npr--2020-08-11--Las Vegas Casinos Are Open At 50% Capacity. What About Las Vegas Hospitals?

Las Vegas Casinos Are Open At 50 % Capacity .
What About Las Vegas Hospitals ?
After a 90 % drop in visitors during its lockdown , the Las Vegas area has spent the summer trying to regain its economic footing while battling a resurgence of the coronavirus that is straining the health care system .
Even with recent gains in slowing the spread , Nevada still has one of the highest rates of new infections relative to its population in the country , rivaling some of the hardest hit southern states .
Its positivity rate — another key metric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests are coming back positive .
Last week , Nevada 's Democratic Gov .
Steve Sisolak warned the state was in a `` precarious position '' as it moved from a statewide `` phased '' approach to a more targeted , long-term mitigation plan .
An NPR analysis shows that the rapid growth in new cases relative to the number of hospital beds available in the Las Vegas area could signal a problem .
The region 's hospitals are not near capacity yet , but some individual facilities have been getting close , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mason VanHouweling , CEO of the large public hospital University Medical Center of Southern Nevada , said Las Vegas has surge plans in place to add more beds , if necessary .
`` We have the convention center that can flex up to 900 beds .
We 've also engaged hotels and other facilities , but we just have n't had to execute those plans fortunately , '' VanHouweling said .
Nevada 's hospitalizations for COVID-19 are gradually decreasing , after rising sharply last month .
When casinos reopened on June 4 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new coronavirus cases a day .
By mid July , that number had shot up to more than 1,000 .
Still , VanHouweling says he 's encouraged that hospitals have managed the influx of patients and does n't foresee that an increase in tourism will jeopardize the health care system or public health response .
`` It 's a great time to come , there 's great bargains , '' he said .
`` I just know from an infectious disease standpoint , they have done a great job in all of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay open , Nevada casinos are required to reduce capacity by 50 % and to keep customers and staff socially distanced and wearing facemasks , among other things .
`` There 's no chance , in my opinion , that a community like southern Florida or New York could possibly be as coordinated , integrated as Las Vegas , '' said Jim Murren who chairs Nevada 's COVID-19 Response , Relief & Recovery Task Force and former CEO of MGM Resorts International .
`` The fact that the resorts are open at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think , is appropriate , '' said Murren , who points out that state gaming regulators are closely monitoring casinos on their public health practices .
Murren said the task force has used the private sector to work in parallel with the state government on coronavirus , which has helped Nevada buy personal protective equipment at reduced prices and improve testing capacity and contact tracing .
`` This has had a very meaningful impact on a state that is small relative to its neighboring states and under-resourced in some respects , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to punch way above our weight . ''
In some ways , Las Vegas is more vulnerable than other metro areas to a surge of COVID-19 patients .
Nevada has long struggled with a shortage of health care workers , with fewer physicians and nurses than the national average .
Because it 's geographically isolated , that could also make it more challenging to transfer patients if hospitals were overtaxed , said Brian Labus , a professor of public health at the University of Nevada , Las Vegas .
`` Vegas is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ huge challenge , if we need to think about transferring patients , '' Labus said .
The region has also grown quickly and some sectors including health care have not kept pace with the populations ' needs , he said .
When it comes to controlling coronavirus , Las Vegas is also at the mercy of visitors who may not be inclined to follow public health guidance .
`` We can take out all the chairs we want at blackjack tables , if people still crowd around one player , it kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` So it can be hard getting people to change their behavior when they 're here on vacation . ''
Dr. Joe Corcoran , the chief medical officer for southern Nevada hospitals run by HCA Healthcare , says their hospitals are treating twice as many COVID-19 patients in the Las Vegas area as they were when cases peaked in the spring .
`` Coronavirus is very active in our community and not really showing any signs of sustained abatement , '' he said .
`` You hope to see smooth upticks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this phase is very erratic . ''
He says the hospitals are keeping up with the increase in patients by cutting back on elective procedures as necessary , repurposing rooms for COVID patients and transferring equipment and medication between hospitals .
`` There are so many components of this city where you 're congregating together , my gut tells me that there are parts of Las Vegas that are just going to make it harder for us to get to a true low level of concern , '' he said .
Corcoran says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time inpatient than earlier in the pandemic , in part because those getting infected are younger .
Dr. Rodney Buzzas , the chief medical officer for Dignity Health hospitals in Las Vegas , said the hospitals have seen a steady uptick since reopening , rather than one big onslaught of patients .
`` That has allowed us as a community to have a more stepped response , all the hospitals are working together to muster resources and support each other , '' Buzzas said .
He said the biggest challenge remains staffing '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurses and support staff to help , as is the rest of the country , I 'm afraid , '' Buzzas said .
`` So it 's not like there 's an easy supply of people out there . ''
Yarleny Roa-Dugan , a labor and delivery nurse in Las Vegas , said she is being asked to help out with COVID-19 patients because staffing is so limited .
`` The nurses are getting sick , not just from COVID , it 's also the stress , overworked , '' she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's just everything that comes with it [ COVID ] . ''

Las Vegas Casinos Are Open At 50% Capacity. What About Las Vegas Hospitals?
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Locher/AP John Locher/AP
After a 90% drop in visitors during its lockdown, the Las Vegas area has spent the summer trying to regain its economic footing while battling a resurgence of the coronavirus that is straining the health care system.
Even with recent gains in slowing the spread, Nevada still has one of the highest rates of new infections relative to its population in the country, rivaling some of the hardest hit southern states. Its positivity rate — another key metric — shows more than 15% of tests are coming back positive.
Last week, Nevada's Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak warned the state was in a "precarious position" as it moved from a statewide "phased" approach to a more targeted, long-term mitigation plan.
An NPR analysis shows that the rapid growth in new cases relative to the number of hospital beds available in the Las Vegas area could signal a problem. The region's hospitals are not near capacity yet, but some individual facilities have been getting close, according to the Nevada Hospital Association.
Mason VanHouweling, CEO of the large public hospital University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, said Las Vegas has surge plans in place to add more beds, if necessary.
"We have the convention center that can flex up to 900 beds. We've also engaged hotels and other facilities, but we just haven't had to execute those plans fortunately," VanHouweling said.
Nevada's hospitalizations for COVID-19 are gradually decreasing, after rising sharply last month.
When casinos reopened on June 4, Nevada was averaging between 100 to 200 new coronavirus cases a day. By mid July, that number had shot up to more than 1,000.
Still, VanHouweling says he's encouraged that hospitals have managed the influx of patients and doesn't foresee that an increase in tourism will jeopardize the health care system or public health response.
"It's a great time to come, there's great bargains," he said. "I just know from an infectious disease standpoint, they have done a great job in all of our resorts and casinos."
In order to stay open, Nevada casinos are required to reduce capacity by 50% and to keep customers and staff socially distanced and wearing facemasks, among other things.
"There's no chance, in my opinion, that a community like southern Florida or New York could possibly be as coordinated, integrated as Las Vegas," said Jim Murren who chairs Nevada's COVID-19 Response, Relief & Recovery Task Force and former CEO of MGM Resorts International.
"The fact that the resorts are open at the levels that they're open, I think, is appropriate," said Murren, who points out that state gaming regulators are closely monitoring casinos on their public health practices.
Murren said the task force has used the private sector to work in parallel with the state government on coronavirus, which has helped Nevada buy personal protective equipment at reduced prices and improve testing capacity and contact tracing.
"This has had a very meaningful impact on a state that is small relative to its neighboring states and under-resourced in some respects," Murren said. "We've been able to punch way above our weight."
In some ways, Las Vegas is more vulnerable than other metro areas to a surge of COVID-19 patients.
Nevada has long struggled with a shortage of health care workers, with fewer physicians and nurses than the national average.
Because it's geographically isolated, that could also make it more challenging to transfer patients if hospitals were overtaxed, said Brian Labus, a professor of public health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
"Vegas is essentially an island so that's a huge challenge, if we need to think about transferring patients," Labus said.
The region has also grown quickly and some sectors including health care have not kept pace with the populations' needs, he said.
When it comes to controlling coronavirus, Las Vegas is also at the mercy of visitors who may not be inclined to follow public health guidance.
"We can take out all the chairs we want at blackjack tables, if people still crowd around one player, it kind of defeats the whole purpose," Labus said. "So it can be hard getting people to change their behavior when they're here on vacation."
Dr. Joe Corcoran, the chief medical officer for southern Nevada hospitals run by HCA Healthcare, says their hospitals are treating twice as many COVID-19 patients in the Las Vegas area as they were when cases peaked in the spring.
"Coronavirus is very active in our community and not really showing any signs of sustained abatement," he said. "You hope to see smooth upticks then followed by a downturn, but this phase is very erratic."
He says the hospitals are keeping up with the increase in patients by cutting back on elective procedures as necessary, repurposing rooms for COVID patients and transferring equipment and medication between hospitals.
"There are so many components of this city where you're congregating together, my gut tells me that there are parts of Las Vegas that are just going to make it harder for us to get to a true low level of concern," he said.
Corcoran says that people with COVID-19 are spending less time inpatient than earlier in the pandemic, in part because those getting infected are younger.
Dr. Rodney Buzzas, the chief medical officer for Dignity Health hospitals in Las Vegas, said the hospitals have seen a steady uptick since reopening, rather than one big onslaught of patients.
"That has allowed us as a community to have a more stepped response, all the hospitals are working together to muster resources and support each other," Buzzas said.
He said the biggest challenge remains staffing
"We're continuing to look for additional nurses and support staff to help, as is the rest of the country, I'm afraid," Buzzas said. "So it's not like there's an easy supply of people out there."
Yarleny Roa-Dugan, a labor and delivery nurse in Las Vegas, said she is being asked to help out with COVID-19 patients because staffing is so limited.
"The nurses are getting sick, not just from COVID, it's also the stress, overworked," she said. "We're not resting, so it's just everything that comes with it [COVID]."


