npr--2020-06-22--Psychiatrist Explores Possible Benefits Of Treating PTSD With Ecstasy Or Cannabis

Psychiatrist Explores Possible Benefits Of Treating PTSD With Ecstasy Or Cannabis People who have been taking antidepressants for several years sometimes hit a wall , a point when that treatment no longer seems to ease their symptoms .
Psychiatrist Julie Holland says that 's where psychedelic drugs could help .
Holland was in charge of Bellevue Hospital 's psychiatric emergency room on the weekends from 1996 until 2005 , and currently has a private psychotherapy practice in Manhattan .
She 's a medical monitor on the MAPS studies , which involve , in part , developing psychedelics into prescription medication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , explores how she thinks psychedelic drugs , including LSD , psilocybin , MDMA and marijuana , might be used more widely in psychiatry to make treatment more efficient and effective .
`` There are certain plant medicines in particular — things like psilocybin or ayahuasca — that really help people not only explore their personal trauma , '' she says , but also `` this feeling of unity and connection .
People really come away from these experiences having a new perspective . ''
Holland acknowledges that the use of psychedelic drugs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says the practice is slowly gaining acceptance .
`` Good psychotherapy takes years and there are a lot of fits and starts , '' she says , `` and people run away when things get too heavy .
But it 's changing more and more .
...
The data is so compelling that in my opinion , people in my profession have no excuse for not knowing what 's going on . ''
On the limits of antidepressants We have n't had a lot of innovation in antidepressants in a long time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they never got off .
And a lot of people are taking antidepressants for decades and they really were n't designed to be used that way .
So that 's sort of a No .
1 issue .
But things are absolutely changing where people are having a better understanding that it 's not as simple as just altered chemistry or altered genetics .
That your childhood experiences and trauma and things like income inequality — there are all sorts of things that have an impact on what your mental health is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it is processing trauma .
So the daily doses of antidepressants , anti-anxiety medicine , sleeping pills , antipsychotics , they are really not there to help the primary problem .
They 're there to sort of seal up the cracks and act as Band-Aids , whereas psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is really trying to get to the root cause of the symptoms instead of just sort of papering over the symptoms .
... My main job is that I prescribe antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines and sleeping pills and sometimes mood stabilizers , antipsychotics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
My patients are doing very well and they 're taking these medicines .
So I do n't want to completely disparage it .
It 's just , for some people , it 's not really what they need .
It 's not appropriate .
But for other people , they need to stay on their meds .
And it 's very dangerous to go off their medicines .
So I do n't mean to imply that everybody should throw their pills away at all .
But I do think for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades , that it is worth exploring whether there are other ways that maybe you could treat some of the symptoms , and maybe get at some of the underlying causes of the symptoms .
This is sort of a new paradigm , a revolutionary way to treat trauma .
When people are traumatized , they get very anxious .
They get sort of hyper-aroused .
They ca n't sleep well .
They ca n't eat well .
You can give medicines to decrease anxiety or ... to help with sleep .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ root cause , which is that they 've been traumatized and they need to further process the trauma and work through the trauma .
... And what CBD does and cannabis does and some psychedelics do and MDMA does is it puts you over into the other side of the nervous system , which is the parasympathetic nervous system , which is not about fight or flight — it is about staying and being open .
On treating PTSD with MDMA , or Ecstasy MDMA is just an exquisitely perfect chemical for augmenting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's really why it has been chosen .
MDMA helps people to feel more relaxed and more open and trusting and more trusting of the therapist , which is important .
...
It helps people be awake , alert , verbal , want to talk , want to explore .
But also , because it increases serotonin , there is very little anxiety and also a feeling of satiety — like you do n't really need anything , like you have everything you need .
So this high-dopamine , high-serotonin and also high-oxytocin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open , being trusting , being able to explore traumas comfortably and trusting your therapist that they 're going to help you to explore these traumas safely .
And this feeling of safety is actually very important .
MDMA , because it increases oxytocin , there is a quieting of the amygdala — the fear response .
Exploring trauma is scary , and often if people become afraid , they close down and they do n't want to talk and they do n't want to explore .
On the effectiveness of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to who has had an MDMA-assisted psychotherapy session has come away from it feeling like they have processed a good deal of their trauma — maybe not all of their trauma , but they certainly have a better , sort of , lay of the land of what it looks like .
...
I have a patient who , her spouse committed suicide .
And she had a very hard time sort of forgiving him or processing that and [ with MDMA ] she was able to do that in one session and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and heaviness there in the therapy room .
I 've had patients who have stopped self-harming or picking at themselves .
I have had patients who are no longer feeling compulsively suicidal .
Lots of patients who have changed their behaviors around alcohol or eating compulsively or drug abuse .
On why MDMA does n't work if a patient is on antidepressants Eighty percent of these antidepressants are prescribed by people who are n't psychiatrists and they just get renewed over and over .
Antidepressants that work on serotonin are called the SSRIs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MDMA needs to go to do the work .
So they absolutely block the site .
So if you 're taking an SSRI , you basically wo n't feel MDMA if you take it .
And then you have something like ayahuasca , which is very popular — a psychedelic tea — and there are a bunch of medicines that you can not take if you 're going to have an ayahuasca experience .
There needs to be some sort of medical monitoring sometimes in these situations , because I do n't want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadly when they could have a positive growth experience if they just were n't taking certain medicines .
On how these psychoactive medicines might facilitate brain rewiring A lot of these medicines we 're talking about , like ayahuasca and psilocybin , MDMA , cannabis , they all facilitate what 's called neuroplasticity , which is the brain sort of growing and changing and rewiring .
And there are things called synaptogenesis , which is like new synapses forming .
And then there 's neurogenesis , which is new brain cells forming .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has this idea that these drugs kill brain cells , but it 's actually the exact opposite — that a lot of these plant medicines and psychedelic medicines , they engender brain cell growth and what 's called neuroplasticity , which is sort of new connections being formed and potentially the brain being somewhat rewired , which really helps .
That 's what 's fostering the growth and the change in behavior .
And you do n't necessarily see a lot of growth and change in behavior when people are taking antidepressants or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With really good therapy [ that ] you go [ to ] for years , you do have behavioral changes .
But to see them after one session is really remarkable .
And it 's hard to just go back to the daily dose after you see this kind of tremendous behavioral change .
On how the pandemic has made many people more anxious Even before the pandemic and the sort of political unrest , I had patients who were extremely anxious just by the current political situation or some people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening .
So our anxiety levels were already pretty high before all of this happened in the spring .
Basically since the '90s , the numbers have just been going up and up on prescription anti-anxiety medicines being used .
And we saw a big spike around 9/11 , and we 're going to see a big spike now as well .
So it 's pervasive .
It 's an ongoing problem .
Anxiety has sort of overtaken depression as the No .
1 complaint , not only with psychiatrists , but just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the beginning of the pandemic , there was anxiety about contracting the virus .
But what 's happened over the last several months is , besides the sort of a pervading sense of anxiety and doom , is that the people who have been isolated , the people who are living alone , my patients have n't had any human touch for three months .
And being that isolated and that disconnected will make you more anxious .
It will make it harder to sleep .
...
So it feeds on itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really worried about now , is that the isolation and the disconnection affects the physiology , makes people more anxious , and then they do n't sleep well , they do n't eat well .
They 're trying to soothe themselves with all these unhealthy behaviors , and it all cycles on itself .
Sam Briger and Seth Kelley produced and edited this interview for broadcast .
Bridget Bentz , Molly Seavy-Nesper and Deborah Franklin adapted it for the Web .

