npr--2020-03-06--Coronavirus: 21 People On Grand Princess Cruise Ship Test Positive

Twenty-one people aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship off the coast of California have tested positive for the coronavirus disease COVID-19 , Vice President Pence announced Friday The Grand Princess had been returning to San Francisco after a cruise to Hawaii and has been kept away from port while a small portion of the roughly 3,500 people on board are tested for the coronavirus .
Pence said of 46 tests conducted so far on the ship , 19 crew members and 2 passengers tested positive , while 24 people were negative and one was inconclusive .
The ship will now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all passengers and crew will be tested for coronavirus , the vice president said during a briefing at the White House .
Some people onboard may be quarantined , he said , emphasizing that measures will be taken to avoid spreading the virus .
A former passenger on the Grand Princess died from COVID-19 in California — the state 's first known death from the coronavirus .
On Wednesday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to help his state cope with the crisis .
California National Guard helicopters have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forth from the ship .
Samples were collected from 45 people on Thursday , according to Princess Cruises .
Officials are also working to track down thousands of people who were on an earlier Grand Princess cruise from San Francisco to Mexico and might have been exposed to the coronavirus .
The number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. continues an alarming rise , as Washington state reports 79 cases and California reports at least 60 .
The coronavirus is also affecting more Americans abroad , as a church group from Alabama is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A Seattle-area hospital confirmed an additional coronavirus death Friday , raising the Washington state total to 14 and the U.S. death toll to 15 .
More than 20 states are reporting cases of the respiratory virus .
New cases in the U.S .
There are at least 260 coronavirus cases in the U.S. , according to a tracking tool created by the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering .
That figure includes more than 40 people who were repatriated from outbreak sites in China and Japan .
New York has 33 confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced Friday , adding that roughly 4,000 people are under `` precautionary quarantine '' because of possible exposure or their medical circumstances .
Indiana announced its first presumed case on Friday .
That case involved an adult who had visited Boston , member station WFYI reports .
The California county that reported the state 's first death is reporting more COVID-19 cases .
Placer County officials say the three people diagnosed with COVID-19 had all traveled on the same Grand Princess cruise as the resident who died : a voyage from San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Nevada , one of two cases that were recently reported is a Reno man who is also linked to the Grand Princess , which has been prevented from docking along the California coast after a former passenger died from COVID-19 .
The Nevada man 's `` condition is stable and he is self-isolating at home , '' according to the Washoe County Health District , which includes Reno .
The other Nevada case is in Clark County .
Both of the Nevada cases involve men who are in their 50s , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tom Wolf reported two confirmed coronavirus cases Friday morning , while officials in Maryland announced three cases , and Colorado confirmed two Thursday night .
Worldwide , the number of coronavirus cases has surpassed 100,000 , including more than 80,000 in China .
To avoid spreading any virus , the World Health Organization recommends people wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds , or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if a sink is n't available .
Face masks should only be used by people who are either sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the WHO says .
More than a dozen members of an Alabama church have been placed under quarantine orders during a tour of the Holy Land , after the Bethlehem hotel where they were staying was informed that a former guest had tested positive for the coronavirus in Greece .
The group includes the leadership of the 3Circle Church ; they initially arrived in the area on March 1 .
Church members say they were initially told to leave the hotel — but were then told to return .
When they did , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hotel staff .
`` So far , 7 hotel employees have tested positive for the coronavirus , '' a church pastor said in a statement sent to NPR 's Daniel Estrin .
Hotel staff echoed the church members ' description of local authorities taking a confusing approach to the quarantine , according to The Jerusalem Post .
The manager of the Angel Hotel told the newspaper that the Americans had looked for other lodging in the area , but were turned away by every hotel .
The group is now being told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days ; Estrin adds that Israel has `` sealed off movement in and out of Bethlehem . ''
The pastor tells Estrin that the group has reached out to the U.S. Embassy about their predicament .
`` The hotel employees have been incredibly helpful to the team during this process , '' the pastor said .
`` The 3Circle team is asking for help and clarity , but most importantly , prayers . ''
In an update posted to the church 's Facebook page , the group said the mayor of Beit Jala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , had ensured that their medications were delivered to the hotel .
`` We are deeply grateful , and are so humbled by the incredible hospitality and kindness we have experienced from the people in this area , '' the church members said .
EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland , Wash. , says its 12th patient has died from COVID-19 .
Most of the patients who died had been residents of the Life Care Center of Kirkland , a nursing home identified as the site of a coronavirus outbreak .
In addition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EvergreenHealth , two people have died elsewhere in Washington state and one person in California has died .
The University of Washington is halting all in-person classes due to the coronavirus outbreak , telling students they should attend online sessions instead , starting Monday and lasting through the end of the winter quarter on March 20 .
The school says all final exams `` will not be conducted in person , but may be conducted online when feasible , and at the instructor 's discretion . ''
The university 's move is meant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 feet of personal space .
The CDC says that in areas experiencing an outbreak , the practice can `` limit exposure by reducing face-to-face contact and preventing spread among people in community settings . ''
After announcing the decision , the school said one of its staff members has tested positive for the coronavirus and is in self-isolation .
More laboratories around the U.S. are finally gaining the ability to test for the coronavirus disease , after what Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government 's plan to create , produce and distribute tests .
Six U.S. states — Alabama , Maine , Ohio , Oklahoma , West Virginia and Wyoming — currently have no labs with the verified ability to run COVID-19 diagnostic tests , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday afternoon .
`` We 're not there yet , but soon , '' Fauci said of the effort to make testing more widely available .
As NPR 's Allison Aubrey reports , `` Some academic hospitals are developing their own tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The results , she adds , `` can take three or four days '' before they 're reported to local health officials and the CDC .
Vice President Pence acknowledged a shortage of tests on Thursday , saying , `` We do n't have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward . ''
To address the growing crisis , President Trump signed an emergency funding package worth some $ 8 billion Friday morning .
The president had been scheduled to sign the coronavirus bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but instead he opted to sign it at the White House before leaving on a trip to Tennessee and Florida .

Coronavirus: 21 People On Grand Princess Cruise Ship Test Positive
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chief Master Sgt. Seth Zweben/California National Guard via AP Chief Master Sgt. Seth Zweben/California National Guard via AP
Updated at 7:35 p.m. ET
Twenty-one people aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship off the coast of California have tested positive for the coronavirus disease COVID-19, Vice President Pence announced Friday.
The Grand Princess had been returning to San Francisco after a cruise to Hawaii and has been kept away from port while a small portion of the roughly 3,500 people on board are tested for the coronavirus.
Pence said of 46 tests conducted so far on the ship, 19 crew members and 2 passengers tested positive, while 24 people were negative and one was inconclusive.
On Wednesday, health officials in California's Placer County said that a former passenger on the Grand Princess had died from COVID-19 — the state's first known death from the coronavirus.
The ship will now be brought into a noncommercial port where all passengers and crew will be tested for coronavirus, Pence said during a briefing at the White House. Some people onboard may be quarantined, he said, emphasizing that measures will be taken to avoid spreading the virus.
The vice president said it's likely the 1,100 crew on the Grand Princess were exposed to coronavirus on "two different outings" and said they will remain in quarantine aboard the ship.
Some of the passengers will be quarantined on U.S. military bases, including two already used for similar situations, according to Health and Human Services official Robert Kadlec. He said the Pentagon also was identifying other quarantine settings.
California National Guard helicopters have been ferrying coronavirus test kits back and forth from the ship. Samples of those tested so far were collected on Thursday, according to Princess Cruises.
Officials are also working to track down thousands of people who were on an earlier Grand Princess cruise from San Francisco to Mexico and might have been exposed to the coronavirus.
New cases in the U.S.
The U.S. death toll rose to 15, after a Seattle-area hospital confirmed an additional coronavirus death Friday. Fourteen people have now died in Washington state, and one person has died in California.
There are at least 260 coronavirus cases in the U.S., according to a tracking tool created by the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering. That figure includes residents across more than 20 states and about 40 people who were repatriated from outbreak sites in China and Japan.
About two dozen states have reported cases of the respiratory virus. Washington state has reported the largest number of cases: 79.
California now has 69 confirmed cases, according to the California Department of Public Health. Placer County — where the state's first death occurred — reported more cases Friday. Three people newly diagnosed with COVID-19 had all traveled on the same Grand Princess cruise as the county resident who died, according to local health officials. That voyage was from San Francisco to Mexico and lasted from Feb. 11 to 21.
In Nevada, one of two recently reported cases is a Reno man who is also linked to the Grand Princess. The man's "condition is stable and he is self-isolating at home," according to the Washoe County Health District, which includes Reno.
The other Nevada case is in Clark County. Both of the Nevada cases involve men who are in their 50s, health officials say.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that his state has 33 confirmed coronavirus cases, adding that roughly 4,000 people are under "precautionary quarantine" because of possible exposure or their medical circumstances.
A number of states announced their first confirmed coronavirus cases Friday: Kentucky, Connecticut, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Pennsylvania.
Minnesota and Indiana reported their first presumed cases. Indiana's involved an adult who had visited Boston, member station WFYI reports.
Worldwide, the number of coronavirus cases has surpassed 100,000, including more than 80,000 in China.
To avoid spreading any virus, the World Health Organization recommends people wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if a sink isn't available. Face masks should only be used by people who are either sick or caring for someone who is, the WHO says.
Alabama church members quarantined in Bethlehem
More than a dozen members of an Alabama church have been placed under quarantine orders during a tour of the Holy Land, after the Bethlehem hotel where they were staying was informed that a former guest had tested positive for the coronavirus in Greece. The group includes the leadership of the 3Circle Church; they initially arrived in the area on March 1.
Church members say they were initially told to leave the hotel — but were then told to return. When they did, they faced a quarantine, along with the hotel staff.
"So far, 7 hotel employees have tested positive for the coronavirus," a church pastor said in a statement sent to NPR's Daniel Estrin.
Hotel staff echoed the church members' description of local authorities taking a confusing approach to the quarantine, according to The Jerusalem Post. The manager of the Angel Hotel told the newspaper that the Americans had looked for other lodging in the area but were turned away by every hotel.
The group is now being told to stay in their rooms for 14 days; Estrin adds that Israel has "sealed off movement in and out of Bethlehem."
The pastor tells Estrin that the group has reached out to the U.S. Embassy about their predicament.
"The hotel employees have been incredibly helpful to the team during this process," the pastor said. "The 3Circle team is asking for help and clarity, but most importantly, prayers."
In an update posted to the church's Facebook page, the group said the mayor of Beit Jala, on the western outskirts of Bethlehem, had ensured their medications were delivered to the hotel.
"We are deeply grateful, and are so humbled by the incredible hospitality and kindness we have experienced from the people in this area," the church members said.
Washington state grapples with outbreak
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Ryder/Reuters David Ryder/Reuters
EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland, Wash., said Friday that a 12th patient has died from COVID-19. Most of the patients who died had been residents of the Life Care Center of Kirkland, a nursing home identified as the site of a coronavirus outbreak.
The University of Washington announced Friday that it is halting all in-person classes and told students they should attend online sessions instead, starting Monday and lasting through the end of the winter quarter on March 20.
The school says all final exams "will not be conducted in person, but may be conducted online when feasible, and at the instructor's discretion."
The university's move is meant to support social distancing – maintaining roughly 6 feet of personal space. The CDC says that in areas experiencing an outbreak, the practice can "limit exposure by reducing face-to-face contact and preventing spread among people in community settings."
After announcing the decision, the school said one of its staff members has tested positive for the coronavirus and is in self-isolation.
U.S. coronavirus testing had 'missteps'
More laboratories around the U.S. are finally gaining the ability to test for the coronavirus disease, after what Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, calls "missteps" in the federal government's plan to create, produce and distribute tests.
Six U.S. states — Alabama, Maine, Ohio, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Wyoming — currently have no labs with the verified ability to run COVID-19 diagnostic tests, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday afternoon.
"We're not there yet, but soon," Fauci said of the effort to make testing more widely available.
As NPR's Allison Aubrey reports, "Some academic hospitals are developing their own tests and commercial options are expanding really quickly." The results, she adds, "can take three or four days" before they're reported to local health officials and the CDC.
Vice President Pence acknowledged a shortage of tests on Thursday, saying: "We don't have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward."
To address the growing crisis, President Trump signed an emergency funding package worth some $8 billion Friday morning. The president signed the coronavirus bill at the White House. He had been scheduled to sign it at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, which he toured later in the day.


