npr--2020-06-23--Pinterest Sounds A More Contrite Tone After Black Former Employees Speak Out

Pinterest Sounds A More Contrite Tone After Black Former Employees Speak Out After a week of deflecting criticism from two former Black employees about their experiences working for Pinterest , the Silicon Valley company is taking a new , apologetic stance .
It comes after the former employees blasted Pinterest in tweets that claimed the social media firm had discriminated against them and was insensitive to its Black workers , even as it professed to support Black Lives Matter .
Both women have left the company .
`` We never want anyone to feel the way Ifeoma [ Ozoma ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while they were working at Pinterest , '' a spokesman wrote in a statement .
`` We 're committed to immediately taking the actions that we 've outlined to our employees and we are actively pursuing this work . ''
Initially , Pinterest issued a statement saying , `` We 're confident both employees were treated fairly . ''
Now it confirms that CEO Ben Silbermann sent an email to employees saying the company needs to do better .
In the email , first reported by Bloomberg , Silbermann said he has learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of our culture are broken '' and added , `` I 'm truly sorry for letting you down . ''
He also outlined a list of steps the company will take , including boosting diverse representation at senior levels and improving understanding and awareness of racism and bias .
Many people consider San Francisco-based Pinterest to be one of the friendlier tech places to work , and that 's what initially drew Ozoma to become public policy and social impact manager there in July of 2018 , from her previous job at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a company that believes in diversity , or at least says it does , ' `` she said .
But less than a year later , Ozoma raised concerns about being underpaid for the level of work she was performing there .
`` I was n't being paid fairly , and according to the company 's own chart , '' she said .
But `` I was still the public face of the all of the work that was being used to prop the company up as a responsible tech company in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In recent weeks , companies across America have gone all out in declaring their corporate ally-ship with Black Lives Matter .
Silicon Valley companies have done the same , but it 's generated public backlash from current and former Black employees .
Ozoma 's tweet thread last week went viral .
Ozoma said that at Pinterest , she led a number of initiatives she felt really good about , like taking down misinformation about vaccines on Pinterest .
She said she also got the platform to end its promotions of slave plantations as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heat in her performance review and was told it was because she had n't also presented the arguments in favor of keeping the practice .
`` I should have come up with the pros for promoting slave plantations .
Like , to this day , I think about that , and the fact that it was put in writing — in a performance review that then impacted my pay , '' Ozoma said .
`` Even though externally , the company really took advantage of the press that came with that decision .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager , his manager and human resources for five months , Ozoma finally hired a lawyer .
The office atmosphere was already charged when a white male engineer at the company decided to share her personal information with an online group known for `` doxxing , '' or publishing a someone 's personal information online .
`` My cell phone number , my full name , my photo , my email was shared all over the Internet , '' Ozoma said .
`` It was on YouTube , Facebook , Instagram , Reddit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 8chan . ''
Ozoma said the engineer was fired a week later , but by then , she was traumatized — and so was Banks , another Black colleague on her team she 'd brought in to Pinterest .
`` Our Black lives were treated like they did n't matter , '' said Banks , who left Google to head Pinterest 's office in Washington D.C. Banks said she hired Ozoma 's lawyer after her own struggles with their manager and human resources .
Banks said she was `` interacting with members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking on panels and events ; representing the company .
And yet the only expenses that I accrued that were challenged , continuously , were expenses dedicated to Black organizations and Black businesses I had partnered with , '' she said .
Like Ozoma , Banks tweeted her displeasure with Pinterest .
Thirteen percent of the U.S. population is Black .
But according to Pinterest 's annual diversity report , Black people made up roughly 4 percent of its total workforce last year .
That puts Pinterest in line with many of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in an industry long dominated by white and Asian males .
Consider some of the most recent publicly available company data on Blacks in the workforce : 9 percent at Apple , 3.8 percent at Facebook , 5.5 percent at Google , 3.7 percent at Oracle , 4.4 percent at Slack , 5.7 percent at Twitter .
So should Silicon Valley companies even be issuing statements of support for racial justice ?
Yes , said Sarah Kunst , managing director of Cleo Capital , an early stage venture capital firm in San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be very awkward in this context if you were telling me my life did n't matter , '' Kunst said .
`` I think that is a bare minimum .
It is far from all anyone should be doing . ''
Google , Facebook and other companies have blamed their lack of Black employees on a `` pipeline '' problem— arguing there are n't enough qualified people to hire , especially in their technical departments .
But many Silicon Valley watchers disagree .
Kunst , for instance , said she 's observed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a short list of Ivy League universities , unable to broaden their definition of `` qualified . ''
She added that it 's important to get rid of individuals who make the corporate culture toxic for Black employees and drive them away .
`` This feels like a really good time to really dig deep and do an overhaul so that you create a culture that everyone loves and everyone is welcome in , '' Kunst said , noting that many Silicon Valley executives are already rethinking their corporate culture during the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , companies [ and ] people could n't even say the word 'race . '
Like , not a particular race , just the word 'race , ' `` said Y-Vonne Hutchinson of ReadySet , a diversity , equity and inclusion consulting firm that works with a number of Silicon Valley companies .
`` The fact that the conversation has shifted so far in such a short period of time is encouraging .
At the same time , it takes more than statements .
What is it really like inside of your organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hutchinson added , `` For a lot of these companies , we do see investments in recruiting .
We do see some people coming through the door . ''
But she said many of them leave `` and a lot of times that 's because they 're experiencing micro-aggressions .
They 're experiencing racism at work , and there 's no accountability for it . ''
Karla Monterroso , CEO of the diversity-focused nonprofit Code 2040 , said companies need to focus less on job fairs and turn instead to the internal work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black and Latinx employees .
`` You will not get the full benefit of their thoughts and innovation , '' she said , when it 's dangerous for them to swim against the current .
`` Advocacy for people of color , especially Black people , will look like insubordination to many people .
Until we examine that , '' Monterroso added , `` it 's going to have a disproportionate impact on our workplace . ''

