npr--2020-01-16--Scientists Sent Mighty Mice To Space To Improve Treatments Back On Earth

Scientists Sent Mighty Mice To Space To Improve Treatments Back On Earth In early December at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida , two anxious scientists were about to send 20 years of research into orbit .
`` I feel like our heart and soul is going up in that thing , '' Dr. Emily Germain-Lee told her husband , Dr. Se-Jin Lee , as they waited arm-in-arm for a SpaceX rocket to launch .
A few seconds later the spacecraft took off , transporting some very unusual mice to the International Space Station , where they would spend more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ordinarily , that would cause the animals ' bones to weaken and their muscles to atrophy .
But Lee and Germain-Lee , a power couple in the research world , were hoping that would n't happen with these mice .
`` It was worth waiting 20 years for , '' Lee said as the Falcon 9 rocket headed toward space .
`` And someday it may really help people , '' Germain-Lee added .
The couple hope that what they learn from these mice will lead to new treatments for millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bones .
Among those who might eventually benefit : children with muscular dystrophy or brittle bone disease , cancer patients with muscle wasting , bedridden patients recovering from hip fractures , older people whose bones and muscles have become dangerously weak , and astronauts on long space voyages .
For Lee and Germain-Lee , both professors at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine , the launch represented a high point in a partnership that began in the late 1970s .
`` We met when I was 18 and we were biochem majors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Harvard undergraduates clicked .
And in those early years , Emily had a teenager 's big dreams about what she and Se-Jin might accomplish .
`` Would n't that be amazing if one day we worked on some project together that had incredible meaning and helped people , '' she recalled thinking .
`` All that stuff . ''
The couple went to medical school together at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore .
She went on to become a pediatric endocrinologist who treated children with rare bone disorders .
He added a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lab that studied muscle growth .
Along the way , they got married and had a son .
And in the late 1990s , Se-Jin Lee got kind of famous for helping to create some bulked-up rodents known as `` mighty mice . ''
Lee showed me one when I visited his lab in 2006 .
It had been genetically engineered to have about four times the muscle mass of a normal mouse .
Lee had altered the animal 's genes so it would n't produce a protein called myostatin .
Ordinarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Without it , you get the mouse version of Arnold Schwarzenegger .
`` If you open up the mouse and actually look at the muscles it is really unbelievable , '' he told me .
`` These animals are almost getting to the point where they do n't really look like mice . ''
Lee thought his discovery might help people with diseases that weaken muscles .
So he began looking for a drug that could block myostatin and duplicate the effects of genetic engineering .
Meanwhile , as Germain-Lee treated more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she noticed that weak bones could lead to weak muscles .
`` My bone patients do n't escape muscle loss because they have long periods of time where they ca n't move or their whole lifetime where they 're wheelchair bound , '' she said .
And because she also sees patients with diseases like muscular dystrophy , she realized it could work the other way .
`` Any muscle disease leads to weakness and any weakness leads to bone fragility eventually , '' Germain-Lee said .
At home , the couple spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her patients and his work on myostatin .
`` Probably most people would think we 're really odd , '' Germain-Lee said .
`` But it 's given great meaning to our life . ''
Over the years , they realized that what many patients really needed was a way to simultaneously strengthen muscle and bone .
And remarkably , they eventually identified a drug with the potential to do that .
It 's a substance that affects not only myostatin , but also a protein called activin , which is involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And it would bring together the parallel lines of research each scientist had been following for decades .
Germain-Lee wanted to test the drug on mice in her lab that developed a version of osteogenesis imperfecta , also known as brittle bone disease .
`` I said , oh my gosh I really have to try this , and Se-Jin said sure , '' she said .
`` And those were the first set of experiments we did together . ''
The experiments , published in 2015 , were successful .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ muscles .
And the results helped inspire Lee to revive an idea he 'd been pursuing for two decades .
It involved astronauts .
`` Astronauts in space have lots of health things that they need to be thinking about , '' he said , `` but certainly at the top of that list would be muscle loss and bone loss .
Without gravity , astronauts can lose up to 20 percent of their muscle mass in less than two weeks , according to research by NASA .
And as muscles atrophy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting in the late 1990s , Lee had approached NASA about funding an experiment to see whether his mighty mice maintained their muscles in space .
But his efforts to interest the agency in the project `` failed miserably , '' he said .
That changed after the couple had moved to Hartford , where , in addition to their faculty posts at the University of Connecticut , Germain Lee holds an appointment at Connecticut Children 's Medical Center and Lee works at The Jackson Laboratory .
And it was through The Jackson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send his mighty mice to the International Space Station .
In late 2018 , the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space , which manages the International Space Station , contacted The Jackson Laboratory about potential science projects .
And Lee 's new employer suggested the mighty mice .
Lee and Germain-Lee quickly assembled an experiment that included not only the bulked up rodents , but normal mice that would receive the drug that ( on earth ) builds both muscle and bone .
The mice , which had gone into orbit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earth in early January .
And since then , Lee and Germain-Lee have been hard at work analyzing what happened to the animals ' muscles and bones .
It will take months to know for sure whether any of the mice were able to defy the usual effects of weightlessness .
Also scientists rarely discuss experiments before they 're published .
But the couple says preliminary results look promising .

Scientists Sent Mighty Mice To Space To Improve Treatments Back On Earth
Enlarge this image toggle caption NASA NASA
In early December at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, two anxious scientists were about to send 20 years of research into orbit.
"I feel like our heart and soul is going up in that thing," Dr. Emily Germain-Lee told her husband, Dr. Se-Jin Lee, as they waited arm-in-arm for a SpaceX rocket to launch.
A few seconds later the spacecraft took off, transporting some very unusual mice to the International Space Station, where they would spend more than a month in near zero gravity.
Ordinarily, that would cause the animals' bones to weaken and their muscles to atrophy. But Lee and Germain-Lee, a power couple in the research world, were hoping that wouldn't happen with these mice.
"It was worth waiting 20 years for," Lee said as the Falcon 9 rocket headed toward space. "And someday it may really help people," Germain-Lee added.
The couple hope that what they learn from these mice will lead to new treatments for millions of people with conditions that weaken muscles and bones. Among those who might eventually benefit: children with muscular dystrophy or brittle bone disease, cancer patients with muscle wasting, bedridden patients recovering from hip fractures, older people whose bones and muscles have become dangerously weak, and astronauts on long space voyages.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Jennifer Read Courtesy of Jennifer Read
For Lee and Germain-Lee, both professors at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, the launch represented a high point in a partnership that began in the late 1970s.
"We met when I was 18 and we were biochem majors in college together," Germain-Lee said.
The Harvard undergraduates clicked. And in those early years, Emily had a teenager's big dreams about what she and Se-Jin might accomplish.
"Wouldn't that be amazing if one day we worked on some project together that had incredible meaning and helped people," she recalled thinking. "All that stuff."
The couple went to medical school together at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
She went on to become a pediatric endocrinologist who treated children with rare bone disorders. He added a Ph.D. to his M.D. and started a lab that studied muscle growth.
Along the way, they got married and had a son. And in the late 1990s, Se-Jin Lee got kind of famous for helping to create some bulked-up rodents known as "mighty mice."
Lee showed me one when I visited his lab in 2006. It had been genetically engineered to have about four times the muscle mass of a normal mouse.
Lee had altered the animal's genes so it wouldn't produce a protein called myostatin. Ordinarily, myostatin limits the growth of muscles. Without it, you get the mouse version of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"If you open up the mouse and actually look at the muscles it is really unbelievable," he told me. "These animals are almost getting to the point where they don't really look like mice." Lee thought his discovery might help people with diseases that weaken muscles. So he began looking for a drug that could block myostatin and duplicate the effects of genetic engineering.
Meanwhile, as Germain-Lee treated more and more children with bone diseases, she noticed that weak bones could lead to weak muscles.
"My bone patients don't escape muscle loss because they have long periods of time where they can't move or their whole lifetime where they're wheelchair bound," she said.
And because she also sees patients with diseases like muscular dystrophy, she realized it could work the other way. "Any muscle disease leads to weakness and any weakness leads to bone fragility eventually," Germain-Lee said.
At home, the couple spent many evenings discussing muscle, bone, her patients and his work on myostatin.
"Probably most people would think we're really odd," Germain-Lee said. "But it's given great meaning to our life."
Over the years, they realized that what many patients really needed was a way to simultaneously strengthen muscle and bone. And remarkably, they eventually identified a drug with the potential to do that.
It's a substance that affects not only myostatin, but also a protein called activin, which is involved in the growth of both muscle and bone. And it would bring together the parallel lines of research each scientist had been following for decades.
Germain-Lee wanted to test the drug on mice in her lab that developed a version of osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease. "I said, oh my gosh I really have to try this, and Se-Jin said sure," she said. "And those were the first set of experiments we did together."
The experiments, published in 2015, were successful. The mice developed both stronger bones and bigger muscles. And the results helped inspire Lee to revive an idea he'd been pursuing for two decades. It involved astronauts.
"Astronauts in space have lots of health things that they need to be thinking about," he said, "but certainly at the top of that list would be muscle loss and bone loss.
Without gravity, astronauts can lose up to 20 percent of their muscle mass in less than two weeks, according to research by NASA. And as muscles atrophy, bones begin to weaken too.
So starting in the late 1990s, Lee had approached NASA about funding an experiment to see whether his mighty mice maintained their muscles in space. But his efforts to interest the agency in the project "failed miserably," he said.
That changed after the couple had moved to Hartford, where, in addition to their faculty posts at the University of Connecticut, Germain Lee holds an appointment at Connecticut Children's Medical Center and Lee works at The Jackson Laboratory.
And it was through The Jackson Laboratory that Lee got a chance to send his mighty mice to the International Space Station.
In late 2018, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, which manages the International Space Station, contacted The Jackson Laboratory about potential science projects. And Lee's new employer suggested the mighty mice.
Lee and Germain-Lee quickly assembled an experiment that included not only the bulked up rodents, but normal mice that would receive the drug that (on earth) builds both muscle and bone.
The mice, which had gone into orbit in December, were brought back to earth in early January. And since then, Lee and Germain-Lee have been hard at work analyzing what happened to the animals' muscles and bones.
It will take months to know for sure whether any of the mice were able to defy the usual effects of weightlessness. Also scientists rarely discuss experiments before they're published.
But the couple says preliminary results look promising.


