npr--2020-10-08--Militia Members Plotted To Kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer, FBI Says

The FBI says it has thwarted a plot by militia members to kidnap Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , and six people are facing federal charges .
In a coordinated move , Michigan is pursuing state felony charges against seven people with ties to a militia called the Wolverine Watchmen .
In a statement early Thursday , Whitmer said two militia groups `` were preparing to kidnap and possibly kill me . ''
But in a later interview on NPR 's All Things Considered , Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said that `` multiple white supremacy groups and militia groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another . ''
Whitmer thanked law enforcement officer on Thursday afternoon for foiling the alleged conspiracy .
`` I 'll be honest , I never could have imagined anything like this , '' she said .
Michigan has been a hot spot for disagreements over shutdowns and other restrictions Whitmer ordered to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus — actions that allegedly sparked the plot against her .
The governor noted those disagreements on Thursday and called for unity .
`` We are not one another 's enemy , '' Whitmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enemy . ''
Criticizing President Trump 's recent remarks on white supremacists , Whitmer said his widely condemned `` stand back and stand by '' comment about the Proud Boys was taken by hate groups as a rallying cry , not a rebuke .
`` Let me say this loud and clear : Hatred , bigotry and violence have no place in the great state of Michigan , '' Whitmer said .
The FBI said the Michigan militia group had already been on its radar because its members had attempted in March to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement officers with the goal of attacking or killing them .
The agency said it collected information about the kidnapping plot from informants and undercover agents .
Over the summer , the conspirators allegedly began training for a potential attack on Whitmer 's vacation home or the governor 's official summer residence , according to a criminal complaint released Thursday .
A federal charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping has been filed against six people : Adam Fox , Barry Croft , Ty Garbin , Kaleb Franks , Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Croft , who is a resident of Delaware .
Fox discussed the kidnapping in a recording from late July , the complaint says : `` Snatch and grab , man .
Grab the f***** ' Governor .
Just grab the b**** .
Because at that point , we do that , dude — it 's over . ''
After abducting Whitmer , Fox allegedly said , the governor would be taken to a secure location in Wisconsin for `` trial , '' according to the complaint .
In addition to the six people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been lodged against another seven who are either members of Wolverine Watchmen or are associates of that militia , the state attorney general said .
They 're now facing 19 state felony charges that range from gang membership and providing material support for terrorist acts to charges of carrying a firearm during the commission of a felony .
`` There has been a disturbing increase in anti-government rhetoric and the re-emergence of groups that embrace extremist ideologies , '' Nessel said on Thursday .
`` These groups often seek to recruit new members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unrest and using it to advance their agenda of self-reliance and armed resistance .
This is more than just political disagreement or passionate advocacy , some of these groups ' mission is simply to create chaos and inflict harm upon others . ''
`` These groups often seek to recruit new members by seizing on a moment of civil unrest and using it to advance their agenda of self-reliance and armed resistance .
This is more than just political disagreement or passionate advocacy , some of these groups ' mission is simply to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Michigan 's Capitol in Lansing was the epicenter of dramatic protests during the spring and summer , with demonstrators — including many who carried rifles — gathering to denounce the governor 's coronavirus emergency orders .
Whitmer and other officials were also the targets of online threats .
`` We have legislators who are showing up to work wearing bulletproof vests , '' Whitmer said in May .
The alleged plot against the governor included a range of complicated details , including purchasing a Taser and spending around $ 4,000 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading to Whitmer 's vacation home , according to the criminal complaint .
Repeatedly , the men involved discussed their desire to kidnap the governor before the national election on Nov. 3 , the complaint says .
The alleged kidnapping conspiracy is described in the complaint signed by FBI Special Agent Richard J. Trask , whose past work includes fighting domestic terrorism .
`` In early 2020 , the FBI became aware through social media that a group of individuals were discussing the violent overthrow of certain government and law-enforcement components , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group included Fox and Croft – who decided they should get others to join their cause and `` take violent action against multiple state governments that they believe are violating the U.S. Constitution , '' Trask says .
In early June , Fox and Croft met with around 13 people in Dublin , Ohio , the complaint says .
`` The group talked about creating a society that followed the U.S. Bill of Rights and where they could be self-sufficient .
They discussed different ways of achieving this goal from peaceful endeavors to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` At one point , several members talked about state governments they believed were violating the U.S. Constitution , including the government of Michigan and Whitmer .
Several members talked about murdering 'tyrants ' or 'taking ' a sitting governor . ''
Once again , the decision was made to recruit others into the effort , Trask says in the complaint .
That 's when Fox reached out to a Michigan-based militia group , he adds .
One of the group 's members had already been in touch with the FBI over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police officers .
With a new conspiracy allegedly taking shape , that person agreed to become an informant , the complaint says .
Agents were able to record or otherwise monitor many interactions — including a meeting where Fox confiscated cellphones and put them in a box — but one participant was wearing a recording device .

Militia Members Plotted To Kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer, FBI Says
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michigan Governor's Office via AP Michigan Governor's Office via AP
Updated at 7:06 p.m. ET
The FBI says it has thwarted a plot by militia members to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and six people are facing federal charges. In a coordinated move, Michigan is pursuing state felony charges against seven people with ties to a militia called the Wolverine Watchmen.
In a statement early Thursday, Whitmer said two militia groups "were preparing to kidnap and possibly kill me."
But in a later interview on NPR's All Things Considered, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said that "multiple white supremacy groups and militia groups have been acting in accordance with one another."
Whitmer thanked law enforcement officer on Thursday afternoon for foiling the alleged conspiracy. "I'll be honest, I never could have imagined anything like this," she said.
Michigan has been a hot spot for disagreements over shutdowns and other restrictions Whitmer ordered to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus — actions that allegedly sparked the plot against her. The governor noted those disagreements on Thursday and called for unity.
"We are not one another's enemy," Whitmer said. "This virus is our enemy."
YouTube
Criticizing President Trump's recent remarks on white supremacists, Whitmer said his widely condemned "stand back and stand by" comment about the Proud Boys was taken by hate groups as a rallying cry, not a rebuke.
"Let me say this loud and clear: Hatred, bigotry and violence have no place in the great state of Michigan," Whitmer said.
The FBI said the Michigan militia group had already been on its radar because its members had attempted in March to acquire the home addresses of local law enforcement officers with the goal of attacking or killing them.
The agency said it collected information about the kidnapping plot from informants and undercover agents. Over the summer, the conspirators allegedly began training for a potential attack on Whitmer's vacation home or the governor's official summer residence, according to a criminal complaint released Thursday.
A federal charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping has been filed against six people: Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta. All are Michigan residents except for Croft, who is a resident of Delaware.
Fox discussed the kidnapping in a recording from late July, the complaint says: "Snatch and grab, man. Grab the f*****' Governor. Just grab the b****. Because at that point, we do that, dude — it's over."
After abducting Whitmer, Fox allegedly said, the governor would be taken to a secure location in Wisconsin for "trial," according to the complaint.
In addition to the six people facing federal charges, state charges have been lodged against another seven who are either members of Wolverine Watchmen or are associates of that militia, the state attorney general said. They're now facing 19 state felony charges that range from gang membership and providing material support for terrorist acts to charges of carrying a firearm during the commission of a felony.
"There has been a disturbing increase in anti-government rhetoric and the re-emergence of groups that embrace extremist ideologies," Nessel said on Thursday. "These groups often seek to recruit new members by seizing on a moment of civil unrest and using it to advance their agenda of self-reliance and armed resistance. This is more than just political disagreement or passionate advocacy, some of these groups' mission is simply to create chaos and inflict harm upon others."
Michigan's Capitol in Lansing was the epicenter of dramatic protests during the spring and summer, with demonstrators — including many who carried rifles — gathering to denounce the governor's coronavirus emergency orders. Whitmer and other officials were also the targets of online threats.
"We have legislators who are showing up to work wearing bulletproof vests," Whitmer said in May.
The alleged plot against the governor included a range of complicated details, including purchasing a Taser and spending around $4,000 to buy explosives to blow up a bridge leading to Whitmer's vacation home, according to the criminal complaint. Repeatedly, the men involved discussed their desire to kidnap the governor before the national election on Nov. 3, the complaint says.
The alleged kidnapping conspiracy is described in the complaint signed by FBI Special Agent Richard J. Trask, whose past work includes fighting domestic terrorism.
"In early 2020, the FBI became aware through social media that a group of individuals were discussing the violent overthrow of certain government and law-enforcement components," Trask says in the complaint.
The group included Fox and Croft – who decided they should get others to join their cause and "take violent action against multiple state governments that they believe are violating the U.S. Constitution," Trask says.
In early June, Fox and Croft met with around 13 people in Dublin, Ohio, the complaint says.
"The group talked about creating a society that followed the U.S. Bill of Rights and where they could be self-sufficient. They discussed different ways of achieving this goal from peaceful endeavors to violent actions," the complaint says. "At one point, several members talked about state governments they believed were violating the U.S. Constitution, including the government of Michigan and Whitmer. Several members talked about murdering 'tyrants' or 'taking' a sitting governor."
Once again, the decision was made to recruit others into the effort, Trask says in the complaint. That's when Fox reached out to a Michigan-based militia group, he adds. One of the group's members had already been in touch with the FBI over concerns about plans to target and kill police officers.
With a new conspiracy allegedly taking shape, that person agreed to become an informant, the complaint says. Agents were able to record or otherwise monitor many interactions — including a meeting where Fox confiscated cellphones and put them in a box — but one participant was wearing a recording device.