Pinterest Sounds A More Contrite Tone After Black Former Employees Speak Out
Enlarge this image toggle caption Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images
After a week of deflecting criticism from two former Black employees about their experiences working for Pinterest, the Silicon Valley company is taking a new, apologetic stance.
It comes after the former employees blasted Pinterest in tweets that claimed the social media firm had discriminated against them and was insensitive to its Black workers, even as it professed to support Black Lives Matter. Both women have left the company.
"We never want anyone to feel the way Ifeoma [Ozoma] and Aerica [Shimizu Banks] did while they were working at Pinterest," a spokesman wrote in a statement. "We're committed to immediately taking the actions that we've outlined to our employees and we are actively pursuing this work."
Initially, Pinterest issued a statement saying, "We're confident both employees were treated fairly." Now it confirms that CEO Ben Silbermann sent an email to employees saying the company needs to do better.
In the email, first reported by Bloomberg, Silbermann said he has learned in the past few weeks that "parts of our culture are broken" and added, "I'm truly sorry for letting you down." He also outlined a list of steps the company will take, including boosting diverse representation at senior levels and improving understanding and awareness of racism and bias.
Ozoma's Story
Many people consider San Francisco-based Pinterest to be one of the friendlier tech places to work, and that's what initially drew Ozoma to become public policy and social impact manager there in July of 2018, from her previous job at Facebook.
"I thought, 'This is a company that believes in diversity, or at least says it does,' " she said. But less than a year later, Ozoma raised concerns about being underpaid for the level of work she was performing there.
"I wasn't being paid fairly, and according to the company's own chart," she said. But "I was still the public face of the all of the work that was being used to prop the company up as a responsible tech company in a sea of irresponsible ones."
In recent weeks, companies across America have gone all out in declaring their corporate ally-ship with Black Lives Matter. Silicon Valley companies have done the same, but it's generated public backlash from current and former Black employees. Ozoma's tweet thread last week went viral.
Ozoma said that at Pinterest, she led a number of initiatives she felt really good about, like taking down misinformation about vaccines on Pinterest. She said she also got the platform to end its promotions of slave plantations as wedding venues — although she later took heat in her performance review and was told it was because she hadn't also presented the arguments in favor of keeping the practice.
"I should have come up with the pros for promoting slave plantations. Like, to this day, I think about that, and the fact that it was put in writing — in a performance review that then impacted my pay," Ozoma said. "Even though externally, the company really took advantage of the press that came with that decision."
After going in circles with her manager, his manager and human resources for five months, Ozoma finally hired a lawyer. The office atmosphere was already charged when a white male engineer at the company decided to share her personal information with an online group known for "doxxing," or publishing a someone's personal information online.
"My cell phone number, my full name, my photo, my email was shared all over the Internet," Ozoma said. "It was on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, the 'chans,' so 4chan and 8chan."
Ozoma said the engineer was fired a week later, but by then, she was traumatized — and so was Banks, another Black colleague on her team she'd brought in to Pinterest.
"Our Black lives were treated like they didn't matter," said Banks, who left Google to head Pinterest's office in Washington D.C. Banks said she hired Ozoma's lawyer after her own struggles with their manager and human resources.
Banks said she was "interacting with members of Congress; traveling around the country speaking on panels and events; representing the company. And yet the only expenses that I accrued that were challenged, continuously, were expenses dedicated to Black organizations and Black businesses I had partnered with," she said.
Like Ozoma, Banks tweeted her displeasure with Pinterest.
Thirteen percent of the U.S. population is Black. But according to Pinterest's annual diversity report, Black people made up roughly 4 percent of its total workforce last year. That puts Pinterest in line with many of the other tech companies that report their numbers, in an industry long dominated by white and Asian males.
Consider some of the most recent publicly available company data on Blacks in the workforce: 9 percent at Apple, 3.8 percent at Facebook, 5.5 percent at Google, 3.7 percent at Oracle, 4.4 percent at Slack, 5.7 percent at Twitter.
So should Silicon Valley companies even be issuing statements of support for racial justice? Yes, said Sarah Kunst, managing director of Cleo Capital, an early stage venture capital firm in San Francisco.
"You know, it would be very awkward in this context if you were telling me my life didn't matter," Kunst said. "I think that is a bare minimum. It is far from all anyone should be doing."
Google, Facebook and other companies have blamed their lack of Black employees on a "pipeline" problem— arguing there aren't enough qualified people to hire, especially in their technical departments.
But many Silicon Valley watchers disagree. Kunst, for instance, said she's observed a number of hiring managers fixated on a short list of Ivy League universities, unable to broaden their definition of "qualified."
She added that it's important to get rid of individuals who make the corporate culture toxic for Black employees and drive them away.
"This feels like a really good time to really dig deep and do an overhaul so that you create a culture that everyone loves and everyone is welcome in," Kunst said, noting that many Silicon Valley executives are already rethinking their corporate culture during the coronavirus pandemic.
"A few years ago, companies [and] people couldn't even say the word 'race.' Like, not a particular race, just the word 'race,' " said Y-Vonne Hutchinson of ReadySet, a diversity, equity and inclusion consulting firm that works with a number of Silicon Valley companies. "The fact that the conversation has shifted so far in such a short period of time is encouraging. At the same time, it takes more than statements. What is it really like inside of your organization? Can Black people succeed?"
Hutchinson added, "For a lot of these companies, we do see investments in recruiting. We do see some people coming through the door." But she said many of them leave "and a lot of times that's because they're experiencing micro-aggressions. They're experiencing racism at work, and there's no accountability for it."
Karla Monterroso, CEO of the diversity-focused nonprofit Code 2040, said companies need to focus less on job fairs and turn instead to the internal work needed to become welcoming places for more Black and Latinx employees.
"You will not get the full benefit of their thoughts and innovation," she said, when it's dangerous for them to swim against the current. "Advocacy for people of color, especially Black people, will look like insubordination to many people. Until we examine that," Monterroso added, "it's going to have a disproportionate impact on our workplace."


npr--2020-06-23--Rayshard Brooks' Funeral Underway At Church Where Martin Luther King Jr. Preached

The funeral for Rayshard Brooks , the Black man who was fatally shot during an encounter with police at a fast food restaurant earlier this month , is underway in Atlanta .
The private service is being held at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church , where the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. served as co-pastor .
A public viewing for Brooks was held at the church on Monday .
Mourners filed into the church Tuesday , many of them wearing white .
Many signs are visible that the service is taking place during the coronavirus pandemic .
Nearly everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask .
Gospel star Tamela Mann and the church 's choir performed virtually .
`` You know we often say in the Black church , 'Touch your neighbor , ' '' Rev .
Raphael Warnock said .
`` I do n't want you to touch your neighbor , but tell the Lord , I surrender all . ''
`` Rayshard Brooks was n't just running from the police .
He was running from a system that makes slaves out of people , '' the historic church 's pastor said in remarks released to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' killing on June 12 happened less than three weeks after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Tensions and anger over systemic racism and police brutality were already simmering as protesters took to the streets in Atlanta and other cities across the nation .
At the public viewing on Monday , some mourners paying respect to Brooks wore shirts that said `` Black Lives Matter , '' while others stood silently before the gold casket where his body lay .
The scene had many similarities to the one that played @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public viewing for Floyd .
His body was placed in a similar gold casket .
Floyd , who was also Black , was killed when a white Minneapolis police officer , Derek Chauvin , knelt on his neck for several minutes .
Chauvin faces a second-degree murder charge .
The two officers involved in Brooks ' killing have also been charged .
Garrett Rolfe , the officer who fired the fatal shots , was terminated from the Atlanta Police Department .
Rolfe is facing 11 charges , including felony murder .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life without parole or the death penalty .
The other officer , Devin Brosnan , remains with the APD and is facing lesser charges .
In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution , Brosnan described Brooks ' death as `` a total tragedy . ''
He also told the AJC he was taken aback by the district attorney 's decision to charge him in Brooks ' killing , but added , `` I 'm still willing to cooperate . ''
At the same time , he and his lawyer told the newspaper that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rolfe as a witness .
Officers were called to a Wendy 's after Brooks fell asleep in the drive-through .
Once on the scene , video of the encounter released by the APD show that officers talked to Brooks for more than half an hour .
Brooks was responsive to police demands , admitted he had been drinking earlier and performed a sobriety test , which he failed .
As Rolfe and Brosnan then struggled to get handcuffs on him , he was able to take one of the officers ' stun guns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the officers , he fired it back at police .
After giving a brief chase , Rolfe used his service weapon and fired three shots , two of them striking and killing Brooks .
Tyler Perry , the Atlanta-based movie and television mogul , is reported to be covering funeral costs for the family .

