npr--2020-09-04--Fed's Jerome Powell: Jobless Rate Better Than Expected; Recovery To Take A Long Time

Fed 's Jerome Powell : Jobless Rate Better Than Expected ; Recovery To Take A Long Time Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the pace of jobs growth is rising faster than many people expected , but it may take years before the economy has fully recovered .
Powell spoke in a wide-ranging interview with NPR on Friday , hours after the release of the August jobs report , which said unemployment continued to drift lower , falling to 8.4 % .
`` I would say today 's jobs report was a good one , '' he said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite a few people back to work . ''
Powell also said the central bank is n't ready to let down its guard anytime soon and interest rates will stay low for a long time .
`` We think that the economy 's going to need low interest rates , which support economic activity , for an extended period of time , '' he said .
`` It will be measured in years . ''
While many jobs have come back , as many as 11 million people are n't back to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entertainment and travel-related jobs , Powell said .
`` And in a sense , those may be some of the harder jobs to find because there are some parts of the economy that will take longer to recover , '' he said .
Powell also said that following social distancing guidelines and wearing masks is essential to controlling the virus and getting the country back to full employment .
`` There 's actually enormous economic gains to be had nationwide from people wearing masks and keeping their distance , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has made unprecedented efforts to support the economy during the pandemic .
As state and local governments urged residents to stay at home and businesses to shutter in an effort to stem the spread of the virus , tens of millions of people lost jobs within the span of a few weeks , sending the unemployment rate skyrocketing to nearly 15 % in April .
The Fed was quick to step in , devising a series of initiatives to pump trillions of dollars into the economy by cutting interest rates to zero and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Great Recession .
The central bank also took steps to make low-interest loans available to banks , money-market funds , state and local governments and businesses of all sizes .
Many economists say the Fed 's quick efforts have made the downturn less severe than it otherwise would have been , and unemployment has been gradually drifting downward .
But many critics say the Fed 's actions have helped Wall Street more than Main Street .
The belief that the Fed stands ready to let the money flow whenever necessary has fueled a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sending stocks up to record highs since March — though major indexes dipped this week .
Unemployment fell to 8.4 % in August , but job growth has slowed , the Labor Department reported earlier Friday .
( Just before the pandemic hit the U.S. economy , the jobless rate matched a 50-year low of 3.5 % . )
Powell 's comments come a week after he announced a major change in the Fed 's inflation targeting policies .
Powell said the Fed would allow inflation to run above its standard 2 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving the economy more room to grow .
`` Many find it counter-intuitive that the Fed would want to push up inflation , '' Powell told the audience .
`` However , inflation that is persistently too low can pose serious risks to the economy . ''

Fed's Jerome Powell: Jobless Rate Better Than Expected; Recovery To Take A Long Time
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 4:37 p.m. ET
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the pace of jobs growth is rising faster than many people expected, but it may take years before the economy has fully recovered.
Powell spoke in a wide-ranging interview with NPR on Friday, hours after the release of the August jobs report, which said unemployment continued to drift lower, falling to 8.4%.
"I would say today's jobs report was a good one," he said. "Through May and June, we got quite a few people back to work."
Powell also said the central bank isn't ready to let down its guard anytime soon and interest rates will stay low for a long time.
"We think that the economy's going to need low interest rates, which support economic activity, for an extended period of time," he said. "It will be measured in years."
While many jobs have come back, as many as 11 million people aren't back to work yet, including those in hotel, entertainment and travel-related jobs, Powell said.
"And in a sense, those may be some of the harder jobs to find because there are some parts of the economy that will take longer to recover," he said.
Powell also said that following social distancing guidelines and wearing masks is essential to controlling the virus and getting the country back to full employment.
"There's actually enormous economic gains to be had nationwide from people wearing masks and keeping their distance," he said.
Under Powell's leadership, the Fed has made unprecedented efforts to support the economy during the pandemic.
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As state and local governments urged residents to stay at home and businesses to shutter in an effort to stem the spread of the virus, tens of millions of people lost jobs within the span of a few weeks, sending the unemployment rate skyrocketing to nearly 15% in April.
The Fed was quick to step in, devising a series of initiatives to pump trillions of dollars into the economy by cutting interest rates to zero and restarting a bond-purchasing program used during the Great Recession.
The central bank also took steps to make low-interest loans available to banks, money-market funds, state and local governments and businesses of all sizes.
Many economists say the Fed's quick efforts have made the downturn less severe than it otherwise would have been, and unemployment has been gradually drifting downward.
But many critics say the Fed's actions have helped Wall Street more than Main Street. The belief that the Fed stands ready to let the money flow whenever necessary has fueled a great rebound in the financial markets, sending stocks up to record highs since March — though major indexes dipped this week.
Unemployment fell to 8.4% in August, but job growth has slowed, the Labor Department reported earlier Friday. (Just before the pandemic hit the U.S. economy, the jobless rate matched a 50-year low of 3.5%.)
Powell's comments come a week after he announced a major change in the Fed's inflation targeting policies. Powell said the Fed would allow inflation to run above its standard 2% threshold before raising interest rates, potentially giving the economy more room to grow.
"Many find it counter-intuitive that the Fed would want to push up inflation," Powell told the audience. "However, inflation that is persistently too low can pose serious risks to the economy."


npr--2020-09-04--Pentagon Says It Will Close 'Stars and Stripes,' But Trump Says It Won't Happen

Pentagon Says It Will Close 'Stars and Stripes , ' But Trump Says It Wo n't Happen The Pentagon ordered the closure of the venerable military newspaper Stars and Stripes on Friday .
But hours later , President Trump tweeted that he would n't allow that to happen `` under my watch . ''
The twists and turns played out as Trump faced a firestorm of criticism for reportedly calling American Marines who died in World War I `` losers '' and `` suckers . ''
Trump vehemently denied the remarks , though several news organizations have cited sources saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trip to France .
Stars and Stripes remains popular among many members of the military and has bipartisan support in Congress , especially among those who served in the armed forces .
But a memo signed by U.S. Army Col. Paul Haverstick said the newspaper would be shut down by Sept. 30 , the last day of the government 's 2020 fiscal year .
The memo gave no reason for closing the publication other than saying funding was not in next year 's budget request .
The office of Defense Secretary Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of States and Stripes as a result of the defense-wide review as outlined in the president 's budget request for fiscal year 2021 , '' the memo said .
Trump then tweeted on Friday afternoon : While Friday 's developments created plenty of questions about the future of the newspaper , its fate will involve input from Trump , the Pentagon and Congress .
The White House budget request earlier did not seek funding for Stars and Stripes .
But if Trump now wants that money for the newspaper , the Pentagon would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has not finalized the Pentagon 's 2021 budget , which was more than $ 700 billion this year .
The House plan calls for continued funding for the newspaper , while the Senate version does not .
Those plans will have to be reconciled and then signed by Trump .
Stars and Stripes , which is directed at members of the military , was first published for a brief time during the Civil War in 1861 and then again during World War I and its immediate aftermath , in 1918-19 .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been published continuously since then .
While the Defense Department funds the paper , Stars and Stripes has editorial independence and often publishes stories less than flattering for the military .
A top story on the website Friday was headlined , `` More than 3,000 VA patients have now died from the coronavirus . ''
`` Many of the active cases remain in southern states , after a surge of cases in the South earlier this summer , '' the story said .
`` Among the 10 VA facilities grappling with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Florida , two in Texas and two in Georgia .
The North Chicago VA reported the most active cases Friday , with 198 . ''
Since early this year , the Pentagon was sending signals that it might scale back or shut down the newspaper .
The Pentagon said previously it would cut $ 15.5 million from its budget .
This prompted Democrats and Republicans to call for continued funding .
Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , wrote to Esper last month , saying that `` as a veteran who has served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Stars and Stripes brings to its readers . ''
Ernie Gates , the ombudsman for Stars and Stripes , told The Associated Press that closing the paper `` would be fatal interference and permanent censorship of a unique First Amendment organization that has served U.S. troops reliably for generations . ''
Since becoming defense secretary , Esper has spoken to the press infrequently .
Esper 's uncle , George Esper , was a longtime AP correspondent best known for covering the Vietnam War from its early years to the end of the @ @ @ @