npr--2020-10-09--Tiny Changes Let False Claims About COVID-19, Voting Evade Facebook Fact Checks

Tiny Changes Let False Claims About COVID-19 , Voting Evade Facebook Fact Checks Something as simple as changing the font of a message or cropping an image can be all it takes to bypass Facebook 's defenses against hoaxes and lies .
A new analysis by the international advocacy group Avaaz shines light on why , despite the tech giant 's efforts to stamp out misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic and the U.S. election , it 's so hard to stop bad actors from spreading these falsehoods .
`` We found them getting around Facebook 's policies by just tweaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was still going viral , '' said Fadi Quran , campaign director at Avaaz .
Facebook relies on both human reviewers and artificial intelligence to catch posts that break its rules .
But Avaaz 's analysis suggests that net has holes through which false claims proliferate .
In one example the group found , users shared a screenshot of a tweet claiming , falsely , that President Trump was deliberately infected with COVID-19 by `` the left . ''
Facebook overlaid a warning label on some versions of the post , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false information , '' and linking to a USA Today article debunking the claim .
But Facebook did not apply the same label to versions of the message that were nearly identical , except with different backgrounds or croppings .
A meme claiming mail-in ballots need two stamps was labeled `` partly false . ''
But Facebook did not label other versions of the same message — versions in which the user had changed the font or background color , or written out the text of the meme instead of posting it as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posts was shared 20,000 times .
Avaaz found similar patterns with posts covering a range of falsehoods .
Some meant to disparage former Vice President Joe Biden ; others to link President Trump with white supremacists ; and still others promoted a false cure for the coronavirus , where none exists .
Facebook told NPR that Avaaz 's findings `` do n't accurately reflect the actions we 've taken . ''
It said it has carried out enforcement actions against the majority of the pages and groups Avaaz identified , such as reducing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommending that users join them , and barring them from monetizing or advertising .
Facebook imposes such penalties on pages that repeatedly share false information .
Facebook has policies against posting misinformation and has cracked down this year on hoaxes and false claims about COVID-19 and voting , amid growing concerns over the real-world harm that can stem from these messages ' spread on social media .
The company relies on independent fact checkers , including PolitiFact , Reuters , and the AP , to rate the accuracy of claims .
If fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warning label on the post , alerts users before they share it and notifies people who have already shared it .
It also reduces the post 's distribution by , for example , not showing it near the top of a user 's News Feed .
The company says it uses artificial intelligence to detect copies of misinformation it has identified and apply labels to them , too .
Between March and September of this year , it said , it has applied warning labels to more than 150 million pieces of content @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We remain the only company to partner with more than 70 fact-checking organizations , using AI to scale their fact-checks to millions of duplicate posts , and we are working to improve our ability to action on similar posts , '' Facebook said .
Facebook failed to label 42 % of posts with debunked claims But Avaaz found the cat-and-mouse game alive and well .
The group examined 1,776 posts — mainly memes , photos and status updates — that Facebook 's independent fact-checking partners had found false or misleading , between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Of those posts , 738 , or nearly 42 % , were not labeled , even though they contained claims that had been debunked .
Using data from CrowdTangle , a research tool that Facebook owns , Avaaz estimated the unlabeled posts it found had been viewed 142 million times and gotten 5.6 million reactions such as likes , comments or shares .
It appears as though there are orchestrated efforts to spread many of these falsehoods .
Avaaz identified 119 pages upon which misinformation had been posted at least three times in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 46 pages had shared unlabeled versions of posts the fact-checkers had deemed false .
Quran said the company may not be catching all these repeat offenders if it is not consistently labeling fact-checked content .
`` Once they see a piece of misinformation that is hitting a nerve in the U.S. and going viral , even when it 's flagged by Facebook , these pages will take it , flip it , edit it a little bit and then circumvent Facebook 's system , '' Quran said .
`` [ They ] continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more and more people and amplify these lies , without being stopped by the platform . ''
Editor 's note : Facebook is among NPR 's financial supporters .

Tiny Changes Let False Claims About COVID-19, Voting Evade Facebook Fact Checks
Enlarge this image toggle caption Screeenshot via Avaaz Screeenshot via Avaaz
Something as simple as changing the font of a message or cropping an image can be all it takes to bypass Facebook's defenses against hoaxes and lies.
A new analysis by the international advocacy group Avaaz shines light on why, despite the tech giant's efforts to stamp out misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic and the U.S. election, it's so hard to stop bad actors from spreading these falsehoods.
"We found them getting around Facebook's policies by just tweaking the misinformation a little bit, and it was still going viral," said Fadi Quran, campaign director at Avaaz.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Screenshot via Avaaz Screenshot via Avaaz
Facebook relies on both human reviewers and artificial intelligence to catch posts that break its rules. But Avaaz's analysis suggests that net has holes through which false claims proliferate.
In one example the group found, users shared a screenshot of a tweet claiming, falsely, that President Trump was deliberately infected with COVID-19 by "the left." Facebook overlaid a warning label on some versions of the post, saying independent fact-checkers determined it was "false information," and linking to a USA Today article debunking the claim.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Screenshots via Avaaz Screenshots via Avaaz
But Facebook did not apply the same label to versions of the message that were nearly identical, except with different backgrounds or croppings.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Screenshot via Avaaz Screenshot via Avaaz
A meme claiming mail-in ballots need two stamps was labeled "partly false." But Facebook did not label other versions of the same message — versions in which the user had changed the font or background color, or written out the text of the meme instead of posting it as an image. One of those unlabeled posts was shared 20,000 times.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Screenshots via Avaaz Screenshots via Avaaz
Avaaz found similar patterns with posts covering a range of falsehoods. Some meant to disparage former Vice President Joe Biden; others to link President Trump with white supremacists; and still others promoted a false cure for the coronavirus, where none exists.
Facebook told NPR that Avaaz's findings "don't accurately reflect the actions we've taken." It said it has carried out enforcement actions against the majority of the pages and groups Avaaz identified, such as reducing the distribution of their posts, not recommending that users join them, and barring them from monetizing or advertising. Facebook imposes such penalties on pages that repeatedly share false information.
Facebook has policies against posting misinformation and has cracked down this year on hoaxes and false claims about COVID-19 and voting, amid growing concerns over the real-world harm that can stem from these messages' spread on social media.
The company relies on independent fact-checkers, including PolitiFact, Reuters and the AP, to rate the accuracy of claims. If fact-checkers find misinformation, Facebook puts a warning label on the post, alerts users before they share it and notifies people who have already shared it.
It also reduces the post's distribution by, for example, not showing it near the top of a user's News Feed. The company says it uses artificial intelligence to detect copies of misinformation it has identified and apply labels to them, too. Between March and September of this year, it said, it has applied warning labels to more than 150 million pieces of content that were debunked by fact-checkers.
"We remain the only company to partner with more than 70 fact-checking organizations, using AI to scale their fact-checks to millions of duplicate posts, and we are working to improve our ability to action on similar posts," Facebook said.
Facebook failed to label 42% of posts with debunked claims
But Avaaz found the cat-and-mouse game alive and well. The group examined 1,776 posts — mainly memes, photos and status updates — that Facebook's independent fact-checking partners had found false or misleading, between October 2019 and early August 2020.
Of those posts, 738, or nearly 42%, were not labeled, even though they contained claims that had been debunked. Using data from CrowdTangle, a research tool that Facebook owns, Avaaz estimated the unlabeled posts it found had been viewed 142 million times and gotten 5.6 million reactions such as likes, comments or shares.
It appears as though there are orchestrated efforts to spread many of these falsehoods. Avaaz identified 119 pages upon which misinformation had been posted at least three times in the past year. Of those, 46 pages had shared unlabeled versions of posts the fact-checkers had deemed false.
Quran said the company may not be catching all these repeat offenders if it is not consistently labeling fact-checked content.
"Once they see a piece of misinformation that is hitting a nerve in the U.S. and going viral, even when it's flagged by Facebook, these pages will take it, flip it, edit it a little bit and then circumvent Facebook's system," Quran said. "[They] continue to build up their network and reach more and more people and amplify these lies, without being stopped by the platform."
Editor's note: Facebook is among NPR's financial supporters.