Psychiatrist Explores Possible Benefits Of Treating PTSD With Ecstasy Or Cannabis
Enlarge this image toggle caption Milos Zivkovic/EyeEm/Getty Images Milos Zivkovic/EyeEm/Getty Images
People who have been taking antidepressants for several years sometimes hit a wall, a point when that treatment no longer seems to ease their symptoms. Psychiatrist Julie Holland says that's where psychedelic drugs could help.
Holland was in charge of Bellevue Hospital's psychiatric emergency room on the weekends from 1996 until 2005, and currently has a private psychotherapy practice in Manhattan. She's a medical monitor on the MAPS studies, which involve, in part, developing psychedelics into prescription medication. Her new book, Good Chemistry, explores how she thinks psychedelic drugs, including LSD, psilocybin, MDMA and marijuana, might be used more widely in psychiatry to make treatment more efficient and effective.
"There are certain plant medicines in particular — things like psilocybin or ayahuasca — that really help people not only explore their personal trauma," she says, but also "this feeling of unity and connection. People really come away from these experiences having a new perspective."
Holland acknowledges that the use of psychedelic drugs in psychiatry is controversial — but she says the practice is slowly gaining acceptance.
"Good psychotherapy takes years and there are a lot of fits and starts," she says, "and people run away when things get too heavy. But it's changing more and more. ... The data is so compelling that in my opinion, people in my profession have no excuse for not knowing what's going on."
toggle caption Harper Collins
Interview Highlights
On the limits of antidepressants
We haven't had a lot of innovation in antidepressants in a long time. People got on these medicines and then they never got off. And a lot of people are taking antidepressants for decades and they really weren't designed to be used that way. So that's sort of a No. 1 issue. But things are absolutely changing where people are having a better understanding that it's not as simple as just altered chemistry or altered genetics. That your childhood experiences and trauma and things like income inequality — there are all sorts of things that have an impact on what your mental health is going to be. And a big part of it is processing trauma. So the daily doses of antidepressants, anti-anxiety medicine, sleeping pills, antipsychotics, they are really not there to help the primary problem. They're there to sort of seal up the cracks and act as Band-Aids, whereas psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is really trying to get to the root cause of the symptoms instead of just sort of papering over the symptoms. ...
I don't mean to imply that everybody should throw their pills away at all. But I do think for people who have been on just antidepressants for decades, that it is worth exploring whether there are other ways that, maybe, you could treat some of the symptoms, and maybe get at some of the underlying causes of the symptoms.
My main job is that I prescribe antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines and sleeping pills and sometimes mood stabilizers, antipsychotics. There are medicines that work very well. My patients are doing very well and they're taking these medicines. So I don't want to completely disparage it. It's just, for some people, it's not really what they need. It's not appropriate.
But for other people, they need to stay on their meds. And it's very dangerous to go off their medicines. So I don't mean to imply that everybody should throw their pills away at all. But I do think for people who have been on just antidepressants for decades, that it is worth exploring whether there are other ways that maybe you could treat some of the symptoms, and maybe get at some of the underlying causes of the symptoms.
On treating post-traumatic stress disorder with cannabis
This is sort of a new paradigm, a revolutionary way to treat trauma. When people are traumatized, they get very anxious. They get sort of hyper-aroused. They can't sleep well. They can't eat well. You can give medicines to decrease anxiety or ... to help with sleep. But you're not really getting to the root cause, which is that they've been traumatized and they need to further process the trauma and work through the trauma. ... And what CBD does and cannabis does and some psychedelics do and MDMA does is it puts you over into the other side of the nervous system, which is the parasympathetic nervous system, which is not about fight or flight — it is about staying and being open.
On treating PTSD with MDMA, or Ecstasy
MDMA is just an exquisitely perfect chemical for augmenting the process of psychotherapy, so that's really why it has been chosen. MDMA helps people to feel more relaxed and more open and trusting and more trusting of the therapist, which is important. ... It helps people be awake, alert, verbal, want to talk, want to explore. But also, because it increases serotonin, there is very little anxiety and also a feeling of satiety — like you don't really need anything, like you have everything you need. So this high-dopamine, high-serotonin and also high-oxytocin state makes it really great for being open, being trusting, being able to explore traumas comfortably and trusting your therapist that they're going to help you to explore these traumas safely. And this feeling of safety is actually very important. MDMA, because it increases oxytocin, there is a quieting of the amygdala — the fear response. Exploring trauma is scary, and often if people become afraid, they close down and they don't want to talk and they don't want to explore.
On the effectiveness of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy
Pretty much everybody that I've spoken to who has had an MDMA-assisted psychotherapy session has come away from it feeling like they have processed a good deal of their trauma — maybe not all of their trauma, but they certainly have a better, sort of, lay of the land of what it looks like. ... I have a patient who, her spouse committed suicide. And she had a very hard time sort of forgiving him or processing that and [with MDMA] she was able to do that in one session and to just leave some of that weight and heaviness there in the therapy room.
I've had patients who have stopped self-harming or picking at themselves. I have had patients who are no longer feeling compulsively suicidal. Lots of patients who have changed their behaviors around alcohol or eating compulsively or drug abuse.
On why MDMA doesn't work if a patient is on antidepressants
Eighty percent of these antidepressants are prescribed by people who aren't psychiatrists and they just get renewed over and over. Antidepressants that work on serotonin are called the SSRIs — where they sit is exactly where MDMA needs to go to do the work. So they absolutely block the site. So if you're taking an SSRI, you basically won't feel MDMA if you take it. And then you have something like ayahuasca, which is very popular — a psychedelic tea — and there are a bunch of medicines that you cannot take if you're going to have an ayahuasca experience.
There needs to be some sort of medical monitoring sometimes in these situations, because I don't want people to do things that are potentially deadly when they could have a positive growth experience if they just weren't taking certain medicines.
On how these psychoactive medicines might facilitate brain rewiring
A lot of these medicines we're talking about, like ayahuasca and psilocybin, MDMA, cannabis, they all facilitate what's called neuroplasticity, which is the brain sort of growing and changing and rewiring. And there are things called synaptogenesis, which is like new synapses forming. And then there's neurogenesis, which is new brain cells forming.
Anyone who grew up in the '80s has this idea that these drugs kill brain cells, but it's actually the exact opposite — that a lot of these plant medicines and psychedelic medicines, they engender brain cell growth and what's called neuroplasticity, which is sort of new connections being formed and potentially the brain being somewhat rewired, which really helps. That's what's fostering the growth and the change in behavior. And you don't necessarily see a lot of growth and change in behavior when people are taking antidepressants or even maybe going to therapy for years. With really good therapy [that] you go [to] for years, you do have behavioral changes. But to see them after one session is really remarkable. And it's hard to just go back to the daily dose after you see this kind of tremendous behavioral change.
On how the pandemic has made many people more anxious
Even before the pandemic and the sort of political unrest, I had patients who were extremely anxious just by the current political situation or some people are upset about the environment and what's happening. So our anxiety levels were already pretty high before all of this happened in the spring. Basically since the '90s, the numbers have just been going up and up on prescription anti-anxiety medicines being used. And we saw a big spike around 9/11, and we're going to see a big spike now as well. So it's pervasive. It's an ongoing problem. Anxiety has sort of overtaken depression as the No. 1 complaint, not only with psychiatrists, but just sort of general medical practitioners. ...
At the beginning of the pandemic, there was anxiety about contracting the virus. But what's happened over the last several months is, besides the sort of a pervading sense of anxiety and doom, is that the people who have been isolated, the people who are living alone, my patients haven't had any human touch for three months. And being that isolated and that disconnected will make you more anxious. It will make it harder to sleep. ... So it feeds on itself. That's the thing I'm really worried about now, is that the isolation and the disconnection affects the physiology, makes people more anxious, and then they don't sleep well, they don't eat well. They're trying to soothe themselves with all these unhealthy behaviors, and it all cycles on itself.
Sam Briger and Seth Kelley produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Deborah Franklin adapted it for the Web.


