npr--2020-05-27--Shuttle Veteran Leads First Human Space Mission Launched From U.S. Since 2011

Shuttle Veteran Leads First Human Space Mission Launched From U.S .
Since 2011 When NASA astronauts launch from the Kennedy Space Center , it will be the first time humans have blasted off from the U.S. since the end of the space shuttle program in 2011 .
The pilot of that final shuttle mission was Doug Hurley , and he 's aboard again Wednesday , ready to make history with the launch of SpaceX 's Crew Dragon capsule .
When Hurley and his crew cleared the tower aboard Atlantis on July 8 , 2011 , the future of human spaceflight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space was going to require hitching a ride on Russia 's Soyuz capsules lifting off from Kazakhstan .
A U.S. replacement ride was at least four years away .
In fact , budget cuts and technical challenges delayed NASA 's Commercial Crew program for almost a decade .
The $ 6 billion program aims to launch astronauts to the International Space Station using commercial companies — SpaceX and Boeing .
After the final Shuttle mission , Hurley worked at NASA 's Johnson Space Center to develop the Commercial Crew Program .
In 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first Commercial Crew astronauts .
Now , he will once again fly to space — something that surprises even him .
`` I certainly did n't expect to fly again , '' Hurley , who also flew on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2009 , says .
`` I certainly did n't necessarily have a plan to fly again .
And if I did it would have had to have been a case where somebody would have wanted me to . ''
Hurley joined NASA in 2000 as part of an astronaut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the Y2k computer glitch of that year .
He was selected for his test-flight skills and had clocked over 5,500 hours in more than two dozen military aircraft before joining the space agency .
Terry Virts , a former test pilot turned astronaut who also joined NASA in 2000 , says of Hurley : `` He 's just solid .
He 's not going to make any mistakes . ''
`` He 's going to stay cool no matter what happens , '' Virts says .
`` He 's definitely a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bosses picked him for this job . ''
The focus of this flight , known as Demonstration Mission 2 , will put Hurley 's test pilot skills to use .
He and copilot Bob Behnken are tasked with flying SpaceX 's Crew Dragon for the first time .
The duo will put the sleek capsule through its paces , flying it using a touch screen and iPads before it docks with the space station .
The launch is set for 4:33 p.m .
ET and the spacecraft will dock with the station about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spend anywhere from one to four months on the station .
Like Hurley , Behnken , another Bug , is a veteran of two shuttle missions , one in 2008 and another two years later .
He says Hurley is cool under pressure and dedicated to the mission .
`` I always know that Doug is going to be one step ahead of me and ready for whatever 's kind of coming in front of us .
He 's going to be the one who 's ready a second and a half before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a critical test flight that will — if all goes well — pave the way for more astronauts to fly to the station from the U.S. NASA is out of rides to the space station from Roscosmos , the Russian space agency , and Boeing , the second commercial partner , is facing delays getting its capsule certified for launch .
Hurley and Behnken will spend 18 hours in space , testing and certifying all of the systems of the Crew Dragon — from flying it in orbit to sleeping on board to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You want to know that when it hits the fan , when things do n't go as planned , that you have these people with you that will have your back , and that they know you 'll have theirs , '' fellow class of 2000 astronaut Nicole Stott , who is now retired from NASA , says .
`` That 's Doug , '' she says .

Shuttle Veteran Leads First Human Space Mission Launched From U.S. Since 2011
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kim Shiflett/NASA Kim Shiflett/NASA
When NASA astronauts launch from the Kennedy Space Center, it will be the first time humans have blasted off from the U.S. since the end of the space shuttle program in 2011.
The pilot of that final shuttle mission was Doug Hurley, and he's aboard again Wednesday, ready to make history with the launch of SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule.
When Hurley and his crew cleared the tower aboard Atlantis on July 8, 2011, the future of human spaceflight from Florida was uncertain. Getting to space was going to require hitching a ride on Russia's Soyuz capsules lifting off from Kazakhstan. A U.S. replacement ride was at least four years away.
In fact, budget cuts and technical challenges delayed NASA's Commercial Crew Program for almost a decade. The $6 billion program aims to launch astronauts to the International Space Station using commercial companies — SpaceX and Boeing.
After the final shuttle mission, Hurley worked at NASA's Johnson Space Center to develop the Commercial Crew Program. In 2015, he was selected as one of the first Commercial Crew astronauts. Now he will once again fly to space — something that surprises even him.
"I certainly didn't expect to fly again," says Hurley, who also flew on the space shuttle Endeavour in 2009. "I certainly didn't necessarily have a plan to fly again. And if I did, it would have had to have been a case where somebody would have wanted me to."
Enlarge this image toggle caption SpaceX SpaceX
Hurley joined NASA in 2000 as part of an astronaut class that called themselves the Bugs, after the Y2K computer glitch of that year. He was selected for his test-flight skills and had clocked over 5,500 hours in more than two dozen military aircraft before joining the space agency.
Terry Virts, a former test pilot-turned-astronaut who also joined NASA in 2000, says of Hurley: "He's just solid. He's not going to make any mistakes."
Virts adds, "He's going to stay cool no matter what happens. He's definitely a very good choice. I know why our bosses picked him for this job."
The focus of this flight, known as Demonstration Mission 2, will put Hurley's test pilot skills to use. He and co-pilot Bob Behnken are tasked with flying SpaceX's Crew Dragon for the first time. The duo will put the sleek capsule through its paces, flying it using a touch screen and iPads before it docks with the space station.
The launch is set for 4:33 p.m. ET Wednesday, and the spacecraft will dock with the station about 18 hours later. The astronauts will spend anywhere from one to four months on the station.
Like Hurley, Behnken, another Bug, is a veteran of two shuttle missions, one in 2008 and another two years later. He says Hurley is cool under pressure and dedicated to the mission.
"I always know that Doug is going to be one step ahead of me and ready for whatever's kind of coming in front of us," he says. "He's going to be the one who's ready a second and a half before I am."
Enlarge this image toggle caption SpaceX SpaceX
The mission is a critical test flight that will — if all goes well — pave the way for more astronauts to fly to the station from the United States. NASA is out of rides to the space station from Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, and Boeing, the second commercial partner, is facing delays getting its capsule certified for launch.
Hurley and Behnken will spend 18 hours in space, testing and certifying all of the systems of the Crew Dragon — from flying it in orbit to sleeping on board to testing the spacecraft's toilet.
"You want to know that when it hits the fan, when things don't go as planned, that you have these people with you that will have your back, and that they know you'll have theirs," says fellow class of 2000 astronaut Nicole Stott, who is now retired from NASA.
"That's Doug," she says.


npr--2020-05-27--Across Texas, Black And Hispanic Neighborhoods Have Fewer Coronavirus Testing Sites

