npr--2020-09-01--'Do I Really Need This Much Office Space?' Pandemic Emptied Buildings, But How Long?

'Do I Really Need This Much Office Space ? '
Pandemic Emptied Buildings , But How Long ?
Adam Johnson enjoys going into the office .
It helps that he works in one of the nicest buildings in Midtown Manhattan : a 35-story art deco high-rise at the corner of 58th Street and Fifth Avenue , overlooking Central Park and the Plaza Hotel .
Johnson 's a stock picker — he writes an investment newsletter called Bullseye Brief — and , ostensibly , he shares the sixth floor with a real estate showroom and an assortment of hedge funds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am the only person who 's been coming in here since April 1st , '' he says .
Unlike other office spaces frozen in time when the March lockdowns hit , Johnson 's floor is completely stripped bare .
No desks , no chairs ; only the occasional computer cable dangles idly from the wall .
`` This is what happens when people move out , '' Johnson says , gesturing to a massive conference room with million-dollar views over Central Park .
`` I come in here and I do yoga @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've read plenty about real estate and the coronavirus pandemic , as lockdowns and restrictions have shuttered hotels and storefronts and may precipitate a wave of evictions and foreclosures .
For cities , as well as their tax bases , empty commercial real estate presents a crisis still looming .
The pandemic hit the ground floor first , knocking out smaller shops and restaurants .
Trouble may not creep upstairs to the office floors until six to nine months later , according to Victor Calanog , head of commercial real estate analytics at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenants tend to hold longer leases , averaging around 10 years , Calanog says , they take the dramatic step of breaking a lease to cut costs only if a downturn is prolonged enough to justify it .
`` We would typically expect that to occur sometime in another six months or so , '' Calanog says .
`` What 's complicating the situation now is a lot of companies are realizing they can work remotely .
So they 're thinking , 'Hey , do I really need this much office space ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 % drop in advertised rent for new commercial listings in New York City this year .
That 's worse than the 19 % drop over the worst stretch of the 2008-2010 financial crisis .
Calanog echoes the sentiment of other real estate analysts , urban planners and investors , who generally expect commercial real estate demand to return to pre-pandemic levels in a few years .
The problem is that until then , office landlords have their own bills and mortgages to pay — along with real estate taxes that cities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raises the specter of a vicious cycle where companies shrinking in size or reducing their office footprint lead to further declining rents .
`` That 's exactly what we 're trying to prevent , '' says Jeff Blau , CEO of Related Companies , one of the world 's largest commercial landlords .
Blau says his office properties are all rented , with 100 % of tenants paying rent .
His concern is not for his commercial real estate holdings , he insists , but for the city life they provide a backdrop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from home could have dire consequences .
Blau cites the example of companies like Google , which announced it will let employees continue to work from home until at least July 2021 .
When that happens , he says , temporary relocations can become permanent ones .
Apartments lie vacant ; restaurants and shops continue to fail .
`` Everyone thinks that they 're just going to come back here July of '21 , or whatever the date might be , and find the city in the same shape it was , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just not going to be the case . ''
To that end , he has been working the phones with his tenants — CEOs of some of the most high-profile companies in the country — urging them to get their workers back in the office .
`` There 's not many people that I know in industry that I have not spoken to , '' Blau says .
`` Whether it 's finance , media , law firms , private equity , hedge funds ...
I feel like it 's a little bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the office . ''
Of course safety comes first , Blau says .
He 's touting a raft of top-of-the-line coronavirus safety features , from one-way air circulation to dual temperature checks and strict contact tracing .
Regardless , some companies will opt to keep workers home , or mostly home , until the pandemic recedes .
For the well-capitalized , declining commercial rents present an opportunity .
Stuart Saft is a partner at Holland & Knight , a law firm with a large Midtown presence .
Six months ago , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footprint — fewer private offices and more conference rooms , perhaps having junior lawyers work in a bullpen .
`` That lasted until about the third week of the pandemic , '' Saft says .
`` When all of a sudden everybody realized people do need to have private offices ; we need more space than we have right now . ''
With Holland & Knight 's Midtown lease expiring soon , Saft expects to get a great deal on a new one .
`` We ca n't be the only business that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Sometimes these things just work out in our favor . ''
Of course , only companies with cash on hand can `` use the crisis '' in this way .
In recent months , Facebook and Amazon have signed leases for millions of square feet of office space in Manhattan .
This reveals another common theme in both New York and post-pandemic life : the big getting bigger while smaller players get pushed further out .
Manhattan has become increasingly corporate over the decades , and the pandemic may provide an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporate behemoths may be able to swallow up even more commercial space , younger or smaller companies may have to break their leases or downsize .
If ripple effects play out similarly across retail , restaurants , shops and small businesses , it may mean that when people do finally return to the office one day , they might find the city around it to be completely different .

'Do I Really Need This Much Office Space?' Pandemic Emptied Buildings, But How Long?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ryan Kailath for NPR Ryan Kailath for NPR
Adam Johnson enjoys going into the office. It helps that he works in one of the nicest buildings in Midtown Manhattan: a 35-story art deco high-rise at the corner of 58th Street and Fifth Avenue, overlooking Central Park and the Plaza Hotel.
Johnson's a stock picker — he writes an investment newsletter called Bullseye Brief — and, ostensibly, he shares the sixth floor with a real estate showroom and an assortment of hedge funds. They all left months ago.
"I am the only person who's been coming in here since April 1st," he says.
Unlike other office spaces frozen in time when the March lockdowns hit, Johnson's floor is completely stripped bare. No desks, no chairs; only the occasional computer cable dangles idly from the wall.
"This is what happens when people move out," Johnson says, gesturing to a massive conference room with million-dollar views over Central Park. "I come in here and I do yoga."
By this point, you've read plenty about real estate and the coronavirus pandemic, as lockdowns and restrictions have shuttered hotels and storefronts and may precipitate a wave of evictions and foreclosures.
For cities, as well as their tax bases, empty commercial real estate presents a crisis still looming. The pandemic hit the ground floor first, knocking out smaller shops and restaurants. Trouble may not creep upstairs to the office floors until six to nine months later, according to Victor Calanog, head of commercial real estate analytics at Moody's Analytics REIS.
Because office tenants tend to hold longer leases, averaging around 10 years, Calanog says, they take the dramatic step of breaking a lease to cut costs only if a downturn is prolonged enough to justify it.
"We would typically expect that to occur sometime in another six months or so," Calanog says. "What's complicating the situation now is a lot of companies are realizing they can work remotely. So they're thinking, 'Hey, do I really need this much office space?' "
Moody's is forecasting a 21% drop in advertised rent for new commercial listings in New York City this year. That's worse than the 19% drop over the worst stretch of the 2008-2010 financial crisis.
Calanog echoes the sentiment of other real estate analysts, urban planners and investors, who generally expect commercial real estate demand to return to pre-pandemic levels in a few years. The problem is that until then, office landlords have their own bills and mortgages to pay — along with real estate taxes that cities and states depend on.
A prolonged recession raises the specter of a vicious cycle where companies shrinking in size or reducing their office footprint lead to further declining rents.
"That's exactly what we're trying to prevent," says Jeff Blau, CEO of Related Companies, one of the world's largest commercial landlords.
Blau says his office properties are all rented, with 100% of tenants paying rent. His concern is not for his commercial real estate holdings, he insists, but for the city life they provide a backdrop for. A prolonged shift to working from home could have dire consequences.
Blau cites the example of companies like Google, which announced it will let employees continue to work from home until at least July 2021. When that happens, he says, temporary relocations can become permanent ones. Apartments lie vacant; restaurants and shops continue to fail.
"Everyone thinks that they're just going to come back here July of '21, or whatever the date might be, and find the city in the same shape it was," Blau says. "And that's just not going to be the case."
To that end, he has been working the phones with his tenants — CEOs of some of the most high-profile companies in the country — urging them to get their workers back in the office.
"There's not many people that I know in industry that I have not spoken to," Blau says. "Whether it's finance, media, law firms, private equity, hedge funds ... I feel like it's a little bit of companies' civic duty to return to the office."
Of course safety comes first, Blau says. He's touting a raft of top-of-the-line coronavirus safety features, from one-way air circulation to dual temperature checks and strict contact tracing.
Regardless, some companies will opt to keep workers home, or mostly home, until the pandemic recedes. For the well-capitalized, declining commercial rents present an opportunity.
Stuart Saft is a partner at Holland & Knight, a law firm with a large Midtown presence. Six months ago, they were discussing how to reduce their office footprint — fewer private offices and more conference rooms, perhaps having junior lawyers work in a bullpen.
"That lasted until about the third week of the pandemic," Saft says. "When all of a sudden everybody realized people do need to have private offices; we need more space than we have right now."
With Holland & Knight's Midtown lease expiring soon, Saft expects to get a great deal on a new one. "We can't be the only business that's thinking this," Saft says. "Sometimes these things just work out in our favor."
Of course, only companies with cash on hand can "use the crisis" in this way. In recent months, Facebook and Amazon have signed leases for millions of square feet of office space in Manhattan.
This reveals another common theme in both New York and post-pandemic life: the big getting bigger while smaller players get pushed further out. Manhattan has become increasingly corporate over the decades, and the pandemic may provide an opportunity for that to accelerate. While corporate behemoths may be able to swallow up even more commercial space, younger or smaller companies may have to break their leases or downsize.
If ripple effects play out similarly across retail, restaurants, shops and small businesses, it may mean that when people do finally return to the office one day, they might find the city around it to be completely different.