npr--2020-08-11--'Not Enough Time': Census Workers Fear Rushing Count Could Botch Results

'Not Enough Time ' : Census Workers Fear Rushing Count Could Botch Results With 50 days left to count every person living in the U.S. , Census Bureau workers around the country are facing what many consider an increasingly impossible mission .
Already hampered by the coronavirus pandemic , a shortened schedule for counting has exacerbated lingering challenges in dealing with health risks , retaining workers and deploying new technology for the 2020 census , which is now wrapping up in the middle of a historic hurricane season .
`` There 's just not enough time to do all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' one office operations supervisor told NPR .
In the week since the Census Bureau announced that all counting efforts would end a month early on Sept. 30 , NPR spoke with 13 current and former employees of the bureau — 11 of whom were interviewed on the condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation for speaking out .
Their perspectives underline the array of difficulties confronting the bureau as it attempts to finish tallying the country 's residents , as required once a decade by the Constitution , to determine each state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes in the Electoral College for the next decade .
The task of reaching the estimated 4 in 10 households nationwide — or around 56 million addresses — that have not yet filled out a census form falls largely on the shoulders of the bureau 's door knockers , also known as enumerators , and other temporary workers who support the operations based out of the country 's 248 local census offices .
In more than half of states and many local communities , census workers are trying to surmount self-response rates even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 63 % with fewer weeks in the field now that the Trump administration has shortened the schedule .
`` It just does n't seem logical to push this with all of these odds against us .
You 're looking at all this and you 're just thinking , 'Are we working on the same team ? '
`` said a census field supervisor in Florida , where growing outbreaks have dampened the bureau 's efforts to ramp up operations .
`` It does not feel like we have the same mission in mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete count .
I 'm not sure everyone on the team has the same mission . ''
Enumerators began fanning out nationwide this week after starting door knocking in some parts of the country in mid-July .
They are attempting to conduct a socially distanced interview with each unresponsive household in up to six days in total .
As a last resort , they may try to speak with their neighbors or building managers .
The bureau has relied on these efforts to try to make sure people of color , immigrants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less likely to respond to the census on their own , are not underrepresented in census data .
The urgency to complete the count by Sept. 30 , Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham said in a statement last week , comes from a directive by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross , who oversees the bureau , stemming from pressure to produce the latest state population totals for reapportioning Congress to the president by Dec. 31 as required by federal law .
The scheduling change has stirred up confusion and chaos within many area census @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had planned to count through Oct. 31 .
That date came from a revised schedule that in April , Ross presented to Congress — and President Trump publicly supported — as a way to overcome pandemic-related delays .
Since then , however , only Democrats in Congress have introduced legislation that would extend legal census deadlines to allow for a longer counting timeline , while Republican leaders have signaled they 're willing to cut counting short .
Census field supervisors told NPR that the shortened counting period has made the door-knocking job — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13.50 an hour in central West Virginia and as high as $ 30 an hour in California 's Bay Area — less enticing for some job applicants .
`` People are afraid .
They do n't want to get sick for a temporary job , '' the census field supervisor in Florida said .
As of Aug. 1 , the bureau 's payroll for the 2020 census includes more than 155,000 temporary workers — about a third of the half-million-strong workforce the bureau has said it needs to complete the count .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job applicants have accepted job offers , concerns about the pandemic have led to more no-shows and dropouts during the training process .
For past counts , the bureau has relied on retirees to help fill its pool of workers , especially during periods of low unemployment .
But the pandemic has now made many older adults , who are at higher risk of becoming severely ill , a mismatch for conducting in-person census interviews .
Stanley Grabia , 73 , spent around 20 hours training to be a door knocker in Maryland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The older people who are retired and do n't really need the money are doing it because they believe in democracy and they believe in the census , '' said Grabia , a retired attorney with the Department of Veterans Affairs .
He said he knew it was time to quit when he saw what he described as `` the absolute , total lack of any type of real protection for any of the employees . ''
In a joint statement released last week with the bureau , the Centers for Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interviews with the bureau 's workers `` should present a low risk of transmission of COVID-19 . ''
The bureau said it provides field workers with cloth face coverings and hand sanitizer in addition to training employees to maintain 6 feet of social distance , avoid entering homes and conduct interviews outside as much as possible .
Its protocols , the bureau said , have been reviewed by career staff at both the Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC .
But it took months after the CDC began recommending mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announce publicly in a statement to NPR that all staffers who interact with the public are required to be masked while working .
The bureau had previously said that workers will wear them `` if masks are required in the area '' where they 're door knocking .
Still , some employees at the bureau 's area census offices said they do n't see a heavy emphasis on worker safety .
`` The whole safety thing was way down below the priority to get the job done , '' a former enumerator , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Midwest , told NPR .
The former employee was disappointed that training did not include any extensive discussion about what to do when social distancing was not possible or when encountering someone not wearing a mask .
`` It was really up to the census workers to figure it out , '' said the former enumerator , who did not wear the bureau-issued face covering because it did not fit and instead bought disposable masks to use while working .
Asked for its backup plan in case it can not complete door-knocking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or a hurricane , the bureau told NPR in a statement that it is `` committed to a complete and accurate count by Sept .
30 . ''
`` As [ area census offices ] have hired and census takers have completed training we have been working to get census takers out into the field as quickly as possible , '' the bureau said .
In a statement to the House Oversight and Reform Committee last month , Dillingham , the bureau 's director , said local offices are conducting `` replacement trainings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure there are enough door knockers .
This week , the bureau said it 's offering up to an $ 800 bonus to enumerators who put in more hours in August .
Still , many supervisors at area census offices told NPR they are concerned offices are rushing newly hired temporary workers into the field .
`` We 're just sending bodies out regardless of whether they 're ready or not , '' said a census field supervisor working in the Mid-Atlantic .
In the scramble to get up and running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technical delays .
Alex Goulder , a recently hired door knocker in Boulder , Colo. , said he lost out on six potential workdays because he was unable to complete online training .
`` It 's very frustrating because I know that there 's this hard deadline , '' Goulder said .
`` I know that there are a lot of people out there that need to be counted and that essentially every day that I do n't work , there are people that will go uncounted . ''
Door knockers are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collect and upload census responses from the field .
But figuring out how to unlock the phone with a passcode and navigate the pre-installed apps has been a steep learning curve for some enumerators , NPR has learned .
`` We do not have enough time to hand-hold every single person , '' an office operations supervisor who specializes in information technology told NPR .
`` Most enumerators are retired .
Sometimes this is their first smartphone .
They 're more used to flip phones . ''
The technology is just another challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time crunch .
`` This is what 's making my stomach hurt .
There 's so much that is n't right about this , '' a census field supervisor in California said .
`` I know for the next 10 years , it wo n't be an accurate count .
I do n't know what we can do about it . ''
Many census workers said that while they can still carry their equipment and badges , they are dedicated to knocking on as many doors as they can to try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as complete as possible and that communities get their fair share in federal funding and political representation .
`` One more is better than zero , '' said the census field supervisor working in the Mid-Atlantic .
`` I would take that any given day . ''
The timeline facing census workers may change if Congress does pass a law soon that extends deadlines .
But last week , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , signaled that discussions about the census have not gotten far in negotiations with Republican leaders for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire , the top Democrat on the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds the bureau , asked for the Commerce Department inspector general to investigate the decision to speed up the census schedule .
`` I believe that this deviation in schedule is driven not by expert opinions of career Census Bureau employees but by external pressure from the White House and the Department of Commerce for perceived political gain , '' Shaheen wrote to Inspector General Peggy Gustafson .
The last-minute pivot has also raised concerns about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Chris Mihm , managing director of the strategic issues team at the Government Accountability Office .
The federal watchdog agency has kept the 2020 census on its list of `` high risk '' government projects since 2017 .
Mihm said Census Bureau officials told the GAO that they were given `` hours rather than days or weeks '' to revise their plans to finish counting by the end of September .
`` Each census has generally been an improvement in terms of the quality and completeness over the preceding census , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very real risk this time of backsliding . ''

