npr--2020-07-24--Trump's Favorite Coronavirus Metric, The Case Fatality, Is Unreliable

As the number of coronavirus cases started spiking again this month , the White House keyed in on a different number - one that paints a more rosy picture of the pandemic : the case fatality rate .
When asked about rising cases at a recent briefing , Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany quickly parried `` We 're seeing the fatality rate in this country come down , '' Said McEnany .
`` That is a very good thing . ''
The case fatality rate is the result of a simple mathematical calculation : the number of diagnosed cases of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it 's also a moving target .
Case numbers are rising fast , deaths are a lagging indicator , running several weeks behind .
`` Measuring ... mortality rates on any given day is not a reliable way of communicating about this pandemic , '' said Dr. Tom Inglesby is director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security .
It is possible innovations in treatments methods and therapeutic drugs have helped improve the survivability of COVID-19 .
It is also possible that with more young people being infected in this latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ die .
But medical experts warn it is also just too soon to be sure .
And they say , it 's an unreliable and misleading metric .
But that has n't stopped President Trump from boasting about the figure .
`` Our case fatality rate has continued to decline and is lower than the European Union and almost everywhere else in the world , '' Trump said Tuesday at his first White House coronavirus briefing in nearly three months .
In his interview on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` death chart . ''
He said `` the death chart is much more important '' as Wallace ticked through 75,000 daily cases and 1,000 daily deaths .
Trump had that chart displayed behind him during the briefing .
But this is n't a metric public health experts have been using .
Inglesby says by a more direct measure , the sheer number of deaths , even adjusted for population size , the U.S. is not doing well compared to other countries around the world .
`` What national leaders have the obligation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth , '' Inglesby said .
`` If we give them a false sense that things are getting better when they 're not then they 're going to make decisions that increase the risk of transmission .
And they 're also going to stop having confidence in the information they 're being given . ''
Focusing on the fatality rate also glosses over other serious problems with coronavirus , says Dr. David Relman , who specializes in immunology and infectious diseases at Stanford .
He says about 20 % of people get really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , coronavirus is stressing the medical system and as long as it is uncontained , the virus is holding the economy back too .
So , as he sees it , talking about the case fatality rate is counterproductive .
`` What you do instead when you pull out one little piece and dangle it in front of people is to confuse and distract and undermine the overall message , '' said Relman .
He says people need to take this virus seriously and take precautions , and that is a sacrifice that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board .
For President Trump accentuating the positive may have short term political benefits , but there are longer term risks .
`` I think it was a mistake early on to be dismissive of the seriousness of it and that it was just going to go away , '' said Mike DuHaime , a Republican strategist .
DuHaime gives Trump credit for coming out this week and treating the coronavirus more seriously than he has in the past , telling people to wear masks and avoid crowds .
Though he readily acknowledges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urging the public to sacrifice to slow the spread of the virus , only to reverse himself , downplay the severity and pressure states to re-open .
`` In order for him to succeed here politically , his credibility has to be as strong as possible , '' said DuHaime , who now works at the firm Mercury .
Trump 's credibility has taken a major hit through this crisis .
According to the latest Pew Poll only 30 % of Americans Trust Trump to get the facts right on the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ too , something he is attempting to repair with the resumed daily briefings .
`` At the end of the day , he just needs to do a good job .
I know that sounds simplistic but when you 're an incumbent running for re-election doing a good job is really the most important thing , '' said DuHaime .
`` And to this point people have n't seen him do a good job on what they think is the greatest challenge of his presidency . ''
DuHaime points out people are checking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of new cases in their city and state , the number of hospitalizations and deaths .
Those numbers are all readily available and easier to find than the case fatality rate .

Trump's Favorite Coronavirus Metric, The Case Fatality, Is Unreliable
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 9:59 p.m. ET
As the number of coronavirus cases started spiking again this month, the White House keyed in on a different number — one that paints a more rosy picture of the pandemic: the case fatality rate.
When asked about rising cases at a recent briefing, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany quickly parried. "We're seeing the fatality rate in this country come down," said McEnany. "That is a very good thing."
The case fatality rate is the result of a simple mathematical calculation: the number of deaths divided by the number of diagnosed coronavirus cases. But it's also a moving target. Case numbers are rising fast; deaths are a lagging indicator, running several weeks behind.
"Measuring ... mortality rates on any given day is not a reliable way of communicating about this pandemic," said Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
It is possible that innovations in treatment methods and therapeutic drugs have helped improve the survivability of COVID-19. It is also possible that with more young people being infected in this latest round, they are less likely to die. But medical experts warn it is also just too soon to be sure. And, they say, it's an unreliable and misleading metric.
But that hasn't stopped President Trump from boasting about the figure.
"Our case fatality rate has continued to decline and is lower than the European Union and almost everywhere else in the world," Trump said Tuesday at his first White House coronavirus briefing in nearly three months.
In his interview on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, Trump asked his staff to bring him the "death chart." He said "the death chart is much more important" as Wallace ticked through 75,000 daily cases and 1,000 daily deaths.
Trump had that chart displayed behind him during the briefing. But this isn't a metric public health experts have been using.
Inglesby says that by a more direct measure (the sheer number of deaths), and even adjusted for population size, the U.S. is not doing well compared to other countries around the world.
"What national leaders have the obligation to tell people is just the direct truth," Inglesby said. "If we give them a false sense that things are getting better when they're not, then they're going to make decisions that increase the risk of transmission. And they're also going to stop having confidence in the information they're being given."
Focusing on the fatality rate also glosses over other serious problems with the coronavirus, says Dr. David Relman, who specializes in immunology and infectious diseases at Stanford. He says about 20% of people get really sick with potential long-term health consequences. Plus, he says, the coronavirus is stressing the medical system. And as long as it is uncontained, the virus is holding the economy back. So, as he sees it, talking about the case fatality rate is counterproductive.
"What you do instead when you pull out one little piece and dangle it in front of people is to confuse and distract and undermine the overall message," said Relman.
He says people need to take this virus seriously and take precautions, and that is a sacrifice that requires leaders to get the public on board. For Trump, accentuating the positive might have short-term political benefits, but there are longer-term risks.
"I think it was a mistake early on to be dismissive of the seriousness of it and that it was just going to go away," said Mike DuHaime, a Republican strategist.
DuHaime gives Trump credit for coming out this week and treating the coronavirus more seriously than he has in the past, telling people to wear masks and avoid crowds. But he readily acknowledges that Trump has gone through other brief spurts urging the public to sacrifice to slow the spread of the virus, only to reverse himself, downplay the severity and pressure states to reopen.
"In order for him to succeed here politically, his credibility has to be as strong as possible," said DuHaime, who now works at the firm Mercury.
Trump's credibility has taken a major hit through this crisis. According to the latest Pew Poll, only 30% of Americans trust Trump to get the facts right on the virus. And Trump's approval rating has tanked too, something he is attempting to repair with the resumed daily briefings.
"At the end of the day, he just needs to do a good job. I know that sounds simplistic, but when you're an incumbent running for reelection, doing a good job is really the most important thing," said DuHaime. "And to this point people haven't seen him do a good job on what they think is the greatest challenge of his presidency."
DuHaime points out that people are checking the numbers every day — the number of new cases in their city and state, the number of hospitalizations and deaths. Those numbers are all readily available and easier to find than the case fatality rate.


npr--2020-07-24--With November Approaching, Election Officials Still Face Safety, Security Questions