npr--2020-10-09--Enrollment Is Dropping In Public Schools Around the Country

Enrollment Is Dropping In Public Schools Around the Country Orange County , Fla. , has 18,000 missing students .
The Miami-Dade County public schools have 16,000 fewer than last year .
Los Angeles Unified — the nation 's second-largest school system — is down nearly 11,000 .
Charlotte-Mecklenburg in North Carolina has 5,000 missing .
Utah , Virginia , and Washington are reporting declines statewide .
Comprehensive national data are n't available yet , but reporting by NPR and our member stations , along with media reports from around the country , shows enrollment declines in dozens of school districts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rich and poor , urban and rural — in most of these districts the decline is a departure from recent trends .
Over the past 15 years , data from the U.S. Education Department show that small and steady annual increases in public school enrollment have been the rule .
Six months after schools around the country shut their doors amid coronavirus lockdowns , these fall enrollment declines come as schools have been scrambling to improve remote learning offerings , and to adopt safety procedures to allow buildings to open for in-person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week .
In many parts of the country the start of the year has been marked by multiple changes in plans , widespread confusion among teachers and families , deep concerns about safety , and worries about unequal access to technology .
`` We are not alone in this , '' Chris Reykdal , Washington State 's Superintendent of Public Instruction , said in a statement this week announcing a 2.82 % decrease in enrollment statewide , driven by a 14 % drop in kindergarten .
`` As our nation continues to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country are seeing changes in K–12 enrollment as families make decisions about the safest and most effective learning environments for their children . ''
Reykdal said operational cuts might be looming , and schools would lobby the state for stopgap funds .
`` Counts are taken every month , and if these trends continue , many of our districts will need to make adjustments in the short-term even as they plan for booming kindergarten and first grade classes next year . ''
In many places , the enrollment drops are especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting , we reached out to more than 100 districts and heard back from more than 60 .
In our sample , the average kindergarten enrollment drop was 16 % .
Many education experts are skeptical about the virtues of remote learning for very young children , and lots of parents seem to feel the same way .
`` It was either going to be virtual or hybrid , or if they were in person it was going to be weirdly socially distant and masked , '' says Megan Olshavsky , whose son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Austin , Texas .
`` And he would n't be able to interact , really , with other kids . ''
Instead , Jonah , who is almost 6 , is staying in his small private Montessori school for kindergarten , where he 'll attend in-person , full time .
`` We had signed him up to start in Austin in the beginning of the year and then , you know , in the late spring and the summer , we kind of realized that school was n't going to look normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district started the year with four weeks of virtual learning before phasing in small groups of students .
Jonah 's Montessori cut class sizes to fewer than 10 students to reduce the risk of COVID spread .
And since it 's licensed as a daycare , the children are n't required to wear masks .
Meanwhile , the Austin Independent School District is down 5,000 students this fall , a 6 % drop .
Olshavsky says she and her husband will have to tighten their belts to afford another year of private-school tuition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money as well .
Public schools are generally funded by states on a per-pupil basis .
This first week of October marks the first of two `` count days '' in many states — a day in the fall , right at the start of the new fiscal year , where school districts must submit an official enrollment count to determine their funding for the subsequent year .
And that system tends to favor schools in better-off communities , which get more of their funding from local property taxes , explains Bruce Baker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's the less well-funded districts that are more dependent on state aid .
`` If you 've got a district where 70 , 80 % of the money is coming in state aid based on some enrollment count number , which would tend to be a poorer district serving a higher share of low-income and minority students , '' he explains , `` those districts stand to lose a lot if the state decides to follow through with using this year 's enrollment counts as a basis for funding in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hardship for school districts that already are facing the costs of schooling during a pandemic — from masks and hand sanitizer to hiring additional teachers to run both in-person and virtual programs .
On top of that , the coronavirus-induced recession has already driven education budget cuts across the country .
Stephanie Elizalde , the superintendent of Austin ISD , told NPR that the state of Texas has agreed to `` hold the district harmless '' for enrollment declines for the fall semester only .
She is hoping that students start to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the school doors are open a few days a week .
Otherwise , she says , `` we could have huge cuts . ''
`` I do n't think there 's ever been a time I can recall where I visited with colleagues and all of us are like , how are we going to manage this ?
..knowing that you have these cuts during the most economically challenged times and a pandemic is -- I mean , that 's just unheard of . ''
Baker agrees that a downturn in enrollment this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut next year— states have time to pass measures in the spring to help schools make up the gap in funds .
But in the meantime , budget pressures may push schools to make reopening decisions that they would n't otherwise .
In Florida , for example , enrollment in Miami-Dade , Broward County and Orange County — all of which are in the top 10 largest districts nationwide — has dropped by several thousand students each .
Back in July , on the same day President Trump implored schools on Twitter to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Education offered school districts the following deal : Reopen and get funded based on the much higher enrollment levels from before the pandemic .
Or do n't , and get funded based on the actual number of students .
Plus , districts will get about $ 2,500 less for every student who remains online-only .
Judith Marte , the chief financial officer of the Broward County schools , said at a recent school board meeting that the expected enrollment drops of 8,500 students could lead to a significant reduction in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low . ''
And that shortfall , she added , could lead to potentially cutting thousands of jobs .
On the other hand , echoing the difficult decisions educators around the country have faced , Marte said she worries about the safety of returning students to buildings full time : `` This is also incredibly stressful for staff , it 's incredibly stressful for this board and the superintendent ... To do what 's right for our community , it 's a very , very difficult place to sit . ''
If students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools , where are they going ?
Possibly to private school , though dozens of private schools have shuttered since the start of the pandemic .
Child care centers , which may accept pre-K and kindergarten students , are threatened as well .
But there are some reports of private schools gaining students even as public schools are losing them , in places where private schools are in-person and public schools are virtual or hybrid .
`` The inequity of the situation is just really staggering , '' says Olshavsky , the mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to pay to keep our kid in a safe learning environment . ''
Austin Superintendent Elizalde agrees that her main concern is an `` exacerbation ... of opportunity gaps in students from different economic backgrounds . ''
Not all families have the means to send their children to private school , or devote a parent to home schooling full time .
Some families , says Elizalde , will be leaving children home with older siblings or to sit in front of the TV .
Jessica Diaz is a nurse in Tampa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with three daughters .
Since she and her husband work in high-risk environments , they do n't want to send her children to school in person .
But she 's struggling with the district 's online learning offerings , too .
Her children 's nanny is Spanish-speaking and has trouble with tasks like navigating Zoom class meetings .
`` I do n't think [ virtual school ] is a sustainable option for our family at this point , '' she told NPR .
`` For all of the burden of constant emailing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , etc.
, we feel the content of the education that is being delivered is far below our girls ' capabilities and not worth the trouble at this point.
`` She plans to pull them out and home-school after the winter break , when she hopes she 'll have time to put together a curriculum ; but she 'll have to do the actual teaching herself in the evening hours after work .
Experts in early childhood education agree with Elizalde that keeping kids out of kindergarten and pre-K , in particular , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kindergarten is not compulsory in most states .
That means children can sit out the year without necessarily doing formal homeschooling or private school .
They may enter next year as first graders , or simply delay the start of kindergarten — a practice sometimes called redshirting and , in normal times , more popular among affluent families and boys .
Diane Schanzenbach , an economist at Northwestern University who studies redshirting , says starting kindergarten late has no long-lasting educational advantages and may even have some drawbacks , for example in lifetime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economist at the University of Notre Dame , says decades of research have underlined the importance of early childhood enrichment for all children , and especially for children from lower-income and less educated families .
`` We have consistent evidence that these kinds of interventions can have big effects on children 's both short-term skill development , but really importantly , their long-term life chances . ''
In other words , pre-K and kindergarten are the rare educational interventions that both narrow gaps and lift all boats .
When families keep children home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Gibbs .
`` Parents may be choosing not to send their kids to pre-K or to hold back their age-eligible kids from kindergarten , '' she explains.
`` And that could be fine for kids in terms of their skill development , if they are in homes where they 're ... reading a lot . ''
But , she adds , what experts really worry about are kids `` for whom this early childhood landscape has changed so much .
And what are they getting kind of in the absence of having @ @ @ @ @ @

