npr--2020-05-25--Memorial Day Honor Flights Canceled Because Of Coronavirus Crisis

Thousands of people who had planned to visit war memorials in Washington , D.C. , this holiday weekend were forced to cancel this year because of the coronavirus pandemic .
That includes veterans traveling with the nonprofit network Honor Flight , which recently suspended all trips at least until this fall .
`` Our veterans that travel with us are still living , so their day is Veterans Day not Memorial Day , '' says Honor Flight CEO Meredith Rosenbeck .
`` But they go to honor their friends and comrades , those who have fallen . ''
Butch Meyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Honor Flight this spring .
He wanted to see his friend David Hollingsworth 's name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall .
`` Holly was quite the buddy , '' says Meyer , who did two combat tours .
`` I had my vehicle blown out from under me .
He was the first one to my aid .
I got evac-ed out of there , and within two or three hours he had stepped on a mine and was killed .
When you lose somebody close like that it impacts you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Meyer says he hopes to go in the fall .
For some , that could be too long to wait .
At 100 years old , Navy nurse Ruth Gunther is hoping she 'll have a chance to make the trip to Washington whenever flights resume .
She joined up in 1942 and worked treating troops wounded in the Pacific .
`` One thing you miss when you get out of the service is that camaraderie that you had , '' she says , `` Everybody that I knew well and kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Telling the World War II veterans that the trip was off , was the worst , says Honor Flight 's Rosenbeck .
`` We know some of our vets wo n't make it even to the fall if that 's when we can fly again , but we knew also our priority is the safety of our veterans , '' she said .
For some of the vets , making the trip is part of taking care of their health .
`` About 10 years ago , my counselor at the VA hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' says Vietnam vet Leland Shiro .
`` I was having so much difficulty emotionally — flashbacks , my sleeping , all that stuff . ''
Shiro 's counselor advised him to go see the Vietnam memorial wall to help master his trauma .
Ten years and a few aborted trips later , he was finally ready to go with Honor Flight .
Then the pandemic cancelled his trip .
Now 71 , Shiro says he needs to make sure he does n't use this as another excuse to avoid facing his demons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's just one more opportunity to not go , say , 'It ai n't gon na happen , I quit , ' `` Shiro says .
`` But you know , I ca n't do that this time . ''
For all their disappointment this year , veterans know something about the common good , says Meyer , the Vietnam veteran .
`` I do n't want to be the person who goes out in the street and infects six other people , '' he says .
`` My place is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make other people safe .
That 's something we learned in the Marine Corps .
You protect your comrades . ''

Memorial Day Honor Flights Canceled Because Of Coronavirus Crisis
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP
Thousands of people who had planned to visit war memorials in Washington, D.C., this holiday weekend were forced to cancel this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. That includes veterans traveling with the nonprofit network Honor Flight, which recently suspended all trips at least until this fall.
"Our veterans that travel with us are still living, so their day is Veterans Day not Memorial Day," says Honor Flight CEO Meredith Rosenbeck. "But they go to honor their friends and comrades, those who have fallen."
Butch Meyer, 73, was scheduled to fly with Honor Flight this spring. He wanted to see his friend David Hollingsworth's name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall.
"Holly was quite the buddy," says Meyer, who did two combat tours. "I had my vehicle blown out from under me. He was the first one to my aid. I got evac-ed out of there, and within two or three hours he had stepped on a mine and was killed. When you lose somebody close like that it impacts you for the rest of your life."
Meyer says he hopes to go in the fall. For some, that could be too long to wait. At 100 years old, Navy nurse Ruth Gunther is hoping she'll have a chance to make the trip to Washington whenever flights resume. She joined up in 1942 and worked treating troops wounded in the Pacific.
"One thing you miss when you get out of the service is that camaraderie that you had," she says, "Everybody that I knew well and kept up with already passed away."
Telling the World War II veterans that the trip was off, was the worst, says Honor Flight's Rosenbeck.
"We know some of our vets won't make it even to the fall if that's when we can fly again, but we knew also our priority is the safety of our veterans," she said.
For some of the vets, making the trip is part of taking care of their health.
"About 10 years ago, my counselor at the VA hospital said I needed to do something," says Vietnam vet Leland Shiro. "I was having so much difficulty emotionally — flashbacks, my sleeping, all that stuff."
Shiro's counselor advised him to go see the Vietnam memorial wall to help master his trauma. Ten years and a few aborted trips later, he was finally ready to go with Honor Flight. Then the pandemic cancelled his trip. Now 71, Shiro says he needs to make sure he doesn't use this as another excuse to avoid facing his demons.
"What it amounts to is it's just one more opportunity to not go, say, 'It ain't gonna happen, I quit,' " Shiro says. "But you know, I can't do that this time."
For all their disappointment this year, veterans know something about the common good, says Meyer, the Vietnam veteran.
"I don't want to be the person who goes out in the street and infects six other people," he says. "My place is to take care and be safe and to make other people safe. That's something we learned in the Marine Corps. You protect your comrades."


npr--2020-05-25--Art Of The New Deal: How Artists Helped Redefine America During The Depression

Art Of The New Deal : How Artists Helped Redefine America During The Depression The Great Depression challenged Americans not just with horrifically high unemployment , but ideological divides not utterly unlike the ones we face today .
Today , poll after poll show the country deeply split on major issues .
Racism , Islamophobia and anti-Semitism are on the rise .
Back then , the labor movement was burgeoning ; so was membership in the Ku Klux Klan .
Rampant anti-Semitism informed powerful public figures such as Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh , and millions of people listened as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in favor of fascism in his weekly radio broadcasts .
Meanwhile , black people were excluded from segregated soup kitchens as African American unemployment hovered around 50 percent .
When the Roosevelt administration rolled out tens of millions of dollars during the New Deal to fund artists , musicians , writers and actors , its mission was more than just job creation .
It wanted to create a version of American culture that everyone could rally behind .
Music , art classes , posters , plays and photography funded by the federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turmoil .
Working for the Farm Security Administration , photographers Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans took empathetic photos of rural white sharecroppers .
Gordon Parks documented the resilient faces of Washington , D.C. 's black working class .
Composer Aaron Copland was commissioned by the Works Progress Administration to write Quiet City for the Group Theatre in 1939 .
Painter Jackson Pollock was stealing food from pushcarts before he was hired by the WPA 's famed murals division .
And writer Ralph Ellison used language from the oral histories he recorded for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ novel The Invisible Man .
Only seven percent of its budget went to federal arts and history projects , but the WPA paid artists a living wage , says Ann Prentice Wagner , who co-curated the 2009 Smithsonian exhibition 1934 : A New Deal For Artists .
Musicians , writers and other artists were hired at various wage levels , according to their abilities .
`` People who were master artists might make as much as forty-five dollars a week , '' Wagner says .
Adjusting for inflation , that 's equivalent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was at a time when laborers like longshoreman might be making 10 cents an hour or maybe even a dollar or two a day . ''
At a time when many Americans felt they had little in common , the WPA assured them of a vital , shared cultural identity through theater , art and music , says Lauren Sklaroff , a history professor at the University of South Carolina .
`` Many Americans had not ever seen a live play , listened to a symphony that was live , had never visited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` So the idea behind the federal arts project was to bring art to the masses so that America would have a common lexicon to draw from , in terms what culture meant . ''
That culture might mean broadcasting African American gospel choirs nationally on the radio through WPA auspices , or hiring a young Mark Rothko to paint .
Richard Wright contributed to the WPA 's guide to New York City .
John Cheever hated working as an editor for the Federal Writers ' Project , but the job helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Welles staged a celebrated version of Macbeth for the Federal Theatre Project with an all-black cast that ended up touring the country .
( You can see parts of it here . )
`` The Roosevelt administration had a cabinet of African Americans advising them on racial issues , and so the same was mirrored in these arts projects , '' Sklaroff says .
While often problematic , she stresses , these programs were also progressive for their era .
Teams of documentarians , black and white , recorded oral histories from formerly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uneven at best , the records are now an important collection in the Library of Congress and form the basis of much contemporary study on slavery .
Among the out-of-work teachers , ministers and secretaries hired by the Federal Writers ' Project to record songs and stories in various communities was a young anthropologist .
Zora Neale Hurston had recently written a novel — Their Eyes Were Watching God — and recorded the songs of workers in Florida turpentine camps .
Her boss , Stetson Kennedy , would later achieve national fame for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their secrets .
`` The generation that was saved by that funding turned out to be the greatest and most acclaimed in the history of American art , '' asserts Ann Prentice Wagner .
Indeed , it 's difficult to quantify the ongoing benefits of the WPA 's arts programs .
Its murals still decorate city halls , post offices and public schools ( not without controversy ) and hundreds of the community arts centers it established are still in existence across the country .
Critics denounced these projects as propaganda , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story , it 's wishful thinking to imagine the WPA arts programs could be revived anytime soon .
To Wagner , though , their relevance has never been clearer .
`` How do we know what we 've got this time around ? ''
she wonders .
`` How do we know what creative minds could be working on right now unless we give them a chance ? ''
It 's highly unlikely that the current government would fund murals of front-line workers , grocery store clerks , meat packers or Amazon warehouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nor is public art needed as badly as PPEs , or a vaccine for COVID-19 .
Still , Wagner points out that paying people to find and tell stories promoting shared American values might help with another sickness the country suffers from right now .