With about 100 days left before the general election , officials are simultaneously trying to prepare for two very different types of voting , while facing two unprecedented threats to safety and security .
It 's a juggling act that has voters , political parties and officials anxious about how smoothly November 's voting will go .
`` Doubt is our enemy , '' U.S. Sen. Angus King , an independent from Maine , said at a Senate hearing Wednesday on what Congress can do to ensure public confidence in this year 's election results .
The pandemic has already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expanded mail-in voting in the primaries to address voters ' health concerns .
Those changes are expected — for the most part — to continue this fall .
But many states also want to make in-person voting widely available to avoid overloading the mail-in system in what 's expected to be a high-turnout election .
Maryland is a case in point .
The state sent mail-in ballots to every registered voter for its June primary and drastically cut the number of in-person polling sites .
But that resulted in long lines at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time , there were delays and mix-ups with mail-in ballots .
Gov .
Larry Hogan now wants all polling sites open in November while still encouraging Marylanders to vote early or by mail if they can .
He said this `` will maximize participation in the November election by offering voters more options while minimizing confusion and risk during the COVID-19 pandemic . ''
But local and state election officials are not on board , saying they do n't have enough resources for this dual approach .
At the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the elections remains a concern , as it has been since the 2016 election .
Intelligence officials continue to warn that foreign actors — especially Russia — are trying to disrupt this year 's voting with disinformation and attempted cyberattacks .
`` There are two crises facing our elections right now , '' Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold told NPR .
She said that all the attention being paid to COVID-19 means that foreign efforts to undermine U.S. democracy are `` not front of mind for a lot of states anymore , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the threat of foreign interference was a major topic at an online meeting this week of the National Association of Secretaries of State .
Matt Masterson , an adviser with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security 's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , told state officials that despite widespread efforts over the past four years to shore up the nation 's election infrastructure , serious security gaps remain .
Masterson reported that DHS testing of state and local election systems found a number of `` concerning '' vulnerabilities .
He said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to some election data and either modify it or download it , '' especially at the local level .
Some government workers , Masterson noted , still share computer passwords and other credentials , and even use default passwords commonly known to outsiders .
Masterson also warned that election workers continue to fall for phishing attacks that allow hackers to install malware , including ransomware that could paralyze Election Day operations .
Security officials have long warned that foreign actors could disrupt the election , not by changing votes , but by manipulating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a way that causes confusion and chaos .
Masterson said the good news is that most of the problems can be easily fixed by Election Day .
But he noted that many local election offices are unable to do so quickly , `` not because they do n't want to fix the problems ... but in most cases , they lack either the resources or the IT support necessary . ''
This lack of resources was discussed at the Senate hearing , held by the Rules Committee .
Congressional Democrats want $ 3.6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus relief package to help state and local election offices .
Republicans have resisted , but the committee 's chair , Sen. Roy Blunt .
R-Mo.
, acknowledged the need for some additional funding so states can meet this year 's challenges .
`` That 's something that everyone here can agree on : Voters in this country must be able to cast a ballot safely and securely and without putting their health at risk , '' he said .
Witnesses warned that election offices could be overwhelmed if they do n't get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're likely to see historic levels of turnout and participation , '' said Kristen Clarke of the Lawyers ' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law , a voter advocacy group .
`` If we do n't provide the $ 3.6 billion that states need to institute proper reforms , I fear that we 're bracing for a disaster . ''
Clarke said election offices need money to print mail-in ballots , to buy cleaning products and protective equipment for polling sites , to hire more poll workers and to educate the public about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to encounter this year .
Some Democrats want Congress also to require states to provide at least two weeks of early voting , pay postage for mail-in ballots and allow anyone to vote absentee without providing an excuse .
Republicans oppose having any strings attached to the aid .
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett told the committee that states could use more funds , but without federal mandates .
`` I hope you 'll continue to respect each state 's authority to conduct elections in a manner that has or will work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` It would not be appropriate , nor do we need , to federalize the administration of our elections . ''
Tennessee and a number of other states have been sued by Democrats and voting rights groups to eliminate restrictions on mail-in and absentee voting , such as witness requirements and the need for voters to provide an excuse .
Clarke said those restrictions disproportionately affect minority voters — who are also disproportionately affected by COVID-19 .
But Hargett said the rules are needed to limit opportunities for fraud and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain way .

With November Approaching, Election Officials Still Face Safety, Security Fears
Enlarge this image toggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Updated at 11:56 a.m. ET
With about 100 days left before the general election, officials are simultaneously trying to prepare for two very different types of voting, while facing two unprecedented threats to safety and security. It's a juggling act that has voters, political parties and officials anxious about how smoothly November's voting will go.
"Doubt is our enemy," U.S. Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, said at a Senate hearing Wednesday on what Congress can do to ensure public confidence in this year's election results.
The pandemic has already caused massive disruptions. Most states greatly expanded mail-in voting in the primaries to address voters' health concerns. Those changes are expected — for the most part — to continue this fall. But many states also want to make in-person voting widely available to avoid overloading the mail-in system in what's expected to be a high-turnout election.
Maryland is a case in point. The state sent mail-in ballots to every registered voter for its June primary and drastically cut the number of in-person polling sites. But that resulted in long lines at the few sites that were open. At the same time, there were delays and mix-ups with mail-in ballots. Gov. Larry Hogan now wants all polling sites open in November while still encouraging Marylanders to vote early or by mail if they can.
He said this "will maximize participation in the November election by offering voters more options while minimizing confusion and risk during the COVID-19 pandemic." But local and state election officials are not on board, saying they don't have enough resources for this dual approach.
At the same time, the threat of foreign interference in the elections remains a concern, as it has been since the 2016 election. Intelligence officials continue to warn that foreign actors — especially Russia, China and Iran — are trying to disrupt this year's voting with disinformation and attempted cyberattacks.
On Friday, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, William Evanina, reiterated the seriousness of the threat.
"Today, we see our adversaries seeking to compromise the private communications of U.S. political campaigns, candidates and other political targets," he said in a statement. "Our adversaries also seek to compromise our election infrastructure, and we continue to monitor malicious cyber actors trying to gain access to U.S. state and federal networks, including those responsible for managing elections."
Evanina said that the diversity of election systems makes it difficult to "broadly disrupt or change vote tallies without detection." However, he added that adversaries are also using social media to "increase discord and to undermine confidence in our democratic process."
"There are two crises facing our elections right now," Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold told NPR. But she is worried that all the attention being paid to COVID-19 means that foreign efforts to undermine U.S. democracy are "not front of mind for a lot of states anymore, and that is troubling."
Still, the threat of foreign interference was a major topic at an online meeting this week of the National Association of Secretaries of State. Matt Masterson, an adviser with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told state officials that despite widespread efforts over the past four years to shore up the nation's election infrastructure, serious security gaps remain.
Masterson reported that DHS testing of state and local election systems found a number of "concerning" vulnerabilities. He said that testers were "able to gain access to some election data and either modify it or download it," especially at the local level.
Some government workers, Masterson noted, still share computer passwords and other credentials, and even use default passwords commonly known to outsiders. Masterson also warned that election workers continue to fall for phishing attacks that allow hackers to install malware, including ransomware that could paralyze Election Day operations.
Security officials have long warned that foreign actors could disrupt the election, not by changing votes, but by manipulating voter registration rolls or interrupting services in a way that causes confusion and chaos.
Masterson said the good news is that most of the problems can be easily fixed by Election Day. But he noted that many local election offices are unable to do so quickly, "not because they don't want to fix the problems ... but in most cases, they lack either the resources or the IT support necessary."
This lack of resources was discussed at the Senate hearing, held by the Rules Committee. Congressional Democrats want $3.6 billion to be included in the latest coronavirus relief package to help state and local election offices. Republicans have resisted, but the committee's chair, Sen. Roy Blunt. R-Mo., acknowledged the need for some additional funding so states can meet this year's challenges.
"That's something that everyone here can agree on: Voters in this country must be able to cast a ballot safely and securely and without putting their health at risk," he said.
Witnesses warned that election offices could be overwhelmed if they don't get more aid.
"This November we're likely to see historic levels of turnout and participation," said Kristen Clarke of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a voter advocacy group. "If we don't provide the $3.6 billion that states need to institute proper reforms, I fear that we're bracing for a disaster."
Clarke said election offices need money to print mail-in ballots, to buy cleaning products and protective equipment for polling sites, to hire more poll workers and to educate the public about all the voting changes they're likely to encounter this year. Some Democrats want Congress also to require states to provide at least two weeks of early voting, pay postage for mail-in ballots and allow anyone to vote absentee without providing an excuse.
Republicans oppose having any strings attached to the aid. Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett told the committee that states could use more funds, but without federal mandates.
"I hope you'll continue to respect each state's authority to conduct elections in a manner that has or will work in their respective states," Hargett said. "It would not be appropriate, nor do we need, to federalize the administration of our elections."
Tennessee and a number of other states have been sued by Democrats and voting rights groups to eliminate restrictions on mail-in and absentee voting, such as witness requirements and the need for voters to provide an excuse.
Clarke said those restrictions disproportionately affect minority voters — who are also disproportionately affected by COVID-19. But Hargett said the rules are needed to limit opportunities for fraud and the coercion of absentee voters to vote a certain way.
The challenges for those running the nation's elections have been complicated by President Trump's continued insistence, without evidence, that mail-in voting is "rigged." As recently as this week, he tweeted that mail-in voting "unless changed by the courts, will lead to the most CORRUPT ELECTION in our Nation's History." Election officials said these baseless allegations have made it more crucial than ever that things go as smoothly as possible in November.


npr--2020-07-24--Without A Vaccine, Researchers Say, Herd Immunity May Never Be Achieved

