npr--2020-05-14--The Pros And Cons Of 12 Potential Running Mates For Joe Biden

The Pros And Cons Of 12 Potential Running Mates For Joe Biden Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has vowed he will pick a woman to be his vice presidential running mate .
He 's facing pressure to pick a black woman , but during the primary he also had relative deficiencies with Latino voters .
He has to consider the progressive left , given that he was not progressives ' preferred candidate and some of them did n't turn out for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 general election .
But he does n't want to alienate the middle , either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the narrow slice of persuadable voters in the country .
It 's not an easy choice .
Biden , a former vice president , has said in picking his running mate he wants someone with whom he 's `` simpatico . ''
Chemistry is vitally important in a vice president .
She needs to be someone Biden can trust to have his back in hard times , and she needs to be someone with whom a potential President Biden can govern .
But there 's more to it this year .
The vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about .
It even gets a cutesy nickname , the `` Veepstakes . ''
But the VP pick rarely matters , in terms of actually affecting the outcome of a presidential election .
This year might be different , though .
Given Biden 's age , this pick is perhaps the most consequential in decades .
Biden will be 78 by the time he would be sworn in .
That would make him the oldest president ever to assume the office .
So his VP pick needs to be ready on Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of course , has to fulfill that first rule of picking a running mate : First , do no harm .
Here , in alphabetical order , are some pros and cons of 12 people Biden might pick : Pros : The former Georgia gubernatorial candidate fires up progressives .
For them , her close loss there in 2018 symbolizes what happens when the vote , especially of minorities , is suppressed .
She 's African American , outspoken and unafraid to make the case .
The argument for Abrams goes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it seems , and Clinton struggled to get out the base at the margins , Abrams might be able to help .
Cons : But Abrams also presents potential risk .
She 's not currently an elected official , and she has n't been vetted on a national stage .
Things like her having owed more than $ 50,000 in back taxes are sure to come up .
She had the opportunity to run for president — and for one of two open Senate seats in Georgia this cycle — and she passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what looks like open lobbying for the job .
She denies that she is , but she told The Atlantic , `` I would put my capacity to win an election as the VP running mate alongside anyone 's . ''
That irritated some in the old guard , including Rep. William Clay of Missouri , who called her lobbying offensive .
`` You ca n't show up at the winner 's window with loser 's tickets and demand anything , '' he said .
Pros : Perhaps no state is more important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it narrowly in 2016 , and it 's the most conservative of the three former Blue Wall states Clinton lost , including Michigan and Pennsylvania .
Baldwin has a lot of firsts to her name : She 's the first woman elected to the House and also the Senate from Wisconsin ; and she 's the first openly gay person elected to the Senate .
She also has her own compelling story to tell when it comes to health care , as she had a `` pre-existing condition '' as a child that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get her care .
So though she , unlike Biden , may prefer Medicare for All , she could make a good case for expanding coverage .
Cons : Baldwin is n't well known nationally and , perhaps more importantly , picking her would mean opening up a potentially vulnerable Senate seat after she just won reelection to it in 2018 .
Her seat would go to a special election in 2021 .
Imagine if Democrats have a great 2020 Senate run , take over the chamber , only to see it threatened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The first-term senator from Nevada made history as the first Latina ever elected to the Senate .
Biden struggled during the primary with Latinos and putting a Latina on the ticket would be an early indication of just how much Team Biden wants to make a play for them and the Southwest .
She 's a former prosecutor and is a crisp , disciplined speaker .
Cons : At the same time , she is not well known , largely untested outside Nevada , and does not have much experience in Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a relatively thin record of national accomplishments .
Pros : The second-term Florida congresswoman got attention for her role as an impeachment manager in the trial of President Trump , and she gained that role because of her organization and sharp and clear style of arguing .
She 's disciplined , was Orlando 's first female police chief , and could have appeal in her crucial battleground state .
Even doing better at the margins in Florida could seal the presidency for a Democrat .
Cons : While she 's known in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's not the same kind of swing area it used to be ; it 's trended far more Democratic .
And she 's not as tested statewide .
Additionally , her time as Orlando police chief has rankled some African American leaders because while Orlando saw a drop in violent crime , the department paid out millions in damages after lawsuits related to false arrest and use of excessive force .
Pros : The Illinois senator has an incredible story to tell .
She 's an Army veteran who lost both of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iraq in 2004 was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade .
She 's the first disabled woman and first person born in Thailand ( to a father who was an American citizen ) elected to the Senate .
And she had a baby at 50 , the first senator to give birth in office .
So Duckworth is both a woman of color and from the Midwest ( though not from a battleground state ) .
And she also has n't shied away from taking on Trump .
`` I will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a five-deferment draft dodger , '' she said in 2018 .
Cons : She is clearly in the moderate camp .
`` I do n't think you can go too far to the left and still win the Midwest , '' she said after the 2018 elections .
That cuts two ways — she might appeal to the middle , but likely would n't fire up the base .
Pros : The New York senator has taken a leading role on sexual assault , and she 's backed Biden on the 1993 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staffer .
That could help blunt any issues Biden might have on the subject .
Cons : But being from New York , there 's no geographic diversity she 'd bring , she is n't as much of a rock star on the left as say Elizabeth Warren , and she does n't solve the issue of groups calling for Biden to pick a woman of color .
Pros : The New Mexico governor is the only Latina governor in the country and a Latina on the presidential ticket would be historic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her early action in her handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
( Some Republicans say otherwise . )
She has taken the fight to sheriffs in her state after passage of a so-called red-flag law that some said they might not enforce , and she took the fight to Trump on immigration .
In 2018 , as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus , she crashed a White House meeting on immigration to tell the president he was making it harder than it needed to be to get to a compromise on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cons : But she 's also not well known nationally , was n't particularly popular at home before the coronavirus , and she would have to be taken out of her current role in handling the pandemic to be on the ticket .
Pros : The California senator is thought to have an inside track for a host of reasons .
She ran for president , which means she 's been vetted on the national stage ; she 's black , which would satisfy those who are urging Biden to pick a black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection — she was close with Biden 's son , Beau .
The former prosecutor and state attorney general has a reputation as an incise questioner and being able to make a clear argument .
Envisioning her holding her own in a debate with Vice President Pence is not difficult .
Cons : She was criticized for a lack of a coherent message during her presidential run , but Biden 's message would become hers .
She does n't necessarily fire up the progressive left , which does n't love some of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does n't give any regional advantage — a ticket with an East Coast former senator and another from California does n't exactly dispel the notion of Democrats not caring about the middle of the country ; and it 's not clear Harris has appeal to the middle of the electorate in places like the Upper Midwest .
Pros : The Minnesota senator saw some late momentum in the Democratic primary before dropping out to consolidate support behind Biden .
She impressed during the campaign with her quick wit on debate stages and on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cross-party Midwestern appeal , touting that she won reelection in 2018 by more than 20 points in a state Trump lost by only 2 points in 2016 .
Cons : While Klobuchar has potential appeal in the Midwest , her more moderate views and approach do little to excite the base .
She also had little strength during the primary with black and Latino voters , who are key parts of the Democratic Party .
Pros : The former Obama-era national security adviser and United Nations ambassador is among the top Democratic foreign-policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African American and is someone Biden knows and is comfortable with , given they served together in the Obama administration and foreign policy is both of their pet issues .
Cons : But she 's never stood for elective office , making her readiness to be president a question mark , despite her foreign-policy credentials .
What 's more , her role in the Benghazi affair threatens to be a distraction off the bat , something someone at the top of the ticket can barely afford in their VP pick .
Pros : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She tops polls for who Democrats want Biden to pick .
She knows the issues as well or better than anyone and would certainly be ready to govern .
A Warren pick would indicate Biden wants to embrace the left and some of Warren 's ( and Bernie Sanders ' ) policies and political approach .
Warren would not be someone who sits back as vice president — she 'd want a portfolio and to get to work on the things important to her right away .
Cons : But Warren and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship ( though she 's said nice things about him lately ) .
And she does nothing to appeal to the middle , has no regional advantage , and is n't a woman of color .
Pros : The Michigan governor has been thrust onto the national scene — and into controversy — with her stay-at-home rules during the pandemic .
Biden 's team would hope that Whitmer could appeal in the must-win Upper Midwest .
If the verdict on Whitmer is that she handled the coronavirus crisis with competence , her stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ management experience was the most desired quality in a Biden VP , according to a recent poll .
Cons : But the controversy does n't necessarily help Whitmer 's chances .
Michigan has seen some of the most fervent protests , with armed men taking to the state capitol , and Trump has tweeted , `` Liberate Michigan . ''
If she 's seen as divisive and polarizing , that could hurt her chances of being selected .
What 's more , it 's difficult to pluck a governor , who is currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that post .
And Whitmer might be seen as too green — she has n't really been tested as a surrogate for Biden on a national stage .