Enrollment Is Dropping In Public Schools Around the Country
Enlarge this image Suharu Ogawa for NPR Suharu Ogawa for NPR
Orange County, Fla., has 8,000 missing students. The Miami-Dade County public schools have 16,000 fewer than last year. Los Angeles Unified — the nation's second-largest school system — is down nearly 11,000. Charlotte-Mecklenburg in North Carolina has 5,000 missing. Utah, Virginia and Washington are reporting declines statewide.
Comprehensive national data aren't available yet, but reporting by NPR and our member stations, along with media reports from around the country, shows enrollment declines in dozens of school districts across 20 states. Large and small, rich and poor, urban and rural — in most of these districts the decline is a departure from recent trends. Over the past 15 years, data from the U.S. Education Department show that small and steady annual increases in public school enrollment have been the rule.
Six months after schools around the country shut their doors amid coronavirus lockdowns, these fall enrollment declines come as schools have been scrambling to improve remote learning offerings and to adopt safety procedures to allow buildings to open for in-person classes, sometimes just a few days a week. In many parts of the country the start of the year has been marked by multiple changes in plans, widespread confusion among teachers and families, deep concerns about safety, and worries about unequal access to technology.
"We are not alone in this," Chris Reykdal, Washington state's superintendent of public instruction, said in a statement this week announcing a 2.82% decrease in enrollment statewide, driven by a 14% drop in kindergarten. "As our nation continues to fight the spread of COVID-19, states across the country are seeing changes in K–12 enrollment as families make decisions about the safest and most effective learning environments for their children."
Reykdal said operational cuts might be looming, and schools would lobby the state for stopgap funds. "Counts are taken every month, and if these trends continue, many of our districts will need to make adjustments in the short term even as they plan for booming kindergarten and first grade classes next year."
Kindergarten and pre-K stand out
In many places, the enrollment drops are especially noticeable in kindergarten and pre-K. For our reporting, we reached out to more than 100 districts and heard back from more than 60. In our sample, the average kindergarten enrollment drop was 16%.
Many education experts are skeptical about the virtues of remote learning for very young children, and lots of parents seem to feel the same way.
"It was either going to be virtual or hybrid, or if they were in person it was going to be weirdly socially distant and masked," says Megan Olshavsky, whose son was scheduled to start kindergarten this fall in Austin, Texas. "And he wouldn't be able to interact, really, with other kids."
Instead, Jonah, who is almost 6, is staying in his small private Montessori school for kindergarten, where he'll attend in person, full time.
"We had signed him up to start in Austin in the beginning of the year and then, you know, in the late spring and the summer, we kind of realized that school wasn't going to look normal," Olshavsky said. The school district started the year with four weeks of virtual learning before phasing in small groups of students.
Jonah's Montessori school cut class sizes to fewer than 10 students to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread. And since it's licensed as a day care, the children aren't required to wear masks. Meanwhile, the Austin Independent School District is down 5,000 students this fall, a 6% drop.
Olshavsky says she and her husband will have to tighten their belts to afford another year of private school tuition.
And school districts stand to lose money as well.
Public schools are generally funded by states on a per-pupil basis. The first week of October marks the first of two "count days" in many states — a day in the fall, right at the start of the new fiscal year, where school districts must submit an official enrollment count to determine their funding for the subsequent year.
And that system tends to favor schools in better-off communities, which get more of their funding from local property taxes, explains Bruce Baker, an education professor at Rutgers University. It's the less well-funded districts that are more dependent on state aid.
"If you've got a district where 70, 80% of the money is coming in state aid based on some enrollment count number, which would tend to be a poorer district serving a higher share of low-income and minority students," he explains, "those districts stand to lose a lot if the state decides to follow through with using this year's enrollment counts as a basis for funding in the future."
The potential loss is a hardship for school districts that already are facing the costs of schooling during a pandemic — from masks and hand sanitizer to hiring additional teachers to run both in-person and virtual programs. On top of that, the coronavirus-induced recession has already driven education budget cuts across the country.
Stephanie Elizalde, the superintendent of Austin ISD, told NPR that the state of Texas has agreed to "hold the district harmless" for enrollment declines for the fall semester only. She is hoping that students start to show up in greater numbers now that the school doors are open a few days a week. Otherwise, she says, "We could have huge cuts."
"I don't think there's ever been a time I can recall where I visited with colleagues and all of us are like, how are we going to manage this? ... Knowing that you have these cuts during the most economically challenged times and a pandemic is — I mean, that's just unheard of," she says.
Baker agrees that a downturn in enrollment this fall does not automatically equal a budget cut next year — states have time to pass measures in the spring to help schools make up the gap in funds.
But in the meantime, budget pressures may push schools to make reopening decisions that they wouldn't otherwise. In Florida, for example, enrollment in Miami-Dade, Broward County and Orange County — all of which are in the top 10 largest districts nationwide — has dropped by several thousand students each.
Back in July, on the same day President Trump implored schools on Twitter to open in the fall, the Florida Department of Education offered school districts the following deal: Reopen and get funded based on the much higher enrollment levels from before the pandemic. Or don't, and get funded based on the actual number of students. Plus, districts will get about $2,500 less for every student who remains online-only.
Judith Marte, the chief financial officer of Broward County schools, said at a recent school board meeting that the expected enrollment drops of 8,500 students could lead to a significant reduction in a district budget that is already "disgustingly low." And that shortfall, she added, could lead to potentially cutting thousands of jobs.
On the other hand, echoing the difficult decisions educators around the country have faced, Marte said she worries about the safety of returning students to buildings full time: "This is also incredibly stressful for staff, it's incredibly stressful for this board and the superintendent ... To do what's right for our community, it's a very, very difficult place to sit."
Concerns about the youngest students
If students are not showing up at their public schools, where are they going? Possibly to private school, though dozens of private schools have shuttered since the start of the pandemic. Child care centers, which may accept pre-K and kindergarten students, are threatened as well. But there are some reports of private schools gaining students even as public schools are losing them, in places where private schools are in person and public schools are virtual or hybrid.
"The inequity of the situation is just really staggering," says Olshavsky, the mother in Austin. "We were basically able to pay to keep our kid in a safe learning environment."
Austin Superintendent Elizalde agrees that her main concern is an "exacerbation ... of opportunity gaps in students from different economic backgrounds."
Not all families have the means to send their children to private school, or devote a parent to home schooling full time. Some families, says Elizalde, will be leaving children home with older siblings or to sit in front of the TV.
Jessica Diaz is a nurse in Tampa, Fla., married to a firefighter, with three daughters. Since she and her husband work in high-risk environments, they don't want to send her children to school in person. But she's struggling with the district's online learning offerings, too. Her children's nanny is Spanish-speaking and has trouble with tasks like navigating Zoom class meetings.
"I don't think [virtual school] is a sustainable option for our family at this point," she told NPR. "For all of the burden of constant emailing, changes in schedules, assignments and submissions, etc., we feel the content of the education that is being delivered is far below our girls' capabilities and not worth the trouble at this point."
She plans to pull them out and home-school after the winter break, when she hopes she'll have time to put together a curriculum; but she'll have to do the actual teaching herself in the evening hours after work.
Experts in early childhood education agree with Elizalde that keeping kids out of kindergarten and pre-K, in particular, is likely to exacerbate existing inequalities. Kindergarten is not compulsory in most states. That means children can sit out the year without necessarily doing formal home schooling or private school.
They may enter next year as first-graders, or simply delay the start of kindergarten — a practice sometimes called redshirting and, in normal times, more popular among affluent families and boys.
Diane Schanzenbach, an economist at Northwestern University who studies redshirting, says starting kindergarten late has no long-lasting educational advantages and may even have some drawbacks, for example in lifetime earnings. And Chloe Gibbs, an economist at the University of Notre Dame, says decades of research have underlined the importance of early childhood enrichment for all children, and especially for children from lower-income and less educated families. "We have consistent evidence that these kinds of interventions can have big effects on children's both short-term skill development, but really importantly, their long-term life chances."
In other words, pre-K and kindergarten are the rare educational interventions that both narrow gaps and lift all boats.
When families keep children home, the opposite may be true, says Gibbs. "Parents may be choosing not to send their kids to pre-K or to hold back their age-eligible kids from kindergarten," she explains. "And that could be fine for kids in terms of their skill development, if they are in homes where they're ... reading a lot."
But, she adds, what experts really worry about are kids "for whom this early childhood landscape has changed so much. And what are they getting kind of in the absence of having those important early experiences?"
Ann Doss Helms of WFAE, Claire McInerny of KUT, Rob Manning and Elizabeth Miller of OPB, and Julia McEvoy of KQED contributed to this story.


npr--2020-10-09--Nobel Peace Prize Is Awarded To World Food Programme

Updated at 7:25 a.m .
ET The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the World Food Programme on Friday morning with the award committee stating , `` The need for international solidarity and multilateral cooperation is more conspicuous than ever . ''
The citation says the humanitarian organization , part of the United Nations , is being recognized `` for its efforts to combat hunger , for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wow .
Wow .
I ca n't believe it ! ''
the WFP 's executive director , David Beasley , said in a video to the organization and its staff following the announcement .
`` It 's because of the WFP family , '' Beasley said .
`` They 're out there in the most difficult , complex places in the world .
Whether it 's war , conflict , climate extremes — it does n't matter .
They 're out there , and they deserve this award . ''
The WFP is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body says its staff `` put their lives on the line every day to bring food and assistance to more than 100 million hungry children , women and men across the world . ''
The group said on Twitter that it is `` deeply humbled to receive the # NobelPeacePrize . ''
The award committee chose the food aid group out of hundreds of nominees , including President Trump .
Trump has touted his nomination by a right-wing Norwegian politician on the campaign trail , but he was not among the favorites to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ odds listed on the site Gambling.com .
Ahead of Friday 's announcement , betting houses had listed the World Health Organization as the top contender , the site says , followed by climate activist Greta Thunberg and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern .
Another U.N. organization , the refugee relief agency UNHCR , was seen as having the same chance of winning as Trump .
The prize announcement was made by Berit Reiss-Andersen , chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee , who said that in this time of pandemic `` multilateral cooperation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
In an interview with NPR earlier this year , Beasley said the organization 's task has grown enormously as a result of the global pandemic .
`` Before COVID I had been giving speeches particularly in Europe and some in the United States , that 2020 was going to be the worst humanitarian crisis year since WWII , '' Beasley said .
`` 135 million people pre-COVID are on the brink of starvation .
Because of COVID we are now looking at an additional 130 million people that will be knocking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total of about a quarter of a billion people . ''
The five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee chooses the winner of the Peace Prize .
Committee members are named to six-year terms by the Norwegian Storting , or parliament .
The committee considered 318 candidates for the 2020 prize , the fourth-largest number ever .
Of the nominations , 211 were individuals and 108 were organizations .
The 2020 Nobel Prizes bring a cash award of 10 million Swedish krona ( about $ 1.12 million ) .
As is customary , the announcement was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo .

Nobel Peace Prize Is Awarded To World Food Programme
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP
Updated at 7:25 a.m. ET
The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the World Food Programme on Friday morning with the award committee stating, "The need for international solidarity and multilateral cooperation is more conspicuous than ever."
The citation says the humanitarian organization, part of the United Nations, is being recognized "for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict."
"Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. I can't believe it!" the WFP's executive director, David Beasley, said in a video to the organization and its staff following the announcement.
"It's because of the WFP family," Beasley said. "They're out there in the most difficult, complex places in the world. Whether it's war, conflict, climate extremes — it doesn't matter. They're out there, and they deserve this award."
The WFP was created in 1961 at the request of U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower as an experiment to provide food aid through the U.N. The group says it is active in 83 nations and that its staff "put their lives on the line every day to bring food and assistance to more than 100 million hungry children, women and men across the world."
The WFP commented on Twitter that it is "deeply humbled to receive the #NobelPeacePrize."
The award committee chose the food aid group out of hundreds of nominees, including President Trump.
Trump has touted his nomination by a right-wing Norwegian politician on the campaign trail, but he was not among the favorites to be awarded the peace prize, according to odds listed on the site Gambling.com.
Ahead of Friday's announcement, betting houses had listed the World Health Organization as the top contender, the site says, followed by climate activist Greta Thunberg and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Another U.N. organization, the refugee relief agency UNHCR, was seen as having the same chance of receiving the prize as Trump.
The prize announcement was made by Berit Reiss-Andersen, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, who said that in this time of pandemic "multilateral cooperation is absolutely necessary to combat global challenges."
In an interview with NPR earlier this year, Beasley, a former governor of South Carolina, said the WFP's task has grown enormously as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
"Before COVID I had been giving speeches particularly in Europe and some in the United States, that 2020 was going to be the worst humanitarian crisis year since WWII," Beasley said. He added that "135 million people pre-COVID are on the brink of starvation. Because of COVID we are now looking at an additional 130 million people that will be knocking on the door of starvation for a total of about a quarter of a billion people."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Heiko Junge/NTB scanpix Heiko Junge/NTB scanpix
The U.S. is the largest single donor to the WFP, accounting for $2.7 billion of the $6.3 billion the U.N. organization has received so far in 2020. But the U.S. also made headlines in recent years when it cut funding to the group's program that had been providing aid to Palestinians.
From 2018 until now, the Trump administration has cut all its WFP funding for the West Bank and Gaza, as well as all other humanitarian aid for Palestinians. The funding cuts came after the Palestinian leadership severed ties with the U.S. in protest of the U.S. Embassy move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
European countries helped make up some of the shortfall, but Stephen Kearney, WFP director in the Palestinian territories, says his group had to stop helping tens of thousands of people in need. "We cut 26,000 people completely from our list," Kearney said. "So they have not received funding or support from us for two years and we have seen how their lives have really deteriorated."
The five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee chooses the recipient of the Peace Prize. Committee members are named to six-year terms by the Norwegian Storting, or parliament.
The committee considered 318 candidates for the 2020 prize, the fourth-largest number ever. Of the nominations, 211 were individuals and 108 were organizations.
The 2020 Nobel Prizes bring a cash award of 10 million Swedish krona (about $1.12 million).
As is customary, the announcement was made in the Grand Hall of the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo.
NPR International Correspondent Daniel Estrin contributed reporting from Jerusalem.


npr--2020-10-09--NPR Electoral Map: Biden Lead Widens Again With Less Than A Month To Go

NPR Electoral Map : Biden Lead Widens Again With Less Than A Month To Go It 's been a rough couple of weeks for President Trump .
His performance in the first presidential debate was widely panned ; Trump and several members of his inner circle contracted COVID-19 ; and then the president said he was pulling out of the next debate , after the debate commission said it wanted the candidates to appear from remote locations , citing safety concerns in the wake of Trump 's diagnosis .
That has left the fate of the remaining debates in doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to figure out how to proceed .
Given all of that , President Trump 's standing in the NPR electoral map analysis has gotten worse .
With states that are determined to be likely to go for either candidate or leaning toward them , Democrat Joe Biden now leads Trump , 290-163 .
Here are the moves we 've made in this month 's map : Wisconsin : Toss Up -- > Lean D Arizona : Toss Up -- > Lean D Nebraska 2nd Congressional District : Toss Up -- > Lean D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Up Nebraska 1st Congressional District : Likely R -- > Lean R Missouri : Likely R -- > Lean R Alaska : Likely R -- > Lean R That puts Biden — right now — above the 270 electoral vote threshold needed to win a majority of the 538 available , leaving Trump with an uphill climb to win reelection .
It comes with less than a month to go in the election — and with millions of votes already cast .
To put Biden 's lead in context , even if Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it would not be enough for him to win .
The president would need to make gains in the next three weeks in states now leaning toward Biden .
Of course , Trump was able to do so against Hillary Clinton in 2016 , particularly in the Upper Midwest .
We will update our map in a couple of weeks before the election – and things very well may shift and tighten between now and then , as they did in 2016 .
Fueling Biden 's lead , according to national and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former vice president 's overperformance with white voters , suburban voters , independents and seniors , all groups Trump won in 2016 .
Biden is showing strength in the Midwest and is also eating into Trump 's margins in traditionally red states .
Biden is unlikely to win places like Alaska , Missouri , Montana and South Carolina , but being more competitive there than Hillary Clinton was in 2016 is putting him on track to surpass Clinton 's vote total and popular vote margin of 3 million more than Trump .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump remains within striking distance , especially in the Sun Belt states .
What 's more , Democrats are worried about mail-in voting , not because of fraud , but because of the high rate of disqualification of mail-in ballots due to technicalities like not signing in the correct place .
Democratic voters are saying by far greater margins than Republicans that they 're more likely to vote by mail , rather than in person , because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Below is a deeper look at what we 've changed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Polls have shown a consistent bent toward Biden this cycle .
We had been reluctant to move it to Lean D , given Wisconsin 's high percentage of whites without a college degree , a strongly pro-Trump group .
But Biden 's lead has remained consistent , up by 7 points now on average and above 50 % .
Arizona : This is a closer race than Wisconsin with Biden up 4 points on average .
It 's just on the edge of remaining in the Toss Up category , but here are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved it : ( 1 ) Trump has n't led here since early March and ( 2 ) when you look inside the polls , Biden is consistently doing better than Clinton did in Maricopa County , where two-thirds of the state 's vote comes from , and he 's even ahead of Clinton 's margins in Pima County , the traditionally Democratic area where Tucson is .
What 's more , Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly has a wider lead in his race against incumbent GOP Sen. Martha McSally , which could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nebraska-2 : Despite its Republican lean and the Democrat in the district 's U.S. House race polling close or behind the GOP incumbent , this Omaha-area district has continued to favor Biden .
Iowa : This is a state that should favor Trump given he won it last time and its significant white , non-college educated population .
But polls have shown it neck and neck , with Biden ahead in some recent surveys .
Nebraska-1 : This district borders the 2nd Congressional District , encompassing the college town of Lincoln and some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district that goes to Trump easily , but polls have shown the race within 5 points there .
Missouri : This used to be a traditional battleground state but has has fallen off in the last two election cycles .
In 2008 , Republican John McCain beat Barack Obama there by just 3,700 votes out of almost 3 million .
The key here is if Biden continues to overperform with whites .
That will make margins tighter in red states and in red counties in swing states .
Alaska : The tightening margins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a potential wave .
We 'll see if that holds over the next few weeks , but right now , Biden is closer in the polling average in Alaska than Trump is in Pennsylvania , Michigan , Wisconsin or Nevada .
Trump 's got his work cut out for him .
What we did n't move , but are watching closely Texas : While the polls show a race within the margin of error , Trump has been near or above 50 % and leading in the polling average .
The Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , spending $ 6 million on ads in the state .
So let 's see if they move the numbers and where things are in a couple weeks .
But given Texas ' voting history and the GOP 's statewide political power , this one still leans toward Trump for now .
South Carolina , Kansas , Montana : All of these are traditionally red states that Trump won by significant double-digit margins in 2016 .
But each of them is within 10 points in the race between Trump and Biden , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points to a rising sea level for Biden .
Does it stay that way ?
Florida , Georgia , North Carolina , Ohio : These all remain Toss Ups .
The southeastern Sun Belt states were expected to be very competitive , but Ohio was thought to be trending steadily Republican .
That tells you a lot about the landscape and Trump 's struggles in the Midwest .
Florida , at one point this summer , looked like it was leaning toward Biden , but there is almost no path to reelection for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubled down there and the race tightened , though a couple of polls this week have shown Biden opening up a lead again .
To read more about our methodology , as well as several scenarios for potential paths to 270 for each candidate , click here .