npr--2020-03-06--Trump Visit To CDC On Again After Suspected Coronavirus Case Cleared

Trump Visit To CDC On Again After Suspected Coronavirus Case Cleared Updated at 11 a.m .
ET President Trump on Friday will visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta after all .
The trip had been suddenly called off earlier in the day after a CDC employee showed symptoms of the virus .
But test results cleared the staffer , and Trump decided that he would go .
The on-again , off-again drama played out in front of television cameras at the White House — and then on Air Force One , as Trump flew to Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're going to try to go , '' he told reporters before leaving for Nashville .
`` I may be going , we 're going to see if we can turn it around . ''
The mixed signals began late Thursday night when the White House issued Trump 's daily public schedule , which did not reflect a stop in Atlanta .
Just hours earlier , Vice President Pence had said Trump would sign the $ 8 billion coronavirus emergency funding package into law while he was at the CDC .
Early on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC trip was off .
`` The president is no longer traveling to Atlanta today .
The CDC has been proactive and prepared since the very beginning and the president does not want to interfere with the CDC 's mission to protect the health and welfare of their people and the agency , '' a White House official said in a statement .
During a hastily arranged bill-signing ceremony at the White House , the president had a different explanation for the scheduling snafus .
`` They had one person who was potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying the White House had learned about the suspected case on Thursday .
The staffer was tested and was cleared .
`` It turned out negative , so we 'll see if we can do it , '' he said of the visit .
There were no immediate details from the CDC about the suspected case .
During the flight to Nashville , White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told reporters on Air Force One that the Atlanta stop was back on the schedule .
`` What the president said is true , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case .
A CDC staffer was suspected of having contracted the virus , so the White House canceled the stop `` out of an abundance of caution , '' Grisham said .
Asked why the initial White House statement had said the trip was canceled for a different reason , Grisham said it had been carefully worded to include language about the CDC keeping its people safe , so that it would be true without revealing the concern about the possibly infected CDC employee .

Trump Visits CDC After Coronavirus Fears Throw Schedule Into Chaos
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 7 p.m. ET
President Trump on Friday stopped in at the Atlanta headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency marshaling the response to coronavirus — a major political test for his administration.
The trip itself was almost derailed by coronavirus fears, and mixed signals about what was happening created an on-again, off-again drama that played out in front of television cameras. The chaotic impression clashed with the White House quest to show that the public health crisis is under control.
"It will end. People have to remain calm," Trump said.
Trump and his officials did a 47-minute impromptu news conference, answering questions both scientific — and very political.
Trump slammed Jay Inslee, the Democratic governor grappling with an outbreak in his state. Vice President Pence had spent time with Inslee on Thursday and praised his work.
"That governor is a snake," Trump said, grousing that he expected Inslee would be critical of the job his administration is doing on coronavirus. "Mike may be happy with him, but I'm not.
And moments before Pence, at a White House briefing, somberly announced that some 2,500 passengers stranded on the Grand Princess cruise ship off the California coast would be brought to land to be tested and quarantined — Trump said he would rather they stay on the ship.
"Our numbers are going to go up," he complained, referring the number of cases of coronavirus. Pence said of 46 tests done so far, 19 crew and two passengers have tested positive. (The crew will remain in quarantine on the ship.)
The White House carefully staged a series of events this week to try to show that it had taken charge of the coronavirus response: meetings with Congress and industry leaders, a tour of a vaccine lab at the National Institutes of Health, and Vice President Mike Pence's trip to Washington State to meet local leaders grappling with the outbreak.
To cap off the week, Trump was supposed to sign the $8 billion emergency funding package for the response into law in Atlanta at the CDC. Pence even mentioned it in remarks during his Washington visit.
But late Thursday night, when the White House issued Trump's daily public schedule, it surprisingly did not include a stop in Atlanta. It took some time for the White House to explain the change.
"The president is no longer traveling to Atlanta today. The CDC has been proactive and prepared since the very beginning and the president does not want to interfere with the CDC's mission to protect the health and welfare of their people and the agency," a White House official first explained, in a statement.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Win McNamee/Getty Images Win McNamee/Getty Images
Trump was still slated to fly to Tennessee to survey tornado damage. Before he left, the White House hastily arranged a bill-signing ceremony.
That's when Trump revealed a different explanation for the scheduling snafus.
Trump said a CDC employee had showed symptoms of the virus. The White House learned about the suspected case on Thursday.
"They had one person who was potentially infected," Trump told reporters. The staffer was tested, then cleared. "It turned out negative, so we'll see if we can do it," he said of the visit.
"We're going to try to go," he told reporters before leaving for Nashville. "I may be going, we're going to see if we can turn it around."
Trump later said it made sense for him to stop in Atlanta, given that he was on his way from Nashville to Palm Beach, Fla., where he plans to spend the weekend. "It was a big deal with the Secret Service, but they're fantastic and they worked it out," he said.
There were no immediate details from the CDC about the suspected case.
During the flight to Nashville, White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told reporters on Air Force One that the Atlanta stop was back on the schedule. "What the president said is true," Grisham said, referring to the suspected case.
A CDC staffer was suspected of having contracted the virus, so the White House canceled the stop "out of an abundance of caution," Grisham said.
A spokeswoman for the CDC did not go into specifics. "CDC has many employees who have deployed in support of the nation's response to COVID-19, some of whom are returning from areas where COVID-19 may be present," Kristen Nordlund said in a statement.
"CDC has issued guidance to these employees, including self-quarantine for 14 days after they have returned to their duty stations for those returning from certain areas. They will also undergo daily, active monitoring. No CDC employees have tested positive," Nordlund said.
Asked why the initial White House statement had provided a different explanation than the president, Grisham said it had been carefully worded so that it was accurate — including language about the CDC keeping its people safe — without revealing the concern about the possibly infected CDC employee.
"Thankfully she's negative, the person," Grisham said.
NPR's Miles Parks and Joe Neel contributed to this story.


npr--2020-03-06--U.S. Added 273,000 Jobs Last Month, But Economists Brace For Coronavirus Impact