Without A Vaccine , Researchers Say , Herd Immunity May Never Be Achieved As the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly throughout the U.S. and beyond , many are wondering : How on earth will this end ?
In an interview televised this week , President Trump reiterated his belief that sooner or later the virus will burn itself out .
`` I will be right eventually , '' the president told Fox News host Chris Wallace .
`` It 's going to disappear , and I 'll be right . ''
But scientists are increasingly of the view that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and correspondence with more than a dozen researchers around the world , NPR found that the vast majority believes the virus will persist at some level for a long time in places like the U.S. and Europe .
And until there is an effective vaccine in widespread use , levels of immunity will never be high enough to achieve what 's called herd immunity , these researchers say .
That 's the tipping point at which the disease begins to burn itself out because so many people are immune that it ca n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view that the virus will persist is based on growing evidence that immunity may not be as straightforward as first assumed and that the virus is spreading relatively slowly , while continuing to sicken and kill .
A vaccine could still prevent the illness or reduce its severity , but it 's likely even that wo n't wipe COVID-19 from the globe .
`` I think it 's going to be with us probably forever at this point , '' says Devi Sridhar , a professor of global public health at the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be with us , and it 's how we decide to live with it . ''
The `` take it on the chin '' approach The idea of herd immunity has been around for decades .
In the past , it has been used to describe an effect seen with vaccination — if vaccination rates for measles are high , for example , a single case can not spread far into a community .
The `` herd '' of people is protected even when not everyone has received the vaccine .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the idea of natural herd immunity took hold in some circles .
The theory , broadly speaking , is that should enough people become ill and then immune , the entire population will be protected .
Estimates vary widely , but it 's generally thought that somewhere between 50 % and 80 % of a given population would need to have been infected by the coronavirus before such natural herd immunity could be achieved .
Herd immunity holds appeal in part because it does not require radical action such as social distancing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ important to you is not disrupting the economy , is not shuttering small businesses , is not causing economic instability so that people can not eat — that is the solution you are going to glom onto , '' says Jeffrey Shaman , a professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University in New York City .
It was for those reasons that the conservative U.K. government toyed with the idea of herd immunity back in March , Sridhar says .
Scientific advisers thought it would be futile to try to stop the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to slow infections just enough to avoid overloading hospitals , while allowing the virus to spread through the population .
It was the `` take it on the chin '' approach , as described by Prime Minister Boris Johnson .
Sridhar says the U.K. 's pandemic scientific advisory group back then was working from a playbook based on the flu .
But COVID-19 is not the flu , and calculations showed that pursuing herd immunity would cause many thousands of deaths .
The government hastily abandoned the strategy almost as soon as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sea , however , Sweden continued to pursue an approach with the potential to achieve herd immunity — though the government never stated it as a goal .
Swedish authorities recommended taking precautions at an individual level and banned gatherings of more than 50 people , but the nation stopped short of ordering restaurants and bars closed .
In April , the Swedish ambassador boasted that Stockholm might achieve herd immunity by the end of May .
That never happened , Sridhar says .
`` Sweden is stuck at 6 % for months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reference to the percentage of residents who have antibodies to the coronavirus .
Meanwhile , the country has suffered economic devastation and far higher death rates than its Nordic neighbors .
The main reason herd immunity has n't been achieved , she suspects , is that to get there , many millions of Swedes would have to catch COVID-19 .
That could happen in the abstract , but in reality , most individuals deliberately try their hardest to avoid contracting the disease .
`` Nobody wants to be part of the herd , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone .
In many countries , blood tests for antibodies — a sign somebody has been infected with the coronavirus — find that the percentage of the population that tests positive for this indicator of immunity is in the single digits .
`` The example I like to think about is South Korea , which has 50 cases [ of new infection ] per day right now .
If they were to hold on for another thousand days , which is three years , they would have 50,000 cases , which is 0.1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shaman .
Even in the U.S. , at 60,000 cases per day , it would take at least until 2021 — and possibly years of filled hospitals and morgues — before the requisite hundreds of millions of Americans were infected .
`` I think if you were to just let this process occur , it 's very difficult to project the number of deaths , but I think we 're certainly talking north of a million , probably much more , '' says Dr. Joshua Schiffer , an associate professor in the Vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle .
As a practical matter , the U.S. health care system would buckle while trying to care for that many sick people , says Dr. Nahid Bhadelia , who directs the Special Pathogens Unit at Boston Medical Center .
`` It 's unlikely we can achieve natural herd immunity without completely using up physical and human resources , '' she tells NPR .
But recent evidence suggests there is yet another reason immunity levels may not be rising beyond a few percent — the protective immunity an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus may fade with time .
Two studies now show that coronavirus antibodies , a key aspect of a person 's immune response , can disappear over a matter of months .
The results are hardly conclusive , and to date there has been no scientific proof of reinfections , but they have precedent .
Shaman says studies that his group has conducted of other common coronaviruses show they can reinfect people .
By tracking infected New Yorkers , Shaman was able to show , for example , that coronaviruses that cause the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participants more than once .
`` Some of them were four to eight weeks separated — that 's rapid , and that might have been a relapse [ of the same infection ] , '' he says .
`` But others we know are different — they were eight to 11 months apart . ''
The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has n't been around long enough in most places to cause reinfections , but that may change this fall and winter .
`` If it 's like other coronaviruses ... we 're going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reinfections in the next six to 12 months '' says Greta Bauer , an epidemiologist at Western University in Ontario .
Antibodies are not the only way the immune system fights a disease like COVID-19 , and it may be that other types of immune cells ramp up to quickly fight off infection .
But if people can be mildly reinfected , then herd immunity simply would not work .
`` If immunity is only temporary , then the epidemic may not 'end , ' `` Neil Ferguson , a disease modeler at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an email .
`` Rather , we may see a transition from epidemic dynamics to endemic circulation of the virus in the human population , albeit at lower levels . ''
Pursuing herd immunity deliberately now seems more ethically dubious than ever for elected officials , Bauer says , given that individual recovery from COVID-19 also appears to be a fraught process .
A significant portion of COVID-19 survivors suffer fatigue , blood clots , fevers and other symptoms for weeks and months after clearing the infection .
`` We know very little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mild disease , '' Bauer says .
`` We do n't know if the virus survives in reservoirs in the body , we do n't know if it can cause disease later in life , and that 's the really difficult part for decision-making . ''
In the end , even if natural herd immunity is achieved or partially achieved in the absence of a vaccine , it will likely be seen as a sign of a government 's failure to protect its people .
In the U.S. , subgroups of the population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example — may approach herd immunity , says Sarah Cobey , an associate professor and researcher studying pathogens and human immunity at the University of Chicago .
But that would be the result of what she describes in an email as an `` appalling inability to manage the epidemic — specifically , to provide the support people need to protect themselves and not infect others . ''
Nations like Qatar , which has seen huge waves of infection spread through groups of immigrant laborers , may also approach herd immunity soon , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep your eye on , '' he says .
But assuming a vaccine or effective treatments can be developed , Shaman says , the Qatars of the world wo n't be viewed as the winners .
Instead , nations that can safely shield their population the longest will come out ahead .
`` South Korea , Vietnam , New Zealand , Japan — these are going to be success stories , '' he says .
Those nations have suppressed the virus through an initial lockdown , coupled with sustained contact tracing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , combined with some social distancing and widespread use of masks , can quash the virus to levels where normal life can more or less resume — as long as elected officials , public health leaders and the public continue after that to work in concert to contain any outbreaks .
Sridhar says that Scotland is currently pursuing such a `` zero COVID '' strategy , and although it has n't eliminated the coronavirus entirely , it appears to be working .
`` Pubs are open , bars are open , kids are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sridhar says .
`` Schools are going to go back full time , and infections are so low that people can feel safe doing that .
It 's a painful process and it does take time , but there are ways you can stop it . ''