Across Texas , Black And Hispanic Neighborhoods Have Fewer Coronavirus Testing Sites As COVID-19 continues to spread across the country , state and local health officials rush to try to detect and contain outbreaks before they get out of control .
A key to that is testing , and despite a slow start , testing has increased around the country .
But it 's still not always easy to get a test .
While many things can affect access to testing , location is an important starting point .
NPR investigated the location of public testing sites in Texas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to see how they were distributed between predominantly white and predominantly minority areas .
The investigation found that in four out of six of the largest cities in Texas , testing sites are disproportionately located in whiter neighborhoods .
With evidence growing that black and Latino communities are harder hit by this deadly disease , community leaders say that testing disparities are problematic .
Many experts warn that if communities do n't test the most vulnerable , they could miss pockets of infection and have new large outbreaks .
`` If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and you 're shining a flashlight on a small portion of infections that are out there , you might think you 're doing OK , '' says Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo , lead epidemiologist for the Johns Hopkins COVID Testing Insights Initiative .
`` Whereas there 's this whole pool of infections that you have n't seen . ''
Nationally , it 's hard to determine where there may be testing disparities because data is scarce .
Most states and cities across the country either do not track or do not report the racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But there are media reports of racial disparities that suggest that the patterns identified in Texas are happening in other parts of the country .
`` I was acutely concerned from the very beginning , '' says Dr. Wayne Frederick , president of Howard University , a historically black college in Washington , D.C. , who is leading efforts by the university to bring more testing to black neighborhoods .
The lack of attention paid to minority health care , he says , `` is not a good strategy for our health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our community . ''
In Dallas , a stark divide exists between the north and south ends of town .
Interstate 30 bisects the city and largely serves as a borderline between the city 's predominantly white neighborhoods to the north and the predominantly black or Hispanic neighborhoods in the south .
In North Dallas there are 20 testing sites .
Southern Dallas has nine , with a third of those sitting within a mile of the interstate .
Dallas County , home to the city of Dallas , has the second-highest COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three other cities , the trend was the same : More testing sites were in whiter neighborhoods .
In each city , NPR ranked neighborhoods based on their density of white residents .
The analysis then focused on the half with the lowest density of white residents to see how many testing sites that are open to the public are located in those areas : • In Fort Worth , six out of 18 testing sites were in the neighborhoods with the lowest density of white residents .
• In Austin , nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• In El Paso , five out of 18 were in these neighborhoods .
To determine where permanent testing sites were located , NPR contacted health care providers in those six largest cities in Texas — representing a total population of 7.9 million by most recent Census estimates — and reviewed government , health care and news websites .
The testing site locations include facilities where residents can go to get diagnostic testing for active infection , such as urgent care clinics , hospitals and drive-through testing sites .
They do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and some hospitals that may provide tests for admitted patients but are not available to the public .
Mobile sites , where locations regularly change , are also not included .
Reporters analyzed the racial breakdown in areas where testing sites are located using census tract data .
NPR offered city and county health officials the opportunity to review the findings and point to additional testing sites .
These disparities could point to a larger problem in Texas , says Nuzzo .
Without good testing access in places where minorities live , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notes that Texas has a low rate of positive cases — a measure that can indicate a community is conducting sufficient testing — but it also has one of the lowest rates of testing among states .
`` It 's either that there 's just not that much infection in Texas , or that there is infection , but they 're testing the wrong people , '' says Nuzzo .
`` And it 's been hard for me to believe that there 's not that much infection in Texas . ''
The Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of State Health Services did not make anyone available for an interview on the state 's testing plan .
Testing disparities have also been reported in New York City and Chicago .
Some communities across the country are starting to identify and tackle the issue , but only four states currently publish racial breakdowns of who is being tested : Nevada , Delaware , Kansas and Illinois .
In New York City , authorities have identified hotspots in low-income and minority neighborhoods and have set up testing sites at over 70 faith-based organizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin , where some of the first reports of stark racial disparities emerged , free testing is now available to all black , Hispanic , and Native American residents .
At the federal level , the House of Representatives passed a wide-ranging coronavirus relief bill this month that would , in part , fund testing centers in minority communities .
Continuing negotiations on the bill , however , make it unlikely that it will pass the Republican-controlled Senate in its current form .
Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois has introduced a separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prioritizing those around coronavirus hot spots and in underserved communities .
`` We do n't know the numbers , we do n't know the number of people who have not been diagnosed , '' says Rush , who represents a mostly black district in Chicago , recalling his early response to Chicago 's outbreak .
`` We were operating blindly regarding the individual community response to COVID-19 , and the white community was better informed . ''
The House Energy and Commerce committee also announced Tuesday it would hold a hearing on states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing for minority communities .
But local communities might have trouble piecing together what testing access looks like .
Local public health departments have dealt with years of underfunding , and the federal government is n't keeping track of and publishing its own list of testing sites .
States may not have complete data either .
Texas has its own state map , but some sites located by NPR were missing or out of date .
`` For the most part across the U.S. , it 's really , really hard to rely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' says Tarryn Marcus , who leads a volunteer effort called Get Tested COVID-19 , which is attempting to compile a national database of testing locations .
`` There 's a lot of inconsistency , a lot of outdated information — stuff that was true maybe a month ago or a few weeks ago but it 's no longer true . ''
Marcus ' organization is attempting to fill in the gaps with their database , which was compiled over two months by more than 80 volunteers .
Though it 's still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NPR found in Texas cities .
Marcus ' team analyzed the sites they do have to look at where there were large numbers of people without a nearby testing site .
Across the country , most of the areas with gaps , she says , were in blue collar communities with low income .
Cities in Texas vary in their approach Not all cities in Texas have a disparity in testing site locations .
In San Antonio , the state 's second largest city , testing sites are equally distributed by race .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has more testing sites in minority neighborhoods than white neighborhoods .
The city says it took into account risk factors for disease , as well as CDC testing data , to determine where to target its testing .
But in Dallas , recent research by the UT Health School of Public Health identified parts of South Dallas as vulnerable to COVID-19 hospitalization because of higher concentration of some chronic conditions like asthma , diabetes and obesity .
These were the same areas — predominantly minority neighborhoods — that NPR 's analysis show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not provide detailed data on the races of coronavirus patients , and Dallas County 's is incomplete .
`` If we 're looking to protect our most vulnerable in the population , then we need to concentrate some testing resources in the areas where they 're more likely to live , '' says Dr. Stephen Linder , one of the UT Health researchers .
Dr. Philip Huang , director of Dallas County Health and Human Services , said many of the testing sites in north Dallas are at private sector providers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals are as well .
Huang said the county has tried to focus public sector testing efforts towards underserved communities as much as possible .
`` We have been trying to definitely target those resources that we have control over into those areas , '' he said , including two federally-funded drive-thru sites , one in South Dallas and the other downtown .
Combined , they can test 1,000 people a day .
`` A lot of the disparity ... is reflecting some of that private sector availability of tests in the northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
In an attempt to fill the gaps , in mid-May the city started sending health care workers to residents ' homes if they do n't have transportation to get to a testing site .
That effort has averaged 20 tests per day , according to figures provided by the city .
Other cities have set up temporary sites that are open for days at a time before moving on to the next location .
Even the public health systems , which exist to fill these gaps , present obstacles for someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the public hospital system in Dallas , does have clinics in South Dallas that can test , but you have to be a patient already or be seen through the ER .
You can also be referred to Parkland through one of the area 's federally qualified health centers , but those centers do n't do testing themselves .
For cities that have testing disparities like these , the solution involves not just opening an equal number of testing sites in minority neighborhoods , but actually focusing on those that are most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a medical school administrator whose work has focused on health care access for racial minorities .
In other words , Owen says , communities should make sure it 's easy to get tested in places carrying the heaviest burden of the disease .
`` That 's where I 'm going to plot my testing sites , '' he says .
`` Direct your resources specifically while they 're limited — which is what they are right now — to where you think you 'll get the most hits . ''
Location , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factor that determines whether at-risk people will get tested for the disease .
Other barriers can keep someone from being tested , including whether a doctor needs to refer you to a testing center or whether you can just walk in ; how much the tests cost if you 're uninsured ; and how much time you have to wait at a testing site .
Cost could be an issue in a place like Texas , which has not expanded Medicaid and has the highest uninsured rate in the country .
Lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work after testing positive can also keep people away from testing sites .
These challenges can be especially difficult for people of color to navigate : They 're more likely to be uninsured and , in some places , more likely to work in essential services , making it difficult or impossible to spend hours traveling or waiting at a testing site .
`` This disease has absolutely highlighted many disparities that we have in our country when it comes to public health , '' says Angela Clendenin , an instructional assistant professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ M School of Public Health .
`` And it boils down to access . ''
One way to deal with these challenges is to work with community leaders and groups that people are already familiar with to encourage them to get tested , says Owen , the medical school administrator .
Leaning on faith-based leaders to stress the importance of testing , along with setting up makeshift testing sites at community centers like churches , could bring large-scale public health efforts to the doors of people who might otherwise be excluded .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hosted a two-day mobile testing event last week , sponsored by the state and National Guard .
`` How do you do voter registration ?
You do it at the local high school .
You maybe have someone in front of the grocery store in the neighborhood .
You have somebody at the church , '' Owen says .
`` If I were the mayor , I 'd say , 'Great , let 's have the arena .
But by the way , we 're going to have a small testing center at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathered addresses of permanent testing sites from county , city and state websites , health care providers and news reports .
NPR verified these sites by contacting health care providers and city officials by phone or email .
City and county officials were offered the opportunity to review the findings and point to additional testing sites .
Mobile and temporary testing sites are not included in this dataset .
Sites that only perform antibody testing are not included .
NPR geocoded testing site locations on an online geocoding platform to determine what census @ @ @ @ @ @ @ verified each location with a geocoding `` accuracy score '' of below 0.9 .
For each city , the analysis included only census tracts within the city 's official boundaries , which do not include suburbs .
The Census Bureau provided median household income and demographic data , which were used along with data from the Social Vulnerability Index ( SVI ) .
The main demographic measure referenced in this story was the percent of the population who identify as 'white alone . '
For income , percent white and SVI , NPR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a site for tracts above and below the city 's overall median for that measure .
Medians referenced are medians of census tracts , not population medians , and may therefore differ slightly from population medians .