Pentagon Says It Will Close 'Stars and Stripes,' But Trump Says It Won't Happen
Enlarge this image toggle caption Godfrey/AP Godfrey/AP
The Pentagon ordered the closure of the venerable military newspaper Stars and Stripes on Friday. But hours later, President Trump tweeted that he wouldn't allow that to happen "under my watch."
The twists and turns played out as Trump faced a firestorm of criticism for reportedly calling American Marines who died in World War I "losers" and "suckers." Trump vehemently denied the remarks, though several news organizations have cited sources saying he made the statements in 2018 during a trip to France.
Stars and Stripes remains popular among many members of the military and has bipartisan support in Congress, especially among those who served in the armed forces.
But a memo signed by U.S. Army Col. Paul Haverstick said the newspaper would be shut down by Sept. 30, the last day of the government's 2020 fiscal year. The memo gave no reason for closing the publication other than saying funding was not in next year's budget request.
The office of Defense Secretary Mark Esper "decided to discontinue the publication of Stars and Stripes as a result of the defense-wide review as outlined in the president's budget request for fiscal year 2021," the memo said. Trump then tweeted on Friday afternoon:
While Friday's developments created plenty of questions about the future of the newspaper, its fate will involve input from Trump, the Pentagon and Congress.
The White House budget request earlier did not seek funding for Stars and Stripes. But if Trump now wants that money for the newspaper, the Pentagon would likely go along.
Congress, meanwhile, has not finalized the Pentagon's 2021 budget, which was more than $700 billion this year. The House plan calls for continued funding for the newspaper, while the Senate version does not. Those plans will have to be reconciled and then signed by Trump.
Stars and Stripes, which is directed at members of the military, was first published for a brief time during the Civil War in 1861 and then again during World War I and its immediate aftermath, in 1918-19. It resumed operations during World War II and has been published continuously since then.
While the Defense Department funds the paper, Stars and Stripes has editorial independence and often publishes stories less than flattering for the military.
A top story on the website Friday was headlined, "More than 3,000 VA patients have now died from the coronavirus."
"Many of the active cases remain in southern states, after a surge of cases in the South earlier this summer," the story said. "Among the 10 VA facilities grappling with the most active cases, two hospitals are in Florida, two in Texas and two in Georgia. The North Chicago VA reported the most active cases Friday, with 198."
Since early this year, the Pentagon was sending signals that it might scale back or shut down the newspaper. The Pentagon said previously it would cut $15.5 million from its budget.
This prompted Democrats and Republicans to call for continued funding.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., wrote to Esper last month, saying that "as a veteran who has served overseas, I know the value that the Stars and Stripes brings to its readers."
Ernie Gates, the ombudsman for Stars and Stripes, told The Associated Press that closing the paper "would be fatal interference and permanent censorship of a unique First Amendment organization that has served U.S. troops reliably for generations."
Since becoming defense secretary, Esper has spoken to the press infrequently. Esper's uncle, George Esper, was a longtime AP correspondent best known for covering the Vietnam War from its early years to the end of the fighting in 1975.


npr--2020-09-04--Whatever Happened To ... 2 Of The Visitors Who Got Stuck In Wuhan During The Pandemic

Whatever Happened To ... 2 Of The Visitors Who Got Stuck In Wuhan During The Pandemic In March , NPR reported on the tolls of life under quarantine in Wuhan , then the epicenter for COVID-19 .
We spoke to two visitors who 'd returned to their hometown of Wuhan to ring in the Lunar New Year with their families — then could n't leave for months : epidemiologist Lin Yang , now back in her home in Hong Kong , and Xi Lu , who 's returned to London .
Back in mid-March , when the rest of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a newly declared pandemic , Lin Yang and her family had already been quarantining for months .
In January , Yang , an epidemiologist at Hong Kong Polytechnic University , had traveled to Wuhan with her husband and two children to visit her parents for the Lunar New Year — and found themselves stuck inside in a forced lockdown with no clear end date .
`` We stayed there for 79 days , '' Yang recounts .
For long stretches , people were not allowed to leave their homes without permission .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She taught classes online and crunched incoming COVID-19 data on healthcare worker infections and high risk populations .
Since January , Yang has submitted or published more than 30 coronavirus-related research papers .
`` I did n't have anything to do but write , '' she says .
Xi Lu also traveled to Wuhan in late January to spend the Lunar New Year with his parents .
He had recently completed his Ph.D. in London , and had n't spent the family holiday with his parents in more than seven years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.K. — and expected to stay three weeks .
Three weeks turned into 141 days .
Those first weeks in lockdown were horrifying , Xi remembers .
There was confusion and uncertainty around the virus that was causing people to fall sick and die .
People in the city felt scared , trapped and alone , he says .
Eventually , outside medical help and supplies came in from the government and charities , and scientists pieced together a clearer picture of how the virus does and does not transmit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan where he posted dispatches and answered questions about life under lockdown and shared tips on staying sane as other countries began issuing stay-at-home orders .
He counseled people to sleep and exercise , and posted videos of `` birds , SINGING ! ''
outside his window .
After the quarantine ended in April , he lingered in Wuhan , spending time with his parents , checking in on his wife 's family , who also lived in the city , and figuring out next steps with his career .
He chronicled his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for coronavirus .
When it was clear to him that his parents would be safe in Wuhan , he made the choice to return to the U.K .
He was worried about his wife .
And he got a new job there as an infectious disease researcher .
When he arrived , the country had the second highest number of confirmed coronavirus deaths globally after the U.S. — and was in the midst of lifting a nationwide lockdown .
For Xi , it felt like he was charging into the pandemic a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Xi says living through the Wuhan quarantine helped him clarify his priorities .
`` It made me aware that I wanted to focus on the people I really care about , '' he says .
Since he left , Xi says his parents worry about him all the time , even though `` I keep telling them that I 'm basically working from home the whole day . ''
He misses them , but his new job and house-hunting keep him busy .
`` Life has to move on , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to return to Hong Kong on a flight in early April , just as the Wuhan quarantine ended .
`` My parents were relieved when we left , '' she says .
`` They were so worried about us , and [ if lockdown measures were reimposed ] they did n't want us to be trapped there again . ''
Now the situation is reversed .
`` It 's like they 're back to normal life again , '' she says of her parents , who are free to travel around China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go . ''
But Hong Kongers still face restrictions .
They are strongly encouraged to stay at home .
Yang works remotely in her cramped flat .
Still , Yang is happy to be home .
Hong Kong 's social distancing rules are strict , but not as strict as Wuhan 's at the peak of the outbreak .
`` You can still feel free to go out when you feel the risk is low , '' she says .
It 's a contrast from the lockdown in Wuhan , when residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government permission .
`` That was more stressful . ''
She appreciates that surviving the surreal experience brought the family closer together .
But her children , ages 10 and 12 , have told her that they will never , ever go to Wuhan again .
`` I hope someday they forget about this , '' she says , but right now the memories are fresh : `` It was just too much for the kids . ''

