
toggle caption bsmith.com
The world is less generous and less welcoming because B. Smith, former model, entertainer and lifestyle doyenne, has left it.
At age 70, Smith succumbed to early onset Alzheimer's, which she had been battling for years. She died Saturday at her Long Island home with family nearby.
Plenty of media have described Smith as the "black Martha Stewart." And superficially, one could see why: Both women had been models (Smith appeared on the covers of several fashion magazines, the first brown-skinned black model to be featured on Mademoiselle's cover in the 1970s). Both had a genius for cooking and entertaining. Both eventually built an empire based on their skills (food, decorating, entertaining, home keeping). And when people (mostly white people) called Smith the black Martha, they meant it as a compliment.
Smith saw it as well-intended but shortsighted.
"Martha Stewart has presented herself doing the things domestics and African Americans have done for years," Smith told New York magazine in a 1997 interview. "We were always expected to redo the chairs and use everything in the garden. This is the legacy that I was left. Martha just got there first."
True, but Smith made up for that by diving into everything she did with passion.
Born to a steelworker father and a mother who was a part-time housekeeper, Barbara Elaine Smith left her Western Pennsylvania hometown of Scottsdale for a modeling career right after high school.
Barbara became B. as her modeling career took off.
After a successful career with modeling agency Wilhelmina and several lucrative corporate contracts, Smith became interested in restaurants.
She married her second husband, Dan Gasby, in 1992, and together they created an empire that encompassed bestselling cookbooks, the weekly show and a lifestyle magazine that was briefly published by American Express. Eventually there were also housewares, bed linens and even an At Home with B. Smith furniture line.
Smith opened her first eponymous restaurant in Manhattan's theater district in 1986. Two more B. Smith restaurants followed: one near her weekend home on Long Island and the other in the historic Union Station complex in Washington, D.C.
Smith had been showing signs of forgetfulness for a while. In 2013, after she lost her train of thought while she was doing a cooking demonstration on NBC's Today, she sought a doctor's opinion.
The devastating verdict: tests indicated she was in the beginning stages of early onset Alzheimer's disease. She and Gasby went public with the news in 2014. Smith put on a brave face and told the public she intended to live and enjoy life until she couldn't.
The B. Smith who appeared in a public service announcement the following year was a woman whose wattage had dimmed considerably. Her disease was progressing swiftly. Her famously radiant smile flashed less frequently. Her sparkling eyes looked vacant, she forgot things easily and she once got lost in Manhattan for several hours.
Despite that, she and Gasby did several interviews to educate the public and destigmatize Alzheimer's. They also wrote a book, Before I Forget, about dealing with the disease. They were determined to try to make a difference, as Alzheimer's is known to be more prevalent in women and African Americans.
The interviews tapered off, though, as Smith's condition continued to deteriorate. She lived quietly with Gasby in their weekend home on Long Island Sound. But someone else was living with them, and, seeking to control the narrative, Gasby confirmed the rumors: He had a girlfriend, Alex Lerner, and together they were caring for Smith.
Last year, on Today, Gasby explained to friend Al Roker how painful it was to watch Smith fade. You meet and fall in love with someone, he explained, "(and they are) the perfect person for you, and you watch them slowly dissolve, and you go down with them ..."
Some people understood and sympathized. Others, like The View's Sunny Hostin (who had helped care for a grandmother with Alzheimer's) were appalled.
"I find it very disrespectful that he is with his wife and disrespecting her by being with his girlfriend in their home," an emotional Hostin told her co-hosts.
Gasby has heard his critics, and it bothers him, but he feels strongly that his life counts, too.
"I believe in the sanctity of marriage," he told The Washington Post last year, but not in till death do you part. If the person you love, he said, is no longer mentally or emotionally present, he doesn't believe "that you should sit there and watch your life shrivel up ..." (He visited The View to face Hostin and explain his side of the story.)
It's a hard call that more and more Americans are going to have to make, as more of us are diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Last year, the Alzheimer's Association estimated 5.8 million people have the disease; 200,000 of those have early onset. As our population continues to age, the numbers continue to climb, and more caregivers will have to ask themselves: How do you honor the life of your loved one while managing to preserve your own?


npr--2020-02-24--Judge Rejects Roger Stone's Attempt To Remove Her From His Case

Judge Rejects Roger Stone 's Attempt To Remove Her From His Case The U.S. district judge presiding over Roger Stone 's case swatted down his request to disqualify herself over further proceedings because of alleged bias .