In Large Texas Cities, Access To Coronavirus Testing May Depend On Where You Live
Enlarge this image toggle caption Dan Tian/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images Dan Tian/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images
As COVID-19 continues to spread across the country, state and local health officials rush to try to detect and contain outbreaks before they get out of control. A key to that is testing, and despite a slow start, testing has increased around the country.
But it's still not always easy to get a test. While many things can affect access to testing, location is an important starting point.
NPR investigated the location of public testing sites in Texas, one of the first states to reopen, to see how they were distributed between predominantly white and predominantly minority areas. The investigation found that in four out of six of the largest cities in Texas, testing sites are disproportionately located in whiter neighborhoods.
Loading...
With evidence growing that black and Latino communities are harder hit by this deadly disease, community leaders say that testing disparities are problematic. Many experts warn that if communities don't test the most vulnerable, they could miss pockets of infection and have new large outbreaks.
"If you're casting a very small net, and you're shining a flashlight on a small portion of infections that are out there, you might think you're doing OK," says Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, lead epidemiologist for the Johns Hopkins COVID Testing Insights Initiative. "Whereas there's this whole pool of infections that you haven't seen."
Nationally, it's hard to determine where there may be testing disparities because data is scarce. Most states and cities across the country either do not track or do not report the racial breakdown of tests that are conducted. But there are media reports of racial disparities that suggest that the patterns identified in Texas are happening in other parts of the country.
"I was acutely concerned from the very beginning," says Dr. Wayne Frederick, president of Howard University, a historically black college in Washington, D.C., who is leading efforts by the university to bring more testing to black neighborhoods. The lack of attention paid to minority health care, he says, "is not a good strategy for our health care system and for the vulnerable part of our community."
Texas: Whiter neighborhoods have more testing sites
In Dallas, a stark divide exists between the north and south ends of town. Interstate 30 bisects the city and largely serves as a borderline between the city's predominantly white neighborhoods to the north and the predominantly black or Hispanic neighborhoods in the south.
In North Dallas there are 20 testing sites. Southern Dallas has nine, with a third of those sitting within a mile of the interstate.
Dallas County, home to the city of Dallas, has the second-highest COVID-19 case count in the state.
Loading...
In three other cities, the trend was the same: More testing sites were in whiter neighborhoods. In each city, NPR ranked neighborhoods based on their density of white residents. The analysis then focused on the half with the lowest density of white residents to see how many testing sites that are open to the public are located in those areas:
In Fort Worth, six out of 18 testing sites were in the neighborhoods with the lowest density of white residents.
In Austin, nine out of 25 were in these neighborhoods.
In El Paso, five out of 18 were in these neighborhoods.
To determine where permanent testing sites were located, NPR contacted health care providers in those six largest cities in Texas — representing a total population of 7.9 million by most recent Census estimates — and reviewed government, health care and news websites.
The testing site locations include facilities where residents can go to get diagnostic testing for active infection, such as urgent care clinics, hospitals and drive-through testing sites. They don't include sites such as doctor's offices and some hospitals that may provide tests for admitted patients but are not available to the public. Mobile sites, where locations regularly change, are also not included. Reporters analyzed the racial breakdown in areas where testing sites are located using census tract data.
NPR offered city and county health officials the opportunity to review the findings and point to additional testing sites.
Loading...
These disparities could point to a larger problem in Texas, says Nuzzo. Without good testing access in places where minorities live, the state could be missing cases. She notes that Texas has a low rate of positive cases — a measure that can indicate a community is conducting sufficient testing — but it also has one of the lowest rates of testing among states.
"It's either that there's just not that much infection in Texas, or that there is infection, but they're testing the wrong people," says Nuzzo. "And it's been hard for me to believe that there's not that much infection in Texas."
The Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Department of State Health Services did not make anyone available for an interview on the state's testing plan.
The national picture
Testing disparities have also been reported in New York City and Chicago.
Some communities across the country are starting to identify and tackle the issue, but only four states currently publish racial breakdowns of who is being tested: Nevada, Delaware, Kansas and Illinois. In New York City, authorities have identified hotspots in low-income and minority neighborhoods and have set up testing sites at over 70 faith-based organizations to target those communities. And in Wisconsin, where some of the first reports of stark racial disparities emerged, free testing is now available to all black, Hispanic, and Native American residents.
At the federal level, the House of Representatives passed a wide-ranging coronavirus relief bill this month that would, in part, fund testing centers in minority communities. Continuing negotiations on the bill, however, make it unlikely that it will pass the Republican-controlled Senate in its current form. Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois has introduced a separate bill that would fund testing sites, prioritizing those around coronavirus hot spots and in underserved communities.
"We don't know the numbers, we don't know the number of people who have not been diagnosed," says Rush, who represents a mostly black district in Chicago, recalling his early response to Chicago's outbreak. "We were operating blindly regarding the individual community response to COVID-19, and the white community was better informed."
The House Energy and Commerce committee also announced Tuesday it would hold a hearing on states' testing plans, including access to testing for minority communities.
But local communities might have trouble piecing together what testing access looks like. Local public health departments have dealt with years of underfunding, and the federal government isn't keeping track of and publishing its own list of testing sites. States may not have complete data either. Texas has its own state map, but some sites located by NPR were missing or out of date.
"For the most part across the U.S., it's really, really hard to rely on those government websites for the information," says Tarryn Marcus, who leads a volunteer effort called Get Tested COVID-19, which is attempting to compile a national database of testing locations. "There's a lot of inconsistency, a lot of outdated information — stuff that was true maybe a month ago or a few weeks ago but it's no longer true."
Marcus' organization is attempting to fill in the gaps with their database, which was compiled over two months by more than 80 volunteers. Though it's still not complete, their data reinforce what NPR found in Texas cities. Marcus' team analyzed the sites they do have to look at where there were large numbers of people without a nearby testing site. Across the country, most of the areas with gaps, she says, were in blue collar communities with low income.
Cities in Texas vary in their approach
Not all cities in Texas have a disparity in testing site locations. In San Antonio, the state's second largest city, testing sites are equally distributed by race. Houston, the state's largest city, has more testing sites in minority neighborhoods than white neighborhoods. The city says it took into account risk factors for disease, as well as CDC testing data, to determine where to target its testing.
Loading...
But in Dallas, recent research by the UT Health School of Public Health identified parts of South Dallas as vulnerable to COVID-19 hospitalization because of higher concentration of some chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes and obesity. These were the same areas — predominantly minority neighborhoods — that NPR's analysis show to lack testing sites. The state does not provide detailed data on the races of coronavirus patients, and Dallas County's is incomplete.
"If we're looking to protect our most vulnerable in the population, then we need to concentrate some testing resources in the areas where they're more likely to live," says Dr. Stephen Linder, one of the UT Health researchers.
Dr. Philip Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services, said many of the testing sites in north Dallas are at private sector providers. That's where most of Dallas' hospitals are as well.
Huang said the county has tried to focus public sector testing efforts towards underserved communities as much as possible.
"We have been trying to definitely target those resources that we have control over into those areas," he said, including two federally-funded drive-thru sites, one in South Dallas and the other downtown. Combined, they can test 1,000 people a day. "A lot of the disparity ... is reflecting some of that private sector availability of tests in the northern part of Dallas compared to southern Dallas."
In an attempt to fill the gaps, in mid-May the city started sending health care workers to residents' homes if they don't have transportation to get to a testing site. That effort has averaged 20 tests per day, according to figures provided by the city. Other cities have set up temporary sites that are open for days at a time before moving on to the next location.
Even the public health systems, which exist to fill these gaps, present obstacles for someone trying to get a test. Parkland, the public hospital system in Dallas, does have clinics in South Dallas that can test, but you have to be a patient already or be seen through the ER. You can also be referred to Parkland through one of the area's federally qualified health centers, but those centers don't do testing themselves.
For cities that have testing disparities like these, the solution involves not just opening an equal number of testing sites in minority neighborhoods, but actually focusing on those that are most at risk, says Dr. William Owen, a medical school administrator whose work has focused on health care access for racial minorities.
In other words, Owen says, communities should make sure it's easy to get tested in places carrying the heaviest burden of the disease.
"That's where I'm going to plot my testing sites," he says. "Direct your resources specifically while they're limited — which is what they are right now — to where you think you'll get the most hits."
Other barriers to testing
Location, of course, isn't the only factor that determines whether at-risk people will get tested for the disease. Other barriers can keep someone from being tested, including whether a doctor needs to refer you to a testing center or whether you can just walk in; how much the tests cost if you're uninsured; and how much time you have to wait at a testing site. Cost could be an issue in a place like Texas, which has not expanded Medicaid and has the highest uninsured rate in the country. Lack of transportation and concerns about being able to work after testing positive can also keep people away from testing sites.
These challenges can be especially difficult for people of color to navigate: They're more likely to be uninsured and, in some places, more likely to work in essential services, making it difficult or impossible to spend hours traveling or waiting at a testing site.
"This disease has absolutely highlighted many disparities that we have in our country when it comes to public health," says Angela Clendenin, an instructional assistant professor of epidemiology at the Texas A&M School of Public Health. "And it boils down to access."
One way to deal with these challenges is to work with community leaders and groups that people are already familiar with to encourage them to get tested, says Owen, the medical school administrator. Leaning on faith-based leaders to stress the importance of testing, along with setting up makeshift testing sites at community centers like churches, could bring large-scale public health efforts to the doors of people who might otherwise be excluded.
A South Dallas church, for example, hosted a two-day mobile testing event last week, sponsored by the state and National Guard.
"How do you do voter registration? You do it at the local high school. You maybe have someone in front of the grocery store in the neighborhood. You have somebody at the church," Owen says. "If I were the mayor, I'd say, 'Great, let's have the arena. But by the way, we're going to have a small testing center at the big churches.'"
Methodology
NPR gathered addresses of permanent testing sites from county, city and state websites, health care providers and news reports. NPR verified these sites by contacting health care providers and city officials by phone or email. City and county officials were offered the opportunity to review the findings and point to additional testing sites. Mobile and temporary testing sites are not included in this dataset. Sites that only perform antibody testing are not included.
NPR geocoded testing site locations on an online geocoding platform to determine what census tract they were within. A reporter verified each location with a geocoding "accuracy score" of below 0.9. For each city, the analysis included only census tracts within the city's official boundaries, which do not include suburbs. The Census Bureau provided median household income and demographic data, which were used along with data from the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). The main demographic measure referenced in this story was the percent of the population who identify as 'white alone.' For income, percent white and SVI, NPR calculated the number of sites and distance from a site for tracts above and below the city's overall median for that measure. Medians referenced are medians of census tracts, not population medians, and may therefore differ slightly from population medians.
The dataset used in this analysis is available on Google Sheets.
Don't see the graphics above? Click here.