Whatever Happened To ... 2 Of The Visitors Who Got Stuck In Wuhan During The Pandemic
Enlarge this image toggle caption Xi Lu/ Lin Yang Xi Lu/ Lin Yang
In March, NPR reported on the tolls of life under quarantine in Wuhan, then the epicenter for COVID-19. We spoke to two visitors who'd returned to their hometown of Wuhan to ring in the Lunar New Year with their families — then couldn't leave for months: epidemiologist Lin Yang, now back in her home in Hong Kong, and Xi Lu, who's returned to London.
Back in mid-March, when the rest of the world was beginning to come to terms with a newly declared pandemic, Lin Yang and her family had already been quarantining for months. In January, Yang, an epidemiologist at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, had traveled to Wuhan with her husband and two children to visit her parents for the Lunar New Year — and found themselves stuck inside in a forced lockdown with no clear end date.
"We stayed there for 79 days," Yang recounts. For long stretches, people were not allowed to leave their homes without permission. Yang poured her energy into working remotely. She taught classes online and crunched incoming COVID-19 data on healthcare worker infections and high risk populations. Since January, Yang has submitted or published more than 30 coronavirus-related research papers. "I didn't have anything to do but write," she says.
About This Series Goats are curious animals and "Goats and Soda" is a curious blog. Over the next week, we'll be looking back at some of our favorite stories to see "whatever happened to ..."
Xi Lu also traveled to Wuhan in late January to spend the Lunar New Year with his parents. He had recently completed his Ph.D. in London, and hadn't spent the family holiday with his parents in more than seven years. He came alone — his wife stayed in the U.K. — and expected to stay three weeks. Three weeks turned into 141 days.
Those first weeks in lockdown were horrifying, Xi remembers. There was confusion and uncertainty around the virus that was causing people to fall sick and die. People in the city felt scared, trapped and alone, he says. Eventually, outside medical help and supplies came in from the government and charities, and scientists pieced together a clearer picture of how the virus does and does not transmit.
Xi started a Facebook group called Quarantine Wuhan where he posted dispatches and answered questions about life under lockdown and shared tips on staying sane as other countries began issuing stay-at-home orders. He counseled people to sleep and exercise, and posted videos of "birds, SINGING!" outside his window.
After the quarantine ended in April, he lingered in Wuhan, spending time with his parents, checking in on his wife's family, who also lived in the city, and figuring out next steps with his career. He chronicled his visits to the zoo and getting tested for coronavirus.
When it was clear to him that his parents would be safe in Wuhan, he made the choice to return to the U.K. He was worried about his wife. And he got a new job there as an infectious disease researcher. When he arrived, the country had the second highest number of confirmed coronavirus deaths globally after the U.S. — and was in the midst of lifting a nationwide lockdown. For Xi, it felt like he was charging into the pandemic a second time — and again, for family.
Xi says living through the Wuhan quarantine helped him clarify his priorities. "It made me aware that I wanted to focus on the people I really care about," he says.
Since he left, Xi says his parents worry about him all the time, even though "I keep telling them that I'm basically working from home the whole day." He misses them, but his new job and house-hunting keep him busy. "Life has to move on," he says.
Yang and her family were able to return to Hong Kong on a flight in early April, just as the Wuhan quarantine ended. "My parents were relieved when we left," she says. "They were so worried about us, and [if lockdown measures were reimposed] they didn't want us to be trapped there again."
Now the situation is reversed. "It's like they're back to normal life again," she says of her parents, who are free to travel around China — "to go anywhere they want to go." But Hong Kongers still face restrictions. They are strongly encouraged to stay at home. Yang works remotely in her cramped flat.
Still, Yang is happy to be home. Hong Kong's social distancing rules are strict, but not as strict as Wuhan's at the peak of the outbreak. "You can still feel free to go out when you feel the risk is low," she says. It's a contrast from the lockdown in Wuhan, when residents were barred from taking outdoor walks without government permission. "That was more stressful."
She appreciates that surviving the surreal experience brought the family closer together.
But her children, ages 10 and 12, have told her that they will never, ever go to Wuhan again. "I hope someday they forget about this," she says, but right now the memories are fresh: "It was just too much for the kids."


npr--2020-09-04--GWU Investigating Whether White Professor Invented Her Black Identity

George Washington University says it is investigating after a blog post purportedly written by history professor Jessica A. Krug said she fabricated various Black identities .
In a post published Thursday on the website Medium , a person under the name Jessica A. Krug writes that she is white and grew up in the Midwest , but lied to others in presenting herself as having a Black Caribbean identity .
`` To an escalating degree over my adult life , I have eschewed my lived experience as a white Jewish child in suburban Kansas City under various assumed identities within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to claim : first North African Blackness , then US rooted Blackness , then Caribbean rooted Bronx Blackness , '' the post says .
`` People have fought together with me and have fought for me , and my continued appropriation of a Black Caribbean identity is not only , in the starkest terms , wrong — unethical , immoral , anti-Black , colonial — but it means that every step I 've taken has gaslighted those whom I love . ''
`` I am not a culture vulture .
I am a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Predicting the sharp criticism she now faces , the author writes : `` You should absolutely cancel me , and I absolutely cancel myself . ''
The author attributes her donning of a false identity to mental health issues : `` Mental health issues likely explain why I assumed a false identity initially , as a youth , and why I continued and developed it for so long . ''
The author says she experienced severe trauma as a child .
Jessica A. Krug is the name of an associate professor at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Krug did not immediately reply to an NPR request for confirmation that she wrote the post .
Krug 's faculty page identifies her as a historian of politics and cultural practices in Africa and the African Diaspora , with a particular interest in West Central Africa and Black transnational cultural studies .
Last year , her book Fugitive Modernities , published in 2018 by Duke University Press , was a finalist for the Frederick Douglass Book Prize and the Harriet Tubman Prize .
In a statement , Provost and Executive Vice President for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wahlbeck , Dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences wrote : `` While the university reviews this situation , Dr. Krug will not be teaching her classes this semester . ''
And , `` We want to acknowledge the pain this situation has caused for many in our community . ''
At the end of the article , her bio says : `` Jessica A. Krug is an unrepentant and unreformed child of the hood .
... Much of her time , energy , and all of her heart are consumed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ El Barrio and worldwide , whether against the violence of the state as manifest by police , the encroaching colonialism of gentrification , or around issues of community health and environmental justice . ''
RaceBaitr , a website that publishes articles on race , said Thursday that it had removed Krug 's work from its site .
`` Her charade has taken her into many Black sacred spaces , including this one .
We apologize for platforming her work , and not taking seriously enough some of your warnings .
Keeping black spaces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed this time , but we will do better , '' the site said in a tweet .
The editor-in-chief of RaceBaitr , Hari Ziyad , wrote on Twitter that Krug had called him on Thursday and `` admitted to everything '' that was written in the Medium post .
`` She did n't do it out of benevolence .
She did it because she had been found out , '' Ziyad said .
A person who did n't wish to be identified told NPR they recently informed editors who publish Krug 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her about possible discrepancies in her personal story .
After receiving a tip that Krug was actually from Kansas City , they searched online and found what they believed to be Krug 's parents ' obituaries in that region .
The person requested anonymity because they feared repercussions in their profession and did not wish to be publicly associated with the controversy .
The situation recalls that of Rachel Dolezal , a white woman who identified as Black .
She was the head of the NAACP chapter in Spokane , Wash. , until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had no Black roots .
In 2017 , the Studio Museum in Harlem posted a video from one of its programs that includes a woman who identifies herself as Jess Krug of Harlem CopWatch , and seemingly recounts vivid memories of police brutality in a Bronx childhood .
`` Growing up , there 's no escape from police violence , really , '' she says .
`` Some of my earliest memories in life are of police brutality .
I remember one summer when I was about five , walking from the park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 at the time , right , and having the police throw him down on the ground .
...
So that 's been my whole life . ''
`` When I was a little bit older but not too much , they shot Amadou Diallo around the corner from my home , right .
For those of you who were n't in New York City at the time , or might not remember , he was the man who was shot 41 times , '' Krug says .
`` Is there any level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No , but there 's the particular kind of choreography to the ways in which we 're slaughtered . ''
Chaédria LaBouvier , an art historian , says she met Krug on a panel in early 2017 and they spoke afterwards .
`` Her accent seemed off to me , and the clothing and whole performative element of 'hood ' identity , '' LaBouvier said in an email to NPR .
LaBouvier says that Krug told her `` Jess La Bombalera '' was her `` salsa name . ''
In a New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police brutality conducted over Zoom , a woman identifies herself as Jess La Bombalera in `` El Barrio , East Harlem . ''
Her accent seems to shift throughout .
`` I also want to call out all these white New Yorkers , who waited for hours with us to be able to speak and then did not yield their time to Black and brown indigenous New Yorkers , '' the woman says .
( Warning : This video contains profanity . )
Yomaira Figueroa , an associate professor of global diaspora studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions had been raised about Krug 's identity recently , and she believes that `` rather than be revealed , she decided to reveal herself . ''
Figueroa is herself Black and Puerto Rican , and the author of the forthcoming book Decolonizing Diasporas .
She has not met Krug personally , but points to stories that have emerged since Thursday in which other scholars and activists recall Krug saying her parents were addicts and her mother was a sex worker .
Krug 's apparent deception was personally hurtful to her , Figueroa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I learned about it , I could n't sleep , '' she says .
`` Because I just thought how awful it was that someone was perpetrating this identity , but not only that .
Kind of preying on the white imagination , and pulling from some of the worst stereotypes that there are about black people and Puerto Rican people , and using that as a cloak for her identity . ''
Yarimar Bonilla , a professor of anthropology at Hunter College and at the City University of New York , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a minstrel show , recalling that Krug would `` show up to a 10am scholars ' seminar dressed for a salsa club '' and would frequently pan the work of actual women of color .
Figueroa says she believes Krug used a fake identity to inappropriately access opportunities in academia .
`` She absolutely took up some of the very few — very few — resources and spaces that there are available to Black and Latino scholars and use those to her advantage , '' she says .
`` There absolutely has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things that she took .
It 's egregious . ''
Figueroa says the university will need to look at whether Krug was hired in part to bring diversity to the university faculty , and whether she was granted tenure on the basis of lies .
`` She is a really well respected historian .
She does really good work .
But she is occupying a space that she got through deception . ''