The Pros And Cons Of 11 Potential Running Mates For Joe Biden
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images
Updated on June 11 at 9:30 p.m. ET
Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has vowed he will pick a woman to be his vice presidential running mate.
But which woman?
He's facing pressure to pick a black woman, but during the primary he also had relative deficiencies with Latino voters. He has to consider the progressive left, given that he was not progressives' preferred candidate and some of them didn't turn out for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 general election.
But he doesn't want to alienate the middle, either, as he looks to win over the narrow slice of persuadable voters in the country.
Media no longer available
It's not an easy choice. Biden, a former vice president, has said he wants someone with whom he's "simpatico." Chemistry is vitally important in a vice president. She needs to be someone Biden can trust to have his back in hard times, and she needs to be someone with whom a potential President Biden can govern.
But there's more to it this year. The vice presidential selection process is usually fun to talk about. It even gets a cutesy nickname, the "Veepstakes." But the VP pick rarely matters, in terms of actually affecting the outcome of a presidential election.
This year might be different, though. Given Biden's age, this pick is perhaps the most consequential in decades. Biden will be 78 by the time he would be sworn in. That would make him the oldest president ever to assume the office.
So his VP pick needs to be ready on Day 1 to be president. And she, of course, has to fulfill that first rule of picking a running mate: First, do no harm.
Here, in alphabetical order, are some pros and cons of 11 of the people Biden might pick:
Stacey Abrams
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael A. McCoy/AP Michael A. McCoy/AP
Pros: The former Georgia gubernatorial candidate fires up progressives. For them, her close loss there in 2018 symbolizes what happens when the vote, especially of minorities, is suppressed. She's African American, outspoken and unafraid to make the case. The argument for Abrams goes that if the country is as polarized as it seems, and Clinton struggled to get out the base at the margins, Abrams might be able to help.
Cons: But Abrams also presents potential risk. She's not currently an elected official, and she hasn't been vetted on a national stage. Things like her having owed more than $50,000 in back taxes are sure to come up. She had the opportunity to run for president — and for one of two open Senate seats in Georgia this cycle — and she passed.
She's also rankled some with what looks like open lobbying for the job. She denies that she is, but she told The Atlantic, "I would put my capacity to win an election as the VP running mate alongside anyone's." That irritated some in the old guard, including Rep. William Clay of Missouri, who called her lobbying offensive. "You can't show up at the winner's window with loser's tickets and demand anything," he said.
Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jose Luis Magana/AP Jose Luis Magana/AP
Pros: Perhaps no state is more important in 2020 than Wisconsin. Democrats lost it narrowly in 2016, and it's the most conservative of the three former Blue Wall states Clinton lost, including Michigan and Pennsylvania. Baldwin has a lot of firsts to her name: She's the first woman elected to the House and also the Senate from Wisconsin; and she's the first openly gay person elected to the Senate.
She also has her own compelling story to tell when it comes to health care, as she had a "pre-existing condition" as a child that made it difficult for her family to get her care. So though she, unlike Biden, may prefer Medicare for All, she could make a good case for expanding coverage.
Cons: Baldwin isn't well known nationally and, perhaps more importantly, picking her would mean opening up a potentially vulnerable Senate seat after she just won reelection to it in 2018. Her seat would go to a special election in 2021. Imagine if Democrats have a great 2020 Senate run, take over the chamber, only to see it threatened months after taking control.
Florida Rep. Val Demings
Enlarge this image toggle caption Susan Walsh/AP Susan Walsh/AP
Pros: The second-term Florida congresswoman got attention for her role as an impeachment manager in the trial of President Trump, and she gained that role because of her organization and sharp, clear style of arguing. She's disciplined, was Orlando's first female police chief and could have appeal in her crucial battleground state. Even doing better at the margins in Florida could seal the presidency for a Democrat.
Cons: While she's known in the I-4 corridor in Florida, it's not the same kind of swing area it used to be; it's trended far more Democratic. And she's not as tested statewide.
Additionally, her time as Orlando police chief has rankled some African American leaders, because though Orlando saw a drop in violent crime, the department paid out millions in damages after lawsuits related to false arrest and use of excessive force.
Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth
Enlarge this image toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Pros: The Illinois senator has an incredible story to tell. She's an Army veteran who lost both of her legs when a helicopter she was piloting in Iraq in 2004 was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade. She's the first disabled woman and first person born in Thailand (to a father who was an American citizen) elected to the Senate. And she had a baby at 50, the first senator to give birth in office.
So Duckworth is both a woman of color and from the Midwest (though not a battleground state). She also hasn't shied away from taking on Trump. "I will not be lectured about what our military needs by a five-deferment draft dodger," she said in 2018.
Cons: She is clearly in the moderate camp. "I don't think you can go too far to the left and still win the Midwest," she said after the 2018 elections. That cuts two ways — she might appeal to the middle, but likely wouldn't fire up the base.
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
Pros: The New York senator has taken a leading role on sexual assault, and she's backed Biden on the 1993 allegation of an assault made by a former staffer. That could help blunt any issues Biden might have on the subject.
Cons: But being from New York, there's no geographic diversity she'd bring, she isn't as much of a rock star on the left as, say, Elizabeth Warren, and she doesn't solve the issue of groups calling for Biden to pick a woman of color.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eddie Moore/AP Eddie Moore/AP
Pros: The New Mexico governor is the only Latina governor in the country, and a Latina on the presidential ticket would be historic. She has won praise from Democrats for her early action in her handling of the coronavirus pandemic. (Some Republicans say otherwise.) She has taken the fight to sheriffs in her state after passage of a so-called red-flag law that some said they might not enforce, and she took the fight to Trump on immigration.
In 2018, as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, she crashed a White House meeting on immigration to tell the president he was making it harder than it needed to be to get to a compromise on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Cons: But she's also not well known nationally and wasn't particularly popular at home before the coronavirus, and she would have to be taken out of her current role in handling the pandemic to be on the ticket.
California Sen. Kamala Harris
Pros: The California senator is thought to have an inside track for a host of reasons. She ran for president, which means she's been vetted on the national stage; she's black, which would satisfy those who are urging Biden to pick a black woman; and there's a personal connection — she was close with Biden's son Beau.
The former prosecutor and state attorney general has a reputation as an incisive questioner and being able to make a clear argument. Envisioning her holding her own in a debate with Vice President Pence is not difficult.
Cons: She was criticized for a lack of a coherent message during her presidential run, but Biden's message would become hers. She doesn't necessarily fire up the progressive left, which doesn't love some of her past positions on criminal justice; she doesn't give any regional advantage — a ticket with an East Coast former senator and a senator from California doesn't exactly dispel the notion of Democrats not caring about the middle of the country; and it's not clear Harris has appeal to the middle of the electorate in places like the Upper Midwest.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ron Jenkins/Getty Images Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
Pros: The Minnesota senator saw some late momentum in the Democratic primary before dropping out to consolidate support behind Biden. She impressed during the campaign with her quick wit on debate stages and on the campaign trail. She tries for cross-party Midwestern appeal, touting that she won reelection in 2018 by more than 20 points in a state Trump lost by only two points in 2016.
Cons: While Klobuchar has potential appeal in the Midwest, her more moderate views and approach do little to excite the base. She also had little strength during the primary with black and Latino voters, who are key parts of the Democratic Party.
Susan Rice
Pros: The Obama-era national security adviser and former United Nations ambassador is among the top Democratic foreign-policy experts in the country. She's African American and is someone Biden is comfortable with, given they served together in the Obama administration and foreign policy is a pet issue for both.
Cons: But she's never stood for elective office, making her readiness to be president a question mark, despite her foreign-policy credentials. What's more, her role in the Benghazi affair threatens to be a distraction off the bat, something someone at the top of the ticket can barely afford in their VP pick.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matt Rourke/AP Matt Rourke/AP
Pros: Democrats and the progressive left love Warren. She tops polls for who Democrats want Biden to pick. She knows the issues as well or better than anyone and would certainly be ready to govern. A Warren pick would indicate Biden wants to embrace the left and some of Warren's (and Bernie Sanders') policies and political approaches. Warren would not be someone who sits back as vice president — she'd want a portfolio and to work on the things important to her right away.
Cons: But Warren and Biden haven't always had a warm relationship (though she's said nice things about him lately). And she does nothing to appeal to the middle, has no regional advantage and isn't a woman of color.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Pros: The Michigan governor has been thrust onto the national scene — and into controversy — with her stay-at-home rules during the pandemic. Biden's team would hope that Whitmer could appeal in the must-win Upper Midwest. If the verdict on Whitmer is that she handled the coronavirus crisis with competence, her stock would rise. Among Democrats, crisis management experience was the most desired quality in a Biden VP, according to a recent poll.
Cons: But the controversy doesn't necessarily help Whitmer's chances. Michigan has seen some of the most fervent protests, with armed men taking to the state capitol, and Trump has tweeted "Liberate Michigan." If she's seen as divisive and polarizing, that could hurt her chances of being selected. What's more, it's difficult to pluck a governor who is dealing with a crisis out of that post. And Whitmer might be seen as too green — she hasn't really been tested as a surrogate for Biden on a national stage.
Editor's note: This post originally included Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, but she has since withdrawn her name from consideration, saying she supports Biden but wants to focus on her state's economic recovery.


npr--2020-05-14--Ousted Scientist Says 'Window Of Opportunity' To Fight Coronavirus Is Closing

Ousted Scientist Says 'Window Of Opportunity ' To Fight Coronavirus Is Closing Richard Bright , a career government scientist-turned whistleblower , will tell a congressional panel Thursday that without a stronger federal response , the coronavirus threatens to make 2020 the `` darkest winter in modern history . ''
Bright is testifying before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health , which called the hearing after Bright filed a whistleblower complaint with the Office of Special Counsel .
Bright contends he was removed from his post as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority by top officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Services `` in response to my insistence that the government invest funding allocated to BARDA by Congress to address the COVID-19 pandemic into safe and scientifically vetted solutions , and not in drugs , vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit , '' according to his prepared testimony , released Tuesday by the subcommittee .
The House hearing is set to begin at 10 a.m .
ET .
Watch live here .
Bright says his testimony is to be `` forward looking , '' and that he is speaking out `` because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must lead the way to combat this deadly virus . ''
Bright contends his transfer to a lower ranking post at HHS because of his reluctance to promote use of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to treat patients with COVID-19 , which had been touted by President Trump and others .
Trump has dismissed Bright as `` a disgruntled employee who 's trying to help the Democrats win an election . ''
In his written opening statement , Bright paints a gloomy picture unless the Trump administration responds more quickly and more strongly to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear that we were not as prepared as we should have been , '' Bright says .
`` We missed early warning signals and we forgot important pages from our pandemic playbook . ''
Bright warns , `` Our window of opportunity is closing .
If we fail to develop a national coordinated response , based in science , I fear the pandemic will get far worse and be prolonged , causing unprecedented illness and fatalities . ''
`` The undeniable fact is there will be a resurgence of the COVID-19 this fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influenza and putting an unprecedented strain on our health care system , '' he says .
`` Without clear planning and implementation of the steps that I and other experts have outlined , 2020 will be darkest winter in modern history . ''
Bright 's attorneys say the Office of Special Counsel has determined there were `` reasonable grounds '' to believe that his removal from his post at BARDA was retaliatory and therefore prohibited .
The OSC says it ca n't comment on an open case .