U.S. Added 273,000 Jobs Last Month , But Economists Brace For Coronavirus Impact Updated at 10:31 a.m .
ET Fear of the coronavirus does n't appear to have infected the U.S. job market yet , despite sending shivers through Wall Street .
A new report from the Labor Department says employers added 273,000 jobs in February — the same as in January .
The February increase was about 100,000 more than private analysts had forecast .
The unemployment rate dipped to 3.5 % , matching a 50-year low .
Job gains for December and January were revised up by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the jobs report may be an artifact of timing .
The report is based on surveys conducted three weeks ago , before the sharp jump in reports of coronavirus cases outside of China , where the outbreak began .
`` The February jobs report showed remarkably healthy labor market fundamentals prior to the coronavirus outbreak , '' said Gregory Daco of Oxford Economics .
`` But while strong employment and steady wage gains have boosted consumers ' immune system , the virus is all but certain to infect their willingness to spend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consumer caution about the virus is likely to weigh on job growth in the months to come .
The pace of hiring in February was higher than the previous three months , in which employers added an average of 239,000 jobs .
But there was little sign of the coronavirus contagion that 's triggered a widespread selloff in the stock market .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped nearly 970 points on Thursday and was down about 500 points Friday morning .
The blue chip index has fallen about 13 % from its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & P 500 index and the Nasdaq have each tumbled more than 10 % from their recent highs .
Futures markets point to further declines on Friday .
Do n't see the graphic above ?
Click here .
U.S. construction companies continued to expand in February , adding 42,000 workers .
Construction has gotten a boost in recent months from higher-than-usual temperatures and lower-than-usual interest rates .
The rate on an average , 30-year mortgage fell to an all-time low this week : 3.29 % .
The hospitality business has been growing rapidly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent months , and that trend continued in February with 51,000 new jobs .
That growth could slow , however , as fear about the spreading coronavirus discourages travel and tourism .
The retail , transportation and warehouse industries showed modest job declines in February .
Manufacturers , who are especially sensitive to global shocks like coronavirus , added 15,000 jobs in February after cutting a revised 20,000 jobs the month before .
A survey of manufacturers released earlier this week showed factory activity expanded in February , albeit slowly .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak is playing havoc with their suppliers in China .
Analysts warn that a shortage of parts from that country is likely to get worse before it gets better .
While Chinese factories that were shuttered by the outbreak have begun to reopen , most are not operating anywhere close to capacity .
`` Some of the delays caused by this [ will ] only materialize as that works its way through the supply chain , '' said Shawn DuBravac , chief economist for IPC , an association of electronics manufacturers .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we actually see some of that delay materialize . ''
Governments added 45,000 workers in February .
About 7,000 of those were temporary census employees , but the largest share were state educators .
The share of American adults who are working or looking for work was unchanged last month .
Average wages have increased 3 % over the past year , a slight deceleration from the previous month .

U.S. Added 273,000 Jobs Last Month, But Economists Brace For Coronavirus Impact
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brian Snyder/Reuters Brian Snyder/Reuters
Updated at 10:31 a.m. ET
Fear of the coronavirus doesn't appear to have infected the U.S. job market yet, despite sending shivers through Wall Street.
A new report from the Labor Department says employers added 273,000 jobs in February — the same as in January. The February increase was about 100,000 more than private analysts had forecast. The unemployment rate dipped to 3.5%, matching a 50-year low.
Job gains for December and January were revised up by a total of 85,000.
The evident resilience in the jobs report may be an artifact of timing. The report is based on surveys conducted three weeks ago, before the sharp jump in reports of coronavirus cases outside of China, where the outbreak began.
"The February jobs report showed remarkably healthy labor market fundamentals prior to the coronavirus outbreak," said Gregory Daco of Oxford Economics. "But while strong employment and steady wage gains have boosted consumers' immune system, the virus is all but certain to infect their willingness to spend."
He warned that business and consumer caution about the virus is likely to weigh on job growth in the months to come.
The pace of hiring in February was higher than the previous three months, in which employers added an average of 239,000 jobs. But there was little sign of the coronavirus contagion that's triggered a widespread selloff in the stock market.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped nearly 970 points on Thursday and was down about 500 points Friday morning. The blue chip index has fallen about 13% from its peak in early February. The S&P 500 index and the Nasdaq have each tumbled more than 10% from their recent highs. Futures markets point to further declines on Friday.
Loading...
Don't see the graphic above? Click here.
U.S. construction companies continued to expand in February, adding 42,000 workers. Construction has gotten a boost in recent months from higher-than-usual temperatures and lower-than-usual interest rates. The rate on an average, 30-year mortgage fell to an all-time low this week: 3.29%.
The hospitality business has been growing rapidly, adding tens of thousands of jobs in recent months, and that trend continued in February with 51,000 new jobs. That growth could slow, however, as fear about the spreading coronavirus discourages travel and tourism.
The retail, transportation and warehouse industries showed modest job declines in February.
Manufacturers, who are especially sensitive to global shocks like coronavirus, added 15,000 jobs in February after cutting a revised 20,000 jobs the month before.
A survey of manufacturers released earlier this week showed factory activity expanded in February, albeit slowly. Many of the survey respondents said the coronavirus outbreak is playing havoc with their suppliers in China.
Analysts warn that a shortage of parts from that country is likely to get worse before it gets better. While Chinese factories that were shuttered by the outbreak have begun to reopen, most are not operating anywhere close to capacity.
"Some of the delays caused by this [will] only materialize as that works its way through the supply chain," said Shawn DuBravac, chief economist for IPC, an association of electronics manufacturers. "It could be April and May when we actually see some of that delay materialize."
Governments added 45,000 workers in February. About 7,000 of those were temporary census employees, but the largest share were state educators.
The share of American adults who are working or looking for work was unchanged last month.
Average wages have increased 3% over the past year, a slight deceleration from the previous month.


npr--2020-03-07--Why Progressives Chose Bernie Sanders Over Elizabeth Warren

Last summer , when Elizabeth Warren was bringing out thousands of people at mega rallies who would wait long into the night in seemingly never-ending selfie lines , progressive groups were torn .
They saw both Warren and her fellow presidential candidate Bernie Sanders as allies for their causes .
Sanders had inherited goodwill from his 2016 run against Hillary Clinton .
But Warren was the charismatic star on late night TV who had fought the big banks during the recession , and , notably , the politician progressives had initially tried to draft into the 2016 primary as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race .
`` Our members really wanted to see her run in that race , '' explained Charles Chamberlain , chair of Democracy for America , one of the organisations that had helped spearhead the `` Run , Warren , Run '' movement in 2015 .
`` We believed that she would have been a better candidate than Hillary Clinton . ''
Last week , Democracy for America endorsed Sanders over Warren .
Chamberlain said the major change in the interim years was Sanders ' presidential bid in 2016 .
`` Bernie Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign that won 23 contests , changed the narrative in this country about what is possible for progressives , and even moved the entire Democratic party to the left , '' he said .
For much of the primary season , Chamberlain said , their members were split but as it became clear that Sanders was winning races and Warren could n't finish higher than third place , they decided to publicly back the Vermont senator .
`` The guiding principle among our members was who is the best candidate to take on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Chamberlain said .
The story of how and why the woman who was once lauded as the great progressive political hope lost the backing of a number of leading progressive groups explains part of why Warren 's campaign failed .
If Sanders had not run this year , they agree , they would have wholeheartedly backed Warren .
Some groups made a point of insisting their endorsements were not because of anything Warren said or did , but because of Sanders ' credibility and consistency on issues like health care and climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a single moment that led to their decisions , but they acknowledge a turning point that began in October when Freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Sanders .
The Vermont senator 's support then accelerated into the winter as Warren was seen as backpedaling on a core issue — Medicare for All .
The first major progressive group to make an endorsement was the Working Families Party in September , and it chose Warren .
`` Elizabeth Warren has been a personal hero to many WFP members , '' the group 's director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd at a rally in New York City .
`` Her critique of the financial industry helped lay the groundwork for Occupy Wall Street . ''
The Working Families Party 's decision sent a message to fellow progressives : do n't stay neutral in the primary , pick a side .
At the time , Warren was rising in the polls , and for a sliver of time , she even overtook Joe Biden as the national frontrunner .
So , it seemed that both progressive organizations and voters would be split between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that 's not what happened .
`` You started to see dominoes fall '' In October , three of the four members of the so-called congressional `` squad '' of progressives — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Rashida Tlaib , and Ilhan Omar — decided to back Sanders in quick succession .
These young , multi-racial women , some of the most outspoken progressive voices in Congress , had put their foot on the scale .
And progressives around the country noticed .
Sanders ' campaign manager Faiz Shakir described the endorsements as `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see dominoes fall after that , '' said George Goehl , the director of People 's Action , a coalition of progressive groups that says it represents an estimated 1 million people .
The organization endorsed Sanders in December .
Also in December , the Center for Popular Democracy Action , another progressive coalition , backed Sanders .
And then in January , the Sunrise Movement , a group of thousands of young climate activists , publicly backed Sanders .
They all pointed to the Vermont senator 's authenticity plus the unparalleled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But , some of them also acknowledged a concern many Democrats have alluded to this cycle — electability .
`` A lot of us believe Sen. Sanders is uniquely capable of winning and beating Trump , '' said Goehl .
Warren fans often praised her trademark plans and her focus on policy .
But , when it came to ideology , Sanders took those ideas further .
Warren promised a two-cent wealth tax on people with a net worth over $ 50 million .
Sanders upped her , and called for a 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 32 million .
Warren promised affordable child care .
Then , Sanders , promised free child care .
`` All the candidates [ had ] progressive stances , but Bernie 's tend to go furthest , '' said Evan Weber , political director and co-founder of the Sunrise Movement .
And that was a distinction many progressives noticed .
October was a tough month for Warren .
She was repeatedly questioned by journalists and her opponents over the details of how she would pay for Medicare for All without raising middle class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a plan , but the more details she offered , the more compromising she appeared to progressive purists .
`` Her sort of distancing herself from Medicare for All and when she thought she would be able to get it done — really , you know , distanced her from our folks , '' said Natalia Salgado , political director with the Center for Popular Democracy Action .
One progressive activist NPR spoke with for this story is backing Sanders but acknowledged that Warren 's two-step plan on Medicare for All was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage .
Still , he said , she should n't have compromised at the outset , because Republicans would chip away at it further .
Democrats , he insisted , needed to be bold and uncompromising .
But in addition to health care , there was another key issue for progressives — immigration .
It has increasingly become a pillar of the their agenda , especially under Donald Trump 's administration .
`` The sort of defining factors for us between Bernie and Warren was his stance on a moratorium for deportations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sanders released an immigration plan calling for a moratorium on deportations .
Around the same time , Warren said she was `` open '' to a moratorium .
In February , Sanders ' campaign manager suggested their moratorium would have some exceptions , but by then , Sanders was already benefiting from being seen as the furthest left on this issue ) .
The struggle for Warren was that she could never seem to out-progressive the man who had come to define the movement after 2016 .