Without A Vaccine, Researchers Say, Herd Immunity May Never Be Achieved
Enlarge this image toggle caption Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images
As the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly throughout the U.S. and beyond, many are wondering: How on earth will this end? In an interview televised this week, President Trump reiterated his belief that sooner or later the virus will burn itself out. "I will be right eventually," the president told Fox News host Chris Wallace. "It's going to disappear, and I'll be right."
But scientists are increasingly of the view that this virus will not disappear. In interviews and correspondence with more than a dozen researchers around the world, NPR found that the vast majority believes the virus will persist at some level for a long time in places like the U.S. and Europe.
And until there is an effective vaccine in widespread use, levels of immunity will never be high enough to achieve what's called herd immunity, these researchers say. That's the tipping point at which the disease begins to burn itself out because so many people are immune that it can't continue to spread.
These scientists' view that the virus will persist is based on growing evidence that immunity may not be as straightforward as first assumed and that the virus is spreading relatively slowly, while continuing to sicken and kill. A vaccine could still prevent the illness or reduce its severity, but it's likely even that won't wipe COVID-19 from the globe.
"I think it's going to be with us probably forever at this point," says Devi Sridhar, a professor of global public health at the University of Edinburgh. "It's going to be with us, and it's how we decide to live with it."
The "take it on the chin" approach
The idea of herd immunity has been around for decades. In the past, it has been used to describe an effect seen with vaccination — if vaccination rates for measles are high, for example, a single case cannot spread far into a community. The "herd" of people is protected even when not everyone has received the vaccine.
But with the outbreak of the coronavirus, the idea of natural herd immunity took hold in some circles. The theory, broadly speaking, is that should enough people become ill and then immune, the entire population will be protected. Estimates vary widely, but it's generally thought that somewhere between 50% and 80% of a given population would need to have been infected by the coronavirus before such natural herd immunity could be achieved.
Herd immunity holds appeal in part because it does not require radical action such as social distancing.
"If the thing that is most important to you is not disrupting the economy, is not shuttering small businesses, is not causing economic instability so that people cannot eat — that is the solution you are going to glom onto," says Jeffrey Shaman, a professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University in New York City.
It was for those reasons that the conservative U.K. government toyed with the idea of herd immunity back in March, Sridhar says. Scientific advisers thought it would be futile to try to stop the coronavirus. Instead, some suggested trying to slow infections just enough to avoid overloading hospitals, while allowing the virus to spread through the population. It was the "take it on the chin" approach, as described by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Sridhar says the U.K.'s pandemic scientific advisory group back then was working from a playbook based on the flu. But COVID-19 is not the flu, and calculations showed that pursuing herd immunity would cause many thousands of deaths. The government hastily abandoned the strategy almost as soon as it had been floated.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Martin von Krogh/Getty Images Martin von Krogh/Getty Images
Sweden's experience
Across the North Sea, however, Sweden continued to pursue an approach with the potential to achieve herd immunity — though the government never stated it as a goal. Swedish authorities recommended taking precautions at an individual level and banned gatherings of more than 50 people, but the nation stopped short of ordering restaurants and bars closed. In April, the Swedish ambassador boasted that Stockholm might achieve herd immunity by the end of May.
That never happened, Sridhar says. "Sweden is stuck at 6% for months now," she says, in reference to the percentage of residents who have antibodies to the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the country has suffered economic devastation and far higher death rates than its Nordic neighbors.
The main reason herd immunity hasn't been achieved, she suspects, is that to get there, many millions of Swedes would have to catch COVID-19. That could happen in the abstract, but in reality, most individuals deliberately try their hardest to avoid contracting the disease. "Nobody wants to be part of the herd," she says.
Sweden is hardly alone. In many countries, blood tests for antibodies — a sign somebody has been infected with the coronavirus — find that the percentage of the population that tests positive for this indicator of immunity is in the single digits.
"The example I like to think about is South Korea, which has 50 cases [of new infection] per day right now. If they were to hold on for another thousand days, which is three years, they would have 50,000 cases, which is 0.1% of their population," says Shaman.
U.S. health care system would buckle
Even in the U.S., at 60,000 cases per day, it would take at least until 2021 — and possibly years of filled hospitals and morgues — before the requisite hundreds of millions of Americans were infected.
"I think if you were to just let this process occur, it's very difficult to project the number of deaths, but I think we're certainly talking north of a million, probably much more," says Dr. Joshua Schiffer, an associate professor in the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
As a practical matter, the U.S. health care system would buckle while trying to care for that many sick people, says Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, who directs the Special Pathogens Unit at Boston Medical Center. "It's unlikely we can achieve natural herd immunity without completely using up physical and human resources," she tells NPR.
Questions remain about waning immunity and reinfection
But recent evidence suggests there is yet another reason immunity levels may not be rising beyond a few percent — the protective immunity an individual gains after becoming infected with the coronavirus may fade with time.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Simon Dawson/AP Simon Dawson/AP
Two studies now show that coronavirus antibodies, a key aspect of a person's immune response, can disappear over a matter of months. The results are hardly conclusive, and to date there has been no scientific proof of reinfections, but they have precedent.
Shaman says studies that his group has conducted of other common coronaviruses show they can reinfect people. By tracking infected New Yorkers, Shaman was able to show, for example, that coronaviruses that cause the common cold sometimes reinfected the study's participants more than once.
"Some of them were four to eight weeks separated — that's rapid, and that might have been a relapse [of the same infection]," he says. "But others we know are different — they were eight to 11 months apart."
The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 hasn't been around long enough in most places to cause reinfections, but that may change this fall and winter.
"If it's like other coronaviruses ... we're going to start to see some of those reinfections in the next six to 12 months" says Greta Bauer, an epidemiologist at Western University in Ontario.
Antibodies are not the only way the immune system fights a disease like COVID-19, and it may be that other types of immune cells ramp up to quickly fight off infection. But if people can be mildly reinfected, then herd immunity simply would not work.
"If immunity is only temporary, then the epidemic may not 'end,' " Neil Ferguson, a disease modeler at Imperial College London, told NPR in an email. "Rather, we may see a transition from epidemic dynamics to endemic circulation of the virus in the human population, albeit at lower levels."
Pursuing herd immunity deliberately now seems more ethically dubious than ever for elected officials, Bauer says, given that individual recovery from COVID-19 also appears to be a fraught process. A significant portion of COVID-19 survivors suffer fatigue, blood clots, fevers and other symptoms for weeks and months after clearing the infection.
"We know very little about the long-term effects for people with mild disease," Bauer says. "We don't know if the virus survives in reservoirs in the body, we don't know if it can cause disease later in life, and that's the really difficult part for decision-making."
In the end, even if natural herd immunity is achieved or partially achieved in the absence of a vaccine, it will likely be seen as a sign of a government's failure to protect its people. In the U.S., subgroups of the population — groups of essential workers, for example — may approach herd immunity, says Sarah Cobey, an associate professor and researcher studying pathogens and human immunity at the University of Chicago. But that would be the result of what she describes in an email as an "appalling inability to manage the epidemic — specifically, to provide the support people need to protect themselves and not infect others."
Nations like Qatar, which has seen huge waves of infection spread through groups of immigrant laborers, may also approach herd immunity soon, says Shaman. "That's a country to keep your eye on," he says.
But assuming a vaccine or effective treatments can be developed, Shaman says, the Qatars of the world won't be viewed as the winners. Instead, nations that can safely shield their population the longest will come out ahead. "South Korea, Vietnam, New Zealand, Japan — these are going to be success stories," he says.
Those nations have suppressed the virus through an initial lockdown, coupled with sustained contact tracing and isolation of sick individuals. That approach, combined with some social distancing and widespread use of masks, can quash the virus to levels where normal life can more or less resume — as long as elected officials, public health leaders and the public continue after that to work in concert to contain any outbreaks.
Sridhar says that Scotland is currently pursuing such a "zero COVID" strategy, and although it hasn't eliminated the coronavirus entirely, it appears to be working.
"Pubs are open, bars are open, kids are in playing in the parks," Sridhar says. "Schools are going to go back full time, and infections are so low that people can feel safe doing that. It's a painful process and it does take time, but there are ways you can stop it."


npr--2020-07-24--As Zoos Cautiously Reopen, Humans Are Excited, Big Cats Seem Ambivalent

As Zoos Cautiously Reopen , Humans Are Excited , Big Cats Seem Ambivalent The pandas in D.C. , the grizzlies in Oakland , the gorillas in the Bronx are all getting reacquainted with human visitors .
As of a month and a half ago , the pandemic had forced 90 % of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums ' members to close .
Today , the AZA reports , about 80 % of them have reopened .
The Smithsonian 's National Zoo in Washington , D.C. , opens its gates to the public for the first time in 19 weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was one of the lucky few humans allowed in for a preview .
It was barely 8 a.m. , and the lemurs were very chatty .
Luke the lion was chuffing and pacing at the edge of his moat , while Damai , a Sumatran tiger , bellowed .
`` That bellow we usually hear when the female tiger is cycling , when she 's in estrus , '' says Craig Saffoe , curator of the National Zoo 's Great Cats exhibit and Kids ' Farm .
`` She 's quite literally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ male , letting him know where she is and that she 's ready . ''
Saffoe is both excited and anxious about reopening .
`` One of the things that I 've missed most is interacting with people , '' he says .
`` A big part of our job is education and getting to chat to visitors and explain to them that this neat tiger that you just heard bellowing is critically endangered — and we 're taking steps to try to help mitigate the potential for her extinction or her species @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to come and learn and enjoy our animals , but we have to do it safely , '' says Saffoe .
That means drastically limiting the number of people allowed in each day .
In normal , fully operational times , in the peak spring and summer seasons , the National Zoo can accommodate up to 25,000 people in a single day .
When it reopens , it will cap attendance at 5,000 through timed entry tickets .
Masks will be required for anyone age 6 or above .
Indoor spaces will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there will be hand sanitizer stations and signs reminding people to social distance .
The impact of the pandemic on zoos has been , `` in a word , devastating , '' says Dan Ashe , president of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums .
`` I do n't want to belittle the impact that the pandemic has had on businesses like restaurants or movie theaters , '' he says .
`` But zoos and aquariums ca n't just send their employees home and turn off the lights and secure the facility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 percent to care for the animals that live there .
So they continue to incur substantial costs day in and day out to keep the facility running . ''
As a result , Ashe says , many of them have `` burned through their reserves '' and have laid off nonessential staff .
In California , Oakland Zoo almost went bankrupt .
`` We had about three months of reserves remaining , so we had to notify the city of Oakland that we were running out of money , '' says Oakland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But communities get attached to their zoos .
After media reports that Oakland Zoo might close permanently , Parrott says it was inundated with donations , including a $ 500,000 gift from an anonymous donor .
When 6-year-old Andy Soulard found out the zoo might close , she donated her tooth fairy money and , with her mom , set up a fundraiser on Facebook .
She promised she would make bracelets for anyone who pledged .
Her mom , Kelly Soulard , set the goal at $ 200 .
To date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 215,000 for Oakland Zoo .
`` We 're getting donations from people all over the country , '' says Soulard .
`` People who have lived here previously and had fond memories , or they have grandkids that live here and they want to make sure that the zoo is still around for them , or people who just love animals and conservation . ''
Andy , whose favorite animals include `` warthogs , guinea hogs , tigers and tortoises , '' had to rally help from her friends to keep up with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another donation to Oakland Zoo .
`` I lost another big tooth .
... And I donated the other $ 5 that were under my pillow , '' she beams .
Parrott calls her ability to turn $ 5 into $ 215,000 `` a gift . ''
`` We 've never seen anything like it , '' he says .
Back at the Smithsonian 's National Zoo in D.C. , Craig Saffoe says some of the animals he oversees did seem to miss seeing crowds of humans while they were closed to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We have n't seen the cats get superexcited about seeing people , but that 's honestly to be expected .
Cats , whether they 're your cats at home or giant cats like ours , are cats , '' he smiles .
For some animals — like the black-footed ferrets and prairie dogs born earlier this spring — the reopening will be their first experience of human crowds .
Saffoe is pretty confident that the farm animals — like donkeys and cows — missed all the pets they used to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , touching the farm animals wo n't be allowed when the National Zoo reopens .
Curators and keepers wants to keep all species safe .