NPR Electoral Map: Biden Lead Widens Again With Less Than A Month To Go
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It has been a rough couple of weeks for President Trump.
His performance in the first presidential debate was widely panned; Trump and several members of his inner circle contracted COVID-19; and then the president said he was pulling out of the next debate, after the debate commission said it wanted the candidates to appear from remote locations, citing safety concerns in the wake of Trump's diagnosis.
The latter has left the fate of the remaining debates in doubt, as the campaigns and commission scramble to figure out how to proceed.
Given all of that, Trump's standing in the NPR electoral map analysis has gotten worse. With states that are determined to be likely to go for either candidate or leaning toward them, Democrat Joe Biden now leads Trump, 290-163.
Here are the moves we've made in this month's map:
Wisconsin: Toss-Up —> Lean D
Arizona: Toss-Up —> Lean D
Nebraska 2nd Congressional District: Toss-Up —> Lean D
Iowa: Lean R —> Toss-Up
Nebraska 1st Congressional District: Likely R —> Lean R
Missouri: Likely R —> Lean R
Alaska: Likely R —> Lean R
That puts Biden — right now — above the 270 electoral vote threshold needed to win a majority of the 538 available, leaving Trump with an uphill climb to win reelection. It comes with less than a month to go in the election — and with millions of votes already cast.
To put Biden's lead in context, even if Trump wins all the remaining toss-up states, it would not be enough for him to win. The president would need to make gains in the next three weeks in states now leaning toward Biden. Of course, Trump was able to do so against Hillary Clinton in 2016, particularly in the Upper Midwest.
We will update our map in a couple of weeks before the election – and things very well may shift and tighten between now and then, as they did in 2016.
Fueling Biden's lead, according to national and statewide surveys, continues to be the former vice president's overperformance with white voters, suburban voters, independents and seniors, all groups Trump won in 2016.
Biden is showing strength in the Midwest and is also eating into Trump's margins in traditionally red states. Biden is unlikely to win places like Alaska, Missouri, Montana and South Carolina, but being more competitive there than Hillary Clinton was in 2016 is putting him on track to surpass Clinton's vote total and popular vote margin of 3 million more than Trump.
It should be noted, however, that Trump remains within striking distance, especially in the Sun Belt states, across the South and West.
What's more, Democrats are worried about mail-in voting, not because of fraud, but because of the high rate of disqualification of mail-in ballots because technicalities like not signing in the correct place. Democratic voters are saying by far greater margins than Republicans that they're more likely to vote by mail, rather than in person, because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Below is a deeper look at what we've changed and what we didn't and why.
What we changed
Toss-Up to Lean D
Wisconsin: Polls have shown a consistent bent toward Biden this cycle. We had been reluctant to move it to Lean D, given Wisconsin's high percentage of whites without a college degree, a strongly pro-Trump group. But Biden's lead has remained consistent, up by 7 points now on average and above 50%.
Arizona: This is a closer race than Wisconsin with Biden up 4 points on average. It's just on the edge of remaining in the Toss-Up category, but here are a couple of points for why we moved it: (1) Trump hasn't led here since early March and (2) when you look inside the polls, Biden is consistently doing better than Clinton did in Maricopa County, where two-thirds of the state's vote comes from, and he's even ahead of Clinton's margins in Pima County, the traditionally Democratic area where Tucson is. What's more, Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly has a wider lead in his race against incumbent GOP Sen. Martha McSally, which could help Biden's chances as well.
Nebraska-2: Despite its Republican lean and the Democrat in the district's U.S. House race polling close or behind the GOP incumbent, this Omaha-area district has continued to favor Biden.
Lean R to Toss-Up
Iowa: This is a state that should favor Trump, given he won it last time and its significant white, non-college-educated population. But polls have shown it neck and neck, with Biden ahead in some recent surveys.
Likely R to Lean R
Nebraska-1: This district borders the 2nd Congressional District, encompassing the college town of Lincoln and some Omaha suburbs. It should be a district that goes to Trump easily, but polls have shown the race within 5 points there.
Missouri: This used to be a traditional battleground state but has has fallen off in the last two election cycles. In 2008, Republican John McCain beat Barack Obama there by just 3,700 votes out of almost 3 million. The key here is if Biden continues to overperform with whites, margins will become tighter in red states and in red counties in swing states.
Alaska: The tightening margins in these kinds of places are signs of a potential wave. We'll see if that holds over the next few weeks, but right now, Biden is closer in the polling average in Alaska than Trump is in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin or Nevada. Trump has got his work cut out for him.
What we didn't move but are watching closely
Texas: While the polls show a race within the margin of error, Trump has been near or above 50% and leading in the polling average. The Biden campaign is looking to make things interesting, spending $6 million on ads in the state. So let's see if they move the numbers and where things are in a couple weeks. But given Texas' voting history and the GOP's statewide political power, this one still leans toward Trump for now.
South Carolina, Kansas, Montana: All of these are traditionally red states that Trump won by significant double-digit margins in 2016. But each of them is within 10 points in the race between Trump and Biden, according to the polls. All of that points to a rising sea level for Biden. Does it stay that way?
Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio: These all remain Toss-Ups. The southeastern Sun Belt states were expected to be very competitive, but Ohio was thought to be trending steadily Republican. That tells you a lot about the landscape and Trump's struggles in the Midwest.
Florida, at one point this summer, looked as if it was leaning toward Biden, but there is almost no path to reelection for Trump without Florida. So his campaign doubled down there and the race tightened, though a couple of polls this week have shown Biden opening up a lead again.
To read more about our methodology, as well as several scenarios for potential paths to 270 for each candidate, click here.


npr--2020-10-09--Smoky Skies Are The New Normal. Are They Making Us Sick?

