npr--2020-03-05--The Mexican Mothers Who Make A Grim Yearly Search For Missing Loved Ones

The Mexican Mothers Who Make A Grim Yearly Search For Missing Loved Ones Editor 's note : This story includes graphic descriptions of the search for human remains .
Manky Lugo has developed a gruesome expertise .
Like a human bloodhound , she sniffs out traces of death .
Her gray hair wrapped in a bright-green bandanna , the 64-year-old applies her skill during an annual search for remains of fellow citizens who have vanished without a trace — victims of Mexico 's drug wars and armed groups .
A loved one of her own is among the missing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Juan Francisco , who disappeared on June 19 , 2015 , '' she says .
`` Three days after he went missing , I started searching for him and have n't stopped since . ''
Lugo is one of hundreds of Mexican citizens from across the country who spent two weeks in February in and around the eastern city of Poza Rica , Veracruz , searching for clandestine graves .
All are hoping to find their missing loved ones .
Like most other mothers in this sad collective , Lugo does n't want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have fallen victim to violence .
She will only say that he worked in the local mayor 's office .
When others think they might have found a clandestine gravesite , they call Lugo over with her long , pointed metal stick .
`` I plunge the stick in as far as I can and then pull it out and smell the tip .
If it smells like dead body , it 's positive , '' she says .
`` It 's terrible , but you have to smell it .
That 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Mexican government released a report , revising upward its estimate of the number of citizens who have disappeared to 61,637 , up from 40,000 reported in April 2018 .
Many of the cases date back to the 1960s .
But more than 97 % were only reported much later , starting in 2006 , when Felipe Calderón , then the president , declared war against the drug cartels .
Most of the missing are men who were in their 20s , and most are believed to have been victims of drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have run afoul of corrupt politicians or police .
Mexico has experienced record-breaking violence in the past decade .
Homicides topped nearly 35,000 last year , making 2019 the most violent year since Mexico began keeping such records .
Five thousand Mexicans went missing last year .
The search for them has mostly fallen to ordinary citizens .
Nearly 100 `` collectives '' have sprouted up across the country as mothers and some other relatives embark on the gruesome searches themselves .
Once a year , for the past five years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring attention to their cause .
This year 's joint search brought a large group to an abandoned house in the woods outside Poza Rica .
Residents say the grounds were used by a criminal cartel to torture , kill and then incinerate rivals .
The yard is roped off with yellow police tape .
Six women at a time don white hazmat suits and enter the area .
They shuffle past uniformed agents sent to guard the site .
There are mounds of ash inside and all around a giant outdoor oven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a huge wooden sieve filled with ash and sift it , hoping to uncover bone fragments or teeth .
Authorities have investigated this site before , but families of the missing say they did n't do a thorough job .
`` It 's an embarrassment for the Mexican state that we , the families , are the ones doing the searching , '' says Mario Vergara Hernández , who came from the state of Guerrero , some 400 miles away , to help out .
`` They are the specialists .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the money to do the work , and they do n't .
Our technology is just our feet , our shovels and picks , '' he says .
He has been searching for his brother who was kidnapped eight years ago and has n't been heard from since .
Remains discovered three years ago at the site have yet to be submitted for DNA identification .
Local investigators and federal authorities declined NPR 's request for comment , and police at the scene refused to talk to reporters .
President Andrés Manuel López @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help families in their search for loved ones .
His appointee to head the National Search Commission for the Disappeared , Karla Quintana Osuna , declined NPR 's request for an interview , but has called the high number of missing Mexico 's `` statistic of horror . ''
She insists nationwide coordination to find the missing has been improving in recent years .
In Veracruz , friends Teresa Figueroa and Rosa María Velásquez , both in their early 60s , arrived to lend a hand in the annual search .
They 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more than 1,000 miles north of Veracruz , to be part of the annual search group , even though they do n't expect to find traces of their sons here .
They , too , are reluctant to say why their sons may have disappeared .
Manelick Ayala Velásquez vanished on Sept. 27 , 2017 , after walking to a local convenience store in the evening .
He was never heard from again .
Figueroa says her son , Raul Velez Figueroa , left home on Dec. 27 , 2013 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , either .
Figueroa , whose high-painted brows frame her sunken , sad eyes , says , `` They have the right to be searched for , and we have the right to search for them . ''
Mirna Nereida Medina Quiñones is one of the lucky ones .
She found the remains of her son Roberto on July 14 , 2017 , in her home state of Sinaloa , about 2 1/2 years after he disappeared .
`` I saw his socks , things he sold in his little shop , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gravesite that her local collective was searching .
`` I got in the grave and started looking for parts .
In the end , we found his skull , ribs and one arm , we did n't find any more . ''
Her son 's body parts were released to her after positive DNA identification , and she says she was able to give him a proper burial .
Medina Quiñones says she believes a rival business owner killed her son because Roberto was more successful at selling computer parts .
Most homicides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 98 % of crimes going unsolved .
Even though she has found her own son , Medina Quiñones sticks with her group of mothers , searching for their missing .
`` It 's like a way to thank those that have helped find our loved ones , '' she says .
`` We keep searching for the others . ''
For those searching in Veracruz this year , their annual expedition ended with a demonstration on the steps of city hall in downtown Poza Rica .
They want all levels of government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities do provide vehicles , gasoline and police security for the relatives during the annual search effort .
But so much more is needed , the families say .
`` Where are our children ?
Where are they ? ''
they chant .
They want local investigators to search 12 suspicious new sites they uncovered this year and to process bone fragments and teeth they found in the ashes at the abandoned cartel house .
For Rosa María Velásquez , she may not have found the closure she was seeking , but this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I feel useful here , helping out , '' she says .
`` I may not have found my own son , but maybe I helped another family find theirs . ''