Rayshard Brooks' Funeral Held At Church Where Martin Luther King Jr. Preached
Enlarge this image toggle caption Curtis Compton/AP Curtis Compton/AP
Updated at 6:41 p.m. ET
The funeral for Rayshard Brooks, the Black man who was fatally shot during an encounter with police at a fast food restaurant earlier this month, was an emotional and triumphant send-off for a man killed in the midst of the nation's latest moment for racial and social reckoning.
Mourners, many of them wearing white, gathered for a private service at Atlanta's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. served as co-pastor. A public viewing for Brooks was held there on Monday.
"Rayshard Brooks is the latest high-profile casualty in the struggle for justice and the battle for the soul of America," the Rev. Raphael Warnock, the church's senior pastor said during the eulogy. "This is about him, but this is much bigger than him."
"We've gotten too much practice at this."
Warnock name-checked more than a dozen Black people that were killed either by law enforcement while in police custody or in situations where racial profiling is thought to be a factor, including Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray and Breonna Taylor.
They were all killed prior to the protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd last month.
"We've gotten too much practice at this," Warnock said.
There were also clear indications that the service took place during the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly everyone in the sanctuary wore a mask. Gospel star Tamela Mann and the church's choir performed virtually.
Warnock, who is running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate in the fall, said there have been no worship services in the church since March because of the virus.
He added the service was held at his church because racism is a virus that has been killing people longer than the coronavirus.
"There's COVID-19 and then there's what I call COVID-1619," Warnock said, referring to the year the first enslaved Africans were brought to Jamestown, Va.
"They are both deadly," Warnock said. "We have to fight both with the same determination and focus."
Brooks' killing on June 12 happened less than three weeks after the May 25 police killing of Floyd in Minneapolis. Tensions and anger over systemic racism and police brutality were already simmering as protesters took to the streets in Atlanta and other cities across the nation.
"We really should not be here today"
Enlarge this image toggle caption Curtis Compton/AP Curtis Compton/AP
Bernice King, the youngest child of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., told mourners she did not know Rayshard Brooks or his family, but she knew their pain.
"I am here to stand with you in what feels like all-too-familiar moment: having a father killed when I was only 5 years of age. My heart deeply grieves," she said. "I know the pain of growing up without a father and the ongoing attention around his tragic loss."
King, who is a pastor, named all four of Brooks' children and said he should still be alive to watch them grow to adulthood.
"We really should not be here today," King said. "This did not have to happen to Rayshard."
She drew from historic to draw parallels of other events that took place on June 12. On that date in 1963, civil rights icon Medgar Evers was shot and killed in front of his home.
It was on June 12, 1964 that Nelson Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, was sentenced to life in prison. He spent 27 years behind bars before he was eventually released and went on to become South Africa's first black president.
King said the date will now be a constant reminder of the struggle for justice.
"Atlanta is being called to task now," she said. "The answer is not more diversity and inclusion, it's now time for Black Lives Matter."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Curtis Compton/AP Curtis Compton/AP
Officers charged in Brooks' killing
At the public viewing on Monday, some mourners paying respect to Brooks wore shirts that said "Black Lives Matter," while others stood silently before the gold casket where his body lay.
The scene had many similarities to the one that played out two weeks ago in Houston at the public viewing for Floyd. His body was placed in a similar gold casket.
Floyd, who was also Black, was killed when a white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for several minutes. Chauvin faces a second-degree murder charge.
The two officers involved in Brooks' killing have also been charged.
Garrett Rolfe, the officer who fired the fatal shots, was terminated from the Atlanta Police Department. Rolfe is facing 11 charges, including felony murder. If convicted, he faces the possibility of life without parole or the death penalty.
The other officer, Devin Brosnan, remains with the APD and is facing lesser charges.
In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Brosnan described Brooks' death as "a total tragedy."
He also told the AJC he was taken aback by the district attorney's decision to charge him in Brooks' killing, but added, "I'm still willing to cooperate." At the same time, he and his lawyer told the newspaper that he has not agreed to testify against Rolfe as a witness.
Officers were called to a Wendy's after Brooks fell asleep in the drive-through. Once on the scene, video of the encounter released by the APD show that officers talked to Brooks for more than half an hour.
Brooks was responsive to police demands, admitted he had been drinking earlier and performed a sobriety test, which he failed.
As Rolfe and Brosnan then struggled to get handcuffs on him, he was able to take one of the officers' stun guns. And as he was running away from the officers, he fired it back at police.
After giving a brief chase, Rolfe used his service weapon and fired three shots, two of them striking and killing Brooks.
Tyler Perry, the Atlanta-based movie and television mogul, is reported to be covering funeral costs for the family.


npr--2020-06-23--Coronavirus Concerns Shift Presidential Debate From Michigan To Florida

A presidential debate scheduled for Oct. 15 will no longer be held at the University of Michigan .
University President Mark Schlissel sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates explaining that coronavirus concerns made the logistics too difficult for the school to pull off .
`` Given the scale and complexity of the work we are undertaking to help assure a safe and healthy fall for our students , faculty and staff and limited visitors — and in consideration of the public health guidelines in our state as well as advice from our own experts — we feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safely host the presidential debate as planned , '' he wrote .
In March , the University of Michigan 's Ann Arbor campus was the site of one of the final large rallies of the presidential campaign , before coronavirus concerns shut down all in-person campaign activity for months .
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez drew an estimated 10,000 people , just days before most of the country went into quarantine mode .
The Commission on Presidential Debates announced the debate will instead be held at the Adrienne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miami .
The venue hosted the first debates of the Democratic presidential primary last summer .
While Michigan was one of the first states to see a heavy wave of coronavirus infections , Florida 's cases have risen drastically in recent weeks , after the state became one of the first to open back up economic activity .
The debate 's Oct. 15 date will not change .
As of right now , the other two face-to-face showdowns between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden remain unchanged : Sept. 29 at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside South Bend , Ind .
; and Oct. 22 at Belmont University in Nashville , Tenn. Vice President Pence is scheduled to debate Biden 's yet-to-be-decided running mate on Oct. 7 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City .
The venue shift comes as the Trump and Biden campaigns argue over how many debates to hold this fall .
Trump 's campaign recently challenged Biden to four face-to-face debates , rather than the three already announced and sanctioned by the commission .
It 's the type of proposal traditionally floated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though the Trump campaign is tying it to its attempts to make the 77-year-old Biden seem physically and mentally weak .
`` It 's pretty obvious that Joe Biden 's handlers are afraid to send their candidate out without a script and teleprompter handy , '' campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in a statement .
Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon sent a letter to the commission Monday confirming Biden 's commitment to the original plan of three debates , plus an additional forum for the two vice presidential candidates .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the polls , and is desperate to change the subject from his failed leadership of the country , we are seeing reports that he has his own proposal for debates — after having said , just six months ago , that he might not want to participate at all in planned debates .
No one should be fooled : the Trump campaign 's new position is a debate distraction , '' she wrote .
In the letter , O'Malley Dillon made it clear the Biden campaign , which has been far more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign , thinks the debates can and should take place this fall .
`` There is no reason why Vice President Biden and President Trump can not meet for debates with appropriate safety and social distancing measures ( set by public health authorities ) on the three dates the CPD has identified , '' she wrote .

Coronavirus Concerns Shift Presidential Debate From Michigan To Florida
Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP
A presidential debate scheduled for Oct. 15 will no longer be held at the University of Michigan.
University President Mark Schlissel sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates explaining that coronavirus concerns made the logistics too difficult for the school to pull off.
"Given the scale and complexity of the work we are undertaking to help assure a safe and healthy fall for our students, faculty and staff and limited visitors — and in consideration of the public health guidelines in our state as well as advice from our own experts — we feel it is not feasible for us to safely host the presidential debate as planned," he wrote.
In March, the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus was the site of one of the final large rallies of the presidential campaign, before coronavirus concerns shut down all in-person campaign activity for months. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez drew an estimated 10,000 people, just days before most of the country went into quarantine mode.
The Commission on Presidential Debates announced the debate will instead be held at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. The venue hosted the first debates of the Democratic presidential primary last summer.
While Michigan was one of the first states to see a heavy wave of coronavirus infections, Florida's cases have risen drastically in recent weeks, after the state became one of the first to open back up economic activity.
The debate's Oct. 15 date will not change. As of right now, the other two face-to-face showdowns between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden remain unchanged: Sept. 29 at the University of Notre Dame, just outside South Bend, Ind.; and Oct. 22 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.
Vice President Pence is scheduled to debate Biden's yet-to-be-decided running mate on Oct. 7 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
The venue shift comes as the Trump and Biden campaigns argue over how many debates to hold this fall.
Trump's campaign recently challenged Biden to four face-to-face debates, rather than the three already announced and sanctioned by the commission. It's the type of proposal traditionally floated by a candidate behind in the polls, though the Trump campaign is tying it to its attempts to make the 77-year-old Biden seem physically and mentally weak.
"It's pretty obvious that Joe Biden's handlers are afraid to send their candidate out without a script and teleprompter handy," campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in a statement.
Trump is 74 years old.
Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon sent a letter to the commission Monday confirming Biden's commitment to the original plan of three debates, plus an additional forum for the two vice presidential candidates.
"Now that Donald Trump is trailing badly in the polls, and is desperate to change the subject from his failed leadership of the country, we are seeing reports that he has his own proposal for debates — after having said, just six months ago, that he might not want to participate at all in planned debates. No one should be fooled: the Trump campaign's new position is a debate distraction," she wrote.
In the letter, O'Malley Dillon made it clear the Biden campaign, which has been far more careful about coronavirus precautions than the Trump campaign, thinks the debates can and should take place this fall.
"There is no reason why Vice President Biden and President Trump cannot meet for debates with appropriate safety and social distancing measures (set by public health authorities) on the three dates the CPD has identified," she wrote.