Art Of The New Deal: How Artists Helped Redefine America During The Depression
Enlarge this image toggle caption Carol M. Highsmith/The Jon B. Lovelace Collection of California Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith's America Project, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division Carol M. Highsmith/The Jon B. Lovelace Collection of California Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith's America Project, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
The Great Depression challenged Americans not just with horrifically high unemployment, but ideological divides not utterly unlike the ones we face today. Today, poll after poll show the country deeply split on major issues. Racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism are on the rise. Back then, the labor movement was burgeoning; so was membership in the Ku Klux Klan. Rampant anti-Semitism informed powerful public figures such as Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh, and millions of people listened as Father Charles Coughlin railed against immigrants and in favor of fascism in his weekly radio broadcasts. Meanwhile, black people were excluded from segregated soup kitchens as African American unemployment hovered around 50 percent.
When the Roosevelt administration rolled out tens of millions of dollars during the New Deal to fund artists, musicians, writers and actors, its mission was more than just job creation. It wanted to create a version of American culture that everyone could rally behind. Music, art classes, posters, plays and photography funded by the federal government were supposed to unite a nation in turmoil.
Working for the Farm Security Administration, photographers Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans took empathetic photos of rural white sharecroppers. Gordon Parks documented the resilient faces of Washington, D.C.'s black working class.
Composer Aaron Copland was commissioned by the Works Progress Administration to write Quiet City for the Group Theatre in 1939. Painter Jackson Pollock was stealing food from pushcarts before he was hired by the WPA's famed murals division. And writer Ralph Ellison used language from the oral histories he recorded for the WPA in Harlem in his later groundbreaking novel The Invisible Man.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gordon Parks/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Gordon Parks/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Only seven percent of its budget went to federal arts and history projects, but the WPA paid artists a living wage, says Ann Prentice Wagner, who co-curated the 2009 Smithsonian exhibition 1934: A New Deal For Artists. Musicians, writers and other artists were hired at various wage levels, according to their abilities. "People who were master artists might make as much as forty-five dollars a week," Wagner says. Adjusting for inflation, that's equivalent to $855 in 2020. "This was at a time when laborers like longshoreman might be making 10 cents an hour or maybe even a dollar or two a day."
toggle caption Franklin D. Roosevelt Library / National Archives
At a time when many Americans felt they had little in common, the WPA assured them of a vital, shared cultural identity through theater, art and music, says Lauren Sklaroff, a history professor at the University of South Carolina. "Many Americans had not ever seen a live play, listened to a symphony that was live, had never visited an art museum," she says. "So the idea behind the federal arts project was to bring art to the masses so that America would have a common lexicon to draw from, in terms what culture meant."
That culture might mean broadcasting African American gospel choirs nationally on the radio through WPA auspices, or hiring a young Mark Rothko to paint. Richard Wright contributed to the WPA's guide to New York City. John Cheever hated working as an editor for the Federal Writers' Project, but the job helped establish his writing career. Director Orson Welles staged a celebrated version of Macbeth for the Federal Theatre Project with an all-black cast that ended up touring the country. (You can see parts of it here.)
More From The Library Of Congress Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936 to 1938
"The Roosevelt administration had a cabinet of African Americans advising them on racial issues, and so the same was mirrored in these arts projects," Sklaroff says. While often problematic, she stresses, these programs were also progressive for their era. Teams of documentarians, black and white, recorded oral histories from formerly enslaved Americans. While the results are uneven at best, the records are now an important collection in the Library of Congress and form the basis of much contemporary study on slavery.
Among the out-of-work teachers, ministers and secretaries hired by the Federal Writers' Project to record songs and stories in various communities was a young anthropologist. Zora Neale Hurston had recently written a novel — Their Eyes Were Watching God — and recorded the songs of workers in Florida turpentine camps. Her boss, Stetson Kennedy, would later achieve national fame for infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan and exposing their secrets.
"The generation that was saved by that funding turned out to be the greatest and most acclaimed in the history of American art," asserts Ann Prentice Wagner. Indeed, it's difficult to quantify the ongoing benefits of the WPA's arts programs. Its murals still decorate city halls, post offices and public schools (not without controversy) and hundreds of the community arts centers it established are still in existence across the country. Critics denounced these projects as propaganda, and according to arts leaders interviewed for this story, it's wishful thinking to imagine the WPA arts programs could be revived anytime soon. To Wagner, though , their relevance has never been clearer. "How do we know what we've got this time around?" she wonders. "How do we know what creative minds could be working on right now unless we give them a chance?"
More On The WPA From 'Here & Now' What The Depression-Era Works Progress Administration Can Teach Us About The Arts During A Crisis
It's highly unlikely that the current government would fund murals of front-line workers, grocery store clerks, meat packers or Amazon warehouse laborers on the walls of civic institutions. Nor is public art needed as badly as PPEs, or a vaccine for COVID-19. Still, Wagner points out that paying people to find and tell stories promoting shared American values might help with another sickness the country suffers from right now.


npr--2020-05-25--Here's How The Pandemic Is Changing America's Plans For Its Newest Spaceship

Here 's How The Pandemic Is Changing America 's Plans For Its Newest Spaceship This week , NASA and the commercial company SpaceX are set to launch two astronauts to the International Space Station ( ISS ) in a new capsule .
This is the first launch by NASA of astronauts from U.S. soil in nearly a decade , but it 's happening in the middle of a pandemic .
Here are some of the ways that the coronavirus will , and wo n't , change the plans for the space agency 's latest launch .
Astronauts have been quarantining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades , astronauts have avoided illness before flying by entering into quarantine ahead of their missions .
Even a minor illness on Earth has the potential to cause big problems in space , says Serena Auñón-Chancellor , a NASA astronaut and associate professor of internal medicine at Louisiana State University Health in Baton Rouge .
`` Those common cold symptoms , you do n't want to bring to the space station , they 're not fun to deal with up there . ''
Auñón-Chancellor herself was quarantined for 18 days in Kazakhstan before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Some people we would see from behind glass , '' she recalls .
The quarantine procedures are actually a little easier to implement in the middle of the pandemic .
Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have spent two weeks in quarantine ahead of their launch , according to Rob Mulcahy , a NASA flight surgeon in charge of the pre-launch quarantine program .
But this time around , stay-at-home rules have actually allowed the astronauts to spend their first week in their own houses .
`` Because the families are able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to stay at home , '' Mulcahy says .
But bigger changes are being required of those working on the launch from Earth .
There have been two reported cases of coronavirus infection in employees at the Kennedy Space Center ( KSC ) , where the launch will take place .
Neither is believed to be linked to work at the center .
Nevertheless , officials at KSC say that they are taking appropriate steps and providing masks and hand sanitizer to workers as needed .
SpaceX too is taking steps to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks and social distancing in certain areas .
And at mission control in Houston , Texas , Mulcahy says they 've activated a back-up control room , so that different shifts do n't have to operate the same equipment in case of contamination .
Once they 're up , the astronauts will be winning social distancing .
At 250 miles above the surface of the planet , the space station is the ultimate stay-at-home locale .
`` Once you get to ISS and you do n't bring any viruses with you , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point , '' Auñón-Chancellor says .
Hurley and Behnken will join Chris Cassidy , and cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner , who traveled to the station in early April .
But the space station is not as sterile as one might think .
After years of astronauts travelling aloft , and carrying microbes with them , the station is now home to numerous different kinds of ( mostly ) benign bacteria and fungi .
Space fans will have to watch from home .
Normally , rocket nuts and well-wishers would crowd Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of astronaut launches from the Kennedy Space Center .
But NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is discouraging crowds from attending this launch .
`` We 're asking people not to travel to Kennedy , but to watch online , '' Bridenstine said in a news conference earlier this month .
Fortunately , the entire event will be streamed live on NASA TV .