npr--2020-01-16--Senators To Be Sworn In For Trump Impeachment Trial

Senators To Be Sworn In For Trump Impeachment Trial The Senate Thursday will take some of its first steps to prepare for next week 's impeachment trial of President Trump , just the third such trial in Senate history .
Like many congressional activities , the process begins with much pomp and circumstance and procedure and process .
But little of substance will be achieved until the case for impeachment is presented next week .
First though , there are some housekeeping measures .
To start , the seven House managers named by Speaker Nancy Pelosi Wednesday will be escorted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and formally read the resolution appointing them , and the two articles of impeachment approved by the House last month .
Sometime after that , the Senate will move to take up the articles , notifying the House and Chief Justice John Roberts of the time that will occur .
Roberts will then cross First Street from the Supreme Court building over to the Capitol , and be escorted into the chamber by the Senate president pro tempore , the most senior member of the majority , Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the presiding officer during the trial , and Roberts will then swear in the 100 Senators to act as jurors .
Senate rules say the president is then summoned and given a chance to respond .
President Trump will be primarily represented by two attorneys , White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow , a private attorney who represented Trump in the Russia investigation .
But that is expected to be the extent of the `` action '' this week .
Senators will likely head home for the Martin Luther King @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the trial will get under way next Tuesday .
Senators may chafe at some of the conditions they 'll have to deal with once that happens .
They are expected to be seated at their desks , and will have to refrain from talking to one another during the arguments .
They 'll need to rise when Chief Justice Roberts enters and exits the chamber , and should votes occur , they 'll have to stand then too .
Perhaps most difficult of all , senators will be separated from their cellphones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to check them in their cloakrooms .

Senators Swear To Render 'Impartial Justice' In Impeachment Trial
Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Updated at 3:10 p.m. ET
Amid much pomp and circumstance, the Senate took some of its first steps on Thursday to prepare for next week's impeachment trial of President Trump, just the third such trial in Senate history.
Chief Justice John Roberts, having crossed First Street from the Supreme Court building over to the Capitol, joined senators in the chamber and then was sworn in by Senate President pro tempore Chuck Grassley of Iowa. Roberts will preside over the trial.
Calling on them to render "impartial justice," Roberts then swore in the senators to act as jurors.
Ninety-nine of the 100 senators were sworn in for the trial (Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., was absent because of a family illness; he'll be sworn in when he returns).
Senators then each signed an oath book.
Earlier in the afternoon, the seven House managers named by Speaker Nancy Pelosi gathered in the Senate chamber. The lead manager, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., formally read the resolution appointing them and the two articles of impeachment approved by the House last month.
Watch that presentation.
The president was then summoned and given a chance to respond. He'll have until noon Monday to submit his brief. President Trump will be primarily represented by two attorneys, White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow, a private attorney who represented Trump in the Russia investigation.
Despite all the ruffles and flourishes, that was the extent of the "action" this week. Senators will likely head home for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, and the essence of the trial will get under way next Tuesday, at 1 p.m. ET.
Senators may chafe at some of the conditions they'll have to deal with once that happens. They are expected to be seated at their desks and will have to refrain from talking to one another during the arguments.
They'll need to rise when Roberts enters and exits the chamber, and should votes occur, they'll have to stand then, too.
Perhaps most difficult of all, senators will be separated from their cellphones while in the chamber and must check them in their cloakrooms.


npr--2020-01-16--Tattoo Removal Programs Help Former Inmates Wipe The Slate Clean

Tattoo Removal Programs Help Former Inmates Wipe The Slate Clean Shane MacLeod spent 14 years in federal prison for armed robbery and he 's covered from head-to-toe in tattoos .
The only things not covered are his butt cheeks and the tops of his feet .
Inmates often tattoo one another with makeshift tools .
Some get gang-related tattoos , which they consider a matter of survival .
Others , such as 41-year-old MacLeod , are simply lured by the art .
`` It 's kind of weird , because once you start getting tattoos , it 's like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Ya just keep gettin ' 'em , and gettin ' 'em , and gettin ' 'em , and the next thing ya know , you 've got all this skin covered , and you 're like , oh my god , what the hell happened ? ''
But these days MacLeod notices people 's reactions to his tattoos : they 're either repelled or standoffish .
Tattoos can be a barrier for people getting out of prison .
They can make it hard to find jobs , to feel safe in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to leave the past behind .
Now there are programs to help inmates with tattoos wipe the slate clean .
Mark Drevno is executive director of the California-based nonprofit Jails to Jobs , which helps former prisoners find employment .
He worries about their visible anti-social tattoos , such as swastikas , knives and profanity .
`` Those types of tattoos are real job stoppers , '' Drevno says .
So his organization has published a national directory of more than 300 free and low-cost tattoo removal programs for formerly incarcerated people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Drevno says the tattoo removal is essential to finding employment , housing , safety , family reconciliation and healing .
When MacLeod was released from prison two years ago , he had trouble finding work .
The problem , his case manager said , was his face and neck tattoos – bold and intricate interlocking curves above fearsome gothic images .
In the upscale Boston office of The Finery , a tattoo-removal business with a special program to remove face , neck and hand tattoos of formerly incarcerated people free of charge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goggles .
To remove the tattoos , skilled technicians use laser machines to break up the ink particles , which the body then absorbs and flushes out .
Sessions are six weeks apart , to allow the skin to heal in the interim .
But the process is painful .
MacLeod says it 's like grease that jumps out of a bacon-frying pan and burns your arm .
He dreads the pain , but he 's sticking with the program because he 's tired of being pre-judged .
There are his kids , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 , 16 and 22 .
MacLeod 's thinking about their weddings , and school functions with other parents .
He wants to blend in .
Carmen Brodie , founder and CEO of The Finery , says of the 150 people who 've started its special program , nearly 40 have completed it .
`` Our biggest difficulty , and the biggest heartbreak in the whole thing , is that a lot of time we 'll let folks into the program , but they have a hard time finishing it , they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day that they 're scheduled for , '' Brodie says .
So Brodie 's in talks with Massachusetts ' maximum security prison to bring the program 's mobile unit out there .
Tattoo removal before release , she says , would be a gamechanger .
If approved , Massachusetts would join a handful of state prisons with pre-release tattoo removal programs .
California is about to expand its pre-release programs from two to 21 locations in the state .
The goal is to offer the service to approximately 3,000 offenders per year .