npr--2020-06-23--We Still Don't Fully Understand The Label 'Asymptomatic'

We Still Do n't Fully Understand The Label 'Asymptomatic' Even if someone is infected by the novel coronavirus and remains asymptomatic — free of coughing , fever , fatigue and other common signs of infection , that does n't mean the coronavirus is n't taking a toll .
The virus can still be causing mild — although likely reversible — harm to their lungs .
A new paper in Nature Medicine , published June 18 , documents the clinical patterns of asymptomatic infections .
It finds that many of the people studied developed signs of minor lung inflammation — akin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other symptoms of the coronavirus .
The study shows that being asymptomatic does n't always mean that no damage has occurred in someone 's body ; follow-up studies will help researchers assess for potential long-term impacts .
It also demonstrates that the intense scrutiny applied to novel coronavirus infections could shed light on how other respiratory diseases operate : Asymptomatic carriers of flu or common cold viruses are not studied much , so it 's unclear whether the documented inflammation is a typical immune response or specific to the novel coronavirus .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unclear .
`` Estimates suggest that anywhere between 6 % and 41 % of the population may be infected but not have symptoms , '' Maria Van Kerkhove , a top World Health Organization official , said June 9 .
Asymptomatic coronavirus carriers are hard to find and study — because people usually get tested for the coronavirus only if they think they may have it .
And some people who appear asymptomatic at first do later develop classic symptoms such as high temperatures , fatigue and difficulty breathing .
The Nature Medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the contact tracing and testing efforts of the Wanzhou District Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in central China , which screened 2,088 close contacts of coronavirus patients from February through early April .
The asymptomatic patients were hospitalized for observation .
Fifty-seven percent showed lung abnormalities on a CT scan , a sensitive imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional picture of the lungs .
Some showed `` striped shadows , '' while others presented with `` ground-glass opacities '' — clear signs of inflammation in the lungs .
`` To find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes on CTs is quite surprising , '' says Dr. Alvin Ing , a professor of respiratory medicine at Macquarie University who was not involved with the study .
It shows that even people with no outward signs of infection can be experiencing some temporary damage to their lungs .
It feeds into a pattern he 's seen in treating COVID-19 patients : `` The symptoms underestimate the severity of the disease . ''
In other words , the coronavirus is often taxing a person 's body more severely than their symptoms — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ findings are consistent with several studies following asymptomatic patients in China , which have found that many can develop lesions in the lungs despite having no outward symptoms , says Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Cousar , a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health in Denver not involved with the paper .
`` It probably is , at least in this disease , pretty common , '' she says .
Doctors in New York have seen similar patterns .
Dr. Jorge Mercado , a pulmonologist and critical care doctor at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn who is not affiliated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen many instances where a patient has come to the hospital for an issue not related to COVID-19 and tested positive for the coronavirus .
`` Those patients evolved into what this paper illustrates , which is [ their coronavirus infections ] causing pneumonia , causing inflammatory changes , '' he says .
Still , Taylor-Cousar cautions that researchers are studying the new coronavirus more intensively than they 've studied other respiratory ailments .
`` Usually if someone is asymptomatic [ with a common cold or flu virus ] , we would never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says , `` and we would never think to get a CT scan on them . ''
So there 's no comparable data to say whether the lung abnormalities are specific to asymptomatic coronavirus carriers , or common among respiratory viruses .
The patterns of lung disease seen on the CT scan can be caused by several factors .
`` It can be a little bit of fluid in the lungs , sometimes a little blood in a lung or sometimes just a small area of inflammation in the lung , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulmonary , allergy and critical care medicine at the Columbia University Medical Center .
`` When I look at these images , I see what to me looks like small areas of inflammation that we see with many kinds of lung infections . ''
For asymptomatic cases with mild lung inflammation and no other signs of illness , pulmonologists say they 're likely to kick the infection quickly and see no lasting lung damage .
`` I suspect that , if you followed up with these asymptomatic people in several months , most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal unless they were known to later develop symptoms , '' Taylor-Cousar says .
In the midst of an infection , however , doctors ca n't predict how an individual 's case will progress .
`` There 's no way to know who is going to stop with an asymptomatic infection and likely recover completely and who is likely to go on to more severe infection , '' Schluger says .
The Nature Medicine study also found pieces of the coronavirus in swab samples from asymptomatic patients for an average of 19 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group of mildly symptomatic patients .
While it does n't necessarily mean asymptomatic people are infectious the whole time , it does suggest they 're capable of spreading the virus to others at some point in their infections , Schluger says .
`` As we reopen society , that 's why it 's so important for people who are going out to wear a mask , '' he says .

We Still Don't Fully Understand The Label 'Asymptomatic'
Even if someone is infected by the novel coronavirus and remains asymptomatic — free of coughing, fever, fatigue and other common signs of infection, that doesn't mean the coronavirus isn't taking a toll. The virus can still be causing mild — although likely reversible — harm to their lungs.
A new paper in Nature Medicine, published June 18, documents the clinical patterns of asymptomatic infections. It finds that many of the people studied developed signs of minor lung inflammation — akin to walking pneumonia — while exhibiting no other symptoms of the coronavirus.
The study shows that being asymptomatic doesn't always mean that no damage has occurred in someone's body; follow-up studies will help researchers assess for potential long-term impacts. It also demonstrates that the intense scrutiny applied to novel coronavirus infections could shed light on how other respiratory diseases operate: Asymptomatic carriers of flu or common cold viruses are not studied much, so it's unclear whether the documented inflammation is a typical immune response or specific to the novel coronavirus.
The percentage of people with asymptomatic infections is unclear. "Estimates suggest that anywhere between 6% and 41% of the population may be infected but not have symptoms," Maria Van Kerkhove, a top World Health Organization official, said June 9.
Asymptomatic coronavirus carriers are hard to find and study — because people usually get tested for the coronavirus only if they think they may have it. And some people who appear asymptomatic at first do later develop classic symptoms such as high temperatures, fatigue and difficulty breathing.
The Nature Medicine paper analyzes 37 asymptomatic cases, found through the contact tracing and testing efforts of the Wanzhou District Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in central China, which screened 2,088 close contacts of coronavirus patients from February through early April.
The asymptomatic patients were hospitalized for observation. Fifty-seven percent showed lung abnormalities on a CT scan, a sensitive imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional picture of the lungs. Some showed "striped shadows," while others presented with "ground-glass opacities" — clear signs of inflammation in the lungs.
"To find so many asymptomatic patients with such significant changes on CTs is quite surprising," says Dr. Alvin Ing, a professor of respiratory medicine at Macquarie University who was not involved with the study. It shows that even people with no outward signs of infection can be experiencing some temporary damage to their lungs. It feeds into a pattern he's seen in treating COVID-19 patients: "The symptoms underestimate the severity of the disease." In other words, the coronavirus is often taxing a person's body more severely than their symptoms — or lack thereof — suggest.
The findings are consistent with several studies following asymptomatic patients in China, which have found that many can develop lesions in the lungs despite having no outward symptoms, says Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Cousar, a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health in Denver not involved with the paper. "It probably is, at least in this disease, pretty common," she says.
Doctors in New York have seen similar patterns. Dr. Jorge Mercado, a pulmonologist and critical care doctor at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn who is not affiliated with the study, says he's seen many instances where a patient has come to the hospital for an issue not related to COVID-19 and tested positive for the coronavirus. "Those patients evolved into what this paper illustrates, which is [their coronavirus infections] causing pneumonia, causing inflammatory changes," he says.
Still, Taylor-Cousar cautions that researchers are studying the new coronavirus more intensively than they've studied other respiratory ailments. "Usually if someone is asymptomatic [with a common cold or flu virus], we would never even see them at all," she says, "and we would never think to get a CT scan on them." So there's no comparable data to say whether the lung abnormalities are specific to asymptomatic coronavirus carriers, or common among respiratory viruses.
The patterns of lung disease seen on the CT scan can be caused by several factors. "It can be a little bit of fluid in the lungs, sometimes a little blood in a lung or sometimes just a small area of inflammation in the lung," says Dr. Neil Schluger, chief of pulmonary, allergy and critical care medicine at the Columbia University Medical Center. "When I look at these images, I see what to me looks like small areas of inflammation that we see with many kinds of lung infections."
For asymptomatic cases with mild lung inflammation and no other signs of illness, pulmonologists say they're likely to kick the infection quickly and see no lasting lung damage.
"I suspect that, if you followed up with these asymptomatic people in several months, most of their CT scans would be completely normal unless they were known to later develop symptoms," Taylor-Cousar says.
In the midst of an infection, however, doctors can't predict how an individual's case will progress. "There's no way to know who is going to stop with an asymptomatic infection and likely recover completely and who is likely to go on to more severe infection," Schluger says.
The Nature Medicine study also found pieces of the coronavirus in swab samples from asymptomatic patients for an average of 19 days — five days longer than a control group of mildly symptomatic patients. While it doesn't necessarily mean asymptomatic people are infectious the whole time, it does suggest they're capable of spreading the virus to others at some point in their infections, Schluger says. "As we reopen society, that's why it's so important for people who are going out to wear a mask," he says.