npr--2020-05-26--Twitter Places Fact-Checking Warning On Trump Tweet For 1st Time

Twitter has placed a fact-checking warning on a tweet issued by President Trump in which he claims without evidence that mail-in ballots are fraudulent .
Twitter 's move on Tuesday marks the first time the technology company has sanctioned Trump as criticism mounts about how the president has amplified misinformation to more than 80 million followers on the social media platform .
Twitter spokesman Trenton Kennedy told NPR that while the tweet about mail-in voting does not violate Twitter 's rules since `` it does not directly try to dissuade people from voting , '' it does contain `` misleading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in ballots . ''
The action is the latest confrontation between Washington and Silicon Valley with a presidential election just months away .
Brad Parscale , Trump 's 2020 campaign manager , suggested Twitter was attempting to impinge on the president 's free speech rights and accused the company of being anti-Trump .
`` We always knew that Silicon Valley would pull out all the stops to obstruct and interfere with President Trump getting his message through to voters , '' Parscale said .
`` Partnering with the biased fake news media 'fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter is using to try to lend their obvious political tactics some false credibility .
There are many reasons the Trump campaign pulled all our advertising from Twitter months ago , and their clear political bias is one of them . ''
Earlier this month , Twitter announced a move to combat the spread of misinformation about the coronavirus .
Twitter said it will place labels on misleading or disputed information about the virus `` regardless of who the speaker is . ''
Critics of Twitter have complained that it has placed Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at making the platform more civil .
Tuesday 's action allowing users to `` get the facts '' about what Trump was tweeting comes just as the social media platform faces criticism for its inaction on a tweet Trump sent advancing a groundless conspiracy theory about the death of an ex-staffer of Joe Scarborough , a former congressman who is now a television host on MSNBC and frequent Trump target .
On Twitter , Trump pushed the baseless theory that Scarborough killed Lori Kaye Klausutis , 28 , who was found dead in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beach , Fla. , in July 2001 .
`` There has been a constant barrage of falsehoods , half-truths innuendo and conspiracy theories since the day she died , '' widower Timothy J. Klausutis wrote last week to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey .
`` ... Because of this , I have struggled to move forward with my life . ''
He went on to ask Dorsey : `` My request is simple : Please delete these tweets , '' Despite the plea , Twitter has not removed the tweet advancing the false conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife , who had an undiagnosed heart condition , passed out and hit her head on her desk when she fell .
Dorsey never directly replied to the widower 's letter .
But in a statement , Kennedy , the Twitter spokesman , said the tweets about Scarborough do not violate company policies .
`` We 've drawn lines for certain issue areas , including civic integrity and voting , '' Kennedy said .
`` However , as we said on the Scarborough tweets , we 've been working to expand existing product @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effectively address things like this going forward , and we hope to have those changes in place shortly . ''
The president 's comments about Scarborough have also been posted to Facebook , which has 2.6 billion users .
In a statement , a Facebook spokesperson said the company does not remove `` political speech '' just because it may be seen as offensive , `` as this content understandably is to the family of Lori Klausutis and others . ''
The Facebook spokesperson added that : `` Speech from candidates and heads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content on our platform , which helps ensure people are held accountable for their words . ''
Twitter , which has some 330 million users , has had a longstanding practice of exempting world leaders from its content rules under a `` newsworthiness '' exemption .
But the pandemic has caused it to revamp its policies .
Twitter officials now say posts by any user , even world leaders , are subject to carrying warning labels , or being removed altogether , if the content runs afoul of the guidance of leading public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good on that promise by deleting tweets by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro .
Bolsonaro praised the use of anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and called for an end to social distancing .
And Maduro promoted a `` natural brew '' to remedy those infected with COVID-19 .
Twitter said such posts violated its policies , but the company has never deleted a tweet by Trump .

Twitter Places Fact-Checking Warning On Trump Tweet For 1st Time
Updated at 9:59 p.m. ET
Twitter has placed a fact-checking warning on a pair of tweets issued by President Trump in which he claims without evidence that mail-in ballots are fraudulent.
Twitter's move on Tuesday marks the first time the technology company has sanctioned Trump as criticism mounts about how the president has amplified misinformation to more than 80 million followers on the social media platform.
Trump responded by accusing Twitter of stifling free speech.
Twitter spokesman Trenton Kennedy told NPR that while the tweet about mail-in voting does not violate Twitter's rules since "it does not directly try to dissuade people from voting," it does contain "misleading information about the voting process, specifically mail-in ballots."
The action is the latest confrontation between Washington and Silicon Valley with a presidential election just months away.
Brad Parscale, Trump's 2020 campaign manager, suggested Twitter was attempting to impinge on the president's free speech rights and accused the company of being anti-Trump.
"We always knew that Silicon Valley would pull out all the stops to obstruct and interfere with President Trump getting his message through to voters," Parscale said. "Partnering with the biased fake news media 'fact checkers' is only a smoke screen Twitter is using to try to lend their obvious political tactics some false credibility. There are many reasons the Trump campaign pulled all our advertising from Twitter months ago, and their clear political bias is one of them."
Earlier this month, Twitter announced a move to combat the spread of misinformation about the coronavirus. Twitter said it will place labels on misleading or disputed information about the virus "regardless of who the speaker is."
Critics of Twitter have complained that it has placed Trump above its attempts to enforce rules aimed at making the platform more civil.
Tuesday's action allowing users to "get the facts" about what Trump was tweeting comes just as the social media platform faces criticism for its inaction on a tweet Trump sent advancing a groundless conspiracy theory about the death of an ex-staffer of Joe Scarborough, a former congressman who is now a television host on MSNBC and frequent Trump target.
On Twitter, Trump pushed the baseless theory that Scarborough killed Lori Kaye Klausutis, 28, who was found dead in Scarborough's congressional office in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., in July 2001.
"There has been a constant barrage of falsehoods, half-truths innuendo and conspiracy theories since the day she died," widower Timothy J. Klausutis wrote last week to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. "... Because of this, I have struggled to move forward with my life."
He went on to ask Dorsey: "My request is simple: Please delete these tweets,"
Despite the plea, Twitter has not removed the tweet advancing the false conspiracy theory about the death of Klausutis' wife, who had an undiagnosed heart condition, passed out and hit her head on her desk when she fell. Dorsey never directly replied to the widower's letter.
But in a statement, Kennedy, the Twitter spokesman, said the tweets about Scarborough do not violate company policies.
"We've drawn lines for certain issue areas, including civic integrity and voting," Kennedy said. "However, as we said on the Scarborough tweets, we've been working to expand existing product features and policies so we can more effectively address things like this going forward, and we hope to have those changes in place shortly."
The president's comments about Scarborough have also been posted to Facebook, which has 2.6 billion users.
In a statement, a Facebook spokesperson said the company does not remove "political speech" just because it may be seen as offensive, "as this content understandably is to the family of Lori Klausutis and others."
The Facebook spokesperson added that: "Speech from candidates and heads of state is among the most scrutinized content on our platform, which helps ensure people are held accountable for their words."
Twitter, which has some 330 million users, has had a longstanding practice of exempting world leaders from its content rules under a "newsworthiness" exemption. But the pandemic has caused it to revamp its policies.
Twitter officials now say posts by any user, even world leaders, are subject to carrying warning labels, or being removed altogether, if the content runs afoul of the guidance of leading public health agencies.
And it has made good on that promise by deleting tweets by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Bolsonaro praised the use of anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and called for an end to social distancing. And Maduro promoted a "natural brew" to remedy those infected with COVID-19.
Twitter said such posts violated its policies, but the company has never deleted a tweet by Trump.
NPR's Shannon Bond contributed to this report.