GWU Investigating Whether White Professor Invented Her Black Identity
Enlarge this image toggle caption Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 11:45 p.m. ET
George Washington University says it is investigating after a blog post purportedly written by history professor Jessica A. Krug said she fabricated various Black identities.
In a post published Thursday on the website Medium, a person under the name Jessica A. Krug writes that she is white and grew up in the Midwest, but lied to others in presenting herself as having a Black Caribbean identity.
"To an escalating degree over my adult life, I have eschewed my lived experience as a white Jewish child in suburban Kansas City under various assumed identities within a Blackness that I had no right to claim: first North African Blackness, then US rooted Blackness, then Caribbean rooted Bronx Blackness," the post says. "People have fought together with me and have fought for me, and my continued appropriation of a Black Caribbean identity is not only, in the starkest terms, wrong — unethical, immoral, anti-Black, colonial — but it means that every step I've taken has gaslighted those whom I love."
"I am not a culture vulture. I am a culture leech," the post continues. Predicting the sharp criticism she now faces, the author writes: "You should absolutely cancel me, and I absolutely cancel myself."
The author attributes her donning of a false identity to mental health issues: "Mental health issues likely explain why I assumed a false identity initially, as a youth, and why I continued and developed it for so long." The author says she experienced severe trauma as a child.
Jessica A. Krug is the name of an associate professor at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Krug did not immediately reply to an NPR request for confirmation that she wrote the post.
Krug's faculty page identifies her as a historian of politics and cultural practices in Africa and the African Diaspora, with a particular interest in West Central Africa and Black transnational cultural studies. Last year, her book Fugitive Modernities, published in 2018 by Duke University Press, was a finalist for the Frederick Douglass Book Prize and the Harriet Tubman Prize.
In a statement, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs M. Brian Blake and Paul Wahlbeck, Dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences wrote: "While the university reviews this situation, Dr. Krug will not be teaching her classes this semester." And, "We want to acknowledge the pain this situation has caused for many in our community."
In a July 2019 article for Essence magazine, Krug wrote:
"I am boricua, just so you know. Boricua, not Puerto Rican, to reflect the name by which the indigenous people knew the island before Columbus invaded. And just so you know—you, fellow boricua, you, fellow colonized people of all nations, from the South Bronx to San Juan, from Ponce to Palestine: Another world is possible."
At the end of the article, her bio says: "Jessica A. Krug is an unrepentant and unreformed child of the hood. ... Much of her time, energy, and all of her heart are consumed in the struggle for her community in El Barrio and worldwide, whether against the violence of the state as manifest by police, the encroaching colonialism of gentrification, or around issues of community health and environmental justice."
RaceBaitr, a website that publishes articles on race, said Thursday that it had removed Krug's work from its site.
"Her charade has taken her into many Black sacred spaces, including this one. We apologize for platforming her work, and not taking seriously enough some of your warnings. Keeping black spaces safe is our highest priority and we failed this time, but we will do better," the site said in a tweet.
The editor-in-chief of RaceBaitr, Hari Ziyad, wrote on Twitter that Krug had called him on Thursday and "admitted to everything" that was written in the Medium post. "She didn't do it out of benevolence. She did it because she had been found out," Ziyad said.
A person who didn't wish to be identified told NPR they recently informed editors who publish Krug's work online and others who work with her about possible discrepancies in her personal story. After receiving a tip that Krug was actually from Kansas City, they searched online and found what they believed to be Krug's parents' obituaries in that region.
The person requested anonymity because they feared repercussions in their profession and did not wish to be publicly associated with the controversy.
The situation recalls that of Rachel Dolezal, a white woman who identified as Black. She was the head of the NAACP chapter in Spokane, Wash., until her parents came forward and said she had no Black roots.
In 2017, the Studio Museum in Harlem posted a video from one of its programs that includes a woman who identifies herself as Jess Krug of Harlem CopWatch, and seemingly recounts vivid memories of police brutality in a Bronx childhood.
"Growing up, there's no escape from police violence, really," she says. "Some of my earliest memories in life are of police brutality. I remember one summer when I was about five, walking from the park with my brother, who was about 12 at the time, right, and having the police throw him down on the ground. ... So that's been my whole life."
The Studio Museum in Harlem YouTube
Her recollections continued.
"When I was a little bit older but not too much, they shot Amadou Diallo around the corner from my home, right. For those of you who weren't in New York City at the time, or might not remember, he was the man who was shot 41 times," Krug says. "Is there any level of this violence that's acceptable? No, but there's the particular kind of choreography to the ways in which we're slaughtered."
Chaédria LaBouvier, an art historian, says she met Krug on a panel in early 2017 and they spoke afterwards. "Her accent seemed off to me, and the clothing and whole performative element of 'hood' identity," LaBouvier said in an email to NPR. LaBouvier says that Krug told her "Jess La Bombalera" was her "salsa name."
In a New York City Council public hearing in June about police brutality conducted over Zoom, a woman identifies herself as Jess La Bombalera in "El Barrio, East Harlem." Her accent seems to shift throughout.
"I also want to call out all these white New Yorkers, who waited for hours with us to be able to speak and then did not yield their time to Black and brown indigenous New Yorkers," the woman says. (Warning: This video contains profanity.)
WWW.CELL.VISION YouTube
Yomaira Figueroa, an associate professor of global diaspora studies at Michigan State University, says that questions had been raised about Krug's identity recently, and she believes that "rather than be revealed, she decided to reveal herself."
Figueroa is herself Black Puerto Rican, and the author of the forthcoming book Decolonizing Diasporas. She has not met Krug personally, but points to stories that have emerged since Thursday in which other scholars and activists recall Krug saying her parents were addicts and her mother was a sex worker.
Krug's apparent deception was personally hurtful to her, Figueroa says. "The very first night that I learned about it, I couldn't sleep," she says. "Because I just thought how awful it was that someone was perpetrating this identity, but not only that. Kind of preying on the white imagination, and pulling from some of the worst stereotypes that there are about black people and Puerto Rican people, and using that as a cloak for her identity."
Yarimar Bonilla, a professor of anthropology at Hunter College and at the City University of New York, compared Krug's alleged false identity to a minstrel show, recalling that Krug would "show up to a 10am scholars' seminar dressed for a salsa club" and would frequently pan the work of actual women of color.
Figueroa says she believes Krug used a fake identity to inappropriately access opportunities in academia.
"She absolutely took up some of the very few — very few — resources and spaces that there are available to Black and Latino scholars and use those to her advantage," she says. "There absolutely has to be a form of restitution for the things that she took. It's egregious."
Figueroa says the university will need to look at whether Krug was hired in part to bring diversity to the university faculty, and whether she was granted tenure on the basis of lies.
"She is a really well respected historian. She does really good work. But she is occupying a space that she got through deception."


npr--2020-09-04--Coronavirus Maps: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Maps : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 6 million people in the U.S. have been infected with the coronavirus and more than 180,000 have died .
Tens of thousands of new cases are reported daily .
Some state outbreaks are worse than others .
In the graphics below , explore the trends in your state .
View the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , curve charts , a table of state-by-state trends over four weeks , or a map of total cases and deaths .
The map above shows the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on new daily cases per capita .
These color-coded risk levels were developed by a consortium of researchers and public health experts .
The group advises states in the red category to issue stay-home orders .
Orange states may need to consider stay-home orders , along with increased testing and contact tracing .
Yellow states need to keep up social distancing and mask usage , and both yellow and green states should continue testing and contact tracing .
To compare state outbreaks , the chart above graphs trend lines for average new daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totals to date .
This type of visualization highlights a state 's daily growth or decline relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In New York , the curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 600 per day in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see totals and per capita figures around the country for both new confirmed cases and reported deaths from COVID-19 .
New York was the original epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. As of mid August , California , Florida and Texas have surpassed New York for total cases to date , though New York still has the highest death total .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
To show trends state by state , the table below shows the change in average new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over week for the last 28 days .
States marked in shades of red are showing growth , those in shades of green , are showing declines .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
In early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's daily numbers until the JHU team was able to reconcile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn contributed to and Carmel Wroth edited this story .

Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
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Note: This page was last updated on Feb. 1, 2023. It will no longer be updated. For current data on COVID cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Feb. 1, there have been more than 101 million confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. and more than 1 million people have died of COVID-19. In the graphics below, explore the trends in your state.
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The above charts show average new cases per 100,000 people for each state over the last 12 months.
Note: Actual cases may be substantially higher, since many who test positive with at-home tests don't report their cases.
For additional data about COVID-19 in the U.S, including cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
To show trends, the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state, week over week for the last 28 days. States marked in shades of red have growing outbreaks; those in shades of green, are declining.
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Methodology
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the World Health Organization; national, state and local government health departments; 1point3acres; and local media reports.
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies. This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds. There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department's website. Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships.
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases, process testing backlogs or update their methodologies. The JHU team maintains a list of such changes.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2020. Elena Renken was a co-author on that version. Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story. Carmel Wroth edited this story.


npr--2020-09-04--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak Since the new coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan , China , in December , the infectious respiratory disease COVID-19 has spread rapidly within China and to neighboring countries and beyond .
The first confirmed coronavirus cases outside China occurred on Jan. 20 , in Japan , Thailand and South Korea .
On Jan. 21 , the first case in the U.S. was identified in Washington state .
On Jan. 24 , the first two European cases were confirmed in France .
By Feb. 1 , eight European nations had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month later that count had risen to 24 countries with at least 2,200 cases , most of them in Italy .
On March 11 , Italy eclipsed 10,000 cases and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic — the first since H1N1 in 2009 .
That 's also when China , the original epicenter , began seeing drops in daily counts of new cases .
March also saw exponential spread of the virus throughout the U.S. , with all 50 states reporting cases by March 17 .
This particular virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third strain of coronavirus known to frequently cause severe symptoms in humans .
The other two strains cause Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on March 30 , 2020 .

Coronavirus world map: We've now passed the 600 million mark for infections
Editor's note: This page is no longer being updated. The last update was Sept. 5, 2022. For current data about COVID-19 cases and deaths around the world, Johns Hopkins University and Our World in Data are useful resources.
In late January 2020 only a few dozen COVID-19 infections had been identified outside of China. A year later, the world tallied its first 100 million cases. It took the globe just 7 more months to pass the 200 million mark— then another 5 months to hit 300 million, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Now the virus has spread to every corner of the globe and has been blamed for more than 6 million deaths.
The United States, India and Brazil in that order have had the most COVID cases and the three nations collectively account for almost half of all recorded infections so far in the pandemic.
Explore the chart below to find a country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January 2020.
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Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time. The first chart compares each continent to each other, while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region.
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This story was originally published on March 30, 2020.


npr--2020-09-04--2nd Crew Member Found Alive From Cattle-Carrying Ship That Sank Off Japan

2nd Crew Member Found Alive From Cattle-Carrying Ship That Sank Off Japan A second crew member has been found alive from a ship carrying livestock that capsized and sank during a typhoon off the southern coast of Japan .
But another storm expected to hit the area over the weekend is likely to hamper the search for 40 other people still missing .
The Gulf Livestock 1 , a 450-foot ship with a cargo of some 5,800 cows en route from New Zealand to China , issued a distress call early Wednesday Japan time near the island of Amami Oshima @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's `` mayday '' was sent from an area affected by Typhoon Maysak , a powerful Category 4 storm .
Japan 's coast guard said Friday that it had rescued Jay-nel Rosals , a 30-year-old Filipino deckhand .
Another crew member , chief officer Edvardo Sareno , who was initially identified as Sareno Edvarodo , was located on Wednesday .
Rosals was wearing a life jacket and floating in a raft , the coast guard said without elaborating on his condition .
The two found alive are among the 39 crew listed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are from New Zealand and two from Australia .
Earlier , a third crew member , who was not identified , was recovered from the water unconscious and facedown , a spokesman for the coast guard said , according to The Associated Press .
The man was taken to a hospital , where he was pronounced dead .
Searchers also said they had found a fuel slick on the sea surface and dozens of floating animal carcasses .
After Sareno 's rescue on Wednesday , he told rescuers that the Gulf Livestock 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , capsized and sank .
He managed to jump overboard wearing a life jacket but said he did not see any others escape from the sinking ship .
He reportedly asked rescuers : `` I 'm the only one ? ''
`` I 'm so sorry ... [ I 'm ] so lucky , '' Sareno said , according to the AP .
The Panamanian-flagged vessel is owned and operated by the United Arab Emirates-based Gulf Navigation , which issued a statement about the disaster that was carried by media on Friday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ onboard and their families at this time , '' a Gulf Navigation spokesman said .
`` We also express deep regret for the sad loss of the livestock onboard .
We are monitoring the situation closely and working closely with those involved in rescue efforts .
We pray that there are other survivors . ''
Typhoon Haishen , bearing down on the same general area affected by Typhoon Maysak earlier this week , was likely to complicate the search for any remaining survivors .
Japan 's Meteorological Agency forecasts that by Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ south of where the Gulf Livestock 1 went down .
The JMA said the storm has the potential to be even more dangerous than Maysak .

2nd Crew Member Found Alive From Cattle-Carrying Ship That Sank Off Japan
Enlarge this image toggle caption 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters/AFP via Getty Images 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters/AFP via Getty Images
A second crew member has been found alive from a ship carrying livestock that capsized and sank during a typhoon off the southern coast of Japan. But another storm expected to hit the area over the weekend is likely to hamper the search for 40 other people still missing.
The Gulf Livestock 1, a 450-foot ship with a cargo of some 5,800 cows en route from New Zealand to China, issued a distress call early Wednesday Japan time near the island of Amami Oshima, north of Okinawa. The ship's "mayday" was sent from an area affected by Typhoon Maysak, a powerful Category 4 storm.
Japan's coast guard said Friday that it had rescued Jay-nel Rosals, a 30-year-old Filipino deckhand. Another crew member, chief officer Edvardo Sareno, who was initially identified as Sareno Edvarodo, was located on Wednesday.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Japan Coast Guard, 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters Japan Coast Guard, 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters
Rosals was wearing a life jacket and floating in a raft, the coast guard said without elaborating on his condition.
The two found alive are among the 39 crew listed as being from the Philippines. Two others are from New Zealand and two from Australia.
Earlier, a third crew member, who was not identified, was recovered from the water unconscious and facedown, a spokesman for the coast guard said, according to The Associated Press. The man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Searchers also said they had found a fuel slick on the sea surface and dozens of floating animal carcasses.
After Sareno's rescue on Wednesday, he told rescuers that the Gulf Livestock 1 was hit broadside by a large wave, capsized and sank. He managed to jump overboard wearing a life jacket but said he did not see any others escape from the sinking ship.
He reportedly asked rescuers: "I'm the only one?"
"I'm so sorry ... [I'm] so lucky," Sareno said, according to the AP.
The Panamanian-flagged vessel is owned and operated by the United Arab Emirates-based Gulf Navigation, which issued a statement about the disaster that was carried by media on Friday.
"Our hearts go out to those onboard and their families at this time," a Gulf Navigation spokesman said. "We also express deep regret for the sad loss of the livestock onboard. We are monitoring the situation closely and working closely with those involved in rescue efforts. We pray that there are other survivors."
Typhoon Haishen, bearing down on the same general area affected by Typhoon Maysak earlier this week, was likely to complicate the search for any remaining survivors. Japan's Meteorological Agency forecasts that by Sunday, Haishen will pass near Okinawa, just south of where the Gulf Livestock 1 went down. The JMA said the storm has the potential to be even more dangerous than Maysak.