npr--2020-09-01--'Poppycock!': Federal Judge Bars CBP Employees From Screening Asylum-Seekers

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents lack the training to take over the initial processing of asylum claims , a federal judge wrote in a ruling filed Monday .
For nearly 20 years officers from Citizenship and Immigration Services have conducted all interviews with asylum seekers and made what are called `` credible fear determinations '' for those who arrive at the nation 's borders fleeing to the U.S. to escape persecution .
But in January , Department of Homeland Security officials issued a memorandum delegating authority from CIS to Customs and Border Protection to allow CBP agents to handle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was comparable to that of CIS .
CBP and CIS are both agencies within the department .
`` Poppycock ! ''
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon wrote in his opinion blocking CBP from conducting the interviews of asylum seekers .
Leon was not swayed by the Trump administration 's argument that CBP and Border Patrol employees are adequately qualified to determine which asylum cases deserve to move forward .
`` The training requirements cited in the government 's declaration do not come close to being 'comparable ' to the training requirements of full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those whose cases are not found to be credible are deported without further review .
The lawsuit was filed by four women and their seven children from Honduras , Ecuador and Mexico .
They arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking asylum `` based on fears of kidnapping , rape , torture , and murder by individuals connected to politicians or drug cartels in their home countries , '' according to court documents .
Throughout the 22-page ruling , Leon stressed the life and death consequences of credible fear determinations and noted that CBP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ function is to intercept people or goods illegally entering or exiting the country .
He added that the government had failed to show that CBP officials have received adequate training `` to overcome their adversarial instincts and act as neutral decision-makers . ''
`` Because they clearly have not received such training , the Court need not address at this stage what else may be required , or whether CBP agents could ever serve as asylum officers , a job traditionally performed by CIS officers , '' Leon said .
The judge also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show the deleterious effects of inadequate training .
`` One CBP agent failed to follow up with questions about an asylum-seeking plaintiff 's sexual abuse , and another failed to inquire into another asylum-seeking plaintiff 's husband 's murder investigation . ''
The temporary injunction will not have an immediate impact on asylum cases , which have been effectively halted under new guidelines imposed to stop the spread of COVID-19 .
In Oct. 2019 , the Trump administration announced its plans to cap the number of refugees admitted into the United States to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was created in 1980 .
The limit on the number of refugees was set at 18,000 for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30 .

'Poppycock!': Federal Judge Bars CBP Employees From Screening Asylum-Seekers
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Gay/AP Eric Gay/AP
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents lack the training to take over the initial processing of asylum claims, a federal judge wrote in a ruling filed Monday.
For nearly 20 years, officers from Citizenship and Immigration Services have conducted all interviews with asylum-seekers and made what are called "credible fear determinations" for those who arrive at the nation's borders while fleeing to the U.S. to escape persecution.
But in January, Department of Homeland Security officials issued a memorandum delegating authority from CIS to Customs and Border Protection to allow CBP agents to handle the early screenings, arguing that their training was comparable to that of CIS. CBP and CIS are both agencies within the department.
"Poppycock!" U.S. District Judge Richard Leon wrote in his opinion blocking CBP from conducting the interviews of asylum-seekers.
Leon was not swayed by the Trump administration's argument that CBP and Border Patrol employees are adequately qualified to determine which asylum cases deserve to move forward.
"The training requirements cited in the government's declaration do not come close to being 'comparable' to the training requirements of full asylum officers," he wrote.
Those whose cases are not found to be credible are deported without further review.
The lawsuit was filed by four women and their seven children from Honduras, Ecuador and Mexico. They arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking asylum "based on fears of kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder by individuals connected to politicians or drug cartels in their home countries," according to court documents.
Throughout the 22-page ruling, Leon stressed the life and death consequences of credible fear determinations and noted that CBP officers serve as law enforcement officials whose function is to intercept people or goods illegally entering or exiting the country. He added that the government had failed to show that CBP officials have received adequate training "to overcome their adversarial instincts and act as neutral decision-makers."
"Because they clearly have not received such training, the Court need not address at this stage what else may be required, or whether CBP agents could ever serve as asylum officers, a job traditionally performed by CIS officers," Leon said.
The judge also cited several instances in which court documents show the deleterious effects of inadequate training. "One CBP agent failed to follow up with questions about an asylum-seeking plaintiff's sexual abuse, and another failed to inquire into another asylum-seeking plaintiff's husband's murder investigation."
The temporary injunction will not have an immediate impact on asylum cases, which have been effectively halted under new guidelines imposed to stop the spread of COVID-19.
In October 2019, the Trump administration announced its plans to cap the number of refugees admitted into the United States to the lowest number since the resettlement program was created in 1980. The limit on the number of refugees was set at 18,000 for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30.


npr--2020-09-01--With Fans Forbidden Due To COVID-19, A Noticeably Quiet U.S. Open Kicks Off In Queens

With Fans Forbidden Due To COVID-19 , A Noticeably Quiet U.S. Open Kicks Off In Queens The 2020 U.S. Open kicked off on Monday absent one of its most iconic hallmarks : the crowd .
Instead , the courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens were mostly silent as spectators were kept away from the stadium due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The prohibition on in-person fans is part of New York 's ongoing efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 .
New York , once the epicenter of the virus in the U.S. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the smallest number of hospitalizations since March .
All regions are in Phase 4 of the state 's reopening plan , in which most businesses and activities can operate with certain restrictions .
The U.S. Open , for which some 350 players are on site , is following specific health and safety protocols .
For instance , face masks when not on the court , social distancing and frequent testing are required .
French player Benoit Paire tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend and has been removed from the tournament .
Other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opted out due to concerns over the coronavirus .
Areas of the tennis center that would normally host spectators have been converted into `` player hospitality areas , '' with amenities including a gym , dining area , putting green and mini golf course .
Still , a Grand Slam event without fans in the stands can be an eerie experience for players , particularly because of the lack of noise .
After winning her match on Monday , top-seeded player from the Czech Republic , Karolina Pliskova , said the empty stands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think it 's just about the experience of all of this , because everything is a little bit different , '' she said in a press conference .
`` But the [ more ] time I spend here , the better I feel . ''
Last year 's U.S. Open set an all-time attendance record , drawing more than 737,800 fans over two weeks .
The event typically draws tourists and helps boost the city 's economy , something that will also be different this year .
United States Tennis Association CEO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that revenue will be down 80 % this year , and will rely on broadcast and sponsorship deals .
He said the organization had to dig into its reserves to fund the tournament .
`` We have no fans in sight but it does n't mean we do n't have fans around the world watching this sport , '' Dowse said .
Last year 's U.S. Open averaged 1.28 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2 , its highest average since the network began carrying the event exclusively in 2015 .
Over the weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year 's lack of spectators in a blog post on the U.S. Open website , noting that fans are an important part of the atmosphere .
`` They really bring out the best game , '' said American player Sofia Kenin .
`` When it 's tough moments , they obviously are there on their feet cheering for you .
It 's really unfortunate .
I really wish they would be here . ''
Britain 's Andy Murray said he was particularly struck by the change in tone last week , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice .
`` I was like , 'Wow , this is pretty sad , ' because usually this place is just filled with energy and atmosphere , like before the tournament starts , '' he said .
`` Now it 's tennis players and their teams walking around with masks on .
It 's just all very different and a little bit sad . ''
Belgian player Kim Clijsters managed to find a silver lining , saying she had never been able to watch so many live matches as she has this tournament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front row seat .
Some of the seats at the main Arthur Ashe Stadium are , however , visibly occupied , not by fans but by the work of 18 Black and BIPOC artists who were commissioned by event organizers as part of an art installation intended to bring attention to the Black Lives Matter movement .
Painted on the seats are vibrant portraits of people of color , some accompanied by messages like `` Protect Blk Women '' and `` E is for everybody . ''