npr--2020-05-26--Trump's Threat To Move Convention Causes Overnight Scramble

President Trump wants an arena full of tens of thousands of excited Republicans in Charlotte this summer for the party 's national convention .
But the coronavirus is causing a lot of uncertainty , and North Carolina Democratic Gov .
Roy Cooper has n't been able to make assurances that such a gathering will be possible in August .
So , Trump picked a fight with Cooper in a series of tweets over the holiday weekend , demanding that he commit to allowing `` full attendance '' in Charlotte 's Spectrum Center , a 17,000-seat arena where the convention is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed it up on Tuesday afternoon with a deadline .
`` We have to know , yeah , I would say within a week that certainly we have to know , '' Trump said in answer to a question from a reporter .
`` Now if he ca n't do it .
If he feels that he 's not going to do it all he has to do is tell us and then we have to pick another location and I will tell you a lot of locations want it . ''
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lining up as alternative convention hosts , three months before the big event .
North Carolina is operating in phase two of its reopening plan , with any groups advised to be limited under 10 people while inside .
It 's not clear what phase the state will be in come Aug. 24 , when the Republican National Convention is scheduled to begin .
Cooper has said North Carolina is guided by public health and nothing else and is waiting for the RNC to provide a plan laying out how it would safely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not surprised by anything that I see on Twitter , '' Cooper said on Tuesday about the president 's comments .
`` I will say that it 's OK for political conventions to be political , but pandemic response can not be . ''
Before the pandemic , the Republican Party planned for a convention that would draw 50,000 party activists , elected officials and press to the Charlotte area .
And as recently as last Friday , GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said they were still planning for a big gathering , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early July to see what the public health situation looked like at that point .
`` We 've hired a safety expert , '' she told the news site The 19th .
`` We 're now working to make sure that we are putting contingencies together that we can , to put the safety of our convention goers first and foremost , but a lot of it is going to frankly come down to guidance from the governor and the mayor . ''
Then came the tweets from Trump , and McDaniel 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have it in North Carolina , the president loves North Carolina .
It 's just the governor , and he 's got to work with us '' McDaniel said on Fox and Friends .
`` This governor is up for reelection , he has n't given us the assurances we need .
We need to be able to move forward in a concrete way , '' she added .
Trump 's threat to move the convention , combined with a suggestion from Vice President Pence in an appearance on Fox News that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along in their reopening , like Texas , Florida or Georgia , set off a flurry of tweets and statements .
Gov .
Brian Kemp , R-Ga. , tweeted Tuesday , tagging the president 's account , `` With world-class facilities , restaurants , hotels , and workforce , Georgia would be honored to safely host the Republican National Convention . ''
Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis , a Republican Trump ally , told reporters his state would love to have the convention in Florida .
`` We 've let the folks at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work with them , and we think that would be a good thing to do , '' DeSantis said .
`` So he knows that , and I know key people in his administration and in his campaign know that . ''
The governor listed four major Florida cities he said could easily handle the convention .
But one of those cities , at least , is n't jumping at the chance .
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber , a Democrat , says his city is following the guidelines put out by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is hard to imagine at the moment .
`` I do n't know how you commit today to doing something in two months where you do n't know what the situation is going to be , '' Gelber told NPR .
`` You do n't know whether or not you 're gon na need to have proper social distancing with masks and all the other accouterments that we 've been told we have to follow . ''
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms , also a Democrat , said in a statement the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening .
`` That plan does not contemplate hosting a large gathering event in August , '' the statement said .
`` In fact , several long-standing City-supported and sponsored events have already been canceled in order to comply with CDC guidelines . ''
Meanwhile , Jacksonville , Fla. , Mayor Lenny Curry , a Republican , sent out a multi-tweet pitch for his city , pointing to the UFC fight it recently hosted .
For President Trump , who is constantly thinking like a TV producer , a convention is the ultimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on stage dramatically back-lit for effect with Queen 's `` We Are The Champions '' blaring .
This year , his campaign sees holding a big , in-person event as particularly symbolic .
`` This is an opportunity for America to see that we are coming back from this coronavirus pandemic , we are open again , and we can get back to work , get back to our lives , celebrate freedom , and do so in a way that also respects public health , '' said Marc Lotter , director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moving a convention is n't unprecedented , but it 's been a long time .
The last such change in plans came in 1972 , when Republicans switched from San Diego to Miami Beach to avoid a controversy .
But conventions have gotten vastly more complicated since then .
Planning for Charlotte has been going on for many months , according to Bill Harris , who has led or been involved with Republican convention planning going back to the 1980s .
He 's retired now , but told NPR he 'd expect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , transportation and security for the massive event .
Moving it would be a challenge .
`` You could do it , but the closer you get to the event itself , I mean , the harder it gets to do , '' he said .
Watching on TV , a convention can just look like a big rally , but it is so much more than that .
It 's a significant logistical undertaking , bringing together thousands of delegates to conduct official party business , in addition to packaging a campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nights .
Harris says decisions need to be made very soon , because the convention is set to kick off in less than three months .
Of course , as most Americans know all too well right now , long-term planning is nearly impossible in the face of an unpredictable and , at least in modern times , unprecedented pandemic .