Ousted Scientist Says His Pandemic Warnings Were Dismissed As 'Commotion'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Shawn Thew/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Shawn Thew/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 4:42 p.m. ET
Rick Bright, a career government scientist-turned-whistleblower, told a congressional panel Thursday that without a stronger federal response, the coronavirus threatens to make 2020 the "darkest winter in modern history."
Bright testified before the Democratic-led House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, which called the hearing after Bright filed a whistleblower complaint about being removed from his post as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
At the hearing Thursday, which began with a moment of silence for the more than 80,000 people who have died in the United States as a result of COVID-19, Bright said he believes "we could have done better" in responding to the coronavirus back in January when its deadly effects became apparent.
He told lawmakers that he raised the need to obtain samples of the virus in meetings with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. Once the virus began spreading, he said, his alarms were not responded to with action. Bright said he was told that his "urgings were causing a commotion," and he was removed from relevant meetings.
Bright added that "time is running out" and that the window is closing to address the pandemic "because we still do not have a standard, centralized, coordinated plan to take our nation through this response."
He spoke at length about his concerns with the supply of personal protective equipment. He said as far back as 2007 there were shortages of equipment such as N95 respirators.
Bright said he will "never forget" emails he received from the head of a Texas company that produces surgical masks saying that the nation's supply chain for PPE was completely decimated as the coronavirus pandemic began.
"We're in deep s***," the email from Michael Bowen said, according to Bright.
Bowen, who testified after Bright, is vice president of surgical mask producer Prestige Ameritech. Bowen said he sent emails to Bright and other federal officials over a 13-year period, warning of a shortage of U.S.-made masks.
toggle caption Shawn Thew/AP
"America has a weakness for low prices," Bowen said, when talking about U.S. entities purchasing masks from abroad.
At one point, Bowen said he was a "lifelong Republican, and I'm embarrassed" by how the pandemic has been handled.
Bright testified that supply chain issues continue and that some respirators being used were poorly manufactured.
"Nurses are rushing into hospitals thinking they're protected and they're not," he said.
Bright also cast doubt on the likelihood of a vaccine being developed in the next 12 to 18 months.
"A lot of optimism is swirling around a 12- to 18-month time frame, if everything goes perfectly," he said. "We've never seen everything go perfectly."
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The Trump administration response
Azar pushed back on Bright's testimony, telling reporters at the White House on Thursday, "Everything he's complaining about was achieved."
He noted that the administration has acquired respirators and embarked upon a "Manhattan Project" for vaccines called Operation Warp Speed.
"While we're launching Operation Warp Speed, he's not showing up for work to be part of that," Azar said. "His allegations do not hold water. They do not hold water."
President Trump said that he had seen some of Bright's testimony.
"I watched this guy for a little while this morning. To me, he's nothing more than a really disgruntled, unhappy person," Trump said, echoing an earlier dismissal of Bright.
The complaint
Bright contends that he was removed from his post as director of BARDA by top HHS officials because he was pushing for coronavirus funding to go toward "safe and scientifically vetted solutions, and not for drugs, vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit," according to his prepared testimony, released Tuesday by the subcommittee.
Bright contends that his transfer to a lower-ranking post at HHS came because of his reluctance to promote use of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to treat patients with COVID-19, which had been touted by Trump and others.
Bright's attorneys say the Office of Special Counsel has determined there were "reasonable grounds" to believe that his removal from his post at BARDA was retaliatory and therefore prohibited. The OSC says it can't comment on an open case.
As Bright testified, HHS issued a statement saying his whistleblower complaint "is filled with one-sided arguments and misinformation. HHS said it is reviewing the complaint and strongly disagrees with the allegations and characterizations made by Rick Bright."
The statement added that Bright did not see "the full strategic and operational picture across HHS and the Administration as a whole — because his role within HHS was more limited."
"The darkest winter"
Bright painted a gloomy picture of a possible future unless the Trump administration responds more quickly and more strongly to the coronavirus.
"It is painfully clear that we were not as prepared as we should have been," Bright said in his prepared remarks. "We missed early warning signals and we forgot important pages from our pandemic playbook."
"Our window of opportunity is closing," Bright warned. "If we fail to develop a national coordinated response, based in science, I fear the pandemic will get far worse and be prolonged, causing unprecedented illness and fatalities.
"The undeniable fact is there will be a resurgence of the COVID-19 this fall, greatly compounding the challenges of seasonal influenza and putting an unprecedented strain on our health care system," he added. "Without clear planning and implementation of the steps that I and other experts have outlined, 2020 will be darkest winter in modern history."


npr--2020-05-14--Fear Of Contracting Coronavirus Propels Some Smokers To Quit

Fear Of Contracting Coronavirus Propels Some Smokers To Quit In 40 years of smoking , Katie Kennedy has tried four times to quit but always went back to cigarettes .
Today , she is summoning a new mental image when a craving comes on : rows of COVID-19 patients hooked to ventilators .
Kennedy 's dad also smoked .
He was on a ventilator before he died , and seeing how invasive the machine was , and watching his discomfort and distress , made Kennedy vow not to die like that .
`` I just decided it 's time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can , '' says Kennedy , 59 , who started a cessation class in Sacramento , California , in March .
`` COVID-19 is quite a motivator . ''
Early studies suggest that smokers who develop COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , are 14 times more likely to need intensive treatment compared with nonsmokers .
Doctors in California are seizing this moment to highlight the connection between COVID-19 and smoking as another reason people should quit .
The toll-free California Smokers ' Helpline ― 1-800-NO-BUTTS — which offers free cessation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide two weeks of free nicotine patches , sent directly to a caller 's home .
Calls to the help line in March were down 27.5 % compared with the same month last year — which the staff attributes mainly to people being too stressed out to consider quitting .
Nonetheless , staffers say that some of the smokers who do call mention the coronavirus — and the upheaval of the state 's stay-at-home order — as their inspiration to quit .
`` I spoke with a gentleman last week who is seriously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' says Nallely Espina , a counselor with the help line .
`` He 's setting a new routine for himself at home and staying away from his smoker friends , which was one of his main triggers . ''
A man in his mid-20s was prompted to call after he read a news article about how even young people who smoke could have more severe health complications from the virus , Espina says .
About half of her callers are using the time at home to revamp their habits : start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The rest seem supremely frazzled , being trapped inside with their families .
`` Going outside and having that cigarette , it 's his time out from the kids , '' she says .
`` So for him , we decided let 's still go outside , but instead of having a cigarette , maybe you spend those minutes doing a few push ups and burpees ?
And he loved that idea .
He went for it . ''
California public health agencies are incorporating information about the link between smoking and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public outreach messages , building on a 30-year legacy of aggressive anti-smoking campaigns and policies .
The state was the first to ban smoking on airplanes and in restaurants and bars , adding a long list of other public spaces over the years that made smoking logistically difficult and culturally unpopular .
As a result , California has the second-lowest smoking rate in the country ― 11.3 % — after Utah , where only 8.9 % of the population smokes and Mormon values are credited with discouraging the habit .
While counselors nudge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether California 's low smoking rate will affect how the state fares during the pandemic .
`` It 's a really great question , '' says Ruth Malone , a professor emerita of nursing at the University of California-San Francisco .
She has studied tobacco control policy for 20 years .
`` Smokers do much worse if they contract the virus , which is not too surprising given that it attacks lung tissue .
There also is some new research suggesting that it might even promote transmission because of the particular pathways that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a correlation between smoking and COVID-19 outcomes would require sophisticated modeling techniques , so that smoking could be isolated from the many risk factors that help determine geographic differences in the spread and severity of the virus .
Those factors include population density , poverty rates , and the number of days between the arrival of the virus in a community and the enactment of mitigation measures , such as shelter-at-home orders .
California was among the first states to institute such measures .
Researchers have long known that smoking makes it harder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it increases mucus production and paralyzes cilia , the hairlike fibers in the respiratory tract and lungs that normally flush out invaders .
`` If any organism gets down there in the lower airways , whether it 's the coronavirus or another virus , you 've got the mucus that it can get stuck in , and it ca n't get whisked away because the cilia are not working , '' says Dr. John Swartzberg , professor emeritus of infectious diseases at University of California-Berkeley .
`` So those organisms have a perfect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smoking may also increase a person 's chance of contracting this particular coronavirus , SARS-CoV-2 , because of tobacco 's effect on a cell receptor called angiotensin converting enzyme II ( ACE2 ) .
Scientists believe the coronavirus latches on to this receptor and uses it to enter cells , says Marcos García-Ojeda , an immunologist at UC-Merced .
The problem is that smoking increases levels of ACE2 Imagine a human cell as a house with doors and windows where the virus can enter , García-Ojeda explains : `` If you smoke , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ windows and doors for the virus to come in , '' he says .
Still , other scientists hypothesize that the virus enters cells through a different receptor — one that nicotine may be able to block .
Researchers in France plan to explore whether wearing a nicotine patch may help prevent infection , while acknowledging that smokers who do develop COVID-19 are more likely to experience more severe symptoms .
Tobacco-control advocates are calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to collect more robust data on the connection between smoking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reliable and widely available coronavirus antibody test could also help characterize the connection .
`` Once we start doing very robust antibodies studies , we 'll be able to take a population of people infected and sese how many of them are smokers versus nonsmokers .
Then you could see what the morbidity in each group is , '' says Swartzberg .
`` That study would be very simple to do . ''
Figuring out whether low smoking rates contribute to a reduction in overall infections would be harder , requiring more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential factors .
For example , the smoking rate in New York City , which became a huge coronavirus hot-spot , is roughly the same as California 's .
That could either invalidate the idea that a low smoking rate is protective , experts say , or indicate that smoking is just one of many , many variables that influence the impact of the outbreak .
`` [ California ] went to physical-distancing policies and closing nonessential businesses a few days earlier than New York .
I think those were a critical few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a pulmonologist and professor of medicine at UCSF .
California cities also tend to be less densely populated than Eastern cities , Balmes adds .
In the meantime , doctors are relying on what they do know about smoking 's harms to persuade people to try to quit smoking now .
`` Once you stop smoking or vaping , your lungs , your immune system , they start getting better within minutes , '' says Dr. Elisa Tong , a physician at UC-Davis and project director for the University of California Tobacco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sacramento has been learning these lessons at her smoking cessation class , which moved to online sessions .
Being cooped up at home has presented some challenges for her .
`` My husband smokes , '' Kennedy says .
`` And that 's probably the biggest trigger . ''
It was their ritual , to smoke together .
The times she has relapsed , it was always with him .
Now that they 're stuck at home together around the clock , there 's constant temptation .
`` There is the thought that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he 's going out for a cigarette .
That sounds good , ' '' she says .
`` Well , when I get that urge , I know it 's the nicotine talking .
So I pop a nicotine lozenge and take a deep breath and try to busy myself with something else . ''
This story is part of NPR 's health reporting partnership with KQED and Kaiser Health News .