The Mexican Mothers Who Make A Grim Yearly Search For Missing Loved Ones
Enlarge this image toggle caption Victoria Razo for NPR Victoria Razo for NPR
Editor's note: This story includes graphic descriptions of the search for human remains.
Manky Lugo has developed a gruesome expertise. Like a human bloodhound, she sniffs out traces of death.
Her gray hair wrapped in a bright-green bandanna, the 64-year-old applies her skill during an annual search for remains of fellow citizens who have vanished without a trace — victims of Mexico's drug wars and armed groups. A loved one of her own is among the missing.
"I'm looking for my son Juan Francisco, who disappeared on June 19, 2015," she says. "Three days after he went missing, I started searching for him and haven't stopped since."
Lugo is one of hundreds of Mexican citizens from across the country who spent two weeks in February in and around the eastern city of Poza Rica, Veracruz, searching for clandestine graves. All are hoping to find their missing loved ones.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Victoria Razo for NPR Victoria Razo for NPR
Like most other mothers in this sad collective, Lugo doesn't want to talk about why her son may have fallen victim to violence. She will only say that he worked in the local mayor's office.
When others think they might have found a clandestine gravesite, they call Lugo over with her long, pointed metal stick.
"I plunge the stick in as far as I can and then pull it out and smell the tip. If it smells like dead body, it's positive," she says. "It's terrible, but you have to smell it. That's my job now."
In January, the Mexican government released a report, revising upward its estimate of the number of citizens who have disappeared to 61,637, up from 40,000 reported in April 2018.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Victoria Razo for NPR Victoria Razo for NPR
Many of the cases date back to the 1960s. But more than 97% were only reported much later, starting in 2006, when Felipe Calderón, then the president, declared war against the drug cartels.
Most of the missing are men who were in their 20s, and most are believed to have been victims of drug traffickers or organized crime gangs. Others may have run afoul of corrupt politicians or police. Mexico has experienced record-breaking violence in the past decade. Homicides topped nearly 35,000 last year, making 2019 the most violent year since Mexico began keeping such records.
Five thousand Mexicans went missing last year. The search for them has mostly fallen to ordinary citizens. Nearly 100 "collectives" have sprouted up across the country as mothers and some other relatives embark on the gruesome searches themselves. Once a year, for the past five years, the collectives gather to work together and bring attention to their cause. This year's joint search brought a large group to an abandoned house in the woods outside Poza Rica.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Victoria Razo for NPR Victoria Razo for NPR
Enlarge this image toggle caption Victoria Razo for NPR Victoria Razo for NPR
Residents say the grounds were used by a criminal cartel to torture, kill and then incinerate rivals.
The yard is roped off with yellow police tape. Six women at a time don white hazmat suits and enter the area. They shuffle past uniformed agents sent to guard the site.
There are mounds of ash inside and all around a giant outdoor oven. The women stand at opposite ends of a huge wooden sieve filled with ash and sift it, hoping to uncover bone fragments or teeth.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Victoria Razo for NPR Victoria Razo for NPR
Enlarge this image toggle caption Victoria Razo for NPR Victoria Razo for NPR
Authorities have investigated this site before, but families of the missing say they didn't do a thorough job.
"It's an embarrassment for the Mexican state that we, the families, are the ones doing the searching," says Mario Vergara Hernández, who came from the state of Guerrero, some 400 miles away, to help out. "They are the specialists. They have the salaries, the technology and the money to do the work, and they don't. Our technology is just our feet, our shovels and picks," he says.
He has been searching for his brother who was kidnapped eight years ago and hasn't been heard from since.
Remains discovered three years ago at the site have yet to be submitted for DNA identification. Local investigators and federal authorities declined NPR's request for comment, and police at the scene refused to talk to reporters.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has vowed to do more to help families in their search for loved ones. His appointee to head the National Search Commission for the Disappeared, Karla Quintana Osuna, declined NPR's request for an interview, but has called the high number of missing Mexico's "statistic of horror." She insists nationwide coordination to find the missing has been improving in recent years.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Victoria Razo for NPR Victoria Razo for NPR
Enlarge this image toggle caption Victoria Razo for NPR Victoria Razo for NPR
In Veracruz, friends Teresa Figueroa and Rosa María Velásquez, both in their early 60s, arrived to lend a hand in the annual search. They've traveled far, from Baja California state, more than 1,000 miles north of Veracruz, to be part of the annual search group, even though they don't expect to find traces of their sons here.
They, too, are reluctant to say why their sons may have disappeared. Manelick Ayala Velásquez vanished on Sept. 27, 2017, after walking to a local convenience store in the evening. He was never heard from again. Figueroa says her son, Raul Velez Figueroa, left home on Dec. 27, 2013, and she has not heard from him since, either.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Victoria Razo for NPR Victoria Razo for NPR
Figueroa, whose high-painted brows frame her sunken, sad eyes, says, "They have the right to be searched for, and we have the right to search for them."
Mirna Nereida Medina Quiñones is one of the lucky ones. She found the remains of her son Roberto on July 14, 2017, in her home state of Sinaloa, about 2 1/2 years after he disappeared.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Victoria Razo for NPR Victoria Razo for NPR
"I saw his socks, things he sold in his little shop," she says, all around a hidden gravesite that her local collective was searching. "I got in the grave and started looking for parts. In the end, we found his skull, ribs and one arm, we didn't find any more."
Her son's body parts were released to her after positive DNA identification, and she says she was able to give him a proper burial.
Medina Quiñones says she believes a rival business owner killed her son because Roberto was more successful at selling computer parts. Most homicides don't get solved in Mexico, with 98% of crimes going unsolved.
Even though she has found her own son, Medina Quiñones sticks with her group of mothers, searching for their missing.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Victoria Razo for NPR Victoria Razo for NPR
"It's like a way to thank those that have helped find our loved ones," she says. "We keep searching for the others."
For those searching in Veracruz this year, their annual expedition ended with a demonstration on the steps of city hall in downtown Poza Rica. They want all levels of government to do more.
Federal and state authorities do provide vehicles, gasoline and police security for the relatives during the annual search effort. But so much more is needed, the families say.
"Where are our children? Where are they?" they chant.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Victoria Razo for NPR Victoria Razo for NPR
Enlarge this image Victoria Razo for NPR Victoria Razo for NPR
Enlarge this image toggle caption Victoria Razo for NPR Victoria Razo for NPR
They want local investigators to search 12 suspicious new sites they uncovered this year and to process bone fragments and teeth they found in the ashes at the abandoned cartel house.
For Rosa María Velásquez, she may not have found the closure she was seeking, but this grim support group has revived her spirits.
"I feel useful here, helping out," she says. "I may not have found my own son, but maybe I helped another family find theirs."


npr--2020-03-05--How Coronavirus Spreads: A Cough In Your Face ... Or A Kiss On Your Cheek

How Coronavirus Spreads : A Cough In Your Face ... Or A Kiss On Your Cheek Keep your distance .
And do n't kiss .
Those are two pieces of advice that could be crucial in reducing the spread of coronavirus .
Public health officials say the spread has been mainly driven through people spending time indoors with others who have the disease .
`` Looks like the main driver is not widespread community infection — looks like it 's household level infection , '' Dr. Bruce Aylward , a senior adviser to the World Health Organization , said at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 .
Indeed , data from China 's cases shows that most of the spread is happening among family who live together .
Perhaps the reason that the virus spreads among family members is the way people become infected .
`` The main mode of transmission is respiratory droplets '' that can be produced by speaking and coughing , says Dr. Adam Lauring , associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Michigan .
`` These droplets then can find their way into the mouths , noses of other people nearby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ droplets are spread , is not a common symptom of COVID-19 , indicating that it 's not usually an upper respiratory infection , Aylward said ) .
But spread is n't exclusively a family matter .
The close contact that leads to infection can apply to a range of behaviors , says Seema Lakdawala , a virologist who studies flu transmission at University of Pittsburgh .
`` You can do it through shaking hands or kissing somebody who is sick , or you can do it through indirect contact transmission , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a doorknob or a handrail ... [ or ] you pick up somebody else 's phone . ''
Researchers are n't sure how long droplets of COVID-19 coronavirus remain infectious on phones , but similar coronaviruses can survive on surfaces for a few hours up to a few days , depending on the environment , says WHO .
Spread takes place more readily if you 're within coughing range of someone sick , `` like if you 're standing next to your kid and they cough in your face , '' says Lakdawala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Or they may land on a surface that somebody then touches .
While there 's no way for health authorities to regulate family interactions , steps can be taken to reduce the likelihood of close contact in crowds .
WHO says that social distancing measures , as when China extended the national lunar new year holiday to keep people from traveling or working , closed offices and canceled public transportation , have helped slow the transmission of the disease there .
Such steps could be effective in other countries , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in some communities .
Researchers looking back on prior outbreaks , such as the 1957 pandemic flu and the 2003 SARS ( severe acute respiratory syndrome ) epidemic , found that public health policies that kept people from gathering in public spaces — such as closing schools and canceling big events — helped slow the spread of disease .
In the current outbreak , the evidence for the way the coronavirus has spread comes from analyzing case clusters in China .
Findings were published on February 28 in a report fromf the World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a team of international experts visited areas in China hard-hit by the coronavirus .
The mission was co-led by Aylward and Wannian Liang , head of the expert panel for China 's National Health Commission .
The team toured hospitals , health clinics and community centers to determine how the coronavirus is spreading in China .
Aylward says the pattern of family spread could be a big reason for China 's apparent success in slowing the spread of the virus .
Once one member of a family is infected , it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who may have had close contact , then put them in quarantine for 14 days .
Data from China 's government shows that their coronavirus infection rates peaked in late January and have declined ever since .
Outside of China , much of the spread has come from mass gatherings .
On the Diamond Princess cruise ship , more than 700 passengers and crew caught coronavirus .
More than 2,000 infections have been linked to a church group in South Korea .
`` It 's very much driven by the context of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's over , , spreading it to other individuals or groups , says Dr. Michael Ryan , executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme , said at a press conference on February 24 .
There is some encouraging news about coronavirus spread .
So far , it seems to spread less easily than flu or measles .
`` With influenza , people who are infected but not yet sick are major drivers of transmission , which does not appear to be the case for COVID-19 , '' said WHO director-general Tedros @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 3 .
And the measles virus is so contagious that droplets can survive in the air for 2 hours .
And you should definitely think twice before kissing .
French health minister Olivier Veran has advised people to cut back on cheek kissing , a common greeting known as `` la bise . ''
Even a kiss on the cheek from a coronavirus case could leave droplets that you would breathe in .
Seema Lakdawala , a virologist at University of Pittsburgh , studies how viruses spread — and what can limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for stopping the spread of coronavirus or any other virus at home if someone is sick : If you 're sick , do n't let your droplets circulate : Cough or sneeze inside your t-shirt .
If that 's not an option , try to catch your droplets in your elbow or into a tissue instead .
If you 're sick , do n't let your droplets circulate when you cough or sneeze .
If you 're wearing a T-shirt , try pulling up the collar and coughing or sneezing into it ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change of wardrobe . )
If that 's not an option , try to catch the droplets in your elbow or a tissue instead .