'Not Enough Time': Census Workers Fear Rushing Count Could Botch Results
Enlarge this image toggle caption LM Otero/AP LM Otero/AP
With 50 days left to count every person living in the U.S., Census Bureau workers around the country are facing what many consider an increasingly impossible mission.
Already hampered by the coronavirus pandemic, a shortened schedule for counting has exacerbated lingering challenges in dealing with health risks, retaining workers and deploying new technology for the 2020 census, which is now wrapping up in the middle of a historic hurricane season.
"There's just not enough time to do all the work that needs to be done," one office operations supervisor told NPR.
In the week since the Census Bureau announced that all counting efforts would end a month early on Sept. 30, NPR spoke with 13 current and former employees of the bureau — 11 of whom were interviewed on the condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation for speaking out.
Their perspectives underline the array of difficulties confronting the bureau as it attempts to finish tallying the country's residents, as required once a decade by the Constitution, to determine each state's share of seats in Congress and votes in the Electoral College for the next decade.
It just doesn't seem logical to push this with all of these odds against us.
The task of reaching the estimated 4 in 10 households nationwide — or around 56 million addresses — that have not yet filled out a census form falls largely on the shoulders of the bureau's door knockers, also known as enumerators, and other temporary workers who support the operations based out of the country's 248 local census offices. In more than half of states and many local communities, census workers are trying to surmount self-response rates even lower than the national average of around 63% with fewer weeks in the field now that the Trump administration has shortened the schedule.
"It just doesn't seem logical to push this with all of these odds against us. You're looking at all this and you're just thinking, 'Are we working on the same team?' " said a census field supervisor in Florida, where growing outbreaks have dampened the bureau's efforts to ramp up operations. "It does not feel like we have the same mission in mind. We're trying to get a complete count. I'm not sure everyone on the team has the same mission."
Enumerators began fanning out nationwide this week after starting door knocking in some parts of the country in mid-July. They are attempting to conduct a socially distanced interview with each unresponsive household in up to six days in total. As a last resort, they may try to speak with their neighbors or building managers. The bureau has relied on these efforts to try to make sure people of color, immigrants and other historically undercounted groups, who are less likely to respond to the census on their own, are not underrepresented in census data.
The urgency to complete the count by Sept. 30, Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham said in a statement last week, comes from a directive by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who oversees the bureau, stemming from pressure to produce the latest state population totals for reapportioning Congress to the president by Dec. 31 as required by federal law.
The scheduling change has stirred up confusion and chaos within many area census offices, which, for months, had planned to count through Oct. 31. That date came from a revised schedule that in April, Ross presented to Congress — and President Trump publicly supported — as a way to overcome pandemic-related delays.
Since then, however, only Democrats in Congress have introduced legislation that would extend legal census deadlines to allow for a longer counting timeline, while Republican leaders have signaled they're willing to cut counting short.
Census field supervisors told NPR that the shortened counting period has made the door-knocking job — which can pay as low as $13.50 an hour in central West Virginia and as high as $30 an hour in California's Bay Area — less enticing for some job applicants.
"People are afraid. They don't want to get sick for a temporary job," the census field supervisor in Florida said.
As of Aug. 1, the bureau's payroll for the 2020 census includes more than 155,000 temporary workers — about a third of the half-million-strong workforce the bureau has said it needs to complete the count. While the bureau said that more than 900,000 job applicants have accepted job offers, concerns about the pandemic have led to more no-shows and dropouts during the training process.
For past counts, the bureau has relied on retirees to help fill its pool of workers, especially during periods of low unemployment. But the pandemic has now made many older adults, who are at higher risk of becoming severely ill, a mismatch for conducting in-person census interviews.
Stanley Grabia, 73, spent around 20 hours training to be a door knocker in Maryland before he decided to quit.
"The older people who are retired and don't really need the money are doing it because they believe in democracy and they believe in the census," said Grabia, a retired attorney with the Department of Veterans Affairs. He said he knew it was time to quit when he saw what he described as "the absolute, total lack of any type of real protection for any of the employees."
We're just sending bodies out regardless of whether they're ready or not.
In a joint statement released last week with the bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that participating in in-person interviews with the bureau's workers "should present a low risk of transmission of COVID-19."
The bureau said it provides field workers with cloth face coverings and hand sanitizer in addition to training employees to maintain 6 feet of social distance, avoid entering homes and conduct interviews outside as much as possible. Its protocols, the bureau said, have been reviewed by career staff at both the Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC.
But it took months after the CDC began recommending mask wearing in April for the bureau to announce publicly in a statement to NPR that all staffers who interact with the public are required to be masked while working. The bureau had previously said that workers will wear them "if masks are required in the area" where they're door knocking.
Still, some employees at the bureau's area census offices said they don't see a heavy emphasis on worker safety.
"The whole safety thing was way down below the priority to get the job done," a former enumerator, who recently quit after door knocking in the Midwest, told NPR.
The former employee was disappointed that training did not include any extensive discussion about what to do when social distancing was not possible or when encountering someone not wearing a mask.
"It was really up to the census workers to figure it out," said the former enumerator, who did not wear the bureau-issued face covering because it did not fit and instead bought disposable masks to use while working.
Asked for its backup plan in case it cannot complete door-knocking efforts in an area due to COVID-19 or a hurricane, the bureau told NPR in a statement that it is "committed to a complete and accurate count by Sept. 30."
"As [area census offices] have hired and census takers have completed training we have been working to get census takers out into the field as quickly as possible," the bureau said.
There's so much that isn't right about this.
In a statement to the House Oversight and Reform Committee last month, Dillingham, the bureau's director, said local offices are conducting "replacement trainings on an ongoing basis" to try to make sure there are enough door knockers. This week, the bureau said it's offering up to an $800 bonus to enumerators who put in more hours in August.
Still, many supervisors at area census offices told NPR they are concerned offices are rushing newly hired temporary workers into the field.
"We're just sending bodies out regardless of whether they're ready or not," said a census field supervisor working in the Mid-Atlantic.
In the scramble to get up and running, some enumerators have been caught in technical delays.
Alex Goulder, a recently hired door knocker in Boulder, Colo., said he lost out on six potential workdays because he was unable to complete online training.
"It's very frustrating because I know that there's this hard deadline," Goulder said. "I know that there are a lot of people out there that need to be counted and that essentially every day that I don't work, there are people that will go uncounted."
Door knockers are also each equipped with an iPhone 8 to collect and upload census responses from the field. But figuring out how to unlock the phone with a passcode and navigate the pre-installed apps has been a steep learning curve for some enumerators, NPR has learned.
"We do not have enough time to hand-hold every single person," an office operations supervisor who specializes in information technology told NPR. "Most enumerators are retired. Sometimes this is their first smartphone. They're more used to flip phones."
The technology is just another challenge piled on top of the pandemic and the time crunch.
"This is what's making my stomach hurt. There's so much that isn't right about this," a census field supervisor in California said. "I know for the next 10 years, it won't be an accurate count. I don't know what we can do about it."
Many census workers said that while they can still carry their equipment and badges, they are dedicated to knocking on as many doors as they can to try to make sure that the census data are as complete as possible and that communities get their fair share in federal funding and political representation.
"One more is better than zero," said the census field supervisor working in the Mid-Atlantic. "I would take that any given day."
We run a very real risk this time of backsliding.
The timeline facing census workers may change if Congress does pass a law soon that extends deadlines. But last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., signaled that discussions about the census have not gotten far in negotiations with Republican leaders for the next coronavirus relief package.
This week, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds the bureau, asked for the Commerce Department inspector general to investigate the decision to speed up the census schedule.
"I believe that this deviation in schedule is driven not by expert opinions of career Census Bureau employees but by external pressure from the White House and the Department of Commerce for perceived political gain," Shaheen wrote to Inspector General Peggy Gustafson.
The last-minute pivot has also raised concerns about the reliability of the count's results for Chris Mihm, managing director of the strategic issues team at the Government Accountability Office. The federal watchdog agency has kept the 2020 census on its list of "high risk" government projects since 2017.
Mihm said Census Bureau officials told the GAO that they were given "hours rather than days or weeks" to revise their plans to finish counting by the end of September.
"Each census has generally been an improvement in terms of the quality and completeness over the preceding census," Mihm added. "We run a very real risk this time of backsliding."


npr--2020-08-11--Contact Tracers In Massachusetts Order Milk And Help With Rent. Here's Why