npr--2020-09-04--On Beaches Quieted By The Pandemic, Lebanon Sees Sea Turtle Boom

On Beaches Quieted By The Pandemic , Lebanon Sees Sea Turtle Boom Lebanon 's capital , Beirut , remains devastated by the massive explosion at the city 's port last month .
The country is in the depths of an economic collapse , and the coronavirus is spreading .
But as Lebanon reels from multiple tragedies , conservationists are pointing to one bright spot .
They say a record number of endangered green sea turtles have come to nest on the country 's shores .
Loggerhead turtles have also come in large numbers .
Seventy-two-year-old Mona Khalil has spent the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of shoreline , less than a mile long , from the factories and private beach clubs that now carpet almost all of Lebanon 's coastline .
Al-Mansouri Beach is now one of Lebanon 's most important breeding grounds for turtles .
Every nesting season , Khalil and a team of volunteers count turtle 's nests .
They watch over them — protecting them from foxes and other animals and from humans — and then help the hatchlings on their journey back to the sea .
The last time Khalil saw an increase in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was during another crisis in Lebanon — the war with Israel in 2006 .
Israeli gunboats floated just off shore of the beach .
`` The beach was deserted , '' she recalls .
Even back then , she only counted nine green sea turtle nests .
This year , she has counted 20 .
`` It 's amazing ! ''
she says .
`` We have n't had this number in two decades .
It 's really something that is important for the world and not just for Lebanon . ''
Khalil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for loggerhead turtles after years of decline .
She has counted 16 nests .
Ali Badreddine , a consultant for a marine turtle conservation project supported by Lebanon 's ministry of the environment , says his team has recorded greater numbers of turtle nests at the several other important beaches along the country 's coastline .
Badreddine says protecting these endangered turtles and their offspring is a real challenge in the face of fishing , where they become entangled in nets ; trash dumped into the Mediterranean Sea ; and uncontrolled coastal development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life to fighting these challenges .
Living in a small , orange home near the beach , she says she has risked her life standing up to local residents who used to use dynamite to fish just off the shore .
`` I have been shot at .
They have tried to burn down my house , '' she says .
`` They have done so many things just because I managed to stop this . ''
In recent years , Khalil fought against the construction of the Palagio Beach Resort , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strip of beach .
The area has been declared a `` community-protected zone , '' a designation that restricts the type of construction allowed in the area .
An investigation by Lebanon 's Daily Star newspaper found that the planning permission documents had allowed only for a residential complex at the site of the resort .
Khalil said corruption and financial interests from top politicians in the country meant the resort was built regardless .
The resort did not respond to NPR 's repeated requests for comment .
This year , Khalil says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lebanon meant that the resort remained closed throughout the summer .
`` They put off their lights and we got back our turtles , '' she says .
Nesting mother turtles need the cover of darkness to climb up the beach , and hatchlings are thought to navigate to the sea by the light of the moon .
Khalil says lights from the resort can confuse them , causing them to scurry up the beach instead of toward the water .
`` The turtles have a right to this beach .
They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their beach for the last 250 million years , long before humans existed , '' she says , the emotion telling in her voice .
`` Who are we to kick them out ?
They are only asking for a short season to nest .
I do n't understand why people ca n't respect this . ''
`` This year was a great year , '' she says .
`` But I am not hopeful for the future . ''
Lebanon is not the only country that has seen signs of recovery in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As people have retreated from beaches around the world , conservationists in Phuket , Thailand , found more leatherback turtle nests than at any point in the last two decades .
There have been significant increases of endangered leatherback sea turtles as well as loggerhead turtles in Florida .
And in northern India , thousands of olive ridley sea turtle hatchlings took advantage of nearly empty beaches to make their crossing to the sea .

On Beaches Quieted By The Pandemic, Lebanon Sees Sea Turtle Boom
Enlarge this image toggle caption Yara Khasab /Orange House Project Yara Khasab /Orange House Project
Lebanon's capital, Beirut, remains devastated by the massive explosion at the city's port last month. The country is in the depths of an economic collapse, and the coronavirus is spreading.
But as Lebanon reels from multiple tragedies, conservationists are pointing to one bright spot. They say a record number of endangered green sea turtles have come to nest on the country's shores. Loggerhead turtles have also come in large numbers.
Seventy-two-year-old Mona Khalil has spent the last 20 years defending a small piece of shoreline, less than a mile long, from the factories and private beach clubs that now carpet almost all of Lebanon's coastline.
Al-Mansouri Beach is now one of Lebanon's most important breeding grounds for turtles. Every nesting season, Khalil and a team of volunteers count turtle's nests. They watch over them — protecting them from foxes and other animals and from humans — and then help the hatchlings on their journey back to the sea.
The last time Khalil saw an increase in the number of green sea turtle nests was during another crisis in Lebanon — the war with Israel in 2006. Israeli gunboats floated just off shore of the beach. "The beach was deserted," she recalls.
Even back then, she only counted nine green sea turtle nests. This year, she has counted 20. "It's amazing!" she says. "We haven't had this number in two decades. It's really something that is important for the world and not just for Lebanon."
Khalil says this is also a good year for loggerhead turtles after years of decline. She has counted 16 nests.
Ali Badreddine, a consultant for a marine turtle conservation project supported by Lebanon's ministry of the environment, says his team has recorded greater numbers of turtle nests at the several other important beaches along the country's coastline.
Badreddine says protecting these endangered turtles and their offspring is a real challenge in the face of fishing, where they become entangled in nets; trash dumped into the Mediterranean Sea; and uncontrolled coastal development.
Khalil has dedicated much of her life to fighting these challenges. Living in a small, orange home near the beach, she says she has risked her life standing up to local residents who used to use dynamite to fish just off the shore.
"I have been shot at. They have tried to burn down my house," she says. "They have done so many things just because I managed to stop this."
toggle caption Yara Khasab /Orange House Project
In recent years, Khalil fought against the construction of the Palagio Beach Resort, a club that sits right on this small strip of beach.
The area has been declared a "community-protected zone," a designation that restricts the type of construction allowed in the area. An investigation by Lebanon's Daily Star newspaper found that the planning permission documents had allowed only for a residential complex at the site of the resort.
Khalil said corruption and financial interests from top politicians in the country meant the resort was built regardless. The resort did not respond to NPR's repeated requests for comment.
This year, Khalil says, the pandemic and economic crisis in Lebanon meant that the resort remained closed throughout the summer. "They put off their lights and we got back our turtles," she says.
Nesting mother turtles need the cover of darkness to climb up the beach, and hatchlings are thought to navigate to the sea by the light of the moon. Khalil says lights from the resort can confuse them, causing them to scurry up the beach instead of toward the water.
"The turtles have a right to this beach. They are in the right. This has been their beach for the last 250 million years, long before humans existed," she says, the emotion telling in her voice.
"Who are we to kick them out? They are only asking for a short season to nest. I don't understand why people can't respect this."
"This year was a great year," she says. "But I am not hopeful for the future."
Lebanon is not the only country that has seen signs of recovery in nesting turtle populations during the global pandemic.
As people have retreated from beaches around the world, conservationists in Phuket, Thailand, found more leatherback turtle nests than at any point in the last two decades.
There have been significant increases of endangered leatherback sea turtles as well as loggerhead turtles in Florida.
And in northern India, thousands of olive ridley sea turtle hatchlings took advantage of nearly empty beaches to make their crossing to the sea.
NPR's Nada Homsi contributed to this report.


npr--2020-09-05--Review Of Federal Charges In Portland Unrest Show Most Are Misdemeanors