How Coronavirus Spreads: A Cough In Your Face ... Or A Kiss On Your Cheek
Enlarge this image toggle caption Max Posner/NPR Max Posner/NPR
Keep your distance. And don't kiss.
Those are two pieces of advice that could be crucial in reducing the spread of the coronavirus.
Public health officials say the spread has been mainly driven through people spending time indoors with others who have the disease.
"Looks like the main driver is not widespread community infection — looks like it's household-level infection," Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior adviser to the World Health Organization, said at a news conference in Geneva on Feb. 25.
Indeed, data from China's cases show that most of the spread is happening among family members who live together.
Perhaps the reason that the virus spreads among family members is the way people become infected. "The main mode of transmission is respiratory droplets" that can be produced by speaking and coughing, says Dr. Adam Lauring, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Michigan. "These droplets then can find their way into the mouths, noses of other people nearby."
(Sneezing, another way droplets are spread, is not a common symptom of COVID-19, indicating that it's not usually an upper respiratory infection, Aylward said.)
But spread isn't exclusively a family matter. The close contact that leads to infection can apply to a range of behaviors, says Seema Lakdawala, a virologist who studies flu transmission at the University of Pittsburgh. "You can do it through shaking hands or kissing somebody who is sick, or you can do it through indirect contact transmission, which is through a contaminated surface, something like a doorknob or a handrail ... [or] you pick up somebody else's phone."
(To learn how Lakdawala suggests cutting down on the risk of transmission at home, click here.)
Researchers aren't sure how long droplets of the new coronavirus remain infectious on phones, but similar coronaviruses can survive on surfaces from a few hours up to a few days, depending on the environment, says the WHO.
Spread takes place more readily if you're within coughing range of someone sick, "like if you're standing next to your kid and they cough in your face," says Lakdawala. You could breathe in the droplets. Or they may land on a surface that somebody then touches.
While there's no way for health authorities to regulate family interactions, steps can be taken to reduce the likelihood of close contact in crowds.
The WHO says that social-distancing measures — as when China extended the national Lunar New Year holiday to keep people from traveling or working, closed offices and canceled public transportation — have helped slow the transmission of the disease there. Such steps could be effective in other countries, including the U.S., where the virus is spreading in some communities.
Researchers looking back at prior outbreaks, such as the 1957 flu pandemic and the 2003 SARS epidemic, found that public health policies that kept people from gathering in public spaces — such as closing schools and canceling big events — helped slow the spread of disease.
In the current outbreak, the evidence for the way the coronavirus has spread comes from analyzing case clusters in China. Findings were published on Feb. 28 in a report from the WHO-China joint mission.
In mid-February, a team of international experts visited areas in China hard hit by the coronavirus. The mission was co-led by Aylward and Liang Wannian, head of the expert panel for China's National Health Commission.
The team toured hospitals, health clinics and community centers to determine how the coronavirus is spreading in China.
Aylward says the pattern of family spread could be a big reason for China's apparent success in slowing the spread of the virus. Once one member of a family is infected, it's usually easy to find other family members who may have had close contact and then put them in quarantine for 14 days.
Data from China's government show that the country's coronavirus infection rates peaked in late January and have declined ever since.
Outside China, much of the spread has come from mass gatherings. On the Diamond Princess cruise ship, more than 700 passengers and crew members caught the coronavirus. More than 2,000 infections have been linked to a church group in South Korea.
"It's very much driven by the context of a gathering" and how people disperse after it's over, spreading it to other individuals or groups, said Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, at a press conference on Feb. 24.
There is some encouraging news about the coronavirus' spread. So far, it seems to spread less easily than flu or measles.
"With influenza, people who are infected but not yet sick are major drivers of transmission, which does not appear to be the case for COVID-19," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a news conference on March 3. And the measles virus is so contagious that droplets can survive in the air for two hours.
And you should definitely think twice before kissing. French Health Minister Olivier Véran has advised people to cut back on cheek kissing, a common greeting known as la bise. Even a kiss on the cheek from a coronavirus case could leave droplets that you would breathe in.
Tips on preventing coronavirus spread at home
Lakdawala, the University of Pittsburgh virologist, studies how viruses spread — and what can limit them.
She has some simple tips for stopping the spread of the coronavirus or any other virus at home if someone is sick:
If you're sick, don't let your droplets circulate: Cough or sneeze inside your T-shirt by pulling up the collar (although a good sneeze will require a change of wardrobe). If that's not an option, try to catch your droplets in your elbow or into a tissue instead.


npr--2020-03-05--International Criminal Court Allows Investigation Of U.S. Actions In Afghanistan

International Criminal Court Allows Investigation Of U.S .
Actions In Afghanistan The International Criminal Court has cleared the way for its prosecutor to investigate possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan , including those allegedly committed by U.S. forces and the CIA .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blasted the decision , calling it a `` breathtaking action by an unaccountable political institution , masquerading as a legal body . ''
`` We 're going to take all the appropriate actions to ensure that American citizens are not hauled before this political body to settle political vendettas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not a party to the court in The Hague , Netherlands , and has long criticized it .
A panel of judges from the court 's Appeals Chamber decided unanimously on Thursday to allow the ICC prosecutor to investigate possible crimes on Afghan territory since May 2003 and other alleged crimes linked to the situation there since July 2002 .
It comes just days after the U.S. and the Taliban signed a historic deal , raising hopes for peace in the country after nearly 20 years of war .
Indiana University associate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a book about the ICC , tells NPR 's Michele Kelemen that the Trump administration has take a much more confrontational approach to the court than the Obama administration did .
`` This does represent a kind of crossing of the Rubicon for the court in its relationship with the United States , '' he says .
`` Because we now are going to have an active investigation by the court that could ultimately lead to indictments of U.S. personnel , even potentially U.S. senior officials . ''
This judgment represents a course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an ICC panel of judges blocked a probe into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan .
The judges said that even though the crimes were serious enough for the case to move forward , `` the current circumstances of the situation in Afghanistan are such as to make the prospects for a successful investigation and prosecution extremely limited . ''
The court also said last April that it needed to prioritize investigations that had better chances of success , adding that the parties involved were n't willing to cooperate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bensouda appealed that decision .
She said the pretrial panel 's assessment that an investigation would not be in the interests of justice overstepped its discretion , and on Thursday , the appeals chamber judges agreed .
Bensouda has said that she wants to investigate alleged crimes by the Taliban and other armed groups , Afghan forces , U.S. forces and the CIA .
According to court documents , she plans to investigate alleged Taliban attacks against civilians , including murders and abductions .
Bensouda also wants to look into methods that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detainees .
The prosecution has said , `` There is reasonable basis to believe that , since May 2003 , members of the US armed forces and the CIA have committed the war crimes of torture and cruel treatment , outrages upon personal dignity , and rape and other forms of sexual violence pursuant to a policy approved by US authorities . ''
Human rights groups are applauding the ICC 's decision .
Amnesty International 's head of international justice , Solomon Sacco , said the court `` reversed a terrible mistake .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ true hope of justice for the victims of conflict , who have been shamefully ignored for years , including in the recent peace agreement that has nothing to say about the crimes committed against them , '' he said in a statement .
The ICC was established when the Rome Statute took effect in 2002 .
It prosecutes crimes of genocide , war crimes , crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression .

International Criminal Court Allows Investigation Of U.S. Actions In Afghanistan
Enlarge this image toggle caption Peter Dejong/AP Peter Dejong/AP
The International Criminal Court has cleared the way for its prosecutor to investigate possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan, including those allegedly committed by U.S. forces and the CIA.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blasted the decision, calling it a "breathtaking action by an unaccountable political institution, masquerading as a legal body."
"We're going to take all the appropriate actions to ensure that American citizens are not hauled before this political body to settle political vendettas," Pompeo said. The U.S. is not a party to the court in The Hague, Netherlands, and has long criticized it.
A panel of judges from the court's Appeals Chamber decided unanimously on Thursday to allow the ICC prosecutor to investigate possible crimes on Afghan territory since May 2003 and other alleged crimes linked to the situation there since July 2002. It comes just days after the U.S. and the Taliban signed a historic deal, raising hopes for peace in the country after nearly 20 years of war.
Indiana University associate professor David Bosco, who has written a book about the ICC, tells NPR's Michele Kelemen that the Trump administration has take a much more confrontational approach to the court than the Obama administration did.
"This does represent a kind of crossing of the Rubicon for the court in its relationship with the United States," he says. "Because we now are going to have an active investigation by the court that could ultimately lead to indictments of U.S. personnel, even potentially U.S. senior officials."
This judgment represents a course reversal for the court. Last April, an ICC panel of judges blocked a probe into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan. The judges said that even though the crimes were serious enough for the case to move forward, "the current circumstances of the situation in Afghanistan are such as to make the prospects for a successful investigation and prosecution extremely limited."
The court also said last April that it needed to prioritize investigations that had better chances of success, adding that the parties involved weren't willing to cooperate with the probe.
ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda appealed that decision. She said the pretrial panel's assessment that an investigation would not be in the interests of justice overstepped its discretion, and on Thursday, the appeals chamber judges agreed.
Bensouda has said that she wants to investigate alleged crimes by the Taliban and other armed groups, Afghan forces, U.S. forces and the CIA.
According to court documents, she plans to investigate alleged Taliban attacks against civilians, including murders and abductions.
Bensouda also wants to look into methods that the U.S. military and CIA used to interrogate detainees. The prosecution has said, "There is reasonable basis to believe that, since May 2003, members of the US armed forces and the CIA have committed the war crimes of torture and cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, and rape and other forms of sexual violence pursuant to a policy approved by US authorities."
Human rights groups are applauding the ICC's decision. Amnesty International's head of international justice, Solomon Sacco, said the court "reversed a terrible mistake."
"The ICC represents the first true hope of justice for the victims of conflict, who have been shamefully ignored for years, including in the recent peace agreement that has nothing to say about the crimes committed against them," he said in a statement.
The ICC was established when the Rome Statute took effect in 2002. It prosecutes crimes of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.


npr--2020-03-05--Russia And Turkey Agree To Syria Cease-Fire, But Idlib's Agony Is Far From Over

Russia And Turkey Agree To Syria Cease-Fire , But Idlib 's Agony Is Far From Over Turkey and Russia agreed to a cease-fire Thursday , to begin at midnight in northwestern Syria 's Idlib region .
Five Turkish soldiers were killed in Idlib earlier this week and nearly a million people have been displaced in fierce fighting since December , as forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad have made gains in the opposition 's last redoubt .
`` I express hope that these agreements will serve as a good basis for a cessation of military activity in the Idlib @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffering of the peaceful population and the growing humanitarian crisis , '' Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday , after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Moscow .
Erdogan pledged support for `` Syrians in need . ''
The agreement , however , is unlikely to mark an end to the region 's terrible suffering .
`` A new deal does not mean a solution , '' says Turkey analyst Galip Dalay .
It is `` a temporary freezing of the conflict . ''
Dalay , a fellow at the German @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not believe there is even a medium-term plan .
`` What will happen three months from now is anyone 's guess . ''
The question of the long term is even more difficult .
Here are some key points to consider .
How did the situation in Idlib get so bad ?
The problem has been simmering for years .
The intensified fighting and displacement of the last few weeks were predictable , even if the timing was not .
Before Syria 's popular uprising turned into civil war in 2011 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It became a center of opposition , but not a priority for Assad and his supporters .
First , government forces and their allies retook Syria 's major urban and strategic areas , with years of hard fighting .
As each area was retaken — the suburbs of Damascus , the city of Homs , areas of Aleppo — deals were done that saw opposition fighters and civilians who were afraid to live under Assad 's rule sent to Idlib .
The province 's population more than doubled , to about 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of whom many live in camps or rely on some form of humanitarian aid .
Some are opposition fighters , among whom jihadist groups are powerful .
Assad and his allies , especially Russia , are now pushing to retake Idlib .
The conundrum , says Dalay , is `` the Syrian regime does want the strategic location of Idlib .
But it does not want the population of Idlib . ''
The prospects for that population are grim .
They are mostly impoverished , and have been devastated by violence .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a United Nations body directly accused Russia of the `` war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas . ''
The U.N. also says the recent mass movement of people `` represents the single largest volume of displacement since the Syrian crisis began in 2011 . ''
Another conundrum : The displaced have nowhere to go .
Idlib borders Turkey , which has already taken in about 4 million Syrian refugees .
As the Turkish economy has weakened , anti-refugee sentiment has bubbled up .
Erdogan has said Turkey can not take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a border wall .
European leaders , too , have no stomach to accept a large number of Syrians , even those fleeing state-sponsored violence .
What is Assad 's goal in Idlib , and how close is he to achieving it ?
Assad has said that he will retake `` every inch '' of Syria .
Although it has taken him years and come at untold cost , this seems exactly his policy in Idlib .
It may be that his recent gains happened faster than he expected .
`` We were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' says a diplomat in Lebanon , who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record .
`` A game-changer was the intervention of Iran in western Aleppo . ''
Assad 's Iranian allies have been largely disengaged from Idlib , says the diplomat , preferring to focus on neighboring Aleppo province , a commercial center .
But when Iranian forces expanded into western Aleppo and beyond at the beginning of this year , the setback to rebels allowed Assad loyalists to retake key roads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian air support .
But then , alarmed by the prospect of people approaching the border as they fled the advance , Turkey increased its support for rebels , who pushed back and retook territory .
Russia , in turn , doubled down on its air campaign in support of Assad .
Fighting has been ferocious in the last week , with Syria and Turkey taking and inflicting casualties and coming closer to all-out war with one another .
The diplomat says Assad may want to retake Idlib and kill or expel a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but , `` I have always assumed that the fate of Idlib will depend on the Russians and the Turks .
Assad wants it , but ca n't take it without Russian air support . ''
What do Presidents Putin and Erdogan want ?
`` Turkey 's most immediate goal is to make sure that another wave of refugees does not cross into Turkey , '' says Dalay .
Erdogan also wants to maintain Turkey 's present level of influence in Idlib , where it has troops and observation posts and de facto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many displaced people are .
Turkey controls much of the aid that enters .
Strategically , Turkey 's grip on Idlib also helps it maintain a presence in other enclaves in Syria , where it is keeping Kurdish forces — which it considers terrorists — away from its border .
Turkey once imagined a powerful role for itself in a post-Assad Syria .
Now it only has a `` plethora of bad options , '' says Dalay .
He believes Turkey 's best-case scenario now would be to succeed in persuading Western powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Idlib and create an enclave or buffer zone where Syrians who believe they can not return to Assad-held areas would live under Turkey 's protection , without actually crossing its borders .
Some analysts have compared this scenario to the Gaza Strip — a restricted and difficult life for a large number of people .
As for Russia , it wants to keep Assad in power .
`` Russian policy — you might like it or not — but it has been very consistent from the beginning , '' says Fyodor Lukyanov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Affairs Council .
He says that for Putin , `` Any preservation of regime is better for regional and national security and stability than any change of regime . ''
This conclusion was reached , he says , after the Kremlin watched the impact of regime change in Iraq and Libya , and that Russia is seeking to support Assad in retaking territory as close to pre-war Syria as possible .
Additionally , Lukyanov says , there are several hundred jihadist fighters from Russia and post-Soviet states in Idlib , and Russia wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realistic are these scenarios ?
The ultimate outcome could depend on the relationship between Turkey and Russia , which is `` very strange , paradoxical , '' says Lukyanov .
`` It 's not based on trust .
It 's not based on sympathy .
It is based on the understanding that without at least coordination with the other side , neither of them is able to achieve any of their goals . ''
The two countries have many interests beyond Syria — ranging from the conflict in Libya , where they back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas pipeline from Russia to Turkey , and arms deals .
So they are prepared to negotiate and might someday reach a sustainable agreement .
Although years of talks on Syria have yielded various agreements , there have also been many complaints of violations .
Russia claims Turkey has failed to `` neutralize '' al-Qaida-linked groups among rebels , while Turkey says Russia targets civilians .
Russia had already offered Turkey control of an area within Idlib , but it was much smaller than Turkey would have liked .
Other outcomes are possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , armed with tanks and bulldozers , could possibly breach the border .
Others fear a catastrophic massacre of civilians by Assad loyalists .
Meanwhile , Western governments , not militarily involved , have limited influence .
American officials have so far ruled out helping Turkey create a no-fly zone .
NATO and European leaders , too , have offered solidarity but not game-changing military support to Turkey .
Some think cycles of violence are likely to continue in Idlib .
`` Turkey manipulates the issue of refugees .
Russia essentially behaves as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave of refugees , '' says Emile Hokayem of the International Institute for Security Studies .
Although Europe has limited leverage in the negotiations , Hokayem says , it could find itself dealing with fallout from a fresh wave of refugees .
`` We 're not approaching the end of the Syrian conflict , '' he says , `` and I think we have to brace ourselves for more of this bloody instability . ''