npr--2020-06-23--WATCH LIVE: 'None Of Us Have Ever Been Told To Slow Down On Testing,' Fauci Testifies

WATCH LIVE : 'None Of Us Have Ever Been Told To Slow Down On Testing , ' Fauci Testifies At a hearing on Capitol Hill today , Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health and leaders of federal agencies such as the CDC and the FDA , said they had not been told by anyone — including President Trump — to slow down testing for the coronavirus .
The statements came after Trump has repeatedly stated that more testing would lead to more infections being revealed .
`` None of us have ever been told to slow down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey .
`` That just is a fact . ''
He said that more testing is needed and that officials are seeing a `` disturbing surge '' in new coronavirus cases in several states , including Florida , Texas and Arizona .
An addition to Fauci , those testifying include Adm. Brett Giroir , assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services ; Stephen Hahn , Food and Drug Administration commissioner ; and Robert Redfield , director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The hearing itself bore some of the hallmarks of an America battling the coronavirus .
Fauci testified with a bottle of hand sanitizer and a container of Lysol wipes on the table next to him .
A number of committee members joined the hearing by video from their homes , with weak Internet connections occasionally garbling their questions .
All four health officials and many others in the room wore masks .
Trump has been much criticized for his handling of the coronavirus outbreak .
The U.S. now has the largest number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 2.3 million — as well as the most deaths — about 120,000 .
The daily number of people dying with COVID-19 has declined in recent weeks , but the number of cases is rising in many parts of the U.S .
The committee 's Democrats pressed the health officials for details on why the federal response has not been more effective and whether Trump prevented health experts from taking action sooner .
Fauci said there 's a reasonable chance there will be vaccine available by the `` beginning of 2021 . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be available for a vaccine , because companies were making doses already so they 'll be ready if one of the vaccines under development proves effective .
Hahn emphasized that while vaccine development is moving quickly , no corners are being cut in terms of safety .
Rep. Bobby Rush , D-Ill. , raised the issue of how the virus has disproportionately endangered African Americans and other minorities .
He asked Fauci whether institutional racism could be considered a comorbidity for COVID-19 .
`` Obviously the African American community has suffered from racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of time , '' Fauci replied .
`` And I can not imagine that that has not contributed to the conditions that they find themselves in , economically and otherwise .
So the answer , congressman , is yes . ''
Rep. Adam Kinzinger , R-Ill. , who said he had recently received a negative result on an antibody test , asked about the value of antibody testing if it 's not known whether antibodies confer protection against future infection .
Redfield said antibody testing is valuable to the CDC as a virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see what the full extent of the infection [ is ] , '' he said .
`` Right now , the data at a national level suggests that for every documented infection that you have as a case report , there 's actually about 10 other individuals that had been infected . ''
Members of the House committee probed topics that ranged from decisions made at the beginning of the crisis to remarks made by Trump in recent days . ''
At his campaign rally Saturday in Tulsa , Okla. , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow the testing down '' for the coronavirus .
`` When you do testing to that extent , you are gon na find more people , you 're gon na find more cases , '' Trump said .
`` So I said to my people , 'Slow the testing down , please . '
They test , and they test .
We have tests that people do n't know what 's going on . ''
Democrats have seized on the comments as evidence that Trump is putting politics ahead of the lives and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anna Eshoo , D-Calif. , both expressed anger that Trump had held the rally , which gathered thousands of people and did not require face coverings .
At a press briefing on Monday , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump has not directed officials to slow down testing and instead has `` led the way in making us the world 's leader with regard to testing . ''
She said that in his Tulsa comments , Trump `` was joking about the media and their failure to understand the fact than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find more cases . ''
McEnany praised the president 's response .
`` We could have lost 3 million lives but we lost far fewer because Trump took action early , '' she told reporters .
On Tuesday morning , Trump told reporters that he was not joking .
`` I do n't kid , '' Trump said .
`` Let me just tell you — let me make it clear : We have got the greatest testing program anywhere in the world .
We test better than anybody in the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , and we have the most of them . ''
During Tuesday 's testimony , Redfield said the U.S. is now doing 500,000-600,000 tests a day , and that surveillance is critical due to the often asymptomatic nature of coronavirus infection .
`` We 're continuing to try to enhance testing , '' he said .
`` It 's a critical underpinning of our response . ''
When asked what they needed from Congress in order to combat the virus , the health officials expressed gratitude for the congressional funding already received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to be `` sustainable '' rather than sporadic .
Fauci said there was a need to establish `` corporate memory . ''
`` We are going to through a terrible ordeal right now , '' he said .
`` This will end hopefully sooner rather than later , but we need to establish a system so that we are prepared for future outbreaks . ''