Tattoo Removal Programs Help Former Inmates Wipe The Slate Clean
Enlarge this image toggle caption Judith Kogan/NPR Judith Kogan/NPR
Shane MacLeod spent 14 years in federal prison for armed robbery and he's covered from head-to-toe in tattoos. The only things not covered are his butt cheeks and the tops of his feet.
Inmates often tattoo one another with makeshift tools. Some get gang-related tattoos, which they consider a matter of survival. Others, such as 41-year-old MacLeod, are simply lured by the art.
"It's kind of weird, because once you start getting tattoos, it's like a tattoo fever thing," MacLeod says. "Ya just keep gettin' 'em, and gettin' 'em, and gettin' 'em, and the next thing ya know, you've got all this skin covered, and you're like, oh my god, what the hell happened?"
But these days MacLeod notices people's reactions to his tattoos: they're either repelled or standoffish.
Tattoos can be a barrier for people getting out of prison. They can make it hard to find jobs, to feel safe in certain neighborhoods, to reconcile with family and to leave the past behind. Now there are programs to help inmates with tattoos wipe the slate clean.
Mark Drevno is executive director of the California-based nonprofit Jails to Jobs, which helps former prisoners find employment. He worries about their visible anti-social tattoos, such as swastikas, knives and profanity.
"Those types of tattoos are real job stoppers," Drevno says.
So his organization has published a national directory of more than 300 free and low-cost tattoo removal programs for formerly incarcerated people. They're in 42 states.
Drevno says the tattoo removal is essential to finding employment, housing, safety, family reconciliation and healing.
When MacLeod was released from prison two years ago, he had trouble finding work. The problem, his case manager said, was his face and neck tattoos – bold and intricate interlocking curves above fearsome gothic images.
In the upscale Boston office of The Finery, a tattoo-removal business with a special program to remove face, neck and hand tattoos of formerly incarcerated people free of charge, MacLeod reclines with his eyes protected by goggles.
To remove the tattoos, skilled technicians use laser machines to break up the ink particles, which the body then absorbs and flushes out. Sessions are six weeks apart, to allow the skin to heal in the interim. But the process is painful.
MacLeod says it's like grease that jumps out of a bacon-frying pan and burns your arm. He dreads the pain, but he's sticking with the program because he's tired of being pre-judged.
There are his kids, including 6-month-old twins. The others are 6, 16 and 22.
MacLeod's thinking about their weddings, and school functions with other parents. He wants to blend in.
Carmen Brodie, founder and CEO of The Finery, says of the 150 people who've started its special program, nearly 40 have completed it.
"Our biggest difficulty, and the biggest heartbreak in the whole thing, is that a lot of time we'll let folks into the program, but they have a hard time finishing it, they have a hard time getting here on the day that they're scheduled for," Brodie says.
So Brodie's in talks with Massachusetts' maximum security prison to bring the program's mobile unit out there. Tattoo removal before release, she says, would be a gamechanger.
If approved, Massachusetts would join a handful of state prisons with pre-release tattoo removal programs. California is about to expand its pre-release programs from two to 21 locations in the state. The goal is to offer the service to approximately 3,000 offenders per year.


npr--2020-01-16--In 2012, Obama Won This Tiny Iowa County By 21 Points. Then Trump Won It By 20

In 2012 , Obama Won This Tiny Iowa County By 21 Points .
Then Trump Won It By 20 Back in 2016 , as she campaigned for Hillary Clinton , Laura Hubka could feel her county converting .
`` People were chasing me out the door , slamming the door in my face , calling Hillary names , '' Hubka recalled .
Hubka is the chair of the Democratic Party in Howard County , Iowa .
It 's a tiny county of just about 9,000 people on the Minnesota border , and it 's mostly white , rural and , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Howard County voted for then-President Barack Obama by 21 percentage points .
In 2016 , it voted for candidate Donald Trump by 20 points .
Of Iowa 's 99 counties , 31 swung from voting for the Democrat Obama in 2008 and 2012 to the Republican Trump in 2016 , according to Ballotpedia .
Howard County , with its 41-point shift , saw the biggest swing .
National reporters have descended on the county , trying to understand the massive shift , and people there offer a few possible explanations .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who bought into Trump 's economic promises .
Others point to the moment the local theater showed a movie that smeared Hillary Clinton .
Whatever the reason , local Democrats want to make sure they can win back some voters .
But they 're torn on how to do that .
`` Republicans stand behind their candidate , '' Hubka said .
`` Like , the Democrats have to fall in love .
We have to be , like , 'Oh , Barack Obama . '
You know , I do n't feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Joe Biden , ' you know — and that 's a problem . ''
Hubka is not supporting the former vice president .
Instead , she 's backing Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Ind .
So is Dale Ernst .
`` I think he 's just kind of a calm voice in the middle of the chaos , which is what we 're in the middle of now , '' said Ernst , who 's a precinct captain for Buttigieg .
I met Ernst recently , along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the local chamber of commerce , which also houses the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame .
( Random fact : Tiny Howard County is home to multiple Olympic wrestlers . )
Ernst , like some other folks at the Democratic committee meeting , is looking for a moderate candidate .
And he 's worried about some ideas on the left of his party .
The 66-year-old is skeptical of `` Medicare for All . ''
`` I just do n't think it 's reasonable , '' he said .
`` I just really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ younger than 65 , they see this more free than , really , the cost of it . ''
Another voter at the chamber , Sally Godwin , thinks Buttigieg is too young .
And she would love to see a woman , though she thinks Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is too old .
`` Amy Klobuchar is kind of right in the middle , '' Godwin said .
`` I like what she has to say . ''
`` She is , she is right in the middle , '' chimed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also leaning toward the Minnesota senator .
Democrats , regardless of whom they 're supporting , insist that people are more involved this presidential election .
But they 're still not confident about their odds in 2020 .
`` I will do my best to try to get this county back , '' said Hubka , the party chair .
`` I do n't have high hopes .
...
I do n't know in November that it 'll flip completely .
I hope that I can get at least 10 of the points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Local Democrats like Ernst say the best way to ensure the county flips back is for national Democrats to pay attention to places like his .
`` Coming to a place like here , where the swing was 20 [ for Obama ] to 20 [ for Trump ] , I think it steers the ship , '' he said .
`` It gives a good idea of where we should go . ''
Democrats can turn to history for some hope .
The last time the county went for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Ronald Reagan .
Four years later , it turned blue again .

In 2012, Obama Won This Tiny Iowa County By 21 Points. Then Trump Won It By 20
Enlarge this image toggle caption Asma Khalid/NPR Asma Khalid/NPR
Back in 2016, as she campaigned for Hillary Clinton, Laura Hubka could feel her county converting.
"People were chasing me out the door, slamming the door in my face, calling Hillary names," Hubka recalled.
Hubka is the chair of the Democratic Party in Howard County, Iowa. It's a tiny county of just about 9,000 people on the Minnesota border, and it's mostly white, rural and, locals say, religious.
toggle caption Credit: Benjamin Swasey/NPR
In 2012, Howard County voted for then-President Barack Obama by 21 percentage points. In 2016, it voted for candidate Donald Trump by 20 points.
Of Iowa's 99 counties, 31 swung from voting for the Democrat Obama in 2008 and 2012 to the Republican Trump in 2016, according to Ballotpedia.
Howard County, with its 41-point shift, saw the biggest swing.
National reporters have descended on the county, trying to understand the massive shift, and people there offer a few possible explanations. Some point to white, working-class union voters who bought into Trump's economic promises. Others point to the moment the local theater showed a movie that smeared Hillary Clinton.
Whatever the reason, local Democrats want to make sure they can win back some voters. But they're torn on how to do that.
"Republicans stand behind their candidate," Hubka said. "Like, the Democrats have to fall in love. We have to be, like, 'Oh, Barack Obama.' You know, I don't feel like people are, like, 'Oh, Joe Biden,' you know — and that's a problem."
Hubka is not supporting the former vice president. Instead, she's backing Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind. So is Dale Ernst.
"I think he's just kind of a calm voice in the middle of the chaos, which is what we're in the middle of now," said Ernst, who's a precinct captain for Buttigieg.
I met Ernst recently, along with some 20 other Democrats, at the local chamber of commerce, which also houses the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. (Random fact: Tiny Howard County is home to multiple Olympic wrestlers.)
Enlarge this image toggle caption Asma Khalid/NPR Asma Khalid/NPR
Ernst, like some other folks at the Democratic committee meeting, is looking for a moderate candidate. And he's worried about some ideas on the left of his party. The 66-year-old is skeptical of "Medicare for All."
"I just don't think it's reasonable," he said. "I just really don't. I think for people younger than 65, they see this more free than, really, the cost of it."
Another voter at the chamber, Sally Godwin, thinks Buttigieg is too young. And she would love to see a woman, though she thinks Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is too old.
"Amy Klobuchar is kind of right in the middle," Godwin said. "I like what she has to say."
"She is, she is right in the middle," chimed in her friend Connie Hvitved, who's also leaning toward the Minnesota senator.
Democrats, regardless of whom they're supporting, insist that people are more involved this presidential election. But they're still not confident about their odds in 2020.
"I will do my best to try to get this county back," said Hubka, the party chair. "I don't have high hopes. ... I don't know in November that it'll flip completely. I hope that I can get at least 10 of the points back or, you know, 15."
Local Democrats like Ernst say the best way to ensure the county flips back is for national Democrats to pay attention to places like his.
"Coming to a place like here, where the swing was 20 [for Obama] to 20 [for Trump], I think it steers the ship," he said. "It gives a good idea of where we should go."
Democrats can turn to history for some hope. The last time the county went for a Republican prior to Trump was in 1984 for Ronald Reagan. Four years later, it turned blue again.


npr--2020-01-15--After Debate, Warren Told Sanders: 'I Think You Called Me A Liar'

After Debate , Warren Told Sanders : ' I Think You Called Me A Liar' Sens .
Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders shared a tense moment after Tuesday night 's Democratic debate .
Warren shunned Sanders ' attempt to shake her hand , and they exchanged words that were inaudible on the broadcast .
Then , Sanders turned and walked away .
Now CNN , an organizer of the debate , has released the audio from their microphones .
`` I think you called me a liar on national TV , '' Warren says to Sanders in the recorded audio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate , Sanders denied reports that he said he did n't believe a woman could win the presidential election .
`` I think you called me a liar on national TV , '' Warren repeats .
Sanders replies , `` You know , let 's not do it right now .
If you want to have that discussion , we 'll have that discussion , '' Sanders said .
`` Anytime , '' Warren replied .
Sanders started to say , `` you called me a ... '' and then turned and walked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the two candidates addressed a report that during a private meeting at Warren 's house , Sanders said he did not believe a woman could win the presidential election .
Sanders flatly denied the claim .
`` I did n't say it .
How could anybody in a million years think that a woman could n't be president ? ''
he said .
Warren insisted Sanders had made the statement .
Warren maintained that Sanders had made that statement , but added `` I 'm not here to fight with Bernie .
@