Why Progressives Chose Bernie Sanders Over Elizabeth Warren
Enlarge this image toggle caption Meg Kinnard/AP Meg Kinnard/AP
Last summer, when Elizabeth Warren was bringing out thousands of people at mega-rallies who would wait long into the night in seemingly never-ending "selfie" lines, progressive groups were torn. They saw both Warren and her fellow presidential candidate Bernie Sanders as allies for their causes.
Sanders had inherited goodwill from his 2016 run against Hillary Clinton. But Warren was the charismatic star on late night TV who had fought the big banks during the recession and, notably, was the politician progressives had initially tried to draft into the 2016 primary as an opponent to Clinton before Sanders entered the race.
"Our members really wanted to see her run in that race," explained Charles Chamberlain, chair of Democracy for America, one of the organizations that had helped spearhead the "Run, Warren, Run" movement in 2015. "We believed that she would have been a better candidate than Hillary Clinton."
Last week, Democracy for America endorsed Sanders over Warren.
Chamberlain said the major change in the interim years was Sanders' presidential bid in 2016.
"Bernie Sanders ran — in 2016 — an incredible campaign that won 23 contests, changed the narrative in this country about what is possible for progressives, and even moved the entire Democratic Party to the left," he said.
For much of the primary season, Chamberlain said, the group's members were split, but as it became clear that Sanders was winning races and Warren couldn't finish higher than third place, they decided to publicly back the Vermont senator.
"The guiding principle among our members was, who is the best candidate to take on Donald Trump and who can win?" Chamberlain said.
The story of how and why the woman who was once lauded as the great progressive political hope lost the backing of a number of leading progressive groups explains part of why Warren's campaign failed.
If Sanders had not run this year, they agree, they would have wholeheartedly backed Warren. Some groups made a point of insisting their endorsements were not because of anything Warren said or did, but because of Sanders' credibility and consistency on issues like health care and climate change. They bristle at the suggestion of a single moment that led to their decisions, but they acknowledge a turning point that began in October when freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Sanders. The Vermont senator's support then accelerated into the winter as Warren was seen as backpedaling on a core issue — Medicare for All.
A message: Don't stay neutral
The first major progressive group to make an endorsement was the Working Families Party in September, and it chose Warren.
"Elizabeth Warren has been a personal hero to many WFP members," the group's national director, Maurice Mitchell, said to an estimated 20,000-person crowd at a rally in New York City. "Her critique of the financial industry helped lay the groundwork for Occupy Wall Street."
The Working Families Party's decision sent a message to fellow progressives: Don't stay neutral in the primary; pick a side.
At the time, Warren was rising in the polls, and for a sliver of time, she even overtook Joe Biden as the national front-runner. So, it seemed that both progressive organizations and voters would be split between Warren and Sanders.
But, ultimately, that's not what happened.
"You started to see dominoes fall"
In October, three of the four members of the so-called congressional "squad" of progressives — Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar — decided to back Sanders in quick succession. This young, multiracial group of women, some of the most outspoken progressive voices in Congress, had put their foot on the scale. And progressives across the country noticed.
Sanders' campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, described the endorsements as "very impactful."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images
"You started to see dominoes fall after that," said George Goehl, the director of People's Action, a coalition of progressive groups that says it represents an estimated 1 million people. The organization endorsed Sanders in December.
Also in December, the Center for Popular Democracy Action, another progressive coalition, backed Sanders. And then in January, the Sunrise Movement, a group of thousands of young climate activists, publicly backed Sanders.
They all pointed to the Vermont senator's authenticity plus the unparalleled time and access he gave them. But some of them also acknowledged a concern many Democrats have alluded to this cycle — electability.
"A lot of us believe Sen. Sanders is uniquely capable of winning and beating Trump," said Goehl.
The battle to out-progressive Sanders
Warren fans often praised her trademark plans and her focus on policy. But when it came to ideology, Sanders took those ideas further. Warren promised a 2-cent wealth tax on people with a net worth over $50 million. Sanders upped her, and called for a 1% wealth tax on net worth above $32 million. Warren promised affordable child care. Then Sanders promised free child care.
"All the candidates [had] progressive stances, but Bernie's tend to go furthest," said Evan Weber, political director and co-founder of the Sunrise Movement. And that was a distinction many progressives noticed.
October was a tough month for Warren. She was repeatedly questioned by journalists and her opponents over the details of how she would pay for Medicare for All without raising middle-class taxes. On Nov. 1, she put out a plan, but the more details she offered, the more compromising she appeared to progressive purists.
"Her sort of distancing herself from Medicare for All and when she thought she would be able to get it done — really, you know, distanced her from our folks," said Natalia Salgado, political director with the Center for Popular Democracy Action.
One progressive activist whom NPR spoke with for this story is backing Sanders but acknowledged that Warren's two-step plan on Medicare for All was the more realistic way to achieve universal coverage. Still, he said, she shouldn't have compromised at the outset, because Republicans would chip away at it further. Democrats, he insisted, needed to be bold and uncompromising.
There was another key issue for progressives — immigration. It has increasingly become a pillar of the their agenda, especially under President Trump's administration.
"The sort of defining factors for us between Bernie and Warren was his stance on a moratorium for deportations," Salgado said. (In November, Sanders released an immigration plan calling for a moratorium. Around the same time, Warren said she was "open" to a moratorium. In February, Sanders' campaign manager suggested the candidate's moratorium would have some exceptions, but by then, Sanders was already benefiting from being seen as the furthest left on this issue.)
The struggle for Warren was that she could never seem to out-progressive the man who had come to define the movement after 2016.


npr--2020-03-07--A 90-Second Video On How To Master The 20-Second Hand-Wash

A 90-Second Video On How To Master The 20-Second Hand-Wash You 've probably heard it a jillion times by now : One of the best ways to prevent infection from the new coronavirus is to wash your hands to get rid of any pathogens you may have picked up .
The thing is , many people do n't wash their hands correctly .
They may think 10 seconds is enough .
Nope .
They may just rub a little soap between the palms and ignore other parts of the hand .
And if you do a slipshod job , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands when you 're done .
And if you touch your hands to your face — as humans do about 200 times a day — those pathogens can infect you via eyes , nose or mouth .
Here 's NPR 's Malaka Gharib to show you the proper way to wash your hands .
And here are a few explanations of what you 're seeing in the video .
It does n't matter whether the water is warm or cold , the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains on its website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as regular soap .
But running water is key , since standing water could be contaminated .
You need to clean the areas between your fingers , as well as your thumb and the backs of your hands , Dr. Mark Gendreau , the chief medical officer at Beverly Hospital in Massachusetts , told NPR .
The step where you scratch your palms is designed to `` to scrub the fingertips and to get some soap under the initial part of the nail , '' he adds .
Wash for at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birthday '' song twice or the alphabet song at a reasonable pace will usually get you to that benchmark .
But there are many alternative songs if you do n't want to be a one-song hand-washer .
If you 've got a snippet of a song that works for you , let us know at goatsandsoda @ npr.org , and we may include it in a roundup of optimal hand-washing songs .