Contact Tracers In Massachusetts Order Milk And Help With Rent .
Here 's Why It 's a familiar moment .
The kids want their cereal and the coffee 's brewing , but you 're out of milk .
No problem , you think — the corner store is just a couple of minutes away .
But if you have COVID-19 or have been exposed to the coronavirus , you 're supposed to stay put .
Even that quick errand could make you the reason someone else gets infected .
But making the choice to keep others safe can be hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , single parents or low-wage workers , for instance , staying in isolation is impractical as they struggle with how to feed the kids or pay the rent .
Recognizing this problem , Massachusetts includes a specific role in its COVID-19 contact tracing that 's not common everywhere : a care resource coordinator .
Luisa Schaeffer spends her days doing resource coordination in a densely packed , largely immigrant community in Brockton , Mass .
Her first call of the day is to a woman poised at the door to her apartment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get groceries .
The woman has COVID-19 .
And Schaeffer 's job is to help the woman make the best choice for the public — sometimes , the help she offers is as basic , and important , as the delivery of a jug of milk .
`` That 's my priority , I have to put milk in her refrigerator immediately , '' Schaeffer says .
`` Most of the time it 's the simple things , the simple things can spread the virus . ''
The woman who needs milk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schaeffer through the Massachusetts government 's Community Tracing Collaborative .
Contact tracers make daily calls to people who are in isolation because they 've tested positive or are in quarantine because they 've been exposed to the coronavirus and must wait 14 days to see if it develops .
The collaborative estimates that between 10 % to 15 % of cases request assistance .
Their requests are referred to Schaeffer and other care resource coordinators .
`` So many people are on this razor-thin edge , and it 's often a single diagnosis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' says John Welch , director of operations and partnerships for Partners in Health 's Massachusetts Coronavirus Response , which manages the state 's contact tracing program .
He says this is why a role such as a resource coordinator `` becomes essential in them getting back to a sense of health , a sense of wellness , a sense of security . ''
With milk on its way , Schaeffer dials a woman who needs to find a primary care doctor , make an appointment and apply for Medicaid .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third client , Schaeffer switches to her native language , Cape Verdean Creole .
The man on the other end of the line and his mother have both been sick and out of work .
He applied for food stamps and was denied .
Schaeffer texts the regional head of a state office that manages that program .
A few minutes later , the director texts back ; he 's on the case .
Schaeffer , who has deep roots in the community , is on temporary loan to the state 's contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her job , helping patients understand and follow their prescribed treatments at the Brockton Neighborhood Health Center .
The collaborative says most client requests are for food , medicine , masks and cleaning supplies .
COVID-19 patients who are out of work for weeks or who do n't have salaried jobs may need help with rental assistance — which is available to qualified Massachusetts residents — or applying for unemployment .
Care resource coordinators even connect people with legal support when they need it .
An older woman employed in the laundry room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would n't be paid while out sick .
Schaeffer gets in touch with the Community Tracing Collaborative 's attorney , who reminds the company that paid sick leave is required of most employers during the pandemic .
`` So , now , everything 's in place .
She started getting paid , '' Schaeffer reports .
There are glitches .
People who are undocumented fear losing their jobs and so return to work .
When the local food bank runs out , Schaeffer scrambles to find a local grocer who will help .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be like foreign cuisine for Schaeffer 's clients , some who are from Cape Verde and Peru .
She looks for a nutritionist and sets up a conference call cooking lesson .
`` I love the three-way calls , '' she says , beaming .
Schaeffer and other care resource coordinators have responded to more than 10,500 requests for help so far through Massachusetts ' contact tracing program .
Demand is likely greater in cities such as Brockton , with higher infection rates than most of the state and a 28.7 % lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out care resource coordination as a separate job in this project .
But the role is not new .
Local health departments routinely include what might be called support or wrap-around services when they do contact tracing .
With cases of tuberculosis , for example , a public health worker might make sure patients have a doctor , get to frequent appointments and have their medications .
`` You ca n't have one without the other , '' says Sigalle Reiss , president of the Massachusetts Health Officers Association .
Partners in Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states on contact tracing , says the importance of having someone assist with food and rent while residents isolate is n't getting enough attention .
`` I do n't see that as a universal approach with other contact tracing programs across the U.S. , '' he says .
Some contact tracing programs that schools , employers or states are rushing into place during the pandemic just cover the basics .
`` They 're focused on : Get your positive case , find the contacts , read the script , period , the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of government and public affairs at the National Association of City and County Health Officials .
`` And that 's really not how people 's lives work . ''
Casalotti acknowledges that this support role — and services for people isolating or in quarantine — adds to the cost of contact tracing .
She urges more federal funding to help with this expense as well as a federal extension of the paid sick time requirement , and more money for food banks so that people exposed to the coronavirus can make sure they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Individuals ' lives can be messy and complicated so helping them to be able to drop everything and keep us all safe — we can help them through the challenges they might have , '' Casalotti says .
This story was produced in partnership with WBUR and Kaiser Health News .

Contact Tracers In Massachusetts Order Milk And Help With Rent. Here's Why
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jesse Costa/WBUR Jesse Costa/WBUR
It's a familiar moment. The kids want their cereal and the coffee's brewing, but you're out of milk. No problem, you think — the corner store is just a couple of minutes away. But if you have COVID-19 or have been exposed to the coronavirus, you're supposed to stay put. Even that quick errand could make you the reason someone else gets infected.
But making the choice to keep others safe can be hard to do without support. For many, single parents or low-wage workers, for instance, staying in isolation is impractical as they struggle with how to feed the kids or pay the rent. Recognizing this problem, Massachusetts includes a specific role in its COVID-19 contact tracing that's not common everywhere: a care resource coordinator.
Luisa Schaeffer spends her days doing resource coordination in a densely packed, largely immigrant community in Brockton, Mass.
Her first call of the day is to a woman poised at the door to her apartment, debating whether to take that quick walk to get groceries. The woman has COVID-19. And Schaeffer's job is to help the woman make the best choice for the public — sometimes, the help she offers is as basic, and important, as the delivery of a jug of milk.
"That's my priority, I have to put milk in her refrigerator immediately," Schaeffer says. "Most of the time it's the simple things, the simple things can spread the virus."
The woman who needs milk is one of eight cases referred to Schaeffer through the Massachusetts government's Community Tracing Collaborative. Contact tracers make daily calls to people who are in isolation because they've tested positive or are in quarantine because they've been exposed to the coronavirus and must wait 14 days to see if it develops. The collaborative estimates that between 10% to 15% of cases request assistance. Their requests are referred to Schaeffer and other care resource coordinators.
"So many people are on this razor-thin edge, and it's often a single diagnosis like COVID that can tip them over," says John Welch, director of operations and partnerships for Partners in Health's Massachusetts Coronavirus Response, which manages the state's contact tracing program. He says this is why a role such as a resource coordinator "becomes essential in them getting back to a sense of health, a sense of wellness, a sense of security."
With milk on its way, Schaeffer dials a woman who needs to find a primary care doctor, make an appointment and apply for Medicaid. That call is in Spanish.
With her third client, Schaeffer switches to her native language, Cape Verdean Creole. The man on the other end of the line and his mother have both been sick and out of work. He applied for food stamps and was denied. Schaeffer texts the regional head of a state office that manages that program. A few minutes later, the director texts back; he's on the case.
Schaeffer, who has deep roots in the community, is on temporary loan to the state's contact tracing collaborative and will later return to her job, helping patients understand and follow their prescribed treatments at the Brockton Neighborhood Health Center.
The collaborative says most client requests are for food, medicine, masks and cleaning supplies. COVID-19 patients who are out of work for weeks or who don't have salaried jobs may need help with rental assistance — which is available to qualified Massachusetts residents — or applying for unemployment.
Care resource coordinators even connect people with legal support when they need it. An older woman employed in the laundry room at a nursing home was told she wouldn't be paid while out sick. Schaeffer gets in touch with the Community Tracing Collaborative's attorney, who reminds the company that paid sick leave is required of most employers during the pandemic.
"So, now, everything's in place. She started getting paid," Schaeffer reports.
There are glitches. People who are undocumented fear losing their jobs and so return to work. When the local food bank runs out, Schaeffer scrambles to find a local grocer who will help. The free canned goods or vegetables may be like foreign cuisine for Schaeffer's clients, some who are from Cape Verde and Peru. She looks for a nutritionist and sets up a conference call cooking lesson.
"I love the three-way calls," she says, beaming.
Schaeffer and other care resource coordinators have responded to more than 10,500 requests for help so far through Massachusetts' contact tracing program. Demand is likely greater in cities such as Brockton, with higher infection rates than most of the state and a 28.7% lower median household income.
Massachusetts has carved out care resource coordination as a separate job in this project. But the role is not new. Local health departments routinely include what might be called support or wrap-around services when they do contact tracing. With cases of tuberculosis, for example, a public health worker might make sure patients have a doctor, get to frequent appointments and have their medications.
"You can't have one without the other," says Sigalle Reiss, president of the Massachusetts Health Officers Association.
Partners in Health's Welch, who is advising other states on contact tracing, says the importance of having someone assist with food and rent while residents isolate isn't getting enough attention.
"I don't see that as a universal approach with other contact tracing programs across the U.S.," he says.
Some contact tracing programs that schools, employers or states are rushing into place during the pandemic just cover the basics.
"They're focused on: Get your positive case, find the contacts, read the script, period, the end," says Adriane Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs at the National Association of City and County Health Officials. "And that's really not how people's lives work."
Casalotti acknowledges that this support role — and services for people isolating or in quarantine — adds to the cost of contact tracing. She urges more federal funding to help with this expense as well as a federal extension of the paid sick time requirement, and more money for food banks so that people exposed to the coronavirus can make sure they don't give it to anyone else.
"Individuals' lives can be messy and complicated so helping them to be able to drop everything and keep us all safe — we can help them through the challenges they might have," Casalotti says.
This story was produced in partnership with WBUR and Kaiser Health News.


npr--2020-08-12--'Lots Of Destruction, But This Is The Future': Photos Inside The Homes Of Beirut