Fear Of Contracting Coronavirus Propels Some Smokers To Quit
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tegra Stone Nuess/Getty Images Tegra Stone Nuess/Getty Images
In 40 years of smoking, Katie Kennedy has tried four times to quit but always went back to cigarettes. Today, she is summoning a new mental image when a craving comes on: rows of COVID-19 patients hooked to ventilators.
Kennedy's dad also smoked. He was on a ventilator before he died, and seeing how invasive the machine was, and watching his discomfort and distress, made Kennedy vow not to die like that.
"I just decided it's time to protect my lungs as much as I can," says Kennedy, 59, who started a cessation class in Sacramento, California, in March. "COVID-19 is quite a motivator."
Early studies suggest that smokers who develop COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, are 14 times more likely to need intensive treatment compared with nonsmokers. Doctors in California are seizing this moment to highlight the connection between COVID-19 and smoking as another reason people should quit.
toggle caption Katie Kennedy
The toll-free California Smokers' Helpline ― 1-800-NO-BUTTS — which offers free cessation advice, is redirecting research money to provide two weeks of free nicotine patches, sent directly to a caller's home.
Calls to the help line in March were down 27.5% compared with the same month last year — which the staff attributes mainly to people being too stressed out to consider quitting. Nonetheless, staffers say that some of the smokers who do call mention the coronavirus — and the upheaval of the state's stay-at-home order — as their inspiration to quit.
"I spoke with a gentleman last week who is seriously taking this time to reorganize his life," says Nallely Espina, a counselor with the help line. "He's setting a new routine for himself at home and staying away from his smoker friends, which was one of his main triggers."
A man in his mid-20s was prompted to call after he read a news article about how even young people who smoke could have more severe health complications from the virus, Espina says. About half of her callers are using the time at home to revamp their habits: start yoga, meditation or a healthier diet. The rest seem supremely frazzled, being trapped inside with their families.
Espina helped one dad devise new coping strategies.
"Going outside and having that cigarette, it's his time out from the kids," she says. "So for him, we decided let's still go outside, but instead of having a cigarette, maybe you spend those minutes doing a few push ups and burpees? And he loved that idea. He went for it."
California public health agencies are incorporating information about the link between smoking and the coronavirus into their social media and public outreach messages, building on a 30-year legacy of aggressive anti-smoking campaigns and policies.
The state was the first to ban smoking on airplanes and in restaurants and bars, adding a long list of other public spaces over the years that made smoking logistically difficult and culturally unpopular. As a result, California has the second-lowest smoking rate in the country ― 11.3% — after Utah, where only 8.9% of the population smokes and Mormon values are credited with discouraging the habit.
While counselors nudge smokers to quit, researchers are wondering whether California's low smoking rate will affect how the state fares during the pandemic.
"It's a really great question," says Ruth Malone, a professor emerita of nursing at the University of California-San Francisco. She has studied tobacco control policy for 20 years. "Smokers do much worse if they contract the virus, which is not too surprising given that it attacks lung tissue. There also is some new research suggesting that it might even promote transmission because of the particular pathways that it hooks on to."
Establishing a correlation between smoking and COVID-19 outcomes would require sophisticated modeling techniques, so that smoking could be isolated from the many risk factors that help determine geographic differences in the spread and severity of the virus. Those factors include population density, poverty rates, and the number of days between the arrival of the virus in a community and the enactment of mitigation measures, such as shelter-at-home orders. California was among the first states to institute such measures.
Researchers have long known that smoking makes it harder to fight off respiratory infections, because it increases mucus production and paralyzes cilia, the hairlike fibers in the respiratory tract and lungs that normally flush out invaders.
"If any organism gets down there in the lower airways, whether it's the coronavirus or another virus, you've got the mucus that it can get stuck in, and it can't get whisked away because the cilia are not working," says Dr. John Swartzberg, professor emeritus of infectious diseases at University of California-Berkeley. "So those organisms have a perfect home."
Recent scientific research indicates smoking may also increase a person's chance of contracting this particular coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, because of tobacco's effect on a cell receptor called angiotensin converting enzyme II (ACE2). Scientists believe the coronavirus latches on to this receptor and uses it to enter cells, says Marcos García-Ojeda, an immunologist at UC-Merced. The problem is that smoking increases levels of ACE2
Imagine a human cell as a house with doors and windows where the virus can enter, García-Ojeda explains: "If you smoke, now you have increased the amount of windows and doors for the virus to come in," he says.
Still, other scientists hypothesize that the virus enters cells through a different receptor — one that nicotine may be able to block. Researchers in France plan to explore whether wearing a nicotine patch may help prevent infection, while acknowledging that smokers who do develop COVID-19 are more likely to experience more severe symptoms.
Tobacco-control advocates are calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to collect more robust data on the connection between smoking and the coronavirus. The development of a reliable and widely available coronavirus antibody test could also help characterize the connection.
"Once we start doing very robust antibodies studies, we'll be able to take a population of people infected and sese how many of them are smokers versus nonsmokers. Then you could see what the morbidity in each group is," says Swartzberg. "That study would be very simple to do."
Figuring out whether low smoking rates contribute to a reduction in overall infections would be harder, requiring more complex models that can control for other potential factors. For example, the smoking rate in New York City, which became a huge coronavirus hot-spot, is roughly the same as California's. That could either invalidate the idea that a low smoking rate is protective, experts say, or indicate that smoking is just one of many, many variables that influence the impact of the outbreak.
"[California] went to physical-distancing policies and closing nonessential businesses a few days earlier than New York. I think those were a critical few days," says Dr. John Balmes, a pulmonologist and professor of medicine at UCSF. California cities also tend to be less densely populated than Eastern cities, Balmes adds.
In the meantime, doctors are relying on what they do know about smoking's harms to persuade people to try to quit smoking now.
"Once you stop smoking or vaping, your lungs, your immune system, they start getting better within minutes," says Dr. Elisa Tong, a physician at UC-Davis and project director for the University of California Tobacco Cessation Leadership Center.
Katie Kennedy of Sacramento has been learning these lessons at her smoking cessation class, which moved to online sessions. Being cooped up at home has presented some challenges for her.
"My husband smokes," Kennedy says. "And that's probably the biggest trigger." It was their ritual, to smoke together. The times she has relapsed, it was always with him. Now that they're stuck at home together around the clock, there's constant temptation.
"There is the thought that passes through my brain, 'Oh, he's going out for a cigarette. That sounds good,'" she says. "Well, when I get that urge, I know it's the nicotine talking. So I pop a nicotine lozenge and take a deep breath and try to busy myself with something else."
This story is part of NPR's health reporting partnership with KQED and Kaiser Health News.


npr--2020-05-14--18 Counties In California Set To Further Relax Coronavirus Restrictions