Trump's Threat To Move Convention Causes Overnight Scramble
Enlarge this image toggle caption Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump wants an arena full of tens of thousands of excited Republicans in Charlotte this summer for the party's national convention. But the coronavirus is causing a lot of uncertainty, and North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper hasn't been able to make assurances that such a gathering will be possible in August.
So, Trump picked a fight with Cooper in a series of tweets over the holiday weekend, demanding that he commit to allowing "full attendance" in Charlotte's Spectrum Center, a 17,000-seat arena where the convention is set to be held, and Trump followed it up on Tuesday afternoon with a deadline.
"We have to know, yeah, I would say within a week that certainly we have to know," Trump said in answer to a question from a reporter. "Now if he can't do it. If he feels that he's not going to do it all he has to do is tell us and then we have to pick another location and I will tell you a lot of locations want it."
Trump now has Republican governors in other states lining up as alternative convention hosts, three months before the big event.
North Carolina is operating in phase two of its reopening plan, with any groups advised to be limited under 10 people while inside. It's not clear what phase the state will be in come Aug. 24, when the Republican National Convention is scheduled to begin.
Cooper has said North Carolina is guided by public health and nothing else and is waiting for the RNC to provide a plan laying out how it would safely hold its convention.
"I'm not surprised by anything that I see on Twitter," Cooper said on Tuesday about the president's comments. "I will say that it's OK for political conventions to be political, but pandemic response cannot be."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images
Before the pandemic, the Republican Party planned for a convention that would draw 50,000 party activists, elected officials and press to the Charlotte area. And as recently as last Friday, GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said they were still planning for a big gathering, but would be waiting for late June or early July to see what the public health situation looked like at that point.
"We've hired a safety expert," she told the news site The 19th. "We're now working to make sure that we are putting contingencies together that we can, to put the safety of our convention goers first and foremost, but a lot of it is going to frankly come down to guidance from the governor and the mayor."
Then came the tweets from Trump, and McDaniel's tone changed.
"We want to have it in North Carolina, the president loves North Carolina. It's just the governor, and he's got to work with us" McDaniel said on Fox and Friends. "This governor is up for reelection, he hasn't given us the assurances we need. We need to be able to move forward in a concrete way," she added.
Trump's threat to move the convention, combined with a suggestion from Vice President Pence in an appearance on Fox News that they would look to states that were further along in their reopening, like Texas, Florida or Georgia, set off a flurry of tweets and statements.
Gov. Brian Kemp, R-Ga., tweeted Tuesday, tagging the president's account, "With world-class facilities, restaurants, hotels, and workforce, Georgia would be honored to safely host the Republican National Convention."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican Trump ally, told reporters his state would love to have the convention in Florida.
"We've let the folks at the White House know that we want to work with them, and we think that would be a good thing to do," DeSantis said. "So he knows that, and I know key people in his administration and in his campaign know that." The governor listed four major Florida cities he said could easily handle the convention.
But one of those cities, at least, isn't jumping at the chance. Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, a Democrat, says his city is following the guidelines put out by the CDC and a big in-person convention is hard to imagine at the moment.
"I don't know how you commit today to doing something in two months where you don't know what the situation is going to be," Gelber told NPR. "You don't know whether or not you're gonna need to have proper social distancing with masks and all the other accouterments that we've been told we have to follow."
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, also a Democrat, said in a statement the city is following CDC guidelines for a phased reopening. "That plan does not contemplate hosting a large gathering event in August," the statement said. "In fact, several long-standing City-supported and sponsored events have already been canceled in order to comply with CDC guidelines."
Meanwhile, Jacksonville, Fla., Mayor Lenny Curry, a Republican, sent out a multi-tweet pitch for his city, pointing to the UFC fight it recently hosted.
For President Trump, who is constantly thinking like a TV producer, a convention is the ultimate showcase. In 2016, he walked on stage dramatically back-lit for effect with Queen's "We Are The Champions" blaring.
This year, his campaign sees holding a big, in-person event as particularly symbolic.
"This is an opportunity for America to see that we are coming back from this coronavirus pandemic, we are open again, and we can get back to work, get back to our lives, celebrate freedom, and do so in a way that also respects public health," said Marc Lotter, director of strategic communications for the Trump campaign.
Moving a convention isn't unprecedented, but it's been a long time. The last such change in plans came in 1972, when Republicans switched from San Diego to Miami Beach to avoid a controversy. But conventions have gotten vastly more complicated since then.
Planning for Charlotte has been going on for many months, according to Bill Harris, who has led or been involved with Republican convention planning going back to the 1980s. He's retired now, but told NPR he'd expect the plans are already in place for lodging, transportation and security for the massive event. Moving it would be a challenge.
"You could do it, but the closer you get to the event itself, I mean, the harder it gets to do," he said.
Watching on TV, a convention can just look like a big rally, but it is so much more than that. It's a significant logistical undertaking, bringing together thousands of delegates to conduct official party business, in addition to packaging a campaign message for the presidential candidate over several nights.
Harris says decisions need to be made very soon, because the convention is set to kick off in less than three months.
Of course, as most Americans know all too well right now, long-term planning is nearly impossible in the face of an unpredictable and, at least in modern times, unprecedented pandemic.


npr--2020-05-26--Trump Unveils Plan To Cap Insulin Costs For Seniors, Takes Jabs At Biden

Trump Unveils Plan To Cap Insulin Costs For Seniors , Takes Jabs At Biden Seniors with diabetes will be able to sign up for Medicare plans that cap their co-payments for insulin at $ 35 a month beginning next year , the White House announced on Tuesday .
The news comes as some polls show Trump 's support slipping with seniors , a voting bloc that may play a pivotal role in the November election .
In 2016 , he won over older voters , but recent polls show him trailing Democratic challenger Joe Biden .
The new options for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an agreement reached by the Trump administration with insulin manufacturers and major insurance companies .
`` This is a big day for seniors , '' President Trump said in a Rose Garden speech where he took the opportunity to take several direct swings at Biden over health care issues .
`` We brought all of the parties to the table — insurers , manufacturers , and other key players — and reached an agreement to deliver insulin at stable and drastically lower out-of-pocket cost for our seniors .
I hope the seniors are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the one that put us into the jam , because they did n't know what they were doing , '' Trump said .
Trump has long pledged to take action to lower prescription drug costs , but has failed to forge common ground with Congress on the issue .
Democrats passed a bill in the House of Representatives last year that would see the government negotiate prices for expensive drugs , pegged to costs in other countries .
Some Senate Republicans have backed a more modest plan to limit Medicare prescription costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oppose interfering in the market .
More than 3 million people on Medicare use insulin to control their diabetes , according to the White House .
Seema Verma , who heads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services , said plans that offer the insulin cap will have more expensive premiums , costing about $ 17 more per month than the average cost of basic plans .
`` In exchange for a minimal premium increase , beneficiaries get a maximum fixed $ 35 co-pay for a month 's supply of insulin , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She said that ultimately seniors will save 66 % on their insulin costs .
Verma said that if the deal capping costs on insulin is successful , the administration will attempt to take similar action with other expensive drugs .

Trump Unveils Plan To Cap Insulin Costs For Seniors, Takes Jabs At Biden
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Seniors with diabetes will be able to sign up for Medicare plans that cap their co-payments for insulin at $35 a month beginning next year, the White House announced on Tuesday.
The news comes as some polls show Trump's support slipping with seniors, a voting bloc that may play a pivotal role in the November election. In 2016, he won over older voters, but recent polls show him trailing Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
The new options for reducing insulin costs are the result of an agreement reached by the Trump administration with insulin manufacturers and major insurance companies.
"This is a big day for seniors," President Trump said in a Rose Garden speech where he took the opportunity to take several direct swings at Biden over health care issues.
"We brought all of the parties to the table — insurers, manufacturers, and other key players — and reached an agreement to deliver insulin at stable and drastically lower out-of-pocket cost for our seniors. I hope the seniors are going to remember it, because Biden is the one that put us into the jam, because they didn't know what they were doing," Trump said.
Trump has long pledged to take action to lower prescription drug costs, but has failed to forge common ground with Congress on the issue. Democrats passed a bill in the House of Representatives last year that would see the government negotiate prices for expensive drugs, pegged to costs in other countries.
Some Senate Republicans have backed a more modest plan to limit Medicare prescription costs, but others in Trump's party oppose interfering in the market.
More than 3 million people on Medicare use insulin to control their diabetes, according to the White House.
Seema Verma, who heads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said plans that offer the insulin cap will have more expensive premiums, costing about $17 more per month than the average cost of basic plans.
"In exchange for a minimal premium increase, beneficiaries get a maximum fixed $35 co-pay for a month's supply of insulin," Verma said on a call with reporters. She said that ultimately seniors will save 66% on their insulin costs.
Verma said that if the deal capping costs on insulin is successful, the administration will attempt to take similar action with other expensive drugs.


npr--2020-05-26--Obituary Writer Aims To Show How Coronavirus Impacts 'All People In Our Society'

Obituary Writer Aims To Show How Coronavirus Impacts 'All People In Our Society' As the number of COVID-19 deaths continues its upward march , many of the rituals designed to help people navigate the loss of a loved one are n't possible .
One rite of grief that is still happening is the obituary .
But with the sheer number of deaths , obituary writers ca n't write one for every victim of the coronavirus , says Maureen O'Donnell , who 's been an obituary writer for the Chicago Sun-Times for more than a decade .
`` So , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' O'Donnell tells All Things Considered .
`` We study the death notices , the requests for obituaries .
We do the best we can telling a variety of stories — about people from every ethnicity , every profession , every age level — to show the story of how this is impacting all people in our society . ''
Here are excerpts from the interview .
Have you heard back from anyone , family member or friend , who you wrote an obituary for their loved ones during this pandemic , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and say `` thank you '' ?
There was a woman I wrote about named Emilia Pontarelli , who immigrated to the U.S. from Italy , and she came to Chicago and moved to the Northwest Side .
She worked at Tony 's Italian Deli , which was the family business .
And Emilia Pontarelli would often comment as people came through the cash register , where she was stationed , she 'd look at what you were buying and say , `` Ah , Mama 's cooking for you tonight . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a woman who — when she was 12 or 14 years old — the Nazis came to her town in Italy , and her relatives told me her father literally had to pull her back .
Nothing stopped her .
Even when she was into her 80s , she would challenge relatives to arm wrestle .
A lot of people might have thought writing obituaries sounds depressing , you 're writing about death .
But you 're writing about life .
I hear such joy in your voice , in the details that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share about these people 's lives .
I 'm the former president of the Society of Professional Obituary Writers and a more fun , more empathetic group you 'll never find .
We get together and we can talk for days .
From my perspective , when I was a reporter covering crimes where , for example , young children had been killed , maybe a case of child abuse , or maybe a bullet intended for someone else that killed an innocent child , that to me is very hard .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who 's had a chance to have a career and get married , and achieve their goal of going to Antarctica , and seeing their great-grandchildren grow up , and having the best pumpkin pie recipe for 40 miles — all those things temper the sadness of the end of a life .
And I think a good obituary brings them back to life again .
Listen to the full interview at the audio link above .