npr--2020-06-22--California Hits New High In COVID-19 Hospitalizations

California has reached a new high in the number of hospitalizations related to COVID-19 , surpassing the previous peak in late April .
As of Sunday , the latest publicly available data show that state had 3,702 hospitalized patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 , of which 1,199 were in intensive care .
There were an additional 1,102 hospitalized patients with suspected COVID-19 .
Hospitalizations are seen as a more reliable metric for tracking the coronavirus pandemic than new case numbers as the figure does not hinge on the availability of testing .
Before Saturday set a high of 3,574 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29 , when 3,497 people were hospitalized in the state .
The rise in hospitalizations comes as California has entered stage two of its reopening plan , allowing some businesses to resume operations , including retail , offices , personal services and child care .
The majority of new cases in the state are in Southern California and the Central Valley .
Los Angeles County has the most hospitalized patients — 1,515 — followed by Orange and Riverside counties .
Hospitalization numbers in California had been fairly level from mid-May onward before rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least part of the increase in cases to a decline in social distancing as people venture out into the world again .
`` Once things opened up , a lot of people started ignoring some of the social distancing protocols , '' said Stanislaus County Deputy Sheriff Royjindar Singh , according to the nonprofit news organization CalMatters .
`` We 're having more exposure , so our case numbers have almost doubled , and with that our hospital numbers have also gone up . ''
The state is monitoring counties with elevated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the Central Valley , the drivers of transmission include family gatherings , businesses and health care facilities as well as the hospital accepting patients from other counties , and decreased use of face coverings and social distancing .
There has also been a series of outbreaks at San Quentin State Prison , as NPR member station KQED has noted .
The state reports 304 active cases of COVID-19 at San Quentin , and there have been 19 inmate deaths statewide .
California has now seen 178,054 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rising case numbers , Gov .
Gavin Newsom ordered that face coverings be required in public spaces statewide .
Public health officials warn that if residents do n't uphold social distancing and other precautions , tighter restrictions may return .
`` We have met the enemy , and they are us , '' said Dr. Robert Levin , Ventura County public health officer , according to the Los Angeles Times , which noted that the county saw a 75 % increase in hospitalizations last week over the previous two weeks .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a better job of social distancing and quarantine , '' Levin said .
`` Some of us are doing a great job ; we 're stalwarts .
If we can do this — and I know we can — we can prevent the state from telling us that we must take a step back from some of the gains we 've made in opening our activities and businesses . ''

California Hits New High In COVID-19 Hospitalizations
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rich Pedroncelli/AP Rich Pedroncelli/AP
Updated at 2:44 p.m. ET
California has reached a new high in the number of hospitalizations related to COVID-19, surpassing the previous peak in late April.
As of Sunday, the latest publicly available data show that state had 3,702 hospitalized patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which 1,199 were in intensive care. There were an additional 1,102 hospitalized patients with suspected COVID-19.
Hospitalizations are seen as a more reliable metric for tracking the coronavirus pandemic than new case numbers as the figure does not hinge on the availability of testing. Before Saturday set a high of 3,574, the previous record was on April 29, when 3,497 people were hospitalized in the state.
The rise in hospitalizations comes as California has entered stage two of its reopening plan, allowing some businesses to resume operations, including retail, offices, personal services and child care.
The majority of new cases in the state are in Southern California and the Central Valley. Los Angeles County has the most hospitalized patients — 1,515 — followed by Orange and Riverside counties.
Hospitalization numbers in California had been fairly level from mid-May onward before rising sharply on June 15.
Officials attribute at least part of the increase in cases to a decline in social distancing as people venture out into the world again.
"Once things opened up, a lot of people started ignoring some of the social distancing protocols," said Stanislaus County Deputy Sheriff Royjindar Singh, according to the nonprofit news organization CalMatters. "We're having more exposure, so our case numbers have almost doubled, and with that our hospital numbers have also gone up."
The state is monitoring counties with elevated levels of transmission. In Stanislaus County, in the Central Valley, the drivers of transmission include family gatherings, businesses and health care facilities as well as the hospital accepting patients from other counties, and decreased use of face coverings and social distancing.
There has also been a series of outbreaks at San Quentin State Prison, as NPR member station KQED has noted. The state reports 304 active cases of COVID-19 at San Quentin, and there have been 19 inmate deaths statewide.
California has now seen 178,054 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 5,515 deaths.
Last week, amid the rising case numbers, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered that face coverings be required in public spaces statewide.
Public health officials warn that if residents don't uphold social distancing and other precautions, tighter restrictions may return.
"We have met the enemy, and they are us," said Dr. Robert Levin, Ventura County public health officer, according to the Los Angeles Times, which noted that the county saw a 75% increase in hospitalizations last week over the previous two weeks.
"And many of us have to do a better job of social distancing and quarantine," Levin said. "Some of us are doing a great job; we're stalwarts. If we can do this — and I know we can — we can prevent the state from telling us that we must take a step back from some of the gains we've made in opening our activities and businesses."


npr--2020-06-22--Florida Passes 100,000 COVID-19 Cases

Florida Passes 100,000 COVID-19 Cases

Florida has hit a grim milestone — passing 100,000 cases of the coronavirus .
The latest report from the state 's Department of Health adds 2,926 new infections to the total number of COVID-19 cases , which now stands at 100,217 with 3,173 deaths .
Along with Florida , six other states have registered more than 100,000 cases : New York , California , New Jersey , Illinois , Texas and Massachusetts .
Like some other states , Florida has seen a surge of COVID-19 infections in recent weeks .
A new record high of 4,049 new cases was set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has linked the rising number of cases to increased testing .
In March and April , testing was limited mostly to older people who had symptoms of the coronavirus .
Since then , testing has expanded and has been opened to people of all ages , whether they have coronavirus symptoms or not .
DeSantis said many of those testing positive for the coronavirus now do n't have any symptoms and many of them are young .
`` What we 've seen now has been a really significant increase in positive test results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
The median age of those testing positive in Florida has declined rapidly , going from 65 in April to under 30 now in some counties .
`` Our cases are shifting in a radical direction younger , '' DeSantis said .
The governor said he 's concerned about another trend — the rising percentage of people who are testing positive for the virus .
`` That 's evidence that there 's transmission within those communities , particularly ( among people ) in the 20s and 30s , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the state closed temporarily last week after staff members and customers contracted COVID-19 .
Over the weekend , Florida 's Department of Health reissued guidelines stressing the importance of social distancing and encouraging people to wear face coverings when social distancing is n't possible .
Despite the surge in new cases , DeSantis said there are no plans to roll back guidelines allowing businesses to reopen .
He said the number of people going to the hospital for COVID-19 remains far below what they were in March and April .
And deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steadily downward for seven weeks .
The governor said the coronavirus cases among people in their 20s and 30s are typically less acute than among those in older people .
`` If you had a thousand cases under the age of 30 , '' he said , `` that would have ( less ) clinical significance than if you had 15 cases among residents of a long-term care facility . ''
For months , DeSantis noted that there had been no deaths in Florida of anyone under age 18 .
With the death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the weekend , that 's no longer the case .

Florida Passes 100,000 COVID-19 Cases
Enlarge this image toggle caption Florida Geographic Information Systems/Screenshot by NPR Florida Geographic Information Systems/Screenshot by NPR
Florida has hit a grim milestone — passing 100,000 cases of the coronavirus. The latest report from the state's Department of Health adds 2,926 new infections to the total number of COVID-19 cases, which now stands at 100,217 with 3,173 deaths.
Along with Florida, six other states have registered more than 100,000 cases: New York, California, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas and Massachusetts.
Like some other states, Florida has seen a surge of COVID-19 infections in recent weeks. A new record high of 4,049 new cases was set Saturday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has linked the rising number of cases to increased testing.
In March and April, testing was limited mostly to older people who had symptoms of the coronavirus. Since then, testing has expanded and has been opened to people of all ages, whether they have coronavirus symptoms or not.
DeSantis said many of those testing positive for the coronavirus now don't have any symptoms and many of them are young. "What we've seen now has been a really significant increase in positive test results for people in the 20s and 30s," he said. The median age of those testing positive in Florida has declined rapidly, going from 65 in April to under 30 now in some counties. "Our cases are shifting in a radical direction younger," DeSantis said.
The governor said he's concerned about another trend — the rising percentage of people who are testing positive for the virus. "That's evidence that there's transmission within those communities, particularly (among people) in the 20s and 30s," he said. A number of bars across the state closed temporarily last week after staff members and customers contracted COVID-19.
Over the weekend, Florida's Department of Health reissued guidelines stressing the importance of social distancing and encouraging people to wear face coverings when social distancing isn't possible.
Despite the surge in new cases, DeSantis said there are no plans to roll back guidelines allowing businesses to reopen. He said the number of people going to the hospital for COVID-19 remains far below what they were in March and April. And deaths from the coronavirus in Florida have trended steadily downward for seven weeks.
The governor said the coronavirus cases among people in their 20s and 30s are typically less acute than among those in older people. "If you had a thousand cases under the age of 30," he said, "that would have (less) clinical significance than if you had 15 cases among residents of a long-term care facility."
For months, DeSantis noted that there had been no deaths in Florida of anyone under age 18. With the death of a 17-year-old in Pasco County over the weekend, that's no longer the case.