With Fans Forbidden Due To COVID-19, A Noticeably Quiet U.S. Open Kicks Off In Queens
Enlarge this image toggle caption Al Bello/Getty Images Al Bello/Getty Images
The 2020 U.S. Open kicked off on Monday absent one of its most iconic hallmarks: the crowd.
Instead, the courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, N.Y., were mostly silent as spectators were kept away from the stadium because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The prohibition on in-person fans is part of New York's efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
While New York City was once the epicenter of the virus in the U.S., New York state is now reporting a record-low positivity rate and the smallest number of hospitalizations since March. All regions are in Phase 4 of the state's reopening plan, in which most businesses and activities can operate with certain restrictions.
The U.S. Open, for which some 350 players are on-site, is following specific health and safety protocols. For instance, face masks when not on the court, social distancing and frequent testing are required.
French player Benoit Paire tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend and has been removed from the tournament. Other players, like Rafael Nadal, previously opted out because of concerns over the coronavirus.
Areas of the tennis center that would normally host spectators have been converted into "player hospitality areas," with amenities including a gym, dining area, putting green and mini-golf course.
Still, a Grand Slam event without fans in the stands can be an eerie experience for players, particularly because of the lack of noise.
After winning her match on Monday, top-seeded player Karolina Pliskova, of the Czech Republic, said the empty stands took some getting used to.
"I think it's just about the experience of all of this, because everything is a little bit different," she said in a news conference. "But the [more] time I spend here, the better I feel."
Last year's U.S. Open set an all-time attendance record, drawing more than 737,800 fans over two weeks.
The event typically draws tourists and helps boost the city's economy, something that will also be different this year.
United States Tennis Association CEO Michael Dowse told CNBC's Squawk Box that revenue will be down 80% this year and will rely on broadcast and sponsorship deals. He said the organization had to dig into its reserves to fund the tournament.
"We have no fans in sight, but it doesn't mean we don't have fans around the world watching this sport," Dowse said.
Last year's U.S. Open averaged 1.28 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2, its highest average since the network began carrying the event exclusively in 2015.
Over the weekend, several players shared their thoughts on this year's lack of spectators in a blog post on the U.S. Open website, noting that fans are an important part of the atmosphere.
"They really bring out the best game," said American player Sofia Kenin. "When it's tough moments, they obviously are there on their feet cheering for you. It's really unfortunate. I really wish they would be here."
Britain's Andy Murray said he was particularly struck by the change in tone last week while walking to the locker room after a practice.
"I was like, 'Wow, this is pretty sad,' because usually this place is just filled with energy and atmosphere, like before the tournament starts," he said. "Now it's tennis players and their teams walking around with masks on. It's just all very different and a little bit sad."
Belgian player Kim Clijsters managed to find a silver lining, saying she had never been able to watch so many live matches as she has this tournament, because there's less competition for a front-row seat.
Some of the seats at the main Arthur Ashe Stadium are, however, visibly occupied — not by fans but by the work of 18 Black and BIPOC artists who were commissioned by event organizers as part of an art installation intended to bring attention to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Painted on the seats are vibrant portraits of people of color, some accompanied by messages like "Protect Blk Women" and "E is for everybody."


npr--2020-08-31--Trump Defends Kenosha Shooting Suspect

Trump Defends Kenosha Shooting Suspect

President Trump on Monday declined to condemn the actions of the suspected 17-year-old shooter of three protesters against police brutality in Kenosha , Wis. , claiming , without evidence , that it appeared the gunman was acting in self defense .
Kyle Rittenhouse has been charged with six criminal counts , including first-degree intentional homicide , for the shooting last week that left two protesters dead and a third injured .
An investigation is ongoing , which the president also acknowledged .
The incident occurred during the third night of unrest following the police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times at point-blank range .
When asked during a Monday press briefing whether he would condemn the Illinois teen 's actions , Trump defended Rittenhouse , suggesting that it appeared to him the shooter was acting in self defense .
`` He was trying to get away from them , I guess , it looks like , '' Trump said , noting the incident was under investigation .
`` I guess he was in very big trouble .
He probably would have been killed , '' Trump said .
Graphic video from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The shooter 's alleged actions have split onlookers on party lines , with Republicans painting Rittenhouse as sort of tragic figure — a martyred patriot whose extreme actions were born of Democrat failures to quell violence on their streets .
Democrats meanwhile have taken a dimmer view of the situation , pointing to the president 's increasingly divisive rhetoric , and past endorsements of violence against protesters , as evidence of a clear message to renegade gun owners to feel that they can act with impunity in the name of `` law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has made violence in `` Democrat cities '' a key talking point against 2020 rival Joe Biden , plans to visit Kenosha , Wis. , on Tuesday `` to see the people that did such a good job for me '' during the protests .
When asked whether he was worried that his presence , which comes against the Kenosha mayor 's wishes , might inflame an already heated situation , Trump said : `` Well , it could also increase enthusiasm , and it could increase love and respect for our country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going . ''
The president will not during this trip meet with the family of Jacob Blake , the man whose shooting and subsequent paralyzing sparked the Kenosha uprisings , citing a wariness of attending a meeting that Trump said would include the family 's attorney .
`` I thought it would be better not to do anything where there are lawyers involved .
They wanted me to speak , but they wanted to have lawyers involved , and I thought that was inappropriate , so I did n't do that , '' @ @ @

Trump Defends Kenosha Shooting Suspect
Enlarge this image toggle caption Win McNamee/Getty Images Win McNamee/Getty Images
President Trump on Monday declined to condemn the actions of the 17-year-old suspect in the shooting of three protesters against police brutality in Kenosha, Wis., claiming, without evidence, that it appeared the gunman was acting in self-defense.
Kyle Rittenhouse has been charged with six criminal counts, including first-degree intentional homicide, for the shooting last week that left two protesters dead and a third injured. An investigation is ongoing, which the president also acknowledged.
The incident occurred during the third night of unrest following the police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake, who was shot in the back multiple times at point-blank range.
When asked during a Monday press briefing whether he would condemn the Illinois teen's actions, Trump defended Rittenhouse, suggesting that it appeared to him that the shooter was acting in self-defense.
"He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like," Trump said, noting the incident was under investigation. "I guess he was in very big trouble. He probably would have been killed."
Graphic video from the chaotic scene only tells a partial story. The shooter's alleged actions have split onlookers on party lines, with Republicans painting Rittenhouse as sort of tragic figure — a martyred patriot whose extreme actions were born of Democrat failures to quell violence on their streets.
Democrats, meanwhile, have taken a dimmer view of the situation, pointing to the president's increasingly divisive rhetoric and past endorsements of violence against protesters, as evidence of a clear message to renegade gun owners to feel that they can act with impunity in the name of "law and order."
Trump, who has made violence in "Democrat cities" a key talking point against 2020 rival Joe Biden, plans to visit Kenosha, Wis., on Tuesday "to see the people that did such a good job for me" during the protests.
When asked whether he was worried that his presence, which comes against the Kenosha mayor's wishes, might inflame an already-heated situation, Trump said: "Well, it could also increase enthusiasm, and it could increase love and respect for our country. And that's why I'm going."
The president will not, during this trip, meet with the family of Blake, the man whose shooting and subsequent paralyzing sparked the Kenosha uprisings, citing a wariness of attending a meeting that Trump said would include the family's attorney.
"I thought it would be better not to do anything where there are lawyers involved. They wanted me to speak, but they wanted to have lawyers involved, and I thought that was inappropriate, so I didn't do that," he said.


npr--2020-09-01--CDC Issues Sweeping Temporary Halt On Evictions Nationwide Amid Pandemic

The Trump administration is ordering a halt on evictions nationwide through December for people who have lost work during the pandemic and do n't have other good housing options .
The new eviction ban is being enacted through the Centers for Disease Control .
The goal is to stem the spread of the COVID outbreak , which the agency says in it 's order , `` presents a historic threat to public health . ''
It 's by far the most sweeping move yet by the administration to try to head off a looming wave of evictions of people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major blow to their income due to the pandemic .
Housing advocates and landlord groups both have been warning that millions of people could soon be put out of their homes through eviction if Congress does not do more to help renters and landlords and reinstate expanded unemployment benefits .
But this new ban , which does n't offer any way for landlords to recoup unpaid rent , is being met with a mixed response .
`` A uniform , national moratorium on evictions for nonpayment of rent is long overdue and badly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition .
`` But while an eviction moratorium is an essential step , it is a half-measure that extends a financial cliff for renters to fall off of when the moratorium expires and back rent is owed . ''
Landlords are worried about falling off a cliff too .
Doug Bibby is the president of the National Multifamily Housing Council .
He says , `` We are disappointed that the Administration has chosen to enact a federal eviction moratorium without the existence of dedicated , long-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` An eviction moratorium will ultimately harm the very people it aims to help by making it impossible for housing providers , particularly small owners , to meet their financial obligations and continue to provide shelter to their residents , '' Bibby said .
He 's calling for a myriad of financial assistance measures to help property owners .
Under the rules of the order , renters have to sign a declaration saying they do n't make more than $ 99,000 a year - or twice that if filing a joint tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other option if evicted other than homelessness or living with more people in close proximity .
Evictions for reasons other than non-payment of rent will be allowed .
The government says it will impose criminal penalties on landlords who violate the ban .
Both Bibby and Yentel are calling on Congress to enact legislation with funding to help renters and landlords .
`` Congress and the White House must get back to work on negotiations to enact a COVID-19 relief bill with at least $ 100 billion in emergency rental assistance . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ national eviction moratorium , this assistance would keep renters stably housed and small landlords able to pay their bills and maintain their properties during the pandemic . ''