'Lots Of Destruction , But This Is The Future ' : Photos Inside The Homes Of Beirut It was in the early evening of Aug. 4 when two blasts convulsed Beirut .
First , onlookers saw a major fire at the Mediterranean port .
Then there was an explosion , and then another , shooting seismic waves through Lebanon 's capital and a huge mushroom cloud into the sky .
More than 200 people died and thousands were injured .
The scale of devastation — of buildings , infrastructure and people 's livelihoods — is difficult to capture as residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a selection of photographs showing Beirut residents in their destroyed home or workplace , along with a glimpse of their experiences in their own words .
`` Here is lots of destruction , but this is the future , '' says one of the subjects , engineer Riad al-Assaad , who is trying to rebuild .
`` I see that we have a mission . ''
`` I was sitting right where you photographed me when the blast occurred .
Before I knew it , I was flown to the front door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and struggled to take the stairs down to the street .
...
I began walking towards Hotel Dieu Hospital , which took about 40 minutes to reach as nobody on the road was able to offer me a ride .
The emergency room was flooded with blood , screams and severely injured people .
I waited there from 7 p.m. till 2 a.m. for someone to stitch me up . ''
Pointing at the floor where his face mask and bloody clothes were , he said , `` Look at all my blood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came out of this alive . ''
`` I had left the hospital 30 minutes before the blast , after checking in on all the patients .
Once the explosion happened , I instantly came back to help evacuate all the patients from the hospital and dispatch them to another hospital .
It was a disaster and I was beyond words .
Usually , we have a lot of outpatients coming in and out to receive their treatments , but those treatments luckily end at 4 p.m. , so we only had nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we lost one patient 's father who was trying to protect his child from the blast , and two other parents are also in the intensive care unit . ''
`` Villa Sehnaoui was built around 1920 , and was bought by Mitri Sehnaoui in 1930 .
There is so much history , love and memories behind each room for many generations .
We could only recover a few valuable things , all the jars from the Phoenician era were left untouched .
What you see here is lots of destruction , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we have a mission — a mission to preserve our past for the future generations to see how we survived .
This is a house of spirits , it has seen a hundred years of history .
What we are trying to do is reconstruct this house .
It 's a momentous job , but so is rebuilding a country .
So we are reaching out to the younger generation and , with their help and technical abilities , we can rebuild .
It 's not enough to just rebuild but also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
`` I 've had a recurrent nightmare ever since I was a kid : A tsunami takes over and all I can do is look for my sister to rescue her .
I worried about her because I never thought I 'd have to go through such a nightmare all alone .
And that I did , on Aug. 4 .
I was the last one to stay at the art gallery .
A minute before the explosion , I needed to use the bathroom .
The shaking blue painted walls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
'No , not like this , ' I said to myself , as I threw myself on the floor and tried to protect my head under the toilet .
I ca n't even remember the sound of the blast , similar to the silence you feel when you 're under a crashing wave .
When I got out of that bathroom , I realized that the world I built in this country came crashing down .
I walked all the way home , my sandals crushing over the shimmering glass shards that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70 square meter apartment in Pasteur .
The coldness hits you when you silence the screams and cries for help filling the smokey air of the broken city .
The moment I saw my building in ruins , I felt a heartbreak like no other .
I knew my apartment was completely gone when I saw pictures from my family album and little drawings my boyfriend drew of me on A5 yellow paper scattered on every floor .
I live on the third floor .
My home is gone and my heart is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my favorite memories drowning in glass .
In that moment , I realized that my recurrent nightmare , looking for my sister , was a metaphor .
As I saw our 5 and 4-year-old selves resting on the echoes of glimmering ocean hues , I realized that maybe my nightmares were telling me I should never have to be alone , and to join the rest of my family who are safe and sound because they 've fled this catastrophe long before it happened . ''
Habeb al-Hamad Azab is a Syrian refugee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hopes of building a safe future .
The explosions served a heavy blow to those hopes .
His children were at home when the blasts happened and were unharmed .
But now he has lost his house in Beirut 's Mar Mikhael neighborhood and his family had to flee to a refugee camp because they have nowhere else to go .
Plastik is an independent publication , the Middle East 's first visual magazine championing young artists and queer individuals from the Middle East and the world .
The headquarters were destroyed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to add colors and light to a war-torn city .
When I first walked into this space , I was 21 .
I fell in love with it and gambled everything I had to have it .
It 's in this happy place that I started Plastik and my dreams took off .
This space kept coming back to Beirut despite the repeated heartbreak of living in this city .
This is where I met the love of my life and some of my happiest memories .
Yes , I am grateful that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe , I am grateful to all the workers that guarded my space when I did n't have the mental or physical capacity to do so .
But today I stand here , numb and unable to feel anything , to be honest .
I want to work on my mental health but it 's impossible as long as I 'm trapped in this country .
The hardest thing is to feel unsafe in your own home , in your own country . ''

'Lots Of Destruction, But This Is The Future': Photos Inside The Homes Of Beirut
It was in the early evening of Aug. 4 when two blasts convulsed Beirut. First, onlookers saw a major fire at the Mediterranean port. Then there was an explosion, and then another, shooting seismic waves through Lebanon's capital and a huge mushroom cloud into the sky.
More than 170 people died and thousands were injured. The scale of devastation — to buildings, infrastructure and people's livelihoods — is difficult to capture as residents take stock of the damage.
Here is a selection of photographs showing Beirut residents in their destroyed home or workplace, along with a glimpse of their experiences in their own words.
"Here is lots of destruction, but this is the future," says one of the subjects, engineer Riad al-Assaad, who is trying to rebuild. "I see that we have a mission."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Yasmina Hilal for NPR Yasmina Hilal for NPR
Jean Moukarzel
I don't know how I came out of this alive.
"I was sitting right where you photographed me when the blast occurred. Before I knew it, I was flown to the front door of my house. I woke up and struggled to take the stairs down to the street. ... I began walking towards Hotel Dieu Hospital, which took about 40 minutes to reach as nobody on the road was able to offer me a ride. The emergency room was flooded with blood, screams and severely injured people. I waited there from 7 p.m. till 2 a.m. for someone to stitch me up."
Pointing at the floor where his face mask and bloody clothes were, he said, "Look at all my blood. I don't know how I came out of this alive."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Yasmina Hilal for NPR Yasmina Hilal for NPR
Middle East Doctor: Beirut Explosion Strains Hospitals Doctor: Beirut Explosion Strains Hospitals 6:21
Dr. Peter Noun
"I had left the hospital 30 minutes before the blast, after checking in on all the patients. Once the explosion happened, I instantly came back to help evacuate all the patients from the hospital and dispatch them to another hospital. It was a disaster and I was beyond words. Usually, we have a lot of outpatients coming in and out to receive their treatments, but those treatments luckily end at 4 p.m., so we only had nine inpatients on the floor. Unfortunately, we lost one patient's father who was trying to protect his child from the blast, and two other parents are also in the intensive care unit."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Yasmina Hilal for NPR Yasmina Hilal for NPR
Riad al-Assaad
"Villa Sehnaoui was built around 1920 and was bought by Mitri Sehnaoui in 1930. There is so much history, love and memories behind each room for many generations. We could only recover a few valuable things, all the jars from the Phoenician era were left untouched. What you see here is lots of destruction, but this is the future. I see that we have a mission — a mission to preserve our past for the future generations to see how we survived. This is a house of spirits, it has seen 100 years of history. What we are trying to do is reconstruct this house. It's a momentous job, but so is rebuilding a country. So we are reaching out to the younger generation and, with their help and technical abilities, we can rebuild. It's not enough to just rebuild but also to believe and to fight for justice."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Yasmina Hilal for NPR Yasmina Hilal for NPR
toggle caption Yasmina Hilal for NPR
Karen Madi
I can't even remember the sound of the blast, similar to the silence you feel when you're under a crashing wave.
"I've had a recurrent nightmare ever since I was a kid: A tsunami takes over and all I can do is look for my sister to rescue her. I worried about her because I never thought I'd have to go through such a nightmare all alone. And that I did, on Aug. 4. I was the last one to stay at the art gallery. A minute before the explosion, I needed to use the bathroom. The shaking blue painted walls echoed the tsunami waves from my nightmares. 'No, not like this,' I said to myself, as I threw myself on the floor and tried to protect my head under the toilet. I can't even remember the sound of the blast, similar to the silence you feel when you're under a crashing wave. When I got out of that bathroom, I realized that the world I built in this country came crashing down. I walked all the way home, my sandals crushing over the shimmering glass shards that led to whatever was left of my 70-square-meter apartment in Pasteur. The coldness hits you when you silence the screams and cries for help filling the smokey air of the broken city. The moment I saw my building in ruins, I felt a heartbreak like no other. I knew my apartment was completely gone when I saw pictures from my family album and little drawings my boyfriend drew of me on A5 yellow paper scattered on every floor. I live on the third floor. My home is gone and my heart is crushed and all I can see are my favorite memories drowning in glass. In that moment, I realized that my recurrent nightmare, looking for my sister, was a metaphor. As I saw our 5- and 4-year-old selves resting on the echoes of glimmering ocean hues, I realized that maybe my nightmares were telling me I should never have to be alone, and to join the rest of my family who are safe and sound because they've fled this catastrophe long before it happened."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Yasmina Hilal for NPR Yasmina Hilal for NPR
Habeb al-Hamad Azab
Habeb al-Hamad Azab is a Syrian refugee who came to Lebanon with his family in hopes of building a safe future. The explosions served a heavy blow to those hopes. His children were at home when the blasts happened and were unharmed. But now he has lost his house in Beirut's Mar Mikhael neighborhood and his family had to flee to a refugee camp because they have nowhere else to go.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Yasmina Hilal for NPR Yasmina Hilal for NPR
Eli Rezkallah
Plastik is an independent publication, the Middle East's first visual magazine championing young artists and queer individuals from the Middle East and the world. The headquarters were destroyed.
I am grateful that my team and loved ones are all safe ... but today I stand here, numb and unable to feel anything.
"Plastik's mere existence was to add colors and light to a war-torn city. When I first walked into this space, I was 21. I fell in love with it and gambled everything I had to have it. It's in this happy place that I started Plastik and my dreams took off. This space kept coming back to Beirut despite the repeated heartbreak of living in this city. This is where I met the love of my life and some of my happiest memories. Yes, I am grateful that my team and loved ones are all safe, I am grateful to all the workers that guarded my space when I didn't have the mental or physical capacity to do so. But today I stand here, numb and unable to feel anything, to be honest. I want to work on my mental health but it's impossible as long as I'm trapped in this country. The hardest thing is to feel unsafe in your own home, in your own country."


npr--2020-08-12--'Teeth The Size Of Bananas'; New Study Paints Picture Of 'Terror Crocodiles'