Hand-Washing Can Protect You From Coronavirus. But You Need To Do It Right
Enlarge this image toggle caption Max Posner/NPR Max Posner/NPR
The guidelines are everywhere: You should be washing your hands regularly to help stop the spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. But does the temperature of the water matter? What's the right way to dry your hands? Why is washing your hands better than using hand sanitizer?
We talked to hand-washing researchers and specialists to learn more about the most effective steps.
Prep
If possible, you should remove jewelry like rings, bracelets and watches first so you can scrub your hands without anything getting in the way. But "that's not always realistic," says Tania Busch Isaksen, a lecturer at the University of Washington's department of environmental and occupational health sciences. If you're leaving the jewelry on, just try your best to wash around and under it as much as the jewelry allows.
Wet Your Hands
Start by wetting your hands with cold, lukewarm or warm water. These temperatures are all fine in facilitating the removal of pathogens from your hands. "The idea is just that you don't want to use really hot water," says Erin Sorrell, an assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at Georgetown. If your hands dry out from using hot water, that could lead to cracks in your skin that expose you to infections, she says.
You wet your hands before adding soap so that the water can help the soap dissolve and do its job of removing dirt and germs, Sorrell adds.
You won't need running water again till you rinse, so you can turn off the tap (which will save water).
Lather Up
Soap is critical to killing germs on your hands. SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is wrapped in a membrane that can be broken up by the lather from soap, says Dr. Mark Gendreau, the chief medical officer at Beverly Hospital in Massachusetts. That renders the virus particles unable to infect you.
You don't have to be picky about which kind of soap you use. Antibacterial or regular soap — in liquid or bar form — will work. But "you want to use enough soap that you're going to get a good lather," Gendreau adds.
It's most important to maintain the lather as you're scrubbing, Busch Isaksen says. You can always add a little more soap if needed to make sure you see a healthy crop of bubbles on your hands throughout the 20 seconds. This is a good sign that you have enough lather to break up virus particles.
Timing
The common guideline is 20 seconds, but you're actually going to need a bit more time than that. "The 20 seconds start when you have the soap in your hands, in the lathering process," Sorrell says.
Scrub
Microbes, including viruses, can take up residence all over your hands, so you want to make sure you're hitting all the areas. Fingertips, thumbs and spots between your fingers are commonly missed, Sorrell says.
One step in the World Health Organization's guide suggests rubbing your fingers against the opposite palm — a move designed to clean your fingertips and get some soap under the tips of your nails, Gendreau adds.
"Depending on the length of your nails, it can be more difficult to really get under there," Sorrell says. She recommends rubbing the edges of your nails against your palms.
Rinse
Rinse the soap away — along with the pathogens.
Turn off the water
It's a snap when using touchless faucets. But not every restroom or home bathroom is so equipped. WHO guidelines suggest using a paper towel to turn off the faucet lest you pick up pathogens from the faucet itself. But there isn't clear research showing this actually keeps you healthier in the long run, according to the CDC.
Nonetheless, Gendreau, Sorrell and Busch Isaksen all advise that you don't directly touch the faucet. Faucets are "worry spots in terms of areas that could be contaminated in restrooms," Gendreau says.
You shouldn't touch the faucet handle with your clean hands, Busch Isaksen adds. "You just turned that on when they were dirty, so now you're recontaminating your hand."
Dry
Wet hands can pick up germs more easily than dry hands, the CDC says. Without drying, "you're more prone to contaminating yourself" when your newly washed hands encounter germs from other sources, Gendreau adds.
But it's not totally clear which way of drying your hands is best — if you should use paper towels, a cloth towel or air blowers, Busch Isaksen says. "This is a point of controversy."
Paper towels are a good option, according to Busch Isaksen, Gendreau and Sorrel. There's not enough evidence to say whether air blowers are any better or worse, according to Dr. Vincent Hill, chief of the CDC's Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch.
Sorrell recommends "only touching the towels that you will be using yourself." Or if you're at home, a cloth towel works as long as you wash those towels in a washing machine with detergent every couple of days.
Sharing a towel with other people in your household isn't ideal, Busch Isaksen says. And if someone you live with is sick, that individual definitely should get a personal-use towel.
Door dilemma
Once the faucet is shut off and your hands are dry, you might encounter another potential source of infection — the door handle of the bathroom. It's a good precaution to use another part of your body, or a paper towel, to open the door when you're leaving the bathroom, Sorrell says. More germs could lurk on the door handle.
What about hand sanitizer?
If you don't have access to soap and running water, hand sanitizer is a good backup, Busch Isaksen says. Just make sure it's at least 60% alcohol, since sanitizers with less alcohol than that might not kill as many germs. "With hand sanitizer, you're applying that. Dirt and grime can remain on your hand and sometimes can hide the bacteria and virus particles," she warns. Any debris on your hands might have these germs within it, and hand sanitizer won't necessarily get to them. "Hand washing is far superior."
Editor's note: This story has been revised to include more complete information on hand-washing procedures.


npr--2020-03-07--Kids Around The World Are Reading NPR's Coronavirus Comic

Kids Around The World Are Reading NPR 's Coronavirus Comic How do you explain coronavirus to kids ?
Last week , we published a comic geared to children about the newly discovered virus .
This week we published the comic in Chinese .
And we 've also learned that the comic has been translated into other languages — and is finding an audience in schools and libraries as well as at home .
A graphic designer from Bolivia made a Spanish version of the comic .
Librarians have been printing and folding a bunch of zines and putting them in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A school psychologist in Lithuania translated the zine into Lithuanian so children in her community could read it .
And here 's a translation of the comic in Russian .
A middle-school teacher turned it into a video — with a kid doing the narration .
Another middle-school teacher taught students the art of folding the zine — and added a lesson on how to properly wash hands — in a health class focused on the coronavirus .
And here are some students folding the zine !
And it 's not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adults have reached out and said it 's been a helpful resource , too .
One person is displaying the zine on his desk .
How have you shared the coronavirus comic with children ?
We 'd love to see how you 've used it in a school , library or home setting .
Email us at goatsandsoda @ npr.org with the subject line `` Coronavirus comic . ''

Kids Around The World Are Reading NPR's Coronavirus Comic
How do you explain coronavirus to kids?
Last week, we published a comic geared to children about the newly discovered virus. This week we published the comic in Chinese. And we've also learned that the comic has been translated into other languages — including Arabic, Braille, Finnish, Bahasa Indonesia, German and Italian— and is finding an audience in schools and libraries as well as at home.
A graphic designer from Bolivia made a Spanish version of the comic.
Librarians have been printing and folding a bunch of zines and putting them in the children's section at their libraries.
A school psychologist in Lithuania translated the zine into Lithuanian so children in her community could read it.
Thanks to Kamilė Borkovskienė, a school psychologist in Lithuania who translated the coronavirus zine into Lithuanian. She shared it with children in her community. Click to save and print. pic.twitter.com/L1xzLbsQGw — Malaka Gharib (@MalakaGharib) March 3, 2020
And here's a translation of the comic in Russian.
A middle-school teacher turned it into a video — with a kid doing the narration.
Another middle-school teacher taught students the art of folding the zine — and added a lesson on how to properly wash hands — in a health class focused on the coronavirus.
No gym today so I created stations: Corona Virus Podcast, create the zine comic, hand sorting washing steps/making poster, actual teacher lead hand washing demo and practice, with 2 fun game stations! Thanks for sharing this, glad I saw it!!! pic.twitter.com/nDP7DIOsA0 — Amber Amstutz (@AmstutzWVMSPE) March 3, 2020
And here are some students folding the zine!
Listening to NPR’s https://t.co/zkNAFdy5oe & making @MalakaGharib’s zine today. Mini-text set: the NPR kid podcast, the zine, @Flocabulary’s Week in Rap, & a great @GetKahoot to assess what we learned about #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/QLdtxTQBqM — Anna Gotangco Osborn, NBCT (@AnnaOz249) March 6, 2020
This week we had an independent mini-makerspace project! Students made informative mini-zines with information on the #coronavirus. I set out copies from @npr and a video on how to fold a zine for students. Kiddos loved it! So glad to share information in a fun way! #makerspace pic.twitter.com/jUPW1qk5PG — Mrs. Russell, GMS Librarian (@GorzyckiLibrary) March 6, 2020
And it's not just kids who are reading the comic — adults have reached out and said it's been a helpful resource, too. One person is displaying the zine on his desk.
honestly I love the way it looks on my desk. and I've now discovered a hobby I strangely love: precision folding pic.twitter.com/bC9bxT64un — Chris Hammack (@pacificobob) February 28, 2020
How have you shared the coronavirus comic with children? We'd love to see how you've used it in a school, library or home setting. Email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line "Coronavirus comic."


npr--2020-03-07--Keep The Faith, Lose The Germs: Clergy Rethink Customs In The Age Of Coronavirus