npr--2020-06-22--FACT CHECK: Trump Spreads Unfounded Claims About Voting By Mail

President Trump has made it clear that he does not support allowing all registered voters access to mail ballots this fall , even during a pandemic .
But he keeps changing his story about why he 's opposed .
Among his past claims , the president has said ballots would be stolen out of mailboxes , despite very little evidence of such fraud over the past 20 years .
Trump has also said universal access to mail-in voting would boost Democrats and prevent Republicans from winning future elections , despite studies and real-life election results contradicting that theory .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , claiming without evidence that foreign countries would print and send in `` MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS . ''
`` IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES ! ''
he tweeted .
It 's a theory that Attorney General William Barr floated this month in an interview with The New York Times , and it 's one that election officials and experts have called `` preposterous '' and `` false . ''
`` Election officials spend a great deal of our time building in security measures , '' said Washington Secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The idea that people could print millions of ballots either within the country or external to the country , just on its face , is not going to pass muster with an election official . ''
Jennifer Morrell , an elections consultant and former local elections official in Utah and Colorado , told NPR that for such a plot to work just for a single ballot , an adversary would need to mimic everything perfectly from the ballot 's size , style and even the weight of the paper to the envelope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which often changes every election cycle and differs from county to county .
`` Ballots are built unique for each election .
Each jurisdiction will normally have dozens to hundreds of unique ballot styles .
Proofs for each ballot style are reviewed and tested to ensure the ballot scanners will read those ballots and only those ballots , '' Morrell said .
`` Even ballots created on that system from a previous election can not be read . ''
In all , Morrell listed dozens of unique aspects that the adversary would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lining up the ballot with an actual voter in a registration system and faking a signature that aligned with the signature on file for the voter .
`` You would need to replicate all of these elements exactly and do it for the 10,000-plus jurisdictions and hundreds of thousands of unique ballot styles within the U.S. , '' she said .
Wyman even extended a personal invitation to Trump and Barr , to come to Washington state and inspect the county offices where mail ballots are inspected before they are counted .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is this potential for vote rigging and fraud , the president needs to come to Washington and let me show him what we do here , '' Wyman said .
`` We can answer those questions directly and maybe even make him believe that this election is going to be fair . ''
Democrats all the way up to presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden have worried openly for months , if not years , about whether Trump was planting the seeds to be able to call the electoral process rigged or fraud ridden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president 's unsubstantiated claims of mail-voting fraud by foreign countries are only fueling those concerns .
`` They 're going to lose the election , and I think they 're going to claim fraud , '' said New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , a Democrat , when asked about the claims by CNN .
Election officials , whose job it is not only to run the elections smoothly but to present the process with transparency and protect confidence , are also worried .
`` The President is chipping away at voter confidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous road to go down , '' tweeted Barb Byrum , the county clerk of Ingham County , Michigan .
Wyman , who is running for reelection this November in Washington , said Republicans in her state have begun reaching out to her campaign concerned about the potential for fraud that Trump is talking about .
Recent polls in Iowa and Florida show that Republicans in those states are more likely this year to vote in person , rather than by mail , and that Democrats are more likely to vote by mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absentee voting has been more popular among Republicans .
Former Pennsylvania Gov .
Tom Ridge , a Republican and also the nation 's first secretary of homeland security , told NPR last week that Trump 's unfounded claims could discourage Republicans from using a form of voting that is increasingly popular and potentially safer when considering the coronavirus pandemic .
Ridge co-chairs a new bipartisan group called VoteSafe that is advocating for a number of election changes , such as increasing the amount of mail voting , in response to the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and very disappointing that with almost five months to go , the president seems to [ want to ] try to delegitimize the Nov. 3 election , '' said Ridge .
`` It just seems to me that this may be an indication he 's more worried about the outcome than he 's worried about fraud . ''

FACT CHECK: Trump Spreads Unfounded Claims About Voting By Mail
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ethan Miller/Getty Images Ethan Miller/Getty Images
President Trump has made it clear that he does not support allowing all registered voters access to mail ballots this fall, even during a pandemic. But he keeps changing his story about why he's opposed.
Among his past claims, the president has said ballots would be stolen out of mailboxes, despite very little evidence of such fraud over the past 20 years. Trump has also said universal access to mail-in voting would boost Democrats and prevent Republicans from winning future elections, despite studies and real-life election results contradicting that theory.
On Monday, he changed his argument again, claiming without evidence that foreign countries would print and send in "MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS."
"IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES!" he tweeted.
It's a theory that Attorney General William Barr floated this month in an interview with The New York Times, and it's one that election officials and experts have called "preposterous" and "false."
"Election officials spend a great deal of our time building in security measures," said Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman, a Republican. "The idea that people could print millions of ballots either within the country or external to the country, just on its face, is not going to pass muster with an election official."
Safeguards in place
Jennifer Morrell, an elections consultant and former local elections official in Utah and Colorado, told NPR that for such a plot to work just for a single ballot, an adversary would need to mimic everything perfectly from the ballot's size, style and even the weight of the paper to the envelope it's mailed in — all of which often changes every election cycle and differs from county to county.
"Ballots are built unique for each election. Each jurisdiction will normally have dozens to hundreds of unique ballot styles. Proofs for each ballot style are reviewed and tested to ensure the ballot scanners will read those ballots and only those ballots," Morrell said. "Even ballots created on that system from a previous election cannot be read."
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In all, Morrell listed dozens of unique aspects that the adversary would have to copy perfectly, in addition to lining up the ballot with an actual voter in a registration system and faking a signature that aligned with the signature on file for the voter.
"You would need to replicate all of these elements exactly and do it for the 10,000-plus jurisdictions and hundreds of thousands of unique ballot styles within the U.S.," she said.
Wyman even extended a personal invitation to Trump and Barr, to come to Washington state and inspect the county offices where mail ballots are inspected before they are counted.
"If the president really believes that there is this potential for vote rigging and fraud, the president needs to come to Washington and let me show him what we do here," Wyman said. "We can answer those questions directly and maybe even make him believe that this election is going to be fair."
NPR via YouTube
Questions about motive
Democrats all the way up to presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden have worried openly for months, if not years, about whether Trump was planting the seeds to be able to call the electoral process rigged or fraud ridden if he loses in November.
The president's unsubstantiated claims of mail-voting fraud by foreign countries are only fueling those concerns.
"They're going to lose the election, and I think they're going to claim fraud," said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, when asked about the claims by CNN.
Election officials, whose job it is not only to run the elections smoothly but to present the process with transparency and protect confidence, are also worried.
"The President is chipping away at voter confidence in our elections, which is a dangerous road to go down," tweeted Barb Byrum, the county clerk of Ingham County, Michigan.
Wyman, who is running for reelection this November in Washington, said Republicans in her state have begun reaching out to her campaign concerned about the potential for fraud that Trump is talking about.
Recent polls in Iowa and Florida show that Republicans in those states are more likely this year to vote in person, rather than by mail, and that Democrats are more likely to vote by mail — even though in the past, absentee voting has been more popular among Republicans.
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, a Republican and also the nation's first secretary of homeland security, told NPR last week that Trump's unfounded claims could discourage Republicans from using a form of voting that is increasingly popular and potentially safer when considering the coronavirus pandemic.
Ridge co-chairs a new bipartisan group called VoteSafe that is advocating for a number of election changes, such as increasing the amount of mail voting, in response to the pandemic.
"I think it's very sad and very disappointing that with almost five months to go, the president seems to [want to] try to delegitimize the Nov. 3 election," said Ridge. "It just seems to me that this may be an indication he's more worried about the outcome than he's worried about fraud."
NPR's Pam Fessler contributed reporting to this story.


npr--2020-06-23--From 'Empty' To 'Satisfied': Author Traces A Hunger That Food Can't Fix

