npr--2020-02-03--What's It Like Working At A Chinese-Run 'American Factory'? It's 'Complicated'

What 's It Like Working At A Chinese-Run 'American Factory ' ?
It 's 'Complicated' In 2008 , GM closed its manufacturing plant in Dayton , Ohio , sending the community into a tailspin .
Workers who had been unionized at GM struggled to find jobs that paid close to the wages the plant had paid .
`` After that GM plant closed , things were so hard for so long , '' Ohio-based filmmaker Steven Bognar says .
`` People lost their homes .
The jobs you could get were at the Kohl 's distribution center or Payless Shoes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People were making $ 9 an hour . ''
When the Chinese glass manufacturer Fuyao reopened the shuttered GM plant in 2016 , the community welcomed the influx of new jobs .
But as time went on , enthusiasm waned .
Some former GM employees found themselves working longer hours at Fuyao for half the pay .
In the Oscar-nominated documentary , American Factory , Bognar and Julia Reichert capture the tensions that exist within the Chinese-owned , Ohio-based plant .
This is Reichert 's fourth Oscar nomination — her first was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we fought to have an eight-hour day and have weekends off , '' she says .
`` That 's pretty much unheard of in industrial work in China .
...
If the boss says you have to work six days a week or seven days a week you just do it . ''
Bognar describes the relationship between the company and its American employees as a `` complicated '' one .
People are grateful for the jobs , but the work is tough — especially on the factory floor : `` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's dangerous , and the expectations are very high , '' he says .
`` And yet the pay is not what it should be . ''
American Factory won last year 's Sundance Award for Directing of a U.S .
Documentary .
It was the first acquisition for Barack and Michelle Obama 's production company , Higher Ground , and is streaming on Netflix .
On the difference between wages at the unionized GM plant and at Fuyao Bognar : In the film , Shawnea Rosser , who worked at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fuyao , she says it varies directly .
She says at GM she was making $ 29 and some cents per hour and at Fuyao she makes $ 12.84 .
So that 's less than half of what she used to make .
She has several children .
...
They lost their house because they could n't they could n't make the mortgage payments after GM closed .
It 's a very different world .
Here 's the crazy thing : In China , it 's been a remarkable trajectory .
China 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] people in the film , like Wong He .
He is the furnace engineer who has been sent from China to the U.S .
He 's here for at least two years .
He 's not going to see his children for two years .
But he 's been working at Fuyao since he was 19 years old .
He is so dedicated to Fuyao , and it 's offering him a path to the middle class .
He told us he 's going to be able to build a house for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China , because he 's making such good money .
Meanwhile , in the States , people like Shawnea , who once had a blue-collar , middle-class life — modest but secure — they have no security anymore , and it 's a very different landscape .
On the work culture clash between Chinese and American workers Reichert : In our work culture , workers expect to be respected .
[ They ] expect to be not told , `` Just do this . ''
[ The ] American worker will respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Maybe I have a better idea . ''
They 'll look , the supervisor right in the eye and question them .
This does not really happen in China very much .
It 's just a different work culture where people do what the boss says .
... People [ in China ] expect to work 12-hour days , six days a week .
The Chinese workers we spoke with — we spoke with a lot of them — they 're not happy about it .
They do n't like being away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year or only seeing them on Sunday .
Partly it 's because that 's what the culture has brought them to .
They 've lifted millions and millions of people out of poverty in one and a half ... generations .
But that has resulted in this really intense work life .
... Chinese workers are proud of their country , they 're proud of their company , they 're really proud of how China is flourishing in the world .
...
The American workers we know , I ca n't say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they feel really behind America , like America is really helping them rise in the world .
I think we 're on a trajectory of less hope , [ fewer ] possibilities ... as far as working class people .
On Fuyao slogans and songs the Chinese workers are accustomed to reciting Reichert : There 's a slogan that is said , which I think so in kind of [ encapsulates ] capitalism , which is `` To stand still is to fall back . ''
...
They chant it every day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ supervisors , when he got home [ from the trip to Fuyao headquarters ] , he tried to get the Americans to line up in that kind of military formation and it just did not go that well .
It 's like the people who signed up to work in this hot , intense glass factory in the United States , they 're making $ 12.84 an hour and they 're not getting paid enough to line up and be regimented like that .
On why many American workers at Fuyao wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : In the plant it was pretty hot .
You see there 's safety issues .
You see there were a lot of injuries .
For a long , long time , there was no nurse there .
At the old GM plant they had a nurse on duty and a doctor on call at all times — all shifts .
They had nothing like that at the Fuyao plant at first .
... Now they do , something like three years into it .
Right at the end of our filming , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think a really big thing was the policies would change , things like the sick leave .
Do you need a doctor 's note ?
... Do you get fired even with a doctor 's note ?
Do you get fired if you have to go to the emergency room or whatever ?
How many vacation days you would get , what your pay was .
People were told when they joined [ the company ] ... that within a year they would get a raise .
And we went around and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Did you get your raise yet ?
And nobody said they did .
And now maybe they 'd get it three months later , if they really bugged H.R.
, they 'd get it .
But those kind of things were just really frustrating , that they had no power .
Bognar : From the Chinese perspective , the company was not making a profit as quickly as the Chinese expected it to .
They thought the company would be profitable after a year .
We heard this again and again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year and a half , two years into being an operational facility and it 's still not turning a profit .
So the Chinese management fires the American leadership and replaces it with Chinese leadership .
Supervisors are swapped out from American supervisors to Chinese supervisors , and there 's more and more pressure on the American workforce .
And that led to growing frustration on the part of the Americans .
They felt they were being treated even more roughly because of the because of higher demands for productivity .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and so goodwill started really evaporating both directions .
On the `` union avoidance '' campaign Fuyao ran to dissuade workers from unionizing Reichert : They were very highly paid and they were in there from very early on .
As soon as there was any whisperings like a T-shirt about the UAW or those meetings going on , immediately the union avoidance company was brought in .
Now , I will say this is not a Chinese thing .
Pretty much in any facility , be it a distribution center , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a factory — actually be it in a white-collar working place — if there 's talk of a union , they 're going to bring in one of ... these consulting companies .
...
There 's hundreds of them all across the country .
I think most Americans do not realize that that is behind a lot of the loss of union power , the loss of the strikes .
They taught the Chinese management and supervisors to do everything they could to avoid the union .
Bognar : Next time you read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Volkswagen workers in Tennessee , they rejected the idea of a union . ''
The thing we do n't hear about is all the inside closed door campaigning that the companies do .
Roberta Shorrock and Seth Kelley produced and edited the audio of this interview .
Bridget Bentz , Molly Seavy-Nesper and Beth Novey adapted it for the Web .