Smoky Skies Are The New Normal .
Are They Making Us Sick ?
Ariel Kinzinger had a headache .
Clark Brinkman coughed and wheezed .
LaNesha Collins , feeling physically fine , was frustrated by another day mostly trapped inside looking out at a sepia sun , in Portland , Ore. '' I 've never been in the thick of smoke like this , '' said Collins , an Oregonian like the others .
`` It 's insane . ''
In recent weeks , tens of millions of Americans have lived and breathed through a thick haze of wildfire smoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
The immediate health effects of that are well known to the medical community and anyone who 's been exposed : Eyes sting , throats tighten , snot can turn black .
Respiratory problems like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) can be exacerbated , causing spikes in hospital visits .
And recent research on the link between wildfire smoke and the flu , even suggests it could increase a person 's risk of contracting COVID-19 .
Much less is known though about what happens after the smoke clears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is like , 'What does this mean for my health a long time from now ?
, ' '' says Colleen Reid , a geographer at the University of Colorado Boulder who studies the health impacts of wildfire smoke .
`` And unfortunately we do n't really know . ''
The lack of data and information on the long-term health impacts of wildfire smoke is a hole scientists and epidemiologists are quickly trying to fill .
Research teams are looking at long-term lung function after smoke exposure , and potential impacts on pregnant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been slowed by the pandemic , but have taken on new urgency with recent events .
Record-breaking wildfires , like those the West Coast has experienced this year , have become a near-annual occurrence .
Human-caused climate change is increasing the length and intensity of fire season globally .
More people are moving to fire-prone areas .
And there 's a growing understanding among land managers and the public that more `` good fire '' is going to be needed across broad swaths of the U.S. to chip away at a century 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forests .
All of this means more people are going to be exposed to smoke more frequently in the future .
`` The paradigm 's changing where a [ smoke event ] is not just this one-time disaster for many communities in the West , '' says Sheryl Magzamen , an assistant professor of epidemiology at Colorado State University .
`` They 're actually chronic disasters that occur every two to three years . ''
Smoke travels far Days of thick smoke are not a new occurrence in many Western communities .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generated by this year 's fires is without modern precedent .
An NPR analysis of air quality data on the West Coast found that 1 in 7 Americans have experienced at least a day of unhealthy air conditions during this fire season .
That does n't include people in less-populated states like Idaho , Montana and Colorado , where smoke was so thick in places that school classes , moved outdoors because of the pandemic , had to reverse course and head inside .
Smoke that 's traveled a far distance is different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says Tony Ward , a professor of community and health sciences at the University of Montana .
`` But there 's really no safe level of being exposed to particulate matter , which is one of the main things that are in forest fire smoke . ''
Particulate matter is a term for solid or liquid particles that are suspended or floating in the air .
Fires generate a lot of it .
As trees , shrubs and houses burn , they release soot , ash and other particles .
The smallest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and smaller , can stay airborne for long periods of time and travel hundreds of miles .
But it 's how far they can travel into the human body that is most worrisome to health experts .
Because of their size , those tiny particles — generally referred to as PM2.5 — can be inhaled deep into a person 's lungs and even enter the bloodstream .
There , the particles can harm a person 's respiratory and cardiovascular systems , increasing the risk of heart attack , stroke and infection .
Scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambient PM2.5 can contribute to diabetes and negative birth outcomes for pregnant women .
Most of what we know about PM2.5 though , experts say , comes from research into particles that are released from human sources like cars , power plants or homes .
Not wildfires .
`` I do n't think right now we have great answers on whether anthropogenic PM2.5 is different in terms of health effects than when you get PM2.5 from biomass burning , especially over the long-term , '' Magzamen says .
Too soon to know Following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , researchers at the University of California Davis started a long-term study looking specifically at how fires and their smoke impact expectant mothers and their infants .
They were recruiting women for other studies when the fires occurred , says Rebecca Schmidt , a professor at UC Davis who is leading the research .
`` They started asking us , 'What is this wildfire doing to my pregnancy ?
My baby ? '
We did a literature search and [ found ] there really is n't a lot of data out there .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on traffic-related air pollution .
It looked at how pollution from cars impacted childrens ' respiratory health and neural development .
`` But these wildfire exposures are pretty different because they 're over the course of weeks instead of all year round , '' Schmidt says .
Further complicating the question , Schmidt says , is that wildfire does more than just release smoke .
It creates stress and anxiety .
People may have to flee their home .
All of that can affect a person 's health .
Regardless , Schmidt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their early studies have been born looking healthy .
`` I think it 's good for [ moms ] to realize that , because we mothers worry enough about everything as it is , '' she says .
If funding allows , Schmidt says , they 're hoping to follow some of those babies as they develop , looking for more subtle or significant down-the-road effects .
Right now , it 's too soon to definitively say .
A similar long-term study is underway in Montana , where researchers are following a group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was smothered by smoke for weeks during the 2017 fire season .
Early results have been troubling .
Of the 95 people that were initially surveyed following the weeks-long smoke exposure , roughly one-third came back a year later to see if their lungs had recovered .
They had not .
In fact , for most of them lung function had declined even further .
Researchers are hoping to do more surveys , but have been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic .
Living with smoke Despite all that is not known about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers say one thing is clear : Smoke events are not going away .
Nor should they .
Wildfire is a natural and necessary process in much of the West .
`` We need to have the research into ways to try and decrease the health harms associated with smoke , while still allowing for fire to exist , '' says Reid , the researcher from the University of Colorado .
`` It 's needed as part of the landscape that we live in . ''
By better understanding who smoke most affects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can take steps to protect the most vulnerable going forward .

Smoky Skies Are The New Normal. Are They Making Us Sick?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nathan Rott/NPR Nathan Rott/NPR
Ariel Kinzinger had a headache. Clark Brinkman coughed and wheezed. LaNesha Collins, feeling physically fine, was frustrated by another day mostly trapped inside looking out at a sepia sun, in Portland, Ore.
"I've never been in the thick of smoke like this," said Collins, an Oregonian like the others. "It's insane."
In recent weeks, tens of millions of Americans have lived and breathed through a thick haze of wildfire smoke. In places, it lasted for weeks. The immediate health effects of that are well known to the medical community and anyone who's been exposed: Eyes sting, throats tighten, snot can turn black.
Respiratory problems like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be exacerbated, causing spikes in hospital visits. And recent research on the link between wildfire smoke and the flu, even suggests it could increase a person's risk of contracting COVID-19.
Much less is known though about what happens after the smoke clears.
"Every person who asks me is like, 'What does this mean for my health a long time from now?,'" says Colleen Reid, a geographer at the University of Colorado Boulder who studies the health impacts of wildfire smoke. "And unfortunately we don't really know."
The lack of data and information on the long-term health impacts of wildfire smoke is a hole scientists and epidemiologists are quickly trying to fill. Research teams are looking at long-term lung function after smoke exposure, and potential impacts on pregnant women and infants. These efforts have been slowed by the pandemic, but have taken on new urgency with recent events.
Record-breaking wildfires, like those the West Coast has experienced this year, have become a near-annual occurrence. Human-caused climate change is increasing the length and intensity of fire season globally. More people are moving to fire-prone areas. And there's a growing understanding among land managers and the public that more "good fire" is going to be needed across broad swaths of the U.S. to chip away at a century's worth of accumulated vegetation in some Western forests. All of this means more people are going to be exposed to smoke more frequently in the future.
"The paradigm's changing where a [smoke event] is not just this one-time disaster for many communities in the West," says Sheryl Magzamen, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Colorado State University. "They're actually chronic disasters that occur every two to three years."
Smoke travels far
Days of thick smoke are not a new occurrence in many Western communities. But the breadth and duration of the smoke generated by this year's fires is without modern precedent.
An NPR analysis of air quality data on the West Coast found that 1 in 7 Americans have experienced at least a day of unhealthy air conditions during this fire season. That doesn't include people in less-populated states like Idaho, Montana and Colorado, where smoke was so thick in places that school classes, moved outdoors because of the pandemic, had to reverse course and head inside.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nathan Rott/NPR Nathan Rott/NPR
Smoke that's traveled a far distance is different from smoke that's being generated nearby, says Tony Ward, a professor of community and health sciences at the University of Montana. "But there's really no safe level of being exposed to particulate matter, which is one of the main things that are in forest fire smoke."
Particulate matter is a term for solid or liquid particles that are suspended or floating in the air. Fires generate a lot of it. As trees, shrubs and houses burn, they release soot, ash and other particles. The smallest of those, 2.5 micrometers in diameter and smaller, can stay airborne for long periods of time and travel hundreds of miles.
But it's how far they can travel into the human body that is most worrisome to health experts.
Because of their size, those tiny particles — generally referred to as PM2.5 — can be inhaled deep into a person's lungs and even enter the bloodstream. There, the particles can harm a person's respiratory and cardiovascular systems, increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and infection.
Scientists have even found that elevated levels of ambient PM2.5 can contribute to diabetes and negative birth outcomes for pregnant women.
Most of what we know about PM2.5 though, experts say, comes from research into particles that are released from human sources like cars, power plants or homes. Not wildfires.
"I don't think right now we have great answers on whether anthropogenic PM2.5 is different in terms of health effects than when you get PM2.5 from biomass burning, especially over the long-term," Magzamen says.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nathan Rott/NPR Nathan Rott/NPR
Too soon to know
Following the deadly North Bay fires in 2017, researchers at the University of California Davis started a long-term study looking specifically at how fires and their smoke impact expectant mothers and their infants.
They were recruiting women for other studies when the fires occurred, says Rebecca Schmidt, a professor at UC Davis who is leading the research. "They started asking us, 'What is this wildfire doing to my pregnancy? My baby?' We did a literature search and [found] there really isn't a lot of data out there."
The data that did exist was based on traffic-related air pollution. It looked at how pollution from cars impacted childrens' respiratory health and neural development. "But these wildfire exposures are pretty different because they're over the course of weeks instead of all year round," Schmidt says.
Further complicating the question, Schmidt says, is that wildfire does more than just release smoke. It creates stress and anxiety. People may have to flee their home. All of that can affect a person's health.
Regardless, Schmidt says nearly all of the babies in their early studies have been born looking healthy. "I think it's good for [moms] to realize that, because we mothers worry enough about everything as it is," she says.
If funding allows, Schmidt says, they're hoping to follow some of those babies as they develop, looking for more subtle or significant down-the-road effects. Right now, it's too soon to definitively say.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nathan Rott/NPR Nathan Rott/NPR
A similar long-term study is underway in Montana, where researchers are following a group of adults from a small town that was smothered by smoke for weeks during the 2017 fire season.
Early results have been troubling. Of the 95 people that were initially surveyed following the weeks-long smoke exposure, roughly one-third came back a year later to see if their lungs had recovered. They had not. In fact, for most of them lung function had declined even further. Researchers are hoping to do more surveys, but have been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Living with smoke
Despite all that is not known about the long-term health effects of wildfire smoke, researchers say one thing is clear: Smoke events are not going away. Nor should they. Wildfire is a natural and necessary process in much of the West.
"We need to have the research into ways to try and decrease the health harms associated with smoke, while still allowing for fire to exist," says Reid, the researcher from the University of Colorado. "It's needed as part of the landscape that we live in."
By better understanding who smoke most affects and how, she says, communities can take steps to protect the most vulnerable going forward.