Here's How The Pandemic Is Changing America's Plans For Its Newest Spaceship
Enlarge this image toggle caption SpaceX SpaceX
This week, NASA and the commercial company SpaceX are set to launch two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in a new capsule. This is the first launch by NASA of astronauts from U.S. soil in nearly a decade, but it's happening in the middle of a pandemic.
Here are some of the ways that the coronavirus will, and won't, change the plans for the space agency's latest launch.
Astronauts have been quarantining since before it was cool.
toggle caption Andrey Shelepin/GCTC/NASA
For decades, astronauts have avoided illness before flying by entering into quarantine ahead of their missions.
Even a minor illness on Earth has the potential to cause big problems in space, says Serena Auñón-Chancellor, a NASA astronaut and associate professor of internal medicine at Louisiana State University Health in Baton Rouge. "Those common cold symptoms, you don't want to bring to the space station, they're not fun to deal with up there."
Auñón-Chancellor herself was quarantined for 18 days in Kazakhstan before her 2018 mission to the station. "Some people we would see from behind glass," she recalls.
The quarantine procedures are actually a little easier to implement in the middle of the pandemic. Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have spent two weeks in quarantine ahead of their launch, according to Rob Mulcahy, a NASA flight surgeon in charge of the pre-launch quarantine program. But this time around, stay-at-home rules have actually allowed the astronauts to spend their first week in their own houses. "Because the families are able to quarantine with them, they're able to stay at home," Mulcahy says.
But bigger changes are being required of those working on the launch from Earth.
There have been two reported cases of coronavirus infection in employees at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), where the launch will take place. Neither is believed to be linked to work at the center.
Nevertheless, officials at KSC say that they are taking appropriate steps and providing masks and hand sanitizer to workers as needed. SpaceX too is taking steps to keep its workforce safe — including using masks and social distancing in certain areas. And at mission control in Houston, Texas, Mulcahy says they've activated a back-up control room, so that different shifts don't have to operate the same equipment in case of contamination.
Once they're up, the astronauts will be winning social distancing.
At 250 miles above the surface of the planet, the space station is the ultimate stay-at-home locale. "Once you get to ISS and you don't bring any viruses with you, you're pretty darn safe from that time point," Auñón-Chancellor says.
Hurley and Behnken will join Chris Cassidy, and cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner, who traveled to the station in early April.
But the space station is not as sterile as one might think. After years of astronauts travelling aloft, and carrying microbes with them, the station is now home to numerous different kinds of (mostly) benign bacteria and fungi.
Space fans will have to watch from home.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Phil Sandlin/AP Phil Sandlin/AP
Normally, rocket nuts and well-wishers would crowd Florida's Space Coast to see the return of astronaut launches from the Kennedy Space Center. But NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is discouraging crowds from attending this launch.
"We're asking people not to travel to Kennedy, but to watch online," Bridenstine said in a news conference earlier this month.
Fortunately, the entire event will be streamed live on NASA TV.
Additional reporting by Brendan Byrne of WFME.


npr--2020-05-26--VIDEO: Virus Hunters Seek To Solve The Mystery Of Coronavirus Origins

VIDEO : Virus Hunters Seek To Solve The Mystery Of Coronavirus Origins Scientists have learned a great deal about how the novel coronavirus spreads .
But one of the mysteries they 're still trying to untangle is where the virus , known as SARS-CoV-2 , came from in the first place .
Scientific evidence points overwhelmingly to wildlife — and to bats as the most likely origin point .
Bats are critically important for pollinating flowers and dispersing seeds .
They catch bugs , the same ones that bite us and eat some of our crops .
But bats also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diseases — those caused by germs that spread between animals and people .
The rabies virus , the Marburg virus , the Hendra and Nipah viruses all find a natural reservoir in bats , meaning those viruses can live in bats without harming them .
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa was traced to a bat colony .
The SARS virus originates in bats , along with other coronaviruses .
And now , SARS-CoV-2 is linked to bats too .
The virus has a 96 % genetic similarity to coronavirus samples previously found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been on the rise for decades .
The CDC estimates that six out of ten infectious diseases in people come from animals .
Increased human interactions with animals through land development that destroys habitat , agricultural practices and livestock and wildlife trade have created a perfect storm for emerging diseases to appear throughout the world , pathogens both previously known and completely novel .
There is not enough genetic evidence to know how precisely this particular coronavirus transmitted from animals ( likely bats ) to humans , and whether an intermediate animal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Further genetic testing and evidence is needed to fully know where this coronavirus came from .
The work of virus hunting — of tracking an outbreak to its origin point — can take years .
The 2003 outbreak of SARS , for instance , took a decade of detective work , sampling the feces , urine , or blood of thousands of horseshoe bats across China until a match was found .

VIDEO: Virus Hunters Seek To Solve The Mystery Of Coronavirus Origins
Michael Zamora and Ben de la Cruz/NPR YouTube
Scientists have learned a great deal about how the novel coronavirus spreads. But one of the mysteries they're still trying to untangle is where the virus, known as SARS-CoV-2, came from in the first place. Scientific evidence points overwhelmingly to wildlife — and to bats as the most likely origin point.
Bats are critically important for pollinating flowers and dispersing seeds. They catch bugs, the same ones that bite us and eat some of our crops. But bats also harbor some of the toughest known zoonotic diseases — those caused by germs that spread between animals and people.
The rabies virus, the Marburg virus, the Hendra and Nipah viruses all find a natural reservoir in bats, meaning those viruses can live in bats without harming them. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa was traced to a bat colony. The SARS virus originates in bats, along with other coronaviruses. And now, SARS-CoV-2 is linked to bats too. The virus has a 96% genetic similarity to coronavirus samples previously found in bats.
Globally, zoonotic diseases have been on the rise for decades. The CDC estimates that six out of ten infectious diseases in people come from animals. Increased human interactions with animals through land development that destroys habitat, agricultural practices and livestock and wildlife trade have created a perfect storm for emerging diseases to appear throughout the world, pathogens both previously known and completely novel.
There is not enough genetic evidence to know how precisely this particular coronavirus transmitted from animals (likely bats) to humans, and whether an intermediate animal was involved in the chain of transmission. Further genetic testing and evidence is needed to fully know where this coronavirus came from. The work of virus hunting — of tracking an outbreak to its origin point — can take years. The 2003 outbreak of SARS, for instance, took a decade of detective work, sampling the feces, urine, or blood of thousands of horseshoe bats across China until a match was found.


npr--2020-05-26--Behind The Scenes, Presidential Transition Planning Is Underway

Behind The Scenes , Presidential Transition Planning Is Underway The 2020 presidential election is more than five months away .
So it may seem a bit early to think about — much less prepare for — a possible presidential transition .
But under law , and behind the scenes , that 's just what the Trump administration and staffers for the presumptive Democratic nominee , Joe Biden , have begun to do .
In part it 's to avoid recreating the famous scene from the 1972 movie The Candidate , in which the character played by Robert Redford has surprised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate race .
On election night , he turns to his campaign manager and asks , `` Marvin , what do we do now ? ''
Chris Lu , executive director of former President Barack Obama 's transition in the 2008 presidential campaign , said he and Obama were both aware of that scene , and planned accordingly .
`` We did not want to be declaring victory on election night in 2008 and not know what the next step was , '' he says .
`` And it 's one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Lu says the process was a bit different 12 years ago .
`` That was during a much different time , where transitions were largely done under the radar , '' he says .
`` It was considered unseemly to plan a transition .
It was considered measuring the drapes .
Now , previous presidential candidates had all planned transitions , but it was n't done openly . ''
But now it is .
Since 2008 , Congress has approved laws formalizing the process and ensuring there is buy-in from the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the campaign .
And no , it 's not too early , according to David Marchick , who directs the Center for Presidential Transition .
`` A transition project is a huge , huge undertaking , whether President Trump wins reelection or whether [ former ] Vice President Biden wins , '' he says .
`` If Biden wins , he 'll need to appoint 4,000 people , 1,200 of whom need to get confirmed . ''
If Trump wins reelection , Marchick says , `` history shows that almost half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inauguration leave within six months . ''
Earlier this month , as required , the Trump administration named a coordinating council , led by new chief of staff Mark Meadows , to organize the White House 's transition efforts and deal with the Biden campaign .
And the Office of Management and Budget sent a note to agencies telling them to get ready .
Biden has told supporters that his campaign is making plans , too .
Part of the reason for all of the advance work is that a transition is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kumar , who heads the White House Transition Project , says that lesson was learned in 2001 .
`` There were many vacancies in positions in the whole national security area when the attacks occurred on Sept. 11 , '' Kumar says .
`` So they wanted to move up the preparations so that a president-elect has a group of people that have already gotten their security clearances and are ready to go . ''
And the unique circumstances of this year 's coronavirus pandemic , Kumar says , raise their own set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibility of a second wave and that second wave could be occurring around the time of an election , '' she says .
`` So there 's a lot of thought that has to go into it , '' even including preparing office space .
The General Services Administration has allocated space in the Commerce Department building in Washington , D.C. , for the Biden transition team .
Marchick says it 's even possible that the pandemic may necessitate a virtual transition this year , on top of everything else .
`` Today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Great Depression , '' he says .
`` We add to that a health crisis .
We 're in a highly polarized political environment . ''
He says that combination may make this transition the most consequential since 1932 , when Franklin Roosevelt succeeded Herbert Hoover .
Former Obama transition director Lu says the key thing to prepare for in a presidential transition is the unexpected .
Obama was elected in the middle of the Great Recession , for example .
Lu says the transition team had prepared work in `` a dozen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from immigration to education to health care .
But obviously , as the fall of 2008 moved along , the most important thing was getting the economy back up and running . ''
Lu says transition officials `` need to prepare , but you also need to understand that things change , and you need to be nimble . ''