18 Counties In California Set To Further Relax Coronavirus Restrictions Eighteen of California 's 58 counties have received state approval to further ease coronavirus restrictions , but major population centers such as the San Francisco Bay Area are choosing not to relax stay-at-home orders for now .
As of Thursday , 18 counties are eligible to move to Expanded Stage 2 of California 's four-stage reopening plan , according to the California Department of Public Health .
They include Yuba and Sutter , counties that last week had moved to further ease restrictions without state approval .
`` Again , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' California Gov .
Gavin Newsom said at his Wednesday news briefing , when he announced 10 new counties had been approved to further relax restrictions .
`` California , I 've said it many times , is many parts , one body , one state , one responsibility ... but each part of the state has different conditions . ''
Stage 2 still encourages residents over 65 and those showing symptoms to remain at home , but it permits a two-step easing of restrictions .
Last week , under Early Stage 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but only for curbside pickup .
Childcare centers , manufacturing facilities , outdoor museums and offices that can not operate remotely were also allowed to reopen .
Expanded Stage 2 allows a wide variety of businesses and venues to reopen if counties certify with the state they have met testing and other criteria .
The 18 counties submitted documents — attestations — that they have met the state 's requirements .
Dine-in restaurants , destination retail , community centers and schools are among the establishments allowed to reopen under Expanded Stage 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this latest phase , Newsom said .
On Wednesday , Newsom acknowledged a potential pitfall of the state 's piece-by-piece reopening strategy : Tourists could flock to newly opened areas .
`` This is the big challenge : You open up a dense urban environment right next door to a community that 's not opened , people start rushing in to that dense urban environment and coming back into their community , '' he said .
To reopen for dine-in service , restaurants have to meet additional criteria set by the state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing , requiring employees to wear face coverings and providing disposable menus .
As of Wednesday , dine-in restaurants had welcomed customers in Sutter , Placer , Modoc and Yuba counties .
Los Angeles County and counties in the San Francisco Bay Area have signaled they wo n't soon relax stay-at-home restrictions because of their still-high coronavirus figures .
In Los Angeles County , officials acknowledged on Tuesday that stay-at-home orders would extend through August , but said they hoped to ease some rules if the infection and death numbers went down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have plateaued in recent weeks , but have yet to see a meaningful decrease in numbers .
Still , some rural areas like Lassen and Modoc counties have so far seen almost no coronavirus cases .
On Wednesday , Newsom reported 87 Californians died from COVID-19 in the previous day .

18 Counties In California Set To Further Relax Coronavirus Restrictions
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rich Pedroncelli/AP Rich Pedroncelli/AP
Eighteen of California's 58 counties have received state approval to further ease coronavirus restrictions, but major population centers such as the San Francisco Bay Area are choosing not to relax stay-at-home orders for now.
As of Thursday, 18 counties are eligible to move to Expanded Stage 2 of California's four-stage reopening plan, according to the California Department of Public Health. They include Yuba and Sutter, counties that last week had moved to further ease restrictions without state approval.
"Again, one size does not fit all," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said at his Wednesday news briefing, when he announced 10 new counties had been approved to further relax restrictions. "California, I've said it many times, is many parts, one body, one state, one responsibility ... but each part of the state has different conditions."
Stage 2 still encourages residents older than 65 and those showing symptoms to remain at home, but it permits a two-step easing of restrictions. Last week, under Early Stage 2, retail businesses were allowed to reopen, but only for curbside pickup. Child care centers, manufacturing facilities, outdoor museums and offices that cannot operate remotely were also allowed to reopen.
Expanded Stage 2 allows a wide variety of businesses and venues to reopen if counties certify with the state they have met testing and other criteria. The 18 counties submitted documents — attestations — that they have met the state's requirements.
Dine-in restaurants, destination retail, community centers and schools are among the establishments allowed to reopen under Expanded Stage 2.
Twenty-seven counties have applied to enter this latest phase, Newsom said.
On Wednesday, Newsom acknowledged a potential pitfall of the state's piece-by-piece reopening strategy: Tourists could flock to newly opened areas.
"This is the big challenge: You open up a dense urban environment right next door to a community that's not opened, people start rushing in to that dense urban environment and coming back into their community," he said.
To reopen for dine-in service, restaurants have to meet additional criteria set by the state, including screening patrons for symptoms, maintaining social distancing, requiring employees to wear face coverings and providing disposable menus.
As of Wednesday, dine-in restaurants had welcomed customers in Sutter, Placer, Modoc and Yuba counties.
Los Angeles County and counties in the San Francisco Bay Area have signaled they won't soon relax stay-at-home restrictions because of their still-high coronavirus figures.
In Los Angeles County, officials acknowledged on Tuesday that stay-at-home orders would extend through August but said they hoped to ease some rules if the infection and death numbers went down.
Overall, California infections and deaths have plateaued in recent weeks but have yet to see a meaningful decrease in numbers. Still, some rural areas like Lassen and Modoc counties have so far seen almost no coronavirus cases.
On Wednesday, Newsom reported 87 Californians died from COVID-19 the previous day.


npr--2020-05-13--Family Asks Houston Police Not To Release Fatal Shooting Video Of Gospel Singer

Family Asks Houston Police Not To Release Fatal Shooting Video Of Gospel Singer After days of public demands for access , the Houston Police Department announced it will not release video of the deadly shooting of a black man .
Adrian Medearis , a 48-year-old gospel singer and choir director , was shot multiple times by a police officer in what started off as a speeding traffic stop last Friday .
The routine violation turned into a suspected drunken driving offense before quickly escalating into a deadly scuffle , according to Houston Police Department Chief Art Acevedo .
For days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not been allowed to see video captured by the officer 's body camera or the dashboard footage .
But on Wednesday , Acevedo said that had changed .
`` We met with Mr. Medearis ' family yesterday and reviewed the video evidence with them , '' Acevedo said on Twitter .
`` At the end of our meeting , the family asked @ houstonpolice to not release the videos , & we will honor their request . ''
The killing has incensed various communities across Texas ' Harris County as it comes on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 27-year-old man named Nicolas Chavez , who is believed to have had a mental illness .
The back-to-back shootings — Chavez 's killing occurred on April 21 — have raised questions about proper officer training and the use of excessive force by the police .
In a Tuesday rally , members of the Greater Houston Coalition For Justice said communities expect the devastating incidents will help shine a light on the department 's practices .
`` We want transparency , '' Isidro Garza , one of the group 's board members , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the organization believe the department and Chief Acevedo often `` hide behind the excuse , 'It 's under investigation ' `` to avoid releasing unflattering or damning information in cases often involving poor people and people of color .
In the case of Medearis , Garza said , the police `` need to share the video with the family so they can have some peace . ''
He is quick to note that the request is not a condemnation of the department but rather an effort to examine the type of culture that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a local musician who directed the gospel choir at Evangelist Temple Church of God In Christ , family members told Houston Public Media .
He was formerly director for the Prairie View A & M University Baptist Student Movement gospel choir and founder of God 's Anointed People , a contemporary gospel group .
He also performed with choirs at other churches .
In a news conference Monday , Acevedo shared some details about the brief but violent incident , saying that the struggle between officer J. Ramos and Medearis lasted about 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it appeared as if Medearis had been subdued but when Ramos tried to call for backup , he lost control of Medearis and the fight continued .
`` At that point , the suspect , Mr. Medearis , actually was able to flip the officer off of him , gain a position of advantage on the officer , on top of the officer , '' he recounted .
`` They continued the struggle .
At one point Mr. Medearis grabbed the officer 's Taser that was on the ground ... and as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Medearis had armed himself with a Taser , drew his service pistol , started creating space , and then Mr. Medearis when he aimed it at him , the officer discharged four rounds . ''
Officials said Medearis was taken to a hospital , where he died .
`` Not everybody wants their loved one to be in cyberspace for the rest of eternity and for their last minute on earth to be public , '' Acevedo said .

Family Asks Houston Police Not To Release Fatal Shooting Video Of Gospel Singer
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jose Luis Magana/AP Jose Luis Magana/AP
After days of public demands for access, the Houston Police Department announced it will not release video of the deadly shooting of a black man.
Adrian Medearis, a 48-year-old gospel singer and choir director, was shot multiple times by a police officer in what started off as a speeding traffic stop last Friday. The routine violation turned into a suspected drunken driving offense before quickly escalating into a deadly scuffle, according to Houston Police Department Chief Art Acevedo.
For days the victim's family said they had not been allowed to see video captured by the officer's body camera or the dashboard footage.
But on Wednesday, Acevedo said that had changed.
"We met with Mr. Medearis' family yesterday and reviewed the video evidence with them," Acevedo said on Twitter.
"At the end of our meeting, the family asked @houstonpolice to not release the videos, & we will honor their request."
The killing has incensed various communities across Texas' Harris County as it comes on the heels of another officer-involved shooting of a 27-year-old man named Nicolas Chavez, who is believed to have had a mental illness.
The back-to-back shootings — Chavez's killing occurred on April 21 — have raised questions about proper officer training and the use of excessive force by the police.
In a Tuesday rally, members of the Greater Houston Coalition For Justice said communities expect the devastating incidents will help shine a light on the department's practices.
"We want transparency," Isidro Garza, one of the group's board members, said.
Garza added that those in the organization believe the department and Chief Acevedo often "hide behind the excuse, 'It's under investigation' " to avoid releasing unflattering or damning information in cases often involving poor people and people of color.
In the case of Medearis, Garza said, the police "need to share the video with the family so they can have some peace."
He is quick to note that the request is not a condemnation of the department but rather an effort to examine the type of culture that exists within the department.
Medearis was a local musician who directed the gospel choir at Evangelist Temple Church of God In Christ, family members told Houston Public Media. He was formerly director for the Prairie View A&M University Baptist Student Movement gospel choir and founder of God's Anointed People, a contemporary gospel group. He also performed with choirs at other churches.
In a news conference Monday, Acevedo shared some details about the brief but violent incident, saying that the struggle between officer J. Ramos and Medearis lasted about 2 ½ minutes.
For a moment, it appeared as if Medearis had been subdued but when Ramos tried to call for backup, he lost control of Medearis and the fight continued.
"At that point, the suspect, Mr. Medearis, actually was able to flip the officer off of him, gain a position of advantage on the officer, on top of the officer," he recounted.
"They continued the struggle. At one point Mr. Medearis grabbed the officer's Taser that was on the ground ... and as they were struggling, the officer saw that Mr. Medearis had armed himself with a Taser, drew his service pistol, started creating space, and then Mr. Medearis when he aimed it at him, the officer discharged four rounds."
Officials said Medearis was taken to a hospital, where he died.
"Not everybody wants their loved one to be in cyberspace for the rest of eternity and for their last minute on earth to be public," Acevedo said.