Russia And Turkey Agree To Syria Cease-Fire, But Idlib's Agony Is Far From Over
Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP
Turkey and Russia agreed to a cease-fire Thursday, to begin at midnight in northwestern Syria's Idlib region. Five Turkish soldiers were killed in Idlib earlier this week and nearly a million people have been displaced in fierce fighting since December, as forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad have made gains in the opposition's last redoubt.
"I express hope that these agreements will serve as a good basis for a cessation of military activity in the Idlib de-escalation zone [and] stop the suffering of the peaceful population and the growing humanitarian crisis," Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday, after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Moscow. Erdogan pledged support for "Syrians in need."
The agreement, however, is unlikely to mark an end to the region's terrible suffering.
"A new deal does not mean a solution," says Turkey analyst Galip Dalay. It is "a temporary freezing of the conflict."
Dalay, a fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, does not believe there is even a medium-term plan. "What will happen three months from now is anyone's guess."
The question of the long term is even more difficult. Here are some key points to consider.
How did the situation in Idlib get so bad?
The problem has been simmering for years. The intensified fighting and displacement of the last few weeks were predictable, even if the timing was not. Before Syria's popular uprising turned into civil war in 2011, the province was a largely agricultural area. It became a center of opposition, but not a priority for Assad and his supporters.
First, government forces and their allies retook Syria's major urban and strategic areas, with years of hard fighting. As each area was retaken — the suburbs of Damascus, the city of Homs, areas of Aleppo — deals were done that saw opposition fighters and civilians who were afraid to live under Assad's rule sent to Idlib.
Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP
The province's population more than doubled, to about 3 million people. Most are civilians, of whom many live in camps or rely on some form of humanitarian aid. Some are opposition fighters, among whom jihadist groups are powerful.
Assad and his allies, especially Russia, are now pushing to retake Idlib. The conundrum, says Dalay, is "the Syrian regime does want the strategic location of Idlib. But it does not want the population of Idlib."
The prospects for that population are grim. They are mostly impoverished, and have been devastated by violence. This week, for the first time, a United Nations body directly accused Russia of the "war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas." The U.N. also says the recent mass movement of people "represents the single largest volume of displacement since the Syrian crisis began in 2011."
Another conundrum: The displaced have nowhere to go. Idlib borders Turkey, which has already taken in about 4 million Syrian refugees. As the Turkish economy has weakened, anti-refugee sentiment has bubbled up. Erdogan has said Turkey cannot take in any more people and has built a border wall. European leaders, too, have no stomach to accept a large number of Syrians, even those fleeing state-sponsored violence.
What is Assad's goal in Idlib, and how close is he to achieving it?
Assad has said that he will retake "every inch" of Syria. Although it has taken him years and come at untold cost, this seems exactly his policy in Idlib.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Aaref Watad/AFP via Getty Images Aaref Watad/AFP via Getty Images
It may be that his recent gains happened faster than he expected. "We were surprised to see the rapid advance," says a diplomat in Lebanon, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record. "A game-changer was the intervention of Iran in western Aleppo."
Assad's Iranian allies have been largely disengaged from Idlib, says the diplomat, preferring to focus on neighboring Aleppo province, a commercial center. But when Iranian forces expanded into western Aleppo and beyond at the beginning of this year, the setback to rebels allowed Assad loyalists to retake key roads and towns in neighboring Idlib, with Russian air support.
But then, alarmed by the prospect of people approaching the border as they fled the advance, Turkey increased its support for rebels, who pushed back and retook territory. Russia, in turn, doubled down on its air campaign in support of Assad.
Fighting has been ferocious in the last week, with Syria and Turkey taking and inflicting casualties and coming closer to all-out war with one another. The diplomat says Assad may want to retake Idlib and kill or expel a significant portion of the people there — but, "I have always assumed that the fate of Idlib will depend on the Russians and the Turks. Assad wants it, but can't take it without Russian air support."
What do Presidents Putin and Erdogan want?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Pavel Golovkin/AP Pavel Golovkin/AP
"Turkey's most immediate goal is to make sure that another wave of refugees does not cross into Turkey," says Dalay.
Erdogan also wants to maintain Turkey's present level of influence in Idlib, where it has troops and observation posts and de facto control over areas along the border where many displaced people are. Turkey controls much of the aid that enters. Strategically, Turkey's grip on Idlib also helps it maintain a presence in other enclaves in Syria, where it is keeping Kurdish forces — which it considers terrorists — away from its border.
Turkey once imagined a powerful role for itself in a post-Assad Syria. Now it only has a "plethora of bad options," says Dalay. He believes Turkey's best-case scenario now would be to succeed in persuading Western powers to enforce a no-fly zone over part of Idlib and create an enclave or buffer zone where Syrians who believe they cannot return to Assad-held areas would live under Turkey's protection, without actually crossing its borders. Some analysts have compared this scenario to the Gaza Strip — a restricted and difficult life for a large number of people.
As for Russia, it wants to keep Assad in power.
"Russian policy — you might like it or not — but it has been very consistent from the beginning," says Fyodor Lukyanov, an analyst at the Russian International Affairs Council. He says that for Putin, "Any preservation of regime is better for regional and national security and stability than any change of regime."
This conclusion was reached, he says, after the Kremlin watched the impact of regime change in Iraq and Libya, and that Russia is seeking to support Assad in retaking territory as close to pre-war Syria as possible. Additionally, Lukyanov says, there are several hundred jihadist fighters from Russia and post-Soviet states in Idlib, and Russia wants them "eliminated completely."
How realistic are these scenarios?
The ultimate outcome could depend on the relationship between Turkey and Russia, which is "very strange, paradoxical," says Lukyanov. "It's not based on trust. It's not based on sympathy. It is based on the understanding that without at least coordination with the other side, neither of them is able to achieve any of their goals."
The two countries have many interests beyond Syria — ranging from the conflict in Libya, where they back opposing sides, to a recently opened gas pipeline from Russia to Turkey, and arms deals. So they are prepared to negotiate and might someday reach a sustainable agreement.
Although years of talks on Syria have yielded various agreements, there have also been many complaints of violations. Russia claims Turkey has failed to "neutralize" al-Qaida-linked groups among rebels, while Turkey says Russia targets civilians. Russia had already offered Turkey control of an area within Idlib, but it was much smaller than Turkey would have liked.
Other outcomes are possible. Some observers believe people in Idlib, armed with tanks and bulldozers, could possibly breach the border. Others fear a catastrophic massacre of civilians by Assad loyalists.
Meanwhile, Western governments, not militarily involved, have limited influence. American officials have so far ruled out helping Turkey create a no-fly zone. NATO and European leaders, too, have offered solidarity but not game-changing military support to Turkey.
Some think cycles of violence are likely to continue in Idlib.
"Turkey manipulates the issue of refugees. Russia essentially behaves as if it wanted to create a new wave of refugees," says Emile Hokayem of the International Institute for Security Studies. Although Europe has limited leverage in the negotiations, Hokayem says, it could find itself dealing with fallout from a fresh wave of refugees.
"We're not approaching the end of the Syrian conflict," he says, "and I think we have to brace ourselves for more of this bloody instability."


npr--2020-03-05--Report: Russian Election Trolling Becoming Subtler, Tougher To Detect