What's It Like Working At A Chinese-Run 'American Factory'? It's 'Complicated'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Netflix Courtesy of Netflix
In 2008, GM closed its manufacturing plant in Dayton, Ohio, sending the community into a tailspin. Workers who had been unionized at GM struggled to find jobs that paid close to the wages the plant had paid.
"After that GM plant closed, things were so hard for so long," Ohio-based filmmaker Steven Bognar says. "People lost their homes. The jobs you could get were at the Kohl's distribution center or Payless Shoes warehouse distribution center or fast food. People were making $9 an hour."
When the Chinese glass manufacturer Fuyao reopened the shuttered GM plant in 2016, the community welcomed the influx of new jobs. But as time went on, enthusiasm waned. Some former GM employees found themselves working longer hours at Fuyao for half the pay.
In the Oscar-nominated documentary, American Factory, Bognar and Julia Reichert capture the tensions that exist within the Chinese-owned, Ohio-based plant. This is Reichert's fourth Oscar nomination — her first was in 1978.
"In the United States, we fought to have an eight-hour day and have weekends off," she says. "That's pretty much unheard of in industrial work in China. ... If the boss says you have to work six days a week or seven days a week you just do it."
Bognar describes the relationship between the company and its American employees as a "complicated" one. People are grateful for the jobs, but the work is tough — especially on the factory floor: "It's hard, it's hot, it's dangerous, and the expectations are very high," he says. "And yet the pay is not what it should be."
American Factory won last year's Sundance Award for Directing of a U.S. Documentary. It was the first acquisition for Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground, and is streaming on Netflix.
Interview highlights
On the difference between wages at the unionized GM plant and at Fuyao
Bognar: In the film, Shawnea Rosser, who worked at the old GM plant and now works at Fuyao, she says it varies directly. She says at GM she was making $29 and some cents per hour and at Fuyao she makes $12.84. So that's less than half of what she used to make. She has several children. ... They lost their house because they couldn't they couldn't make the mortgage payments after GM closed. It's a very different world.
Here's the crazy thing: In China, it's been a remarkable trajectory. China's on the rise and [so are] people in the film, like Wong He. He is the furnace engineer who has been sent from China to the U.S. He's here for at least two years. He's not going to see his children for two years. But he's been working at Fuyao since he was 19 years old. He is so dedicated to Fuyao, and it's offering him a path to the middle class. He told us he's going to be able to build a house for his family, for his kids back in China, because he's making such good money. Meanwhile, in the States, people like Shawnea, who once had a blue-collar, middle-class life — modest but secure — they have no security anymore, and it's a very different landscape.
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Holm/Netflix David Holm/Netflix
On the work culture clash between Chinese and American workers
Reichert: In our work culture, workers expect to be respected. [They] expect to be not told, "Just do this." [The] American worker will respond, "Why?" And, "Maybe I have a better idea." They'll look, the supervisor right in the eye and question them. This does not really happen in China very much. It's just a different work culture where people do what the boss says. ...
People [in China] expect to work 12-hour days, six days a week. The Chinese workers we spoke with — we spoke with a lot of them — they're not happy about it. They don't like being away from their kids for most of the year or only seeing them on Sunday. Partly it's because that's what the culture has brought them to. They've lifted millions and millions of people out of poverty in one and a half ... generations. But that has resulted in this really intense work life. ... Chinese workers are proud of their country, they're proud of their company, they're really proud of how China is flourishing in the world. ...
The American workers we know, I can't say that they're proud of their company or they feel really behind America, like America is really helping them rise in the world.
The American workers we know, I can't say that they're proud of their company or they feel really behind America, like America is really helping them rise in the world. I think we're on a trajectory of less hope, [fewer] possibilities ... as far as working class people.
On Fuyao slogans and songs the Chinese workers are accustomed to reciting
Reichert: There's a slogan that is said, which I think so in kind of [encapsulates] capitalism, which is "To stand still is to fall back." ... They chant it every day.
Bognar: When one of the American supervisors, when he got home [from the trip to Fuyao headquarters], he tried to get the Americans to line up in that kind of military formation and it just did not go that well. It's like the people who signed up to work in this hot, intense glass factory in the United States, they're making $12.84 an hour and they're not getting paid enough to line up and be regimented like that.
On why many American workers at Fuyao wanted to unionize with the United Automobile Workers
Reichert: In the plant it was pretty hot. You see there's safety issues. You see there were a lot of injuries. For a long, long time, there was no nurse there. At the old GM plant they had a nurse on duty and a doctor on call at all times — all shifts. They had nothing like that at the Fuyao plant at first. ... Now they do, something like three years into it. Right at the end of our filming, they actually did get a nurse.
I think a really big thing was the policies would change, things like the sick leave. Do you need a doctor's note? ... Do you get fired even with a doctor's note? Do you get fired if you have to go to the emergency room or whatever? How many vacation days you would get, what your pay was. People were told when they joined [the company] ... that within a year they would get a raise. And we went around and asked people a year or so later: Did you get your raise yet? And nobody said they did. And now maybe they'd get it three months later, if they really bugged H.R., they'd get it. But those kind of things were just really frustrating, that they had no power.
Bognar: From the Chinese perspective, the company was not making a profit as quickly as the Chinese expected it to. They thought the company would be profitable after a year. We heard this again and again. And here we are, like, a year and a half, two years into being an operational facility and it's still not turning a profit. So the Chinese management fires the American leadership and replaces it with Chinese leadership. Supervisors are swapped out from American supervisors to Chinese supervisors, and there's more and more pressure on the American workforce. And that led to growing frustration on the part of the Americans. They felt they were being treated even more roughly because of the because of higher demands for productivity. And it was just getting harder and harder — and so goodwill started really evaporating both directions.
On the "union avoidance" campaign Fuyao ran to dissuade workers from unionizing
Reichert: They were very highly paid and they were in there from very early on. As soon as there was any whisperings like a T-shirt about the UAW or those meetings going on, immediately the union avoidance company was brought in. Now, I will say this is not a Chinese thing. Pretty much in any facility, be it a distribution center, be it a warehouse, be it a factory — actually be it in a white-collar working place — if there's talk of a union, they're going to bring in one of ... these consulting companies. ... There's hundreds of them all across the country. I think most Americans do not realize that that is behind a lot of the loss of union power, the loss of the strikes. They taught the Chinese management and supervisors to do everything they could to avoid the union.
Bognar: Next time you read in the paper like, "Oh, the Volkswagen workers in Tennessee, they rejected the idea of a union." The thing we don't hear about is all the inside closed door campaigning that the companies do.
Roberta Shorrock and Seth Kelley produced and edited the audio of this interview. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Beth Novey adapted it for the Web.


npr--2020-02-03--Remembering Peter Serkin, The Searching Pianist

Peter Serkin , a pianist who navigated a distinctive course through classical music with thoughtful interpretations of both standard repertoire and bracing new compositions , died Saturday morning at his home in Red Hook , N.Y. at age 72 .
The cause of death , announced by his family , was pancreatic cancer .
Serkin came from a prestigious family of musicians .
His father , the celebrated pianist Rudolf Serkin , and his maternal grandfather , the violinist and conductor Adolf Busch , embodied old-world traditions — to reverential acclaim .
But Serkin crafted a singularly new-world approach to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , disillusioned with the pressures of lineage and tradition , Serkin dropped out from performing altogether , traveling to Asia and listening to albums by the Grateful Dead .
After he returned , Serkin co-founded the chamber group Tashi in 1973 ( with cellist Fred Sherry , violinist Ida Kavafian and clarinetist Richard Stoltzman ) , which championed new music and often performed in African-style garments .
Pulitzer-winning critic and USC professor Tim Page thinks of Serkin as something of a rebel .
`` He might have been likened to Rudyard Kipling 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' `` Page tells NPR .
`` He chose fairly early on to explore music in his own way .
He augmented his crystalline Mozart and Beethoven performances with contemporary music by Peter Lieberson , Toru Takemitsu and — especially — Olivier Messiaen . ''
Page adds that Tashi made Messiaen 's lengthy , meditative Quartet for the End of Time a calling card , performing the piece in concert halls and rock clubs , `` helping turn the work into a warhorse . ''
In a 2012 interview with the Mercury News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ music was a constant .
`` I 've always been very interested in music that 's being written today and in recent music , '' he told the paper .
`` That was true even as a child , when that was somewhat discouraged .
But it was just a component in me somehow — inquisitive . ''
Serkin was born in Manhattan on July 24 , 1947 and was given the middle name Adolf , after his grandfather .
At age 11 , he enrolled in the Curtis Institute of Music in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pianist Mieczyslaw Horszowski .
By age 12 , Serkin was playing concertos at the Marlboro Festival in Vermont , chamber music in New York and in Cleveland with his father in Mozart 's Double Concerto .
In the early '70s , Serkin recorded two albums from seemingly opposite poles : a set of Mozart Piano Concertos and Messiaen 's Vingt Regards sur l'enfant-Jésus , a two-hour set of solo pieces spanning extremes of emotion and virtuosity .
Both recordings were nominated for Grammy awards , and together signaled his way forward in terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Serkin 's love for new music resulted in new works , written for him by a wide swath of contemporary composers , from Toru Takemitsu and Luciano Berio to Oliver Knussen and Bright Sheng .
He played entire recitals of works he alone had commissioned .
Later , Serkin became a sympathetic teacher , holding posts at the Mannes School in New York , at the Tanglewood Music Institute , at Bard College and at the Juilliard School , where pianist Simone Dinnerstein was one of his pupils .
`` The most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Peter Serkin was that he did n't think there was one answer to the question of how to interpret a score , '' Dinnerstein tells NPR .
`` He was thoughtful and questioning and did n't rely on received wisdom .
The lessons were investigations into the music that we made together , and by doing that he taught me how to be an independent thinker , and to be brave about following the path wherever the music led me . ''
Serkin 's performances have been described as coming from both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says he rarely played it safe .
`` I loved the inventiveness and varied nature of Peter 's playing .
Nothing was ever even , everything was vibrant and alive . ''
His recording of the Brahms First Piano Concerto , with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra , she says is prized for its `` intimate and touching '' second movement .
The last performance Serkin gave was with the Cincinnati Symphony , performing Igor Stravinsky 's Concerto for Piano and Winds on March 1 , 2019 .
Page says Serkin 's playing was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and technique to burn , but both were invariably put to the service of a keen intelligence ; there was never anything showy or ostentatious about his playing . ''
`` His self-effacing , warm personality , '' Page adds , `` was attested to by all who worked with him .
He was not only revered and respected — he was loved . ''