Obituary Writer Aims To Show How Coronavirus Impacts 'All People In Our Society'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brian Snyder/Reuters Brian Snyder/Reuters
As the number of COVID-19 deaths continues its upward march, many of the rituals designed to help people navigate the loss of a loved one aren't possible.
One rite of grief that is still happening is the obituary. But with the sheer number of deaths, obituary writers can't write one for every victim of the coronavirus, says Maureen O'Donnell, who's been an obituary writer for the Chicago Sun-Times for more than a decade.
"So, we're doing what I call triage," O'Donnell tells All Things Considered. "We study the death notices, the requests for obituaries. We do the best we can telling a variety of stories — about people from every ethnicity, every profession, every age level — to show the story of how this is impacting all people in our society."
Here are excerpts from the interview.
Have you heard back from anyone, family member or friend, who you wrote an obituary for their loved ones during this pandemic, and they wanted to get back to you and say "thank you"?
There was a woman I wrote about named Emilia Pontarelli, who immigrated to the U.S. from Italy, and she came to Chicago and moved to the Northwest Side. She worked at Tony's Italian Deli, which was the family business. And Emilia Pontarelli would often comment as people came through the cash register, where she was stationed, she'd look at what you were buying and say, "Ah, Mama's cooking for you tonight."
She was very feisty. This was a woman who — when she was 12 or 14 years old — the Nazis came to her town in Italy, and her relatives told me her father literally had to pull her back. Nothing stopped her. Even when she was into her 80s, she would challenge relatives to arm wrestle.
A lot of people might have thought writing obituaries sounds depressing. You're writing about death. But you're writing about life. I hear such joy in your voice, in the details that you've learned and you want to share about these people's lives.
I'm the former president of the Society of Professional Obituary Writers and a more fun, more empathetic group you'll never find. We get together and we can talk for days.
From my perspective, when I was a reporter covering crimes where, for example, young children had been killed, maybe a case of child abuse, or maybe a bullet intended for someone else that killed an innocent child, that to me is very hard.
But when you're writing about an octogenarian who's had a chance to have a career and get married, and achieve their goal of going to Antarctica, and seeing their great-grandchildren grow up, and having the best pumpkin pie recipe for 40 miles — all those things temper the sadness of the end of a life. And I think a good obituary brings them back to life again.
Listen to the full interview at the audio link above.


npr--2020-05-26--Justice Department Closes Investigations Of 3 Senators; Burr Inquiry Continues

The Justice Department has closed investigations into stock sales made by three senators shortly before financial markets tanked because of the coronavirus pandemic , according to an individual familiar with the matter .
Sens .
Dianne Feinstein , D-Calif. ; Kelly Loeffler , R-Ga. ; and James Inhofe , R-Okla. , were notified of the decision on Tuesday .
The Justice Department 's insider-trading investigation into another senator , North Carolina Republican Richard Burr , remains open , the individual said .
The person asked not to be identified discussing the politically sensitive cases , which were first reported by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department declined to comment .
All four lawmakers came under scrutiny after making stock trades worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in late January and early February — before markets collapsed as the public became fully aware of the scale of the threat from the coronavirus .
The senators had received briefings on the virus before they made the transactions , which fueled questions about whether they were trading on non-public information .
All the senators involved have denied any wrongdoing .
Feinstein , Loeffler and Inhofe have said others , including family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trades on their behalf .
A spokesperson for Loeffler called the news a `` clear exoneration '' that `` affirms what Senator Loeffler has said all along—she did nothing wrong . ''
There was no immediate comment from Feinstein or Inhofe .
Burr 's trades , which were worth up to $ 1.7 million , have drawn the most scrutiny , and he remains under investigation .
The FBI executed a search warrant for his cellphone earlier this month — a major step in the probe .
It meant investigators were able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a crime had been committed and that there was likely evidence of that crime on Burr 's phone .
The decision to seek a warrant was approved at the highest levels of the Justice Department given the sensitivities involved in an investigation into a sitting senator .
Burr has denied any wrongdoing and says he is cooperating with the investigation .
Burr has said he based his trading decisions off public reports about the effects of the coronavirus inside China , where it originated , and not information to which he was privy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he announced earlier this month he would step aside as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee until the investigation concludes .

Justice Department Closes Investigations Of 3 Senators; Burr Inquiry Continues
Enlarge this image toggle caption Win McNamee/AP Win McNamee/AP
The Justice Department has closed investigations into stock sales made by three senators shortly before financial markets tanked because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to an individual familiar with the matter.
Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga.; and James Inhofe, R-Okla., were notified of the decision on Tuesday. The Justice Department's insider-trading investigation into another senator, North Carolina Republican Richard Burr, remains open, the individual said.
The person asked not to be identified discussing the politically sensitive cases, which were first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The Justice Department declined to comment.
All four lawmakers came under scrutiny after making stock trades worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in late January and early February — before markets collapsed as the public became fully aware of the scale of the threat from the coronavirus.
The senators had received briefings on the virus before they made the transactions, which fueled questions about whether they were trading on non-public information.
All the senators involved have denied any wrongdoing.
Feinstein, Loeffler and Inhofe have said others, including family members or investment advisers, made the trades on their behalf.
The NPR Politics Podcast Supreme Court Considers Limits—If Any—On Trump's Power Supreme Court Considers Limits—If Any—On Trump's Power Listen · 25:08 25:08
A spokesperson for Loeffler called the news a "clear exoneration" that "affirms what Senator Loeffler has said all along—she did nothing wrong."
There was no immediate comment from Feinstein or Inhofe.
Senator Burr
Burr's trades, which were worth up to $1.7 million, have drawn the most scrutiny, and he remains under investigation.
The FBI executed a search warrant for his cellphone earlier this month — a major step in the probe. It meant investigators were able to show a federal judge probable cause that a crime had been committed and that there was likely evidence of that crime on Burr's phone.
The decision to seek a warrant was approved at the highest levels of the Justice Department given the sensitivities involved in an investigation into a sitting senator.
Burr has denied any wrongdoing and says he is cooperating with the investigation.
Burr has said he based his trading decisions off public reports about the effects of the coronavirus inside China, where it originated, and not information to which he was privy because of his position.
Still, he announced earlier this month he would step aside as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee until the investigation concludes.


npr--2020-05-27--Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: 100,000 Deaths, Religion And The Future Of Work

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions : 100,000 Deaths , Religion And The Future Of Work On this broadcast of The National @ @ @ @ @ on experiences from Asian American listeners who have faced racism and discrimination during the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ your questions about religious practices , health insurance and the future of work .

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: 100,000 Deaths, Religion And The Future Of Work
Enlarge this image toggle caption Stephanie Keith/Getty Images Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
On this broadcast of The National Conversation, we'll reflect on experiences from Asian American listeners who have faced racism and discrimination during the pandemic. We'll also answer your questions about religious practices, health insurance and the future of work.


npr--2020-05-27--LA Sues California Company, Alleging 'Sophisticated' COVID-19 Fraud

The city attorney of Los Angeles announced Wednesday that his office is suing Wellness Matrix Group for allegedly engaging in a `` fraudulent scheme '' related to the COVID-19 pandemic that was both `` sophisticated '' and `` wide ranging . ''
The lawsuit alleges that the California-based company sold purported `` at-home '' tests for the coronavirus , falsely claiming that the tests were FDA approved .
The company also sold a supposedly coronavirus-killing `` virucide , '' claiming that the product could `` build a force field around your event or even spray your entire city . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Feuer calls `` shocking deceptive conduct , '' the company allegedly `` attached false government registration numbers to these products and fabricated phony scientific studies and white papers to substantiate their false claims . ''
`` Defendants have acted in a manner that puts the health and lives of Californians at risk in order to cash in from the sale of fraudulent products during a public health crisis , '' the lawsuit states .
The city attorney has sued not only Wellness Matrix Group , but also two figures connected to the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and George Todt , who has represented himself as a `` sales rep '' and director of business affairs for the company .
Feuer also said Wednesday that Migliorini , Todt and the company had recently attempted to `` expand their unlawful scheme '' by selling their products to local governments in California .
The city attorney 's lawsuit is seeking an injunction to halt the company 's alleged false advertising , as well as civil penalties and restitution for alleged victims .
In an emailed statement , William Dailey , an attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said his clients have been `` falsely accused , '' and that they `` categorically deny all allegations of wrong-doing . ''
`` It is unfortunate that a molehill is being blown up into this inaccurate mountain that wildly misstates the facts , '' Dailey 's statement contended .
Todt also denied the charges , and said in an email , `` my intentions were 200 % humanitarian and for improved quality of choice in a civil liberties enlightenment . ''
Wellness Matrix Group first came to the attention of the city attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April .
Multiple people who bought the supposed `` at-home '' tests online told NPR they believed the company had preyed on their fears about the virus , and had duped them into buying tests , which never arrived .
Since NPR 's reporting , most - but not all - of those customers have said they received a refund .
Federal officials have also taken notice of Wellness Matrix Group .
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi , D-Ill. , and Rep. Katie Porter , D-Calif. , launched an investigation .
And the Securities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company 's shares .
Across the country , federal , state and local law enforcement have vowed to crack down on alleged fraud related to the pandemic , including fake testing kits or fake treatments for the disease .
Officials have emphasized the importance of accurate information in combating the virus 's spread .
`` Defendants ' unlawful business practices are more than a scam , '' the lawsuit states , `` they are a threat to public health . ''