Behind The Scenes, Presidential Transition Planning Is Underway
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP
The 2020 presidential election is more than five months away. So it may seem a bit early to think about — much less prepare for — a possible presidential transition.
But under law, and behind the scenes, that's just what the Trump administration and staffers for the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, have begun to do.
In part it's to avoid re-creating the famous scene from the 1972 movie The Candidate, in which the character played by Robert Redford has surprised himself and everyone else by wining a Senate race. On election night, he turns to his campaign manager and asks, "Marvin, what do we do now?"
Chris Lu, executive director of former President Barack Obama's transition in the 2008 presidential campaign, said he and Obama were both aware of that scene and planned accordingly.
"We did not want to be declaring victory on election night in 2008 and not know what the next step was," he says. "And it's one of the reasons we started planning so early."
Lu says the process was a bit different 12 years ago.
"That was during a much different time, where transitions were largely done under the radar," he says. "It was considered unseemly to plan a transition. It was considered measuring the drapes. Now, previous presidential candidates had all planned transitions, but it wasn't done openly."
Now it is.
Since 2008, Congress has approved laws formalizing the process and ensuring there is buy-in from the two major candidates, even at this stage of the campaign.
And no, it's not too early, according to David Marchick, who directs the Center for Presidential Transition.
"A transition project is a huge, huge undertaking, whether President Trump wins reelection or whether [former] Vice President Biden wins," he says.
"If Biden wins, he'll need to appoint 4,000 people, 1,200 of whom need to get confirmed." If Trump wins reelection, Marchick says, "history shows that almost half of the officials in office at the second inauguration leave within six months."
Earlier this month, as required, the Trump administration named a coordinating council, led by new chief of staff Mark Meadows, to organize the White House's transition efforts and deal with the Biden campaign. And the Office of Management and Budget sent a note to agencies telling them to get ready. Biden has told supporters that his campaign is making plans, too.
Part of the reason for all of the advance work is that a transition is a vulnerable time for government. Martha Joynt Kumar, who heads the White House Transition Project, says that lesson was learned in 2001.
"There were many vacancies in positions in the whole national security area when the attacks occurred on Sept. 11," Kumar says. "So they wanted to move up the preparations so that a president-elect has a group of people that have already gotten their security clearances and are ready to go."
The unique circumstances of this year's coronavirus pandemic, Kumar says, raise their own set of issues.
"There is a possibility of a second wave and that second wave could be occurring around the time of an election," she says. "So there's a lot of thought that has to go into it," even including preparing office space.
The General Services Administration has allocated space in the Commerce Department building in Washington, D.C., for the Biden transition team.
Marchick says it's even possible that the pandemic may necessitate a virtual transition this year, on top of everything else.
"Today we have the worst unemployment since the Great Depression," he says. "We add to that a health crisis. We're in a highly polarized political environment."
He says that combination may make this transition the most consequential since 1932, when Franklin Roosevelt succeeded Herbert Hoover.
Former Obama transition director Lu says the key thing to prepare for in a presidential transition is the unexpected. Obama was elected in the middle of the Great Recession, for example.
Lu says the transition team had prepared work in "a dozen or 15 different policy areas, everything from immigration to education to health care. But obviously, as the fall of 2008 moved along, the most important thing was getting the economy back up and running."
Lu says transition officials "need to prepare, but you also need to understand that things change, and you need to be nimble."


npr--2020-05-26--Pandemic Puts A Crimp On Voter Registration, Potentially Altering Electorate

No door to door canvassing .
Public gatherings are canceled .
Motor vehicle offices are closed .
Naturalization ceremonies are on hiatus .
Almost every place where Americans usually register to vote has been out of reach since March and it 's led to a big drop in new registrations right before a presidential election that was expected to see record turnout .
The consequences of that decline could reshape the electorate ahead of the November election , although it 's not yet clear how .
Four years ago , organizers for the progressive group New Virginia Majority were able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributed to Hillary Clinton 's victory in the state and Democrats ' subsequent takeover of the state legislature .
But this year , in the middle of a pandemic ?
`` The rules of engagement have been completely upended , '' said Tram Nguyen , New Virginia Majority 's co executive director .
`` We 're not able to walk the neighborhood streets .
We 're not able to set up tables at community centers and places where it 's easy to reach people in community .
So organizers have still continued to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It looks a lot different , '' she said .
The group is now reaching people online , mostly over social media and video chats , but Nguyen doubts that they 'll be able to register as many new voters this year as they did in 2016 .
Across the country , other interest groups , political parties and election officials are running into similar hurdles .
Until the pandemic struck , the 2020 presidential election had been on track to see a huge surge in new voters .
According to data from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter registrations in January and February of this year far outpaced those in 2016 .
But since the virus hit , new registrations are falling around the country .
After a record increase in January , Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams was disappointed that registrations in his state almost flat-lined .
`` February we had a net 7,000 new registrations .
And in March we had a net 500 new registrations , '' said Adams , a Republican .
In April , the state 's voter rolls shrank by more than 1,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kentuckians can register online .
But Adams said it 's not the same as , say , going to a booth at the state fair .
`` People can still register , the government 's not closed , but without that personal contact , with people encouraging their friends to register , that 's why we 've seen such a big drop-off , '' he said .
Kentucky is hardly alone .
Virginia saw 73 % fewer registrations last month than it did four years ago .
Officials said one reason is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where voters routinely register .
North Carolina had a similar decline and has expanded online registration to pick up some of the slack .
Political parties , which often take an outsize role in registering new voters , have also adjusted .
In Texas , where online registration is not allowed , the state 's Democrats launched a website last month that provides a registration form with a postage-paid envelope to send it in as part of their goal of registering a million new voters .
Texas Republicans are doing the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they started before the pandemic .
`` In fact , we have seen our voter registration counts continue to increase and our volunteer count continue to increase , '' said Dickey , who added that the Texas GOP is well on its way to reaching its goal of registering at least 100,000 new voters .
Dickey thinks the pandemic has probably had more impact on some of the party 's other activities .
`` It was our plan to be doing all of our voter persuasion and voter turnout efforts in person , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing it over the phone .
Organizers of both parties say they always try to meet voters where they are but now that means reaching them at home and online .
One group that 's benefiting is the nonprofit Vote.org , which uses technology to register and mobilize voters .
`` We 're having an avalanche of people come to us , '' as a result of groups ditching their in-person campaigns , said Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey .
The group has helped register more than a half million people so far this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters and people of color .
One hurdle , Hailey says , are requirements in some states that voters register by mail and provide photocopies of their ID .
`` We used to point people to a library if you did n't have a printer , and say go to your nearest library , get them to print it out , but you know libraries are closed right now , '' she said .
The big question is how all this will affect the November election .
Most people can still register until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unclear whether the losses so far this year can be made up in the fall .
The general belief is that Democrats benefit the most by signing up new voters , but that 's not necessarily true .
What matters most is who ends up casting ballots .
Tram Nguyen of New Virginia Majority says one thing that 's been lost in the pandemic is the bond her organizers have with the people they register in person , a relationship that helps them make sure these new voters actually show up and vote @

Pandemic Puts A Crimp On Voter Registration, Potentially Altering Electorate
Enlarge this image toggle caption Dominick Reuter/AFP via Getty Images Dominick Reuter/AFP via Getty Images
No door-to-door canvassing. Public gatherings are canceled. Motor vehicle offices are closed. Naturalization ceremonies are on hiatus.
Almost every place where Americans usually register to vote has been out of reach since March and it's led to a big drop in new registrations right before a presidential election that was expected to see record turnout.
The consequences of that decline could reshape the electorate ahead of the November election, although it's not yet clear how.
Four years ago, organizers for the progressive group New Virginia Majority were able to register 120,000 new voters, who contributed to Hillary Clinton's victory in the state and Democrats' subsequent takeover of the state legislature.
But this year, in the middle of a pandemic?
"The rules of engagement have been completely upended," said Tram Nguyen, New Virginia Majority's co-executive director.
"We're not able to walk the neighborhood streets. We're not able to set up tables at community centers and places where it's easy to reach people in [the] community. So organizers have still continued to do the work around engaging folks. It looks a lot different," she said.
The group is now reaching people online, mostly over social media and video chats, but Nguyen doubts that they'll be able to register as many new voters this year as they did in 2016.
Across the country, other interest groups, political parties and election officials are running into similar hurdles.
Until the pandemic struck, the 2020 presidential election had been on track to see a huge surge in new voters. According to data from the Democratic voter targeting firm TargetSmart, voter registrations in January and February of this year far outpaced those in 2016.
Loading...
But since the virus hit, new registrations are falling around the country. After a record increase in January, Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams was disappointed that registrations in his state almost flatlined.
"February we had a net 7,000 new registrations. And in March we had a net 500 new registrations," said Adams, a Republican. In April, the state's voter rolls shrank by more than 1,000.
Like voters in many states, Kentuckians can register online. But Adams said it's not the same as, say, going to a booth at the state fair.
"People can still register, the government's not closed, but without that personal contact, with people encouraging their friends to register, that's why we've seen such a big drop-off," he said.
Kentucky is hardly alone. Virginia saw 73% fewer registrations last month than it did four years ago. Officials said one reason is the shutdown of Department of Motor Vehicle offices, where voters routinely register. North Carolina had a similar decline and has expanded online registration to pick up some of the slack.
Political parties, which often take an outsize role in registering new voters, have also adjusted.
In Texas, where online registration is not allowed, the state's Democrats launched a website last month that provides a registration form with a postage-paid envelope to send it in as part of their goal of registering a million new voters.
Texas Republicans are doing the same, although party chair James Dickey says they started before the pandemic.
"In fact, we have seen our voter registration counts continue to increase and our volunteer count continue to increase," said Dickey, who added that the Texas GOP is well on its way to reaching its goal of registering at least 100,000 new voters.
Dickey thinks the pandemic has probably had more impact on some of the party's other activities. "It was our plan to be doing all of our voter persuasion and voter turnout efforts in person," he said. They're now doing it over the phone.
Organizers of both parties say they always try to meet voters where they are, but now that means reaching them at home and online.
One group that's benefiting is the nonprofit Vote.org, which uses technology to register and mobilize voters.
"We're having an avalanche of people come to us" as a result of groups ditching their in-person campaigns, said Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey.
The group has helped register more than a half million people so far this year, with a focus on young voters and people of color.
One hurdle, Hailey says, are requirements in some states that voters register by mail and provide photocopies of their ID.
"We used to point people to a library if you didn't have a printer, and say go to your nearest library, get them to print it out, but you know libraries are closed right now," she said.
The big question is how all this will affect the November election. Most people can still register until shortly before Election Day and it's unclear whether the losses so far this year can be made up in the fall.
The general belief is that Democrats benefit the most by signing up new voters, but that's not necessarily true. What matters most is who ends up casting ballots.
Nguyen of New Virginia Majority says one thing that's been lost in the pandemic is the bond her organizers have with the people they register in person, a relationship that helps them make sure these new voters actually show up and vote.