npr--2020-05-14--Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Remdesivir, Sleep Issues And Social Shaming

Listen LIVE NOW : The National Conversation With All Things Considered On this broadcast of The National Conversation , we @ @ @ @ @ drug remdesivir .
We 'll also answer your questions about tough medical decisions , sleeping @ @ @ @ @

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Remdesivir, Sleep Issues And Social Shaming On this broadcast of The National Conversation, we answer your questions about the drug remdesivir. We'll also answer your questions about tough medical decisions, sleep troubles and social shaming.


npr--2020-05-14--CDC Issues Decision Tools To Guide Reopening Of Schools, Businesses, Transit

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a set of documents on Thursday designed to provide guidance on how childcare centers , schools , restaurants and bars , and other establishments could begin the process of reopening in the face of coronavirus .
The direction comes after calls from lawmakers and state officials mounted for the CDC to weigh in on how regions should reopen their economies .
The decision tools the agency released recommend that all workplaces hold off on reopening unless they are ready to protect employees at higher risk for severe illness , including those 65 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with underlying medical conditions .
If an organization can protect workers and goes forward with reopening , the CDC recommends intensifying cleaning and sanitation and establishing health and safety actions `` as feasible , '' such as hand washing , wearing a cloth face covering and social distancing .
The documents also advise employers to encourage workers to stay home if they feel sick .
Schools , childcare centers and camps should not reopen , the guidelines stipulate , unless they are able to implement coronavirus screening protocols , evaluating employees and children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to COVID-19 .
Restaurants , bars , mass transit and other workplaces are encouraged to implement similar monitoring systems for their employees .
In particular , mass transit should not increase services unless they can put in place measures to protect employees at high risk , according to the CDC .
The flowchart-like documents released by the CDC also ask businesses , schools and workplaces to first and foremost consider whether adherence with the agency 's reopening guidelines is consistent with state and local stay-at-home orders .
`` It is important to check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other partners to determine the most appropriate actions while adjusting to meet the unique needs and circumstances of the local community , '' the documents say .
Compliance with the CDC direction will depend on whether states adopt the decision tools into their own local policies — and whether the Trump administration supports and promotes the agency 's guidelines .
Last week , the Associated Press obtained an earlier draft of the CDC decision tool documents , which at that time also contained guidance for faith communities .
The AP also reported that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camps only reopen if they limited attendance to people who lived in that community .
Those earlier documents did not issue guidance for schools , which the agency specifically addressed in Thursday 's version of the decision tools .

CDC Issues Tools To Guide Reopening Of Schools, Businesses, Transit
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jon Elswick/AP Jon Elswick/AP
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a set of documents on Thursday designed to provide guidance on how child care centers, schools, restaurants and bars, and other establishments could begin the process of reopening in the face of the coronavirus. The direction comes after calls from lawmakers and state officials mounted for the CDC to weigh in on how regions should reopen their economies.
The "decision tools" the agency released recommend that all workplaces hold off on reopening unless they are ready to protect employees at higher risk for severe illness, including those 65 and older and people of all ages with underlying medical conditions.
If an organization can protect workers and goes forward with reopening, the CDC recommends intensifying cleaning and sanitation and establishing health and safety actions "as feasible," such as hand-washing, wearing a cloth face covering and social distancing. The documents also advise employers to encourage workers to stay home if they feel sick.
Schools, child care centers and camps should not reopen, the guidelines stipulate, unless they are able to implement coronavirus screening protocols, evaluating employees and children daily for symptoms and potential past exposures to COVID-19.
Restaurants, bars, mass transit and other workplaces are encouraged to implement similar monitoring systems for their employees. In particular, mass transit agencies should not increase services unless they can put in place measures to protect employees at high risk, according to the CDC.
The flowchart-like documents released by the CDC also ask businesses, schools and workplaces to first and foremost consider whether adherence with the agency's reopening guidelines is consistent with state and local stay-at-home orders.
"It is important to check with state and local health officials and other partners
to determine the most appropriate actions while adjusting to meet the unique needs and circumstances of the local community," the documents say.
Compliance with the CDC direction will depend on whether states adopt the decision tools into their own local policies — and whether the Trump administration supports and promotes the agency's guidelines.
Last week, The Associated Press obtained an earlier draft of the CDC decision tool documents, which at that time also contained guidance for faith communities. The AP also reported that earlier version would have stipulated that summer camps reopen only if they limited attendance to people who lived in that community.
Those earlier documents did not issue guidance for schools, which the agency specifically addressed in Thursday's version of the decision tools.


npr--2020-05-14--Russia Defends Its Tally Of Coronavirus Deaths After Reports Of Undercounting

Russia Defends Its Tally Of Coronavirus Deaths After Reports Of Undercounting As Russia 's coronavirus infections have surged , observers have puzzled over a mystery : How is it that a country with over 250,000 suspected cases , and a shaky health care system , has had relatively few deaths ?
The answer appears to be the Russian approach to pathology — an approach that has the Kremlin and government health officials in a bitter feud with media organizations over how Moscow interprets , or possibly manipulates , its data .
Since the outbreak took hold in Russia , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initially for holding the outbreak at bay and later for keeping deaths to a minimum as infections have risen .
Russia is currently second in the global rankings for infections , but 18th in mortality — with just over 2,300 deaths from COVID-19 reported .
Some statisticians have long eyed those figures with suspicion .
`` I think it 's safe to say that if you multiply official death count by a factor of three , you will get a more or less true picture , '' says Aleksei Raksha , an independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with numbers and numbers tell me what 's going on , not people , '' he tells NPR .
Raskha was among a group of researchers who discovered possible evidence of hidden COVID-19 deaths amid recent Moscow city mortality figures .
The data , first published this week by The Moscow Times , showed nearly 20 % more fatalities this April than in the same month in the previous 10 years .
Subsequent reporting from The New York Times and the Financial Times made similar claims .
Russian health officials have strongly disputed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manipulation — saying the difference merely reflects Russia 's thorough approach to certifying the cause of patient deaths .
`` In Russian medical tradition the main cause of death should be the cause of failure of particular organ , '' notes Raksha , the demographer .
The distinction allows doctors to assign COVID-19 patients as dying from other factors — such as heart , respiratory or kidney failure — unless the virus played a direct role in a patient 's death .
On Wednesday , Moscow 's Department of Health confirmed that approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus died from other factors .
But critics point to statistical glitches in regions where President Vladimir Putin put governors in charge of the coronavirus response .
`` It 's a hierarchy .
Statistics in Russia have traditionally been managed according to political ambitions at the very top of government , '' says Anastasia Vasilyeva of the medical group Doctors ' Alliance .
`` It 's almost as if governors have declared no one 's allowed to die from COVID-19 , '' says the demographer Raksha .
`` I do n't know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'm a statistician and I see it . ''
As the story has generated world headlines , Russia 's government is pushing back .
At a news conference this week , Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova insisted fewer Russians were dying from COVID-19 than in other countries because of smart government policies , not fake numbers .
`` We never manipulate statistics , '' said Golikova .
Russian lawmakers have suggested foreign media are carrying out a smear campaign on behalf of the U.S. and other Western governments eager to distract from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's a political hit , '' said Andrei Klimov from the Foreign Affairs Council in Russia 's Upper House in an interview with the state Rossiya-24 channel .
`` The traditional organs of anti-Russian propaganda , particularly in the U.S. , have started pushing this idea that we — allegedly — lowered the numbers of infected and the number of dead . ''
Russia 's Foreign Ministry has also demanded retractions from the Financial Times and The New York Times over their investigations — and hinted at pulling press credentials @ @ @ @ @