CDC Issues Sweeping Temporary Halt On Evictions Nationwide Amid Pandemic
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
The Trump administration is ordering a halt on evictions nationwide through December for people who have lost work during the pandemic and don't have other good housing options.
The new eviction ban is being enacted through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The goal is to stem the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, which the agency says in its order "presents a historic threat to public health."
It's by far the most sweeping move yet by the administration to try to head off a looming wave of evictions of people who have lost their jobs or taken a major blow to their income because of the pandemic. Housing advocates and landlord groups both have been warning that millions of people could soon be put out of their homes through eviction if Congress does not do more to help renters and landlords and reinstate expanded unemployment benefits.
But this new ban, which doesn't offer any way for landlords to recoup unpaid rent, is being met with a mixed response. First, many housing advocates are very happy to see it.
"My reaction is a feeling of tremendous relief," says Diane Yentel, CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. "It's a pretty extraordinary and bold and unprecedented measure that the White House is taking that will save lives and prevent tens of millions of people from losing their homes in the middle of a pandemic."
That said, she adds that a move like this from Congress or the White House is "long overdue." And she says with no money behind it, it kicks the can down the road.
"While an eviction moratorium is an essential step, it is a half-measure that extends a financial cliff for renters to fall off of when the moratorium expires and back rent is owed."
Landlords are worried about falling off a cliff too. Doug Bibby is the president of the National Multifamily Housing Council. He says, "We are disappointed that the administration has chosen to enact a federal eviction moratorium without the existence of dedicated, long-term funding for rental and unemployment assistance."
"An eviction moratorium will ultimately harm the very people it aims to help by making it impossible for housing providers, particularly small owners, to meet their financial obligations and continue to provide shelter to their residents," Bibby said. He's calling for a myriad of financial assistance measures to help property owners.
Under the rules of the order, renters have to sign a declaration saying they don't make more than $99,000 a year — or twice that if filing a joint tax return — and that they have no other option if evicted other than homelessness or living with more people in close proximity.
Evictions for reasons other than nonpayment of rent will be allowed. The government says it will impose criminal penalties on landlords who violate the ban.
Both Bibby and Yentel are calling on Congress to enact legislation with funding to help renters and landlords. "Congress and the White House must get back to work on negotiations to enact a COVID-19 relief bill with at least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance." Yentel says. "Together with a national eviction moratorium, this assistance would keep renters stably housed and small landlords able to pay their bills and maintain their properties during the pandemic."


npr--2020-09-01--Census Door Knocking In Some Areas To End Even Earlier Than Expected

Census Door Knocking In Some Areas To End Even Earlier Than Expected Facing lawsuits and mounting scrutiny for making last-minute changes that cut 2020 census counting a month short , the U.S. Census Bureau is now ending in-person counting in the San Diego area and some other parts of the country as early as Sept. 18 — nearly two weeks before the expedited end date of Sept. 30 that NPR first confirmed .
`` In some areas , nonresponse followup will finish earlier than September 30 - based on the rates of completion , self-response rates and the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the bureau said in a statement to NPR .
The bureau 's public information office has not responded to NPR 's questions about which areas besides San Diego , the country 's eighth-largest city , are ending in-person counting of unresponsive households before Sept. 30 .
It is also unclear what criteria the bureau is using to determine when its door knockers , also known as enumerators , have `` finished '' their work in an area .
Susan Brower , Minnesota 's state demographer , told NPR that she was informed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago regional office that door knocking in Hennepin County , home of Minneapolis , may be complete within the next two weeks .
`` It 's not unusual for the door-knocking operation to end before the scheduled end date for the entire operation .
That happens in every census , '' said Terri Ann Lowenthal , a former staff director of the House oversight subcommittee for the census who now consults on issues related to the national head count .
`` However , I remain quite concerned about the completeness of the data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been so much displacement of people and households due to the pandemic . ''
Nationwide , households that have not yet participated in the constitutionally mandated head count of every person living in the U.S. can still self-respond online or over the phone through the end of this month , and the bureau has said it plans to process paper forms postmarked by then and received by Oct. 7 .
Still , these latest changes to door knocking — a critical census operation that helps ensure that people of color , immigrants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — are likely to hinder public confidence further in the accuracy of the once-a-decade count .
Recent changes to the bureau 's plans , coupled with wavering transparency from the agency , have sowed growing suspicions that the Trump administration is attempting to manipulate the numbers to benefit the Republican Party .
Already sandbagged by the coronavirus pandemic , the bureau has been under pressure from the administration to finish counting by Sept. 30 .
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross , who oversees the bureau , has directed it to prepare the first batch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president by the end of this year as required by federal law .
The administration , however , had publicly supported giving the bureau more time because of delays caused by COVID-19 .
It made an about-face after President Trump issued a presidential memo in July that calls for unauthorized immigrants to be left out of the census numbers used for reapportioning congressional seats among the states despite the 14th Amendment 's requirement to include the `` whole number of persons in each state . ''
The earlier-than-expected wrap-up date for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a public meeting organized by the San Diego Association of Governments .
`` By Sept. 18 , we hope that all of our workload will be complete , and there will not be any more enumerators out in the street , '' said Roberto Garcia , a Census Bureau partnership specialist for the San Diego region , during the virtual meeting .
Garcia 's comments were cited Tuesday in a court filing , which references NPR 's reporting , by attorneys with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and Asian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are leading a federal lawsuit in Maryland that 's trying to force the Census Bureau to return to the extended schedule the bureau developed in response to the pandemic .
The National Urban League is leading a similar federal lawsuit in California , while census advocates wait to see whether Congress will move forward with legislation put forth by House and Senate Democrats that would extend legal deadlines for reporting census results and could give the bureau more time to count and review its results for errors .
According to figures the bureau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local census office for San Diego still has about a third of its door-knocking work to complete in just over two weeks .
`` This gives me pause as to why the Census Bureau believes it can enumerate the remaining households accurately in less time than it has allowed , '' said Lowenthal , the census consultant .
`` I think it is premature to set an artificial early end date for the operation in San Diego , which could suggest to enumerators that they need to move through their caseloads more quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lowenthal warned , increases the risk of collecting inaccurate or incomplete information about uncounted households that may require more convincing to overcome their distrust of the government .
`` It seems to me that this operation should take more time , not less , than in the previous censuses , '' Lowenthal added .

Census Door Knocking In Some Areas To End Even Earlier Than Expected
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images
Updated at 10:18 a.m. ET Wednesday
Facing lawsuits and mounting scrutiny for making last-minute changes that cut 2020 census counting a month short, the U.S. Census Bureau is now ending in-person counting in the San Diego area and some other parts of the country as early as Sept. 18 — nearly two weeks before the expedited end date of Sept. 30 that NPR first confirmed.
"In some areas, nonresponse followup will finish earlier than September 30 - based on the rates of completion, self-response rates and the number of hours our available workforce can work," the bureau said in a statement to NPR.
The local census office for San Diego still has about a third of its door-knocking work to complete in just over two weeks, according to figures the bureau posted Tuesday on its website.
The bureau's public information office has not responded to NPR's questions about which areas besides San Diego, the country's eighth-largest city, are ending in-person counting of unresponsive households before Sept. 30.
Susan Brower, Minnesota's state demographer, told NPR that she was informed by the director of the bureau's Chicago regional office, which oversees census efforts for a lot of the Midwest, that door knocking in Hennepin County, home of Minneapolis, may be complete within the next two weeks.
In a statement to NPR after this story was first published, Tim Olson, the bureau's associate director for field operations, said the bureau is "constantly analyzing their workload and projecting how long it might take to complete the workload."
"When the percentage of households reaches a certain threshold, we actually assign the remaining cases to individual census takers who do everything they can to get a result with all the time they have left," Olson said. "We do not give up, even on the hardest of the hard to reach."
But the bureau's public information office has yet to respond to NPR's questions about what criteria the bureau is using to determine when its door knockers, also known as enumerators, are to be assigned the remaining uncounted households and when they have "finished" their work in an area.
"It's not unusual for the door-knocking operation to end before the scheduled end date for the entire operation. That happens in every census," said Terri Ann Lowenthal, a former staff director of the House oversight subcommittee for the census who now consults on issues related to the national head count. "However, I remain quite concerned about the completeness of the data collection during this phase because there has been so much displacement of people and households due to the pandemic."
Nationwide, households that have not yet participated in the constitutionally mandated head count of every person living in the U.S. can still self-respond online or over the phone through the end of this month, and the bureau has said it plans to process paper forms postmarked by then and received by Oct. 7.
Still, these latest changes to door knocking — a critical census operation that helps ensure that people of color, immigrants and other historically undercounted groups are not missed — are likely to hinder public confidence further in the accuracy of the once-a-decade count.
Recent changes to the bureau's plans, coupled with wavering transparency from the agency, have sowed growing suspicions that the Trump administration is attempting to manipulate the numbers to benefit the Republican Party.
Already sandbagged by the coronavirus pandemic, the bureau has been under pressure from the administration to finish counting by Sept. 30. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who oversees the bureau, has directed it to prepare the first batch of census results to be delivered to the president by the end of this year as required by federal law.
The administration, however, had publicly supported giving the bureau more time because of delays caused by COVID-19. It made an about-face after President Trump issued a presidential memo in July that calls for unauthorized immigrants to be left out of the census numbers used for reapportioning congressional seats among the states despite the 14th Amendment's requirement to include the "whole number of persons in each state."
The earlier-than-expected wrap-up date for door knocking in the San Diego area was disclosed last month during a public meeting organized by the San Diego Association of Governments.
"This operation in San Diego is scheduled to end Sept. 18," said Roberto Garcia, a Census Bureau partnership specialist for the San Diego region, during the virtual meeting on Aug. 19. "So by Sept. 18, we hope that all of our workload will be complete, and there will not be any more enumerators out on the street."
Garcia's comments were cited Tuesday in a court filing, which references NPR's reporting, by attorneys with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC, who are leading a federal lawsuit in Maryland that's trying to force the Census Bureau to return to the extended schedule the bureau developed in response to the pandemic.
The National Urban League is leading a similar federal lawsuit in California, while census advocates wait to see whether Congress will move forward with legislation put forth by House and Senate Democrats that would extend legal deadlines for reporting census results and could give the bureau more time to count and review its results for errors.
Lowenthal, the census consultant, says she is concerned that the local census office for San Diego has less than 64% of its door-knocking work complete, according to figures the bureau released Tuesday.
"This gives me pause as to why the Census Bureau believes it can enumerate the remaining households accurately in less time than it has allowed," said Lowenthal, the census consultant. "I think it is premature to set an artificial early end date for the operation in San Diego, which could suggest to enumerators that they need to move through their caseloads more quickly than they otherwise would."
That, Lowenthal warned, increases the risk of collecting inaccurate or incomplete information about uncounted households that may require more convincing to overcome their distrust of the government.
"It seems to me that this operation should take more time, not less, than in the previous censuses," Lowenthal added.