As Zoos Cautiously Reopen, Humans Are Excited, Big Cats Seem Ambivalent
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mehgan Murphy/Smithsonian's National Zoo Mehgan Murphy/Smithsonian's National Zoo
The pandas in D.C., the grizzlies in Oakland, the gorillas in the Bronx are all getting reacquainted with human visitors. As of a month and a half ago, the pandemic had forced 90% of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums' members to close. Today, the AZA reports, about 80% of them have reopened.
The Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., opens its gates to the public for the first time in 19 weeks on Friday — and this week, I was one of the lucky few humans allowed in for a preview.
It was barely 8 a.m., and the lemurs were very chatty. Luke the lion was chuffing and pacing at the edge of his moat, while Damai, a Sumatran tiger, bellowed.
"That bellow we usually hear when the female tiger is cycling, when she's in estrus," says Craig Saffoe, curator of the National Zoo's Great Cats exhibit and Kids' Farm. "She's quite literally sending out a calling card to a male, letting him know where she is and that she's ready."
Saffoe is both excited and anxious about reopening.
"One of the things that I've missed most is interacting with people," he says. "A big part of our job is education and getting to chat to visitors and explain to them that this neat tiger that you just heard bellowing is critically endangered — and we're taking steps to try to help mitigate the potential for her extinction or her species' extinction."
In July 2017, Damai gave birth to a cub.
"We want people to come and learn and enjoy our animals, but we have to do it safely," says Saffoe.
That means drastically limiting the number of people allowed in each day. In normal, fully operational times, in the peak spring and summer seasons, the National Zoo can accommodate up to 25,000 people in a single day. When it reopens, it will cap attendance at 5,000 through timed entry tickets. Masks will be required for anyone age 6 or above. Indoor spaces will stay closed, and throughout the zoo, there will be hand sanitizer stations and signs reminding people to social distance.
The impact of the pandemic on zoos has been, "in a word, devastating," says Dan Ashe, president of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
Zoos and aquariums can't just send their employees home and turn off the lights and secure the facility. The facility has to function at 100 percent to care for the animals that live there. So they continue to incur substantial costs day in and day out to keep the facility running.
"I don't want to belittle the impact that the pandemic has had on businesses like restaurants or movie theaters," he says. "But zoos and aquariums can't just send their employees home and turn off the lights and secure the facility. The facility has to function at 100 percent to care for the animals that live there. So they continue to incur substantial costs day in and day out to keep the facility running."
As a result, Ashe says, many of them have "burned through their reserves" and have laid off nonessential staff.
In California, Oakland Zoo almost went bankrupt. "We had about three months of reserves remaining, so we had to notify the city of Oakland that we were running out of money," says Oakland Zoo's president, Dr. Joel Parrott.
But communities get attached to their zoos. After media reports that Oakland Zoo might close permanently, Parrott says it was inundated with donations, including a $500,000 gift from an anonymous donor.
When 6-year-old Andy Soulard found out the zoo might close, she donated her tooth fairy money and, with her mom, set up a fundraiser on Facebook. She promised she would make bracelets for anyone who pledged. Her mom, Kelly Soulard, set the goal at $200. To date, they've raised more than $215,000 for Oakland Zoo.
"We're getting donations from people all over the country," says Soulard. "People who have lived here previously and had fond memories, or they have grandkids that live here and they want to make sure that the zoo is still around for them, or people who just love animals and conservation."
Andy, whose favorite animals include "warthogs, guinea hogs, tigers and tortoises," had to rally help from her friends to keep up with the bracelets. Last week she made another donation to Oakland Zoo.
"I lost another big tooth. ... And I donated the other $5 that were under my pillow," she beams. Parrott calls her ability to turn $5 into $215,000 "a gift." "We've never seen anything like it," he says.
Oakland Zoo reopens July 29.
Back at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in D.C., Craig Saffoe says some of the animals he oversees did seem to miss seeing crowds of humans while they were closed to the public. Others, not so much.
"We haven't seen the cats get superexcited about seeing people, but that's honestly to be expected. Cats, whether they're your cats at home or giant cats like ours, are cats," he smiles.
For some animals — like the black-footed ferrets and prairie dogs born earlier this spring — the reopening will be their first experience of human crowds.
Saffoe is pretty confident that the farm animals — like donkeys and cows — missed all the pets they used to get from kids. But because of COVID-19, touching the farm animals won't be allowed when the National Zoo reopens.
Curators and keepers wants to keep all species safe.


npr--2020-07-24--A New Album Re-Creates The Work Of The 1st Known Female Composers In America

A New Album Re-Creates The Work Of The 1st Known Female Composers In America Chris Herbert was in a hurry .
The vocalist and musicologist was studying the Ephrata Codex — an 18th century music manuscript — in the Library of Congress , which meant he was on the clock .
Herbert was working on digitizing the Codex .
He flipped through the pages , taking pictures of each one , with no time to pause .
A few weeks later while on tour in Europe , he took time to examine his work and noticed something he had n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ images he 'd hastily snapped in the Library of Congress , he saw names written in small font beside the musical compositions .
Three of those names belonged to women : Sister Föben , Sister Katura and Sister Hanna .
Herbert was curious , and then ecstatic .
He deduced that these names indicated authorship .
After continuing his research , Herbert could not find any evidence of compositions that predate the ones composed by the sisters listed in the Ephrata Codex , making them the first known female composers in America .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ compositions to life .
Last year , he began production on Voices in the Wilderness , an album that includes the compositions of the female composers of the Ephrata Cloister .
He selected an a cappella quartet , and recorded the music in the Meetinghouse at the cloister , the original building the music would have been intended for .
Ephrata , located in central Pennsylvania near Lancaster , was home to a mostly-celibate religious commune that reached its peak in the mid-1700s , when Sister Föben , Sister Ketura and Sister Hanna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a `` radical , religious pietist '' named Conrad Beissel .
`` He had a very unique view of theology , '' Herbert explains .
`` He believed that God was divided into two genders , and that women should marry the male side of God , which was named Jesus , and that men should marry the female side of God , which was named Sophia .
And because of this relationship , there was an encouragement for celibacy . ''
Free of the constraints of child-bearing and rearing , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraged to produce creative works , like hymnals and music compositions , as a means of religious devotion .
`` By writing music , they were professing their faith , '' says Herbert , and that although the music is technically simple , that 's where its beauty lies .
`` It 's just devotional , simple music .
Not trying to be frilly , not trying to be ostentatious .
Simply existing for the sake of a religious experience , '' he says .
Founder Conrad Beissel himself was a hymn writer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prolific .
There are at least 135 surviving music manuscripts from Ephrata and its descendant commune , Snow Hill .
But this creative means of devotion birthed some unintended consequences .
Rules about worship changed frequently at Ephrata .
At times devotees shaved their heads , at other times they slept only three hours a night .
Treatises were written about what to eat in order to sing properly , and what to eat in general — no meat , no honey .
Herbert speculates that these changes and the emphasis on creativity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those names were listed in the Codex .
`` Because of the number of rules , and also this push to create , it created some conflict in the cloister about attribution of work and who gets credit for it , '' he says .
At times , names were written in code next to hymns as a kind of insider scoreboard , `` internally giving points '' Herbert says , for creative works of devotion and faith .
But most striking is the fact that women were credited for their compositions at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says , very few women would have been in a position to compose music .
Even across the Atlantic in Europe , composing would have been reserved for women of means .
`` The only women we know of today who were composers often ... were in very specific situations in which they were given the opportunity to even have credit for their original work , '' he says , and in the Americas , it was a `` complete anomaly '' for women in the Colonies to be credited for any kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these early compositions on Voices in the Wilderness , Chris Herbert brings us a step closer toward recognizing the contributions of women in the history of American music .
The album Voices in the Wilderness is due out in spring 2021 via Bright Shiny Things .