'None Of Us Have Ever Been Told To Slow Down On Testing,' Fauci Testifies To House
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kevin Dietsch/AFP via Getty Images Kevin Dietsch/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 2:50 p.m. ET
At a hearing Tuesday on Capitol Hill, Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health and other federal officials said that no one had told them — including President Trump — to slow down testing for the coronavirus. The statements came after Trump has repeatedly said that more testing would lead to more infections being revealed.
"None of us have ever been told to slow down on testing," Fauci told House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey. "That just is a fact." He said that more testing is needed and that officials are seeing a "disturbing surge" in new coronavirus cases in several states, including Florida, Texas and Arizona.
In addition to Fauci, those testifying include Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services; Stephen Hahn, Food and Drug Administration commissioner; and Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The hearing bore some of the hallmarks of an America battling the coronavirus. Fauci testified with a bottle of hand sanitizer and a container of Lysol wipes on the table next to him. A number of committee members joined the hearing by video from their homes, with weak Internet connections occasionally garbling their questions. All four health officials and many others in the room wore masks.
Trump has been much criticized for his handling of the coronavirus outbreak. The U.S. has the largest number of confirmed cases in the world — more than 2.3 million — as well as the most deaths — about 120,000. The daily number of people dying with COVID-19 has declined in recent weeks, but the number of cases is rising in many parts of the country.
The committee's Democrats pressed the health officials for details on why the federal response has not been more effective and whether Trump prevented health experts from taking action sooner.
As the most prominent scientist involved in the government's response, Fauci was occasionally put on the hot seat by both Democrats and Republicans. Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., asked him whether he thought criticism of Trump in the news media was unfair, noting that Fauci has sometimes contradicted the president's statements.
"I work in the White House, and I believe that everyone there is doing everything they possibly can to do what they need to do," Fauci replied.
McKinley then pointed to the lack of consensus about wearing masks, as late as March 31. He asked Fauci whether he regrets "not advising people more forcefully to wear masks earlier."
"OK, we're going to play that game," Fauci said, sounding annoyed. "I don't regret that, because let me explain to you what happened. At that time, there was a paucity of equipment that our health care providers needed, who put themselves daily in harm's way of taking care of people who are ill. We did not want to divert masks and PPE away from them, to be used by the people. Now that we have enough, we recommend. ..."
McKinley then cut him off and moved to his next question.
Later in the testimony, Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., asked Fauci and Redfield whether they had been consulted about Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization. Fauci and Redfield said they had not been directly consulted, but that they keep working with the agency on health matters.
"The CDC has a long history of working with WHO. We continue that collaboration," Redfield said. "We continue working at the technical scientist-to-scientist level."
The health officials were also asked to predict what might happen next in the battle against the virus.
Fauci said there's a reasonable chance a vaccine will be available by the "beginning of 2021." He said that a billion doses of a vaccine might be available within a year or two, because companies already were starting to plan to make doses should one of the vaccines under development prove effective. The FDA's Hahn emphasized that while vaccine development is moving quickly, no corners are being cut in terms of safety.
Asked whether children will be able to go back to school in the fall, Redfield said the building of capacity for testing, isolation, contact tracing and self-quarantine is happening now, and that he anticipates states will begin reopening schools and colleges. Fauci said that what a return to school looks like will depend on local infection rates — places with low levels of infection may be able to open normally, while others will need to make alterations that allow for social distancing.
Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., raised the issue of how the virus has disproportionately endangered African Americans and other minorities. He asked Fauci whether institutional racism could be considered a comorbidity for COVID-19.
"Obviously, the African American community has suffered from racism for a very, very long period of time," Fauci said. "And I cannot imagine that that has not contributed to the conditions that they find themselves in, economically and otherwise. So the answer, congressman, is yes."
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., who said he had recently received a negative result on an antibody test, asked about the value of antibody testing if it's not known whether antibodies confer protection against future infection.
Redfield said antibody testing is valuable to the CDC as a virus surveillance tool. "It allows us to see what the full extent of the infection [is]," he said. "Right now, the data at a national level suggests that for every documented infection that you have as a case report, there's actually about 10 other individuals that had been infected."
Members of the House committee probed topics that ranged from decisions made at the beginning of the crisis to Trump's remarks in recent days.
At his campaign rally Saturday in Tulsa, Okla., Trump said he told his administration to "slow the testing down" for the coronavirus.
"When you do testing to that extent, you are gonna find more people, you're gonna find more cases," Trump said. "So I said to my people, 'Slow the testing down, please.' They test, and they test. We have tests that people don't know what's going on."
Democrats have seized on those comments as evidence that Trump is putting politics ahead of the lives and livelihoods of Americans. Pallone and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., both expressed anger that Trump had held the rally, which gathered thousands of people and did not require face coverings.
At a press briefing Monday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump has not directed officials to slow down testing and instead has "led the way in making us the world's leader with regard to testing." She said that in his Tulsa comments, Trump "was joking about the media and their failure to understand the fact that when you test more, you also find more cases."
McEnany praised the president's response. "We could have lost 3 million lives, but we lost far fewer because Trump took action early," she told reporters.
On Tuesday morning, Trump told reporters that he was not joking.
"I don't kid," Trump said. "Let me just tell you — let me make it clear: We have got the greatest testing program anywhere in the world. We test better than anybody in the world. Our tests are the best in the world, and we have the most of them."
During Tuesday's testimony, Redfield said the U.S. is now doing 500,000 to 600,000 tests a day, and that surveillance is critical due to the often asymptomatic nature of coronavirus infection. "We're continuing to try to enhance testing," he said. "It's a critical underpinning of our response."
When asked what they needed from Congress to combat the virus, the health officials expressed gratitude for the congressional funding already received, but Redfield noted that such investments need to be "sustainable" rather than sporadic.
Fauci said there was a need to establish "corporate memory."
"We are going through a terrible ordeal right now," he said. "This will end hopefully sooner rather than later, but we need to establish a system so that we are prepared for future outbreaks."


npr--2020-06-23--Why There's A Push To Get Police Out Of Schools

Why There 's A Push To Get Police Out Of Schools At least two-thirds of American high school students attend a school with a police officer , according to the Urban Institute , and that proportion is higher for students of color .
Now , the national uprising for racial justice has led to a push to remove police officers from security positions inside schools .
School systems in Minneapolis , Milwaukee , Denver , Portland , Ore. , and two districts in the Bay Area have all moved in recent weeks to suspend or phase out ties with police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activist in Seattle , says removing police from schools has been a key demand of the Black Lives Matter movement for years .
`` There 's just so much research that shows that they are n't making our kids safe . ''
Data show that schools with cops are more likely to refer children to law enforcement , including for non-serious violent behaviors .
In 43 states and the District of Columbia , Black students are more likely to be arrested than other students while at school , according to an analysis by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And there 's been horrific acts of police violence in schools , '' Hagopian adds .
He points to two separate incidents captured on body cameras in the fall semester of 2019 .
One officer in Florida put a 6-year-old girl in handcuffs as she sobbed .
Another in New Mexico was shown shoving an 11-year-old girl against a wall .
Both students were Black .
`` And what is happening in schools around the country , '' says Hagopian , `` is , instead of figuring out how to help that [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time by having counselors , we meet these kids with force . ''
This all adds up to what Monique Morris calls the criminalization of Black students .
`` The presence of police in schools , I believe , is fueled by a dehumanization of children of color , which suggests that there needs to be a constant surveillance of these children in schools . ''
Morris is the author of the books Pushout and Sing A Rhythm , Dance a Blues about Black girls ' educational experiences .
She says new research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affluent schools are more likely to think of their job as protecting the school from outside threats , such as shootings .
But in schools that were lower-income and majority students of color , they are instead looking at the students themselves as threats .
`` For children of color , we see that this leads to a hyper-criminalization and a way that people perceive them to be criminal , even if they are just being children , '' Morris explains .
School resource officer programs began in the 1950s in Flint , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policing and to strengthen ties between young people and police , says Mo Canady of the National Association of School Resource Officers .
They grew quickly starting in the 1990s amid fear about school shootings .
The U.S. Department of Justice has funded these programs to the tune of tens of millions of dollars , expanding its support after the Parkland , Fla. , school shooting in 2018 .
Federal data analyzed by the American Civil Liberties Union shows millions of students , especially students of color , attend schools that have police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ psychologist .
In the past , parents have largely supported the presence of armed officers in schools , and until recently so have teacher unions .
That changed on June 18 , when the American Federation of Teachers , one of the country 's largest teacher unions , passed a resolution calling for the separation of school safety and policing .
`` There is n't much evidence indicating that police officers in schools make schools safer , '' says Dominique Parris of the research organization Child Trends .
`` What they do do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brown children are going to be involved in the legal system early and often . ''
There are dozens of documented incidents in the past decade where a resource officer tasered , pepper sprayed , injured or otherwise used force on a student .
Mo Canady of NASRO argues this is a problem of training .
When properly trained by his organization , he says SROs can prevent violence and juvenile arrests while building positive relationships .
`` When these relationships are built the way they should be , then we wind up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We wind up with parents of students sharing information .
And sometimes that information helps us to stop a potential act of violence before it ever , ever occurs . ''
A 2018 Washington Post analysis of nearly 200 incidents of gun violence on campus found only two times where a school resource officer successfully intervened in a shooting .
Canady says there are many more .
`` In several ... incidents SROs responded and stopped the shootings before more lives were lost .
In some cases , they stopped the shooting before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cites as a success story a 2018 incident in Maryland where a high school student killed an ex-girlfriend , injured another boy and then shot himself fatally as he was fired on by an SRO .
Still , research does n't definitively show SROs are effective at improving school safety .
The good news , say Morris and Parris , is that there are evidence-based alternatives .
These include restorative justice programs , a program called Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports , and having mental health counselors and other support staff available when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is conflict , rather than calling in law enforcement , [ the student ] can take a breath and go into meditation or they can watch a video and learn how to reset their emotions , '' says Morris .
Research by the U.S. Secret Service shows these interventions — designed to build trust between students and adults — can also prevent gun violence and mass shootings by making `` bystander '' students more likely to speak up if a classmate is making threats to others , or is suicidal .
Morris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safer and more welcoming for all students , without police .