After Debate, Warren Told Sanders: 'I Think You Called Me A Liar'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP
Updated at 12:24 p.m. ET Thursday
Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders shared a tense moment after Tuesday night's Democratic debate. Warren appeared to shun Sanders' attempt to shake her hand, and they exchanged words that were inaudible on the broadcast. Then, Sanders turned and walked away.
Now CNN, an organizer of the debate, has released the audio from their microphones.
"I think you called me a liar on national TV," Warren says to Sanders in the recorded audio.
During the televised portion of the debate, Sanders denied Warren's claim he had said he didn't believe a woman could win the presidential election.
"What?" Sanders replies.
"I think you called me a liar on national TV," Warren repeats.
Sanders replies, "You know, let's not do it right now. If you want to have that discussion, we'll have that discussion."
"Anytime," Warren replied. Sanders started to say, "You called me a ..." and then turned and walked away from her.
During the debate, the two candidates addressed a report that during a private meeting at Warren's house, Sanders said he did not believe a woman could win the presidential election.
Sanders flatly denied the claim. "I didn't say it. How could anybody in a million years think that a woman couldn't be president?" he said. Warren insisted Sanders had made the statement.
Warren maintained that Sanders had made that statement, but added, "I'm not here to fight with Bernie."
On Thursday, six national progressive organizations — including groups that back Sanders and others that support Warren — released a joint statement, saying in part: "Sanders and Warren, as well as their campaigns and supporters, will need to find ways to cooperate. The crossfire amplified by the media is unhelpful and does not reflect the relationship between two Senate colleagues who broadly worked well together for most of the last year."


npr--2020-01-15--Virginia Man Charged In Neo-Nazi-Affiliated 'Swatting' Ring

A 19-year-old man from Virginia appeared in court on Wednesday in connection with allegations that he made fake bomb and shooting threats to draw extreme law enforcement responses on unwitting people , as a member of a swatting ring linked to a neo-Nazi group .
John William Kirby Kelley , who went by `` Carl '' and `` BotGod '' online , was charged with conspiracy to make threats by the Department of Justice last week .
The government accuses Kelley of participating in hundreds of swatting events in the U.S. , Canada and the U.K , then bragging about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was instrumental in setting up and maintaining .
Swatting is a form of harassment in which someone makes a false report on an ongoing crime that is so serious that local police forces — and often SWAT teams — are mobilized in response .
The aim is to provoke , frighten or even harm a target .
In 2017 , an unarmed father of two was killed in an unrelated swatting incident .
Kelley , along with two unnamed conspirators , also posted links to live and recorded videos of swatting attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday .
`` The conspirators also appear to share racist views , with particular [ disdain ] for African Americans and Jewish people , '' the court filing states .
Among the most well known targets of the calls is the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria , Va. , a historic African American congregation dating back to 1803 .
( President Obama celebrated Easter Sunday at the church in 2016 . )
The FBI alleges Kelley called authorities in Alexandria pretending to have a `` Hispanic accent . ''
During the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pipe bombs at the church and said he was going to `` blow it up . ''
He also said he planned `` to kill everyone at the church , '' court documents say .
The Alexandria Police Department evacuated the area and conducted a sweep of the church for explosives but found nothing .
Ultimately , investigators said they were able to trace the blocked call from Verizon to Bandwidth.com to a Voice Over Internet Protocol from Google , which in turn gave them a Gmail address associated with the account .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ connected to multiple swat calls made by Kelley , officials said .
But it was n't until Kelley allegedly made a bomb threat at his own college `` to get out of classes , '' that he and the others came to the attention of the FBI .
The bureau was contacted by Old Dominion University — where Kelley was a cybersecurity major — just a couple of weeks after the bomb scare at Alfred Street Baptist Church .
University police had received a phone call from a blocked number in which the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AR-15 and had placed multiple pipe bombs in campus buildings .
While that turned out to be a hoax , a couple of hours later the department got another call .
This time from an unblocked number .
The caller said that he 'd made a mistake and hung up .
However , when campus police analyzed the two calls , they determined they were `` likely made by the same individual . ''
Using school records , campus police traced the call to Kelley , who had apparently dialed from his dorm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Kelley on the same day , he waived his Miranda rights and when asked if he had been involved with the threatening call earlier that day , he responded , `` I have been around for calls in the past . ''
He also consented to have his room searched .
Investigators subsequently confiscated an iPhone and a Blu phone , a laptop and multiple electronic storage devices .
According to documents , a couple of thumb drives contained chat room logs in which several members discussed potential and past targets of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state that Kelley 's iPhone contained `` photos of bumper stickers glorifying school shooting , and recruiting materials '' for Siege and Atomwaffen Division , two white supremacist groups .
Members of Atomwaffen Division are suspected of having committed multiple murders in the U.S. since 2017 .
Six days after the fake bomb threat , on Dec. 4 , 2018 , officials state Kelley , again using a blocked phone number , made another emergency call to the university .
During the call , according to documents , the caller stated he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` a 9mm Glock and was going to shoot everyone in the building . ''
Logs from a chat room called Deadnet , which was maintained by Kelley , show he was working to identify new swatting targets for others in the group a day later , according to the affidavit .
The FBI affidavit was partly based on information gleaned from interviews with one of the other suspected conspirators , who is apparently cooperating with law enforcement .
The unidentified individual `` explained that he and other co-conspirators are white supremacists and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' In a 2016 interview with the San Antonio Express-News , a member of Atomwaffen Division said the group was actively recruiting at Old Dominion University , Boston University and the University of Central Florida .
The affidavit also states that Kelley and his accomplices maintained a site on the darknet known as Doxbin .
The site `` primarily targeted government officials , executives , and journalists . ''
It listed their addresses , phone numbers , Social Security numbers and , in some cases , the information of some of their family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were swatted , a blue gun icon was placed next to their name .
Officials said that in a span of 33 days — primarily from November to December 2018 — 134 different law agencies were impacted by the alleged conspiracy activity .

Virginia Man Charged In Neo-Nazi-Affiliated 'Swatting' Ring
Enlarge this image toggle caption Geoff Mulvihill/AP Geoff Mulvihill/AP
A 19-year-old man from Virginia appeared in court on Wednesday in connection with allegations that he made fake bomb and shooting threats to draw extreme law enforcement responses on unwitting people, as a member of a swatting ring linked to a neo-Nazi group.
John William Kirby Kelley, who went by "Carl" and "BotGod" online, was charged with conspiracy to make threats by the Department of Justice last week.
The government accuses Kelley of participating in hundreds of swatting events in the U.S., Canada and the U.K, then bragging about it in a white supremacist chatroom that he was instrumental in setting up and maintaining.
Swatting is a form of harassment in which someone makes a false report on an ongoing crime that is so serious that local police forces — and often SWAT teams — are mobilized in response. The aim is to provoke, frighten or even harm a target.
In 2017, an unarmed father of two was killed in an unrelated swatting incident.
Kelley, along with two unnamed conspirators, also posted links to live and recorded videos of swatting attacks online, according to an affidavit unsealed on Tuesday.
"The conspirators also appear to share racist views, with particular [disdain] for African Americans and Jewish people," the court filing states.
Among the most well known targets of the calls is the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va., a historic African American congregation dating back to 1803. (President Obama celebrated Easter Sunday at the church in 2016.)
The FBI alleges Kelley called authorities in Alexandria pretending to have a "Hispanic accent." During the call he claimed to have placed three pipe bombs at the church and said he was going to "blow it up." He also said he planned "to kill everyone at the church," court documents say.
The Alexandria Police Department evacuated the area and conducted a sweep of the church for explosives but found nothing.
Ultimately, investigators said they were able to trace the blocked call from Verizon to Bandwidth.com to a Voice Over Internet Protocol from Google, which in turn gave them a Gmail address associated with the account. That email address later proved to be connected to multiple swat calls made by Kelley, officials said.
But it wasn't until Kelley allegedly made a bomb threat at his own college "to get out of classes," that he and the others came to the attention of the FBI.
The bureau was contacted by Old Dominion University — where Kelley was a cybersecurity major — just a couple of weeks after the bomb scare at Alfred Street Baptist Church.
University police had received a phone call from a blocked number in which the caller said he was armed with an AR-15 and had placed multiple pipe bombs in campus buildings.
While that turned out to be a hoax, a couple of hours later the department got another call. This time from an unblocked number. The caller said that he'd made a mistake and hung up. However, when campus police analyzed the two calls, they determined they were "likely made by the same individual."
Using school records, campus police traced the call to Kelley, who had apparently dialed from his dorm room phone.
In an FBI interview with Kelley on the same day, he waived his Miranda rights and when asked if he had been involved with the threatening call earlier that day, he responded, "I have been around for calls in the past."
He also consented to have his room searched. Investigators subsequently confiscated an iPhone and a Blu phone, a laptop and multiple electronic storage devices. According to documents, a couple of thumb drives contained chat room logs in which several members discussed potential and past targets of swatting attacks.
Additionally, the documents state that Kelley's iPhone contained "photos of bumper stickers glorifying school shooting, and recruiting materials" for Siege and Atomwaffen Division, two white supremacist groups.
Members of Atomwaffen Division are suspected of having committed multiple murders in the U.S. since 2017.
Six days after the fake bomb threat, on Dec. 4, 2018, officials state Kelley, again using a blocked phone number, made another emergency call to the university.
During the call, according to documents, the caller stated he was in a campus building, armed with "a 9mm Glock and was going to shoot everyone in the building."
Logs from a chat room called Deadnet, which was maintained by Kelley, show he was working to identify new swatting targets for others in the group a day later, according to the affidavit.
The FBI affidavit was partly based on information gleaned from interviews with one of the other suspected conspirators, who is apparently cooperating with law enforcement. The unidentified individual "explained that he and other co-conspirators are white supremacists and are sympathetic to the neo-Nazi movement."
In a 2016 interview with the San Antonio Express-News, a member of Atomwaffen Division said the group was actively recruiting at Old Dominion University, Boston University and the University of Central Florida.
The affidavit also states that Kelley and his accomplices maintained a site on the darknet known as Doxbin. The site "primarily targeted government officials, executives, and journalists." It listed their addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers and, in some cases, the information of some of their family members. After individuals included in Doxbin were swatted, a blue gun icon was placed next to their name.
Officials said that in a span of 33 days — primarily from November to December 2018 — 134 different law agencies were impacted by the alleged conspiracy activity.