In a strongly worded order issued Sunday , Judge Amy Berman Jackson dismissed the Stone defense team 's claims , arguing that the motion to have her recuse herself lacked `` any factual or legal support . ''
`` At bottom , given the absence of any factual or legal support for the motion for disqualification , the pleading appears to be nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court 's docket to disseminate a statement for public consumption that has the words 'judge ' and 'biased ' in it , '' Jackson wrote .
Last week Jackson sentenced Stone , a longtime ally of President Trump , to more than three years in prison after a jury found Stone guilty of witness tampering and lying to Congress .
Justice Department prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence between seven to nine years .
A day later , Stone 's defense filed the disqualification motion , asserting that Jackson exhibited bias during Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jurors who found Stone guilty `` served with integrity . ''
The defense has a pending motion before Jackson requesting a new trial based on the unsupported claim that a juror `` misled the Court regarding her ability to be unbiased and fair . ''
Stone 's attorneys further allege that the juror `` attempted to cover up evidence '' that would have disqualified her .
In rejecting the motion to disqualify herself , Jackson wrote , `` The Court 's very general comment that 'jurors ' served with integrity — three words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transcript of a two-and-a-half-hour hearing — did not purport to , and did not address '' Stone 's request for a new trial .
Jackson has not yet made a decision on the defense motion for a new trial .
The same day that Jackson issued her refusal to disqualify herself from Stone 's case , Trump again sought to discredit Stone 's conviction .
Without offering evidence , Trump told reporters outside the White House on Sunday , `` You have a juror that 's obviously tainted .
She was an activist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump and said bad things about Stone .
She somehow weaseled her way onto the jury and if that 's not a tainted jury then there is no such thing as a tainted jury . ''

Judge Rejects Roger Stone's Attempt To Remove Her From His Case
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images
The U.S. district judge presiding over Roger Stone's case swatted down his request to disqualify herself over further proceedings because of alleged bias.
In a strongly worded order issued Sunday, Judge Amy Berman Jackson dismissed the Stone defense team's claims, arguing that the motion to have her recuse herself lacked "any factual or legal support."
"At bottom, given the absence of any factual or legal support for the motion for disqualification, the pleading appears to be nothing more than an attempt to use the Court's docket to disseminate a statement for public consumption that has the words 'judge' and 'biased' in it," Jackson wrote.
Last week Jackson sentenced Stone, a longtime ally of President Trump, to more than three years in prison after a jury found Stone guilty of witness tampering and lying to Congress. Justice Department prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence between seven to nine years.
A day later, Stone's defense filed the disqualification motion, asserting that Jackson exhibited bias during Thursday's sentencing hearing when she said the jurors who found Stone guilty "served with integrity."
The defense has a pending motion before Jackson requesting a new trial based on the unsupported claim that a juror "misled the Court regarding her ability to be unbiased and fair." Stone's attorneys further allege that the juror "attempted to cover up evidence" that would have disqualified her.
In rejecting the motion to disqualify herself, Jackson wrote, "The Court's very general comment that 'jurors' served with integrity — three words on the 88th page of the 96-page transcript of a two-and-a-half-hour hearing — did not purport to, and did not address" Stone's request for a new trial.
Jackson has not yet made a decision on the defense motion for a new trial.
The same day that Jackson issued her refusal to disqualify herself from Stone's case, Trump again sought to discredit Stone's conviction.
Without offering evidence, Trump told reporters outside the White House on Sunday, "You have a juror that's obviously tainted. She was an activist against Trump, said bad things about Trump and said bad things about Stone. She somehow weaseled her way onto the jury and if that's not a tainted jury, then there is no such thing as a tainted jury."


npr--2020-02-24--'Namaste Trump!' India Greets U.S. Leader With Epic Party — And Modest Policy Aims

'Namaste Trump ! '
India Greets U.S. Leader With Epic Party — And Modest Policy Aims President Trump would be the first to tell you : He and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi , despite some economic friction between their countries , share a warm personal friendship .
And Modi , as Trump 's friend , evidently knows just how to greet the U.S. president when he drops in for a visit — with throngs of adoring fans .
Shortly after touchdown in Ahmedabad , the largest city in the prime minister 's home state of Gujarat , Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sardar Patel Stadium .
Billed as the largest cricket stadium in the world , the newly renovated facility is hosting a party that also happens to bear the president 's name : `` Namaste Trump , '' a nod to the similarly gargantuan `` Howdy Modi '' fete for the prime minister last fall at Houston 's NRG Stadium .