npr--2020-05-26--As COVID-19 Cuts Deadly Path Through Indiana Prisons, Inmates Say Symptoms Ignored

As COVID-19 Cuts Deadly Path Through Indiana Prisons , Inmates Say Symptoms Ignored Scottie Edwards died of COVID-19 just weeks before he would have gotten out of the Westville Correctional Facility in Indiana .
Edwards , 73 , began showing symptoms of the disease in early April , according to the accounts of three inmates who lived with him in a dormitory .
He was short of breath , had chest pain , and could barely talk .
He was also dizzy , sweaty and throwing up .
Edwards was serving a 40-year sentence for attempting to kill someone in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to home detention on May 1 , but died on April 13 .
The next day the Indiana Department of Correction sent out a statement that indicated Edwards ' symptoms came on suddenly : `` The offender , a male over the age of 70 , who did not have indications of illness , reported experiencing chest pains and trouble breathing on Monday . ''
Edwards ' fellow inmates dispute the statement and say he had been seeking medical attention at the prison for days before he died .
Since the start of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have contradicted state officials about the conditions inside Indiana prisons .
Many inmates report they 've had no way to protect themselves from close contact with other inmates and staff members .
They believe contracting the disease is inevitable .
Indeed , 85 % percent of the prisoners tested at Westville have been positive for the virus .
Many of them were housed in the same dorm as Edwards .
As of May 22 , at least 18 Indiana prisoners have died from confirmed or presumed coronavirus infections , and 650 inmates have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while the state has maintained that it isolates men and women with symptoms , inmates say even severely ill prisoners have been left in their dorms until it is too late .
Their accounts call into question efforts to contain the virus , along with the care inmates receive once they have it .
`` [ Edwards ] had been sick for approximately about a week and a half , '' says one inmate named Josh .
Josh allowed a family member to record a call about Edwards , and he asked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because he fears retaliation from prison staff .
His fellow prisoners say Edwards could n't even make it to see medical staff on his own — they pushed him in a wheelchair .
Each time , he was sent back to his quarters .
`` Those bastards said I 'm fine , I just need to drink water and rest , '' Josh recounted Edwards saying .
`` I 'm clearly not fine — I ca n't breathe . ''
Another prisoner wrote in an electronic message to a reporter that Edwards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death . ''
On the day he died , Josh says Edwards looked pale before he stumbled on his way to the bathroom .
A pair of fellow inmates caught him and helped him sit down .
`` He sounded like he was winded , like he had just ran a marathon , '' Josh wrote via the prison system 's electronic communications software .
`` He was just saying ' I ca n't breathe , I ca n't breathe . '
'' He says an officer called the prison medical staff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for about 45 minutes .
`` They finally took him out on oxygen , '' Josh says .
`` Next thing we know , five hours later , he died . ''
The Westville inmates emphasize that Edwards did n't wait until that Monday to report his symptoms — he had complained to staff for days .
`` There is a major problem here with this place and it 's outta control , '' wrote Josh .
Dr. Kristen Dauss , chief medical officer for the Indiana Department of Correction , declined to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We do not talk about specific cases and patient clinical status , '' she says .
Across the nation , at least 415 prisoners had died of the infection as of the week of May 20 , and more than 29,000 had tested positive , according to the Marshall Project .
The American Civil Liberties Union and other advocacy groups have called for the early release of some prisoners , especially the old and sick .
Protesters have demonstrated outside Westville and other Indiana prisons to call attention to the conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Ohio and Kentucky have ordered some prisoners released , but Indiana Gov .
Eric Holcomb has refused .
He says it 's up to local judges to decide , on a case-by-case basis .
In the meantime , Dauss says Indiana prisons are taking steps to control the spread of the coronavirus .
`` We move quickly and , in fact , immediately to separate those who are sick from those who are not sick , '' says Dauss .
But according to accounts from numerous inmates , that kind of quick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened , at least through much of April .
Three different prisoners described another COVID-19 death in a different Indiana prison , the Plainfield Correctional Facility , on April 19 .
Lonnell Chaney , they said , had been asking for medical help for days .
`` He did n't even know where he was , '' one inmate wrote to a reporter .
Medical staff had checked on Chaney , who mumbled in response , but left him in the quarters .
A prisoner tried to convince officers that the man 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catch his breath — but the officers brushed it off .
The prisoners say Chaney , who was 61 , died in his bed in the crowded dorm .
`` You must be almost dead to get outside help , '' wrote the Plainfield inmate .
Six Plainfield prisoners have died during the coronavirus pandemic .
The Department of Correction has not released a statement about any of those men .
Of 145 Plainfield prisoners tested for the virus , 119 were positive .
Forty five staffers tested positive , as well .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as of May 22 .
At the Westville prison , Josh says another man in his dorm complained about similar symptoms , and correctional officers wrote the man up for being disruptive .
`` Everybody here is terrified , '' Josh says .
As the virus spreads , prisoners ' families are told very little .
They say prisons refuse to disclose basic information that would put them at ease , including whether an inmate is alive .
In Scottie Edwards ' case and others , families did n't know their loved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died—even though a department policy calls for notification when `` death may be imminent . ''
Crystal Gillispie talked to her father , Lonnell Chaney , for the last time on April 13 .
Their call lasted five minutes , but felt shorter .
He told her to send pictures of his grandkids .
And even though the coronavirus had started to spread in his dorm at the Plainfield Correctional Facility , he was more concerned about his family .
`` He was like , 'Just make sure you 're wearing your gloves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I was like , 'Okay , Daddy .
You do the same . '
He was so worried about us , and he ended up catching it . ''
The next time she heard news of her father , it was from her aunt , his sister : the prison had called her to say Chaney was dead .
Edwards ' sister , Gloria Sam , says her brother was new to Westville prison , because he 'd recently requested transfer to a facility with a law library .
He ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started .
`` He said ' I am afraid of this virus because we 're here close together and if it comes out it 'll spread like wildfire , ' '' she says .
Sam had n't heard from Edwards in more than a week when her phone rang on April 14 .
She remembers that even though her caller ID said it was from the State of Indiana , it did n't occur to her that it was about her brother .
`` They said , 'Well , we have some bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gon na say he was sick , '' she says .
They told her he had died .
If possible , Sam says , she would have wanted to say goodbye .
`` It 's one of the most hurtful things I 've experienced in my life , '' she says .
This story comes from NPR 's partnership with Side Effects Public Media , WFYI , and Kaiser Health News .