Why There's A Push To Get Police Out Of Schools
Enlarge this image Jonell Joshua for NPR Jonell Joshua for NPR
At least two-thirds of American high school students attend a school with a police officer, according to the Urban Institute, and that proportion is higher for students of color. Now, the national uprising for racial justice has led to a push to remove police officers from security positions inside schools. School systems in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Denver, Portland, Ore., and two districts in the Bay Area have all moved in recent weeks to suspend or phase out ties with police.
Jesse Hagopian, a teacher and activist in Seattle, says removing police from schools has been a key demand of the Black Lives Matter movement for years.
"There's just so much research that shows that they aren't making our kids safe."
Data show that schools with cops are more likely to refer children to law enforcement, including for non-serious violent behaviors. In 43 states and the District of Columbia, Black students are more likely to be arrested than other students while at school, according to an analysis by the Education Week Research Center.
"And there's been horrific acts of police violence in schools," Hagopian adds.
He points to two separate incidents captured on body cameras in the fall semester of 2019. One officer in Florida put a 6-year-old girl in handcuffs as she sobbed. Another in New Mexico was shown shoving an 11-year-old girl against a wall. Both students were Black.
"And what is happening in schools around the country," says Hagopian, "is, instead of figuring out how to help that [student] who's having a difficult time by having counselors, we meet these kids with force."
This all adds up to what Monique Morris calls the criminalization of Black students.
"The presence of police in schools, I believe, is fueled by a dehumanization of children of color, which suggests that there needs to be a constant surveillance of these children in schools."
Morris is the author of the books Pushout and Sing A Rhythm, Dance a Blues about Black girls' educational experiences. She says new research shows that police in majority white and affluent schools are more likely to think of their job as protecting the school from outside threats, such as shootings. But in schools that were lower-income and majority students of color, they are instead looking at the students themselves as threats.
"For children of color, we see that this leads to a hyper-criminalization and a way that people perceive them to be criminal, even if they are just being children," Morris explains.
School resource officer programs began in the 1950s in Flint, Mich., as a form of community policing and to strengthen ties between young people and police, says Mo Canady of the National Association of School Resource Officers. They grew quickly starting in the 1990s amid fear about school shootings. The U.S. Department of Justice has funded these programs to the tune of tens of millions of dollars, expanding its support after the Parkland, Fla., school shooting in 2018.
Federal data analyzed by the American Civil Liberties Union shows millions of students, especially students of color, attend schools that have police officers, but no nurse or school psychologist.
In the past, parents have largely supported the presence of armed officers in schools, and until recently so have teacher unions. That changed on June 18, when the American Federation of Teachers, one of the country's largest teacher unions, passed a resolution calling for the separation of school safety and policing.
"There isn't much evidence indicating that police officers in schools make schools safer," says Dominique Parris of the research organization Child Trends. "What they do do is increase the likelihood that Black and brown children are going to be involved in the legal system early and often."
There are dozens of documented incidents in the past decade where a resource officer tasered, pepper sprayed, injured or otherwise used force on a student.
Mo Canady of NASRO argues this is a problem of training. When properly trained by his organization, he says SROs can prevent violence and juvenile arrests while building positive relationships. "When these relationships are built the way they should be, then we wind up with students sharing information with SROs. We wind up with parents of students sharing information. And sometimes that information helps us to stop a potential act of violence before it ever, ever occurs."
A 2018 Washington Post analysis of nearly 200 incidents of gun violence on campus found only two times where a school resource officer successfully intervened in a shooting. Canady says there are many more. "In several ... incidents SROs responded and stopped the shootings before more lives were lost. In some cases, they stopped the shooting before any lives were lost."
He cites as a success story a 2018 incident in Maryland where a high school student killed an ex-girlfriend, injured another boy and then shot himself fatally as he was fired on by an SRO.
Still, research doesn't definitively show SROs are effective at improving school safety. The good news, say Morris and Parris, is that there are evidence-based alternatives. These include restorative justice programs, a program called Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, and having mental health counselors and other support staff available when students are acting out.
"If there is conflict, rather than calling in law enforcement, [the student] can take a breath and go into meditation or they can watch a video and learn how to reset their emotions," says Morris.
Research by the U.S. Secret Service shows these interventions — designed to build trust between students and adults — can also prevent gun violence and mass shootings by making "bystander" students more likely to speak up if a classmate is making threats to others, or is suicidal.
Morris says these alternative strategies can make schools safer and more welcoming for all students, without police.


npr--2020-06-23--Immense Neolithic Ring Discovered Near Stonehenge

The mystery near and around Stonehenge keeps growing .
The latest revelation is the discovery of a ring of at least 20 prehistoric shafts about 2 miles from the famous Neolithic site of immense upright stones , according to an announcement from the University of Bradford .
Archaeologists say the `` astonishing '' shafts in Durrington Walls date back to 2500 B.C .
and form a circle more than 2 kilometers ( 1.2 miles ) in diameter .
Each one measures up to 10 meters ( 33 feet ) in diameter and 5 meters ( 16 feet ) deep .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 30 of the shafts at one time .
`` The area around Stonehenge is among the most studied archaeological landscapes on Earth and it is remarkable that the application of new technology can still lead to the discovery of such a massive prehistoric structure which , currently , is significantly larger than any comparative prehistoric monument that we know of in Britain , at least , '' said Professor Vincent Gaffney of the University of Bradford .
The research was conducted by a consortium of archaeologists as part of the Stonehenge Hidden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the lead institution , joined by Vienna 's Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology ; the Universities of Birmingham , St. Andrews and Warwick ; the University of Wales Trinity Saint Davids ; and the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre at the University of Glasgow .
When researchers first noted the underground pits , they believed they may have been caused naturally .
But when the team undertook geophysical surveys , the `` larger picture emerged '' and scientists were able to `` join the dots and see there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Gaffney explained .
The ring was discovered using remote sensing technology in what were previously believed to be `` empty spaces '' between the monuments that make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site .
Richard Bates with the University of St. Andrews said the discovery `` is giving us an insight to the past that shows an even more complex society than we could ever imagine . ''
Bates added : `` Clearly sophisticated practices demonstrate that the people were so in tune with natural events to an extent that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we live in today . ''
The exact purpose of the shafts is unclear , but one prominent theory is that they may have acted as a boundary to a sacred area connected to Stonehenge .

Immense Neolithic Ring Discovered Near Stonehenge
Enlarge this image toggle caption Steve Parsons/AP Steve Parsons/AP
The mystery near and around Stonehenge keeps growing.
The latest revelation is the discovery of a ring of at least 20 prehistoric shafts about 2 miles from the famous Neolithic site of immense upright stones, according to an announcement from the University of Bradford.
Archaeologists say the "astonishing" shafts in Durrington Walls date back to 2500 B.C. and form a circle more than 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) in diameter. Each one measures up to 10 meters (33 feet) in diameter and 5 meters (16 feet) deep.
Researchers say there may have been more than 30 of the shafts at one time.
"The area around Stonehenge is among the most studied archaeological landscapes on Earth and it is remarkable that the application of new technology can still lead to the discovery of such a massive prehistoric structure which, currently, is significantly larger than any comparative prehistoric monument that we know of in Britain, at least," said Professor Vincent Gaffney of the University of Bradford.
University of Bradford YouTube
The research was conducted by a consortium of archaeologists as part of the Stonehenge Hidden Landscape Project. The University of Bradford was the lead institution, joined by Vienna's Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology; the Universities of Birmingham, St. Andrews and Warwick; the University of Wales Trinity Saint Davids; and the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre at the University of Glasgow.
When researchers first noted the underground pits, they believed they may have been caused naturally. But when the team undertook geophysical surveys, the "larger picture emerged" and scientists were able to "join the dots and see there was a pattern on a massive scale," Gaffney explained.
The ring was discovered using remote sensing technology in what were previously believed to be "empty spaces" between the monuments that make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Richard Bates with the University of St. Andrews said the discovery "is giving us an insight to the past that shows an even more complex society than we could ever imagine."
Bates added: "Clearly sophisticated practices demonstrate that the people were so in tune with natural events to an extent that we can barely conceive in the modern world we live in today."
The exact purpose of the shafts is unclear, but one prominent theory is that they may have acted as a boundary to a sacred area connected to Stonehenge.