npr--2020-01-17--Iran's Ayatollah Slams 'American Clowns' In Rare Friday Prayers Sermon

Iran 's supreme leader , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , led Friday prayers in Tehran for the first time in eight years and delivered a sermon in which he excoriated U.S. leaders as `` clowns '' and accused European countries of negotiating in bad faith over the foundering nuclear deal .
Khamenei also indicated that Iran might retaliate further for the U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian commander Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani , saying a missile attack on U.S. assets in Iraq had been a blow to America 's dignity and its status as a superpower .
The address comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Iran 's leaders are locked in a contentious dispute with the U.S. , and they 're facing public criticism at home after admitting that Iran accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet , killing 176 people , most of whom were Iranian .
`` The past two weeks were eventful and exceptional weeks , '' Khamenei said , according to a partial transcript on his website .
Speaking to a large crowd of worshippers in Tehran , he added , `` There were bitter and sweet events for the Iranian nation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Taking aim at recent statements by President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in which they pledged their support for Iran 's regular citizens , Khamenei said , `` These American clowns lie in utter viciousness that they stand with the Iranian people . ''
Khamenei added , `` They lie .
If you are standing by the Iranian [ people ] , it is only to stab them in the heart with your venomous daggers . ''
Despite the ayatollah 's colorful language , as NPR 's Jane Arraf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perhaps a little bit less fiery than many would have expected . ''
While the Iranian leader did criticize the U.S. and its allies , she adds , `` He did not make specific threats . ''
The address comes nearly two weeks after Khamenei openly wept during funeral prayers for Soleimani .
The targeted killing galvanized public outrage against the U.S. in Iran and led to the retaliatory strike on U.S. personnel by Tehran – but sentiments in Iran took another turn , after its military initially denied and then admitted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Angry public protests followed , including reports of live ammunition being used against demonstrators .
It was against that backdrop that the plan for Friday 's speech was announced .
In his sermon , the ayatollah also addressed a recent maneuver that could lead to the reinstatement of U.N. sanctions on Iran : the complaint filed Tuesday by foreign ministers of the U.K. , France and Germany .
Their formal accusation that Iran violated its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal , known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action , triggers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that fails , U.N. sanctions on Iran , including an arms embargo , will likely return .
`` The threat of the French and German governments and the vicious British government to send Iran 's case to the Security Council proved once again that they are the footmen of the U.S. , '' Khamenei said .
After the European nations filed the complaint , Germany 's defense minister said the Trump administration had threatened to punish them if they did not do so , confirming a Washington Post report of a U.S. plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cars if its allies did n't act .
`` This expression or threat , as you will , does exist , '' Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said in response to a question about that report , according to Deutsche Welle .
When they filed the complaint , the ministers sought to distance themselves from the Trump administration 's Iran strategy , issuing a statement saying , `` Our three countries are not joining a campaign to implement maximum pressure against Iran . ''
Russia and China , two other signatories to the nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , British and German complaint .
Khamenei accused the European countries of having a deep history of acting in bad faith in the Middle East , and against Iran in particular .
`` These three countries are the ones who helped Saddam [ Hussein ] as much as they could in his war against us , '' he said , referring to the Iraq-Iran war of the 1980s .
`` The German [ government ] provided Saddam with chemical weapons to target our cities and frontlines , and its effects are still with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided Saddam with Super Étendards [ helicopters ] to attack our oil ships .
The British [ government ] served Saddam in every way , too .
This is how they are . ''
Khamenei told his audience at Friday prayers , `` The same people who appear at the negotiating table — the same so-called 'gentlemen ' behind the table — are the same terrorists of the Baghdad airport .
They just change clothes . ''

Iran's Ayatollah Slams 'American Clowns' In Rare Friday Prayers Sermon
Enlarge this image toggle caption Official Khamenei website via Reuters Official Khamenei website via Reuters
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, led Friday prayers in Tehran for the first time in eight years and delivered a sermon in which he excoriated U.S. leaders as "clowns" and accused European countries of negotiating in bad faith over the foundering nuclear deal.
Khamenei also indicated that Iran might retaliate further for the U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian commander Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, saying a missile attack on U.S. assets in Iraq had been a blow to America's dignity and its status as a superpower.
The address comes at a delicate time for the ayatollah. Iran's leaders are locked in a contentious dispute with the U.S., and they're facing public criticism at home after admitting that Iran accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing 176 people, most of whom were Iranian.
"The past two weeks were eventful and exceptional weeks," Khamenei said, according to a partial transcript on his website. Speaking to a large crowd of worshippers in Tehran, he added, "There were bitter and sweet events for the Iranian nation to take lessons from during these two weeks."
Taking aim at recent statements by President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in which they pledged their support for Iran's regular citizens, Khamenei said, "These American clowns lie in utter viciousness that they stand with the Iranian people."
Khamenei added, "They lie. If you are standing by the Iranian [people], it is only to stab them in the heart with your venomous daggers."
Despite the ayatollah's colorful language, as NPR's Jane Arraf reports, his overall speech was "perhaps a little bit less fiery than many would have expected." While the Iranian leader did criticize the U.S. and its allies, she says, "he did not make specific threats."
The address comes nearly two weeks after Khamenei openly wept during funeral prayers for Soleimani. The targeted killing galvanized public outrage against the U.S. in Iran and led to the retaliatory strike on U.S. personnel by Tehran – but sentiments in Iran took another turn after its military initially denied and then admitted to shooting down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752. Angry public protests followed, including reports of live ammunition being used against demonstrators. It was against that backdrop that the plan for Friday's speech was announced.
In his sermon, the ayatollah also addressed a recent maneuver that could lead to the reinstatement of U.N. sanctions on Iran: the complaint filed Tuesday by foreign ministers of the U.K., France and Germany. Their formal accusation that Iran violated its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, triggers a dispute resolution process — and if that fails, U.N. sanctions on Iran, including an arms embargo, will likely return.
"The threat of the French and German governments and the vicious British government to send Iran's case to the Security Council proved once again that they are the footmen of the U.S.," Khamenei said.
After the European nations filed the complaint, Germany's defense minister said the Trump administration had threatened to punish them if they did not do so, confirming a Washington Post report of a U.S. plan to impose 25% tariffs on European cars if its allies didn't act.
"This expression or threat, as you will, does exist," Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said in response to a question about that report, according to Deutsche Welle.
When they filed the complaint, the ministers sought to distance themselves from the Trump administration's Iran strategy, issuing a statement saying, "Our three countries are not joining a campaign to implement maximum pressure against Iran."
Russia and China, two other signatories to the nuclear deal, did not join the French, British and German complaint.
Khamenei accused the European countries of having a deep history of acting in bad faith in the Middle East, and against Iran in particular.
"These three countries are the ones who helped Saddam [Hussein] as much as they could in his war against us," he said, referring to the Iraq-Iran war of the 1980s.
"The German [government] provided Saddam with chemical weapons to target our cities and frontlines, and its effects are still with us. The French [government] provided Saddam with Super Étendards [helicopters] to attack our oil ships. The British [government] served Saddam in every way, too. This is how they are."
Khamenei told his audience at Friday prayers, "The same people who appear at the negotiating table — the same so-called 'gentlemen' behind the table — are the same terrorists of the Baghdad airport. They just change clothes."