Remembering Peter Serkin, The Searching Pianist
Enlarge this image toggle caption Stu Rosner/Boston Symphony Orchestra Stu Rosner/Boston Symphony Orchestra
Peter Serkin, a pianist who navigated a distinctive course through classical music with thoughtful interpretations of both standard repertoire and bracing new compositions, died Saturday morning at his home in Red Hook, N.Y. at age 72.
The cause of death, announced by his family, was pancreatic cancer.
Serkin came from a prestigious family of musicians. His father, the celebrated pianist Rudolf Serkin, and his maternal grandfather, the violinist and conductor Adolf Busch, embodied old-world traditions — to reverential acclaim.
But Serkin crafted a singularly new-world approach to his career. In his early 20s, disillusioned with the pressures of lineage and tradition, Serkin dropped out from performing altogether, traveling to Asia and listening to albums by the Grateful Dead. After he returned, Serkin co-founded the chamber group Tashi in 1973 (with cellist Fred Sherry, violinist Ida Kavafian and clarinetist Richard Stoltzman), which championed new music and often performed in African-style garments.
YouTube
Pulitzer-winning critic and USC professor Tim Page thinks of Serkin as something of a rebel. "He might have been likened to Rudyard Kipling's 'The Cat That Walked by Himself,' " Page tells NPR. "He chose fairly early on to explore music in his own way. He augmented his crystalline Mozart and Beethoven performances with contemporary music by Peter Lieberson, Toru Takemitsu and — especially — Olivier Messiaen." Page adds that Tashi made Messiaen's lengthy, meditative Quartet for the End of Time a calling card, performing the piece in concert halls and rock clubs, "helping turn the work into a warhorse."
In a 2012 interview with the Mercury News, Serkin said his penchant for contemporary music was a constant. "I've always been very interested in music that's being written today and in recent music," he told the paper. "That was true even as a child, when that was somewhat discouraged. But it was just a component in me somehow — inquisitive."
Serkin was born in Manhattan on July 24, 1947 and was given the middle name Adolf, after his grandfather. At age 11, he enrolled in the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and studied with the legendary Polish-American pianist Mieczyslaw Horszowski. By age 12, Serkin was playing concertos at the Marlboro Festival in Vermont, chamber music in New York and in Cleveland with his father in Mozart's Double Concerto.
In the early '70s, Serkin recorded two albums from seemingly opposite poles: a set of Mozart Piano Concertos and Messiaen's Vingt Regards sur l'enfant-Jésus, a two-hour set of solo pieces spanning extremes of emotion and virtuosity. Both recordings were nominated for Grammy awards, and together signaled his way forward in terms of embracing contemporary music and standard repertoire.
YouTube
Serkin's love for new music resulted in new works, written for him by a wide swath of contemporary composers, from Toru Takemitsu and Luciano Berio to Oliver Knussen and Bright Sheng. He played entire recitals of works he alone had commissioned.
Later, Serkin became a sympathetic teacher, holding posts at the Mannes School in New York, at the Tanglewood Music Institute, at Bard College and at the Juilliard School, where pianist Simone Dinnerstein was one of his pupils.
"The most important lesson I took from my studies with Peter Serkin was that he didn't think there was one answer to the question of how to interpret a score," Dinnerstein tells NPR. "He was thoughtful and questioning and didn't rely on received wisdom. The lessons were investigations into the music that we made together, and by doing that he taught me how to be an independent thinker, and to be brave about following the path wherever the music led me."
Serkin's performances have been described as coming from both the head and the heart. Dinnerstein says he rarely played it safe. "I loved the inventiveness and varied nature of Peter's playing. Nothing was ever even, everything was vibrant and alive." His recording of the Brahms First Piano Concerto, with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, she says is prized for its "intimate and touching" second movement.
The last performance Serkin gave was with the Cincinnati Symphony, performing Igor Stravinsky's Concerto for Piano and Winds on March 1, 2019.
Page says Serkin's playing was always thoughtful. "He had lyricism and technique to burn, but both were invariably put to the service of a keen intelligence; there was never anything showy or ostentatious about his playing."
"His self-effacing, warm personality," Page adds, "was attested to by all who worked with him. He was not only revered and respected — he was loved."


npr--2020-02-03--Turkey, Syria Trade Deadly Strikes As Russia Watches Uneasily

Turkey and Syria traded attacks near their shared border in a spasm of direct , deadly violence that threatens to escalate the friction between two increasingly bitter neighbors — and more deeply entangle Syria 's ally Russia .
On Monday , officials in Ankara announced that at least six Turkish soldiers were killed in an artillery attack launched by the Syrian regime in the northwest Syrian province of Idlib .
Within hours , Turkey answered with an assault of its own , killing several dozen Syrians in a retaliatory strike on some 40 regime positions in the area , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , an independent monitoring agency based in the U.K. , placed the death toll at 13 Syrian soldiers .
`` We are determined to continue our operations to ensure the safety of our country , our nation and our brothers in Idlib , '' Erdogan told reporters Monday , in comments reported by Turkey 's state-owned Anadolu Agency .
`` Those who test Turkey 's determination with such vile attacks , '' he added , `` will understand that they made a big mistake .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ just for the Syrian regime , but also for the Kremlin .
Russian warplanes have been supporting a recent Syrian military offensive in the border region , where opposition forces cling to a few final handholds after years of bloody civil war .
Russia , a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad , has backed Assad 's push to quash those remaining forces in Idlib — much to the consternation of Turkey , which has troops stationed there as part of a 2018 de-escalation agreement with Russia meant to prevent accidental confrontations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security and humanitarian missions inside Syria in line with our agreements with Russia , '' Fahrettin Altun , Turkey 's communications director , tweeted in a thread posted Monday .
`` If Russia is unable to control the Assad regime from targeting us , we will not hesitate to take actions against any threat , just as we did today in Idlib . ''
Russian officials rejected Ankara 's assertions .
Russia 's Ministry of Defense — in a statement cited by the state-run TASS news agency — said the shelling that killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` terrorists '' and that the collateral damage happened because Turkey failed to notify Russia about its movements .
Regardless of the cause , the fact of the killings has exacerbated an already tense situation in northwest Syria — particularly in Idlib , the last rebel-held province and home to more than 3 million civilians .
Negotiations between Russian and Turkish diplomats , who back opposing sides of the Syrian war , have done little to mitigate the violence and its effects on residents .
The United Nations says that at least 1,300 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four-month span last year and that , all told , more than 700,000 of them have been displaced by the fighting in the past nine months alone .
`` Civilians in other areas are not waiting around to see what happens .
They 're packing up .
They 're heading close to the Turkish border .
Some of them are going to Idlib city , which is the capital city , '' NPR 's Deborah Amos explained last month .
`` But the Turkish border 's as far as they can get because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest attempt at a cease-fire took effect Jan. 12 , though the truce in Idlib — like several others before it — has largely failed to calm a recent surge in fighting between the Syrian regime and rebel forces in the province .