For all the physical enormity of the event , though , expectations of Trump 's two-day visit remain modest — even from Trump himself .
The president has carefully downplayed the prospect of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The two countries enjoy a robust trading relationship , totaling more than $ 142 billion as of 2018 , but as that relationship has grown , so too have the frictions between them .
The U.S. runs a goods trade deficit with India that crested $ 23 billion last year alone , and the Trump administration has chafed at the tariffs protecting Indian markets from foreign competition as `` the highest of any major economy . ''
`` We 're doing a very big trade deal with India .
We 'll have it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'll be done before the [ U.S. presidential ] election , '' Trump told reporters last week at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland , `` but we 'll have a very big deal with India . ''
`` We 're not treated very well by India , '' Trump added , `` but I happen to like Prime Minister Modi a lot . ''
For Modi , in some ways , Ahmedabad makes for a logical choice to host the president .
The city is the major population center of Gujarat state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2001 to 2014 .
Its booming development was one of the linchpins of his successful run for India 's top political office .
At the same time , the setting recalls some bitter , bloody associations for Modi .
He was in office during a wave of anti-Muslim violence in the state in 2002 , after a fire on a train left dozens of Hindu activists dead .
The region was racked with riots , during which more than 1,000 Muslims are believed to have been killed .
Critics blamed Modi for intentionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unrest .
The U.S. , under President George W. Bush , even denied him a visa due to his `` severe violations of religious freedom , '' and the American government effectively boycotted him until shortly before he became prime minister .
A special investigation ultimately exonerated Modi in 2013 , around the same time Modi wrote a long blog post explaining that he was `` shaken to the core '' by the violence .
But the violence in Gujarat continues to dog his legacy .
So too have suspicions of anti-Muslim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year pushed through Parliament a controversial law offering amnesty to undocumented migrants from three nearby Muslim-majority countries — so long as the applicants are religious minorities and not Muslim .
The law has prompted nationwide demonstrations , some of which have devolved into deadly clashes between police and protesters .
Trump , for his part , has attracted similar criticism with his own rhetoric and administration policies .
During his campaign , the president proposed a temporary ban on Muslim immigration to the U.S. — a campaign pledge that , after several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban on travelers from about half a dozen countries , most of which are majority Muslim .
The pair of leaders will not spend all their time in Gujarat .
Trump also plans to tour the Taj Mahal , in Uttar Pradesh state , before wrapping up his trip in New Delhi , where they are expected to deliver a joint statement Tuesday .

'Namaste Trump!' India's Modi Welcomes U.S. Leader With An Epic Party
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alexander Drago/Reuters Alexander Drago/Reuters
Updated at 9 a.m. ET
"America loves India, America respects India, and America will always be faithful and loyal friends to the Indian people," President Trump told a cheering crowd of more than 100,000 people in India's huge Motera cricket stadium on Monday.
"From this day on, India will always hold a very special place in our hearts," Trump said. He referred to his host, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as "a man I am proud to call my true friend."
Despite some economic friction between their countries, Trump and Modi have fostered a warm personal friendship. And Modi evidently knows just how to greet the U.S. president when he drops in for a visit — with throngs of adoring fans. It was the second time the pair have basked in a campaign-like atmosphere together, after a similar scene played out during Modi's visit to the U.S. last year.
"Both of us understand that when leaders put their citizens first, we can forge strong and fair partnerships to build a safer and more prosperous world," Trump said.
YouTube
The president also noted the contributions and heritage of 4 million Indians who have immigrated to the U.S., saying, "They are truly spectacular people."
"Nearly 1 in 4 Indian Americans trace their roots right here in Gujarat," Trump said as the crowd cheered.
Calling for even stronger economic and cultural ties between the two countries, Trump sought to paint an enticing picture of the U.S. under his leadership.
"This is truly an exciting time in the United States," he said. "Our economy is booming like never before. Our people are prospering and spirits are soaring. There is tremendous love, tremendous like. We like and we love everybody."
Shortly after Trump and first lady Melania Trump touched down in Ahmedabad, the largest city in Modi's home state of Gujarat, they headed to a rally at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, named for a key architect of independent India and billed as the largest cricket stadium in the world. Monday's celebration at the newly renovated facility was titled "Namaste Trump" — a nod to the similarly gargantuan "Howdy Modi" fete for the prime minister last fall at Houston's NRG Stadium.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Indranil Mukherjee/AFP via Getty Images Indranil Mukherjee/AFP via Getty Images
People attending were handed white baseball caps with the words "Namaste" – hello, in Hindi — and "Trump," in orange letters, as they entered the stadium ahead of the event. Indian folk dancers performed to thumping music and flashing lights. Famous Bollywood singer Kailash Kher belted out popular Hindi songs.