Keep The Faith , Lose The Germs : Clergy Rethink Customs In The Age Of Coronavirus Before she was the interim minister at the Central Christian Church of Austin , Janet Maykus was a chaplain in health care settings , a job that required training in infectious disease control .
So when she heard reports of the coronavirus spreading in some U.S. communities , she knew it was time to overhaul religious practices at her church .
Last Sunday , instead of offering Communion wine in a shared cup from which all congregants drink , Maykus ' service did away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for now is the practice of intinction , or dipping the consecrated bread or wafer in the wine .
Communion , in her church , is now offered only as bread — dispensed by elders who first disinfect with hand gel before using tongs to pick up the individual pieces and place them in congregants ' hands — all to avoid contaminating the bread basket with any germs that might be on their fingers .
`` I do n't want to be alarmist , '' Maykus says , `` but as I told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a part of creation and we share this creation with viruses .
And so we need to learn how to learn to live with them in a way that makes everyone safe . ''
As more cases of coronavirus are confirmed in the U.S. , clergy across the country are reconsidering a variety of practices during religious services .
Infectious disease experts praise the move .
The Episcopal Dioceses of Los Angeles this week told its congregations to stop offering Communion wine .
Christian religious leaders at the regional level of various denominations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco and elsewhere have taken similar actions .
Some , like the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis , are asking clergy not to use the shared Communion cup .
Hilary Babcock , an infectious disease specialist at Washington University , says that 's a good idea .
`` I advocate for people not sharing food utensils , glasses and cups .
So , in general , I think that 's higher-risk than if there is a way to allow people to have individual cups or individual containers that they are using and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Although Communion wine does contain alcohol , it 's probably not enough to kill the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 , adds Caitlin Rivers , an infectious disease specialist with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security .
The coronavirus spreads through respiratory droplets that can be produced when an infected person coughs , sneezes or talks — and those droplets can find their way to people nearby , or land on a surface that you end up touching — contaminating your hands .
And if you shake hands , you might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many houses of worship of all faiths , handshakes are being discouraged , sometimes replaced with alternatives like waves or elbow bumps .
At the Prayer Center in Orland Park , Ill. , Imam Kifah Mustapha says he 's advised people not to shake hands after prayer , as many commonly do , and he 's telling people that if they are sick , they are exempted from obligations to attend daily prayers and Friday sermons .
Mustapha notes that washing most of the exposed parts of the body — including the nose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet — prior to prayers is already part of Islamic religious practice .
`` We already have a hygiene perspective from our religious tenants , '' he says .
Even so , he notes , the center — where about 1,800 people come for Friday sermons — is also vigorously disinfecting common areas after the service .
Rivers says now is a good time for religious leaders to think through all the parts of their services `` and identify all of the times when people come in contact either with each other or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then try to decide whether those moments can either be removed from the service or whether there is another meaningful , comfortable replacement that could stand in for that . ''
While experts advise staying three to six feet away from an infected person to avoid catching the coronavirus , Trish Perl , chief of the infectious diseases division at UT Southwestern Medical Center notes that people attending religious services , or other events , are often spaced much closer than that to each other .
`` A lot of times you 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — etc.
, '' Perl says .
`` So , to me , that 's the risk . ''
Other epidemiologists note that the main driver of how the virus has spread so far does not seem to be the sort of temporary , casual contact experienced in church services , but rather `` household-level infection -- the kind of prolonged exposure family members face when living with or caring for somebody who is sick with the virus .
( A religious group in South Korea that was the center of a COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practices that may have increased the spread there , observers say . )
Rivers adds that if coronavirus starts circulating widely in their community , people considered to be at high risk of developing severe disease if infected — like the elderly and those with underlying health conditions — should consider staying home from services .
`` Or maybe [ find ] a replacement for that need — like a one-on-one phone call with your religious leader could be helpful . ''
`` I think every congregation is is going to have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Rivers says .
Maykus of the Central Christian Church of Austin says she 's already thinking about how to keep ministering if coronavirus starts spreading in her community , because she has a number of elderly and immunocompromised congregants .
If that happens , she says , she could conduct services from her home and broadcast them online for congregants to watch from theirs .
`` I emphasize the need to find replacements for further transmission opportunities that lower the risk , because attending religious services is really meaningful to a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` And I think advising that nobody do that anymore is not a practical solution . ''

Keep The Faith, Lose The Germs: Clergy Rethink Customs In The Age Of Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Artem Vorobiev/Getty Images Artem Vorobiev/Getty Images
Before she was the interim minister at the Central Christian Church of Austin, Janet Maykus was a chaplain in health care settings, a job that required training in infectious disease control. So when she heard reports of the coronavirus spreading in some U.S. communities, she knew it was time to overhaul religious practices at her church.
Last Sunday, instead of offering Communion wine in a shared cup from which all congregants drink, Maykus' service did away with the wine altogether. Also gone for now is the practice of intinction, or dipping the consecrated bread or wafer in the wine.
Communion, in her church, is now offered only as bread — dispensed by elders who first disinfect with hand gel before using tongs to pick up the individual pieces and place them in congregants' hands — all to avoid contaminating the bread basket with any germs that might be on their fingers.
"I don't want to be alarmist," Maykus says, "but as I told our congregation on Sunday, we're a part of creation and we share this creation with viruses. And so we need to learn how to learn to live with them in a way that makes everyone safe."
As more cases of coronavirus are confirmed in the U.S., clergy across the country are reconsidering a variety of practices during religious services. Infectious disease experts praise the move.
The Episcopal Dioceses of Los Angeles this week told its congregations to stop offering Communion wine. Christian religious leaders at the regional level of various denominations in Chicago, Seattle, Houston, San Francisco and elsewhere have taken similar actions. Some, like the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis, are asking clergy not to use the shared Communion cup.
Hilary Babcock, an infectious disease specialist at Washington University, says that's a good idea. "I advocate for people not sharing food utensils, glasses and cups. So, in general, I think that's higher-risk than if there is a way to allow people to have individual cups or individual containers that they are using and either disposing of or having cleaned afterwards."
Although Communion wine does contain alcohol, it's probably not enough to kill the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, adds Caitlin Rivers, an infectious disease specialist with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
The coronavirus spreads through respiratory droplets that can be produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks — and those droplets can find their way to people nearby, or land on a surface that you end up touching — contaminating your hands. And if you shake hands, you might pass those germs on.
So in many houses of worship of all faiths, handshakes are being discouraged, sometimes replaced with alternatives like waves or elbow bumps. At the Prayer Center in Orland Park, Ill., Imam Kifah Mustapha says he's advised people not to shake hands after prayer, as many commonly do, and he's telling people that if they are sick, they are exempted from obligations to attend daily prayers and Friday sermons.
Mustapha notes that washing most of the exposed parts of the body — including the nose, hands, face, neck and feet — prior to prayers is already part of Islamic religious practice. "We already have a hygiene perspective from our religious tenets," he says. Even so, he notes, the center — where about 1,800 people come for Friday sermons — is also vigorously disinfecting common areas after the service.
Rivers says now is a good time for religious leaders to think through all the parts of their services "and identify all of the times when people come in contact either with each other or with a shared common service, and then try to decide whether those moments can either be removed from the service or whether there is another meaningful, comfortable replacement that could stand in for that."
While experts advise staying three to six feet away from an infected person to avoid catching the coronavirus, Trish Perl, chief of the infectious diseases division at UT Southwestern Medical Center notes that people attending religious services, or other events, are often spaced much closer than that to each other.
"A lot of times you're putting vulnerable people together — the elderly — etc.," Perl says. "So, to me, that's the risk."
Other epidemiologists note that the main driver of how the virus has spread so far does not seem to be the sort of temporary, casual contact experienced in church services, but rather "household-level infection -- the kind of prolonged exposure family members face when living with or caring for somebody who is sick with the virus. (A religious group in South Korea that was the center of a COVID-19 outbreak in recent weeks had some particular practices that may have increased the spread there, observers say.)
Rivers adds that if coronavirus starts circulating widely in their community, people considered to be at high risk of developing severe disease if infected — like the elderly and those with underlying health conditions — should consider staying home from services. "Or maybe [find] a replacement for that need — like a one-on-one phone call with your religious leader could be helpful."
"I think every congregation is is going to have to find something that works for them," Rivers says.
Maykus of the Central Christian Church of Austin says she's already thinking about how to keep ministering if coronavirus starts spreading in her community, because she has a number of elderly and immunocompromised congregants. If that happens, she says, she could conduct services from her home and broadcast them online for congregants to watch from theirs.
"I emphasize the need to find replacements for further transmission opportunities that lower the risk, because attending religious services is really meaningful to a lot of people," Rivers says. "And I think advising that nobody do that anymore is not a practical solution."


npr--2020-03-06--Mick Mulvaney Out, Mark Meadows In As White House Chief Of Staff

Mick Mulvaney Out , Mark Meadows In As White House Chief Of Staff For the fourth time in three years , President Trump has a new chief of staff .
With his administration grappling with the response to coronavirus — and just months ahead of the next election — Trump tweeted on Friday night that congressional ally Mark Meadows will be his newest top aide at the White House .
Meadows replaces Mick Mulvaney , who like him , was once part of the House Freedom Caucus .
Meadows has come to be one of Trump 's closest allies on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regularly and helping the president keep Republicans in line .
He was a staunch defender during Trump 's impeachment trial .
Mulvaney lasted a little more than a year in the job .
He became tangled in the Ukraine scandal that led to Trump 's impeachment when he put a temporary hold on military and other aid for Ukraine earlier this year at Trump 's request .
But it 's not all bad news for Mulvaney .
Trump tweeted he would join the diplomatic ranks , becoming the U.S. special envoy for Northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House chief of staff , Trump has overseen a remarkable level of turnover in a White House that has been defined by staff shakeups and firings by tweet .
Meadows has been a frequent guest at White House events , and has often traveled with Trump on Air Force One .
`` It 's an honor to be selected by President Trump to serve alongside him and his team , '' Meadows said in a statement .
`` This president and his administration have a long list of incredible victories they 've delivered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the best yet to come . ''
Meadows also paid tribute to Mulvaney , calling him `` smart , principled , and as tough a fighter you 'll find in Washington , D.C. '' and said Mulvaney `` did a great job leading the President 's team through a tremendous period of accomplishment . ''
Trump had picked Mulvaney as his acting chief of staff on December 14 , 2018 , after his first choice to replace John Kelly backed out of the job .
Unlike Kelly , a former Marine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach in managing the White House and the various competing factions within it .
Like many Trump officials , Mulvaney labored with an `` acting '' label in front of his title .
Trump insisted he preferred it that way .
`` I like having non-permanent , to a certain extent , '' Trump said last September .
`` It gives me more flexibility .
I like having acting .
I like the word 'acting , ' because it gives me great flexibility . ''
Trump 's announcement of Meadows ' appointment did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mulvaney insisted the `` acting '' title did n't matter to him .
`` It just does n't make a difference , '' Mulvaney once told a Wall Street Journal event , taking credit for reducing infighting at the White House .
Current and former White House aides say the environment Mulvaney set up as chief of staff was free-flowing and a bit harried at times .
One said Mulvaney knows who the boss is and will say things like , ' I 've been given clear orders . '
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete , freewheeling , wild , wild west of Reince Priebus and the militaristic , Marine camp of John Kelly , '' Mulvaney said in the Wall Street Journal interview , comparing himself to his two Trump-era predecessors .
`` We found a happy medium between those two things . ''
In other words , he gave a president who seems to thrive on a certain amount of chaos exactly what he wanted , and that worked for Mulvaney and Trump both .
But critics questioned how well it worked for the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a prescription for disaster , '' said Leon Panetta , who was chief of staff during the Clinton administration .
In an interview with NPR in the fall of 2019 , Panetta said chiefs of staff have a choice .
They can maintain order and protect the president from making bad decisions .
Or they simply become `` a high-level secretary that 's going to do whatever the president wants . ''
`` That 's a fundamental decision , '' Panetta said .
`` And I think Mulvaney has made the decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an enabler rather than a chief of staff . ''
Mulvaney first entered national politics in 2010 , unseating a long-serving Democratic congressman in a wave of Republican victories that year .
He cast himself as a plain spoken Tea Party firebrand , and pushed to constrain government spending from his perch in Congress .
He joined the Trump administration as director of the Office of Management and Budget .
On his watch , deficits ballooned due to increased spending and the tax cuts passed at the end of 2017 .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , which he sought to substantially rein in .