Turkey, Syria Trade Deadly Strikes As Russia Watches Uneasily
Enlarge this image toggle caption Aaref Watad/AFP via Getty Images Aaref Watad/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 8:45 p.m. ET
Turkey and Syria traded attacks near their shared border in a spasm of direct, deadly violence that threatens to escalate the friction between two increasingly bitter neighbors — and more deeply entangle Syria's ally Russia.
On Monday, officials in Ankara announced that at least six Turkish soldiers were killed in an artillery attack launched by the Syrian regime in the northwest Syrian province of Idlib. Within hours, Turkey answered with an assault of its own, killing several dozen Syrians in a retaliatory strike on some 40 regime positions in the area, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an independent monitoring agency based in the U.K., placed the death toll at 13 Syrian soldiers.
"We are determined to continue our operations to ensure the safety of our country, our nation and our brothers in Idlib," Erdogan told reporters Monday, in comments reported by Turkey's state-owned Anadolu Agency.
"Those who test Turkey's determination with such vile attacks," he added, "will understand that they made a big mistake."
His remarks are a warning not just for the Syrian regime, but also for the Kremlin.
Middle East Millions Of Civilians Affected As Syrian Military Advances On Idlib Province Millions Of Civilians Affected As Syrian Military Advances On Idlib Province Listen · 3:39 3:39
A U.S. State Department spokesperson condemned the "continued, unjustifiable and ruthless assault by the Assad regime, Russia, Iran, and Hizballah on the people of Idlib." The statement called for an immediate ceasefire and access for humanitarian groups to aid people in the region.
Russian warplanes have been supporting a recent Syrian military offensive in the border region, where opposition forces cling to a few final handholds after years of bloody civil war. Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, has backed Assad's push to quash those remaining forces in Idlib — much to the consternation of Turkey, which has troops stationed there as part of a 2018 de-escalation agreement with Russia meant to prevent accidental confrontations.
"Our brave soldiers are conducting security and humanitarian missions inside Syria in line with our agreements with Russia," Fahrettin Altun, Turkey's communications director, tweeted in a thread posted Monday. "If Russia is unable to control the Assad regime from targeting us, we will not hesitate to take actions against any threat, just as we did today in Idlib."
We grieve for our fallen martyrs today but we will not be deterred by the threats by a criminal regime. We can’t compromise our national security. The Syrian crisis has to be brought to an end through serious involvement and robust support by the international community. — Fahrettin Altun (@fahrettinaltun) February 3, 2020
Russian officials rejected Ankara's assertions. Russia's Ministry of Defense — in a statement cited by the state-run TASS news agency — said the shelling that killed Turkish troops was in fact targeted at "terrorists" and that the collateral damage happened because Turkey failed to notify Russia about its movements.
Regardless of the cause, the fact of the killings has exacerbated an already tense situation in northwest Syria — particularly in Idlib, the last rebel-held province and home to more than 3 million civilians. Negotiations between Russian and Turkish diplomats, who back opposing sides of the Syrian war, have done little to mitigate the violence and its effects on residents.
The United Nations says that at least 1,300 of those civilians were killed during a four-month span last year and that, all told, more than 700,000 of them have been displaced by the fighting in the past nine months alone.
"Civilians in other areas are not waiting around to see what happens. They're packing up. They're heading close to the Turkish border. Some of them are going to Idlib city, which is the capital city," NPR's Deborah Amos explained last month. "But the Turkish border's as far as they can get because that border's closed."
The latest attempt at a cease-fire took effect Jan. 12, though the truce in Idlib — like several others before it — has largely failed to calm a recent surge in fighting between the Syrian regime and rebel forces in the province.


npr--2020-02-03--Coronavirus Cases Have More Than Tripled In Past Week; 17,000 Sickened In China

Coronavirus Cases Have More Than Tripled In Past Week ; 17,000 Sickened In China China says it has more than 17,000 confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus , representing a huge leap from the 4,400 cases reported as of last week .
Chinese health officials said Monday morning that 2,829 new cases had been diagnosed in the past 24 hours alone .
Outside of mainland China , nine countries or regions are reporting double-digit cases of the coronavirus , led by Japan with 20 , according to a global dashboard created by the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 360 people .
The first coronavirus fatality outside China was reported in the Philippines over the weekend .
In a sign of the economic toll , China 's stock markets were pummeled Monday — the first day of trading since the Lunar New Year holiday — with the Shanghai Composite Index falling by nearly 8 % .
Trading was halted for hundreds of Chinese companies after prices for their stocks dropped by 10 % — triggering a mandatory hold .
Despite those sharp declines , many markets in the U.S. and elsewhere were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ P 500 rose by about 1 % in its first hour of trading , and the Euro Stoxx 50 Index also rose slightly .
The U.S. currently has 11 confirmed cases of the the coronavirus , known as 2019-nCoV , with patients reported in California , Massachusetts , Arizona , Illinois and Washington state .
The patient from Washington state has been discharged , a spokesperson for the medical center said Monday .
The U.S. has imposed new restrictions on people who want to travel from China to the U.S. '' As of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government started banning anyone traveling from China who is n't a U.S. citizen or an immediate family member of an American from entering the United States , '' NPR 's Rob Stein reports .
That policy followed announcements by American Airlines , Delta Air Lines and United Airlines that they would suspend routes between the U.S. and mainland China .
The people diagnosed with the coronavirus in mainland China include 19 foreigners , NPR 's Emily Feng reports .
`` China 's foreign ministry said 14 of the foreigners were still under observation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
`` Two had been cured and discharged .
At least 37 airlines have said they are reducing or suspending all flights to and from China as the death toll from the new coronavirus continues to rise . ''
A number of countries , including the U.S. , have arranged charter flights to evacuate people from the outbreak 's epicenter in the city of Wuhan , repeatedly screening passengers to reduce the chance of the virus spreading .
As their citizens arrive home , those countries are placing them under quarantine or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 confirmed cases of the deadly coronavirus , is embarking on a controversial plan to send several hundred of its citizens who were evacuated from Wuhan to a mandatory 14-day quarantine in a detention center on Christmas Island .
`` The immigration detention center operated from 2003 until late 2018 and has been the site of numerous cases of abuse and unrest , '' journalist Rachael Bongiorno reports from Melbourne for NPR 's Newscast .
She adds , `` It has been a pillar of Australia 's increasingly restrictive immigration policies , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from seeking asylum . ''
There are thousands more cases of the coronavirus than there were of SARS during an outbreak in 2003 .
But for now , the death toll from the new coronavirus is less than half of the toll from SARS ( 774 ) .
In the U.S. , health officials are urging Americans not to overreact to the coronavirus .
`` We do not currently recommend the use of face masks for the general American public , '' Dr. Nancy Messonnier , director of the National Center for Immunization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Friday .
`` This virus is not spreading in your communities . ''
In an effort to limit the virus , the Trump administration on Friday declared a public health emergency in the U.S .
The action requires any American citizen who has recently been in Wuhan 's Hubei province to spend 14 days in quarantine when they return to the U.S. That move was announced after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention placed 195 Americans who were evacuated from Wuhan , China , under a mandatory 14-day quarantine at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had initially been subject only to a three-day holding period .
While the Wuhan respiratory illness has dominated headlines with its fast spread , health experts in the U.S. say that right now , the influenza or flu virus poses a greater potential risk to Americans .
`` We have an influenza outbreak here , '' Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said Friday .
`` We have about 8,000 deaths already .
We have about 100,000 hospitalizations . ''
But Fauci added that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closely , because while they can be certain flu cases will go away when the seasons change , there are `` a lot of unknowns '' about the new virus .
And he added that evidence of people being infected but not showing symptoms `` would make it a much broader outbreak than what we 're seeing . ''
To reduce the chance of spreading any respiratory illness , the CDC recommends that people take simple steps such as washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and avoiding close @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Coronavirus Cases Have More Than Tripled In Past Week; 20,000 Sickened In China
Enlarge this image toggle caption China Daily CDIC/Reuters China Daily CDIC/Reuters
Updated at 10:05 p.m. ET
China says it has more than 20,000 confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, representing a huge leap from the 4,400 cases reported as of last week. Chinese health officials said Monday morning that 2,829 new cases had been diagnosed in the previous 24 hours alone.
Outside of mainland China, nine countries or regions are reporting double-digit cases of the coronavirus, led by Japan with 20, according to a global dashboard created by the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering.
The respiratory virus has killed more than 427 people, 425 in mainland China. The first coronavirus fatality outside China was reported in the Philippines over the weekend. Hong Kong reported its first coronavirus death on Tuesday.
In a sign of the economic toll, China's stock markets were pummeled Monday — the first day of trading since the Lunar New Year holiday — with the Shanghai Composite Index falling by nearly 8%. Trading was halted for hundreds of Chinese companies after prices for their stocks dropped by 10% — triggering a mandatory hold.
Despite those sharp declines, many markets in the U.S. and elsewhere were holding steady early. The S&P 500 rose by about 1% in its first hour of trading, and the Euro Stoxx 50 Index also rose slightly.
The U.S. currently has 11 confirmed cases of the the coronavirus, known as 2019-nCoV, with patients reported in California, Massachusetts, Arizona, Illinois and Washington state. The patient from Washington state has been discharged, a spokesperson for the medical center said Monday.
The U.S. has imposed new restrictions on people who want to travel from China to the U.S.
"As of 5 p.m. last night, the federal government started banning anyone traveling from China who isn't a U.S. citizen or an immediate family member of an American from entering the United States," NPR's Rob Stein reports.
That policy followed announcements by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines that they would suspend routes between the U.S. and mainland China.
The people diagnosed with the coronavirus in mainland China include 19 foreigners, NPR's Emily Feng reports.
"China's foreign ministry said 14 of the foreigners were still under observation and treatment in China," Feng says. "Two had been cured and discharged. At least 37 airlines have said they are reducing or suspending all flights to and from China as the death toll from the new coronavirus continues to rise."
A number of countries, including the U.S., have arranged charter flights to evacuate people from the outbreak's epicenter in the city of Wuhan, repeatedly screening passengers to reduce the chance of the virus spreading. As their citizens arrive home, those countries are placing them under quarantine or other restrictions.
Australia, which has 12 confirmed cases of the deadly coronavirus, is embarking on a controversial plan to send several hundred of its citizens who were evacuated from Wuhan to a mandatory 14-day quarantine in a detention center on Christmas Island.
"The immigration detention center operated from 2003 until late 2018 and has been the site of numerous cases of abuse and unrest," journalist Rachael Bongiorno reports from Melbourne for NPR's Newscast. She adds, "It has been a pillar of Australia's increasingly restrictive immigration policies, which aim to deter refugees arriving by boat from seeking asylum."
There are thousands more cases of the coronavirus than there were of SARS during an outbreak in 2003. But for now, the death toll from the new coronavirus is less than half of the toll from SARS (774).
In the U.S., health officials are urging Americans not to overreact to the coronavirus.
"We do not currently recommend the use of face masks for the general American public," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, said Friday. "This virus is not spreading in your communities."
In an effort to limit the virus, the Trump administration on Friday declared a public health emergency in the U.S. The action requires any American citizen who has recently been in Wuhan's Hubei province to spend 14 days in quarantine when they return to the U.S.
That move was announced after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention placed 195 Americans who were evacuated from Wuhan, China, under a mandatory 14-day quarantine at a military base in California. Those passengers had initially been subject only to a three-day holding period.
While the Wuhan respiratory illness has dominated headlines with its fast spread, health experts in the U.S. say that right now, the influenza or flu virus poses a greater potential risk to Americans.
"We have an influenza outbreak here," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Friday. "We have about 8,000 deaths already. We have about 100,000 hospitalizations."
But Fauci added that U.S. agencies are watching the coronavirus outbreak closely, because while they can be certain flu cases will go away when the seasons change, there are "a lot of unknowns" about the new virus. And he added that evidence of people being infected but not showing symptoms "would make it a much broader outbreak than what we're seeing."
To reduce the chance of spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends that people take simple steps such as washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and avoiding close contact with anyone who is sick.