Review Of Federal Charges In Portland Unrest Show Most Are Misdemeanors In President Trump 's telling of it , Portland , Ore. , is a city under siege by violent radical leftists , and he 's suggested that only the strong hand of federal law enforcement can save it .
On Fox News this week , Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf admonished state and local leaders there and elsewhere for failing to restore law and order , and he touted the administration 's response .
`` We 've seen about 300 arrests across this country regarding civil unrest and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say criminal protesting , criminal rioting , '' Wolf said .
`` About 100 of those have been in Portland specifically , and I know the Department of Justice has charged about 74 or 75 individuals in Portland there with different federal crimes . ''
But an NPR review of the federal cases brought in Portland shows that the majority of the charges are for what could be considered minor offenses .
As of Aug. 28 , the U.S. Attorney 's Office for Oregon had charges outstanding against 74 people in connection with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charged , 11 are for citations and 42 are for misdemeanors , meaning that more than 70 % of the total charged cases are not felonies .
`` A citation is the least serious of a charge , it 's really more of a ticket , '' said Lisa Hay , the federal public defender for Oregon .
The misdemeanor cases are almost evenly divided between class A and class C misdemeanors .
A class C misdemeanor is one step above a citation , and is punishable by no more than one month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 19 people face class C misdemeanor charges for allegedly failing to comply with a lawful order .
`` That might be somebody who 's in front of the federal courthouse , on the sidewalk , and an order is issued to disperse , and they did n't disperse or they did n't move away quickly enough , '' said Hay .
The class A misdemeanor cases in Portland have typically involved an alleged assault of a federal officer but without physical contact .
Such a case could involve , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throw an object .
These sorts of misdemeanors are punishable by no more than one year in prison .
Steve Kanter , a law professor and former dean at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland , said the federal government 's decision to arrest and charge people for offenses like failing to comply with a lawful order suggests that law enforcement officer were acting in a selective manner `` to control and chill expression and activity . ''
`` There should be a clear dividing line between people who are trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the First Amendment and the right to assemble , '' he said , `` and people that engage unjustified violence against persons or property . ''
Kanter said those who engage in violence — and he made clear that there have been people in Portland doing exactly that — should be prosecuted .
The vast majority of the protesters in the city have been nonviolent , but some demonstrators have set fires , thrown projectiles and in some instances attacked federal officers .
After President Trump sent a surge of federal law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area around the federal courthouse downtown for weeks was a battle zone at night as some protesters clashed with federal agents guarding the facility .
Federal prosecutors have brought more serious felony charges against those who allegedly engaged in the violence — 20 cases as late last week , according to NPR 's review of the court papers .
Those are primarily either assault of a federal officer or arson charges .
One defendant , for example , is accused of hitting a deputy U.S .
Marshal with a hammer , while another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a baseball bat .
The president and Attorney General William Barr have repeatedly blamed what they call left-wing radicals and members of the antifa movement for the violence in Portland and elsewhere .
`` I 've talked to every police chief in every city where there 's been major violence and they all have identified antifa as the ramrod for the violence , '' Barr told CNN this week .
`` They are flying around the country We know people who are flying around the country , '' Barr said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the riots of weapons to use in those riots . ''
None of the court documents from federal cases in Portland reference antifa or any sort of broader antifascist movement or conspiracy .
In a few of the case files , there are references to apparent agitators .
For instance , one defendant told authorities that he was handed a firework by a masked person in the crowd and told to throw it .
But there is nothing more substantial in the federal court record in Portland at this point to support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public record , the man suspected of fatally shooting a far-right activist in Portland last weekend said that he supports the antifascist movement but is not a member of it .
The man , Michael Reinhoel , was killed Thursday night as law enforcement officers tried to arrest him .

Review Of Federal Charges In Portland Unrest Shows Most Are Misdemeanors
Enlarge this image toggle caption Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
In President Trump's telling of it, Portland, Ore., is a city under siege by violent radical leftists. He has suggested that only the strong hand of federal law enforcement can save it.
On Fox News this week, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf admonished state and local leaders there and elsewhere for failing to restore law and order, and he touted the administration's response.
"We've seen about 300 arrests across this country regarding civil unrest and protest, violent protesting, I'd say criminal protesting, criminal rioting," Wolf said. "About 100 of those have been in Portland specifically, and I know the Department of Justice has charged about 74 or 75 individuals in Portland there with different federal crimes."
But an NPR review of the federal cases brought in Portland shows that the majority of the charges are for what could be considered minor offenses.
As of Aug. 28, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Oregon had charges outstanding against 74 people in connection with the Portland unrest.
Of those cases charged, 11 are for citations and 42 are for misdemeanors, meaning that more than 70% of the total charged cases are not felonies.
"A citation is the least serious of a charge, it's really more of a ticket," said Lisa Hay, the federal public defender for Oregon.
The misdemeanor cases are almost evenly divided between class A and class C misdemeanors.
A class C misdemeanor is one step above a citation and is punishable by no more than one month in jail. In Portland, at least 19 people face class C misdemeanor charges for allegedly failing to comply with a lawful order.
"That might be somebody who's in front of the federal courthouse, on the sidewalk, and an order is issued to disperse, and they didn't disperse or they didn't move away quickly enough," said Hay.
The class A misdemeanor cases in Portland have typically involved an alleged assault of a federal officer but without physical contact. Such a case could involve, for example, verbally abusing an officer or pretending to throw an object.
These sorts of misdemeanors are punishable by no more than one year in prison.
Steve Kanter, a law professor and former dean at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, said the federal government's decision to arrest and charge people for offenses like failing to comply with a lawful order suggests that law enforcement officer were acting in a selective manner "to control and chill expression and activity."
"There should be a clear dividing line between people who are trying to get their voices heard, fully protected by the First Amendment and the right to assemble," he said, "and people that engage unjustified violence against persons or property."
Kanter said those who engage in violence — and he made clear that there have been people in Portland doing exactly that — should be prosecuted.
The vast majority of the protesters in the city have been nonviolent, but some demonstrators have set fires, thrown projectiles and, in some instances, attacked federal officers.
After Trump sent a surge of federal law enforcement to Portland in July, the area around the federal courthouse downtown for weeks was a battle zone at night as some protesters clashed with federal agents guarding the facility.
Federal prosecutors have brought more serious felony charges against those they say engaged in the violence — 20 cases as of late last week, according to NPR's review of the court papers.
Those are primarily either assault of a federal officer or arson charges. One defendant, for example, is accused of hitting a deputy U.S. marshal with a hammer, while another allegedly struck a deputy U.S. marshal with a baseball bat.
The president and Attorney General William Barr have repeatedly blamed what they call left-wing radicals and members of the antifa movement for the violence in Portland and elsewhere.
"I've talked to every police chief in every city where there's been major violence, and they all have identified antifa as the ramrod for the violence," Barr told CNN this week.
"They are flying around the country We know people who are flying around the country," Barr said. "We see some purchases they are making before the riots of weapons to use in those riots."
None of the court documents from federal cases in Portland reference antifa or any sort of broader anti-fascist movement or conspiracy.
In a few of the case files, there are references to apparent agitators. For instance, one defendant told authorities that he was handed a firework by a masked person in the crowd and told to throw it.
But there is nothing more substantial in the federal court record in Portland at this point to support the attorney general's assertions.
In the public record, the man suspected of fatally shooting a right-wing activist in Portland last weekend said he supports the anti-fascist movement but is not a member of it.
The man, Michael Reinoehl, was killed Thursday night as law enforcement officers tried to arrest him.