As COVID-19 Cuts Deadly Path Through Indiana Prisons, Inmates Say Symptoms Ignored
Enlarge this image toggle caption Annacaroline Caruso/ WVPE Annacaroline Caruso/ WVPE
Scottie Edwards died of COVID-19 just weeks before he would have gotten out of the Westville Correctional Facility in Indiana.
Edwards, 73, began showing symptoms of the disease in early April, according to the accounts of three inmates who lived with him in a dormitory. He was short of breath, had chest pain, and could barely talk. He was also dizzy, sweaty and throwing up.
Edwards was serving a 40-year sentence for attempting to kill someone in 2001. He would have been released to home detention on May 1, but died on April 13. The next day the Indiana Department of Correction sent out a statement that indicated Edwards' symptoms came on suddenly: "The offender, a male over the age of 70, who did not have indications of illness, reported experiencing chest pains and trouble breathing on Monday."
Edwards' fellow inmates dispute the statement and say he had been seeking medical attention at the prison for days before he died.
Since the start of the pandemic, prisoners and their families have contradicted state officials about the conditions inside Indiana prisons. Many inmates report they've had no way to protect themselves from close contact with other inmates and staff members. They believe contracting the disease is inevitable. Indeed, 85% percent of the prisoners tested at Westville have been positive for the virus. Many of them were housed in the same dorm as Edwards.
As of May 22, at least 18 Indiana prisoners have died from confirmed or presumed coronavirus infections, and 650 inmates have tested positive for the virus. And while the state has maintained that it isolates men and women with symptoms, inmates say even severely ill prisoners have been left in their dorms until it is too late. Their accounts call into question efforts to contain the virus, along with the care inmates receive once they have it.
"[Edwards] had been sick for approximately about a week and a half," says one inmate named Josh. Josh allowed a family member to record a call about Edwards, and he asked to be identified by his first name only, because he fears retaliation from prison staff.
His fellow prisoners say Edwards couldn't even make it to see medical staff on his own — they pushed him in a wheelchair. Each time, he was sent back to his quarters.
"Those bastards said I'm fine, I just need to drink water and rest," Josh recounted Edwards saying. "I'm clearly not fine — I can't breathe." Another prisoner wrote in an electronic message to a reporter that Edwards' room "smelled like sickness and death."
On the day he died, Josh says Edwards looked pale before he stumbled on his way to the bathroom. A pair of fellow inmates caught him and helped him sit down. "He sounded like he was winded, like he had just ran a marathon," Josh wrote via the prison system's electronic communications software. "He was just saying 'I can't breathe, I can't breathe.'" He says an officer called the prison medical staff, who tended to Edwards in the bathroom for about 45 minutes.
"They finally took him out on oxygen," Josh says. "Next thing we know, five hours later, he died."
The Westville inmates emphasize that Edwards didn't wait until that Monday to report his symptoms — he had complained to staff for days. "There is a major problem here with this place and it's outta control," wrote Josh.
Dr. Kristen Dauss, chief medical officer for the Indiana Department of Correction, declined to explain the different accounts of his death. "We do not talk about specific cases and patient clinical status," she says.
Across the nation, at least 415 prisoners had died of the infection as of the week of May 20, and more than 29,000 had tested positive, according to the Marshall Project.
The American Civil Liberties Union and other advocacy groups have called for the early release of some prisoners, especially the old and sick. Protesters have demonstrated outside Westville and other Indiana prisons to call attention to the conditions inside. Governors in the nearby states of Ohio and Kentucky have ordered some prisoners released, but Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has refused. He says it's up to local judges to decide, on a case-by-case basis.
In the meantime, Dauss says Indiana prisons are taking steps to control the spread of the coronavirus. "We move quickly and, in fact, immediately to separate those who are sick from those who are not sick," says Dauss.
But according to accounts from numerous inmates, that kind of quick isolation of sick prisoners hasn't always happened, at least through much of April.
Three different prisoners described another COVID-19 death in a different Indiana prison, the Plainfield Correctional Facility, on April 19. Lonnell Chaney, they said, had been asking for medical help for days.
"He didn't even know where he was," one inmate wrote to a reporter. Medical staff had checked on Chaney, who mumbled in response, but left him in the quarters. A prisoner tried to convince officers that the man's condition was serious — Chaney couldn't catch his breath — but the officers brushed it off.
The prisoners say Chaney, who was 61, died in his bed in the crowded dorm. "You must be almost dead to get outside help," wrote the Plainfield inmate.
Six Plainfield prisoners have died during the coronavirus pandemic. The Department of Correction has not released a statement about any of those men. Of 145 Plainfield prisoners tested for the virus, 119 were positive. Forty five staffers tested positive, as well. Indiana reports two deaths of prison staffers, as of May 22.
At the Westville prison, Josh says another man in his dorm complained about similar symptoms, and correctional officers wrote the man up for being disruptive.
"Everybody here is terrified," Josh says.
As the virus spreads, prisoners' families are told very little. They say prisons refuse to disclose basic information that would put them at ease, including whether an inmate is alive. In Scottie Edwards' case and others, families didn't know their loved ones were sick until after they had died—even though a department policy calls for notification when "death may be imminent."
Crystal Gillispie talked to her father, Lonnell Chaney, for the last time on April 13. Their call lasted five minutes, but felt shorter. He told her to send pictures of his grandkids. And even though the coronavirus had started to spread in his dorm at the Plainfield Correctional Facility, he was more concerned about his family.
"He was like, 'Just make sure you're wearing your gloves and masks,'" Gillispie remembers. "I was like, 'Okay, Daddy. You do the same.' He was so worried about us, and he ended up catching it."
toggle caption Brenda Chaney
The next time she heard news of her father, it was from her aunt, his sister: the prison had called her to say Chaney was dead.
Edwards' sister, Gloria Sam, says her brother was new to Westville prison, because he'd recently requested transfer to a facility with a law library. He ended up at Westville just before the pandemic started.
"He said 'I am afraid of this virus because we're here close together and if it comes out it'll spread like wildfire,'" she says. Sam hadn't heard from Edwards in more than a week when her phone rang on April 14. She remembers that even though her caller ID said it was from the State of Indiana, it didn't occur to her that it was about her brother.
"They said, 'Well, we have some bad news.' I thought they were gonna say he was sick," she says. They told her he had died.
If possible, Sam says, she would have wanted to say goodbye.
"It's one of the most hurtful things I've experienced in my life," she says.
This story comes from NPR's partnership with Side Effects Public Media, WFYI, and Kaiser Health News.


npr--2020-05-26--The Pandemic Is Driving America's Schools Toward A Financial Meltdown

The Pandemic Is Driving America 's Schools Toward A Financial Meltdown Austin Beutner looked haggard , his face a curtain of worry lines .
The superintendent of the second-largest school district in the nation sat at a desk last week delivering a video address to Los Angeles families .
But he began with a stark message clearly meant for another audience : '' Cuts to funding at schools will forever impact the lives of children , '' Beutner said less than a week after California 's governor called for emergency cuts in education spending .
The harm children face from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is just as real a threat to them as is the coronavirus . ''
Similar alarms are sounding in districts across the country .
With the nation 's attention still fixed on the COVID-19 health crisis , school leaders are warning of a financial meltdown that could devastate many districts and set back an entire generation of students .
`` I think we 're about to see a school funding crisis unlike anything we have ever seen in modern history , '' warns Rebecca Sibilia , the CEO of EdBuild , a school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking at devastation that we could not have imagined ... a year ago . ''
Schools receive nearly half of their funding from state coffers .
But with businesses shuttered in response to the pandemic , and the unemployment rate already nearing 15 % — well above its 10 % peak during the Great Recession — state income and sales tax revenues are crashing .
For April , the first full month of the coronavirus lockdowns , states are now reporting `` really shocking declines '' in tax revenues , says Michael Leachman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Priorities .
Some states have lost `` as much as 25 % or a third of their revenues compared to the previous year in the same month , '' Leachman says .
And unlike the federal government , most state governments are required to balance their budgets .
The result : Many governors and state lawmakers are now racing to implement deep cuts , including to school funding .
In early May , for example , Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine unveiled $ 300 million in K-12 budget cuts — and that 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current fiscal year ends .
In Cleveland schools , according to Cleveland.com , that amounts to about $ 100 less per student , with the possibility of more cuts in the new fiscal year .
A few days earlier , Georgia 's governor asked state education leaders to prepare for a 14 % cut in funding starting in July .
And in Michigan , a top Republican in the state senate warned superintendents they could see their school funding slashed by as much as 25 % .
In many states , these cuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardest .
That 's because of how America funds education : On average , the bulk of a school 's resources comes from a roughly even split between state and local funding , the latter largely from local property taxes .
But differences in property wealth between districts have created decades-old disparities that many states have tried to alleviate with additional state money .
As a result , `` when state funding starts to drop , '' says Michael Griffith at the Learning Policy Institute , `` what we see is a separation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At first , experts say , school cuts will mirror the losses of the Great Recession .
Districts will trim spending on buildings and transportation , supplies and equipment .
Then will come staff cuts , beginning with librarians , nurses and counselors .
The U.S. lost roughly 120,000 teachers between 2008 and 2010 , Griffith says .
More than a decade later , `` we still do n't have the number of public school teachers today that we had in 2008 . ''
The current , pandemic-driven downturn promises to be even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers we 're looking at right now , this coming year could be maybe twice as bad , or more , than the worst year we had during the Great Recession , '' Griffith says .
Staff cuts , for example , have already skyrocketed .
`` We know that in April , school districts nationally furloughed or laid off nearly half a million workers , '' says Leachman at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities .
`` That is an astonishing number .
It 's many more than lost their jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's all happened in one month . ''
Leachman says many of those affected have been bus drivers and school staff who were laid off as schools closed their doors for the remainder of the academic year .
A lot of them obviously hope to return .
`` But , given the collapse in state revenues , it 's likely that , unless the federal government steps in ... many of these workers will never get their jobs back . ''
Griffith estimates that , if states slash education spending by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shed more than 300,000 teaching positions — almost 10 % of the national K-12 teacher force .
Other school budget experts are singing a similar refrain , as are district leaders like Austin Beutner , who warned in his video address that schools would need the same emergency infusion of resources that hospitals and many businesses have already gotten .
`` We 're looking at the same challenge in public education , and we need the same full-throated response , '' Beutner said .
Thus far , Congress has offered just a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending The $ 2 trillion coronavirus relief bill , known as the CARES Act , provided K-12 schools with more than $ 13 billion in emergency funding , an average boost of about $ 270 per student .
But spending the money has been complicated by controversial guidance from the U.S. Department of Education .
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is advising public schools to spend far more relief money than they 'd planned to on services for students at private schools .
Louisiana , for example , reports that , under a traditional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private school students would receive services worth $ 8.6 million .
Under the department 's broader interpretation , though , that share would jump to $ 31.5 million — a 267 % increase .
The department 's guidance , issued on April 30 , confused many school leaders , prompting a letter from the Council of Chief State School Officers , telling DeVos that , if the guidance is not revised , it `` could significantly harm the vulnerable students who were intended to benefit the most '' from the CARES Act .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and obtained by NPR , the education secretary writes , `` the Department disagrees with your interpretation of the law . ''
DeVos goes on to say : `` All students and teachers have had their learning disrupted .
A growing list of non-public schools have announced they will not be able to re-open , and these school closures are concentrated in low-income and middle-class communities .
I would encourage educators everywhere to be as concerned about those students and teachers as they are with those in public schools . ''
Even without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused , advocates say , the relief funds in the CARES Act wo n't be nearly enough .
In a letter to congressional leaders earlier this month , dozens of organizations representing teachers , principals and parents requested at least $ 175 billion more for K-12 schools .
`` While we do n't yet know what the full impact of the novel coronavirus that has spread across the nation will be , '' the letter says , `` we do know that both the economic hardship and the grief and trauma that ensue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's school-age children . ''
In other words , schools wo n't just need help making up for dramatic gaps in state spending .
They 'll need extra money to pay for the extra things they 're being asked to do : feed children and families in hard-hit communities , help millions of students make up for learning time they 've lost while home , and make sure schools are safe when children do finally return to class .
So far , though , Congress has shown little bi-partisan appetite for more school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed the HEROES Act , which would provide K-12 schools with an additional $ 60 billion , but House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy , R-Calif. , dismissed the move , saying , `` this is a political messaging bill that has no chance of becoming law . ''