npr--2020-02-03--U.S. Coronavirus Quarantine And Travel Limits: Needed Protection Or Overreaction?

U.S. Coronavirus Quarantine And Travel Limits : Needed Protection Or Overreaction ?
The Trump administration 's aggressive efforts to protect Americans from the coronavirus are drawing both praise and criticism .
On Friday , the federal government temporarily banned entry into the United States for anyone traveling from China who is n't a U.S. citizen , permanent resident or an immediate family member of either .
In addition , any Americans returning to the U.S. from China 's Hubei Province , which is the epicenter of the outbreak , will be quarantined for 14 days .
Some politicians and biosecurity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say the actions are necessary because of the threat posed by the virus .
`` Nobody likes quarantines .
Nobody likes travel restrictions , '' says Kenneth Bernard , a biodefense consultant who served in the George W. Bush administration .
`` But nobody likes getting sick and dying from the virus either .
We need to understand that this is potentially a very dangerous virus that is spreading very rapidly . ''
The virus has already sickened thousands and killed hundreds in China , and the toll is rising rapidly .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases have been reported so far , mostly among travelers returning from China .
But Bernard notes that there are many uncertainties , including how easily the virus spreads and how lethal it is .
`` You have to take sometimes draconian measures just to protect the population , '' Bernard says .
But many public health experts worry that some of the steps are unnecessary , overly aggressive and could be counter-productive , especially the travel ban .
`` I think that the Trump administration is sliding from complacency and over-confidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where we 're going instill panic and fear in the American public , '' says Lawrence Gostin , a public health law expert at Georgetown University .
`` We have to keep our head here and remain calm . ''
Gostin agrees that it probably makes sense to quarantine people who are clearly at high risk for having been exposed to the virus .
On Friday health officials announced that 195 people who had been evacuated from China last week were being quarantined for 14 days at an air force base in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 years the federal government is imposing its quarantine authority on Americans .
But other experts worry the administrations plans to quarantine additional travelers could strain already scarce public health resources .
`` I think we 're going to very quickly reach the upper limits of our capacity , '' says Jennifer Nuzzo , a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security .
Some public health experts say they are also concerned about protecting the civil liberties of those being quarantined , especially because the CDC gained broader quarantine authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some say the prospect of being quarantined could end up hindering an effective response .
`` It backfires because people head for the hills , '' says Wendy Parmet , a professor of health law policy at Northeastern University .
`` People do n't call and seek health care when they might be becoming sick .
And health care providers become fearful of treating patients because they do n't want to get caught up in the quarantine . ''
But the travel ban is raising the biggest concerns .
Historically , critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective .
That 's one reason the World Health Organization is advising against banning travel .
Parmet says that travel restrictions may give the appearance of `` acting tough , '' but actually provides `` false comfort that we can keep out germs by barring travel . ''
`` We are deluding ourselves , and that 's dangerous , '' Parmet says .
`` It just does n't work that way . ''
The travel ban could alienate Chinese authorities , making it more difficult to get China to work with the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under control , Parmet and others say .
The restriction could also make it difficult to get crucial personnel and supplies in and out of China , they say .
There 's also concern that other countries may be less forthcoming about reporting to avoid being subjected to travel bans and trade restrictions .
All flights from China are being re-routed to 11 U.S. airports .
And any U.S. citizens who have been in other parts of China in the past two weeks are being subject to screening and close monitoring for 14 @ @

U.S. Coronavirus Quarantine And Travel Limits: Needed Protection Or Overreaction?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP
The Trump administration's aggressive efforts to protect Americans from the coronavirus are drawing both praise and criticism.
On Friday, the federal government temporarily banned entry into the United States for anyone traveling from China who isn't a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or an immediate family member of either.
In addition, any Americans returning to the U.S. from China's Hubei Province, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, will be quarantined for 14 days.
Some politicians and biosecurity experts are praising these steps. They say the actions are necessary because of the threat posed by the virus.
"Nobody likes quarantines. Nobody likes travel restrictions," says Kenneth Bernard, a biodefense consultant who served in the George W. Bush administration. "But nobody likes getting sick and dying from the virus either. We need to understand that this is potentially a very dangerous virus that is spreading very rapidly."
The virus has already sickened thousands and killed hundreds in China, and the toll is rising rapidly. In the U.S., only a small number of cases have been reported so far, mostly among travelers returning from China. But Bernard notes that there are many uncertainties, including how easily the virus spreads and how lethal it is.
"You have to take sometimes draconian measures just to protect the population," Bernard says.
But many public health experts worry that some of the steps are unnecessary, overly aggressive and could be counter-productive, especially the travel ban.
"I think that the Trump administration is sliding from complacency and over-confidence to panic and overreaction to a point where we're going instill panic and fear in the American public," says Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University. "We have to keep our head here and remain calm."
Gostin agrees that it probably makes sense to quarantine people who are clearly at high risk for having been exposed to the virus.
On Friday health officials announced that 195 people who had been evacuated from China last week were being quarantined for 14 days at an air force base in California.
This is the first time in 50 years the federal government is imposing its quarantine authority on Americans.
But other experts worry the administrations plans to quarantine additional travelers could strain already scarce public health resources.
"I think we're going to very quickly reach the upper limits of our capacity," says Jennifer Nuzzo, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
Some public health experts say they are also concerned about protecting the civil liberties of those being quarantined, especially because the CDC gained broader quarantine authorities about three years ago.
In addition, some say the prospect of being quarantined could end up hindering an effective response.
"It backfires because people head for the hills," says Wendy Parmet, a professor of health law policy at Northeastern University. "People don't call and seek health care when they might be becoming sick. And health care providers become fearful of treating patients because they don't want to get caught up in the quarantine."
But the travel ban is raising the biggest concerns.
Historically, critics say, travel restrictions haven't been effective. That's one reason the World Health Organization is advising against banning travel.
Parmet says that travel restrictions may give the appearance of "acting tough," but actually provides "false comfort that we can keep out germs by barring travel."
"We are deluding ourselves, and that's dangerous," Parmet says. "It just doesn't work that way."
The travel ban could alienate Chinese authorities, making it more difficult to get China to work with the rest of the world to get the outbreak under control, Parmet and others say.
The restriction could also make it difficult to get crucial personnel and supplies in and out of China, they say.
There's also concern that other countries may be less forthcoming about reporting to avoid being subjected to travel bans and trade restrictions.
All flights from China are being re-routed to 11 U.S. airports. And any U.S. citizens who have been in other parts of China in the past two weeks are being subject to screening and close monitoring for 14 days.


npr--2020-02-04--The Limits Of Nudging: Why Can't California Get People To Take Free Money?