A New Album Re-Creates The Work Of The 1st Known Female Composers In America
Enlarge this image toggle caption Doug Kerr/Courtesy of the artist Doug Kerr/Courtesy of the artist
Chris Herbert was in a hurry. The vocalist and musicologist was studying the Ephrata Codex — an 18th century music manuscript — in the Library of Congress, which meant he was on the clock. Herbert was working on digitizing the Codex. He flipped through the pages, taking pictures of each one, with no time to pause.
A few weeks later while on tour in Europe, he took time to examine his work and noticed something he hadn't seen before. Zooming in on the images he'd hastily snapped in the Library of Congress, he saw names written in small font beside the musical compositions. Three of those names belonged to women: Sister Föben, Sister Katura and Sister Hanna.
Herbert was curious, and then ecstatic. He deduced that these names indicated authorship. After continuing his research, Herbert could not find any evidence of compositions that predate the ones composed by the sisters listed in the Ephrata Codex, making them the first known female composers in America.
Now, Chris Herbert's bringing their compositions to life. Last year, he began production on Voices in the Wilderness, an album that includes the compositions of the female composers of the Ephrata Cloister. He selected an a cappella quartet, and recorded the music in the Meetinghouse at the cloister, the original building the music would have been intended for.
Christopher Herbert via YouTube
Ephrata, located in central Pennsylvania near Lancaster, was home to a mostly-celibate religious commune that reached its peak in the mid-1700s, when Sister Föben, Sister Ketura and Sister Hanna lived there. The commune was founded by a "radical, religious pietist" named Conrad Beissel.
"He had a very unique view of theology," Herbert explains. "He believed that God was divided into two genders, and that women should marry the male side of God, which was named Jesus, and that men should marry the female side of God, which was named Sophia. And because of this relationship, there was an encouragement for celibacy."
Free of the constraints of child-bearing and rearing, the brothers and sisters of the commune were encouraged to produce creative works, like hymnals and music compositions, as a means of religious devotion.
"By writing music, they were professing their faith," says Herbert, and that although the music is technically simple, that's where its beauty lies.
"It's just devotional, simple music. Not trying to be frilly, not trying to be ostentatious. Simply existing for the sake of a religious experience," he says.
Founder Conrad Beissel himself was a hymn writer, and his followers at Ephrata were prolific. There are at least 135 surviving music manuscripts from Ephrata and its descendant commune, Snow Hill. But this creative means of devotion birthed some unintended consequences.
Rules about worship changed frequently at Ephrata. At times devotees shaved their heads, at other times they slept only three hours a night. Treatises were written about what to eat in order to sing properly, and what to eat in general — no meat, no honey. Herbert speculates that these changes and the emphasis on creativity may have played a role in why those names were listed in the Codex.
"Because of the number of rules, and also this push to create, it created some conflict in the cloister about attribution of work and who gets credit for it," he says.
At times, names were written in code next to hymns as a kind of insider scoreboard, "internally giving points" Herbert says, for creative works of devotion and faith.
But most striking is the fact that women were credited for their compositions at all. At the time, Herbert says, very few women would have been in a position to compose music. Even across the Atlantic in Europe, composing would have been reserved for women of means.
"The only women we know of today who were composers often...were in very specific situations in which they were given the opportunity to even have credit for their original work," he says, and in the Americas, it was a "complete anomaly" for women in the Colonies to be credited for any kind of creative work.
With the recording of these early compositions on Voices in the Wilderness, Chris Herbert brings us a step closer toward recognizing the contributions of women in the history of American music.
The album Voices in the Wilderness is due out in spring 2021 via Bright Shiny Things.


npr--2020-07-24--Despite Trump's Veto Threat, Senate Approves Provision To Rename Military Bases

The Republican-controlled Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a defense appropriations bill that calls for renaming U.S. military bases that honor Confederate officers – a provision that President Trump has threatened to veto .
The Senate 's 86-14 vote to approve the annual National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) is more than enough to override a veto , should the president follow through on his threat .
The vote comes days after the House passed a similar version of the $ 741 billion bill .
It now goes to conference , where the House and Senate will iron out any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bills authorize a 3 % pay raise for service members .
The White House issued a statement this week saying that while it supports the spending , it has `` serious concerns '' about the base-change mandate .
If the authorization becomes law , 10 Army bases named after prominent Confederate military leaders would be changed .
They include Fort Bragg in North Carolina , Fort Hood in Texas and Fort Benning in Georgia .
Other military installations that bear the names of Confederate figures would also be changed .
In recent weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sparked by the police killing of George Floyd have provided new impetus to years of unsuccessful efforts to push for the base-name changes .
Many believe it is improper for the U.S. military to honor individuals who fought for slavery and sought to secede from the United States .
Although in the past the military resisted those calls , last month Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy were reportedly `` open '' to the idea .
An ABC News-Ipsos poll released last month showed that 56 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ names of bases , although that figure was heavily skewed by race – 67 % of African Americans favored the move , while 32 % of white Americans and 54 % of Hispanic Americans support it .
In June , Trump tweeted : `` These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage , and a history of Winning , Victory , and Freedom . ''
In an interview with Fox News journalist Chris Wallace that aired last weekend , the president appeared to soften his stance somewhat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NDAA .
`` We won two world wars , two world wars , beautiful world wars that were vicious and horrible , and we won them out of Fort Bragg , we won out of all of these forts that now they want to throw those names away , '' Trump told Wallace .
Overturning a presidential veto is not a certainty .
Lawmakers could flip their votes on the bill to sustain a veto .
The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Sen. Jim Inhofe , R-Okla. , said House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bill `` that both sides can support and the president can sign . ''

Despite Trump's Veto Threat, Senate Approves Provision To Rename Military Bases
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chris Seward/AP Chris Seward/AP
The Republican-controlled Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a defense appropriations bill that calls for renaming U.S. military bases that honor Confederate officers — a provision that President Trump has threatened to veto.
The Senate's 86-14 vote to approve the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is more than enough to override a veto, should the president follow through on his threat. The vote comes days after the House passed a similar version of the $741 billion bill.
It now goes to conference, where the House and Senate will iron out any differences. Among other things, both bills authorize a 3% pay raise for service members.
The White House issued a statement this week saying that while it supports the spending, it has "serious concerns" about the base-change mandate.
If the authorization becomes law, 10 Army bases named after prominent Confederate military leaders would be changed. They include Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas and Fort Benning in Georgia. Other military installations that bear the names of Confederate figures would also be changed.
In recent weeks, the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd have provided new impetus to years of unsuccessful efforts to push for the base-name changes. Many believe it is improper for the U.S. military to honor individuals who fought for slavery and sought to secede from the United States.
Although in the past the military resisted those calls, last month Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy were reportedly "open" to the idea.
An ABC News-Ipsos poll released last month showed that 56% of those surveyed oppose changing the names of bases, although that figure was heavily skewed by race – 67% of African Americans favored the move, while 32% of white Americans and 54% of Hispanic Americans support it.
In June, Trump tweeted: "These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom."
It has been suggested that we should rename as many as 10 of our Legendary Military Bases, such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Benning in Georgia, etc. These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 10, 2020
In an interview with Fox News journalist Chris Wallace that aired last weekend, the president appeared to soften his stance somewhat, saying he "might" veto the NDAA.
"We won two world wars, two world wars, beautiful world wars that were vicious and horrible, and we won them out of Fort Bragg, we won out of all of these forts that now they want to throw those names away," Trump told Wallace.
Overturning a presidential veto is not a certainty. Lawmakers could flip their votes on the bill to sustain a veto.
The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., said House and Senate lawmakers would work to produce a bill "that both sides can support and the president can sign."


npr--2020-07-24--DHS Restores New York To Trusted Traveler Program; Admits False Statements In Lawsuit