Russia 's trolling specialists have evolved their disinformation and agitation techniques to become subtler and tougher to track , according to new research unveiled on Thursday .
A cache of Instagram posts captured by researchers showed that the Russians were `` better at impersonating candidates '' and that influence-mongers `` have moved away from creating their own fake advocacy groups to mimicking and appropriating the names of actual American groups , '' wrote Young Mie Kim , a University of Wisconsin professor who analyzed the material with her team .
Kim , who is also affiliated with the Brennan Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussed the analysis in a new report that also included images of some of the posts .
Kim and her team identified 32 Instagram accounts they said appeared to be linked to Russia 's now-infamous Internet Research Agency , of which 31 later were confirmed to be IRA-linked by an analysis commissioned by Facebook , which owns Instagram .
The material was taken down , but Kim 's team has saved it and studied it .
Kim 's report followed warnings this week , ahead of voting on Super Tuesday , that foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters in the United States .
Law enforcement and intelligence officials told reporters that they did n't detect any big spike in activity but acknowledged that interference activity endures at a steady state .
Kim 's report examines that at an atomic level and confirms that the efforts targeting the 2020 vote continue many of the trends exhibited earlier .
What her research did not establish was the degree to which the material was intended to help a specific candidate ; there does n't appear to have been enough to draw a solid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at sowing chaos and amplifying division as much as bringing about a specific political result , national security officials say .
To that end , influence specialists posed as American grassroots or community activists and targeted populations with the intent to divide them or convince them not to vote , Kim wrote .
`` The IRA is well-versed enough in the history and culture of our politics to exploit sharp political divisions already existing in our society , '' Kim wrote .
`` American nationalism/patriotism , immigration , gun control and LGBT issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the IRA 's campaigns . ''
Veterans , working-class whites in rural areas and nonwhites , `` especially African Americans , '' also were especially targeted , according to the report .
And : `` One notable trend is the increase in the discussion of feminism at both ends of the spectrum . ''
Kim 's findings about the posts ' focus on nonwhites tracks with earlier findings of former special counsel Robert Mueller and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence , both of which documented clear attempts by Russian influence-mongers specifically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting .
Kim 's findings also suggested a level of political sophistication about the operations she analyzed : The accounts targeted battleground states , including those expected to be critical in 2020 , such as Michigan , Wisconsin , Florida , Ohio and Arizona .
For as much continuity as Kim 's research uncovered about more recent influence operations , the overall game is different from 2016 .
National security officials and social media platforms are working in real time to monitor and counter election interference in a way they did n't during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of site integrity , Yoel Roth , acknowledged to NPR this week that the service was caught `` flat-footed '' last time and that this is why it 's being more active for the 2020 race .
At the same time , however , Roth said technical aspects of the influence operations are changing too .
Twitter today traces very few election-interference posts to Russia , he said .
And in 2018 the goal was , in effect , meta-influence : Specialists tried to create the impression that more interference was happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity that we believe to have been connected with the Russian Internet Research Agency that was specifically targeting journalists in an attempt to convince them that there had been large-scale activity on the platform that did n't actually happen , '' Roth told NPR .
Thirteen Russians and three Russian entities , including the IRA , were indicted in 2018 as part of the Justice Department 's investigation into the interference of 2016 .

Report: Russian Election Trolling Becoming Subtler, Tougher To Detect
Enlarge this image toggle caption Screenshots by Young Mie Kim and NPR Screenshots by Young Mie Kim and NPR
Russia's trolling specialists have evolved their disinformation and agitation techniques to become subtler and tougher to track, according to new research unveiled on Thursday.
A cache of Instagram posts captured by researchers showed that the Russians were "better at impersonating candidates" and that influence-mongers "have moved away from creating their own fake advocacy groups to mimicking and appropriating the names of actual American groups," wrote Young Mie Kim, a University of Wisconsin professor who analyzed the material with her team.
Kim, who is also affiliated with the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, discussed the analysis in a new report that also included images of some of the posts.
Kim and her team identified 32 Instagram accounts they said appeared to be linked to Russia's now-infamous Internet Research Agency, of which 31 later were confirmed to be IRA-linked by an analysis commissioned by Facebook, which owns Instagram.
The material was taken down, but Kim's team has saved it and studied it.
Kim's report followed warnings this week, ahead of voting on Super Tuesday, that foreign actors are continuing to try to influence voters in the United States.
Law enforcement and intelligence officials told reporters that they didn't detect any big spike in activity but acknowledged that interference activity endures at a steady state.
Kim's report examines that at an atomic level and confirms that the efforts targeting the 2020 vote continue many of the trends exhibited earlier.
What her research did not establish was the degree to which the material was intended to help a specific candidate; there doesn't appear to have been enough to draw a solid conclusion.
Russian influence operations are aimed at sowing chaos and amplifying division as much as bringing about a specific political result, national security officials say.
Astroturf
To that end, influence specialists posed as American grassroots or community activists and targeted populations with the intent to divide them or convince them not to vote, Kim wrote.
"The IRA is well-versed enough in the history and culture of our politics to exploit sharp political divisions already existing in our society," Kim wrote. "American nationalism/patriotism, immigration, gun control and LGBT issues were the top five issues frequently discussed in the IRA's campaigns."
Veterans, working-class whites in rural areas and nonwhites, "especially African Americans," also were especially targeted, according to the report. And: "One notable trend is the increase in the discussion of feminism at both ends of the spectrum."
Kim's findings about the posts' focus on nonwhites tracks with earlier findings of former special counsel Robert Mueller and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, both of which documented clear attempts by Russian influence-mongers specifically to divide blacks or dissuade them from voting.
Kim's findings also suggested a level of political sophistication about the operations she analyzed: The accounts targeted battleground states, including those expected to be critical in 2020, such as Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, Ohio and Arizona.
Move versus countermove
For as much continuity as Kim's research uncovered about more recent influence operations, the overall game is different from 2016.
National security officials and social media platforms are working in real time to monitor and counter election interference in a way they didn't during the last presidential race.
Twitter's head of site integrity, Yoel Roth, acknowledged to NPR this week that the service was caught "flat-footed" last time and that this is why it's being more active for the 2020 race.
At the same time, however, Roth said technical aspects of the influence operations are changing too.
Twitter today traces very few election-interference posts to Russia, he said. And in 2018 the goal was, in effect, meta-influence: Specialists tried to create the impression that more interference was happening than actually was.
"We saw activity that we believe to have been connected with the Russian Internet Research Agency that was specifically targeting journalists in an attempt to convince them that there had been large-scale activity on the platform that didn't actually happen," Roth told NPR.
Thirteen Russians and three Russian entities, including the IRA, were indicted in 2018 as part of the Justice Department's investigation into the interference of 2016.


npr--2020-03-05--Public Trust In Health Authorities Is Key To Fighting Coronavirus — Is It At Risk?

Public Trust In Health Authorities Is Key To Fighting Coronavirus — Is It At Risk ?
During infectious disease outbreaks , public trust in the government and health agencies becomes critical .
Officials need to convince millions of people that they are telling the whole truth , and that their guidance on what to do — and not do — should be followed .
How 's that going as coronavirus has begun spreading in some parts of the U.S. ?
According to a Gallup poll last month , 77 % of people felt confident `` the federal government will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus in this country . ''
However , that poll was done before instances of community spread began to appear and before the first U.S. death was announced .
It was also before the Trump administration ramped up its coronavirus response , announcing new leaders , apparently trying to get ahold of what has been , at times , a muddled message .
`` If people do n't trust that the government is telling them the truth about the risk to themselves and their families , people start to make decisions that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical system at greater risk , '' says Beth Cameron , who works on global biological policy for the Nuclear Threat Initiative .
Previously , she served as senior director for Global Health , Security and Biodefense on the White House 's National Security Council , a position that was eliminated by the Trump administration in 2018 .
`` You really want to make sure that people understand when it makes sense to stay at home , when it makes sense to come to work , and how they can get the care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Cameron says .
`` When people do n't have information , they tend to panic . ''
The American public seems to be nursing some level of anxiety , if not panic .
There 's the price gouging on hand sanitizer , runs on face masks ( which are unnecessary if you 're not a health care worker ) , and racist incidents towards Asian people .
Some early apparent missteps by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in creating and deploying effective coronavirus test kits around the country may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I think there is right now a little bit of a deficit of public trust because there has been a lot of confusion about the test kits , '' Cameron says .
She thinks the administration likely lost time in its response to the virus by getting rid of her old job , which was a position on the National Security Council — instead it had to form a task force specific to coronavirus .
`` One of the advantages to having a standing group constantly monitoring outbreaks is that you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different interagency pieces , '' she says .
`` You 're constantly exercising and talking about what could be happening — I do think that that kind of a structure can really save time in a crisis . ''
Cameron says she thinks the current deficit in public trust is reversible , and that it `` can be easily and quickly rectified if the administration continues to provide clear scientific , fact-based communication on a regular basis , '' she says .
Howard Markel , a physician and University of Michigan medical historian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from officials is what establishes public trust during an epidemic .
He says whenever a country announces there 's an epidemic , it stands to lose a lot of money , so there 's always an urge to wish it away .
`` Concealment is one of the big no-nos in the history of pandemics , and it happens again and again and again , sometimes for political reasons , sometimes for commercial reasons , '' he says .
Some of the ugly responses to coronavirus are familiar , he says , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scapegoating and racism .
`` During the early 20th century , when we had 1 to 1.5 million immigrants coming in a year — mostly through the gates of Ellis Island — and epidemics broke out , they were often blamed on East European Jewish immigrants , '' he says .
`` There was a bubonic plague epidemic in Chinatown in San Francisco in 1900 , and the public health officers literally did a jagged quarantine — almost like a gerrymandered congressional district — that was just around the Chinese neighborhood .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — in the year 2020 with coronavirus , Markel says , is a much more `` atomized '' information landscape .
It 's an era where `` everybody feels they are entitled to their own set of facts , which is absolute rubbish , '' he says .
`` There really are a set of scientific facts . ''
It 's important that government officials work `` to coalesce the population — to make sure that we 're all on the same page of what we need to do to keep ourselves and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our communities safe , '' he says .
Public trust is needed when officials say that your risk is low , and you should go about your normal life — which is what they 're currently saying is true for most Americans — and when things suddenly change , and officials need cooperation in closing schools or canceling public events .
Markel thinks so far the coronavirus response from officials at the CDC and other agencies has gone quite well .
`` Look , they 're human , '' he says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to go perfectly , but an A-minus grade that this professor would give right now is pretty darn good . ''
He adds , we 're well positioned to manage whatever coronavirus might bring going forward .
`` There 's never been a better time to have an epidemic in human history than today , '' he says .
`` We have the means , the will , the money and the technology to handle this problem . ''
Now officials just need to earn — and keep — the public @ @ @