The Limits Of Nudging : Why Ca n't California Get People To Take Free Money ?
Editor 's note : This is an excerpt of Planet Money 's newsletter .
You can sign up here .
The Earned Income Tax Credit supplements incomes through the tax code , awarding thousands of dollars each year primarily to low-wage workers with kids .
But there 's a problem : a huge population of eligible workers fails to file their taxes and get the money each year .
Several years ago , the state of California established their own state EITC ( CalEITC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Depending on how many kids they have and how much they earn , a Californian who files for both the state and federal credit can get upwards of $ 6,000 .
For the poorest households with kids , those tax credits could almost double their household income .
There 's a lot of money on the table to help the most at-risk families in the state , and California policymakers have grown concerned about the large number of eligible workers failing to file taxes and claim their credits .
In 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Policy Lab , an interdisciplinary think tank of scholars from various University of California schools , started trying to solve this problem , and they commissioned one of the most fascinating experiments in `` nudging '' we 've seen in a while .
Nudges are simple , low-cost interventions aimed at gently guiding people to make better decisions .
For example , making retirement plans the default option when you join a job , which has been shown to significantly increase the likelihood you save more for retirement .
The California Policy Lab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and nudge workers to claim the EITC by sending them letters and text messages .
The solution seemed like a no brainer : inform people how they can get free money , and they 'll get that free money !
If only it were that simple .
The researchers conducted field experiments for two years on over a million Californians .
They randomly divided them into treatment groups , which received various types of messages , and a control group , which received no message .
`` We were trying lots of different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different messages you could give people , but to try to test what would be most effective , '' says Jesse Rothstein , a labor economist at UC Berkeley who co-directs the California Policy Lab .
The researchers tried to make sure these letters and text messages did n't look like a scam .
Below is an example of one letter they sent : '' We found a very precise zero effect , '' says Elizabeth Linos , a behavioral scientist at UC Berkeley who was also behind the study .
Many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says , did visit the website advertised in the messages to help them sign up for the EITC .
But in the end , they did n't fill out the forms to receive their credit .
They turned down free money .
`` We were n't able to increase the rate at which people file for taxes and we were n't able to increase the number of households that claim the EITC , '' Linos says .
This experiment might seem like a gigantic failure for behavioral economics and the theory of nudging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support the broader idea that people are n't the perfectly calculating , error-free creatures of traditional economic models .
They 're turning down free money — even after they 're informed they can get free money .
The researchers do n't have a solid answer for why the nudges failed .
They believe , however , a big part of the problem has to do with tax forms .
`` Those of us who file taxes know that it 's not so easy to file taxes , '' Rothstein says .
`` And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it 's there and to want it .
But we have n't really given them the tools that it would take to make it easy for them to claim it . ''
Linos and Rothstein believe our tax system is too complicated , and that we should make claiming the EITC , and filing for taxes more generally , much simpler .
Linos says the good news is that other countries provide examples of systems that do n't require mind-numbing paperwork to file for taxes or receive government benefits .
`` In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uses information they already have on you to pre-populate your tax forms , '' she says .
In other words , they tell you what you owe .
Or are owed .
Then you can just look it over and click send .
But we 're not other countries .
We 're the USA , where filing for taxes is still stupidly hard .
The IRS estimates that about 20 percent of eligible taxpayers fail to file and claim the EITC .
Rothstein believes the solution to getting more people signed up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of nudging them to sign up and `` structural changes that make it easier to file taxes . ''
This could include an expansion of programs aimed at giving people assistance with taxes , including software designed to make filing easier .
A dark view of the findings might write off this population as doomed to poverty because of bad decision-making and self-destructive behavior .
But psychologist Eldar Shafir and economist Sendhil Mullainathan suggest a more charitable lens , which they call the `` psychology of scarcity . ''
Their research suggests the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurts their decision-making .
They work long hours .
They have higher stress .
They 're consumed with thinking about paying their rent , getting their kids medical care , and putting food on the table .
Shafir and Mullainathan find these stresses lower their `` mental bandwidth , '' and it might help explain why so many low-income Californians are turning down free money .
Did you enjoy this newsletter ?
Well , it looks even better in your inbox !
You can sign up here .

The Limits Of Nudging: Why Can't California Get People To Take Free Money?
Editor's note: This is an excerpt of Planet Money's newsletter. You can sign up here.
Enlarge this image IRS IRS
The Earned Income Tax Credit supplements incomes through the tax code, awarding thousands of dollars each year primarily to low-wage workers with kids. But there's a problem: a huge population of eligible workers fails to file their taxes and get the money each year.
Several years ago, the state of California established their own state EITC (CalEITC) on top of the federal one. Depending on how many kids they have and how much they earn, a Californian who files for both the state and federal credit can get upwards of $6,000. For the poorest households with kids, those tax credits could almost double their household income. There's a lot of money on the table to help the most at-risk families in the state, and California policymakers have grown concerned about the large number of eligible workers failing to file taxes and claim their credits.
In 2018, the state of California and the California Policy Lab, an interdisciplinary think tank of scholars from various University of California schools, started trying to solve this problem, and they commissioned one of the most fascinating experiments in "nudging" we've seen in a while.
Nudge Experiments
Nudges are simple, low-cost interventions aimed at gently guiding people to make better decisions. For example, making retirement plans the default option when you join a job, which has been shown to significantly increase the likelihood you save more for retirement. The California Policy Lab and its partners decided it would try and nudge workers to claim the EITC by sending them letters and text messages. The solution seemed like a no brainer: inform people how they can get free money, and they'll get that free money! If only it were that simple.
The researchers conducted field experiments for two years on over a million Californians. They randomly divided them into treatment groups, which received various types of messages, and a control group, which received no message. "We were trying lots of different ways of reaching people, lots of different messages you could give people, but to try to test what would be most effective," says Jesse Rothstein, a labor economist at UC Berkeley who co-directs the California Policy Lab. The researchers tried to make sure these letters and text messages didn't look like a scam. Below is an example of one letter they sent:
Enlarge this image California Policy Lab California Policy Lab
"We found a very precise zero effect," says Elizabeth Linos, a behavioral scientist at UC Berkeley who was also behind the study. Many of those who received the messages, she says, did visit the website advertised in the messages to help them sign up for the EITC. But in the end, they didn't fill out the forms to receive their credit. They turned down free money. "We weren't able to increase the rate at which people file for taxes and we weren't able to increase the number of households that claim the EITC," Linos says.
This experiment might seem like a gigantic failure for behavioral economics and the theory of nudging. But both researchers believe their findings support the broader idea that people aren't the perfectly calculating, error-free creatures of traditional economic models. They're turning down free money — even after they're informed they can get free money.
The researchers don't have a solid answer for why the nudges failed. They believe, however, a big part of the problem has to do with tax forms. "Those of us who file taxes know that it's not so easy to file taxes," Rothstein says. "And so we've gotten people to understand that it's there and to want it. But we haven't really given them the tools that it would take to make it easy for them to claim it."
Linos and Rothstein believe our tax system is too complicated, and that we should make claiming the EITC, and filing for taxes more generally, much simpler. Linos says the good news is that other countries provide examples of systems that don't require mind-numbing paperwork to file for taxes or receive government benefits. "In a lot of countries, the government uses information they already have on you to pre-populate your tax forms," she says. In other words, they tell you what you owe. Or are owed. Then you can just look it over and click send.
But we're not other countries. We're the USA, where filing for taxes is still stupidly hard. The IRS estimates that about 20 percent of eligible taxpayers fail to file and claim the EITC. Rothstein believes the solution to getting more people signed up for the EITC has to be a mixture of nudging them to sign up and "structural changes that make it easier to file taxes." This could include an expansion of programs aimed at giving people assistance with taxes, including software designed to make filing easier.
A dark view of the findings might write off this population as doomed to poverty because of bad decision-making and self-destructive behavior. But psychologist Eldar Shafir and economist Sendhil Mullainathan suggest a more charitable lens, which they call the "psychology of scarcity ." Their research suggests the poor bear a unique cognitive burden that hurts their decision-making. They work long hours. They have higher stress. They're consumed with thinking about paying their rent, getting their kids medical care, and putting food on the table. Shafir and Mullainathan find these stresses lower their "mental bandwidth," and it might help explain why so many low-income Californians are turning down free money.
Did you enjoy this newsletter? Well, it looks even better in your inbox! You can sign up here.


npr--2020-02-04--Who Is Veronica Escobar? She Will Deliver Spanish State Of The Union Response