A Looming Financial Meltdown For America's Schools
Enlarge this image LA Johnson/NPR LA Johnson/NPR
Austin Beutner looked haggard, his face a curtain of worry lines. The superintendent of the second-largest school district in the nation sat at a desk last week delivering a video address to Los Angeles families. But he began with a stark message clearly meant for another audience:
Lawmakers in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.
"Cuts to funding at schools will forever impact the lives of children," Beutner said less than a week after California's governor called for emergency cuts in education spending. The harm children face from these cuts, Beutner warned, "is just as real a threat to them as is the coronavirus."
Similar alarms are sounding in districts across the country. With the nation's attention still fixed on the COVID-19 health crisis, school leaders are warning of a financial meltdown that could devastate many districts and set back an entire generation of students.
"I think we're about to see a school funding crisis unlike anything we have ever seen in modern history," warns Rebecca Sibilia, the CEO of EdBuild, a school finance advocacy organization. "We are looking at devastation that we could not have imagined ... a year ago."
"Really shocking declines"
Schools receive nearly half of their funding from state coffers. But with businesses shuttered in response to the pandemic and the unemployment rate already nearing 15% — well above its 10% peak during the Great Recession — state income and sales tax revenues are crashing.
For April, the first full month of the coronavirus lockdowns, states are now reporting "really shocking declines" in tax revenues, says Michael Leachman at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Some states have lost "as much as 25% or a third of their revenues compared to the previous year in the same month," Leachman says.
And unlike the federal government, most state governments are required to balance their budgets. The result: Many governors and state lawmakers are now racing to implement deep cuts, including to school funding.
In early May, for example, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine unveiled $300 million in K-12 budget cuts — and that's just through June 30, when the current fiscal year ends. In Cleveland schools, according to Cleveland.com, that amounts to about $100 less per student with the possibility of more cuts in the new fiscal year.
A few days earlier, Georgia's governor asked state education leaders to prepare for a 14% cut in funding starting in July. And in Michigan, a top Republican in the state Senate warned superintendents they could see their school funding slashed by as much as 25%.
In many states, these cuts will hit vulnerable, low-income communities the hardest. That's because of how America funds education. On average, the bulk of a school's resources comes from a roughly even split between state and local funding, the latter largely from local property taxes.
But differences in property wealth between districts have created decades-old disparities that many states have tried to alleviate with additional state money. As a result, "when state funding starts to drop," says Michael Griffith at the Learning Policy Institute, "what we see is a separation between the haves and have-nots."
Worse than the Great Recession
At first, experts say, school cuts will mirror the losses of the Great Recession. Districts will trim spending on buildings and transportation, supplies and equipment. Then will come staff cuts, beginning with librarians, nurses and counselors. The U.S. lost roughly 120,000 teachers between 2008 and 2010, Griffith says. More than a decade later, "we still don't have the number of public school teachers today that we had in 2008."
The current pandemic-driven downturn promises to be even harder on schools. "From the numbers we're looking at right now, this coming year could be maybe twice as bad, or more, than the worst year we had during the Great Recession," Griffith says.
Staff cuts, for example, have already skyrocketed.
"We know that in April, school districts nationally furloughed or laid off nearly half a million workers," says Leachman at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "That is an astonishing number. It's many more than lost their jobs through the entirety of the Great Recession. It's all happened in one month."
Leachman says many of those affected have been bus drivers and school staff who were laid off as schools closed their doors for the remainder of the academic year. A lot of them obviously hope to return. "But, given the collapse in state revenues, it's likely that unless the federal government steps in ... many of these workers will never get their jobs back."
Griffith estimates that if states slash education spending by 15%, schools could be forced to shed more than 300,000 teaching positions — almost 10% of the national K-12 teacher force.
Other school budget experts are singing a similar refrain, as are district leaders such as Austin Beutner, who warned in his video address that schools would need the same emergency infusion of resources that hospitals and many businesses have already gotten.
"We're looking at the same challenge in public education, and we need the same full-throated response," Beutner said.
Thus far, Congress has offered just a whisper.
Little bipartisan appetite for more spending
The $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill, known as the CARES Act, provided K-12 schools with more than $13 billion in emergency funding, an average boost of about $270 per student. But spending the money has been complicated by controversial guidance from the U.S. Department of Education.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is advising public schools to spend far more relief money than they'd planned to on services for students at private schools. Louisiana, for example, reports that under a traditional reading of the CARES Act, its private school students would receive services worth $8.6 million. Under the department's broader interpretation, though, that share would jump to $31.5 million — a 267% increase.
The department's guidance, issued on April 30, confused many school leaders, prompting a letter from the Council of Chief State School Officers telling DeVos that if the guidance is not revised it "could significantly harm the vulnerable students who were intended to benefit the most" from the CARES Act.
In a response signed by DeVos herself, the education secretary writes, "the Department disagrees with your interpretation of the law."
DeVos goes on to say: "All students and teachers have had their learning disrupted. A growing list of non-public schools have announced they will not be able to re-open, and these school closures are concentrated in low-income and middle-class communities. I would encourage educators everywhere to be as concerned about those students and teachers as they are with those in public schools."
Even without that guidance and the confusion it has caused, advocates say, the relief funds in the CARES Act won't be nearly enough. In a letter to congressional leaders earlier this month, dozens of organizations representing teachers, principals and parents requested at least $175 billion more for K-12 schools.
"While we don't yet know what the full impact of the novel coronavirus that has spread across the nation will be," the letter says, "we do know that both the economic hardship and the grief and trauma that ensue from COVID-19 will be unprecedented for today's school-age children."
In other words, schools won't just need help making up for dramatic gaps in state spending. They'll need extra money to pay for the extra things they're being asked to do: feed children and families in hard-hit communities, help millions of students make up for learning time they've lost while home, and make sure schools are safe when children do finally return to class.
So far, though, Congress has shown little bipartisan appetite for more school spending. In mid-May, House Democrats passed the HEROES Act, which would provide K-12 schools with an additional $60 billion, but House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., dismissed the move, saying, "this is a political messaging bill that has no chance of becoming law."


npr--2020-05-26--California Houses Of Worship, In-Store Retailers May Reopen

California churches , mosques , synagogues and other places of worship can reopen , the California Department of Public Health announced on Monday .
Additionally , in-store retailers are allowed to resume business throughout the state .
The changes are part of Gov .
Gavin Newsom 's latest round of modifications to the state 's stay-at-home order that is intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
The new guidelines for `` places of worship and providers of religious services and cultural ceremonies '' stipulate religious centers must limit attendance to 100 persons or 25 % of the building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The guidelines recommend against passing collection plates and baskets or sharing other communal religious objects , and urge worshipers to refrain from singing or performing group recitations because of the `` increased likelihood for transmission from contaminated exhaled droplets . ''
The state also requires religious leaders to ensure more than six feet of physical distancing among congregants .
`` Congregants engaging in singing , particularly in the choir , and group recitation , should wear face coverings at all times and when possible , these activities should be conducted outside with greater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDPH guidelines .
Reopenings must be approved by each county 's public health department before going into effect .
Additionally , county officials can add their own rules and restrictions .
The state will reevaluate the guidelines after 21 days .
Worship services were temporarily halted and non-essential retail stores have been closed throughout most of the state since March 19 , under Newsom 's initial order , though some rural counties received permission to begin partial reopening earlier this month .
Now , the CDPH has cleared the way for stores across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The state 's retail guidelines do not require but `` strongly '' recommend employee screenings , face coverings and social distancing .
Friday , the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Newsom 's order banning in-person religious services in a challenge brought by South Bay Pentecostal Church .
The church filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court Sunday .
President Trump has called on places of worship to reopen and has said he will `` override '' governors who refuse to do so , though it 's not clear he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest counties , including Los Angeles and several in the San Francisco Bay Area , have yet to approve the reopening of either worship services or in-store retail .