DHS Restores New York To Trusted Traveler Program ; Admits False Statements In Lawsuit The White House is lifting a months-long ban on residents of New York state from taking part in a federal program to streamline passenger security checks at airports and international borders , after the Department of Homeland Security admitted that it made false statements responding to a lawsuit brought by the state over the issue .
DHS said Thursday it was restoring the Trusted Traveler Program ( TTP ) after New York amended its `` Green Light '' law that went into effect in December , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's licenses .
The law had prevented the state 's Department of Motor Vehicles from sharing information with immigration authorities unless ordered by a judge to do so .
In banning New York from the TTP , the Trump administration argued that the state was endangering national security by refusing to share personal data for background checks and therefore could not be trusted to participate in the program .
However , other states and territories with similar laws had been allowed to continue their participation in the TPP .
In April , New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the change allows record-sharing with federal immigration authorities `` as necessary for an individual seeking acceptance into a trusted traveler program , or to facilitate vehicle imports and/or exports , '' leading the agency to lift its ban .
After the federal ban went into effect , New York sued DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection , arguing that the policy would kick out 175,000 New Yorkers from the TPP whose enrollment in the program expires at the end of this year , as well as 80,000 others with pending applications .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ late Thursday , the U.S. Attorney 's Office in Manhattan acknowledged that , in effect , New York had been singled out .
The filing said DHS and CPB `` deeply regret the foregoing inaccurate or misleading statements and apologize to the court and ( New York ) for the need to make these corrections at this late stage . ''
It further acknowledged that the false information had undermined its own argument that it `` is not able to assure itself of an applicant 's low-risk status because New York fails to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a result , Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf `` has decided to restore New York residents ' access to '' the program , `` effective immediately . ''
In the DHS statement , Wolf said the department appreciates the information-sharing now possible with the amended law .
`` Nonetheless , local New York law continues to maintain provisions that undermine the security of the American people and purport to criminalize information sharing between law enforcement entities . ''

DHS Restores New York To Trusted Traveler Program, Admits False Statements In Lawsuit
Enlarge this image toggle caption Reed Saxon/AP Reed Saxon/AP
The White House is lifting a months-long ban on residents of New York state from taking part in a federal program to streamline passenger security checks at airports and international borders after the Department of Homeland Security admitted that it made false statements responding to a lawsuit brought by the state over the issue.
DHS said Thursday it was restoring the Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) after New York amended its "Green Light" law that went into effect in December, allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses.
The law had prevented the state's Department of Motor Vehicles from sharing information with immigration authorities unless ordered by a judge to do so. In banning New York from the TTP, the Trump administration argued that the state was endangering national security by refusing to share personal data for background checks and therefore could not be trusted to participate in the program.
However, other states and territories with similar laws had been allowed to continue their participation in the TTP.
In April, New York amended the law. DHS said the change allows record sharing with federal immigration authorities "as necessary for an individual seeking acceptance into a trusted traveler program, or to facilitate vehicle imports and/or exports," leading the agency to lift its ban.
After the federal ban went into effect, New York sued DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, arguing that the policy would kick out 175,000 New Yorkers whose enrollment in the TTP expires at the end of this year, as well as 80,000 others with pending applications.
In a filing related to the suit late Thursday, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan acknowledged that, in effect, New York had been singled out.
The filing said DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection "deeply regret the foregoing inaccurate or misleading statements and apologize to the court and (New York) for the need to make these corrections at this late stage."
It further acknowledged that the false information had undermined its own argument that it "is not able to assure itself of an applicant's low-risk status because New York fails to share relevant DMV information" and that as a result, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf "has decided to restore New York residents' access to" the program, "effective immediately."
In the DHS statement, Wolf said the department appreciates the information-sharing now possible with the amended law. "Nonetheless, local New York law continues to maintain provisions that undermine the security of the American people and purport to criminalize information sharing between law enforcement entities."


npr--2020-07-24--China Orders U.S. To Close Its Consulate in Chengdu

China Orders U.S. To Close Its Consulate in Chengdu Updated at 4:50 a.m .
ET China will shut down the U.S. consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu in retaliation for the U.S. shutting down China 's Houston consulate this week as relations between the two countries reach their lowest point in more than 30 years .
`` Some of the employees of the American consulate in Chengdu engaged in activities not in accordance with their identities , interfered in China 's internal affairs and hurt China 's national security interests , '' foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those activities were when asked .
China 's foreign ministry said it had informed the U.S. Embassy in Beijing early Friday afternoon of the closure .
The country 's state broadcaster said the U.S. consulate would have 72 hours to close , the same period of time the U.S. gave China to close its Houston consulate .
`` This is a legitimate & necessary response to the unilateral provocative move by the US to demand the closure of China 's Consulate General in Houston , '' a foreign ministry spokesperson , Hua Chunying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcement .
Chengdu is one of six U.S. foreign missions , including the embassy in Beijing , in mainland China .
The U.S. also has a major consulate in Hong Kong .
In February 2012 , the U.S. ' Chengdu consulate briefly sheltered the city 's former police chief , Wang Lijun , igniting a series of events that eventually led to the dramatic ouster and imprisonment of a high-ranking Communist Party official , Bo Xilai .
Houston was the first Chinese consulate to open in the U.S. following normalization of relations between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. government has not provided a detailed explanation for why it decided to close China 's Houston consulate earlier this week , but has strongly hinted its closure pertains to specific cases of industrial espionage which Chinese consular staff allegedly supported .
In a major speech on U.S.-China relations Thursday , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. ordered the Houston consulate closed because it was `` a hub of spying and IP theft . ''
The State Department said in a statement announcing the closure Wednesday the action was to `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( sic ) private information . ''
The department 's top official for East Asia and the Pacific , Assistant Secretary of State David Stilwell , told reporters the Houston consulate was active in supporting informants who collected information and research to help the Chinese military .
`` The responsibility rests entirely with the United States , '' China 's foreign ministry said in statement Friday explaining its decision to shut down the U.S. consulate .
`` We once again urge the U.S. to immediately revoke its erroneous decision and create the necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to normal . ''
China 's consul general in Houston , Cai Wei , told Politico this week that the consulate would protest the U.S. closure order and remain open `` until further notice . ''
`` China and its people are not afraid , '' said Chu Shulong , a professor of international relations at Beijing 's Tsinghua University .
`` The United States can not change the trend of China 's development .
Without the U.S. , China will still become powerful .
Our technology and military will still progress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @

China Orders U.S. To Close Its Consulate In Chengdu
Enlarge this image toggle caption U.S. Department of State U.S. Department of State
Updated at 12:20 p.m. ET
The Chinese government ordered the United States on Friday to close its consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu in retaliation for the U.S. shutting down China's consulate in Houston. Ties between the two countries have plummeted to their lowest point in more than 30 years.
The tit-for-tat diplomatic moves mark a significant escalation in the increasingly fraught relationship between Beijing and Washington. The two world powers find themselves at odds on a range of issues from trade to territorial claims in the South China Sea.
China's Foreign Ministry said it had informed the U.S. Embassy in Beijing early Friday afternoon of the closure. China's state broadcaster said the U.S. Consulate would have 72 hours to close, the same period of time the U.S. gave China to close its consulate in Houston.
"This is a legitimate & necessary response to the unilateral provocative move by the US to demand the closure of China's Consulate General in Houston," a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, wrote on Twitter shortly after the announcement.
Another Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, appeared to suggest that the U.S. diplomatic outpost was being used for espionage purposes.
"Some of the employees of the American Consulate in Chengdu engaged in activities not in accordance with their identities, interfered in China's internal affairs and hurt China's national security interests," Wang told reporters. He did not specify what those activities were when asked.
Chengdu is one of six U.S. foreign missions, including the embassy in Beijing, in mainland China. The U.S. also has a major consulate in Hong Kong.
In February 2012, the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu briefly sheltered the city's former police chief, Wang Lijun, igniting a series of events that eventually led to the dramatic ouster and imprisonment of a high-ranking Communist Party official, Bo Xilai.
Houston was the first Chinese consulate to open in the U.S. following normalization of relations between Washington and Beijing in 1979.
The U.S. government has not provided a detailed explanation for why it decided to close China's Houston consulate earlier this week but has strongly hinted its closure pertains to specific cases of industrial espionage that Chinese consular staff allegedly supported.
In a major speech on U.S.-China relations Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. ordered the Houston consulate closed because it was "a hub of spying and IP theft."
Pompeo is one of several senior Trump administration officials to deliver major speeches in recent weeks staking out a hard line against China. Washington accuses Beijing of waging a relentless campaign of economic espionage and cyberattacks to steal American trade secrets and intellectual property across a range of cutting-edge fields, from aviation and machine learning to medicine and nanotechnology.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has said the bureau is opening a new China-related counterintelligence investigation every 10 hours. The Justice Department, meanwhile, has brought dozens of cases in recent years related to alleged economic espionage by China.
Just this week, the department charged two suspected Chinese hackers with stealing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of intellectual property from companies in the U.S. and elsewhere over the past decade. The duo is accused of targeting U.S. companies this year that were working on COVID-19 research.
The department also announced charges against four Chinese researchers who allegedly lied on their visa applications to hide ties to China's military. One of them, Juan Tang, had sought refuge in the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco after being interviewed by the FBI last month. U.S. officials say she is now in custody and is expected to make here initial appearance in federal court on Friday.
In its statement announcing the closure Wednesday of the Chinese Consulate in Houston, the State Department raised allegations of industrial espionage.
The closure, it said, was to protect "American intellectual property and American's private information." The department's top official for East Asia and the Pacific, Assistant Secretary of State David Stilwell, told reporters the Houston consulate was active in supporting informants who collected information and research to help the Chinese military.
Wang Wenbin, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, called Stilwell's allegations "talking nonsense" at a press briefing Thursday.
"The responsibility rests entirely with the United States," China's Foreign Ministry said in statement Friday explaining its decision to shut down the U.S. Consulate. "We once again urge the U.S. to immediately revoke its erroneous decision and create the necessary conditions so bilateral relations can return back to normal."
China's consul general in Houston, Cai Wei, told Politico this week that the consulate would protest the U.S. closure order and remain open "until further notice."
"China and its people are not afraid," said Chu Shulong, a professor of international relations at Beijing's Tsinghua University. "The United States cannot change the trend of China's development. Without the U.S., China will still become powerful. Our technology and military will still progress, it just may take longer."