'Teeth The Size Of Bananas ' ; New Study Paints Picture Of 'Terror Crocodiles' Enormous `` terror crocodiles '' once roamed the earth and preyed on dinosaurs , according to a new study revisiting fossils from the gigantic Late Cretaceous crocodylian , Deinosuchus .
The research , published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology , reiterates that Deinosuchus were among the largest crocodylians ever in existence , reaching up to 33 feet in length .
New in this study is a look at the anatomy of the Deinosuchus , which was achieved by piecing together various specimens unknown until now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animal .
Adam Cossette , a vertebrate paleobiologist at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University , led the study that corrected some misunderstandings about the Deinosuchus .
`` Until now , the complete animal was unknown , '' Cossette said .
`` These new specimens we 've examined reveal a bizarre , monstrous predator with teeth the size of bananas . ''
Past studies on cranial remains and bite marks on dinosaur bones led paleontologists to believe the massive Deinosuchus were an opportunistic predator , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specimens now make it clear that Deinosuchus did indeed have the head size and jaw strength to have its pick of prey , including large dinosaurs .
`` Deinosuchus was a giant that must have terrorized dinosaurs that came to the water 's edge to drink , '' Cossette said .
University of Iowa vertebrate paleontologist Christopher Brochu , the study 's co-author , said another important realization from the paper is that there were several species of Deinosuchus that roamed North America between 75 and 82 million years ago .
The study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the west , from what is now Montana to northern Mexico .
Deinosuchus schwimmeri lived in the east from New Jersey to Mississippi .
`` Some of them were separated by a seaway that at one point cut North America in half from what 's now the Gulf of Mexico up to the Arctic Ocean , '' Brochu said .
`` And that may have driven what we call speciation .
There might have been one ancestral dinosaur form in North America , and then the seaway cut that population in half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one direction , the other side in a different direction . ''
Despite the nickname `` terror crocodiles , '' Brochu said Deinosuchus were more closely related to alligators than to crocodiles but `` did n't look like either one of them . ''
Deinosuchus had a snout that was long and broad , with the front appearing inflated unlike any other living or extinct crocodylian .
On the tip of the snout is a large pair of holes .
Researchers are still unsure of their function .
Both Brouchu and Cossette assert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are living fossils , or in other words , animals which never evolved .
`` There 's this concept out there that crocodylians are unchanging forms , '' Brochu said .
`` That they appear way back in the distant past and have n't changed since the days of the dinosaurs .
That is simply not true . ''
If you look at the modern species of crocodylian , Cossette explained , there are just a handful and they all look and act very similar .
But if you look at the fossil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shape , diet and lifestyle .
`` Most people think crocodiles have n't changed in 75 million years , '' Cossette said .
`` This study shows that the ancestors of today 's American alligator did n't look anything like them . ''
`` Crocodiles are actually these incredibly dynamic creatures that have experienced incredible evolutionary histories , have lived in places that modern crocodiles do n't live , done things that modern crocodiles do n't do and have grown to sizes that modern crocodiles never achieve .
That I think is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at least for me , '' Cossette added .

'Teeth The Size Of Bananas'; New Study Paints Picture Of 'Terror Crocodiles'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Adam Cossette Adam Cossette
Enormous "terror crocodiles" once roamed the earth and preyed on dinosaurs, according to a new study revisiting fossils from the gigantic Late Cretaceous crocodylian, Deinosuchus.
The research, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, reiterates that Deinosuchus were among the largest crocodylians ever in existence, reaching up to 33 feet in length. New in this study is a look at the anatomy of the Deinosuchus, which was achieved by piecing together various specimens unknown until now, giving a fuller picture of the animal.
Adam Cossette, a vertebrate paleobiologist at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University, led the study that corrected some misunderstandings about the Deinosuchus.
"Until now, the complete animal was unknown," Cossette said. "These new specimens we've examined reveal a bizarre, monstrous predator with teeth the size of bananas."
Past studies on cranial remains and bite marks on dinosaur bones led paleontologists to believe the massive Deinosuchus were an opportunistic predator, according to the press release. Fossil specimens now make it clear that Deinosuchus did indeed have the head size and jaw strength to have its pick of prey, including large dinosaurs.
"Deinosuchus was a giant that must have terrorized dinosaurs that came to the water's edge to drink," Cossette said.
toggle caption Adam Cossette
University of Iowa vertebrate paleontologist Christopher Brochu, the study's co-author, said another important realization from the paper is that there were several species of Deinosuchus that roamed North America between 75 and 82 million years ago.
The study notes Deinosuchus hatcheri and Deinosuchus riograndensis lived in the west, from what is now Montana to northern Mexico. Deinosuchus schwimmeri lived in the east from New Jersey to Mississippi.
"Some of them were separated by a seaway that at one point cut North America in half from what's now the Gulf of Mexico up to the Arctic Ocean," Brochu said. "And that may have driven what we call speciation. There might have been one ancestral Deinosuchus form in North America, and then the seaway cut that population in half and on one side it evolved in one direction, the other side in a different direction."
Despite the nickname "terror crocodiles," Brochu said Deinosuchus were more closely related to alligators than to crocodiles but "didn't look like either one of them."
Deinosuchus had a snout that was long and broad, with the front appearing inflated unlike any other living or extinct crocodylian. On the tip of the snout is a large pair of holes. Researchers are still unsure of their function.
Both Brouchu and Cossette assert this paper disproves the idea that crocodylians are living fossils, or in other words, animals which never evolved.
"There's this concept out there that crocodylians are unchanging forms," Brochu said. "That they appear way back in the distant past and haven't changed since the days of the dinosaurs. That is simply not true."
If you look at the modern species of crocodylian, Cossette explained, there are just a handful and they all look and act very similar. But if you look at the fossil record there is diversity of size, shape, diet and lifestyle.
"Most people think crocodiles haven't changed in 75 million years," Cossette said. "This study shows that the ancestors of today's American alligator didn't look anything like them."
"Crocodiles are actually these incredibly dynamic creatures that have experienced incredible evolutionary histories, have lived in places that modern crocodiles don't live, done things that modern crocodiles don't do and have grown to sizes that modern crocodiles never achieve. That I think is the cool part [of the study], at least for me," Cossette added.


npr--2020-08-12--Payroll Tax Delay To Boost Take-Home Pay, But Don't Spend It Yet

Payroll Tax Delay To Boost Take-Home Pay , But Do n't Spend It Yet President Trump wants to give a $ 100 billion boost to the U.S. economy by hitting the `` pause '' button on workers ' payroll taxes .
That would leave more money in people 's paychecks .
But the move — which Trump ordered over the weekend — is only temporary .
And that could produce headaches down the road for workers , employers and the Social Security system .
Trump announced the payroll tax suspension on Saturday as part of a series of moves designed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more comprehensive bill to provide coronavirus relief broke down .
He directed the Treasury Department to stop collecting the 6.2 % payroll tax from workers making up to $ 104,000 a year .
The move is supposed to take effect next month .
`` This will mean bigger paychecks for working families as we race to produce a vaccine , '' Trump told reporters assembled at his golf club in Bedminster , N.J .
Critics say this particular relief measure is misguided since it benefits only people who are lucky enough to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because the tax relief is only temporary , workers are expected to repay the taxes next year .
`` What good does that do people if they just get a temporary payroll tax cut and have to put that somewhere to save it to repay the money in a balloon payment a couple of months from now ? ''
asked Maya MacGuineas , president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget .
`` That 's really done very little to improve the economy . ''
Trump insists his goal , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the payroll tax for good .
`` If I 'm victorious on Nov. 3 , I plan to forgive these taxes and make permanent cuts to the payroll tax , '' Trump said .
`` I 'm going to make them all permanent . ''
But while the president can delay the collection of taxes , only Congress can eliminate them altogether .
There 's no guarantee lawmakers would do so .
And if they did , that would be a severe blow to Social Security , which the delayed payroll taxes pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing immense pressures in terms of the finances , '' MacGuineas said .
`` Getting rid of the revenue source that funds the program would make the finances of it much , much worse . ''
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow argued that the administration would simply borrow money if necessary to make up for any shortfall in Social Security .
Still , the payroll tax suspension seemed to have little support outside the White House and a small circle of presidential advisers .
It never gained much traction in Congress .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear it 's not something its members were asking for .
`` The people who love the payroll tax cut are the American people , '' said conservative pundit Stephen Moore — an adviser to Trump 's campaign who was briefly floated as a nominee for the Federal Reserve .
Moore , who co-founded the anti-tax Club for Growth , has been one of the most dogged advocates for payroll tax relief .
`` Virtually all Americans who are working are going to see a nice boost in their paychecks , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` That puts money in the economy and incentivizes people to work .
I think that 's a very positive effect . ''
Employers are supposed to stop withholding the payroll tax on Sept. 1 , but for many it wo n't be that easy .
Companies need guidance from the IRS on exactly who is eligible to have their taxes suspended and how to keep track so those taxes can eventually be repaid .
`` It 's going to be a mixed bag of employers , '' said Pete Isberg , vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which handles payroll for hundreds of thousands of employers .
He said while some companies will be able to adjust their computers quickly to stop withholding payroll taxes , `` some will be able to do it in October or November .
And some may just never do it . ''
Isberg said companies also want some reassurance that they wo n't be on the hook for their workers ' taxes , if Congress does n't forgive the bill .
They 'll also have to try to explain to employees why take-home pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September , and how that could be reversed early next year .