Who Is Veronica Escobar ?
She Will Deliver Spanish State Of The Union Response When U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar delivers the Spanish-language rebuttal to President Trump 's State of the Union address Tuesday , she 'll do so from a community health center in her hometown of El Paso , Texas .
The first-term Democrat was thrust into the spotlight last year , as her city became a testing ground for Trump administration immigration policies and the site of the deadliest attack on Latinos in modern U.S. history .
Escobar , 50 , made history when she was elected in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Beto O'Rourke .
She is one of the first two Latinas to represent Texas in Congress .
Since taking office , she has served as a fierce advocate for her city along the U.S.-Mexico border and harsh critic of policies like the Migrant Protection Protocols , which requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico as their cases play out in U.S. immigration court .
`` My district is ground zero for these atrocities , '' she said during a House hearing on child separation .
`` These policies have created the humanitarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Escobar has led numerous congressional delegations to the border .
`` It 's frustrating to know that we are being painted as a dangerous place meant to be controlled , when what we see is a place of complexity and beauty , '' she said last January , standing with several lawmakers near a newly-built section of border wall .
Escobar faced another serious challenge in her first year in office following the Aug. 3 mass shooting that killed 22 people at an El Paso Walmart .
Police say the white gunman was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles from his Dallas suburb to attack the border city .
Escobar was quick to draw a link between the massacre and President Trump 's immigration rhetoric , declaring that the president should not visit while the community was mourning .
`` Words have consequences , '' she told MSNBC .
`` The president has made my community and my people the enemy .
He has told the country that we are people to be feared , people to be hated . ''
Those who have known Escobar throughout her career say they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` She has this way of speaking that is not insulting and yet you know where she stands , '' said former El Paso Mayor Raymond Caballero .
`` She 's not wishy-washy in the least . ''
Caballero first pushed Escobar to run for political office .
She grew up in El Paso , where her family has run a dairy farm for several generations .
Her father spent decades working as the county engineer .
Escobar originally wanted to pursue a career in academia , and earned degrees in English literature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paso and New York University .
She was teaching in her hometown in the early 1990s when a new immigration enforcement crackdown began and there was talk about building a wall along the border .
`` I was so offended by the concept , so disturbed by what it would symbolize and represent and so afraid of what it would mean in terms of fueling xenophobia that I ended up getting involved in politics , '' Escobar said .
`` I was pulled in by my desire to stand up for my community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the Border Rights Coalition and went on to volunteer for political campaigns , including Caballero 's bid for mayor .
He hired her as his communications director , then urged her to run for office .
She resisted at first , convinced she was better suited to work behind the scenes .
Ultimately , `` he told me , 'why would you ask other people to do something you are unwilling to do ? '
and it really played into my Mexican Catholic guilt , '' Escobar recalled .
She served as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 2011 and as El Paso County judge from 2011 to 2017 , before running for Congress to replace O'Rourke , who had decided to run for Senate .
Though Escobar has garnered attention as a vocal critic of the Trump administration , she has not joined some fellow Democrats who are calling to abolish ICE .
Instead , she 's calling for increased oversight of border enforcement agencies and pushing to change immigration policies .
She sponsored a successful House bill that would create an ombudsman for border and immigration enforcement issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has introduced legislation to defund the Migrant Protection Protocols .
`` I think she takes a realistic and pragmatic view , '' said Eliot Shapleigh , a former state senator from El Paso who has long worked with Escobar .
`` There is gon na be a Homeland Security agency that relates to border enforcement issues , so she knows that .
So what does she do ?
She says let 's reform ICE . ''
`` I try to avoid the blanket generalization or stereotypes , '' Escobar said , noting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighbors , people she knows from high school or church .
`` But it 's hard in the face of an administration that creates such cruelty . ''
Escobar said it was critical to give her response to Trump 's speech from her hometown on the border .
`` This is a place that has responded in the face of hate with love , in the face of attacks against the vulnerable with hospitality . ''

Who Is Veronica Escobar? She Will Deliver Spanish State Of The Union Response
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
When U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar delivers the Spanish-language rebuttal to President Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday, she'll do so from a community health center in her hometown of El Paso, Texas.
The first-term Democrat was thrust into the spotlight last year, as her city became a testing ground for Trump administration immigration policies and the site of the deadliest attack on Latinos in modern U.S. history.
Politics After State Of The Union, Spotlight Will Turn To Michigan's Democratic Governor After State Of The Union, Spotlight Will Turn To Michigan's Democratic Governor Listen · 3:37 3:37
Escobar, 50, made history when she was elected in 2018 to fill the seat previously held by Beto O'Rourke. She is one of the first two Latinas to represent Texas in Congress.
Since taking office, she has served as a fierce advocate for her city along the U.S.-Mexico border and harsh critic of policies such as the Migrant Protection Protocols, which require asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico as their cases play out in U.S. immigration court.
"My district is ground zero for these atrocities," she said during a House hearing on child separation. "These policies have created the humanitarian crisis and a moral one."
Escobar has led numerous congressional delegations to the border. "It's frustrating to know that we are being painted as a dangerous place meant to be controlled, when what we see is a place of complexity and beauty," she said last January, standing with several lawmakers near a newly built section of border wall.
"Words have consequences"
Escobar faced another serious challenge in her first year in office following the Aug. 3 mass shooting that killed 22 people at an El Paso Walmart. Police say the white gunman was targeting Mexicans and drove hundreds of miles from his Dallas suburb to attack the border city.
Escobar was quick to draw a link between the massacre and President Trump's immigration rhetoric, declaring that the president should not visit while the community was mourning.
"Words have consequences," she told MSNBC. "The president has made my community and my people the enemy. He has told the country that we are people to be feared, people to be hated."
Those who have known Escobar throughout her career say they're not surprised by her outspokenness.
"She has this way of speaking that is not insulting and yet you know where she stands," said former El Paso Mayor Raymond Caballero. "She's not wishy-washy in the least."
Caballero first pushed Escobar to run for political office. She grew up in El Paso, where her family has run a dairy farm for several generations. Her father spent decades working as the county engineer.
Escobar originally wanted to pursue a career in academia and earned degrees in English literature from the University of Texas at El Paso and New York University.
She was teaching in her hometown in the early 1990s when a new immigration enforcement crackdown began and there was talk about building a wall along the border.
"I was so offended by the concept, so disturbed by what it would symbolize and represent and so afraid of what it would mean in terms of fueling xenophobia that I ended up getting involved in politics," Escobar said. "I was pulled in by my desire to stand up for my community."
She joined a local nonprofit called the Border Rights Coalition and went on to volunteer for political campaigns, including Caballero's bid for mayor. He hired her as his communications director, then urged her to run for office.
She resisted at first, convinced she was better suited to work behind the scenes. Ultimately, "he told me, 'why would you ask other people to do something you are unwilling to do?' and it really played into my Mexican Catholic guilt," Escobar recalled.
Politics Democrats Court Latino Voters Democrats Court Latino Voters Listen · 5:17 5:17
She served as an El Paso county commissioner from 2007 to 2011 and as El Paso County judge from 2011 to 2017, before running for Congress to replace O'Rourke, who had decided to run for Senate.
Though Escobar has garnered attention as a vocal critic of the Trump administration, she has not joined some fellow Democrats who are calling to abolish the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Instead, she's calling for increased oversight of border enforcement agencies and pushing to change immigration policies. She sponsored a successful House bill that would create an ombudsman for border and immigration enforcement issues within the Department of Homeland Security and has introduced legislation to defund the Migrant Protection Protocols.
"I think she takes a realistic and pragmatic view," said Eliot Shapleigh, a former state senator from El Paso who has long worked with Escobar. "There is gonna be a Homeland Security agency that relates to border enforcement issues, so she knows that. So what does she do? She says let's reform ICE."
"I try to avoid the blanket generalization or stereotypes," Escobar said, noting that many federal agents here are her neighbors, people she knows from high school or church. "But it's hard in the face of an administration that creates such cruelty."
Escobar said it was critical to give her response to Trump's speech from her hometown on the border: "This is a place that has responded in the face of hate with love, in the face of attacks against the vulnerable with hospitality."


npr--2020-02-04--Ahead Of President Trump's State Of The Union, Here's What You Need To Know