npr--2020-09-01--Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes: Trump Will Use Every Opportunity To Divide People

Wisconsin Lt. Gov .
Mandela Barnes : Trump Will Use Every Opportunity To Divide People President Trump visited Wisconsin on Tuesday despite calls from officials , including Gov .
Tony Evers and Lt. Gov .
Mandela Barnes , to stay away .
The president 's trip comes after days of unrest following the police shooting in Kenosha , Wis. , of a Black man , Jacob Blake , who remains hospitalized .
It also comes after a white 17-year-old from Illinois , Kyle Rittenhouse , was charged with six criminal counts , including first-degree intentional homicide , in connection with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests in Kenosha .
Barnes , a Democrat , talked to NPR 's All Things Considered about why he did not want the president to visit , how he says Republicans are blocking reform efforts , and the use of the National Guard in Wisconsin .
Do you see any potential benefit to having President Trump [ in Wisconsin ] , maybe a chance to meet and talk to him in a productive way ?
No , I do not .
Because a real leader would have proven that already .
He would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people of this community , the people of this state and the people of this nation , because what happened in Kenosha is something that happens all too often in this country , and the president has offered no sort of resolve .
You can look at the president 's invective .
You can look at the RNC , which tried to capitalize on such situations , which tried to politicize people who are crying out , who are stepping up , marching and demanding racial justice .
Donald Trump does n't want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use every opportunity that he can to divide the people of this state , as this is a critical state for his reelection .
And it 's unfortunate because these are real lives that we 're talking about .
Gov .
Evers called for a special session of the Legislature on Monday to address police reform , but Republicans did n't show up .
To get legislation through , you need Republican support .
Do you have a plan for how to do that ?
It 's unfortunate that we get asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans in the Legislature do n't get asked why they continue to ignore people .
It took them forever to respond to COVID-19 .
They have n't responded to the health care crisis .
They have n't responded to the dairy crisis that our family farmers are dealing with in this country .
They have n't responded to gun violence prevention .
They have n't responded to the climate crisis .
Every issue , they continue to fail and ignore the people of this state .
Kenosha is the latest city to deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned violent .
Gov .
Evers sent in the National Guard , and some protesters said that having the Guards there made the unrest worse .
Do you think the governor made the right decision ?
So the governor sent in the Guard to aid with controlling fires that were set .
... That was the purpose of the National Guard .
I think what protesters were experiencing was a heightened response from law enforcement .
And the press conference that happened shortly after the young man who traveled to Wisconsin from Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the response [ from Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis ] was , `` Well , maybe if people were n't out past curfew , '' ignoring the fact that the shooter was also out past curfew .
So to assign blame to the victims , that shows where we are in terms of thought with some of the local law enforcement ... and this is the reform and accountability that we 're talking about .
...
I do think there is a problem , because when people are protesting overly aggressive police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , overly aggressive law enforcement .
How to deal with violent unrest is becoming a major issue in the presidential campaign .
Many Democrats who do not support President Trump worry that violent unrest lets him say the Democrats are weak on crime .
What 's your level of concern that you may be inadvertently helping President Trump 's reelection efforts ?
I think that it 's important for people to realize that , again , the people who were killed in Kenosha were protesters .
They were killed by people who felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things , to help matters , to assist .
Now law enforcement was already there .
National Guard was already there .
They did n't need help .
Yet these people were free to just walk the streets with long rifles , intimidating people .
I think that is the important thing that people need to realize .
And I hope that folks do understand that Republicans continue to enable this sort of behavior , the sort of behavior that actually leaves people dead .
Listen to the full interview at the audio @ @ @

Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes: Trump Will Use Every Opportunity To Divide People
Enlarge this image toggle caption Morry Gash/AP Morry Gash/AP
President Trump visited Wisconsin on Tuesday despite calls from officials, including Gov. Tony Evers and Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, to stay away.
The president's trip comes after days of unrest following the police shooting in Kenosha, Wis., of a Black man, Jacob Blake, who remains hospitalized.
It also comes after a white 17-year-old from Illinois, Kyle Rittenhouse, was charged with six criminal counts, including first-degree intentional homicide, in connection with the fatal shooting of two people during protests in Kenosha.
Barnes, a Democrat, talked to NPR's All Things Considered about why he did not want the president to visit, how he says Republicans are blocking reform efforts, and the use of the National Guard in Wisconsin.
Do you see any potential benefit to having President Trump [in Wisconsin], maybe a chance to meet and talk to him in a productive way?
No, I do not. Because a real leader would have proven that already. He would have given words to help console the people of this community, the people of this state and the people of this nation, because what happened in Kenosha is something that happens all too often in this country, and the president has offered no sort of resolve. You can look at the president's invective. You can look at the RNC, which tried to capitalize on such situations, which tried to politicize people who are crying out, who are stepping up, marching and demanding racial justice.
Donald Trump doesn't want to hear that. He is going to use every opportunity that he can to divide the people of this state, as this is a critical state for his reelection. And it's unfortunate because these are real lives that we're talking about.
Gov. Evers called for a special session of the Legislature on Monday to address police reform, but Republicans didn't show up. To get legislation through, you need Republican support. Do you have a plan for how to do that?
It's unfortunate that we get asked what's our plan, when the Republicans in the Legislature don't get asked why they continue to ignore people. It took them forever to respond to COVID-19. They haven't responded to the health care crisis. They haven't responded to the dairy crisis that our family farmers are dealing with in this country. They haven't responded to gun violence prevention. They haven't responded to the climate crisis. Every issue, they continue to fail and ignore the people of this state.
Kenosha is the latest city to deal with protests and sometimes counterprotests that have turned violent. Gov. Evers sent in the National Guard, and some protesters said that having the Guards there made the unrest worse. Do you think the governor made the right decision?
So the governor sent in the Guard to aid with controlling fires that were set. ... That was the purpose of the National Guard.
I think what protesters were experiencing was a heightened response from law enforcement. And the press conference that happened shortly after the young man who traveled to Wisconsin from Illinois to kill two people on our streets, the response [from Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis] was, "Well, maybe if people weren't out past curfew," ignoring the fact that the shooter was also out past curfew. So to assign blame to the victims, that shows where we are in terms of thought with some of the local law enforcement ... and this is the reform and accountability that we're talking about. ...
I do think there is a problem, because when people are protesting overly aggressive police, the response cannot be over, overly aggressive law enforcement.
How to deal with violent unrest is becoming a major issue in the presidential campaign. Many Democrats who do not support President Trump worry that violent unrest lets him say the Democrats are weak on crime. What's your level of concern that you may be inadvertently helping President Trump's reelection efforts?
I think that it's important for people to realize that, again, the people who were killed in Kenosha were protesters. They were killed by people who felt that they had a responsibility to help things, to help matters, to assist. Now law enforcement was already there. National Guard was already there. They didn't need help. Yet these people were free to just walk the streets with long rifles, intimidating people. I think that is the important thing that people need to realize. And I hope that folks do understand that Republicans continue to enable this sort of behavior, the sort of behavior that actually leaves people dead.
Listen to the full interview at the audio link above.


npr--2020-09-01--Africans Mourn Chadwick Boseman: 'A Great Tree Has Fallen'