Mick Mulvaney Out, Mark Meadows In As White House Chief Of Staff
Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Updated at 9:15 p.m. ET
For the fourth time in three years, President Trump has a new chief of staff.
With his administration grappling with the response to coronavirus — and just months ahead of the next election — Trump tweeted on Friday night that congressional ally Mark Meadows will be his newest top aide at the White House.
Meadows replaces Mick Mulvaney, who like him, was once part of the House Freedom Caucus. Meadows has come to be one of Trump's closest allies on the Capitol Hill, speaking with him regularly and helping the president keep Republicans in line. He was a staunch defender during Trump's impeachment trial.
Mulvaney lasted a little more than a year in the job. He became tangled in the Ukraine scandal that led to Trump's impeachment when he put a temporary hold on military and other aid for Ukraine earlier this year at Trump's request.
But it's not all bad news for Mulvaney. Trump tweeted he would join the diplomatic ranks, becoming the U.S. special envoy for Northern Ireland.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Samuel Corum/Getty Images Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Now on his fourth White House chief of staff, Trump has overseen a remarkable level of turnover in a White House that has been defined by staff shakeups and firings by tweet.
Meadows has been a frequent guest at White House events, and has often traveled with Trump on Air Force One.
"It's an honor to be selected by President Trump to serve alongside him and his team," Meadows said in a statement. "This president and his administration have a long list of incredible victories they've delivered to the country during this first term, with the best yet to come."
Meadows also paid tribute to Mulvaney, calling him "smart, principled, and as tough a fighter you'll find in Washington, D.C." and said Mulvaney "did a great job leading the President's team through a tremendous period of accomplishment."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Trump had picked Mulvaney as his acting chief of staff on December 14, 2018, after his first choice to replace John Kelly backed out of the job. Unlike Kelly, a former Marine general, Mulvaney took a more hands-off approach in managing the White House and the various competing factions within it.
Like many Trump officials, Mulvaney labored with an "acting" label in front of his title. Trump insisted he preferred it that way.
"I like having non-permanent, to a certain extent," Trump said last September. "It gives me more flexibility. I like having acting. I like the word 'acting,' because it gives me great flexibility."
Trump's announcement of Meadows' appointment did not include the "acting" qualifier.
Mulvaney insisted the "acting" title didn't matter to him. "It just doesn't make a difference," Mulvaney once told a Wall Street Journal event, taking credit for reducing infighting at the White House.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Wilson/Getty Images Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Current and former White House aides say the environment Mulvaney set up as chief of staff was free-flowing and a bit harried at times. One said Mulvaney knows who the boss is and will say things like, 'I've been given clear orders.'
"I'm sort of a mix between the complete, freewheeling, wild, wild west of Reince Priebus and the militaristic, Marine camp of John Kelly," Mulvaney said in the Wall Street Journal interview, comparing himself to his two Trump-era predecessors. "We found a happy medium between those two things."
In other words, he gave a president who seems to thrive on a certain amount of chaos exactly what he wanted, and that worked for Mulvaney and Trump both.
But critics questioned how well it worked for the White House.
"Chaos without a strategy is a prescription for disaster," said Leon Panetta, who was chief of staff during the Clinton administration.
In an interview with NPR in the fall of 2019, Panetta said chiefs of staff have a choice. They can maintain order and protect the president from making bad decisions. Or they simply become "a high-level secretary that's going to do whatever the president wants."
"That's a fundamental decision," Panetta said. "And I think Mulvaney has made the decision that he's going to basically serve as an enabler rather than a chief of staff."
Mulvaney first entered national politics in 2010, unseating a long-serving Democratic congressman in a wave of Republican victories that year. He cast himself as a plain spoken Tea Party firebrand, and pushed to constrain government spending from his perch in Congress.
He joined the Trump administration as director of the Office of Management and Budget. On his watch, deficits ballooned due to increased spending and the tax cuts passed at the end of 2017. For part of his tenure, he also served as acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which he sought to substantially rein in.
NPR's Claudia Grisales contributed to this story.


npr--2020-03-06--Trump Visits CDC After Coronavirus Fears Throw Schedule Into Chaos

President Trump on Friday stopped in at the Atlanta headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the agency marshaling the response to coronavirus — a major political test for his administration .
The trip itself was almost derailed by coronavirus fears , and mixed signals about what was happening created an on-again , off-again drama that played out in front of television cameras .
The chaotic impression clashed with the White House quest to show that the public health crisis is under control .
`` It will end .
People have to remain calm , '' Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 47-minute impromptu news conference , answering questions both scientific — and very political .
Trump slammed Jay Inslee , the Democratic governor grappling with an outbreak in his state .
Vice President Mike Pence had spent time with Inslee on Thursday and praised his work .
`` That governor is a snake , '' Trump said , grousing that he expected Inslee would be critical of the job his administration is doing on coronovirus .
`` Mike may be happy with him , but I 'm not .
And moments before Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somberly announced that some 2,500 passengers stranded on the Grand Princess cruise ship off the California coast would be brought to land to be tested and quarantined — Trump said he would rather they stay on the ship .
`` Our numbers are going to go up , '' he complained , referring the number of cases of coronavirus .
Pence said of 46 tests done so far , 19 crew and two passengers have tested positive .
( The crew will remain in quarantine on the ship . )
The White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week to try to show that it had taken charge of the coronavirus response : meetings with Congress and industry leaders , a tour of a vaccine lab at the National Institutes of Health , and Vice President Mike Pence 's trip to Washington State to meet local leaders grappling with the outbreak .
To cap off the week , Trump was supposed to sign the $ 8 billion emergency funding package for the response into law in Atlanta at the CDC .
Pence even mentioned it in remarks during his Washington visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House issued Trump 's daily public schedule , it surprisingly did not include a stop in Atlanta .
It took some time for the White House to explain the change .
`` The president is no longer traveling to Atlanta today .
The CDC has been proactive and prepared since the very beginning and the president does not want to interfere with the CDC 's mission to protect the health and welfare of their people and the agency , '' a White House official first explained , in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tennessee to survey tornado damage .
Before he left , the White House hastily arranged a bill-signing ceremony .
That 's when Trump revealed a different explanation for the scheduling snafus .
Trump said a CDC employee had showed symptoms of the virus .
The White House learned about the suspected case on Thursday .
`` They had one person who was potentially infected , '' Trump told reporters .
The staffer was tested , then cleared .
`` It turned out negative , so we 'll see if we can do it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We 're going to try to go , '' he told reporters before leaving for Nashville .
`` I may be going , we 're going to see if we can turn it around . ''
Trump later said it made sense for him to stop in Atlanta , given that he was on his way from Nashville to Palm Beach , Fla. , where he plans to spend the weekend .
`` It was a big deal with the Secret Service , but they 're fantastic and they worked it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were no immediate details from the CDC about the suspected case .
During the flight to Nashville , White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told reporters on Air Force One that the Atlanta stop was back on the schedule .
`` What the president said is true , '' Grisham said , referring to the suspected case .
A CDC staffer was suspected of having contracted the virus , so the White House canceled the stop `` out of an abundance of caution , '' Grisham said .
A spokeswoman for the CDC did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has many employees who have deployed in support of the nation 's response to COVID-19 , some of whom are returning from areas where COVID-19 may be present , '' Kristen Nordlund said in a statement .
`` CDC has issued guidance to these employees , including self-quarantine for 14 days after they have returned to their duty stations for those returning from certain areas .
They will also undergo daily , active monitoring .
No CDC employees have tested positive , '' Nordlund said .
Asked why the initial White House statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president , Grisham said it had been carefully worded so that it was accurate — including language about the CDC keeping its people safe — without revealing the concern about the possibly infected CDC employee .
NPR 's Miles Parks and Joe Neel contributed to this story .


npr--2020-03-07--Daylight Saving Time Is Here Again. So Is The Debate About Changing The Clocks