Payroll Tax Delay To Boost Take-Home Pay, But Don't Spend It Yet
Enlarge this image toggle caption Elaine Thompson/AP Elaine Thompson/AP
President Trump wants to give a $100 billion boost to the U.S. economy by hitting the "pause" button on workers' payroll taxes.
That would leave more money in people's paychecks. But the move — which Trump ordered over the weekend — is only temporary. And that could produce headaches down the road for workers, employers and the Social Security system.
Trump announced the payroll tax suspension on Saturday as part of a series of moves designed to sidestep Congress after talks on a more comprehensive bill to provide coronavirus relief broke down. He directed the Treasury Department to stop collecting the 6.2% payroll tax from workers making up to $104,000 a year. The move is supposed to take effect next month.
"This will mean bigger paychecks for working families as we race to produce a vaccine," Trump told reporters assembled at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J.
Critics say this particular relief measure is misguided since it benefits only people who are lucky enough to have a job still. What's more, because the tax relief is only temporary, workers are expected to repay the taxes next year.
"What good does that do people if they just get a temporary payroll tax cut and have to put that somewhere to save it to repay the money in a balloon payment a couple of months from now?" asked Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. "That's really done very little to improve the economy."
Trump insists his goal, if he's reelected, is to cut the payroll tax for good.
"If I'm victorious on Nov. 3, I plan to forgive these taxes and make permanent cuts to the payroll tax," Trump said. "I'm going to make them all permanent."
But while the president can delay the collection of taxes, only Congress can eliminate them altogether. There's no guarantee lawmakers would do so. And if they did, that would be a severe blow to Social Security, which the delayed payroll taxes pay for.
"Social Security is already facing immense pressures in terms of the finances," MacGuineas said. "Getting rid of the revenue source that funds the program would make the finances of it much, much worse."
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow argued that the administration would simply borrow money if necessary to make up for any shortfall in Social Security.
Still, the payroll tax suspension seemed to have little support outside the White House and a small circle of presidential advisers. It never gained much traction in Congress. And the U.S. Chamber of Commerce made clear it's not something its members were asking for.
"The people who love the payroll tax cut are the American people," said conservative pundit Stephen Moore — an adviser to Trump's campaign who was briefly floated as a nominee for the Federal Reserve.
Moore, who co-founded the anti-tax Club for Growth, has been one of the most dogged advocates for payroll tax relief.
"Virtually all Americans who are working are going to see a nice boost in their paychecks," he said of the deferred tax collection. "That puts money in the economy and incentivizes people to work. I think that's a very positive effect."
Employers are supposed to stop withholding the payroll tax on Sept. 1, but for many it won't be that easy. Companies need guidance from the IRS on exactly who is eligible to have their taxes suspended and how to keep track so those taxes can eventually be repaid.
"It's going to be a mixed bag of employers," said Pete Isberg, vice president of government relations for ADP, which handles payroll for hundreds of thousands of employers. He said while some companies will be able to adjust their computers quickly to stop withholding payroll taxes, "some will be able to do it in October or November. And some may just never do it."
Isberg said companies also want some reassurance that they won't be on the hook for their workers' taxes, if Congress doesn't forgive the bill. They'll also have to try to explain to employees why take-home pay is or is not going up in September, and how that could be reversed early next year.


npr--2020-08-12--U.S. Puts Kodak Deal On Hold Amid Scrutiny Of Its Finances

U.S .
Puts Kodak Deal On Hold Amid Scrutiny Of Its Finances The Trump administration 's decision to entrust $ 765 million of taxpayer money to Eastman Kodak raised several questions about the financial vetting of the struggling camera company even before the deal was put on hold amid an investigation into potential insider trading .
President Trump tapped into the emotions and nostalgia of a bygone era , charging that Kodak would lead U.S. efforts to bring pharmaceutical manufacturing back to the United States .
But the camera-maker 's troubled history — it failed to adapt to the digital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — immediately raised concerns on Capitol Hill .
`` I do n't want to see a once prestigious American brand go bankrupt .
I love the idea that companies can continue ; they can shift into new spaces , '' one congressional aide said .
`` And , if there 's a clear or helpful way of doing that here , I 'm open-minded about it .
...
But why is Kodak the right company ? ''
The anticipated loan , if completed , is being made by a little-known government agency called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or DFC , which provides loans in foreign countries .
The president tapped the obscure agency to work on the job of figuring out how to spur U.S. production of medical supplies .
Elizabeth Littlefield , a US development veteran who in the Obama era led the agency that became the DFC , said she was excited about the possibilities .
But if the investment was a wise one , she asked , why was n't Kodak able to get the money another way ?
`` I really do hope that that analysis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arise like , you know , why was n't Kodak raising this money from the public market ?
It 's a publicly traded company , '' she said .
Trump said Kodak may have lost its way but would now be part of efforts to fulfill an `` America First '' priority of bringing back manufacturing to the United States and decoupling the nation 's drug supply that 's wrapped up in China .
`` It 's a great name , when you think of it , '' Trump said when making the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great name .
It was one of the great brands in the world . ''
But the DFC has now put the deal on hold after the Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation into potential insider trading after a massive amount of Kodak shares traded hands the day before the loan 's announcement .
`` You see all of this trading take place , and you see board members and other associates making billions of dollars of a transaction , '' said Rep. James Clyburn , D-S.C. , who joined Democratic leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal .
Peter Navarro , Trump 's trade adviser who helped shepherd the plan , tweeted : `` VERY disappointed last week 's great deal with Kodak tarnished by allegations .
Absolutely RIGHT move by DFC ! ''
Navarro added that the United States `` must redouble efforts to bring our pharma manufacturing home . ''
Kodak has launched its own independent review of the actions but expressed confidence that talks with the administration will continue .
`` The Company appreciates and supports the DFC 's decision to await clarification before moving forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patrick , a spokeswoman for Kodak .
But some financial analysts question whether Kodak has the financial prowess to do this successfully .
George Conboy , a financial analyst based in Kodak 's hometown of Rochester , N.Y. , said Kodak could never convince a bank to loan the company anything close to what the government was considering .
He points to a smaller , $ 100 million loan Kodak secured last year from a private equity group at a higher interest rate – that also involved giving up a large stake in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borrow money on those terms unless you could n't get someone else to lend it to you more attractively , '' said Conboy , chairman of Brighton Securities .
`` You do n't go to the loan shark if you can borrow on your home-equity loan . ''
A senior U.S. government official noted it was not a loan yet , just a letter of interest .
Officials said while Kodak has passed an initial screening process , including site visits and an interagency review , the government is only now beginning the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involves the DFC contracting with outside lawyers and accountants to dig deeper into the company 's financials — a process that could take at least a couple of months .

U.S. Puts Kodak Deal On Hold Amid Scrutiny Of Its Finances
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images
The Trump administration's decision to entrust $765 million of taxpayer money to Eastman Kodak raised several questions about the financial vetting of the struggling camera company even before the deal was put on hold amid an investigation into potential insider trading.
President Trump tapped into the emotions and nostalgia of a bygone era, charging that Kodak would lead U.S. efforts to bring pharmaceutical manufacturing back to the United States.
But the camera-maker's troubled history — it failed to adapt to the digital age and has struggled in recent years — immediately raised concerns on Capitol Hill.
"I don't want to see a once-prestigious American brand go bankrupt. I love the idea that companies can continue; they can shift into new spaces," one congressional aide said. "And, if there's a clear or helpful way of doing that here, I'm open-minded about it. ... But why is Kodak the right company?"
The anticipated loan, if completed, is being made by a little-known government agency called the U.S. International Development Finance Corp., or DFC, which provides loans in foreign countries. The president tapped the obscure agency to work on the job of figuring out how to spur U.S. production of medical supplies.
Elizabeth Littlefield, a U.S. development veteran who in the Obama era led the agency that became the DFC, said she was excited about the possibilities. But if the investment was a wise one, she asked, why wasn't Kodak able to get the money another way?
"I really do hope that that analysis has been thorough because many questions will arise like, you know, why wasn't Kodak raising this money from the public market? It's a publicly traded company," she said.
Trump said Kodak may have lost its way but would now be part of efforts to fulfill an "America First" priority of bringing back manufacturing to the United States and decoupling the nation's drug supply that's wrapped up in China.
"It's a great name, when you think of it," Trump said when making the announcement last month. "Such a great name. It was one of the great brands in the world."
But the DFC has now put the deal on hold after the Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation into potential insider trading after a massive amount of Kodak shares traded hands the day before the loan's announcement.
"You see all of this trading take place, and you see board members and other associates making billions of dollars of a transaction," said Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., who joined Democratic leaders in calling for an investigation of the deal.
Peter Navarro, Trump's trade adviser who helped shepherd the plan, tweeted: "VERY disappointed last week's great deal with Kodak tarnished by allegations. Absolutely RIGHT move by DFC!"
Navarro added that the United States "must redouble efforts to bring our pharma manufacturing home."
Kodak has launched its own independent review of the actions but expressed confidence that talks with the administration will continue.
"The Company appreciates and supports the DFC's decision to await clarification before moving forward with the process," said Arielle Patrick, a spokeswoman for Kodak.
But some financial analysts question whether Kodak has the financial prowess to do this successfully.
George Conboy, a financial analyst based in Kodak's hometown of Rochester, N.Y., said Kodak could never convince a bank to loan the company anything close to what the government was considering. He points to a smaller, $100 million loan Kodak secured last year from a private equity group at a higher interest rate – that also involved giving up a large stake in the company.
"You would not borrow money on those terms unless you couldn't get someone else to lend it to you more attractively," said Conboy, chairman of Brighton Securities. "You don't go to the loan shark if you can borrow on your home-equity loan."
A senior U.S. government official noted it was not a loan yet, just a letter of interest. Officials said while Kodak has passed an initial screening process, including site visits and an interagency review, the government is only now beginning the more rigorous vetting process.
That process involves the DFC contracting with outside lawyers and accountants to dig deeper into the company's financials — a process that could take at least a couple of months.