The death of actor Chadwick Boseman last week at the age of 43 came as a shock to many Africans .
I liken it to the death of a great African King .
In my Igbo culture , when a great king passes on , we say , `` Oke osisi adaala n'obodo , '' which means `` a great tree has fallen in the land . ''
It is a rare occurrence for great trees to fall .
However , the fall is also not the end of the tree because its deep roots ensures it keeps sending out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like that .
Part of him will continue to live on through his films and inspire us , especially his role as King T'Challa in Black Panther .
The 2018 film was a hit across Africa .
The fictional country of Wakanda , which was depicted in the movie as the most technologically advanced society in the world , was the nation that Africans wish they had .
The film reminded us of what is possible for African countries – and how our continent could be powerful and respected .
I recall how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Ghana , people were dancing , drumming and wearing traditional clothing at the premiere .
The former vice president of Nigeria took his family on a special outing to see the film .
Others provided viewing opportunities to those who could not afford it .
My friend Angela Ochu Baiye , a 2019 Mandela Washington fellow for the Young African Leaders Initiative , was so moved by Black Panther that she raised funds and took 200 children from poor communities to watch the movie at a cinema in Abuja , Nigeria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiction , especially through a lead character , is meaningful and profoundly empowering beyond words , '' she wrote on her social media .
Boseman 's unexpected death has left Africans feeling as if we have lost one of ours .
Indeed , he was one of us .
During a 2018 interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , Boseman acknowledged his African lineage .
His family is from the Yoruba people , one of Nigeria 's largest tribes , and the Limba , who come from Sierra Leone .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his influences for making Black Panther more human .
He succeeded in making the character someone we all wish we knew .
Africans have been sharing tributes to Boseman across social media .
It 's a reflection of how beloved he is on the continent .
Nigerian Stephanie Busari , CNN 's supervising producer for Africa , tweeted , `` Chadwick Boseman will never know how much we loved him .
Battling colon cancer , shooting films in between bouts of chemo and surgery .
What amazing strength .
He once said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant to shape you for your purpose . '
Rest on King .
Long live T'challa ! ''
South African activist Bele Nanotshe tweeted : `` I would like to send my deepest condolences to Chadwick Boseman family and friends .
On behalf of South Africa , I say we are proud of you and your achievements and the genuine manner in which you portrayed Pan Africanism in Black Panther movie .
Rest in peace .
We will indeed miss u my bro . ''
African corporations have also found ways to honor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the TV network M-Net Movies , in collaboration with Marvel Studios , aired Black Panther on one of its mainstream channels to share the film with a wide African audience .
In Africa and beyond , Boseman 's death also has brought global attention to colon cancer .
Many are amazed how the actor handled the disease with superpower attributes .
Despite his diagnosis at age 39 , he continued acting .
I am hoping for a Chadwick Boseman effect that would lead to an increase in screenings for colon cancer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After the British reality TV star died from cervical cancer in 2009 , the U.K. saw a surge in cervical cancer screenings .
In mourning Chadwick 's death , Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu , a Nigerian board member of the Union for International Cancer Control , reminds all that `` Cancer is constantly in our faces ; regardless of age , sex or ethnicity .
It seems to beat even those with the best hospitals and access to care .
We must not despair .
We have to remain vigilant , watch for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Runcie Chidebe , a Nigerian cancer control advocate tweeted , `` The U.S. and global cancer control must consider reviewing the screening age for colon cancer .
Chadwick 's diagnoses at 39 is not unique .
In Nigeria , we have seen 30-year-olds diagnosed of colon cancer . ''
Indeed , the greatest tribute that Africa can give to Boseman is to ensure there are no more untimely deaths from colon cancer on the continent .
African governments must increase access to preventative and curative services for colon cancer and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prevention and treatment of cancers is abysmal in sub-Saharan Africa .
As of 2019 , Nigeria had just 4 cancer treatment centers for an estimated population of 200 million .
For this population , Nigeria would require at least 170 cancer treatment centers , according to the World Health Organization .
As Africans , we have to hold our governments accountable to prevent and treat cancers .
Moreover , with COVID-19 raging globally and cancers being risk factors for severe illness in those infected , there is no time to waste .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ what King T'Challa said in Black Panther : `` In my culture , death is not the end . ''
We believe he lives on .
We are stronger now that such a great king has transited to become one of our ancestors , watching over us .
We will be strong .
We will live like the Black Panther .
Ifeanyi Nsofor is the director of policy and advocacy at a health group called Nigeria Health Watch and Senior New Voices Fellow at the Aspen Institute .

Africans Mourn Chadwick Boseman: 'A Great Tree Has Fallen'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Evan Agostini/ Invision/ AP Evan Agostini/ Invision/ AP
The death of actor Chadwick Boseman last week at the age of 43 came as a shock to many Africans.
I liken it to the death of a great African King.
In my Igbo culture, when a great king passes on, we say, "Oke osisi adaala n'obodo," which means "a great tree has fallen in the land." It is a rare occurrence for great trees to fall. However, the fall is also not the end of the tree because its deep roots ensures it keeps sending out new sprouts.
Boseman's life is like that. Part of him will continue to live on through his films and inspire us, especially his role as King T'Challa in Black Panther.
The 2018 film was a hit across Africa. The fictional country of Wakanda, which was depicted in the movie as the most technologically advanced society in the world, was the nation that Africans wish they had. The film reminded us of what is possible for African countries – and how our continent could be powerful and respected.
I recall how excited Africans were to watch the film. In Ghana, people were dancing, drumming and wearing traditional clothing at the premiere. The former vice president of Nigeria took his family on a special outing to see the film. Others provided viewing opportunities to those who could not afford it. My friend Angela Ochu Baiye, a 2019 Mandela Washington fellow for the Young African Leaders Initiative, was so moved by Black Panther that she raised funds and took 200 children from poor communities to watch the movie at a cinema in Abuja, Nigeria. "To see yourself represented in fiction, especially through a lead character, is meaningful and profoundly empowering beyond words," she wrote on her social media.
Boseman's unexpected death has left Africans feeling as if we have lost one of ours. Indeed, he was one of us. During a 2018 interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Boseman acknowledged his African lineage. His family is from the Yoruba people, one of Nigeria's largest tribes, and the Limba, who come from Sierra Leone. He said his African background was one of his influences for making Black Panther more human. He succeeded in making the character someone we all wish we knew.
Africans have been sharing tributes to Boseman across social media. It's a reflection of how beloved he is on the continent. Nigerian Stephanie Busari, CNN's supervising producer for Africa, tweeted, "Chadwick Boseman will never know how much we loved him. Battling colon cancer, shooting films in between bouts of chemo and surgery. What amazing strength. He once said: 'The struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose.' Rest on King. Long live T'challa!"
Chadwick Boseman will never know how much we loved him. Battling colon cancer, shooting films in b/w bouts of chemo and surgery. What amazing strength.
He once said: “The struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose.”
Rest on King. Long live T’challa! pic.twitter.com/5Mp0p4BMTf — Stephanie Busari (@StephanieBusari) August 29, 2020
South African activist Bele Nanotshe tweeted: "I would like to send my deepest condolences to Chadwick Boseman family and friends. On behalf of South Africa, I say we are proud of you and your achievements and the genuine manner in which you portrayed Pan Africanism in Black Panther movie. Rest in peace. We will indeed miss u my bro."
African corporations have also found ways to honor Boseman's death. On Aug. 31, the TV network M-Net Movies, in collaboration with Marvel Studios, aired Black Panther on one of its mainstream channels to share the film with a wide African audience.
In Africa and beyond, Boseman's death also has brought global attention to colon cancer. Many are amazed how the actor handled the disease with superpower attributes. Despite his diagnosis at age 39, he continued acting. I am hoping for a Chadwick Boseman effect that would lead to an increase in screenings for colon cancer, similar to the Jane Goody effect. After the British reality TV star died from cervical cancer in 2009, the U.K. saw a surge in cervical cancer screenings.
In mourning Chadwick's death, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, a Nigerian board member of the Union for International Cancer Control, reminds all that "Cancer is constantly in our faces; regardless of age, sex or ethnicity. It seems to beat even those with the best hospitals and access to care. We must not despair. We have to remain vigilant, watch for early signs and live a healthy lifestyle."
Cancer is constantly in our faces; regardless of age, sex or ethnicity. It seems to beat even those with the best hospitals and access to care. We must not despair. We have to remain vigilant, watch for early signs and live a healthy lifestyle. #ChadwickBoseman #ColonCancer https://t.co/8fXkBM6Rwj — Zainab S-Bagudu (@DrZSB) August 29, 2020
Runcie Chidebe, a Nigerian cancer control advocate sent me this statement: "The U.S. and global cancer control must consider reviewing the screening age for colon cancer. Chadwick's diagnoses at 39 is not unique. In Nigeria, we have seen 30-year-olds diagnosed of colon cancer."
Indeed, the greatest tribute that Africa can give to Boseman is to ensure there are no more untimely deaths from colon cancer on the continent. African governments must increase access to preventative and curative services for colon cancer and other cancers. Sadly, the current access to prevention and treatment of cancers is abysmal in sub-Saharan Africa. As of 2019, Nigeria had just 4 cancer treatment centers for an estimated population of 200 million. For this population, Nigeria would require at least 170 cancer treatment centers, according to the World Health Organization.
As Africans, we have to hold our governments accountable to prevent and treat cancers. Moreover, with COVID-19 raging globally and cancers being risk factors for severe illness in those infected, there is no time to waste.
As Africans, we take solace in what King T'Challa said in Black Panther: "In my culture, death is not the end."
We believe he lives on. We are stronger now that such a great king has transited to become one of our ancestors, watching over us. We will be strong. We will live like the Black Panther.
Ifeanyi Nsofor is the director of policy and advocacy at a health group called Nigeria Health Watch and Senior New Voices Fellow at the Aspen Institute.


npr--2020-09-01--Florida Cuts Ties With Large Coronavirus Testing Lab, Citing 75,000 Delayed Results

Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis is ordering state agencies to end their relationships with Quest Diagnostics after the large medical laboratory said it had mistakenly delayed reporting the results of nearly 75,000 coronavirus tests to the state .
The delayed results dated as far back as April .
Quest has apologized , saying a technical error was at fault .
While the problem resulted in Florida 's Department of Health being left in the dark about a large clump of results , it did not keep people who took the tests from getting their results , the lab said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Quest said Tuesday in a statement .
`` Importantly , the issue did not affect or delay reporting of test results to providers and patients . ''
The governor 's office learned on Monday night that Quest would include the large batch of delayed results as part of its next data entry into the state 's monitoring system — meaning that thousands of tests performed weeks , or even months , ago would be reported in a single day 's results .
The delayed release of such a large number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that officials monitor for virus trends .
`` To drop this much unusable and stale data is irresponsible , '' the governor said .
`` I believe that Quest has abdicated their ability to perform a testing function in Florida that the people can be confident in . ''
The Florida Department of Health called it an `` unacceptable dump of test results . ''
But the agency also said that while Quest performs services at many private sites , the lab only does `` limited testing '' through Florida agencies .
Quest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labs in the United States .
The company said it has reported the results of some 1.4 million coronavirus tests in Florida — roughly 30 % of the state 's total of 4,682,883 tests that were reported as of Tuesday .
Because of the problem , the Florida health agency reported two sets of data for Monday — one with and one without the added Quest results .
The positivity rate for new cases was reported as 5.9 % without the delayed results , and 6.8 % with the results .
Total new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Quest numbers , and 3,773 without them .

Florida Cuts Ties With Large Coronavirus Testing Lab, Citing 75,000 Delayed Results
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is ordering state agencies to end their relationships with Quest Diagnostics after the large medical laboratory said it had mistakenly delayed reporting the results of nearly 75,000 coronavirus tests to the state.
The delayed results dated as far back as April. Quest has apologized, saying a technical error was at fault.
While the problem resulted in Florida's Department of Health being left in the dark about a large clump of results, it did not keep people who took the tests from getting their results, the lab said.
"The issue has since been resolved," Quest said Tuesday in a statement. "Importantly, the issue did not affect or delay reporting of test results to providers and patients."
The governor's office learned on Monday night that Quest would include the large batch of delayed results as part of its next data entry into the state's monitoring system — meaning that thousands of tests performed weeks, or even months, ago would be reported in a single day's results. The delayed release of such a large number of results could drastically change the daily statistics that officials monitor for virus trends.
DeSantis was clearly displeased.
"To drop this much unusable and stale data is irresponsible," the governor said. "I believe that Quest has abdicated their ability to perform a testing function in Florida that the people can be confident in."
The Florida Department of Health called it an "unacceptable dump of test results." But the agency also said that while Quest performs services at many private sites, the lab only does "limited testing" through Florida agencies.
Quest Diagnostics is one of the largest testing labs in the United States. The company said it has reported the results of some 1.4 million coronavirus tests in Florida — roughly 30% of the state's total of 4,682,883 tests that were reported as of Tuesday.
Because of the problem, the Florida health agency reported two sets of data for Monday — one with and one without the added Quest results.
The positivity rate for new cases was reported as 5.9% without the delayed results, and 6.8% with the results. Total new cases for the day were 7,643 including the Quest numbers, and 3,773 without them.


npr--2020-09-01--FEMA Says It Will Stop Paying For Cloth Face Masks For Schools

FEMA Says It Will Stop Paying For Cloth Face Masks For Schools The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it is changing the policy on the personal protective equipment that it will pay for .
Federal officials announced the changes during a call Tuesday with state and tribal emergency managers , many of whom expressed concerns about the new policy .
The changes mean that in most cases , FEMA will no longer reimburse states for the cost of cloth face coverings at nonemergency settings , including schools , public housing and courthouses .
The policy goes into effect on Sept. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turi , FEMA assistant administrator for recovery , explained that as of that date , personal protective equipment for nonemergency settings will be classified as `` increased operating costs '' for public services , and thus will not be covered by the agency 's Public Assistance Program .
Such equipment will only be paid for if it is deemed a direct emergency protective measure .
`` Supporting schools and other functions — courthouses and other related functions – are not a direct emergency protective measures and therefore they 're not eligible for [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the conference call .
A recording of the call was provided to NPR by a government official responsible for emergency funding .
The official is not authorized to speak to the media and is concerned about a possible job loss for doing so .
FEMA said it will still provide personal protective equipment , including cloth face masks , for medical care , some medical sheltering , mass casualty management and other settings .
There was immediate consternation among the government officials on the call .
One state government official from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulations would relate to providing protective gear to teachers .
`` Once an outbreak has occurred , then if we provide PPE that would be eligible , but not prior to ? ''
the official asked .
`` Is that correct ? ''
Turi replied that cloth face coverings or PPE for teachers `` are not eligible because they are related to the operating of facilities . ''
`` Even though teachers that on Aug. 18 were identified by [ the federal government ] to be essential workers ? ''
the state official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being incurred and required based on COVID , but they are all not necessarily emergency protective measures , and they 're not necessarily all FEMA-eligible , '' Turi replied .
An official from a Southern state voiced a broader concern about what the withdrawal of federal funding for face masks would mean for ongoing efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus .
`` Two of the biggest things we can do to stop the spread of COVID-19 are social distancing , which we 're having to learn to work around , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which can border on catastrophic .
And the next thing they can do is wear a face mask , '' the official said .
He also wanted to know if masks that had been ordered for schools in his state but might not be received for months would be covered .
Turi replied that he could not speak to specific cases and that the state official should work with regional FEMA officials .
It 's not only face mask funding that will be affected .
The federal government will stop paying for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an emergency protective measure , Turi said .
Another change : As of Sept. 15 , FEMA will only provide stockpiling funding for a 60-day supply of personal protective equipment from the date of purchase .
Previously , a specific date was not specified .
Some states may face a budget crunch as they try to carry out the protective measures necessary to reopen schools and other aspects of society .
The policy is not retroactive , so it could lead to a swift stockpiling during the next two weeks as states rush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

FEMA Says It Will Stop Paying For Cloth Face Masks For Schools
Enlarge this image toggle caption Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Updated 2:50 p.m. ET Wednesday
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it will no longer pay for some safety measures related to COVID-19 that it had previously covered.
Keith Turi, FEMA assistant administrator for recovery, announced the changes during a call Tuesday with state and tribal emergency managers, many of whom expressed concerns about the new policy.
Under the new guidance, FEMA will generally not reimburse states for the costs of cloth face coverings or personal protective equipment in nonemergency settings, including schools, public housing and courthouses. The policy goes into effect on Sept. 15.
The changes narrow what constitutes an "emergency protective measure" and is thus eligible for FEMA's Public Assistance Program.
A recording of the call was provided to NPR by a government official responsible for emergency funding. The official is not authorized to speak to the media and is concerned about a possible job loss for doing so.
Going forward, Turi explained, cloth face masks and personal protective equipment in nonemergency settings will be classified as "increased operating costs" for public services and will not be covered by the fund.
"Supporting schools and other functions — courthouses and other related functions — are not a direct emergency protective measures and therefore they're not eligible for [public assistance]," Turi said on the conference call.
A day after the new policy was announced, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden blasted the change.
"This is an emergency. And Donald Trump and his FEMA should treat it as one," Biden said at a campaign event Wednesday in Delaware.
"If I were president today I'd direct FEMA to make sure that our kids K-12 get full access to disaster relief and emergency assistance," he said. "I'd make sure that PPE and sanitation supplies for school qualify as 'emergency protective measures,' which is the phrase they use, to fully be eligible for federal assistance."
Biden said he would also work with Congress to pass emergency legislation to provide schools with the resources they need to open safely.
A range of federal assistance related to the pandemic is being made available from different sources, FEMA's Turi noted, pointing to a Department of Health and Human Services program that will distribute up to 125 million cloth face masks to schools.
Turi acknowledged there are many increased operational expenses related to COVID-19 being incurred at the state and local level during this time, but they do not meet FEMA's definition of direct emergency protective measures and thus don't qualify for the public assistance fund.
FEMA said it will still provide personal protective equipment, including cloth face masks, for medical care, some medical sheltering, mass casualty management and other settings.
There was immediate consternation among the government officials on Tuesday's call.
One state government official from the Midwest sought clarity on how the new regulations would relate to providing protective gear to teachers and schools.
"Once an outbreak has occurred, then if we provide PPE that would be eligible, but not prior to?" the official asked. "Is that correct?"
Turi replied that cloth face coverings or protective gear for teachers and schools "are not eligible because they are related to the operating of the facility."
"Even though teachers that on Aug. 18 were identified by [the federal government] to be essential workers?" the state official asked.
"There are costs that are being incurred and required based on COVID, but they are not necessarily all emergency protective measures, and they're not necessarily all FEMA-eligible," Turi replied.
An official from a Southern state voiced a broader concern about what the withdrawal of FEMA funding for face masks would mean for ongoing efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
"Two of the biggest things we can do to stop the spread of COVID-19 are social distancing, which we're having to learn to work around, so that we don't have education loss, which can border on catastrophic. And the next thing they can do is wear a face mask," the official said.
He also wanted to know if masks that had been ordered for schools in his state but might not be received for months would be covered.
Turi replied that he could not speak to specific cases and that the state official should work with regional FEMA officials.
It's not only face mask funding that will be affected.
FEMA will stop paying for cleaning and disinfection costs unless they are considered an emergency protective measure, Turi said.
Another change: As of Sept. 15, FEMA will only provide stockpiling funding for a 60-day supply of personal protective equipment from the date of purchase. Previously, a specific date was not specified.
Some states may face a budget crunch as they try to carry out the protective measures necessary to reopen schools and other aspects of society. The FEMA policy is not retroactive, so it could lead to a swift stockpiling during the next two weeks as states rush to get purchases in under the wire.