From 'Empty ' To 'Satisfied ' : Author Traces A Hunger That Food Ca n't Fix Author Susan Burton says food has been the site of her anxieties for as long as she can remember .
For decades the editor at This American Life struggled with eating disorders Through therapy , Burton connected her disordered eating to her parents ' divorce and not getting emotional needs met .
She says that one of the reasons she was so preoccupied with food was that she was hungry all the time : `` Hunger was something that I believed protected me and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Burton writes about her experiences with anorexia and compulsive eating in the new memoir , Empty .
She says the title of the book was inspired by the feeling she chased for so many years .
`` I loved the feeling of my body hollow , like a straw you could blow through , '' she says .
`` Now I understand that emptiness did n't protect me .
It limited me .
...
It was something that I thought would expand my life , but instead it ended up restricting it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work to overcome her eating disorders — including opening up for the first time about bingeing : `` Anorexia was something that was visible to the people around me .
So there was sort of no way of keeping it a secret .
And bingeing , for me , it just happened to be where my shame was located . ''
Burton says her current relationship with food is better than is has been in a long time .
`` It takes a long time to learn to eat intuitively , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she says .
`` I eat more than I used to .
I like the feeling of being satisfied . ''
On what binge eating was like I think that a lot of people do n't know what binge eating is .
It 's eating a large amount of food at once , more than most people would typically eat , afterwards feeling deep distress and self-loathing , and having a feeling of being out of control .
It 's a compulsive thing .
You want to stop and you ca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an example of what it looked like for me : This is when I 'm 17 .
I 'm driving home from a concert with my best friend Jules , and I start the story in the car rather than in the kitchen , because an eating disorder is about so much more than food .
An eating disorder is a way to cope with pain , or to cope with emotional needs that are n't being met .
And I always wanted more from my friendship with Jules .
I wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of like this merger of souls .
And I often left encounters with her feeling deflated by not getting this — and that night was no exception .
I dropped her off .
I turned the corner .
Started driving home .
And almost immediately I was chanting to myself , `` I 'm going to go inside .
Hang my key .
Go straight upstairs .
Go inside .
Hang my key .
Go straight upstairs . ''
Meaning that I was going to circumvent the kitchen , because if I went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ binge .
I pulled into my driveway , went inside , hung my key .
But instead of going straight upstairs , I went straight into the kitchen where I started bingeing .
There was always a lot of ferocity in aggression in it for me , which was part of its power .
I went to the freezer .
I bit into a cookie , worried I chipped my tooth , but I kept going .
The need to keep going was paramount because as long as I was bingeing , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did n't have to think about any loss or pain or wanting or yearning .
That night I kept eating , like so many nights .
I [ ate ] the foods that my mother bought .
I [ ate ] granola with corn chips , string cheese .
I ate until I felt uncomfortably sick .
I went upstairs , did n't wash my face , brush my teeth , just got into bed and wanted to hide from what I 'd done .
On her mother complaining about having a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my family were fixated on their stomachs .
For years , the first thing I checked in the morning when I got out of my bed was my stomach , whether it was flat or out or in .
Certainly I internalized a message that being thin mattered .
She was n't the only one offering this message in our family .
My grandmother once exulted , `` I 'm so glad I have thin grandchildren . ''
It became a joke , but it was sort of a feeling that we all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this 1970s bestseller called Fit or Fat .
So there 's definitely a message in my family that appearance and size mattered .
On how Burton 's grandmother weighed herself while she was dying The moment when that happened , I was sitting beside her .
I was 37 or 38 years old .
I understood what it was to want to get on that scale and look at the number and stand there shrunken and triumphant .
I was sitting beside her bed and I was particularly thin then , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I could be there and emotionally available and experiencing these last days that I would ever spend with her , which now strikes me also as sad and ridiculous .
Like my thinness was n't making me available .
It was limiting me .
But at the same time , I was sitting at her bed , I was sitting there with a stack of her cookbooks , and my grandmother was a wonderful cook .
And the cookbooks , all the recipes were marked up with her notes .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things that she 'd made .
And it was very emotional and rich , and there were things I wanted to make for myself .
And there was always this dichotomy in our family between taking real pleasure in food and being vigilant about it — and my grandmother is the one we sort of all learned that from .
On Burton 's mother hiding her drinking while Burton hid her binge eating I think it had a really big impact .
...
There was a model for hiding .
... My mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in those years , connect her addiction to alcohol with my addiction to food .
Although I now do see them as connected .
It could just as easily for me have been one substance over another .
But the thing I was acutely attuned to was that we were both living these secret lives .
So , for example , as a teenager , I would be upstairs in my room doing homework and she would be downstairs in the kitchen cleaning , correcting papers — she was a teacher — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be upstairs in my room just seething and edgy and hating her , hating her not because she was drinking , but because she was in the kitchen , and I wanted to get into the kitchen so that I could binge .
...
I was very conscious that we were both hiding out in the kitchen .
We were both hiding out in the same place .
I felt our secret lives very viscerally .
On how she relates to eating now , having spent the last two decades on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the time , I had headaches .
I was often exhausted .
I was often organizing my life around needing to come home and eat or needing to eat a certain thing at a certain time .
And I 'm letting go of those rituals .
And with an eating disorder , food comes to stand in for relationships with people .
And as my fixation on food dissipates , I am far more interested in relatedness with others .
And that is one [ benefit ] , in addition to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ and ] the physical health benefits of dismantling an eating disorder , there are social and emotional benefits too .
Sam Briger and Thea Chaloner produced and edited the audio of this interview .
Bridget Bentz , Molly Seavy-Nesper and Deborah Franklin adapted it for the Web .

From 'Empty' To 'Satisfied': Author Traces A Hunger That Food Can't Fix
Enlarge this image toggle caption Anna Kurzaeva/Getty Images Anna Kurzaeva/Getty Images
Author Susan Burton says food has been the site of her anxieties for as long as she can remember. For decades the editor at This American Life struggled with eating disorders.
Through therapy, Burton connected her disordered eating to her parents' divorce and not getting emotional needs met. She says that one of the reasons she was so preoccupied with food was that she was hungry all the time: "Hunger was something that I believed protected me and gave me power," she says.
Burton writes about her experiences with anorexia and compulsive eating in the new memoir Empty. She says the title of the book was inspired by the feeling she chased for so many years.
"I loved the feeling of my body hollow, like a straw you could blow through," she says. "Now I understand that emptiness didn't protect me. It limited me. ... It was something that I thought would expand my life, but instead it ended up restricting it."
Burton says that she continues to work to overcome her eating disorders — including opening up for the first time about bingeing: "Anorexia was something that was visible to the people around me. So there was sort of no way of keeping it a secret. And bingeing, for me, it just happened to be where my shame was located."
Burton says her current relationship with food is better than it has been in a long time. "It takes a long time to learn to eat intuitively, to learn to recognize the body's cues," she says. "I eat more than I used to. I like the feeling of being satisfied."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Penguin Random House Penguin Random House
Interview Highlights
On what binge eating was like
I think that a lot of people don't know what binge eating is. It's eating a large amount of food at once, more than most people would typically eat, afterwards feeling deep distress and self-loathing, and having a feeling of being out of control. It's a compulsive thing. You want to stop and you can't. ...
An eating disorder is about so much more than food. An eating disorder is a way to cope with pain, or to cope with emotional needs that aren't being met.
I'll give you an example of what it looked like for me: This is when I'm 17. I'm driving home from a concert with my best friend Jules, and I start the story in the car rather than in the kitchen, because an eating disorder is about so much more than food. An eating disorder is a way to cope with pain, or to cope with emotional needs that aren't being met. And I always wanted more from my friendship with Jules. I wanted to commune with her. I wanted kind of like this merger of souls.
And I often left encounters with her feeling deflated by not getting this — and that night was no exception. I dropped her off. I turned the corner. Started driving home. And almost immediately I was chanting to myself, "I'm going to go inside. Hang my key. Go straight upstairs. Go inside. Hang my key. Go straight upstairs." Meaning that I was going to circumvent the kitchen, because if I went to the kitchen, surely I would binge. I pulled into my driveway, went inside, hung my key. But instead of going straight upstairs, I went straight into the kitchen, where I started bingeing.
There was always a lot of ferocity in aggression in it for me, which was part of its power. I went to the freezer. I bit into a cookie, worried I chipped my tooth, but I kept going. The need to keep going was paramount because as long as I was bingeing, I didn't have to think. I didn't have to think about any loss or pain or wanting or yearning. That night I kept eating, like so many nights. I [ate] the foods that my mother bought. I [ate] granola with corn chips, string cheese. I ate until I felt uncomfortably sick. I went upstairs, didn't wash my face, brush my teeth, just got into bed and wanted to hide from what I'd done.
On her mother complaining about having a "potbelly"
All of the women in my family were fixated on their stomachs. For years, the first thing I checked in the morning when I got out of my bed was my stomach, whether it was flat or out or in. Certainly I internalized a message that being thin mattered. She wasn't the only one offering this message in our family. My grandmother once exulted, "I'm so glad I have thin grandchildren." It became a joke, but it was sort of a feeling that we all shared. My father was obsessed with this 1970s bestseller called Fit or Fat. So there's definitely a message in my family that appearance and size mattered.
On how Burton's grandmother weighed herself while she was dying
Enlarge this image toggle caption Willy Somma/Penguin Random House Willy Somma/Penguin Random House
The moment when that happened, I was sitting beside her. I was 37 or 38 years old. I understood what it was to want to get on that scale and look at the number and stand there shrunken and triumphant. I was sitting beside her bed, and I was particularly thin then, and I felt it was because of my thinness that I could be there and emotionally available and experiencing these last days that I would ever spend with her, which now strikes me also as sad and ridiculous. Like my thinness wasn't making me available. It was limiting me. But at the same time, I was sitting at her bed, I was sitting there with a stack of her cookbooks, and my grandmother was a wonderful cook. And the cookbooks, all the recipes were marked up with her notes. And I was talking to her about all these things that she'd made. And it was very emotional and rich, and there were things I wanted to make for myself. And there was always this dichotomy in our family between taking real pleasure in food and being vigilant about it — and my grandmother is the one we sort of all learned that from.
On Burton's mother hiding her drinking while Burton hid her binge eating
I think it had a really big impact. ... There was a model for hiding. ... My mother was drinking, and I didn't, in those years, connect her addiction to alcohol with my addiction to food. Although I now do see them as connected. It could just as easily for me have been one substance over another. But the thing I was acutely attuned to was that we were both living these secret lives. So, for example, as a teenager, I would be upstairs in my room doing homework and she would be downstairs in the kitchen cleaning, correcting papers — she was a teacher — and she'd be drinking. And I would be upstairs in my room just seething and edgy and hating her, hating her not because she was drinking, but because she was in the kitchen, and I wanted to get into the kitchen so that I could binge. ... I was very conscious that we were both hiding out in the kitchen. We were both hiding out in the same place. I felt our secret lives very viscerally.
On how she relates to eating now, having spent the last two decades on the borderline of anorexia
When I was hungry all the time, I had headaches. I was often exhausted. I was often organizing my life around needing to come home and eat or needing to eat a certain thing at a certain time. And I'm letting go of those rituals. And with an eating disorder, food comes to stand in for relationships with people. And as my fixation on food dissipates, I am far more interested in relatedness with others. And that is one [benefit], in addition to the health benefits of dismantling an eating disorder [and] the physical health benefits of dismantling an eating disorder, there are social and emotional benefits, too.
Sam Briger and Thea Chaloner produced and edited the audio of this interview. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Deborah Franklin adapted it for the Web.