npr--2020-08-12--5 Takeaways On The New Biden-Harris Presidential Ticket

5 Takeaways On The New Biden-Harris Presidential Ticket Joe Biden picked California Sen. Kamala Harris to be his vice presidential running mate .
It 's a historic pick .
But there 's a lot more to it than that .
Here are five takeaways : 1 .
Biden picking Harris is a statement on what it means to be American .
Joe Biden picking Kamala Harris as his running mate is historic .
No Black or South Asian American woman has ever been on a major-party ticket in U.S. history .
Black voters , especially Black women , are pillars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Biden 's victory in the contest for the nomination .
Because of his choice , it 's possible Black voters will turn out at levels needed for Biden to win in key states such as Wisconsin , Michigan , Pennsylvania , North Carolina and elsewhere .
But beyond his calculus of how his choice will affect the African American vote , Biden is trying to show his vision for the future of the country , one that respects diversity in a diversifying country .
Make no mistake : Putting a qualified person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are Jamaican and Indian immigrants — on the ticket is a statement against President Trump .
Remember , Biden said he was spurred to run for president because of Trump 's response to the racist violence in Charlottesville , Va. , and lots of Americans are upset with Trump for stoking racial division .
What 's also notable is that Harris is seen as a `` safe '' pick .
That 's because she 's a known quantity , has already been vetted during the race for the Democratic presidential nomination and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that Harris is seen as a safe pick — and not a `` Hail Mary '' — is progress in America 's long reckoning with racism .
2 .
His choice shows Biden is willing to listen to those who disagree or have attacked him .
Picking a running mate shows something about the decision-making of a potential president .
Trump said he was surprised Biden picked Harris , in part , because she was `` disrespectful '' toward him during the primary .
That 's perhaps not surprising to hear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But with this pick , Biden showed that people around him should n't be afraid to speak out , that it wo n't get someone thrown under the bus or `` canceled . ''
That grace is almost a bookend to Barack Obama picking Biden as his VP .
Many were surprised Obama selected Biden after he had referred to Obama as `` clean '' and `` articulate , '' which were widely seen as racist remarks .
But Obama and Biden not only got over it , they became close confidantes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VP to serve in a similar way to how he served with Obama — someone he can rely on for unvarnished advice whom he can trust and be the last person he talks to before making big decisions .
3 .
Trump is struggling to find an effective attack on Harris .
President Trump went after Harris on Tuesday as `` mean , '' `` nasty '' and `` disrespectful . ''
`` I thought she was the meanest , the most horrible , disrespectful of anyone in the U.S. Senate , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday , adding , `` I would have thought Biden would have tried to stay away from that a little bit . ''
Trump also went after Harris for her questioning of now-Justice Brett Kavanaugh .
But calling her names may only serve to fire up women and the Democratic base .
And Democrats see her questioning of Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings as a strength , not a weakness .
Trump also hit Harris with a laundry list of policy attacks , from health care and military funding to accusing her of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fracking .
But that 's all pretty generic stuff against a Democrat .
A video put out by the Trump campaign labels her `` phony . ''
But the epithet was pretty cookie cutter and did n't really lay out a case for questioning Harris ' authenticity .
For example , she faced criticism during the Democratic primary for changing positions .
She also lacked a clear campaign message , but that wo n't matter much now — Biden 's message will be her message and she can deliver an argument .
Progressives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a prosecutor in California , but Trump did n't seem prepared to drive that wedge , either .
And it 'll be tough to do so , as the historic nature of a Harris pick will likely overshadow qualms progressives have with her on policy .
4 .
Harris will likely hold up well in a debate with Pence .
The first rule of being a vice presidential pick is `` do no harm . ''
And the most high-profile thing the running mates do during an election is the VP debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ticket ca n't afford their running mate to mess it up .
`` I think it 's a very important factor , '' Biden told MSNBC in March .
Harris showed herself to be an able debater in the primary , and Democrats will likely rest easy about — and maybe even look forward to — the Oct. 7 debate in Utah with Vice President Pence .
Pence apparently is also looking forward to it .
`` As you all know , Joe Biden and the Democratic Party have been overtaken by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at an event in Arizona on Tuesday .
`` So given their promises of higher taxes , open borders , socialized medicine and abortion on demand , it 's no surprise that he chose Sen. Harris .
...
So my message to the Democratic nominee for vice president : Congratulations .
I 'll see you in Salt Lake City ! ''
5 .
The process for picking Harris was another sign of a ( surprisingly ) well-run campaign so far .
That the VP pick did not leak is a feat unto itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice presidential pick in past years has leaked .
In fact , it 's become something of a journalistic competition and sought-after notch on a belt to see who can break the story .
And no one did .
What makes it surprising in some respects is that Biden 's campaign struggled with organization and fundraising during the primary , but since the race transitioned to the general election Biden 's team has been in control and on par with the Trump fundraising juggernaut .

5 Takeaways On The New Biden-Harris Presidential Ticket
Enlarge this image toggle caption Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Joe Biden picked California Sen. Kamala Harris to be his vice presidential running mate.
It's a historic pick. But there's a lot more to it than that.
Here are five takeaways:
1. Biden picking Harris is a statement on what it means to be American.
Biden picking Harris as his running mate is historic. No Black or South Asian American woman has ever been on a major-party ticket in U.S. history. Black voters, especially Black women, are pillars of the Democratic Party and were key to Biden's victory in the contest for the nomination.
Because of his choice, it's possible Black voters will turn out at levels needed for Biden to win in key states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and elsewhere. But beyond his calculus of how his choice will affect the African American vote, Biden is trying to show his vision for the future of the country, one that respects diversity in a diversifying country.
Make no mistake: Putting a qualified person of color like Harris — whose parents are Jamaican and Indian immigrants — on the ticket is a statement against President Trump. Remember, Biden said he was spurred to run for president because of Trump's response to the racist violence in Charlottesville, Va., and lots of Americans are upset with Trump for stoking racial division.
What's also notable is that Harris is seen as a "safe" pick. That's because she's a known quantity, has already been vetted during the race for the Democratic presidential nomination and is disciplined. But step back. Just the fact that Harris is seen as a safe pick — and not a "Hail Mary" — is progress in America's long reckoning with racism.
2. His choice shows Biden is willing to listen to those who disagree or have attacked him.
Picking a running mate shows something about the decision-making of a potential president. Trump said he was surprised Biden picked Harris, in part, because she was "disrespectful" toward him during the primary.
That's perhaps not surprising to hear from Trump because the president values fealty. But with this pick, Biden showed that people around him shouldn't be afraid to speak out, that it won't get someone thrown under the bus or "canceled."
That grace is almost a bookend to Barack Obama picking Biden as his VP. Many were surprised Obama selected Biden after he had referred to Obama as "clean" and "articulate," which were widely seen as racist remarks. But Obama and Biden not only got over it, they became close confidantes.
Biden has said he wants his VP to serve in a similar way to how he served with Obama — someone he can rely on for unvarnished advice whom he can trust and be the last person he talks to before making big decisions.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images
3. Trump is struggling to find an effective attack on Harris.
President Trump went after Harris on Tuesday as "mean," "nasty" and "disrespectful."
"I thought she was the meanest, the most horrible, disrespectful of anyone in the U.S. Senate," Trump said from the White House on Tuesday, adding, "I would have thought Biden would have tried to stay away from that a little bit."
Trump also went after Harris for her questioning of now-Justice Brett Kavanaugh. But calling her names may only serve to fire up women and the Democratic base. And Democrats see her questioning of Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings as a strength, not a weakness.
Trump also hit Harris with a laundry list of policy attacks, from health care and military funding to accusing her of wanting to raise taxes and being against fracking. But that's all pretty generic stuff against a Democrat.
A video put out by the Trump campaign labels her "phony." But the epithet was pretty cookie cutter and didn't really lay out a case for questioning Harris' authenticity. For example, she faced criticism during the Democratic primary for changing positions. She also lacked a clear campaign message, but that won't matter much now — Biden's message will be her message and she can deliver an argument.
Progressives were also vexed by Harris' record as a prosecutor in California, but Trump didn't seem prepared to drive that wedge, either. And it'll be tough to do so, as the historic nature of a Harris pick will likely overshadow qualms progressives have with her on policy.
4. Harris will likely hold up well in a debate with Pence.
The first rule of being a vice presidential pick is "do no harm." And the most high-profile thing the running mates do during an election is the VP debate.
The person at the top of the ticket can't afford their running mate to mess it up.
"I think it's a very important factor," Biden told MSNBC in March.
Harris showed herself to be an able debater in the primary, and Democrats will likely rest easy about — and maybe even look forward to — the Oct. 7 debate in Utah with Vice President Pence.
Pence apparently is also looking forward to it.
"As you all know, Joe Biden and the Democratic Party have been overtaken by the radical left," Pence said at an event in Arizona on Tuesday. "So given their promises of higher taxes, open borders, socialized medicine and abortion on demand, it's no surprise that he chose Sen. Harris. ... So my message to the Democratic nominee for vice president: Congratulations. I'll see you in Salt Lake City!"
5. The process for picking Harris was another sign of a (surprisingly) well-run campaign so far.
That the VP pick did not leak is a feat unto itself for a presidential campaign. Nearly every vice presidential pick in past years has leaked.
In fact, it's become something of a journalistic competition and sought-after notch on a belt to see who can break the story. And no one did.
What makes it surprising in some respects is that Biden's campaign struggled with organization and fundraising during the primary, but since the race transitioned to the general election Biden's team has been in control and on par with the Trump fundraising juggernaut.