npr--2020-09-01--Facebook And Twitter Remove Russia-Backed Accounts Targeting Left-Leaning Voters

Facebook and Twitter said Tuesday that they had removed accounts linked to Russian state actors who tried to spread false stories about racial justice , the Democratic presidential campaign of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and President Trump 's policies .
Researchers who have examined the operation said it attempted to steer left-leaning voters away from the Biden-Harris campaign in an way that echoes the Russian disinformation campaigns that sought to depress progressive and minority support for Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
`` Russian actors are trying harder and harder to hide who they are and being more and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Facebook 's Head of Cybersecurity Policy Nathaniel Gleicher in an interview with NPR .
`` But there was very little attention paid to this operation . ''
Facebook said the Russian agents set up a site posing as an independent news outlet and managed to recruit `` unwitting freelance journalists '' to write stories that were shared by dozens of social media accounts created through artificial intelligence .
On Facebook , the stories from the pseudo news site were posted to groups that appeal to progressive causes .
`` It was very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aiming at .
It looks like that was audience-building , '' Ben Nimmo , head of investigations at research firm Graphika , which analyzed the operation , said in an interview with NPR .
`` But there were indeed pieces that said Biden and Harris are much too far to the right . ''
The Russian operatives , according to Facebook , primarily used a website called PeaceData .
It billed itself as a news site that aimed to shed light on corruption , abuse of power and human rights .
Both Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the site before any of them had gathered a large following .
Facebook said it removed 13 accounts and two pages that together had gained 14,000 followers .
Twitter said it had suspended five accounts and will continue to block any content connected to the PeaceData website .
`` Regardless of the low-level impact in this case , governments around the world must stop these practices .
They 're antidemocratic .
Attempts to manipulate our service to undermine democracy — by both foreign and domestic actors — will be met with strict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
Facebook said its investigation was launched after receiving a tip from the FBI about accounts controlled by the Kremlin-backed Russian Internet Research Agency , which American intelligence agencies have said interfered in the 2016 election to help then-candidate Trump .
While Facebook has drawn criticism for not doing enough to limit the spread of disinformation from accounts associated with conspiracy theories like QAnon , Gleicher said Tuesday 's take-down of the Russian-linked accounts shows that partnerships with law enforcement and research groups can pay off .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the whole of society defense , where we have government , civil society and the tech platforms together , is working , '' Gleicher said .
With the presidential election two months away , social media companies , including Facebook and Twitter , have been under heightened pressure from Congress and outside groups to step up efforts to curb the spread of disinformation , which often moves rapidly across the platforms before moderators respond .
Both Facebook and Twitter have announced new policies , including labeling posts that are misleading or contain manipulated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trending stories and , when content brazenly violates their rules , removing the posts altogether .
Social media analysis firm Graphika said the accounts appears to reveal new tactics that Russian operatives are employing on social media ahead of the 2020 election , including the use of artificial intelligence to create social media profiles .
`` This is the first time we have observed known [ Internet Research Agency ] -linked accounts use AI-generated avatars .
However , the website employed real and apparently unwitting individuals , typically novice freelance writers , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found in a new report on the Russian-backed accounts .
`` The freelancers are really the victims here .
They did n't know what they were signing up for , '' said Nimmo of Graphika , in an interview with NPR .
`` The youngest were fairly soon out of college , '' he said .
`` Some were copywriters from South Asia , but they really came from all over the world , including the U.S. '' Between February and August , the website published more than 500 articles in English and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn , according to Graphika .
The researchers quote one article by a guest writer that accused Biden and Harris of `` submission to right-wing populism [ ... ] as much about preserving careers as it is winning votes . ''
Another story , according to Graphika , accused Harris and other Democrats of `` deliberately avoid [ ing ] being held accountable by setting no moral standard for the public to hold them to . ''
The operation attempted to enlist a left-wing audience and then serve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positions of Biden and Harris , something Graphika said is consistent `` with the original [ Internet Research Agency 's ] attempt to depress support for then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton by infiltrating and influencing progressive audiences . ''
The report supports America 's top counterintelligence official , who said last month that Russia is spreading propaganda on social media and on Russian television to try to undercut Biden ahead of the November election .

Facebook And Twitter Remove Russia-Backed Accounts Targeting Left-Leaning Voters
Enlarge this image toggle caption Graphika Graphika
Facebook and Twitter said Tuesday that they had removed accounts linked to Russian state actors who tried to spread false stories about racial justice, the Democratic presidential campaign of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and President Trump's policies.
Researchers who have examined the operation said it attempted to steer left-leaning voters away from the Biden-Harris campaign in an way that echoes the Russian disinformation tactics that sought to depress progressive and minority support for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
"Russian actors are trying harder and harder to hide who they are and being more and more deceptive to conceal their operations," said Facebook's Head of Cybersecurity Policy Nathaniel Gleicher in an interview with NPR. "But there was very little attention paid to this operation."
Facebook said the Russian agents set up a site posing as an independent news outlet and managed to recruit "unwitting freelance journalists" to write stories that were shared by dozens of social media accounts created through artificial intelligence.
On Facebook, the stories from the pseudo news site were posted to groups that appeal to progressive causes.
"It was very much a strongly left-leaning constituency they were aiming at. It looks like that was audience-building," Ben Nimmo, head of investigations at research firm Graphika, which analyzed the operation, said in an interview with NPR. "But there were indeed pieces that said Biden and Harris are much too far to the right."
The Russian operatives, according to Facebook, primarily used a website called PeaceData. It billed itself as a news site that aimed to shed light on corruption, abuse of power and human rights.
Both Facebook and Twitter detected and removed accounts associated with the site before any of them had gathered a large following.
Facebook said it removed 13 accounts and two pages that together had gained 14,000 followers. Twitter said it had suspended five accounts and will continue to block any content connected to the PeaceData website.
"Regardless of the low-level impact in this case, governments around the world must stop these practices. They're antidemocratic. Attempts to manipulate our service to undermine democracy — by both foreign and domestic actors — will be met with strict enforcement of our policies," Twitter said in a statement.
Facebook said its investigation was launched after receiving a tip from the FBI about accounts controlled by the Kremlin-backed Russian Internet Research Agency, which American intelligence agencies have said interfered in the 2016 election to help then-candidate Trump.
While Facebook has drawn criticism for not doing enough to limit the spread of disinformation from accounts associated with conspiracy theories like QAnon, Gleicher said Tuesday's take-down of the Russian-linked accounts shows that partnerships with law enforcement and research groups can pay off.
"We still need to be vigilant, but the whole of society defense, where we have government, civil society and the tech platforms together, is working," Gleicher said.
With the presidential election two months away, social media companies, including Facebook and Twitter, have been under heightened pressure from Congress and outside groups to step up efforts to curb the spread of disinformation, which often moves rapidly across the platforms before moderators respond.
Both Facebook and Twitter have announced new policies, including labeling posts that are misleading or contain manipulated media, attempting to add context to trending stories and, when content brazenly violates their rules, removing the posts altogether.
Social media analysis firm Graphika said the accounts appears to reveal new tactics that Russian operatives are employing on social media ahead of the 2020 election, including the use of artificial intelligence to create social media profiles.
"This is the first time we have observed known [Internet Research Agency]-linked accounts use AI-generated avatars. However, the website employed real and apparently unwitting individuals, typically novice freelance writers, to write its articles," Graphika researchers found in a new report on the Russian-backed accounts.
"The freelancers are really the victims here. They didn't know what they were signing up for," said Nimmo of Graphika, in an interview with NPR. "The youngest were fairly soon out of college," he said. "Some were copywriters from South Asia, but they really came from all over the world, including the U.S."
Between February and August, the website published more than 500 articles in English and about 200 in Arabic that were shared on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, according to Graphika.
The researchers quote one article by a guest writer that accused Biden and Harris of "submission to right-wing populism [...] as much about preserving careers as it is winning votes." Another story, according to Graphika, accused Harris and other Democrats of "deliberately avoid[ing] being held accountable by setting no moral standard for the public to hold them to."
The operation attempted to enlist a left-wing audience and then serve up articles attacking the character and policy positions of Biden and Harris, something Graphika said is consistent "with the original [Internet Research Agency's] attempt to depress support for then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton by infiltrating and influencing progressive audiences."
The report supports America's top counterintelligence official, who said last month that Russia is spreading propaganda on social media and on Russian television to try to undercut Biden ahead of the November election.