LA Sues California Company, Alleging 'Sophisticated' COVID-19 Fraud
Enlarge this image toggle caption Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
The city attorney of Los Angeles announced Wednesday that his office is suing Wellness Matrix Group for allegedly engaging in a "fraudulent scheme" related to the COVID-19 pandemic that was both "sophisticated" and "wide ranging."
The lawsuit alleges that the California-based company sold purported "at-home" tests for the coronavirus, falsely claiming that the tests were FDA approved. The company also sold a supposedly coronavirus-killing "virucide," claiming that the product could "build a force field around your event or even spray your entire city."
As part of what city attorney Mike Feuer calls "shocking deceptive conduct," the company allegedly "attached false government registration numbers to these products and fabricated phony scientific studies and white papers to substantiate their false claims."
"Defendants have acted in a manner that puts the health and lives of Californians at risk in order to cash in from the sale of fraudulent products during a public health crisis," the lawsuit states.
The city attorney has sued not only Wellness Matrix Group, but also two figures connected to the company: Barry Migliorini, the CEO, and George Todt, who has represented himself as a "sales rep" and director of business affairs for the company.
Feuer also said Wednesday that Migliorini, Todt and the company had recently attempted to "expand their unlawful scheme" by selling their products to local governments in California. The city attorney's lawsuit is seeking an injunction to halt the company's alleged false advertising, as well as civil penalties and restitution for alleged victims.
In an emailed statement, William Dailey, an attorney for Wellness Matrix Group and Migliorini, said his clients have been "falsely accused," and that they "categorically deny all allegations of wrong-doing."
"It is unfortunate that a molehill is being blown up into this inaccurate mountain that wildly misstates the facts," Dailey's statement contended.
Todt also denied the charges, and said in an email, "my intentions were 200% humanitarian and for improved quality of choice in a civil liberties enlightenment."
Wellness Matrix Group first came to the attention of the city attorney's office through NPR's reporting in April.
Multiple people who bought the supposed "at-home" tests online told NPR they believed the company had preyed on their fears about the virus, and had duped them into buying tests, which never arrived. Since NPR's reporting, most - but not all - of those customers have said they received a refund.
Federal officials have also taken notice of Wellness Matrix Group. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., launched an investigation. And the Securities and Exchange Commission temporarily suspended public trading of the company's shares.
Across the country, federal, state and local law enforcement have vowed to crack down on alleged fraud related to the pandemic, including fake testing kits or fake treatments for the disease. Officials have emphasized the importance of accurate information in combating the virus's spread.
"Defendants' unlawful business practices are more than a scam," the lawsuit states, "they are a threat to public health."


npr--2020-05-27--'We're Running Out Of Time': Census Turns To Congress To Push Deadlines

'We 're Running Out Of Time ' : Census Turns To Congress To Push Deadlines A group of House Democrats introduced a bill Wednesday that would push back major deadlines for the 2020 census as requested by the U.S. Census Bureau because of the coronavirus pandemic .
While the bureau has collected responses from some 89 million households so far , primarily online , officials at the bureau say they will not be able to deliver to the president by the end of this year the latest state population numbers used to redistribute congressional seats and Electoral College votes among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We have passed the point where we could even meet the current legislative requirement of Dec. 31 .
We ca n't do that anymore , '' Tim Olson , the head of field operations for this year 's national head count , said Tuesday during a webinar organized by the National Congress of American Indians .
`` We 're hopeful Congress will take action . ''
Last month , bureau officials told members of the U.S. Congress they also need more time to prepare the detailed census data currently due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2021 .
Four-month deadline extensions were included in the latest coronavirus relief package the House passed earlier this month .
But with bipartisan talks with the Republican-led Senate and the Trump administration stalled , Rep. Jimmy Gomez , D-Calif. , says he helped introduce the new House bill Wednesday to try to get clarity about the census timeline sooner .
Gomez tells NPR he 's worried that negotiations over the next relief package could spill into late June or early July , and he has been `` in conversations '' with counterparts in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Capitol Hill to introduce a similar bill .
`` We 're running out of time , '' Gomez says .
`` If we do n't get our act together , the states are going to have some serious problems moving forward . ''
The National Conference of State Legislatures ' executive director , Tim Storey , flagged the `` conundrum '' facing many states in a letter this week to Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham .
`` Census delays present serious hurdles for states constrained by state constitutional and statutory requirements for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For now , the Census Bureau says it 's planning to keep counting for the 2020 census through Oct. 31 , although it has yet to announce any new plans for going door to door to complete the count in some American Indian tribal territories that remain on lockdown , or for counting people experiencing homelessness .
This week , a group of Senate Democrats led by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California asked Dillingham to provide by June 2 a detailed explanation of the bureau 's next steps for counting the homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national self-response rate was a sliver of a percentage point away from the bureau 's pre-pandemic benchmark of 60.5 % .
Bureau officials were hoping to reach that rate by the end of April before sending door knockers out to visit unresponsive homes that had been asked to fill out forms themselves but had n't done so yet .
The coronavirus has forced the bureau to delay the start of that door knocking until Aug. 11 .
This month , the bureau started sending out census workers again to some rural areas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that have been waiting for months to have paper forms left outside of their front doors .

'We're Running Out Of Time': Census Turns To Congress To Push Deadlines
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ted S. Warren/AP Ted S. Warren/AP
A group of House Democrats introduced a bill Wednesday that would push back major deadlines for the 2020 census as requested by the U.S. Census Bureau because of the coronavirus pandemic.
While the bureau has collected responses from some 89 million households so far, primarily online, officials at the bureau say they will not be able to deliver to the president by the end of this year the latest state population numbers used to redistribute congressional seats and Electoral College votes among the states as required by federal law.
"We have passed the point where we could even meet the current legislative requirement of Dec. 31. We can't do that anymore," Tim Olson, the head of field operations for this year's national head count, said Tuesday during a webinar organized by the National Congress of American Indians. "We're hopeful Congress will take action."
Last month, bureau officials told members of the U.S. Congress they also need more time to prepare the detailed census data currently due to state redistricting officials by March 31, 2021.
Four-month deadline extensions were included in the latest coronavirus relief package the House passed earlier this month.
But with bipartisan talks with the Republican-led Senate and the Trump administration stalled, Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., says he helped introduce the new House bill Wednesday to try to get clarity about the census timeline sooner.
Gomez tells NPR he's worried that negotiations over the next relief package could spill into late June or early July, and he has been "in conversations" with counterparts in the Senate to encourage the other side of Capitol Hill to introduce a similar bill.
"We're running out of time," Gomez says. "If we don't get our act together, the states are going to have some serious problems moving forward."
The National Conference of State Legislatures' executive director, Tim Storey, flagged the "conundrum" facing many states in a letter this week to Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham.
"Census delays present serious hurdles for states constrained by state constitutional and statutory requirements for districting and elections," Storey wrote.
For now, the Census Bureau says it's planning to keep counting for the 2020 census through Oct. 31, although it has yet to announce any new plans for going door to door to complete the count in some American Indian tribal territories that remain on lockdown, or for counting people experiencing homelessness.
This week, a group of Senate Democrats led by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California asked Dillingham to provide by June 2 a detailed explanation of the bureau's next steps for counting the homeless population.
As of Tuesday, the national self-response rate was a sliver of a percentage point away from the bureau's pre-pandemic benchmark of 60.5%. Bureau officials were hoping to reach that rate by the end of April before sending door knockers out to visit unresponsive homes that had been asked to fill out forms themselves but hadn't done so yet.
The coronavirus has forced the bureau to delay the start of that door knocking until Aug. 11. This month, the bureau started sending out census workers again to some rural areas, as well as communities in Puerto Rico, that have been waiting for months to have paper forms left outside of their front doors.