npr--2020-06-23--Trump Threatens Prison For Attempts To Topple Statues. Here's The Law He Cites

Trump Threatens Prison For Attempts To Topple Statues .
Here 's The Law He Cites President Trump vowed via Twitter Tuesday morning that anyone who vandalizes `` any monument , statue or other such federal property '' will be arrested and face up to ten years in prison , citing a little-known 2003 piece of legislation .
His announcement comes after he decried an attempt by demonstrators to remove a statue of Andrew Jackson that sits across from the White House .
Citing the Veteran 's Memorial Preservation Act in a separate tweet , Trump warned such protesters : '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Veteran 's Memorial Preservation Act does n't require his authorization .
Passed in 2003 , the act states that a person who `` willfully injures or destroys , or attempts to injure or destroy , any structure , plaque , statue , or other monument on public property commemorating the service of any person or persons in the armed forces of the United States shall be fined under this title , imprisoned not more than 10 years , or both . ''
The act , whose text can fit on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support following vandalism at various veterans cemeteries .
Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas has also called for the Justice Department to use the act in order to bring charges against those who attempt topple monuments .
On Monday , he penned a letter to Attorney General William Barr , saying , `` It 's past time to stop the mob ; these vandals should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law . ''
Trump told reporters before taking off to Arizona to campaign that he plans to sign an executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there , but in a more uniform way . ''
He did not elaborate on what that means .
`` We are looking at long-term jail sentences for these vandals and these hoodlums and these anarchists and agitators and call it whatever you want , '' Trump said .
`` Some people do n't like that language but that 's what they are .
They 're bad people .
They do n't love our country .
And they 're not taking down our monuments , I just want to make that clear .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of African and African Studies at Brandeis University , calls Trump 's plan for an executive order problematic .
`` How an order like that would actually be enforced remains to be seen , '' he says .
`` But what this thing speaks to in a really problematic way is the president 's desire to to tamp down , to crush any forms of protest and dissent and to weaponize the various apparatuses of federal government , including the military , National Guard , Secret Service , to act as agents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Confederate monuments have been taken down since the the shooting at a church in Charleston , S.C. in 2015 , according to data compiled by the Washington Post .
Approximately a third of those monuments were forced down in the weeks following the death of George Floyd , a black man who was killed when a police office held a knee to his neck for over eight minutes .
Floyd 's death sparked a national reckoning on racial injustice , as demonstrators have taken to the streets to protest white supremacy and police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the destruction of various Confederate memorials .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called for the removal of statues of Confederate soldiers and officials from the U.S. Capitol grounds .
Opponents argue the monuments should remain in place as a reminder of this country 's history .

Trump Threatens Prison For Attempts To Topple Statues. Here's The Law He Cites
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump vowed via Twitter on Tuesday morning that anyone who vandalizes "any monument, statue or other such federal property" will be arrested and face up to 10 years in prison, citing a little-known 2003 piece of legislation.
His announcement comes after he decried an attempt by demonstrators to remove a statue of Andrew Jackson that sits across from the White House. Referencing the Veterans' Memorial Preservation Act in a separate tweet, Trump warned such protesters: "Beware!"
Despite Trump's assertions, the act doesn't require his authorization.
Passed in 2003, it states that a person who "willfully injures or destroys, or attempts to injure or destroy, any structure, plaque, statue, or other monument on public property commemorating the service of any person or persons in the armed forces of the United States shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both."
The act, whose text can fit on a single page, was passed with bipartisan support following vandalism at various veterans cemeteries.
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has also called for the Justice Department to use the act to bring charges against those who attempt to topple monuments.
On Monday, he penned a letter to Attorney General William Barr, saying, "It's past time to stop the mob; these vandals should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Trump told reporters before taking off to Arizona to campaign that he plans to sign an executive order to "reinforce what's already there, but in a more uniform way." He did not elaborate on what that means.
"We are looking at long-term jail sentences for these vandals and these hoodlums and these anarchists and agitators and call it whatever you want," Trump said. "Some people don't like that language, but that's what they are. They're bad people. They don't love our country. And they're not taking down our monuments, I just want to make that clear."
Chad Williams, chair of the Department of African and African American Studies at Brandeis University, calls Trump's plan for an executive order problematic.
"How an order like that would actually be enforced remains to be seen," he said. "But what this thing speaks to in a really problematic way is the president's desire to tamp down, to crush any forms of protest and dissent and to weaponize the various apparatuses of federal government, including the military, National Guard, Secret Service, to act as agents of enforcement."
More than 70 Confederate monuments have been taken down since the 2015 shooting at a Charleston, S.C., church, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. The paper said about a third of those monuments were forced down in the weeks following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed when a police officer held a knee to his neck for more than 8 minutes.
Floyd's death sparked a national reckoning on racial injustice as demonstrators took to the streets to protest white supremacy and police brutality.
Some protests have led to the destruction of various Confederate memorials.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called for the removal of statues of Confederate soldiers and officials from the U.S. Capitol grounds.
Opponents argue the monuments should remain in place as a reminder of this country's history.