npr--2020-01-17--Why Gun Violence Is Surging In Toronto

Why Gun Violence Is Surging In Toronto

Why Gun Violence Is Surging In Toronto Gun violence is a growing problem in Canada 's biggest city — and last year was Toronto 's worst , with more shootings than any year to date , according to Toronto police statistics .
The highest profile incident came in June , when shots rang out as more than a million fans gathered in Nathan Philips Square to celebrate the Toronto Raptors ' first-ever NBA championship .
Four people were injured in the shooting and a panicked stampede of fans ensued .
That was followed by 14 separate incidents of gun violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of 2019 , more than 760 people had been shot in the city , 44 of whom were killed , according to Toronto Police .
That 's triple the number of shooting victims in the city in 2014 .
Canada has tighter gun laws than in the U.S. and suffers much less gun crime , so for many citizens , the sharp rise in gun violence in Toronto is shocking .
City officials and gun control advocates are trying to figure out why the surge is happening — and what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. , there is no right to bear arms in the Canadian constitution , meaning it is easier for the government to legislate gun control — and there are far tighter restrictions on gun sales .
Standard hunting rifles can be fairly easily purchased with a license .
But people who want to buy weapons like handguns and semi-automatic rifles must undergo deep background checks and abide by detailed restrictions on how and where to use those types of firearms .
The Conservative government in power from 2006 to 2015 worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ principally by dismantling in 2012 a national gun registry , a mandatory list that gun owners had to sign onto with each purchase .
This was followed by a spike in firearm imports from the U.S. , according to the latest Canadian Commission on Firearms report .
Nearly 2 million firearms were imported for sale .
And since 2013 , the number of restricted weapons , like semi-automatic rifles and handguns , purchased in Canada has grown by 50 % to over a million total .
The weakening of national gun control legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Toronto , says Wendy Cukier , head of the Toronto-based Coalition for Gun Control , one of Canada 's leading gun control advocacy organizations .
`` As we progressively strengthened gun control in Canada , '' she says , `` we saw the rates of gun violence , particularly suicide , violence against women and so on , fall .
And for the last few years , we 've seen an uptick . ''
According to Canada 's government statistics agency , gun violence overall rose by over 40 % in Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that increase driven by incidents in Toronto .
Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders says that the city 's recent gun violence has been connected to gang activity .
In a press conference in August , he said the Raptors incident and the August shootings `` by and large have street gang connotations to them , '' pointing to the gang membership of the victims and those arrested .
There is a thriving gang culture in Toronto centered on the illegal drug trade , largely in the city 's poorer outer suburbs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board of Health , believe the growth in gang activity is partly rooted in the city 's growing gap between rich and poor .
As Canada 's finance hub , the city 's economy is booming .
The average price of a detached home doubled to almost $ 1 million in the past decade , making it one of North America 's most expensive cities , according to Toronto real estate data .
That 's led to rising `` inequality in terms of opportunities , in terms of access to fairness and justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 're seeing the divisions in Toronto increasing in recent years . ''
Saunders has noted there will be challenges in addressing those divisions .
`` I 've said in the past if the expectations are that we are going to arrest ourselves out of this , we simply are not , '' he said in August .
`` There are social issues that are related to this .
People are not born to be street gang members .
It takes a multi-pronged approach to get this right . ''
Gun control advocates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have been calling for a national handgun ban since a 2018 mass shooting in the city 's upscale Danforth neighborhood , which left three people dead and 13 injured .
The Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has declined to propose such a ban , wary of alienating more conservative rural and western Canadian voters , who are more likely to own firearms .
But the Trudeau government has promised to introduce legislation within the next year for a national ban on military-style assault rifles , complete with a program to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners .
And with the combined support in Parliament of the governing Liberals and the left-leaning New Democratic Party , the assault weapons ban legislation likely has the votes needed to pass into law .

Why Gun Violence Is Surging In Toronto
Enlarge this image toggle caption Moe Doiron/Reuters Moe Doiron/Reuters
Gun violence is a growing problem in Canada's biggest city — and last year was Toronto's worst, with more shootings than any year to date, according to Toronto police statistics.
The highest-profile incident came in June, when shots rang out as more than a million fans gathered in Nathan Phillips Square to celebrate the Toronto Raptors' first NBA championship. Four people were injured in the shooting, and a panicked stampede of fans ensued.
That was followed by 14 separate incidents of gun violence over one weekend in August.
World In Canada, Gun Violence Is A Growing Problem For Toronto In Canada, Gun Violence Is A Growing Problem For Toronto Listen · 4:55 4:55
By the end of 2019, more than 760 people had been shot in the city, 44 of whom were killed, according to Toronto Police. That's triple the number of shooting victims in the city in 2014.
Canada has tighter gun laws than in the U.S. and suffers much less gun crime, so for many citizens, the sharp rise in gun violence in Toronto is shocking. City officials and gun control advocates are trying to figure out why the surge is happening — and what they can do to stop it.
Unlike in the U.S., there is no right to bear arms in the Canadian constitution, meaning it is easier for the government to legislate gun control — and there are far tighter restrictions on gun sales. Standard hunting rifles can be fairly easily purchased with a license. But people who want to buy weapons such as handguns and semi-automatic rifles must undergo deep background checks and abide by detailed restrictions on how and where to use those types of firearms.
The Conservative government in power from 2006 to 2015 worked to ease rules on gun owners, principally by dismantling in 2012 a national gun registry, a mandatory list that gun owners had to sign onto with each purchase. This was followed by a spike in firearm imports from the U.S., according to the latest Canadian Commission on Firearms report. Nearly 2 million firearms were imported for sale. And since 2013, the number of restricted weapons, like semi-automatic rifles and handguns, purchased in Canada has grown by 50% to more than a million total.
The weakening of national gun control legislation has had an impact on gun crime in Toronto, says Wendy Cukier, head of the Toronto-based Coalition for Gun Control, one of Canada's leading gun control advocacy organizations. "As we progressively strengthened gun control in Canada," she says, "we saw the rates of gun violence, particularly suicide, violence against women and so on, fall. And for the last few years, we've seen an uptick."
According to Canada's government statistics agency, gun violence overall rose by more than 40% in Canada between 2013 and 2017, with much of that increase driven by incidents in Toronto.
Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders says that the city's recent gun violence has been connected to gang activity.
In a press conference in August, he said the Raptors incident and the August shootings "by and large have street gang connotations to them," pointing to the gang membership of the victims and those arrested. There is a thriving gang culture in Toronto centered on the illegal drug trade, largely in the city's poorer outer suburbs.
Saunders, and others including the Toronto Board of Health, believe the growth in gang activity is partly rooted in the city's growing gap between rich and poor. As Canada's finance hub, the city's economy is booming. The average price of a detached home doubled to almost $1 million in the past decade, making it one of North America's most expensive cities, according to Toronto real estate data.
That's led to rising "inequality in terms of opportunities, in terms of access to fairness and justice," Cukier says. "And we're seeing the divisions in Toronto increasing in recent years."
Saunders has noted there will be challenges in addressing those divisions. "I've said in the past if the expectations are that we are going to arrest ourselves out of this, we simply are not," he said in August. "There are social issues that are related to this. People are not born to be street gang members. It takes a multipronged approach to get this right."
Gun control advocates in Toronto, including Mayor John Tory, have been calling for a national handgun ban since a 2018 mass shooting in the city's upscale Danforth neighborhood, which left three people dead and 13 injured. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has declined to propose such a ban, wary of alienating more conservative rural and western Canadian voters, who are more likely to own firearms.
But the Trudeau government has promised to introduce legislation within the next year for a national ban on military-style assault rifles, complete with a program to buy back those firearms from willing gun owners. And with the combined support in Parliament of the governing Liberals and the left-leaning New Democratic Party, the assault weapons ban legislation likely has the votes needed to pass into law.