California Houses Of Worship, In-Store Retailers Can Reopen
Enlarge this image toggle caption Damian Dovarganes/AP Damian Dovarganes/AP
California churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship can reopen, the California Department of Public Health announced on Monday. Additionally, in-store retailers are allowed to resume business throughout the state.
The changes are part of Gov. Gavin Newsom's latest round of modifications to the state's stay-at-home order that is intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The new guidelines for "places of worship and providers of religious services and cultural ceremonies" stipulate religious centers must limit attendance to 100 people or 25% of the building's capacity, whichever is lower.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Risberg/AP Eric Risberg/AP
The guidelines recommend against passing collection plates and baskets or sharing other communal religious objects and urge worshippers to refrain from singing or performing group recitations because of the "increased likelihood for transmission from contaminated exhaled droplets."
The state also requires religious leaders to ensure more than 6 feet of physical distancing among congregants.
"Congregants engaging in singing, particularly in the choir, and group recitation, should wear face coverings at all times and when possible, these activities should be conducted outside with greater than 6-foot distancing," state the California Department of Public Health guidelines.
Reopening must be approved by each county's public health department before going into effect. Additionally, county officials can add their own rules and restrictions. The state will reevaluate the guidelines after 21 days.
Worship services were temporarily halted and nonessential retail stores have been closed throughout most of the state since March 19 under Newsom's initial order, though some rural counties received permission to begin partial reopening earlier this month.
Now, the California Department of Public Health has cleared the way for stores across the state to begin making sales again. The state's retail guidelines do not require but "strongly" recommend employee screenings, face coverings and social distancing.
On Friday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Newsom's order banning in-person religious services in a challenge brought by South Bay Pentecostal Church. The church filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court on Sunday.
President Trump has called on places of worship to reopen and has said he will "override" governors who refuse to do so, though it's not clear he has such authority.
Some of California's largest counties, including Los Angeles and several in the San Francisco Bay Area, have yet to approve the reopening of either worship services or in-store retail.


npr--2020-05-26--Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Global Health, Small Businesses, Silver Linings

On this broadcast of The National Conversation , we 'll answer your questions about how the coronavirus is affecting health @ @ @ @ @ emergency physician will talk about what scientists have learned in the last 10 weeks about @ @ @ @ @ do and do n't know .
We 'll also hear some of your stories about @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Global Health, Small Businesses, Silver Linings
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
On this broadcast of The National Conversation, we'll answer your questions about how the coronavirus is affecting health around the world. An emergency physician will talk about what scientists have learned in the last 10 weeks about the virus and what researchers do and don't know. We'll also hear some of your stories about silver linings found in the pandemic.


npr--2020-05-26--On Eve Of Historic Remote Votes In The House, Republicans Sue To Block The Move

On Eve Of Historic Remote Votes In The House , Republicans Sue To Block The Move More than 20 Republican members of Congress and constituents are suing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other officials in federal court to block proxy voting , arguing the practice is unconstitutional , according to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy .
Earlier this month the House approved new rules that allowed remote voting and hearings for the first time in the chamber 's history .
Under the changes a member can vote on behalf of up to 10 colleagues who are unable to travel to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the lawsuit filed Tuesday , the House members argue that the change sets a dangerous precedent and dilutes lawmakers ' votes .
The chamber is scheduled to vote by proxy Wednesday for the first time since the rules went into effect .
As of late Tuesday , more than 55 members filed notification letters with the House Clerk of their plan to vote by proxy .
In a statement Tuesday evening , McCarthy called the proxy voting decision `` reckless and partisan , '' and said that GOP members had to respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is necessary , '' he said .
`` The alternative -- - a small number of members dictating the businesses of the whole House while the people 's voice is diluted -- - is unacceptable and would only make it more difficult for Congress to respond in the national interest .
We must assemble . ''
McCarthy is joined in the lawsuit by Reps. Steve Scalise , Jim Jordan , Liz Cheney , Tom Cole and 16 other members , as well as four constituents .
Pelosi said in her own statement that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by proxy during a pandemic `` is fully consistent with the Constitution is supported by expert legal analyses .
Further , the Supreme Court made clear over a century ago that the Constitution empowers each chamber of Congress to set its own procedural rules . ''
The move to proxy voting is the most significant change to the way the House votes since it installed its system to allow electronic voting on the House floor in 1973 .
For weeks , lawmakers debated the plan as the pandemic worsened and forced the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an outbreak on Capitol Hill and as public health risks were assessed .
House Democrats installed the new rules on a largely party line vote of 217 to 189 .
Republican argued that the move bucks the chamber 's institutional history and sets a dangerous precedent .
On Wednesday , the House Rules Committee is slated to hold the chamber 's first remote hearing under the new rules .
Each panel must hold a practice hearing , followed by two virtual sessions .
Once those steps are completed , a panel can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
The House Ways and Means Committee is also slated to hold its first remote hearing later Wednesday .
At this time , the panels can use Cisco Webex to hold the virtual hearings .
For much of the past two months , the chamber 's regular business largely came to a halt , and has since only held a handful of votes related to coronavirus legislation .
The chamber 's meeting of what is now 431 members and additional support staff have proved particularly problematic amid the coronavirus pandemic .

On Eve Of Historic Remote Votes In The House, Republicans Sue To Block The Move
Enlarge this image toggle caption Greg Nash/AP Greg Nash/AP
Updated at 8:45 p.m. ET
More than 20 Republican members of Congress and constituents are suing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other officials in federal court to block proxy voting, arguing the practice is unconstitutional, according to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
Earlier this month the House approved new rules that allowed remote voting and hearings for the first time in the chamber's history. Under the changes a member can vote on behalf of up to 10 colleagues who are unable to travel to the Capitol during the coronavirus pandemic.
In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, the House members argue that the change sets a dangerous precedent and dilutes lawmakers' votes.
The chamber is scheduled to vote by proxy Wednesday for the first time since the rules went into effect. As of late Tuesday, more than 55 members filed notification letters with the House Clerk of their plan to vote by proxy.
In a statement Tuesday evening, McCarthy called the proxy voting decision "reckless and partisan," and said that GOP members had to respond.
"Rapid and robust legal relief is necessary," he said. "The alternative --- a small number of members dictating the businesses of the whole House while the people's voice is diluted --- is unacceptable and would only make it more difficult for Congress to respond in the national interest. We must assemble."
McCarthy is joined in the lawsuit by Reps. Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, Liz Cheney, Tom Cole and 16 other members, as well as four constituents.
Pelosi said in her own statement that the House's position on remote voting by proxy during a pandemic "is fully consistent with the Constitution is supported by expert legal analyses. Further, the Supreme Court made clear over a century ago that the Constitution empowers each chamber of Congress to set its own procedural rules."
The move to proxy voting is the most significant change to the way the House votes since it installed its system to allow electronic voting on the House floor in 1973.
For weeks, lawmakers debated the plan as the pandemic worsened and forced the House to extend its recess in the midst of an outbreak on Capitol Hill and as public health risks were assessed.
House Democrats installed the new rules on a largely party line vote of 217 to 189. Republican argued that the move bucks the chamber's institutional history and sets a dangerous precedent.
On Wednesday, the House Rules Committee is slated to hold the chamber's first remote hearing under the new rules. Each panel must hold a practice hearing, followed by two virtual sessions. Once those steps are completed, a panel can hold a markup by video conference as well.
The House Ways and Means Committee is also slated to hold its first remote hearing later Wednesday.
At this time, the panels can use Cisco Webex to hold the virtual hearings.
For much of the past two months, the chamber's regular business largely came to a halt, and has since only held a handful of votes related to coronavirus legislation. The chamber's meeting of what is now 431 members and additional support staff have proved particularly problematic amid the coronavirus pandemic.