Public Trust In Health Authorities Is Key To Fighting Coronavirus — Is It At Risk?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
During infectious disease outbreaks, public trust in the government and health agencies becomes critical. Officials need to convince millions of people that they are telling the whole truth, and that their guidance on what to do — and not do — should be followed.
How's that going as coronavirus has begun spreading in some parts of the U.S.?
According to a Gallup poll last month, 77% of people felt confident "the federal government will be able to handle an outbreak of the coronavirus in this country." However, that poll was done before instances of community spread began to appear and before the first U.S. death was announced. It was also before the Trump administration ramped up its coronavirus response, announcing new leaders, apparently trying to get ahold of what has been, at times, a muddled message.
"If people don't trust that the government is telling them the truth about the risk to themselves and their families, people start to make decisions that are not rational, and that puts our medical system at greater risk," says Beth Cameron, who works on global biological policy for the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Previously, she served as senior director for Global Health, Security and Biodefense on the White House's National Security Council, a position that was eliminated by the Trump administration in 2018.
"You really want to make sure that people understand when it makes sense to stay at home, when it makes sense to come to work, and how they can get the care that they and their families need," Cameron says. "When people don't have information, they tend to panic."
The American public seems to be nursing some level of anxiety, if not panic. There's the price gouging on hand sanitizer, runs on face masks (which are unnecessary if you're not a health care worker), and racist incidents towards Asian people.
Some early apparent missteps by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in creating and deploying effective coronavirus test kits around the country may not be helping to quell that anxiety.
"I think there is right now a little bit of a deficit of public trust because there has been a lot of confusion about the test kits," Cameron says.
She thinks the administration likely lost time in its response to the virus by getting rid of her old job, which was a position on the National Security Council — instead it had to form a task force specific to coronavirus.
"One of the advantages to having a standing group constantly monitoring outbreaks is that you have existing glue already put together between the different interagency pieces," she says. "You're constantly exercising and talking about what could be happening — I do think that that kind of a structure can really save time in a crisis."
Cameron says she thinks the current deficit in public trust is reversible, and that it "can be easily and quickly rectified if the administration continues to provide clear scientific, fact-based communication on a regular basis," she says.
Howard Markel, a physician and University of Michigan medical historian, agrees that complete and clear communication from officials is what establishes public trust during an epidemic. He says whenever a country announces there's an epidemic, it stands to lose a lot of money, so there's always an urge to wish it away.
"Concealment is one of the big no-nos in the history of pandemics, and it happens again and again and again, sometimes for political reasons, sometimes for commercial reasons," he says.
Some of the ugly responses to coronavirus are familiar, he says, when you look to epidemics past — especially the scapegoating and racism. "During the early 20th century, when we had 1 to 1.5 million immigrants coming in a year — mostly through the gates of Ellis Island — and epidemics broke out, they were often blamed on East European Jewish immigrants," he says. "There was a bubonic plague epidemic in Chinatown in San Francisco in 1900, and the public health officers literally did a jagged quarantine — almost like a gerrymandered congressional district — that was just around the Chinese neighborhood."
What's new — and dangerous — in the year 2020 with coronavirus, Markel says, is a much more "atomized" information landscape. It's an era where "everybody feels they are entitled to their own set of facts, which is absolute rubbish," he says. "There really are a set of scientific facts."
It's important that government officials work "to coalesce the population — to make sure that we're all on the same page of what we need to do to keep ourselves and our children and our families safe — our communities safe," he says.
Public trust is needed when officials say that your risk is low, and you should go about your normal life — which is what they're currently saying is true for most Americans — and when things suddenly change, and officials need cooperation in closing schools or canceling public events.
Markel thinks so far the coronavirus response from officials at the CDC and other agencies has gone quite well. "Look, they're human," he says. "They may make mistakes, it is not going to go perfectly, but an A-minus grade that this professor would give right now is pretty darn good."
He adds, we're well positioned to manage whatever coronavirus might bring going forward. "There's never been a better time to have an epidemic in human history than today," he says. "We have the means, the will, the money and the technology to handle this problem."
Now officials just need to earn — and keep — the public's trust.


npr--2020-03-05--Coronavirus Concerns Stymie Live Music Performances And SXSW

On Wednesday night in Switzerland , the French violinist Renaud Capuçon and the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra played a full concert — to an empty hall .
Their performance , which was canceled after the Swiss government prohibited all gatherings of 1000 or more people , was broadcast by Swiss public television and radio .
It 's just one of the ways that performers and organizations worldwide are grappling with the uncertainties of the coronavirus , and how to handle large gatherings of audiences in close quarters .
The Western classical music industry is now heavily reliant upon East Asia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ markets .
In recent weeks , the Boston Symphony Orchestra has cancelled a tour of Asia and Washington , D.C. 's National Symphony Orchestra has cancelled three concerts in China .
New York 's famed Juilliard School , which is scheduled to open a satellite conservatory in Tianjin , China this autumn , announced at the end of January that it has suspended all in-person auditions and other admissions-related activities indefinitely .
The list of American musicians and institutions who have already canceled tours or postponed other activities due to coronavirus concerns covers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Khalid .
Even more directly affected are Asian and European musicians who ca n't perform in their home markets , like the megastar K-pop band BTS — who have canceled April dates in their home city of Seoul .
In Japan , prime minister Shinzo Abe made a request on Feb. 26 that all large cultural and sports events be postponed or canceled across the country ; the wide-ranging Hong Kong Arts Festival , which was supposed to take place across February and March with performers from all over the world , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shanghai Symphony Orchestra canceled all of its performances for February and March due to the health crisis ; its musicians have been posting concerts , master classes and audio programs online , in part to help locals beat the tedium of being quarantined .
In Italy , Milan 's famed La Scala opera house has canceled a range of upcoming performances , including one featuring conductor Zubin Mehta and the Richard Strauss opera Salome .
The global reach and frenetic pace of contemporary artists ' careers is having an effect as well .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Metropolitan Opera requested that all visiting artists who are arriving from countries already deeply affected by the COVID-19 outbreak — including Italy , China and South Korea — to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in New York before beginning rehearsals at the house .
One of the biggest annual K-pop events in the U.S. , a concert sponsored by the Korea Times Media Group that was supposed to feature at least a dozen Korean music acts and which was scheduled to take place at the Hollywood Bowl on Apr .
25 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that host large-scale music and entertainment gatherings are loathe to cancel events that can be big economic drivers — and event organizers and local government officials are grappling with those decisions very publicly .
For example , on Tuesday afternoon , Miami mayor Carlos Giménez wrote on Twitter : `` We 're not canceling any major events in Miami-Dade County , such as Ultra , following the guidance from Florida 's surgeon general on # coronavirus . ''
He was referring to the popular , annual Ultra Music Festival , which is scheduled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which last year drew about 170,000 EDM fans .
By Wednesday , however , the organizers ' thinking seemed to evolve , and Ultra is , according to the Miami Herald , on the brink of being canceled .
( As of publishing time , Ultra had not made an official announcement . )
Strikingly , a sister event in the United Arab Emirates — Ultra Abu Dhabi , which was scheduled to take place this Thursday and Friday — had already been canceled due to coronavirus concerns .
The annual SXSW conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encompasses technology , music and film — and drew over 417,000 attendees in 2019 , according to organizers ' estimates .
They say that this year 's events , scheduled for March 13 to 22 , are still on .
( In past years , NPR Music has had a significant presence at SXSW , and as of publication , a range of NPR journalists and employees are scheduled to participate this year as well . )
On Monday , the organizers put out a statement saying , `` SXSW is working closely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , and federal agencies to plan for a safe event .
...
The health of the Austin community and those who visit our city is our highest priority . ''
At a press conference on March 4 , Austin Public Health 's Dr. Mark Escott said , `` There is no evidence that closing SXSW or other activities is going to make the community safer . ''
Later in his comments , Escott said , `` One of the concerns is if we shut down — or make the recommendation to shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to come here .
They will travel , they will still do what they were going to do , but without that organizational structure that SXSW provides . ''
Nevertheless , an online petition asking SXSW to cancel this year 's event has , as of Thursday afternoon , attracted more than 50,000 signatures .
And a number of prominent tech and media companies — including Facebook , Twitter , Intel , Vevo , Mashable , Amazon Studios , TikTok , Netflix and WarnerMedia ( which owns CNN and HBO , among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to withdraw from SXSW this year , due to coronavirus fears .
So have some notable individual speakers , including Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and best-selling author Tim Ferriss .
On Twitter , Ferriss explained his decision : `` I love SXSW , but I do n't believe the novel coronavirus can be contained , and I view an int ' l event of 100K+ people as a huge risk to attendees and the entire city , given limited ICU beds , etc .
I implore [ Austin mayor Steve ] Adler and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
SXSW brings huge economic benefit to Austin , but possibly making Austin a hotspot for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 , and the emergency actions and funding that would require , could make a huge event seem shortsighted . ''
SXSW is downplaying those absences , however — and in recent days , event organizers have announced a starry array of speakers added to its lineup , including Hillary Clinton , Rep. Adam Schiff , Katie Couric and RZA .
On a `` COVID-19 attendee information '' page last updated on Monday , the organizers say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a handful of cancellations from participants who were traveling from China and Japan and there have been a few corporate travel bans .
Other than that , the cancellations are on par from past years . ''
Undeniably , the event provides a massive economic boost to Austin each year — according to its own most recent analysis , SXSW was worth nearly $ 356 million to the city in 2019 .
Audience members who have already purchased SXSW passes but who are now uncertain that they want to attend — or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States — seem to be out of luck .
According to social media posts , individuals who have requested refunds or deferrals to the 2021 edition due to coronavirus issues are being told that their 2020 tickets are nonrefundable .
NPR reached out repeatedly to SXSW for comment , but organizers did not respond .