npr--2020-09-05--PHOTOS: A Summer Of Social Distance

PHOTOS: A Summer Of Social Distance

What a strange summer it 's been .
All across the United States and beyond , people have changed their daily routines to stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic .
An anxious spring spent under lockdown in many parts of the U.S. turned into a summer of continued virtual meetings , financial stress and isolation — along with pent-up desire to seek relief in whatever ways we could .
So , plastic partitions went up , town hall meetings moved to football fields , National Parks became even more popular , and indoor movie dates shifted to film nights beneath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans got creative .
Everyday routines and important ceremonies continued around the U.S. , but with a very different look .
With the season drawing to a close , NPR asked photographers to remind us what America has looked like during this summer of social distancing .
In Phoenix , freelance photographer Ash Ponders spent time at the Salt River in mid-August , a 200-mile waterway on the edge of town that drew locals eager to swim , fish , or go tubing in the sweltering summer months .
Though professional tubing operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ river remained an outdoor escape .
`` Everyone had masks in their pockets , '' Ponders recalls .
When people saw others at the river , `` they 'd don them ahead of time . ''
Ponders spoke with a group of friends who had lugged inner tubes and snacks to the river on a Friday night just to watch the sunset .
Jacob Willeford , one of the friends , said spending time near the water was better than what he 'd be doing otherwise , `` sitting at home ; furloughed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a blueberry-picking farm in the Snohomish River Valley outside of Seattle in August , she found field attendants guiding visitors to rows of berry bushes loaded with ripe fruit .
The guides were responsible for ensuring that , even on a farm , people remained 6 feet apart and kept their masks on .
This year , Mountainview Blueberry Farm set up designated hand-washing stations , provided sanitized berry baskets , and had customers purchase their berry hauls from clerks stationed behind plastic partitions .
Despite the changes to the picking protocol , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says the farm was as busy as it 's ever been .
Kasinger spoke to one group of friends who had n't seen each other in six months , but arranged to meet to go berry picking — from a safe distance .
`` They were just stoked to be able to be together in what they felt was a safe environment , '' she remembers .
Summer always brings important milestones : graduations , weddings and family reunions .
Keeping 6 feet apart meant rethinking the logistics of many well-established rituals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ High School in Des Moines arrived at staggered times over the course of a week in mid-June to receive their diplomas .
They were each allowed two guests , who watched them cross an empty stage before the new grads posed for photos .
`` Parents frequently looked to the floor for clues on where to stand , '' recalls Olivia Sun , a visual journalist at the Des Moines Register who covered the event .
`` There was no restless buzz of graduates waiting to begin a final summer with childhood friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accompany graduation , the weeklong event felt `` more like a streamlined appointment than a celebration , '' Sun says .
In Philadelphia , photographer Hannah Yoon found Positive Movement , a drumline group , had moved their music and rehearsals outside to be safer .
The decision had an unintended effect , giving neighbors — including those confined to home — the opportunity to hear and see the music on the street .
Tony Royster , who started Positive Movement , says the team has been performing since 2014 , but expanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birthday and graduation parties as a way to continue to entertain and lift the community 's spirits .
`` We heard the drumline from outside the window and had to come check it out , '' resident Jessica Harmon said on a weeknight in early August when Positive Movement performed as the opening act ahead of an outdoor movie .
`` We had no idea there would be a movie night set up right across the street , '' Harmon says .
She ended up staying to watch the film with others in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works with the Scribe Video Center , which puts on the movie nights , says that need for human connection among neighbors was especially profound this summer .
The center has hosted outdoor screenings for over two decades .
This year , Khader says , every movie night reached maximum capacity .
Friends Nathan Grace , Hana Chamoun , and Anna McCarthy showed up to watch , too .
Chamoun , a graduate student and part-time bartender , is now taking virtual classes and relying on unemployment to make ends meet .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the timelessness of summers in elementary school , she says .
For Chamoun and her friends , the outdoor event was a welcome chance to escape indoor life and see each other in a safe way .
It was `` a sweet treat , '' McCarthy says .
A summer sweetness that transcended even a pandemic .
Photographers Ash Ponders in Phoenix , Chona Kasinger in Seattle , Olivia Sun in Des Moines , and Hannah Yoon in Philadelphia contributed reporting to this story .

PHOTOS: A Summer Of Community, Despite Social Distance
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
What a strange summer it's been.
All across the United States and beyond, people have changed their daily routines to stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic. An anxious spring spent under lockdown in many parts of the U.S. turned into a summer of continued virtual meetings, financial stress and isolation — along with pent-up desire to seek relief in whatever ways we could. So, plastic partitions went up, town hall meetings moved to football fields, National Parks became even more popular, and indoor movie dates shifted to film nights beneath the stars.
In other words, Americans got creative. Everyday routines and important ceremonies continued around the U.S., but with a very different look.
toggle caption Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
With the season drawing to a close, NPR asked photographers to remind us what America has looked like during this summer of social distancing.
Escapes To Nature And Fresh Air
In Phoenix, freelance photographer Ash Ponders spent time at the Salt River in mid-August, a 200-mile waterway on the edge of town that drew locals eager to swim, fish, or go tubing in the sweltering summer months. Though professional tubing operations halted because of the pandemic, the river remained an outdoor escape.
Ash Ponders for NPR
"Everyone had masks in their pockets," Ponders recalls. When people saw others at the river, "they'd don them ahead of time."
Ponders spoke with a group of friends who had lugged inner tubes and snacks to the river on a Friday night just to watch the sunset. Jacob Willeford, one of the friends, said spending time near the water was better than what he'd be doing otherwise, "sitting at home; furloughed."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ash Ponders for NPR Ash Ponders for NPR
When photographer Chona Kasinger visited a blueberry-picking farm in the Snohomish River Valley outside of Seattle in August, she found field attendants guiding visitors to rows of berry bushes loaded with ripe fruit. The guides were responsible for ensuring that, even on a farm, people remained 6 feet apart and kept their masks on.
This year, Mountainview Blueberry Farm set up designated hand-washing stations, provided sanitized berry baskets, and had customers purchase their berry hauls from clerks stationed behind plastic partitions. Despite the changes to the picking protocol, Keith Stocker, one of the owners, says the farm was as busy as it's ever been.
Chona Kasinger for NPR
Chona Kasinger for NPR
Kasinger spoke to one group of friends who hadn't seen each other in six months, but arranged to meet to go berry picking — from a safe distance.
"They were just stoked to be able to be together in what they felt was a safe environment," she remembers.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images
toggle caption Frederic Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Celebrations And Milestones Get A Socially Distanced Spin
Olivia Sun for NPR
Summer always brings important milestones: graduations, weddings and family reunions. Keeping 6 feet apart meant rethinking the logistics of many well-established rituals this year.
Graduating seniors at Lincoln High School in Des Moines arrived at staggered times over the course of a week in mid-June to receive their diplomas. They were each allowed two guests, who watched them cross an empty stage before the new grads posed for photos.
"Parents frequently looked to the floor for clues on where to stand," recalls Olivia Sun, a visual journalist at the Des Moines Register who covered the event. "There was no restless buzz of graduates waiting to begin a final summer with childhood friends." Without the festivities that usually accompany graduation, the weeklong event felt "more like a streamlined appointment than a celebration," Sun says.
toggle caption Charlie Neibergall/AP
toggle caption Santiago Mejia/The San Francisco Chronicle
A Sense Of Community Preserved
Enlarge this image Hannah Yoon for NPR Hannah Yoon for NPR
In Philadelphia, photographer Hannah Yoon found Positive Movement, a drumline group, had moved their music and rehearsals outside to be safer. The decision had an unintended effect, giving neighbors — including those confined to home — the opportunity to hear and see the music on the street.
Tony Royster, who started Positive Movement, says the team has been performing since 2014, but expanded their schedule this summer to include drive-by birthday and graduation parties as a way to continue to entertain and lift the community's spirits.
toggle caption Hannah Yoon for NPR
"We heard the drumline from outside the window and had to come check it out," resident Jessica Harmon said on a weeknight in early August when Positive Movement performed as the opening act ahead of an outdoor movie. "We had no idea there would be a movie night set up right across the street," Harmon says.
She ended up staying to watch the film with others in her neighborhood.
toggle caption Hannah Yoon for NPR
Nehad Khader, who works with the Scribe Video Center, which puts on the movie nights, says that need for human connection among neighbors was especially profound this summer. The center has hosted outdoor screenings for over two decades. This year, Khader says, every movie night reached maximum capacity.
Friends Nathan Grace, Hana Chamoun, and Anna McCarthy showed up to watch, too. Chamoun, a graduate student and part-time bartender, is now taking virtual classes and relying on unemployment to make ends meet. The past few months have reminded her of the timelessness of summers in elementary school, she says. For Chamoun and her friends, the outdoor event was a welcome chance to escape indoor life and see each other in a safe way.
It was "a sweet treat," McCarthy says. A summer sweetness that transcended even a pandemic.
toggle caption Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Photographers Ash Ponders in Phoenix, Chona Kasinger in Seattle, Olivia Sun in Des Moines, and Hannah Yoon in Philadelphia contributed reporting to this story.