npr--2020-06-23--The NEA Announces Its 2020 National Heritage Fellowship Winners

On Tuesday , the National Endowment for the Arts announced its newest class of National Heritage fellows : 10 artists , ensembles and cultural workers who represent the richness and breadth of America 's traditional arts .
They range from one of the pioneers of the Memphis sound of Southern soul to an Ojibwe birchbark canoe builder .
The winners of this year 's grants include three vocalists .
One is William Bell , a Memphis-born , Grammy Award-winning Black singer and songwriter .
First signed to Stax as a songwriter and then as a solo artist , his 1977 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' became a top 10 hit on the Billboard 100 .
He also co-wrote the classic blues , `` Born Under a Bad Sign '' ( with Booker T. Jones ) , which became an R & B hit for Albert King and then was famously re-recorded by Cream .
Born in Argentina , Suni Paz was one of the first singers and songwriters to bring the socially conscious nueva canción style of songs from Latin America to North American listeners , work that she began in the mid-1960s and continues to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two dozen albums .
Onnik Dinkjian is an N.J.-based singer whose family survived the 1915 Armenian genocide .
With his singing and mentorship of younger artists , he has helped preserve and celebrate Armenian folk and liturgical traditions as well as create new repertoire .
The music of fiddler and banjo player John Morris was featured in Barbara Kopple 's iconic 1976 documentary Harlan County , USA .
Morris is a keeper of the old-time music traditions of his home of Clay County , W. Va .
Along with his brother and bandmate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a vehicle for protesting the exploitation of Appalachian people by the mining industry .
Radio producer Hugo N. Morales from Fresno , Calif. , has spent his professional life fostering Latinx presence in media .
In 1975 , he co-founded Radio Bilingüe in his home state ; it now has 24 stations and more than 75 affiliates .
He is also the winner of a MacArthur Foundation `` genius '' fellowship .
Two Native American artists have also been named National Heritage fellows in 2020 .
Karen Ann Hoffman , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin , specializes in Iroquois raised beadwork , a style typically sewn on velvet .
Her work has become part of the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian , Chicago 's Field Museum , the Iroquois Indian Museum and the Oneida Nation Museum .
Wayne Valliere ( also called Mino-Gizhig ) is a birchbark canoe builder from the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe community whose craft takes years to master .
He also works as an Ojibwe language and culture teacher in Waaswaaganing ( Lac du Flambeau , Wis. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a singer and storyteller .
His other artistic mediums include beadwork , quilwork , regalia and basketry .
This year 's National Heritage fellow class also includes dancers .
Los Matachines de la Santa Cruz de la Ladrillera is a ritual dance troupe from Laredo , Texas , which traces its heritage back to a mining town in central Mexico in the late 19th century .
The group has preserved its traditions of presenting dance , music , traditional foods and costumes on Catholic holy days .
Zakarya and Naomi Diouf are respectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Calif .
They have been instrumental in bringing West African dancing and drumming to the U.S. , including traditions from the Wolof , Serer , Kpellé , Kru , Vai , Gio , Lorma , Mandingo and Bassa peoples .
Each recipient is being awarded $ 25,000 ; due to the pandemic , a celebration of this year 's fellows will take place online , with the date to be announced .

The NEA Announces Its 2020 National Heritage Fellowship Winners
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tony Knuppel/Courtesy of the National Endowment for the Arts Tony Knuppel/Courtesy of the National Endowment for the Arts
On Tuesday, the National Endowment for the Arts announced its newest class of National Heritage fellows: 10 artists, ensembles and cultural workers who represent the richness and breadth of America's traditional arts. They range from one of the pioneers of the Memphis sound of Southern soul to an Ojibwe birchbark canoe builder.
The winners of this year's grants include three vocalists. One is William Bell, a Memphis-born, Grammy Award-winning Black singer and songwriter. First signed to Stax as a songwriter and then as a solo artist, his 1977 song "Tryin' to Love Two" became a top 10 hit on the Billboard 100. He also co-wrote the classic blues, "Born Under a Bad Sign" (with Booker T. Jones), which became an R&B hit for Albert King and then was famously re-recorded by Cream.
Born in Argentina, Suni Paz was one of the first singers and songwriters to bring the socially conscious nueva canción style of songs from Latin America to North American listeners, work that she began in the mid-1960s and continues to this day, with a discography of nearly two dozen albums. Onnik Dinkjian is an N.J.-based singer whose family survived the 1915 Armenian genocide. With his singing and mentorship of younger artists, he has helped preserve and celebrate Armenian folk and liturgical traditions as well as create new repertoire.
The music of fiddler and banjo player John Morris was featured in Barbara Kopple's iconic 1976 documentary Harlan County, USA. Morris is a keeper of the old-time music traditions of his home of Clay County, W. Va. Along with his brother and bandmate, David, he's used music as a vehicle for protesting the exploitation of Appalachian people by the mining industry.
Radio producer Hugo N. Morales from Fresno, Calif., has spent his professional life fostering Latinx presence in media. In 1975, he co-founded Radio Bilingüe in his home state; it now has 24 stations and more than 75 affiliates. He is also the winner of a MacArthur Foundation "genius" fellowship.
Two Native American artists have also been named National Heritage fellows in 2020. Karen Ann Hoffman, who is a citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, specializes in Iroquois raised beadwork, a style typically sewn on velvet. Her work has become part of the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Chicago's Field Museum, the Iroquois Indian Museum and the Oneida Nation Museum. Wayne Valliere (also called Mino-Gizhig) is a birchbark canoe builder from the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe community whose craft takes years to master. He also works as an Ojibwe language and culture teacher in Waaswaaganing (Lac du Flambeau, Wis.), and is also known as a singer and storyteller. His other artistic mediums include beadwork, quilwork, regalia and basketry.
This year's National Heritage fellow class also includes dancers. Los Matachines de la Santa Cruz de la Ladrillera is a ritual dance troupe from Laredo, Texas, which traces its heritage back to a mining town in central Mexico in the late 19th century. The group has preserved its traditions of presenting dance, music, traditional foods and costumes on Catholic holy days. Zakarya and Naomi Diouf are respectively from Senegal and Liberia and are based in Calif. They have been instrumental in bringing West African dancing and drumming to the U.S., including traditions from the Wolof, Serer, Kpellé, Kru, Vai, Gio, Lorma, Mandingo and Bassa peoples.
Each recipient is being awarded $25,000; due to the pandemic, a celebration of this year's fellows will take place online, with the date to be announced.


npr--2020-06-23--Correctional Officers File Racial Discrimination Charges Over Guarding Derek Chauvin

Eight correctional officers of color at a Minnesota county jail say they were reassigned or prevented from working in the unit where the former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd was held when he was booked into the facility .
They also allege that the former officer , Derek Chauvin , was given special treatment in his brief stay in the jail before being transferred to a state prison .
`` You ca n't segregate and discriminate against employees of color because of the color of their skin , '' said Minneapolis attorney Bonnie Smith , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's outrageous . ''
The Ramsey County correctional officers , who filed discrimination charges with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights , are maintaining anonymity out of fear of retaliation , Smith said .
The Ramsey County Sheriff 's Office issued a statement Sunday saying that the jail superintendent gave the order to `` protect '' employees of color from additional trauma after the killing of Floyd — though Smith said that account differs from what she and the officers were previously told .
According to the guards ' complaint , on May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from working in the jail 's segregation unit on the fifth floor — against standard protocol — and replaced with white colleagues when Chauvin was booked into the unit .
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in George Floyd 's May 25 death .
The complaint also alleges Chauvin was given special treatment in his brief stay in the jail before being transferred to a state prison .
One of the guards in the case said he was shocked that afternoon to find himself and other employees of color assigned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the building as usual .
A sergeant said in the complaint that he was told that `` minorities who were on the fifth floor were no longer permitted to have any contact '' with Chauvin .
He said that he confirmed with a lieutenant that there had been a policy change , and then attempted to console other employees of color , who felt the decision discredited their professionalism .
The complaint also includes an allegation that a white lieutenant at the jail was granted `` special access '' to Chauvin 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lieutenant sit on Chauvin 's bed and let him use her cellphone .
It says that correctional officers met with jail superintendent Steve Lydon , who officers said admitted to giving the order .
Smith said the guards said Lydon told them they were a `` liability '' because they could potentially trigger a lawsuit against the sheriff 's office .
Lydon allegedly initially defended the decision , according to the case , but later reversed it .
The case filing also says that Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher met with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and defended the superintendent .
Smith reported that a spokesperson for the sheriff initially told Reuters that there was `` no truth to the report '' that an order barred employees of color from guarding Chauvin — which further upset the eight officers .
In a statement sent to MPR News on Sunday , Roy Magnuson , a spokesperson for the sheriff 's office , said the office conducted an investigation of what happened at the jail .
Lydon reportedly told those investigators he was trying `` to support employees who may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing by limiting their exposure to Chauvin .
The sheriff 's office claims just three employees were affected .
The county will now be allowed to respond to the discrimination charges filed with the state .
After that , Smith said the Department of Human Rights will open an investigation to determine whether discrimination took place .