Russia Defends Its Tally Of Coronavirus Deaths After Reports Of Undercounting
Enlarge this image toggle caption Pavel Golovkin/AP Pavel Golovkin/AP
As the number of coronavirus infections surges in Russia, observers have puzzled over a mystery: How is it that a country with over 250,000 suspected cases, and a shaky health care system, has had relatively few deaths?
The answer appears to be the Russian approach to pathology — an approach that has the Kremlin and government health officials in a bitter feud with media organizations over how Moscow interprets, or possibly manipulates, its data.
Since the outbreak took hold in Russia, the Kremlin has touted the government response — initially for holding the outbreak at bay and later for keeping deaths to a minimum as infections have risen.
Russia is currently second in the global rankings for infections but 18th in mortality — with just over 2,300 deaths from COVID-19 reported.
Some statisticians have long eyed those figures with suspicion.
"I think it's safe to say that if you multiply official death count by a factor of three, you will get a more or less true picture," says Aleksei Raksha, an independent demographer in Moscow.
"I work with numbers, and numbers tell me what's going on, not people," he tells NPR.
Raksha was among a group of researchers who discovered possible evidence of hidden COVID-19 deaths amid recent Moscow city mortality figures.
The data, first published this week by The Moscow Times, showed nearly 20% more fatalities this April than in the same month in the previous 10 years.
Subsequent reporting from The New York Times and the Financial Times made similar claims.
Russian health officials have strongly disputed the findings — and suggestions of data manipulation — saying the difference merely reflects Russia's thorough approach to certifying the cause of patient deaths.
"In Russian medical tradition the main cause of death should be the cause of failure of particular organ," notes Raksha, the demographer.
The distinction allows doctors to assign COVID-19 patients as dying from other factors — such as heart, respiratory or kidney failure — unless the virus played a direct role in a patient's death.
On Wednesday, Moscow's Department of Health confirmed that approach, saying 60% of patients with the virus died from other factors.
But critics point to statistical glitches in regions away from Moscow, where President Vladimir Putin put governors in charge of the coronavirus response.
Critics argue many are hiding bad news.
"It's a hierarchy. Statistics in Russia have traditionally been managed according to political ambitions at the very top of government," says Anastasia Vasilyeva of the medical group Doctors' Alliance.
"It's almost as if governors have declared no one's allowed to die from COVID-19," says the demographer Raksha. "I don't know why they're doing it, but I'm a statistician and I see it."
As the story has generated world headlines, Russia's government is pushing back.
At a news conference this week, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova insisted fewer Russians were dying from COVID-19 than in other countries because of smart government policies, not fake numbers.
"We never manipulate statistics," Golikova said.
Russian lawmakers have suggested foreign media are carrying out a smear campaign on behalf of the U.S. and other Western governments eager to distract from their own rising death tolls at home.
"It's a political hit," said Andrei Klimov from the Foreign Affairs Council in Russia's Upper House in an interview with the state Rossiya-24 channel.
"The traditional organs of anti-Russian propaganda, particularly in the U.S., have started pushing this idea that we — allegedly — lowered the numbers of infected and the number of dead."
Russia's Foreign Ministry has also demanded retractions from the Financial Times and The New York Times over their investigations — and hinted at pulling press credentials for the journalists involved.


npr--2020-05-14--Cal State Chancellor Says Virtual Classes Can Still Lead To 'Lifetime Of Opportunity'

Cal State Chancellor Says Virtual Classes Can Still Lead To 'Lifetime Of Opportunity' School has n't ended yet in most places around the country .
But educators are already grappling with what the next academic year will look like , as the future spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. remains unclear .
This week , California State University — the largest four-year public college system in the country — announced it plans to suspend in-person classes for its roughly 480,000 students for the semester beginning in August and move most instruction online .
The university system consists of 23 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state .
With its decision in April to begin the fall 2020 semester online , the campus of California State University , Fullerton became one of the first U.S. colleges to disclose contingency plans for prolonged coronavirus disruptions .
Timothy White , chancellor of the California State University system , emphasizes that classes are not canceled .
`` The university does remain open , '' he tells All Things Considered .
`` But we 're going to shift as much as we can into the virtual environment .
And we 're also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months with our faculty and staff on professional development and training and the introduction of even more sophisticated ways in which to do virtual learning . ''
You 're projecting upwards of $ 300 million in losses for the spring term alone because of this pandemic .
Are you concerned that ending most in-person classes in the fall could further threaten the financial picture for Cal State ?
The data so far indicate that enrollments are actually stable or up on every one of our campuses .
So the overall sense that many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not supported by fact in the California State University [ system ] .
Tuition will remain the same , even though classes are going to be mostly online ?
Tuition and mandatory fees will remain the same because the faculty and the staff are employed to deliver that .
And in fact , the cost of education is going up , with the purchasing of much more technology and the training that we 'll be doing over the summer .
And remember , the tuition only pays a portion of the overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piece , of course , coming from the state appropriation .
So ... there is a confluence of the disease issues , coupled with an austere budget circumstance , that is going to be testing us this next year .
What do you say to someone who was looking forward to the college experience — to interacting with fellow students , to being inside actual lecture halls full of classmates ... to living a dormitory life .
What do you say about the essential college experience being ripped away ?
I acknowledge and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will be a different experience in the fall , but it wo n't be a bad experience .
And it is much more important if you think about the long-term picture as a student and as a family .
...
Leaning in and taking your courses and making progress to a degree gets you to that degree sooner rather than later , and then creates a lifetime of opportunity you otherwise would not have economically and socially , career wise .
So , while acknowledging that some of that excitement will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtually , this is a shorter-term problem for a much longer-term gain .
Listen to the full interview at the audio link above .

Cal State Chancellor Says Virtual Classes Can Still Lead To 'Lifetime Of Opportunity'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mike Blake/Reuters Mike Blake/Reuters
School hasn't ended yet in most places around the country. But educators are already grappling with what the next academic year will look like, as the future spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. remains unclear.
This week, California State University — the largest four-year public college system in the country — announced it plans to suspend in-person classes for its roughly 480,000 students for the semester beginning in August and move most instruction online.
The university system consists of 23 campuses, covering an 800-mile swath of the state.
With its decision in April to begin the fall 2020 semester online, the campus of California State University, Fullerton became one of the first U.S. colleges to disclose contingency plans for prolonged coronavirus disruptions.
Timothy White, chancellor of the California State University system, emphasizes that classes are not canceled.
"The university does remain open," he tells All Things Considered. "But we're going to shift as much as we can into the virtual environment. And we're also going to be spending the next several months with our faculty and staff on professional development and training and the introduction of even more sophisticated ways in which to do virtual learning."
Interview Highlights
You're projecting upwards of $300 million in losses for the spring term alone because of this pandemic. Are you concerned that ending most in-person classes in the fall could further threaten the financial picture for Cal State?
The data so far indicate that enrollments are actually stable or up on every one of our campuses. So the overall sense that many people raise that enrollments will go down is not supported by fact in the California State University [system].
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nick Ut/AP Nick Ut/AP
Tuition will remain the same, even though classes are going to be mostly online?
Tuition and mandatory fees will remain the same because the faculty and the staff are employed to deliver that. And in fact, the cost of education is going up, with the purchasing of much more technology and the training that we'll be doing over the summer. And remember, the tuition only pays a portion of the overall cost of the university — the other piece, of course, coming from the state appropriation. So ... there is a confluence of the disease issues, coupled with an austere budget circumstance, that is going to be testing us this next year.
What do you say to someone who was looking forward to the college experience — to interacting with fellow students, to being inside actual lecture halls full of classmates ... to living a dormitory life. What do you say about the essential college experience being ripped away?
I acknowledge and respect that. And I concur that it will be a different experience in the fall, but it won't be a bad experience. And it is much more important if you think about the long-term picture as a student and as a family.
... Leaning in and taking your courses and making progress to a degree gets you to that degree sooner rather than later, and then creates a lifetime of opportunity you otherwise would not have economically and socially, career wise. So, while acknowledging that some of that excitement will not be there when we're doing things virtually, this is a shorter-term problem for a much longer-term gain.
Listen to the full interview at the audio link above.


npr--2020-05-14--Seychelles Bans Cruise Ships Until 2022 Out Of Coronavirus Fears