npr--2020-01-17--Vitamin Treatment For Sepsis Fails In Large Trial

Hope for an effective and inexpensive treatment for the deadly condition sepsis has dimmed following results of a major new study .
Researchers had hoped that a simple treatment involving infusions of vitamin C , vitamin B1 and steroids would work against a disease that kills an estimated 270,000 people each year in the United States and 11 million globally .
Sepsis , or blood poisoning , occurs when the body overreacts to infection .
It leads to leaky blood vessels , which can cause multiple organ failure .
Excitement about this treatment took off in early 2017 , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Va. , Dr. Paul Marik , reported that he had remarkable results treating his sepsis patients using this combination of agents .
Some doctors in intensive care units started using the method immediately , based on those early results .
Many others said they wanted to wait for results of a more carefully controlled study The largest scientific study published to date has now reported its findings .
It finds no benefit at all from the `` Marik cocktail . ''
It involved more than 200 patients in Australia , New Zealand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a meeting in Belfast , Northern Ireland , and were published online Friday in JAMA , the journal of the American Medical Association .
Dr. Rinaldo Bellomo , at Austin Hospital and Monash University in Melbourne , Australia , led the research team .
He decided to study the treatment because sepsis takes such a large toll — it 's a leading cause of death in hospitals — and treatment options are limited .
There 's no effective drug , though aggressive use of antibiotics and careful care in the ICU can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promising interventions because of that frustration , '' he tells NPR .
`` And it 's understandable .
But , you know , the view from here is that we should n't substitute hope for evidence . ''
His evidence does not support those who believe the vitamin C treatment is effective .
`` It is discouraging , '' says Dr. Craig Coopersmith , interim director of the Emory Critical Care Center at Emory University .
`` Right now , sepsis is the number three cause of death in the United States and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death in the world . ''
Coopersmith says the results do n't slam the door on the treatment entirely — there 's still some chance that it has a modest effect on overall survival , he says , but the study did n't involve enough patients to answer that question .
The study found no effect on short-term survival or improvement in certain clinical markers of disease .
`` I do n't think we can yet say that there is no impact , '' Coopersmith says .
`` I think we could say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that . ''
He assumes that doctors who are inclined toward using the treatment will continue to do so , at least for now , while those who adopted a wait-and-see approach are sticking with that .
Indeed , Marik , who remains a strong proponent of this approach , rejects the findings of the study .
He tells NPR that by his reckoning , patients in the study received treatment far too late in the course of their disease .
`` It 's like giving it to a patient who 's dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's of no benefit .
The horse was out of the barn miles beforehand . ''
Marik , at Eastern Virginia Medical School , gives his patients the vitamin C infusion as quickly as he recognizes signs of sepsis .
That 's impossible to do in a study in which participants must be enrolled in a study and then randomized into one of the two comparison groups before treatment can begin .
`` The question is , why does this study not replicate real-life experience and the experience of hundreds of clinicians around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marik says in his experience , the treatment is only effective if given within six hours after someone has suspected sepsis .
At the meeting in Belfast , Dr. Tomoko Fujii , on the study research team at Monash University , said they provided treatment an average of 12 hours after patients arrived in the intensive care unit .
Patients came from a variety of locations , including the emergency room , and she said they have no information about how long they had been septic before arriving at the ICU .
Coopersmith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involving 501 patients — that has also put the vitamin C protocol to the test .
That research group has completed collecting data and is now in the process of analyzing the results and preparing a publication .
A second group , coordinated out of Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , also studied the protocol among a group of about 200 patients .
Findings from those studies should help doctors and researchers come to a more definitive conclusion , says Bellomo in Australia .
`` I think that will be really good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger body of evidence .
I hope by the end of 2020 to provide more nuanced and more detailed views of what happens with this kind of intervention . ''
You can contact NPR Science Correspondent Richard Harris at rharris @ npr.org .

Vitamin Treatment For Sepsis Fails In Large Trial
Hope for an effective and inexpensive treatment for the deadly condition sepsis has dimmed following results of a major new study.
Researchers had hoped that a simple treatment involving infusions of vitamin C, vitamin B1 and steroids would work against a disease that kills an estimated 270,000 people each year in the United States and 11 million globally. Sepsis, or blood poisoning, occurs when the body overreacts to infection. It leads to leaky blood vessels, which can cause multiple organ failure.
Excitement about this treatment took off in early 2017, when a well-regarded physician and researcher in Norfolk, Va., Dr. Paul Marik, reported that he had remarkable results treating his sepsis patients using this combination of agents. Some doctors in intensive care units started using the method immediately, based on those early results. Many others said they wanted to wait for results of a more carefully controlled study
The largest scientific study published to date has now reported its findings. It finds no benefit at all from the "Marik cocktail." It involved more than 200 patients in Australia, New Zealand and Brazil. Results were presented Friday at a meeting in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and were published online Friday in JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association.
Dr. Rinaldo Bellomo, at Austin Hospital and Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, led the research team. He decided to study the treatment because sepsis takes such a large toll — it's a leading cause of death in hospitals — and treatment options are limited. There's no effective drug, though aggressive use of antibiotics and careful care in the ICU can help.
"People latch on to promising interventions because of that frustration," he tells NPR. "And it's understandable. But, you know, the view from here is that we shouldn't substitute hope for evidence."
His evidence does not support those who believe the vitamin C treatment is effective.
"It is discouraging," says Dr. Craig Coopersmith, interim director of the Emory Critical Care Center at Emory University. "Right now, sepsis is the number three cause of death in the United States and the number one or two cause of death in the world."
Coopersmith says the results don't slam the door on the treatment entirely — there's still some chance that it has a modest effect on overall survival, he says, but the study didn't involve enough patients to answer that question. The study found no effect on short-term survival or improvement in certain clinical markers of disease.
"I don't think we can yet say that there is no impact," Coopersmith says. "I think we could say that the jury's still out on that."
He assumes that doctors who are inclined toward using the treatment will continue to do so, at least for now, while those who adopted a wait-and-see approach are sticking with that.
Indeed, Marik, who remains a strong proponent of this approach, rejects the findings of the study. He tells NPR that by his reckoning, patients in the study received treatment far too late in the course of their disease. "It's like giving it to a patient who's dead," he says. "It's of no benefit. The horse was out of the barn miles beforehand."
Marik, at Eastern Virginia Medical School, gives his patients the vitamin C infusion as quickly as he recognizes signs of sepsis. That's impossible to do in a study in which participants must be enrolled in a study and then randomized into one of the two comparison groups before treatment can begin.
"The question is, why does this study not replicate real-life experience and the experience of hundreds of clinicians around the world?" he asks.
Marik says in his experience, the treatment is only effective if given within six hours after someone has suspected sepsis. At the meeting in Belfast, Dr. Tomoko Fujii, on the study research team at Monash University, said they provided treatment an average of 12 hours after patients arrived in the intensive care unit. Patients came from a variety of locations, including the emergency room, and she said they have no information about how long they had been septic before arriving at the ICU.
Coopersmith is part of a larger study — involving 501 patients — that has also put the vitamin C protocol to the test. That research group has completed collecting data and is now in the process of analyzing the results and preparing a publication. A second group, coordinated out of Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, also studied the protocol among a group of about 200 patients.
Findings from those studies should help doctors and researchers come to a more definitive conclusion, says Bellomo in Australia. "I think that will be really good, because we would have a much larger body of evidence. I hope by the end of 2020 to provide more nuanced and more detailed views of what happens with this kind of intervention."
You can contact NPR Science Correspondent Richard Harris at rharris@npr.org.


npr--2020-01-17--In China, Birth Rate Falls To Lowest Level In 70 Years

In China , Birth Rate Falls To Lowest Level In 70 Years Updated at 9 a.m .
ET New birth-rate figures show that China has so far failed to reverse the effects of its longtime one-child policy — a change that policymakers say is necessary to forestall the long-term economic consequences of an aging and shrinking population .
The National Bureau of Statistics of China released the new data on Friday , the same day it announced that the country 's GDP growth has fallen to its lowest level in nearly 30 years .
Last year , there were 10.48 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birth rate since 1949 , the year the People 's Republic of China was founded .
The number was down from 10.94 the year before .
The one-child policy was put in place in 1979 by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping , who feared that the country 's exploding population would hold back economic development .
However , by 2016 , China 's leadership came to realize that the policy had been too successful and officially relaxed it .
Experts say that improved education and higher incomes in China have led to delayed marriage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions on births have made one-child households the norm .
`` China should have stopped the policy 28 years ago .
Now it 's too late , '' Yi Fuxian , a senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and a longtime critic of the country 's family planning policies , told The Guardian last year .
By 2050 , a third of China 's people will be 60 years of age or older , according to current projections , placing a significant burden on the government to care for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second-largest economy cooled to its slowest pace in nearly three decades , with China posting year-on-year growth of 6.1 % last year — a further sign that the protracted trade war with the U.S. has taken a toll .
The pace of growth in gross domestic product for 2019 was down from 6.6 % the previous year and marked the smallest annual increase since 1990 .
Beijing 's policymakers had projected growth of between 6 % and 6.5 % for the year .
China 's GDP , worth an estimated $ 14.4 trillion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Its economy has been undergoing a painful shift away from heavy industry and commodities .
Instead , Beijing has aimed for a more consumer-based economy .
The latest GDP figures , while exceptionally strong by the standards of many other countries , are a long way from the heady days of 10 % or more growth barely a decade ago .
In 2007 , the Chinese economy grew by a blistering 14 % .
In recent years , China 's leaders have struggled to balance competing demands of maintaining high rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of years of debt-fueled stimulus spending .
Last year , authorities took steps to limit wasteful infrastructure investments in an effort to rein in unsustainable levels of local government and corporate debt .
Friday 's data come days after a `` Phase 1 '' trade deal between the U.S. and China , seen as a step toward ending an 18-month-old trade dispute , which has seen damaging tariffs imposed by both sides .
The new trade deal eases U.S. tariffs on some popular consumer goods manufactured in China , such as cell phones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billions of dollars of other tariffs , including on components that U.S. factories use to assemble finished products .
NPR 's Emily Feng in Beijing contributed to this report .