Daylight Saving Time Is Here Again .
So Is The Debate About Changing The Clocks The dreaded `` Spring Ahead '' has finally arrived : on Sunday , March 8 , the clock will jump one hour forward at 2 a.m. to mark the official start of daylight saving time .
In general , the time change gets a bad rap .
A September AP/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 71 % of respondents want to end the practice of changing the clocks .
In all , 40 % favored year-round standard time , while 31 % said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some politicians have similarly come out against the semiannual time change , including Sen. Marco Rubio ( R-Fla. ) who has proposed a bill that would move the entire country to permanent , year-round daylight saving time .
According to the Department of Transportation , which oversees the observance of daylight saving time , the Uniform Time Act of 1966 established the practice of switching clocks as we know it today .
The DOT says moving the clock forward by an hour saves energy by providing an extra hour of sunlight , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for lighting .
The agency says it also prevents traffic injuries by making it easier to commute during the daylight , and helps cut crime because `` more people are out conducting their affairs during the daylight rather than at night , when more crime occurs . ''
However , research on the effects of daylight saving time has also revealed drawbacks , and whether it truly helps conserve energy remains in question .
One 2009 study of miners , for example , found that in comparison with other days , on Mondays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , workers `` sustained more workplace injuries and injuries of greater severity '' due to tiredness .
Another study , published in 2007 in the journal Current Biology , followed the sleep of 50 subjects for eight weeks across clock changes .
It found that though human circadian rhythms — which control sleep patterns — generally adapt to the `` fall back '' change , they struggle to adjust to the `` spring ahead . ''
Adhering to daylight saving time is a federal mandate , but states can opt out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive federal approval , according to the Transportation Department .
In fact , several states and territories have chosen to be exempt from daylight saving time , opting instead to follow standard time year-round .
Among them are Arizona , Hawaii , Puerto Rico , American Samoa , Guam and the Virgin Islands .
Other states , like Washington , have been in the fight to opt out of the time switch .
In May of 2019 , Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee signed a bill that would # ditchtheswitch , putting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More than 30 states are considering similar legislation , according to the NORC Center for Public Affairs at the University of Chicago .
However , Washingtonians will still spring forward on Sunday with the rest of the country , as the state waits on Congress to approve the change , according to the Seattle Times .
Meanwhile , # ditchtheswitch has gained traction on social media , prompting both voices of support and backlash .
It 's a debate that wo n't be going away anytime soon , and unless you 're in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groggy on Monday .

Daylight Saving Time Is Here Again. So Is The Debate About Changing The Clocks
Enlarge this image toggle caption Charles Krupa/AP Charles Krupa/AP
The dreaded "spring ahead" has finally arrived: On Sunday, March 8, the clock will jump one hour forward at 2 a.m. to mark the official start of daylight saving time.
In general, the time change gets a bad rap. An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted last fall found that 71% of respondents want to end the practice of changing the clocks. In all, 40% favored year-round standard time, while 31% said they'd prefer year-round daylight saving time.
Some politicians have similarly come out against the semiannual time change, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has proposed a bill that would move the entire country to permanent, year-round daylight saving time.
According to the Department of Transportation, which oversees the observance of daylight saving time, the Uniform Time Act of 1966 established the practice of switching clocks as we know it today. The DOT says moving the clock forward by an hour saves energy by providing an extra hour of sunlight in the evening, thus reducing the need to use household electricity for lighting. The agency says that it also prevents traffic injuries because more people are commuting during the daylight and that it helps cut crime because "more people are out conducting their affairs during the daylight rather than at night, when more crime occurs."
However, research on the effects of daylight saving time has also revealed drawbacks, and whether it truly helps conserve energy remains in question.
One 2009 study of miners, for example, found that in comparison with other days, on Mondays directly following the start of daylight saving time, workers "sustain more workplace injuries and injuries of greater severity" due to tiredness.
Another study, published in 2007 in the journal Current Biology, followed the sleep of 50 subjects for eight weeks across clock changes. It found that though human circadian rhythms — which control sleep patterns — generally adapt to the "fall back" change, they struggle to adjust to the "spring ahead."
Adhering to daylight saving time is a federal mandate, but states can opt out as long as they pass legislation and receive federal approval, according to the Transportation Department.
In fact, several states and territories have chosen to be exempt from daylight saving time, opting instead to follow standard time year-round. Among them are Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and the Virgin Islands.
Other states, like Washington, have been in the fight to opt out of the time switch.
In May 2019, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill that would #ditchtheswitch, putting the state on permanent daylight saving time. More than 30 states are considering similar legislation, according to the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Chicago.
However, Washingtonians will still spring forward on Sunday with the rest of the country, as the state waits on Congress to approve the change, according to the Seattle Times.
Meanwhile, #ditchtheswitch has gained traction on social media, prompting both voices of support and backlash. It's a debate that won't be going away anytime soon, and unless you're in an exempt area, expect to be groggy on Monday.


npr--2020-03-07--SpaceX Successfully Lands 50th Rocket In 5 Years

SpaceX launched another cargo mission to the International Space Station Friday , successfully landing the flight 's rocket booster for the 50th time in the last five years , the Associated Press reported .
The commercial rocket company sent its `` Dragon '' capsule from Cape Canaveral to the International Space Station for its 20th ISS resupply mission , according to a press release from SpaceX .
The spacecraft is carrying more than two tons of equipment and experiments .
It 's expected to arrive at the space station Monday .
The rocket lifted off to a countdown and cheers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in California , but the largest cheers came for the successful landing of the rocket 's first-stage booster .
After falling away from the Dragon capsule , the `` Falcon 9 '' touched back down on the landing pad , amid flashes of bright light and smoke .
`` And the Falcon has landed for the 50th time in SpaceX history ! ''
announced lead engineer Jessica Anderson on a livestream from SpaceX HQ .
The night 's windy conditions were a new challenge for the spacecraft .
In a tweet , SpaceX @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launch was an `` intentional envelope expansion . ''
This was not the first launch for either part of the rocket .
The Falcon 9 booster , which returned to land to be used again , was last flown in December 2019 .
The Dragon capsule has flown twice , once in 2017 and once in 2018 , according to SpaceX .
This was the last mission for the first version of the Dragon spacecraft , which began space travel in 2012 , said Anderson .
SpaceX says the next version of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in addition to cargo , and will fly with NASA astronauts later this year .
The company puts an emphasis on creating rapidly reusable rockets .
Its goal is to reduce the cost of space travel , and to eventually make the practice as accessible as modern air travel .
`` To date , we 've had 80 successful launches of Falcon 9 , and 30 out of that 80 were on re-flown boosters , '' Anderson said .
In the 4,000-plus pounds of cargo headed to the space station are more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laboratory at the International Space Station , according to a press release .
Among them is an Adidas shoe material experiment , which will test the motion of its foam `` Boost particles '' in a low-gravity environment .
The shoe company announced a partnership with the ISS U.S. National Laboratory in November of last year .
Another experiment is Delta Faucet 's test of water droplet formation in micro-gravity conditions for the company 's H2Okinetic shower head , which seeks to conserve water by controlling the size and speed of droplets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ printing in space and advance drug development .

SpaceX Successfully Lands 50th Rocket In 5 Years
Enlarge this image toggle caption SOPA Images/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett SOPA Images/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett
SpaceX launched another cargo mission to the International Space Station Friday, successfully landing the flight's rocket booster for the 50th time in the last five years, the Associated Press reported.
The commercial rocket company sent its "Dragon" capsule from Cape Canaveral to the International Space Station for its 20th ISS resupply mission, according to a press release from SpaceX. The spacecraft is carrying more than two tons of equipment and experiments. It's expected to arrive at the space station Monday.
The rocket lifted off to a countdown and cheers from an audience at SpaceX's headquarters in California, but the largest cheers came for the successful landing of the rocket's first-stage booster. After falling away from the Dragon capsule, the "Falcon 9" touched back down on the landing pad, amid flashes of bright light and smoke.
"And the Falcon has landed for the 50th time in SpaceX history!" announced lead engineer Jessica Anderson on a livestream from SpaceX HQ.
The night's windy conditions were a new challenge for the spacecraft. In a tweet, SpaceX co-founder and CEO Elon Musk said the launch was an "intentional envelope expansion."
Shortly after the booster's successful landing, Musk tweeted, "Envelope expanded."
This was not the first launch for either part of the rocket. The Falcon 9 booster, which returned to land to be used again, was last flown in December 2019. The Dragon capsule has flown twice, once in 2017 and once in 2018, according to SpaceX.
This was the last mission for the first version of the Dragon spacecraft, which began space travel in 2012, said Anderson. SpaceX says the next version of the capsule will be capable of flying people in addition to cargo, and will fly with NASA astronauts later this year.
The company puts an emphasis on creating rapidly reusable rockets. Its goal is to reduce the cost of space travel, and to eventually make the practice as accessible as modern air travel.
"To date, we've had 80 successful launches of Falcon 9, and 30 out of that 80 were on re-flown boosters," Anderson said.
In the 4,000-plus pounds of cargo headed to the space station are more than 20 experiments sponsored by the U.S. National Laboratory at the International Space Station, according to a press release.
Among them is an Adidas shoe material experiment, which will test the motion of its foam "Boost particles" in a low-gravity environment. The shoe company announced a partnership with the ISS U.S. National Laboratory in November of last year.
Another experiment is Delta Faucet's test of water droplet formation in micro-gravity conditions for the company's H2Okinetic shower head, which seeks to conserve water by controlling the size and speed of droplets.
Other experiments include tests to better 3-D printing in space and advance drug development.