Lawyer Kelly Dhruv, who was watching from the stadium's premium section facing the main stage, described the atmosphere as "like a concert but for political leaders."
Trump's daughter Ivanka walked in with India's foreign minister and shook hands with people in the front row as well as with India's controversial home minister, Amit Shah — the author of Hindu nationalist policies that have prompted widespread protests in recent months.
Then it was time for the main event. As Trump and Modi emerged onto the stage, the song "Macho Man" blasted through the stadium.
The rally also attracted members of Modi's party, business leaders and groups of schoolchildren. Pooja Jahani, a local Gujarati artist, brought a 5-foot-wide oil painting that depicts a map of India inside a map of the United States. She said it symbolizes how "the United States is in India's heart, and India is in the United States' heart."
Trump repeatedly drew cheers from crowd, particularly when he used Indian terms such as chaiwala -- the tea-selling job that Modi famously rose from to lead his country. Trump was applauded at least 57 times during his 27-minute speech, according to the official White House transcript of the event.
The U.S. president would be the first to tell you: He and Modi share a warm personal friendship. And Modi, as Trump's friend, evidently knows just how to greet the U.S. president when he drops in for a visit — with throngs of adoring fans.
For all the physical enormity of the event, though, expectations of Trump's two-day visit remain modest — even from Trump himself. The president has carefully downplayed the prospect of a major trade deal anytime soon.
"We will be making very, very major — among the biggest ever made — trade deals," Trump said Monday. But he added that the discussions are still in their early phases. And while Trump said he's optimistic about reaching an agreement, he said of Modi, "Except that he's a very tough negotiator."
The two countries enjoy a robust trading relationship, totaling more than $142 billion as of 2018, but as that relationship has grown, so too have the tensions between them. The U.S. runs a goods trade deficit with India that crested $23 billion last year alone, and the Trump administration has chafed at the tariffs protecting Indian markets from foreign competition as "the highest of any major economy."
"We're doing a very big trade deal with India. We'll have it. I don't know if it'll be done before the [U.S. presidential] election," Trump told reporters last week at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, "but we'll have a very big deal with India."
"We're not treated very well by India," Trump added, "but I happen to like Prime Minister Modi a lot."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sam Panthaky/AFP via Getty Images Sam Panthaky/AFP via Getty Images
For Modi, in some ways, Ahmedabad makes for a logical choice to host the president. The city is the major population center of Gujarat state, where Modi served as chief minister from 2001 to 2014. Its booming development was one of the linchpins of his successful run for India's top political office.
At the same time, the setting recalls some bitter, bloody associations for Modi.
He was in office during a wave of anti-Muslim violence in the state in 2002, after a fire on a train left dozens of Hindu activists dead. The region was racked with riots, during which more than 1,000 Muslims are believed to have been killed.
Critics blamed Modi for intentionally failing to protect the religious minority during the unrest. The U.S., under President George W. Bush, even denied him a visa due to his "severe violations of religious freedom," and the American government effectively boycotted him until shortly before he became prime minister.
A special investigation ultimately exonerated Modi in 2013, around the same time Modi wrote a long blog post explaining that he was "shaken to the core" by the violence. But the violence in Gujarat continues to shadow his legacy.
So, too, have suspicions of anti-Muslim bias.
Modi's Hindu nationalist government last year pushed through Parliament a controversial law offering amnesty to undocumented migrants from three nearby Muslim-majority countries — so long as the applicants are religious minorities and not Muslim. The law has prompted nationwide demonstrations, some of which have devolved into deadly clashes between police and protesters.
Trump, for his part, has attracted similar criticism with his own rhetoric and administration policies. During his campaign, the president proposed a temporary ban on Muslim immigration to the U.S. — a campaign pledge that, after several attempts, ultimately became a Supreme Court-approved ban on travelers from about half a dozen countries, most of which are majority Muslim.
The pair of leaders didn't spend all their time in Gujarat. Trump also toured the Taj Mahal, in Uttar Pradesh state, before wrapping up his trip in New Delhi, where they are expected to deliver a joint statement Tuesday.