Coronavirus Concerns Stymie Live Music Performances And SXSW
Enlarge this image toggle caption Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images
On Wednesday night in Switzerland, the French violinist Renaud Capuçon and the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra played a full concert — to an empty hall.
Their performance, which was canceled after the Swiss government prohibited all gatherings of 1000 or more people, was broadcast by Swiss public television and radio. It's just one of the ways that performers and organizations worldwide are grappling with the uncertainties of the coronavirus, and how to handle large gatherings of audiences in close quarters.
The Western classical music industry is now heavily reliant upon East Asia, and specifically China, as crucial consumer markets. In recent weeks, the Boston Symphony Orchestra has cancelled a tour of Asia and Washington, D.C.'s National Symphony Orchestra has cancelled three concerts in China. New York's famed Juilliard School, which is scheduled to open a satellite conservatory in Tianjin, China this autumn, announced at the end of January that it has suspended all in-person auditions and other admissions-related activities in China and Asia indefinitely.
The list of American musicians and institutions who have already canceled tours or postponed other activities due to coronavirus concerns covers a broad range, including Green Day and Khalid. Even more directly affected are Asian and European musicians who can't perform in their home markets, like the megastar K-pop band BTS — who have canceled April dates in their home city of Seoul. In Japan, prime minister Shinzo Abe made a request on Feb. 26 that all large cultural and sports events be postponed or canceled across the country; the wide-ranging Hong Kong Arts Festival, which was supposed to take place across February and March with performers from all over the world, was canceled entirely.
Similarly, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra canceled all of its performances for February and March due to the health crisis; its musicians have been posting concerts, master classes and audio programs online, in part to help locals beat the tedium of being quarantined. In Italy, Milan's famed La Scala opera house has canceled a range of upcoming performances, including one featuring conductor Zubin Mehta and the Richard Strauss opera Salome.
The global reach and frenetic pace of contemporary artists' careers is having an effect as well. Earlier this week, New York's Metropolitan Opera requested that all visiting artists who are arriving from countries already deeply affected by the COVID-19 outbreak — including Italy, China and South Korea — to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in New York before beginning rehearsals at the house.
One of the biggest annual K-pop events in the U.S., a concert sponsored by the Korea Times Media Group that was supposed to feature at least a dozen Korean music acts and which was scheduled to take place at the Hollywood Bowl on Apr. 25, has been postponed indefinitely.
But cities that host large-scale music and entertainment gatherings are loathe to cancel events that can be big economic drivers — and event organizers and local government officials are grappling with those decisions very publicly.
For example, on Tuesday afternoon, Miami mayor Carlos Giménez wrote on Twitter: "We're not canceling any major events in Miami-Dade County, such as Ultra, following the guidance from Florida's surgeon general on #coronavirus." He was referring to the popular, annual Ultra Music Festival, which is scheduled for March 20 to 22, and which last year drew about 170,000 EDM fans. By Wednesday, however, the organizers' thinking seemed to evolve, and Ultra is, according to the Miami Herald, on the brink of being canceled. (As of publishing time, Ultra had not made an official announcement.) Strikingly, a sister event in the United Arab Emirates — Ultra Abu Dhabi, which was scheduled to take place this Thursday and Friday — had already been canceled due to coronavirus concerns.
The annual SXSW conference and festivals in Austin, Texas, encompasses technology, music and film — and drew over 417,000 attendees in 2019, according to organizers' estimates. They say that this year's events, scheduled for March 13 to 22, are still on. (In past years, NPR Music has had a significant presence at SXSW, and as of publication, a range of NPR journalists and employees are scheduled to participate this year as well.)
On Monday, the organizers put out a statement saying, "SXSW is working closely on a daily basis with local, state, and federal agencies to plan for a safe event. ... The health of the Austin community and those who visit our city is our highest priority." At a press conference on March 4, Austin Public Health's Dr. Mark Escott said, "There is no evidence that closing SXSW or other activities is going to make the community safer." Later in his comments, Escott said, "One of the concerns is if we shut down — or make the recommendation to shut down — SXSW, people will still continue to come here. They will travel, they will still do what they were going to do, but without that organizational structure that SXSW provides."
Nevertheless, an online petition asking SXSW to cancel this year's event has, as of Thursday afternoon, attracted more than 50,000 signatures. And a number of prominent tech and media companies — including Facebook, Twitter, Intel, Vevo, Mashable, Amazon Studios, TikTok, Netflix and WarnerMedia (which owns CNN and HBO, among other properties) — have all decided to withdraw from SXSW this year, due to coronavirus fears.
So have some notable individual speakers, including Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and best-selling author Tim Ferriss. On Twitter, Ferriss explained his decision: "I love SXSW, but I don't believe the novel coronavirus can be contained, and I view an int'l event of 100K+ people as a huge risk to attendees and the entire city, given limited ICU beds, etc. I implore [Austin mayor Steve] Adler and his team to carefully evaluate the downsides. SXSW brings huge economic benefit to Austin, but possibly making Austin a hotspot for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19, and the emergency actions and funding that would require, could make a huge event seem shortsighted."
SXSW is downplaying those absences, however — and in recent days, event organizers have announced a starry array of speakers added to its lineup, including Hillary Clinton, Rep. Adam Schiff, Katie Couric and RZA.
On a "COVID-19 attendee information" page last updated on Monday, the organizers say: "At this time, there are a handful of cancellations from participants who were traveling from China and Japan and there have been a few corporate travel bans. Other than that, the cancellations are on par from past years."
Undeniably, the event provides a massive economic boost to Austin each year — according to its own most recent analysis, SXSW was worth nearly $356 million to the city in 2019.
Audience members who have already purchased SXSW passes but who are now uncertain that they want to attend — or who are being curtailed from traveling to the United States — seem to be out of luck. According to social media posts, individuals who have requested refunds or deferrals to the 2021 edition due to coronavirus issues are being told that their 2020 tickets are nonrefundable. NPR reached out repeatedly to SXSW for comment, but organizers did not respond.