In China, Birthrate Falls To Lowest Level In 70 Years
Enlarge this image toggle caption Visual China Group via Getty Images Visual China Group via Getty Images
Updated at 9 a.m. ET
New birthrate figures show that China has so far failed to reverse the effects of its longtime one-child policy — a change that policymakers say is necessary to forestall the long-term economic consequences of an aging and shrinking population.
The National Bureau of Statistics of China released the new data on Friday, the same day it announced that the country's GDP growth has fallen to its lowest level in nearly 30 years.
Last year, there were 10.48 births per 1,000 people, the lowest birthrate since 1949, the year the People's Republic of China was founded. The number was down from 10.94 the year before.
The one-child policy was put in place in 1979 by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who feared that the country's exploding population would hold back economic development.
However, by 2016, China's leadership came to realize that the policy had been too successful and officially relaxed it.
Experts say that improved education and higher incomes in China have led to delayed marriage and childbirth and that once-strict government restrictions on births have made one-child households the norm.
"China should have stopped the policy 28 years ago. Now it's too late," Yi Fuxian, a senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a longtime critic of the country's family-planning policies, told The Guardian last year.
By 2050, a third of China's people will be 60 or older, according to current projections, placing a significant burden on the government to care for the elderly.
Tariffs pinch economic growth
Meanwhile, the world's second-largest economy cooled to its slowest pace in nearly three decades, with China posting year-on-year growth of 6.1% last year — a further sign that the protracted trade war with the U.S. has taken a toll.
The pace of growth in gross domestic product for 2019 was down from 6.6% the previous year and marked the smallest annual increase since 1990.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Stephen B. Morton/AP Stephen B. Morton/AP
Beijing's policymakers had projected growth of between 6% and 6.5% for the year.
China's GDP, worth an estimated $14.4 trillion, is second in size only to that of the U.S. Its economy has been undergoing a painful shift away from heavy industry and commodities. Instead, Beijing has aimed for a more consumer-based economy.
The latest GDP figures, while exceptionally strong by the standards of many other countries, are a long way from the heady days of 10% or more growth barely a decade ago.
In 2007, the Chinese economy grew by a blistering 14%.
In recent years, China's leaders have struggled to balance competing demands of maintaining high rates of growth while simultaneously minimizing the consequences of years of debt-fueled stimulus spending. Last year, authorities took steps to limit wasteful infrastructure investments in an effort to rein in unsustainable levels of local government and corporate debt.
Friday's data come days after a "Phase 1" trade deal between the U.S. and China, seen as a step toward ending an 18-month-old trade dispute, which has seen damaging tariffs imposed by both sides.
The new trade deal eases U.S. tariffs on some popular consumer goods manufactured in China, such as cellphones, but leaves in place hundreds of billions of dollars of other tariffs, including on components that U.S. factories use to assemble finished products.
NPR's Emily Feng in Beijing contributed to this report.


npr--2020-01-17--After Controversial Leaders Step Down, The Women's March Tries Again In 2020

After Controversial Leaders Step Down , The Women 's March Tries Again In 2020 On an unusually warm January afternoon , 28-year-old Icy Coomber attended a poster-making session for the fourth annual Women 's March in Washington , D.C .
Unlike the friend she accompanied to the event , Coomber did not participate in any of the previous anti-Trump demonstrations .
Three years ago , the first march drew hundreds of thousands of people to the nation 's capital and hosted sister marches in cities around the world .
But the Women 's March has struggled since then , facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism for being a space for primarily white , cisgender women .
Last year , three founding members stepped down following allegations of anti-Semitism , and a new , bigger board took their place .
Now , the Women 's March is back on Jan. 18 with a restructured lineup and mission — and some people who did not feel enticed to join in the past are giving it a second chance .
`` When we 're talking about women 's rights , I feel like black women or women of color are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Coomber said .
`` But I think not going , not representing people like me , does n't help anything .
I 'm trying to have a change of heart . ''
The community art build that Coomber attended is part of the organization 's goal to foster deeper partnerships with existing movements .
After polling its base of supporters , the Women 's March decided to focus on three main topics for this year 's events : climate , reproductive justice and immigrants ' rights .
Every night in the week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the organization has hosted panel discussions with activists from those fields .
And on Saturday , there will no longer be a stage for the organizers and high-profile celebrities .
Instead , the new leaders will march alongside everyone else , and Chilean collective LasTesis will lead the group in a rendition of its viral protest anthem , `` Un Violador En Tu Camino '' ( `` A Rapist In Your Path '' ) .
`` It just felt like the political moment is with the people — and you see that not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globe with a lot of people coming out and taking the streets , '' Rachel O'Leary Carmona , the Women 's March chief operating officer , said about the decision to nix the stage .
`` It just felt like it was a time to be shoulder to shoulder with folks and be where the power is . ''
The crowd , however , will be smaller this year than in the past .
The permit filed with the National Park Service allows for up to 10,000 protesters .
Celeste Montoya , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of Colorado Boulder , says it 's normal for social movements to lose steam over time — but she 's not sure the Women 's March is still as necessary as it was in 2017 .
`` In that first march , it was just kind of what a Trump presidency might materialize into , and since then , a lot of those threats have materialized , '' she said .
`` Whereas before it was kind of a collective perception of threat , now there are really specific things to mobilize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrants ' rights and the # MeToo movement have taken off on their own since the first Women 's March .
And yet , some people continue to be drawn to the large-scale demonstration that made a big splash following the 2016 election .
Artist Crystal Clarity did not march in past years because she chose to focus her energy on local issues in Brooklyn , where she lives .
But this year , she accepted the opportunity to help direct the artwork for the D.C. march — and she 's already looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` My experience with mobilizations and marches in general is that it 's not enough to take the streets ; we kind of have to keep it .
We have to keep the streets , '' she told NPR .
`` Real permanent change does n't happen with one-day events . ''
Carmona agrees .
She says she feels like now more than ever , women need to band together across social movements and show up for one another .
`` This march is the last march before the 2020 presidential election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the line , '' she said .

After Controversial Leaders Step Down, The Women's March Tries Again In 2020
Enlarge this image toggle caption Isabella Gomez Sarmiento/NPR Isabella Gomez Sarmiento/NPR
On an unusually warm January afternoon, 28-year-old Icy Coomber attended a poster-making session for the fourth annual Women's March in Washington, D.C.
Unlike the friend she accompanied to the event, Coomber did not participate in any of the previous anti-Trump demonstrations. Three years ago, the first march drew hundreds of thousands of people to the nation's capital and hosted sister marches in cities around the world.
But the Women's March has struggled since then, facing controversy for some of its leadership and criticism for being a space for primarily white, cisgender women. Last year, three founding members stepped down following allegations of anti-Semitism, and a new, bigger board took their place.
Now, the Women's March is back on Jan. 18 with a restructured lineup and mission — and some people who did not feel enticed to join in the past are giving it a second chance.
"When we're talking about women's rights, I feel like black women or women of color are usually left out of that conversation," Coomber said. "But I think not going, not representing people like me, doesn't help anything. I'm trying to have a change of heart."
The community art build that Coomber attended is part of the organization's goal to foster deeper partnerships with existing movements. After polling its base of supporters, the Women's March decided to focus on three main topics for this year's events: climate, reproductive justice and immigrants' rights.
Every night in the week leading up to the march itself, the organization has hosted panel discussions with activists from those fields. And on Saturday, there will no longer be a stage for the organizers and high-profile celebrities. Instead, the new leaders will march alongside everyone else, and Chilean collective LasTesis will lead the group in a rendition of its viral protest anthem, "Un Violador En Tu Camino" ("A Rapist In Your Path").
Enlarge this image toggle caption Isabella Gomez Sarmiento/NPR Isabella Gomez Sarmiento/NPR
"It just felt like the political moment is with the people — and you see that not just with our country but around the globe with a lot of people coming out and taking the streets," Rachel O'Leary Carmona, the Women's March chief operating officer, said about the decision to nix the stage. "It just felt like it was a time to be shoulder to shoulder with folks and be where the power is."
The crowd, however, will be smaller this year than in the past. The permit filed with the National Park Service allows for up to 10,000 protesters.
Celeste Montoya, who teaches gender studies and mobilizations at the University of Colorado Boulder, says it's normal for social movements to lose steam over time — but she's not sure the Women's March is still as necessary as it was in 2017.
"In that first march, it was just kind of what a Trump presidency might materialize into, and since then, a lot of those threats have materialized," she said. "Whereas before it was kind of a collective perception of threat, now there are really specific things to mobilize on."
Protests surrounding climate, immigrants' rights and the #MeToo movement have taken off on their own since the first Women's March. And yet, some people continue to be drawn to the large-scale demonstration that made a big splash following the 2016 election.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Isabella Gomez Sarmiento/NPR Isabella Gomez Sarmiento/NPR
Artist Crystal Clarity did not march in past years because she chose to focus her energy on local issues in Brooklyn, where she lives. But this year, she accepted the opportunity to help direct the artwork for the D.C. march — and she's already looking ahead at what comes after Saturday.
"My experience with mobilizations and marches in general is that it's not enough to take the streets; we kind of have to keep it. We have to keep the streets," she told NPR. "Real permanent change doesn't happen with one-day events."
Carmona agrees. She says she feels like now more than ever, women need to band together across social movements and show up for one another.
"This march is the last march before the 2020 presidential election, and literally everything that we love is on the line," she said.