npr--2020-06-23--An Electric Pickup Truck Brings New Energy To Lordstown, Ohio

An Electric Pickup Truck Brings New Energy To Lordstown , Ohio When the General Motors plant in Lordstown , Ohio , went dark last year , it was a familiar story for the region .
Yet another manufacturing powerhouse — a pillar of the local economy and a rare source of good jobs — was shutting down .
But the closure of the plant was not the end of the story .
The factory was sold to Lordstown Motors , a startup building an electric pickup truck that 's scheduled to be unveiled on Thursday .
And now Lordstown is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electric vehicles — and northeast Ohio 's hopes for a battery-powered economic revival .
Steve Burns , the CEO of Lordstown Motors , says the company has ambitious plans to eventually hire thousands of people back to the plant .
But one of the selling points of electric vehicles — their simplicity — also means they require fewer human hands to assemble them .
In its heyday , the General Motors plant in Lordstown bustled with more than 10,000 workers .
The vast parking lots were full .
Youngstown native Frances Turnage worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades starting in 1972 , doing everything from assembly to welding .
She says the work was difficult , but the pay and benefits for a unionized auto worker far surpassed the other jobs in the region .
Over the decades , she saw the plant transform .
`` I looked around one day and I saw a lot of the jobs were empty and were replaced with robots , '' she says .
`` It got lonely .
I actually would go in and make fun ... talking to the robots , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I had to talk to sometimes . ''
She retired well before GM shuttered the plant , but still wept at the decision .
`` That was just another blow , '' she said , to a region that had already lost so many jobs .
She 's followed the news about Lordstown 's plans for the facility .
Like many in the community , she 's wishing for the best .
`` Oh , I hope it works , '' she says .
`` I pray it does work . ''
Inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for months to convert assembly lines designed for the Chevy Cruze — a sedan with a gasoline-powered engine — so they can build a pickup truck powered by batteries instead .
Pickup trucks are popular and profitable , and multiple automakers are racing to bring electric versions to market within the next year or so .
Tesla , which drove the industrywide shift toward electrification , has the Cybertruck .
Ford is electrifying the F-150 , and GM 's new Hummer is an electric pickup .
Then there are the startups : Nikola @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Lordstown Motors .
George Syrianoudis , who worked in the GM plant for more than 30 years , retired when GM shut it down but leapt at the chance to come back and work on the retooling .
Earlier this spring , he was powering robots back up to confirm that they still work .
`` If something does n't work , the nice thing is , we have a lot of extra robots that we 're not going to need , '' he says .
Large portions of the vast manufacturing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cold to save on power .
The occasional worker passes through on a bicycle — the plant is 6 million square feet , or more than 100 football fields .
Much of the machinery for the Cruze can be resized or reprogrammed to work for the Endurance pickup .
But not everything can make the switch .
The battery pack line will have to be built from scratch , and the old engine line is completely irrelevant .
Instead of an internal combustion engine , the Endurance pickup truck is designed with four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a motor incorporated into each of the four wheels .
All electric vehicles are simple compared to gas- or diesel-powered cars .
But the Endurance is simple even for an electric vehicle , CEO Burns says .
`` This vehicle has four moving parts , '' says Burns , compared to hundreds or thousands for a typical vehicle .
`` You ca n't ever get simpler than the only moving parts are the wheels . ''
That means lower labor costs — which is to say , fewer jobs .
This is part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry , says Kristin Dziczek , the vice president of labor , economics and manufacturing at the Center for Automotive Research .
Think of Frances Turnage , talking to her robotic neighbors .
`` Reducing complexity , improving the productivity of vehicle manufacturing , introducing more automation into the process — there are going to be fewer people building vehicles in the future no matter what they 're building , '' she says .
But even a smaller number of jobs would be better than a totally empty factory .
`` General Motors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my business , '' says Earl Ross Jr. , whose family owns and operates a pub right across the street from the plant .
After the `` rebirth '' at Lordstown Motors , he 's hoping for `` brighter days ahead . ''
It 's challenging to launch a new auto company at the best of times , and now Lordstown Motors is grappling with a recession .
Still , the local community is hoping that , in the end , this will be a battery-powered success story .

An Electric Pickup Truck Brings New Energy To Lordstown, Ohio
toggle caption Carter Eugene Adams for NPR
When the General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio, went dark last year, it was a familiar story for the region. Yet another manufacturing powerhouse — a pillar of the local economy and a rare source of good jobs — was shutting down.
But the closure of the plant was not the end of the story. The factory was sold to Lordstown Motors, a startup building an electric pickup truck that's scheduled to be unveiled on Thursday.
And now Lordstown is a symbol of the industrywide shift toward electric vehicles — and northeast Ohio's hopes for a battery-powered economic revival.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Carter Eugene Adams for NPR Carter Eugene Adams for NPR
Steve Burns, the CEO of Lordstown Motors, says the company has ambitious plans to eventually hire thousands of people back to the plant. But one of the selling points of electric vehicles — their simplicity — also means they require fewer human hands to assemble them.
'Just another blow'
In its heyday, the General Motors plant in Lordstown bustled with more than 10,000 workers. The vast parking lots were full.
Youngstown native Frances Turnage worked at the plant for more than three decades starting in 1972, doing everything from assembly to welding. She says the work was difficult, but the pay and benefits for a unionized auto worker far surpassed the other jobs in the region.
Over the decades, she saw the plant transform.
"I looked around one day and I saw a lot of the jobs were empty and were replaced with robots," she says. "It got lonely. I actually would go in and make fun ... talking to the robots, you know, because that was all I had to talk to sometimes."
She retired well before GM shuttered the plant, but still wept at the decision. "That was just another blow," she said, to a region that had already lost so many jobs.
She's followed the news about Lordstown's plans for the facility. Like many in the community, she's wishing for the best.
"Oh, I hope it works," she says. "I pray it does work."
toggle caption Carter Eugene Adams for NPR
Rebooting and reprogramming
Inside the plant, teams have been working for months to convert assembly lines designed for the Chevy Cruze — a sedan with a gasoline-powered engine — so they can build a pickup truck powered by batteries instead.
Pickup trucks are popular and profitable, and multiple automakers are racing to bring electric versions to market within the next year or so. Tesla, which drove the industrywide shift toward electrification, has the Cybertruck. Ford is electrifying the F-150, and GM's new Hummer is an electric pickup. Then there are the startups: Nikola, Rivian and Bollinger, as well as Lordstown Motors.
George Syrianoudis, who worked in the GM plant for more than 30 years, retired when GM shut it down but leapt at the chance to come back and work on the retooling. Earlier this spring, he was powering robots back up to confirm that they still work.
"If something doesn't work, the nice thing is, we have a lot of extra robots that we're not going to need," he says.
Large portions of the vast manufacturing facility are walled off, dark and cold to save on power. The occasional worker passes through on a bicycle — the plant is 6 million square feet, or more than 100 football fields.
Much of the machinery for the Cruze can be resized or reprogrammed to work for the Endurance pickup. But not everything can make the switch. The battery pack line will have to be built from scratch, and the old engine line is completely irrelevant.
Instead of an internal combustion engine, the Endurance pickup truck is designed with four electric hub motors — that is, a motor incorporated into each of the four wheels.
toggle caption Carter Eugene Adams for NPR
Fewer moving parts
All electric vehicles are simple compared to gas- or diesel-powered cars. But the Endurance is simple even for an electric vehicle, CEO Burns says.
"This vehicle has four moving parts," says Burns, compared to hundreds or thousands for a typical vehicle. "You can't ever get simpler than the only moving parts are the wheels."
That means lower labor costs — which is to say, fewer jobs.
This is part of a much broader trend within the industry, says Kristin Dziczek, the vice president of labor, economics and manufacturing at the Center for Automotive Research. Think of Frances Turnage, talking to her robotic neighbors.
"Reducing complexity, improving the productivity of vehicle manufacturing, introducing more automation into the process — there are going to be fewer people building vehicles in the future no matter what they're building," she says.
But even a smaller number of jobs would be better than a totally empty factory.
"General Motors pulling out was terrible. Lost half my business," says Earl Ross Jr., whose family owns and operates a pub right across the street from the plant.
After the "rebirth" at Lordstown Motors, he's hoping for "brighter days ahead."
It's challenging to launch a new auto company at the best of times, and now Lordstown Motors is grappling with a recession. Still, the local community is hoping that, in the end, this will be a battery-powered success story.