Seychelles Bans Cruise Ships Until 2022 Out Of Coronavirus Fears In an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus , the government of the idyllic , sun-kissed destination Seychelles announced a ban on cruise ships in Port Victoria until 2022 .
Didier Dogley , the Minister for Tourism , Civil Aviation , Ports and Marine , said the ban is effective immediately and will last until the end of next year , according to the Seychelles Nation , the national newspaper .
It reports Dogley said the government is also enacting a series of stimulus measures intended to support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry until tourism picks back up .
The announcement appears to be received as a welcomed and necessary step by Ronny Brutus , the chief executive of the nation 's Ports Authority .
`` The Seychelles Ports Authority appreciates the fact that the government has made a prudent decision to mitigate the impact that COVID-19 may have in the medium term , '' Brutus said , according to the Seychelles News Agency .
`` It is to be noted that the cruise industry has been a major catalyst by which the COVID-19 has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
Banning cruise ships is not the first step Seychelles has taken to mitigate the spread of the virus .
In March , the country shut down its international airport on the island of Mahe .
It is not scheduled to reopen until June 1 .
Overall , Seychelles has been largely spared from the coronavirus .
As of Thursday , 11 people have contracted the coronavirus and no deaths , according to Johns Hopkins University , which tracks COVID-19 infections worldwide .
It is , however , dependent on tourism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as economic downturns in countries that supply tourists , '' according to U.S. government 's World Fact Book .
Prior to the pandemic , Seychelles had seen a steady increase of tourists , welcoming 384,204 visitors in 2019 , a six percent increase from the previous year , according to its National Bureau of Statistics .
The global cruise industry is bracing for a catastrophic drop in revenue as a result of the continued spread of the virus .
In fact , the Cruise Lines International Association is predicting `` a pronounced detrimental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it estimates the industry accounts for $ 150 billion a year worldwide and supports more than a million jobs .
As a result of the coronavirus , Royal Caribbean is projected to lose more than a billion dollars in the first quarter alone .
`` The company expects to report a preliminary first-quarter net loss of $ 1.44 billion compared to a profit of $ 249.7 million a year earlier , as it prepares to write down the value of its Silversea Cruises unit and several ships by $ 1 billion to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Seychelles Bans Cruise Ships Until 2022 Out Of Coronavirus Fears
Enlarge this image toggle caption Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images
In an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the government of the idyllic, sun-kissed destination Seychelles announced a ban on cruise ships in Port Victoria until 2022.
Didier Dogley, the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, said the ban is effective immediately and will last until the end of next year, according to the Seychelles Nation, the national newspaper.
It reports Dogley said the government is also enacting a series of stimulus measures intended to support the East African island chain's travel industry until tourism picks back up.
The announcement appears to be received as a welcomed and necessary step by Ronny Brutus, the chief executive of the nation's Ports Authority.
"The Seychelles Ports Authority appreciates the fact that the government has made a prudent decision to mitigate the impact that COVID-19 may have in the medium term," Brutus said, according to the Seychelles News Agency.
"It is to be noted that the cruise industry has been a major catalyst by which the COVID-19 has spread throughout the world," he added.
Banning cruise ships is not the first step Seychelles has taken to mitigate the spread of the virus. In March, the country shut down its international airport on the island of Mahe. It is not scheduled to reopen until June 1.
Overall, Seychelles has been largely spared from the coronavirus. As of Thursday, 11 people have contracted the coronavirus and no deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University, which tracks COVID-19 infections worldwide.
It is, however, dependent on tourism, and is "vulnerable to developments such as economic downturns in countries that supply tourists," according to U.S. government's World Fact Book.
Prior to the pandemic, Seychelles had seen a steady increase of tourists, welcoming 384,204 visitors in 2019, a six percent increase from the previous year, according to its National Bureau of Statistics.
The global cruise industry is bracing for a catastrophic drop in revenue as a result of the continued spread of the virus.
In fact, the Cruise Lines International Association is predicting "a pronounced detrimental effect" on the global economy overall as it estimates the industry accounts for $150 billion a year worldwide and supports more than a million jobs.
As a result of the coronavirus, Royal Caribbean is projected to lose more than a billion dollars in the first quarter alone.
"The company expects to report a preliminary first-quarter net loss of $1.44 billion compared to a profit of $249.7 million a year earlier, as it prepares to write down the value of its Silversea Cruises unit and several ships by $1 billion to $1.3 billion," Reuters reports.


npr--2020-05-14--Online Pharmacy Saw A 'Panic-Driven' Boom In Drug Touted By Trump

Online Pharmacy Saw A 'Panic-Driven ' Boom In Drug Touted By Trump In mid-March , when the unproven idea of giving coronavirus patients anti-malarial drugs emerged on social media and on Fox News , the online pharmacy HealthWarehouse said orders for hydroxychloroquine started to spike .
It was inundated with requests for the drug when President Donald Trump speculated later that month that in combination with another medication , hydroxychloroquine could be `` one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine . ''
The president then repeatedly championed the drug .
The Food and Drug Administration has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it for COVID-19 .
Hydroxychloroquine and the related drug chloroquine can cause serious abnormal heart rhythms that can be life-threatening .
A panel of experts convened by the National Institutes of Health also recommended in April against using hydroxychloroquine in combination with the antibiotic azithromycin as a treatment for COVID-19 because of potential toxicity .
The panel also said as well that there was not enough evidence to support using hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine alone .
But in March , when the enthusiasm for the unapproved treatment was rising , the Florence , Ky.-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went from around 10,000 tablets to 500,000 .
HealthWarehouse 's site is one of the first results to appear in a search of `` buy hydroxychloroquine . ''
It went down shortly after Trump first mentioned the drug , the company 's business manager Ross Goetz tells NPR .
`` Typically , prescribers are trained on how to analyze when you should and when you should n't use medication to treat an issue , '' Goetz , who first spoke with the Cincinnati Enquirer , said .
`` Very little of that rationale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We saw some really panic-driven behavior . ''
He estimated that at the height of demand , they were receiving about 300 voicemails each week asking to buy the drug .
Two months later , HealthWarehouse is seeing orders for hydroxychloroquine slow down .
Now , demand for the drug , which is usually used to help treat lupus , other autoimmune disorders , and rheumatoid arthritis , is only 50 % higher than it was before the coronavirus pandemic , according to Goetz .
The drop in demand comes amid rising concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus patients .
Of the 500,000 tablets requested in March , Goetz said HealthWarehouse only dispensed around 100,000 after carefully screening the requests .
`` We were getting more arguments than conversation , '' Goetz said , `` The sentiment we got a lot was that pharmacists are not supposed to tell doctors what to do . ''
Goetz said they even received a single order for 10,000 tablets of the drug .
Doctors that had been out of practice for much as a decade put in prescriptions and orders , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veterinarians were trying to buy tablets .
`` My favorite was the vet that called in for his own goldfish , '' Goetz said .
`` He claimed it had rheumatoid arthritis . ''
Of the many orders that were denied , some communicated with HealthWarehouse to clarify that they had been suffering from a condition hydroxychloroquine is approved to treat .
However , Goetz said that only a fraction of the people who were denied prescriptions responded to clarify why they wanted the drug .
This month , the American College of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for internal medicine doctors , has also advised clinicians not to use hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine , by themselves or in combination with azithromycin , to treat or prevent COVID-19 because of `` known harms '' and a lack of evidence for benefits .
Goetz added that with the drug falling out of favor , some prescribers do n't want anyone to know they tried to obtain hydroxychloroquine .
`` There were even prescribers that asked , 'OK , if you 're not going to fill it can you please delete any record that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' '' Goetz said .
`` That 's not really how medical records work . ''
The debate over the drug is coming to a head Thursday , as Rick Bright testifies on Capitol Hill .
Bright , the former director of a major federal vaccine agency called the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority , said he was reassigned partly because of his skepticism over using the drug to treat coronavirus patients .

Online Pharmacy Saw A 'Panic-Driven' Boom In Drug Touted By Trump
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Locher/AP John Locher/AP
In mid-March, when the unproven idea of giving coronavirus patients anti-malarial drugs emerged on social media and on Fox News, the online pharmacy HealthWarehouse said orders for hydroxychloroquine started to spike.
It was inundated with requests for the drug when President Donald Trump speculated later that month that in combination with another medication, hydroxychloroquine could be "one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine." The president then repeatedly championed the drug.
The Food and Drug Administration has since put out a warning against using it for COVID-19. Hydroxychloroquine and the related drug chloroquine can cause serious abnormal heart rhythms that can be life-threatening.
A panel of experts convened by the National Institutes of Health also recommended in April against using hydroxychloroquine in combination with the antibiotic azithromycin as a treatment for COVID-19 because of potential toxicity. The panel also said as well that there was not enough evidence to support using hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine alone.
But in March, when the enthusiasm for the unapproved treatment was rising, the Florence, Ky.-based business says that monthly demand for hydroxychloroquine went from around 10,000 tablets to 500,000.
HealthWarehouse's site is one of the first results to appear in a search of "buy hydroxychloroquine." It went down shortly after Trump first mentioned the drug, the company's business manager Ross Goetz tells NPR.
"Typically, prescribers are trained on how to analyze when you should and when you shouldn't use medication to treat an issue," Goetz, who first spoke with the Cincinnati Enquirer, said. "Very little of that rationale was used in this process. ... We saw some really panic-driven behavior."
He estimated that at the height of demand, they were receiving about 300 voicemails each week asking to buy the drug.
Two months later, HealthWarehouse is seeing orders for hydroxychloroquine slow down.
Now, demand for the drug, which is usually used to help treat lupus, other autoimmune disorders, and rheumatoid arthritis, is only 50% higher than it was before the coronavirus pandemic, according to Goetz. The drop in demand comes amid rising concern about doctors prescribing the unproven drug to coronavirus patients.
Of the 500,000 tablets requested in March, Goetz said HealthWarehouse only dispensed around 100,000 after carefully screening the requests.
"We were getting more arguments than conversation," Goetz said, "The sentiment we got a lot was that pharmacists are not supposed to tell doctors what to do."
Goetz said they even received a single order for 10,000 tablets of the drug.
Doctors that had been out of practice for much as a decade put in prescriptions and orders, he said. Podiatrists, dentists, and even veterinarians were trying to buy tablets.
"My favorite was the vet that called in for his own goldfish," Goetz said. "He claimed it had rheumatoid arthritis."
Of the many orders that were denied, some communicated with HealthWarehouse to clarify that they had been suffering from a condition hydroxychloroquine is approved to treat. However, Goetz said that only a fraction of the people who were denied prescriptions responded to clarify why they wanted the drug.
This month, the American College of Physicians, which is the professional group for internal medicine doctors, has also advised clinicians not to use hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine, by themselves or in combination with azithromycin, to treat or prevent COVID-19 because of "known harms" and a lack of evidence for benefits. Goetz added that with the drug falling out of favor, some prescribers don't want anyone to know they tried to obtain hydroxychloroquine.
"There were even prescribers that asked, 'OK, if you're not going to fill it can you please delete any record that I ever reached out to you,'" Goetz said. "That's not really how medical records work."
The debate over the drug is coming to a head Thursday, as Rick Bright testifies on Capitol Hill. Bright, the former director of a major federal vaccine agency called the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, said he was reassigned partly because of his skepticism over using the drug to treat coronavirus patients.