npr--2020-07-23--Order Temporarily Blocks Feds From Targeting Press And Legal Observers In Portland

Order Temporarily Blocks Feds From Targeting Press And Legal Observers In Portland A federal judge has temporarily blocked federal law enforcement officers deployed to Portland , Ore. , from targeting journalists and legal observers at the protests against police violence and racial injustice that have intensified in recent days .
U.S. District Judge Michael Simon issued a restraining order Thursday preventing federal agents from `` arresting , threatening to arrest , or using physical force '' directed at anyone they know to be a journalist or legal observer , unless they have probable cause to believe they have committed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defendants from seizing any photographic , audio and video recording equipment and press passes from people in those two categories , as well as from ordering them to stop recording or observing a protest .
It took effect at 5 p.m. on Thursday and will last for 14 days .
The order comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon , on behalf of a group of legal observers and local journalists .
They wrote that they were seeking to stop local and federal defendants from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assaulting news reporters , photographers , legal observers , and other neutrals who are documenting the police 's violent response to protests over the murder of George Floyd . ''
The order details several examples of journalists , identifiable by press passes , clothing and gear , being fired upon , pepper sprayed and hit with batons by federal agents .
They described being shot with pepper balls and what are identified as `` less lethal munitions . ''
In one instance , Noah Berger , a photojournalist of 25 years on assignment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacked repeatedly by federal agents with batons and pepper spray , even as he was clearly not participating in the protest and , in a later incident , leaving the area .
The order also detailed the story of photojournalist Jungho Kim , who has covered protests in California and Hong Kong and has experience `` distinguishing himself from a protester . ''
Kim was recording protesters on the scene when federal agents pushed them away from the area .
`` He was around 30 feet away from federal agents , standing still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around him , '' reads the order .
`` He asserts that suddenly and without warning , he was shot in the chest just below his heart with a less lethal munition .
Because he was wearing a ballistic vest , he was uninjured .
He also witnessed , and photographed , federal agents firing munitions into a group of press and legal observers . ''
Thursday 's order adds the Department of Homeland Security and U.S .
Marshals Service , the federal defendants , to an existing injunction that bars Portland police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observers at protests .
`` This order is a victory for the rule of law , '' said Jann Carson , interim executive director of the ACLU of Oregon .
`` Federal agents from Trump 's Departments of Homeland Security and Justice are terrorizing the community , threatening lives , and relentlessly attacking journalists and legal observers documenting protests .
These are the actions of a tyrant , and they have no place anywhere in America . ''
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describing the situation in Portland , the department said federal law enforcement officers are working `` diligently and honorably '' to enforce federal law by defending federal property and the lives of fellow officers against `` violent anarchists '' rioting in the streets .
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S .
Marshals Service deployed officers earlier this month to guard federal buildings in Portland , where demonstrators have taken to the streets for more than 50 consecutive days to protest racial injustice and police brutality .
Since then , federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and detaining protesters , in some cases using unmarked vehicles and failing to identify themselves while taking individuals into custody .
On Wednesday night , Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was among a crowd of protesters that federal agents tear gassed .
State and local leaders have said that the presence , and violence , of federal agents in the city have worsened a situation that was tense to begin with .
`` There 's absolutely no question that by having the presence of federal officers here , it 's simply like adding gasoline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kate Brown told NPR on Sunday .
In his order , Simon called the federal agents ' actions `` part of a pattern of officially sanctioned conduct , '' and said they would continue to target journalists and legal observers without an injunction .
`` The threatened future harm is not speculative or hypothetical , '' he wrote .
Other groups are seeking to put an end to the presence of federal law enforcement in Portland and elsewhere .
The mayors of more than a dozen cities sent President Trump a letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to withdraw federal agents .
The ACLU of Oregon filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the DHS , U.S .
Marshals Service and the city of Portland for attacking volunteer street medics .
And the Justice Department 's Office of the Inspector General on Thursday announced an investigation into allegations that DOJ law enforcement personnel have improperly used force in responding to protests in Portland and Washington , D.C .

Order Temporarily Blocks Feds From Targeting Press And Legal Observers In Portland
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nathan Howard/Getty Images Nathan Howard/Getty Images
A federal judge has temporarily blocked federal law enforcement officers deployed to Portland, Ore., from targeting journalists and legal observers at the protests against police violence and racial injustice that have intensified in recent days.
U.S. District Judge Michael Simon issued a restraining order Thursday preventing federal agents from "arresting, threatening to arrest, or using physical force" directed at anyone they know to be a journalist or legal observer, unless they have probable cause to believe they have committed a crime.
The order also blocks the defendants from seizing any photographic, audio and video recording equipment and press passes from people in those two categories, as well as from ordering them to stop recording or observing a protest.
It took effect at 5 p.m. on Thursday and will last for 14 days.
The order comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, on behalf of a group of legal observers and local journalists.
They wrote that they were seeking to stop local and federal defendants from attempting to intimidate the press and "assaulting news reporters, photographers, legal observers, and other neutrals who are documenting the police's violent response to protests over the murder of George Floyd."
The order details several examples of journalists, identifiable by press passes, clothing and gear, being fired upon, pepper sprayed and hit with batons by federal agents. They described being shot with pepper balls and what are identified as "less lethal munitions."
In one instance, Noah Berger, a photojournalist of 25 years on assignment for the Associated Press, describes being attacked repeatedly by federal agents with batons and pepper spray, even as he was clearly not participating in the protest and, in a later incident, leaving the area.
The order also detailed the story of photojournalist Jungho Kim, who has covered protests in California and Hong Kong and has experience "distinguishing himself from a protester." Kim was recording protesters on the scene when federal agents pushed them away from the area.
"He was around 30 feet away from federal agents, standing still, taking pictures, with no one around him," reads the order. "He asserts that suddenly and without warning, he was shot in the chest just below his heart with a less lethal munition. Because he was wearing a ballistic vest, he was uninjured. He also witnessed, and photographed, federal agents firing munitions into a group of press and legal observers."
Thursday's order adds the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Marshals Service, the federal defendants, to an existing injunction that bars Portland police from arresting or attacking journalists and legal observers at protests.
"This order is a victory for the rule of law," said Jann Carson, interim executive director of the ACLU of Oregon. "Federal agents from Trump's Departments of Homeland Security and Justice are terrorizing the community, threatening lives, and relentlessly attacking journalists and legal observers documenting protests. These are the actions of a tyrant, and they have no place anywhere in America."
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday evening.
In a Thursday press release describing the situation in Portland, the department said federal law enforcement officers are working "diligently and honorably" to enforce federal law by defending federal property and the lives of fellow officers against "violent anarchists" rioting in the streets.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Marshals Service deployed officers earlier this month to guard federal buildings in Portland, where demonstrators have taken to the streets for more than 50 consecutive days to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
Since then, federal agents have come under fire for attacking and detaining protesters, in some cases using unmarked vehicles and failing to identify themselves while taking individuals into custody.
On Wednesday night, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was among a crowd of protesters that federal agents tear gassed.
State and local leaders have said that the presence, and violence, of federal agents in the city have worsened a situation that was tense to begin with.
"There's absolutely no question that by having the presence of federal officers here, it's simply like adding gasoline to a fire," Oregon Gov. Kate Brown told NPR on Sunday.
In his order, Simon called the federal agents' actions "part of a pattern of officially sanctioned conduct," and said they would continue to target journalists and legal observers without an injunction.
"The threatened future harm is not speculative or hypothetical," he wrote.
Other groups are seeking to put an end to the presence of federal law enforcement in Portland and elsewhere.
The mayors of more than a dozen cities sent President Trump a letter this week, calling on his administration to withdraw federal agents. The ACLU of Oregon filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the DHS, U.S. Marshals Service and the city of Portland for attacking volunteer street medics.
And the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General on Thursday announced an investigation into allegations that DOJ law enforcement personnel have improperly used force in responding to protests in Portland and Washington, D.C.