Ahead Of President Trump 's State Of The Union , Here 's What You Need To Know President Trump is set to deliver his third State of the Union address Tuesday night less than a day before the U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on two articles of impeachment against him .
While the scene on Capitol Hill has been tumultuous during the impeachment trial , a senior administration official told reporters last week that Trump 's address would be themed around `` the great American comeback '' and would put forth a vision of `` relentless optimism . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of tonight 's address .
What time is the State of the Union ?
The speech is set to begin around 9:00 p.m .
ET .
You can listen to NPR 's simulcast of the speech on NPR.org , the NPR One app or on your local member station .
Find your station here .
NPR will also provide live fact-checking and analysis of Trump 's address and the Democratic response on NPR.org .
A senior administration official told reporters that Trump would highlight promises he has kept as president and would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and military .
Trump is expected to touch on five areas in his remarks .
1 .
Issues related to the economy , including a phase one trade deal with China , the recently signed USMCA trade deal , and Opportunity Zones .
2 .
A range of family issues , including school choice , paid family leave and expanding access to childcare .
3 .
Lowering the cost of health care , including surprise billing and transparency in costs .
Trump is also expected to draw a sharp contrast between his health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 .
Immigration , including work on the southern border and sanctuary cities .
It 's unclear if Trump will address impeachment during the speech .
While the president has slammed the trial in tweets and at his campaign rallies , it remains to be seen whether he will broach the subject during the formal address to Congress .
Who are the guests ?
The White House has revealed two guests so far , both of whom highlight priorities Trump will mention in his speech : Tony Rankins , a veteran of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working on a project in an Opportunity Zone in Cincinnati ; and Raul Ortiz , the deputy chief of U.S. Border Patrol .
Who is delivering the Democratic response ?
Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer is set to deliver the Democratic response to Trump 's speech .
She 'll speak from East Lansing High School , where her daughters attend .
`` Democrats across the country have a plan to improve education , fix our infrastructure , expand and protect health care coverage , and build an economy that works for everyone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of her remarks .
`` Our nation deserve [ s ] this type of leadership , and we are ready to take action to get it done . ''

Ahead Of President Trump's State Of The Union, Here's What You Need To Know
Enlarge this image toggle caption Win McNamee/Getty Images Win McNamee/Getty Images
Updated at 1:45 p.m. ET
President Trump is set to deliver his third State of the Union address Tuesday night, less than a day before the U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on two articles of impeachment against him.
While the scene on Capitol Hill has been tumultuous during the impeachment trial, a senior administration official told reporters last week that Trump's address would use "the great American comeback" as its theme and take an optimistic tone.
Here's what you need to know ahead of tonight's address.
What time is the State of the Union?
The speech is set to begin around 9 p.m. ET. You can listen to NPR's simulcast of the speech on NPR.org, the NPR One app or on your local member station. Find your station here.
NPR will also provide live fact-checking and analysis of Trump's address and the Democratic response on NPR.org.
What's Trump expected to talk about?
A senior administration official told reporters that Trump would highlight promises he has kept as president and would highlight the strength of the U.S. economy and military.
Trump is expected to touch on five areas in his remarks.
1. Issues related to the economy, including a Phase 1 trade deal with China, the recently signed USMCA trade deal and Opportunity Zones.
2. A range of family issues, including school choice, paid family leave and expanding access to child care.
3. Lowering the cost of health care, including surprise billing and transparency in costs. Trump is also expected to draw a sharp contrast between his health care plan and that of Democrats.
4. Immigration, including work on the southern border and sanctuary cities.
5. National security.
It's unclear whether Trump will address impeachment during the speech. While the president has slammed the trial in tweets and at his campaign rallies, it remains to be seen whether he will broach the subject during the formal address to Congress.
Who are the guests?
The White House has invited 11 guests to highlight priorities Trump will mention in his speech, some of whom include Tony Rankins, an Army veteran who got a job working in an Opportunity Zone in Cincinnati, and Paul Morrow, an Army veteran who works in an Opportunity Zone in Montgomery, Ala.; Stephanie Davis from Philadelphia, whose daughter Janiyah is on a long wait list for a school; Kelli Hake, whose husband was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq; Ivan Simonovis, a former police chief from Caracas who escaped prison and now lives in Florida; and Raul Ortiz, the deputy chief of U.S. Border Patrol.
House and Senate Democratic leaders are inviting guests to highlight their efforts to push for legislation to lower prescription drugs and to fight legal challenges that could weaken protections for those with preexisting conditions. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., released a list of some of her guests that included Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California surgeon general; and Cheyanne and Morgan Faulkner, identical twins from San Francisco who both have Type I diabetes and have worked as patient advocates.
Who is delivering the Democratic response?
Politics After State Of The Union, Spotlight Will Turn To Michigan's Democratic Governor After State Of The Union, Spotlight Will Turn To Michigan's Democratic Governor Listen · 3:37 3:37
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is set to deliver the Democratic response to Trump's speech. She'll speak from East Lansing High School, where her daughters attend.
"Democrats across the country have a plan to improve education, fix our infrastructure, expand and protect health care coverage, and build an economy that works for everyone," Whitmer said in a statement released ahead of her remarks. "Our nation deserve[s] this type of leadership, and we are ready to take action to get it done."
Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, will give the Spanish-language response.


npr--2020-02-04--Poll: Most Americans Say U.S. 'Doing Enough' To Prevent Coronavirus Spread

Poll : Most Americans Say U.S. 'Doing Enough ' To Prevent Coronavirus Spread Two-thirds of Americans say the novel coronavirus poses a `` real threat '' and has not been `` blown out of proportion . ''
And , though the majority of Americans are concerned about the potential spread of the virus within the U.S. , 61 % also say U.S. government officials are doing enough to prevent it .
The findings come from a NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released Tuesday .
`` Right now , people are worried and watchful , '' says Lee Miringoff , Director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the global threat , `` a majority of Americans do n't see this as something that is necessarily going to strike here , '' Miringoff says .
And only 1 % say they 've changed their travel plans due to the novel virus .
`` People are concerned overall , but not necessarily about their community , '' Miringoff says .
And , so far , the only people who have been diagnosed in the U.S. have either been to the region in China where the virus was first detected , or have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have returned from China .
The poll finds that Americans aged 45 or older are much more likely to be concerned about the spread of the virus to their communities compared to younger Americans .
Do n't see the graphic above ?
Click here .
`` Some people are more concerned than they should be , '' says poll respondent Karen Montoya , 77 , who lives in Phoenix , Arizona .
She 's heard a lot about the novel virus on the evening news , she told NPR in a phone interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the concern .
`` The very old and the very ill , they 're the ones that are going to suffer the most '' if the virus were to spread here , she says .
The average age of the first cases reported in China was about 60 years old .
For now , she thinks people should focus on common sense prevention .
`` Make sure that if your friends are not feeling well , you ask them not to go anywhere , '' Montoya says .
`` It 's just the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flu , '' she says .
Despite the finding that more than 6 in 10 Americans say U.S. officials are doing enough to prevent the spread , respondents may not have heard all of the announcements late last week on quarantines and travel restrictions that will limit travel from China to the U.S. for people who are not U.S. citizens .
`` I think it 's a great idea to keep the public safe , '' says poll respondent Fausto Fernandez , 37 , who lives in Waltham , Massachusetts .
At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ originally from the Dominican Republic , says he 's somewhat concerned that officials could use the virus as an excuse to stop people from other countries from coming into the U.S .

Poll: Most Americans Say U.S. 'Doing Enough' To Prevent Coronavirus Spread
Enlarge this image toggle caption David McNew/Getty Images David McNew/Getty Images
Two-thirds of Americans say the novel coronavirus poses a "real threat" and has not been "blown out of proportion."
And, though the majority of Americans are concerned about the potential spread of the virus within the U.S., 61% also say U.S. government officials are doing enough to prevent it.
The findings come from a NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released Tuesday. "Right now, people are worried and watchful," says Lee Miringoff, Director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. Despite the global threat, "a majority of Americans don't see this as something that is necessarily going to strike here," Miringoff says. And only 1% say they've changed their travel plans due to the novel virus.
"People are concerned overall, but not necessarily about their community," Miringoff says. And, so far, the only people who have been diagnosed in the U.S. have either been to the region in China where the virus was first detected, or have been in close contact with people who have returned from China.
The poll finds that Americans aged 45 or older are much more likely to be concerned about the spread of the virus to their communities compared to younger Americans.
Loading...
Don't see the graphic above? Click here.
"Some people are more concerned than they should be," says poll respondent Karen Montoya, 77, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. She's heard a lot about the novel virus on the evening news, she told NPR in a phone interview. And she does share some of the concern. "The very old and the very ill, they're the ones that are going to suffer the most" if the virus were to spread here, she says.
The average age of the first cases reported in China was about 60 years old.
For now, she thinks people should focus on common sense prevention. "Make sure that if your friends are not feeling well, you ask them not to go anywhere," Montoya says. "It's just the same thing you do for the regular flu," she says.
Despite the finding that more than 6 in 10 Americans say U.S. officials are doing enough to prevent the spread, respondents may not have heard all of the announcements late last week on quarantines and travel restrictions that will limit travel from China to the U.S. for people who are not U.S. citizens.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images Spencer Platt/Getty Images
"I think it's a great idea to keep the public safe," says poll respondent Fausto Fernandez, 37, who lives in Waltham, Massachusetts. At the same time, Fernandez, who is originally from the Dominican Republic, says he's somewhat concerned that officials could use the virus as an excuse to stop people from other countries from coming into the U.S.