Correctional Officers File Racial Discrimination Charges Over Guarding Derek Chauvin
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jon Collins/MPR News Jon Collins/MPR News
Eight correctional officers of color at a Minnesota county jail say they were reassigned or prevented from working in the unit where the former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd was held when he was booked into the facility.
They also allege that the former officer, Derek Chauvin, was given special treatment in his brief stay in the jail before being transferred to a state prison.
"You can't segregate and discriminate against employees of color because of the color of their skin," said Minneapolis attorney Bonnie Smith, who is representing the correctional officers. "It's outrageous."
The Ramsey County correctional officers, who filed discrimination charges with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, are maintaining anonymity out of fear of retaliation, Smith said.
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office issued a statement Sunday saying that the jail superintendent gave the order to "protect" employees of color from additional trauma after the killing of Floyd — though Smith said that account differs from what she and the officers were previously told.
According to the guards' complaint, on May 29, they were reassigned or prevented from working in the jail's segregation unit on the fifth floor — against standard protocol — and replaced with white colleagues when Chauvin was booked into the unit. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in George Floyd's May 25 death.
The complaint also alleges Chauvin was given special treatment in his brief stay in the jail before being transferred to a state prison.
One of the guards in the case said he was shocked that afternoon to find himself and other employees of color assigned to the third floor, rather than dispersed throughout the building as usual.
A sergeant said in the complaint that he was told that "minorities who were on the fifth floor were no longer permitted to have any contact" with Chauvin. He said that he confirmed with a lieutenant that there had been a policy change, and then attempted to console other employees of color, who felt the decision discredited their professionalism.
The complaint also includes an allegation that a white lieutenant at the jail was granted "special access" to Chauvin's cell, and that a guard saw the lieutenant sit on Chauvin's bed and let him use her cellphone.
It says that correctional officers met with jail superintendent Steve Lydon, who officers said admitted to giving the order. Smith said the guards said Lydon told them they were a "liability" because they could potentially trigger a lawsuit against the sheriff's office. Lydon allegedly initially defended the decision, according to the case, but later reversed it.
The case filing also says that Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher met with the correctional officers the week after the incident and defended the superintendent.
Smith reported that a spokesperson for the sheriff initially told Reuters that there was "no truth to the report" that an order barred employees of color from guarding Chauvin — which further upset the eight officers.
In a statement sent to MPR News on Sunday, Roy Magnuson, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, said the office conducted an investigation of what happened at the jail. Lydon reportedly told those investigators he was trying "to support employees who may have been traumatized" by George Floyd's killing by limiting their exposure to Chauvin. The sheriff's office claims just three employees were affected.
The county will now be allowed to respond to the discrimination charges filed with the state. After that, Smith said the Department of Human Rights will open an investigation to determine whether discrimination took place.


npr--2020-06-23--Seattle Police Will Return To Precinct In Protest Zone, Mayor Says

Seattle Police Will Return To Precinct In Protest Zone , Mayor Says Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan says police will return to their East Precinct building , after a weekend in which three people were shot in the occupied zone known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest , or CHOP .
One of the victims died .
`` In the near future , SPD will be peacefully returning to the East Precinct , '' Durkan said via Twitter , as she and Police Chief Carmen Best announced plans to take back control of the area formerly known as the Capitol Hill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work from the precinct to `` ensure public safety '' and respond to emergency calls , Durkan said .
`` It 's time for people to go home , '' the mayor said , according to member station KUOW .
`` The continued disorder , the violence , and the impacts on residents and businesses are not just at odds with a message of justice and equity , they can not continue to occur , '' Durkan said .
The CHOP zone , which spans roughly six blocks , has become a hub @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks since police vacated the precinct building .
But there also have been outbreaks of violence , particularly at night .
Over the weekend , police and emergency workers who responded to calls of shootings were forced to stay on the fringes of the protest zone , which is outlined by street barricades .
A 19-year-old man was killed around 2:30 a.m. local time Saturday in a shooting that police say occurred in Cal Anderson Park — just around the corner from the East Precinct at 12th Avenue and Pine Street .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical condition .
`` Officers attempted to locate a shooting victim but were met by a violent crowd that prevented [ their ] safe access to the victims , '' the Seattle Police Department said .
`` Officers were later informed that the victims , both males , had been transported to Harborview Medical Center by CHOP 'medics ' . ''
When police arrived at the hospital , they learned that one of the shooting victims had died .
Late Sunday night , a 17-year-old was shot in the arm .
That victim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center by private vehicle , before first responders could reach him .
Protesters in the CHOP have listed three main demands : to cut funding for the Seattle police by 50 % ; to devote that money instead to community efforts such as restorative justice and health care , and to ensure that protesters are not charged with crimes .
Protesters also have called for Durkan to resign .
The protest zone was established in the Capitol Hill neighborhood after a backlash against the city 's police over the use of tear gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests that had largely been peaceful .
The protest area , first known as CHAZ and then as CHOP , became a home for a number of activist groups that are united behind the Black Lives Matter movement 's fight against systemic racism .
As the mayor and police prepare to return to the precinct , there are signs that activists are working to continue their collective efforts , no matter the protest area 's fate .
On Monday night , one group of CHOP organizers shared an open letter from a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states , `` we acknowledge that CHOP will not be forever and may not be sustainable for much longer , but that does n't mean the fight is over . ''

Seattle Police Will Return To Precinct In Protest Zone, Mayor Says
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ted S. Warren/AP Ted S. Warren/AP
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan says police will return to their East Precinct building, after a weekend in which three people were shot in the occupied zone known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest, or CHOP. One of the victims died.
"In the near future, SPD will be peacefully returning to the East Precinct," Durkan said via Twitter, as she and Police Chief Carmen Best announced plans to take back control of the area formerly known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.
Seattle police need to work from the precinct to "ensure public safety" and respond to emergency calls, Durkan said.
"It's time for people to go home," the mayor said, according to member station KUOW.
"The continued disorder, the violence, and the impacts on residents and businesses are not just at odds with a message of justice and equity, they cannot continue to occur," Durkan said.
The CHOP zone, which spans roughly six blocks, has become a hub of art and activism in the two weeks since police vacated the precinct building. But there also have been outbreaks of violence, particularly at night. Over the weekend, police and emergency workers who responded to calls of shootings were forced to stay on the fringes of the protest zone, which is outlined by street barricades.
A 19-year-old man was killed around 2:30 a.m. local time Saturday in a shooting that police say occurred in Cal Anderson Park — just around the corner from the East Precinct at 12th Avenue and Pine Street. That incident also left a 33-year-old man in critical condition.
"Officers attempted to locate a shooting victim but were met by a violent crowd that prevented [their] safe access to the victims," the Seattle Police Department said. "Officers were later informed that the victims, both males, had been transported to Harborview Medical Center by CHOP 'medics'."
When police arrived at the hospital, they learned that one of the shooting victims had died.
Late Sunday night, a 17-year-old was shot in the arm. That victim was also taken to the Harborview Medical Center by private vehicle, before first responders could reach him.
Protesters in the CHOP have listed three main demands: to cut funding for the Seattle police by 50%; to devote that money instead to community efforts such as restorative justice and health care, and to ensure that protesters are not charged with crimes. Protesters also have called for Durkan to resign.
The protest zone was established in the Capitol Hill neighborhood after a backlash against the city's police over the use of tear gas, pepper spray and flash-bang grenades during protests that had largely been peaceful. The protest area, first known as CHAZ and then as CHOP, became a home for a number of activist groups that are united behind the Black Lives Matter movement's fight against systemic racism.
As the mayor and police prepare to return to the precinct, there are signs that activists are working to continue their collective efforts, no matter the protest area's fate.
On Monday night, one group of CHOP organizers shared an open letter from a new group called Seattle Organized Protest Support that states, "we acknowledge that CHOP will not be forever and may not be sustainable for much longer, but that doesn't mean the fight is over."