npr--2020-10-09--Thursday's Presidential Debate Canceled After Spat Over Coronavirus Safety Concerns

The second presidential debate has been canceled , organizers confirmed , following a disagreement between the campaigns and the Commission on Presidential Debates regarding safety protocols for Thursday 's event .
`` On October 8 , CPD announced that for the health and safety of all involved , the second presidential debate , scheduled for October 15 in Miami , would be conducted virtually , '' the commission said in a statement Friday .
`` Subsequently , the campaigns of the two candidates who qualified for participation in the debate made a series of statements concerning their respective positions regarding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate on October 15 , and each now has announced alternate plans for that date .
`` It is now apparent there will be no debate on October 15 , '' the commission said .
Organizers said the final debate on Oct. 22 is still scheduled to take place at Belmont University in Nashville with testing , masking and social distancing protocols in place .
It will be a one-on-one debate moderated by NBC News correspondent Kristen Welker .
The Trump campaign on Friday responded to the commission 's decision with a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no medical reason '' to stop the debate and accusing the commission of being biased against President Trump .
`` There 's nothing that says that President Trump and Joe Biden ca n't debate together without the overlords at the commission having a say in the matter .
We would be glad to debate one-on-one without the commission 's interference , '' campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said in a statement .
The fracas surrounding debate safety regulations began following last week 's revelation that Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first official debate against his rival , Democrat Joe Biden .
Organizers on the commission moved quickly to attempt to schedule a virtual debate in lieu of the traditional in-person showing as a result of the president 's diagnosis , but Trump criticized the new format as `` a waste of time . ''
The Biden campaign responded to Trump 's refusal to participate in a virtual event , saying that the president `` clearly does not want to face questions from the voters about his failures on COVID and the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a townhall hosted by ABC News at that date in Philadelphia .
The Trump campaign is expected to hold a rally in lieu of the debate .

Thursday's Presidential Debate Canceled After Spat Over Coronavirus Safety Concerns
Enlarge this image toggle caption Olivier Douliery/Pool/Getty Images Olivier Douliery/Pool/Getty Images
Updated at 7:44 p.m. ET
The second presidential debate has been canceled, organizers confirmed, following a disagreement between the campaigns and the Commission on Presidential Debates regarding safety protocols for Thursday's event.
"On October 8, CPD announced that for the health and safety of all involved, the second presidential debate, scheduled for October 15 in Miami, would be conducted virtually," the commission said in a statement Friday.
"Subsequently, the campaigns of the two candidates who qualified for participation in the debate made a series of statements concerning their respective positions regarding their willingness to participate in a virtual debate on October 15, and each now has announced alternate plans for that date.
"It is now apparent there will be no debate on October 15," the commission said.
Organizers said the final debate on Oct. 22 is still scheduled to take place at Belmont University in Nashville with testing, masking and social distancing protocols in place. It will be a one-on-one debate moderated by NBC News correspondent Kristen Welker.
The Trump campaign on Friday responded to the commission's decision with a statement reiterating its position that there is "no medical reason" to stop the debate and accusing the commission of being biased against President Trump.
"There's nothing that says that President Trump and Joe Biden can't debate together without the overlords at the commission having a say in the matter. We would be glad to debate one-on-one without the commission's interference," campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said in a statement.
The fracas surrounding debate safety regulations began following last week's revelation that Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus, days after having traveled to Cleveland for the first official debate against his Democratic rival Biden.
Organizers on the commission moved quickly to attempt to schedule a virtual debate in lieu of the traditional in-person showing as a result of the president's diagnosis, but Trump criticized the new format as "a waste of time."
The Biden campaign responded to Trump's refusal to participate in a virtual event, saying that the president "clearly does not want to face questions from the voters about his failures on COVID and the economy."
Biden will instead participate in a town hall hosted by ABC News at that date in Philadelphia.
The Trump campaign is expected to hold a rally in lieu of the debate.


npr--2020-10-09--Spanish Government Orders State of Emergency In Madrid Region As COVID-19 Cases Rise

Spanish Government Orders State of Emergency In Madrid Region As COVID-19 Cases Rise The Spanish government has declared a state of emergency in the Madrid region , making it possible to impose new anti-coronavirus lockdown restrictions , against the strong opposition of the local government .
Tensions have heightened between the center-left national government and the center-right regional government over how to fight the new wave of COVID-19 outbreaks .
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez issued a 15-day lockdown order on Oct 2 .
Madrid President Isabel Díaz Ayuso took the issue to court and a judge in Madrid ruled in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the emergency declaration .
The new restrictions limit freedom to travel outside Madrid and eight other nearby cities that are showing an increase of infection and transmission .
Police will enforce the restrictions , according to Noticias .
Only people who have to travel for work , school or an emergency will be allowed to leave the nine cities and gatherings , even outside , will be limited to six .
`` A total lockdown in Madrid is n't possible , '' Ayuso said at a press conference .
She said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confuse people .
She 's open to working with the national government , she said , but `` we are asking for clear and simple rules . ''
Ayuso said she opposes the blanket restrictions and prefers the tailored restrictions her government had imposed .
Lockdown measures were made based on contagion levels in an area , she said , and they are working .
At the same time she said the virus is still in the region `` and it 's spreading . ''
`` Ayuso has decided not to do anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's minister of health , at a news conference .
`` We have to put in place measures to protect the health of Madrileños and to prevent the virus from spreading to other communities , '' said Illa .
He said 63 people have died in Madrid in the last week and 3,361 people are hospitalized in the city , with 498 in the ICU .
`` We can cross our arms and stand by , '' he said , `` or we can stop the virus .
We have to put restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illa said that the Madrid region has seen 258,767 COVID-19 positive cases and 1,209 deaths since the pandemic began .
Spain has one of the highest numbers of COVID-19 infections and deaths around the world , lower only to Argentina , Colombia , Russia , Brazil , India and the U.S .
The first COVID-19 case reported in Spain was on Jan. 1 and since then the country has reported 848,324 cases and 32,688 deaths , according to the Johns Hopkins dashboard .
Europe is experiencing a second wave of COVID-19 cases currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Health Organization in Europe , Dr. Hans Kluge , warned of `` a very serious situation , '' adding that `` weekly cases have exceeded those reported when the pandemic first peaked in Europe in March , '' he said .
The lockdown restrictions come on a three-day weekend as Spain observes Christopher Columbus ' arrival in the Americas on Monday .

Spanish Government Orders State of Emergency In Madrid Region As COVID-19 Cases Rise
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Spanish government has declared a state of emergency in the Madrid region, making it possible to impose new anti-coronavirus lockdown restrictions, against the strong opposition of the local government.
Tensions have heightened between the center-left national government and the center-right regional government over how to fight the new wave of COVID-19 outbreaks.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez issued a 15-day lockdown order on Oct 2. Madrid President Isabel Díaz Ayuso took the issue to court and a judge in Madrid ruled in her favor. So Sánchez followed up with the emergency declaration.
The new restrictions limit freedom to travel outside Madrid and eight other nearby cities that are showing an increase of infection and transmission.
Police will enforce the restrictions, according to Noticias. Only people who have to travel for work, school or an emergency will be allowed to leave the nine cities and gatherings, even outside, will be limited to six.
"A total lockdown in Madrid isn't possible," Ayuso said at a press conference. She said the restrictions "create chaos," and confuse people. She's open to working with the national government, she said, but "we are asking for clear and simple rules."
Ayuso said she opposes the blanket restrictions and prefers the tailored restrictions her government had imposed. Lockdown measures were made based on contagion levels in an area, she said, and they are working. At the same time she said the virus is still in the region "and it's spreading."
"Ayuso has decided not to do anything," said Salvador Illa, Spain's minister of health, at a news conference.
"We have to put in place measures to protect the health of Madrileños and to prevent the virus from spreading to other communities," said Illa. He said 63 people have died in Madrid in the last week and 3,361 people are hospitalized in the city, with 498 in the ICU.
"We can cross our arms and stand by," he said, "or we can stop the virus. We have to put restrictions in place to avoid transmission."
Illa said that the Madrid region has seen 258,767 COVID-19 positive cases and 1,209 deaths since the pandemic began.
Spain has one of the highest numbers of COVID-19 infections and deaths around the world, lower only to Argentina, Colombia, Russia, Brazil, India and the U.S. The first COVID-19 case reported in Spain was on Jan. 1 and since then the country has reported 848,324 cases and 32,688 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins dashboard.
Europe is experiencing a second wave of COVID-19 cases currently. Last month the head of the World Health Organization in Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge, warned of "a very serious situation," adding that "weekly cases have exceeded those reported when the pandemic first peaked in Europe in March," he said.
The lockdown restrictions come on a three-day weekend as Spain observes Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas on Monday.