npr--2020-10-13--More Companies Are Using Technology To Monitor For Coronavirus In The Workplace

More Companies Are Using Technology To Monitor For Coronavirus In The Workplace In March , Dr. Achintya Moulick found himself at the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus pandemic .
He overseas three CarePoint Health hospitals in northern New Jersey and in the early days of the pandemic , they were swamped .
`` We had no idea what this infection was all about , '' he says .
One of the first challenges was screening patients for COVID-19 even before they entered the hospital .
`` One day I saw a big line outside the entrance of the hospital , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were manually checking everybody 's temperature . ''
Moulick thought this was crazy .
`` The lines were all the way out to the garage , '' he says .
The process was diverting his frontline staff , burning through precious personal protective equipment and creating a bottleneck of potentially infectious patients outside his door .
So he hired a company that uses thermal scanners to take the temperature of up to 20 people at a time as they approach the front entrance .
The scanners allowed patients to flow more smoothly into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could alert nursing staff automatically if a patient needs immediate attention .
The thermal scanners are made by a company called Zyter .
The readings can be used simply to let people in the door or for the company to keep a continuous record of employees ' temperatures .
Zyter is just one of dozens of firms offering systems to help employers confront the new challenges of COVID-19 .
As more and more businesses look to reopen , technology firms are offering an array of monitoring systems to try to keep the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and industrial plants .
This sector could be a multi-billion-dollar business in the coming year , analysts say .
Some of the system are as simple as an app for employees to report any COVID-19 symptoms .
Others use Bluetooth devices connected to company ID badges to make sure workers are staying at least 6 feet apart .
If someone comes down with COVID-19 , the company has a record of exactly who that person had contact with , for how long , and even when exactly their temperature started to rise .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracked through a cloud-based portal on an ongoing basis , '' says Harish Pai , the chief technology officer at Zyter .
`` So you have a complete snapshot of your organization across facilities , across locations , and what is your risk of exposure , '' he says .
Zyter has even more sophisticated monitoring systems that do n't require any tracking devices on workers .
One such system uses facial recognition linked to a network of digital cameras .
`` It can track a person all through the facility and be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pai says .
So any potential coronavirus exposure can be identified .
Rather than shutting down an entire unit of a factory if one worker gets sick , the system can identify who actually was close to the person who tested positive .
Those employees can be quarantined and tested .
The rest of the unit can keep working .
These COVID-19 monitoring systems raise obvious privacy concerns .
Some employees will find it creepy if their every movement and even their body temperature is being tracked by their boss .
Should human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the bathroom ?
But in the midst of the pandemic , a company may want to know if too many people are congregating in a break room or if certain units are regularly violating social-distancing rules .
Employees give up many rights to privacy when they arrive at work , and courts have ruled that private companies have broad rights to monitor what happens on their premises .
Amazon is using a camera-based AI system it calls `` distance assistant '' to keep people spaced out in its warehouses .
Pai from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home is n't possible are some of his company 's biggest customers .
`` For example , we are deploying the entire contact tracing , the service and the cameras-based solution for a large manufacturing customer out of Malaysia as we speak , '' he says .
Some companies are adopting the bare minimum , doing just enough so the health department allows them to operate .
Others like the manufacturing plant in Malaysia are monitoring every interaction at their workplace .
Kristin Baker Spohn , a partner with the tech venture capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be very clear about the purpose of the new technologies they 're using .
`` If that purpose is the collective health of your company population , I think that 's something that we 'll see a lot of people be excited and eager to adapt to , '' she says .
`` But how you frame and how you protect that information is paramount to making sure that there is adoption and success . ''
And until there 's a vaccine , the successful monitoring and suppression of the virus will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

More Companies Are Using Technology To Monitor For Coronavirus In The Workplace
Enlarge this image toggle caption Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
In March, Dr. Achintya Moulick found himself at the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus pandemic.
He oversees three CarePoint Health hospitals in northern New Jersey and in the early days of the pandemic, they were swamped. "We had no idea what this infection was all about," he says.
One of the first challenges was screening patients for COVID-19 even before they entered the hospital.
"One day I saw a big line outside the entrance of the hospital," he says. "And they were manually checking everybody's temperature."
Moulick thought this was illogical. "The lines were all the way out to the garage," he says.
The process was diverting his front-line staff, burning through precious personal protective equipment and creating a bottleneck of potentially infectious patients outside his door.
So he hired a company that uses thermal scanners to take the temperature of up to 20 people at a time as they approach the front entrance.
The scanners allowed patients to flow more smoothly into the building, but the system also could alert nursing staff automatically if a patient needed immediate attention.
The thermal scanners are made by a company called Zyter. The readings can be used simply to let people in the door or for the company to keep a continuous record of employees' temperatures.
Zyter is just one of dozens of companies offering systems to help employers confront the new challenges of COVID-19.
As more and more businesses look to reopen, technology firms have an array of monitoring systems to try to keep the coronavirus out of office buildings, medical facilities and industrial plants.
This sector could be a multibillion-dollar business in the coming year, analysts say.
Some of the system are as simple as an app for employees to report any COVID-19 symptoms. Others use Bluetooth devices connected to company ID badges to make sure workers are staying at least 6 feet apart.
If someone comes down with COVID-19, the company has a record of exactly who that person had contact with, for how long, and even when exactly their temperature started to rise.
"All of that data can be tracked through a cloud-based portal on an ongoing basis," says Harish Pai, the chief technology officer at Zyter.
"So you have a complete snapshot of your organization across facilities, across locations, and what is your risk of exposure," he says.
Zyter has even more sophisticated monitoring systems that don't require any tracking devices on workers. One such system uses facial recognition linked to a network of digital cameras.
"It can track a person all through the facility and be able to identify that person," Pai says. So any potential coronavirus exposure can be identified. Rather than shutting down an entire unit of a factory if one worker gets sick, the system can identify who actually was close to the person who tested positive. Those employees can be quarantined and tested. The rest of the unit can keep working.
These COVID-19 monitoring systems raise obvious privacy concerns. Some employees will find it creepy if their every movement and even their body temperature is being tracked by their boss. Should human resources know exactly how long you spent in the bathroom?
But in the midst of the pandemic, a company may want to know if too many people are congregating in a break room or if certain units are regularly violating social distancing rules.
Employees give up many rights to privacy when they arrive at work, and courts have ruled that private companies have broad rights to monitor what happens on their premises.
Amazon is using a camera-based AI system it calls "distance assistant" to keep people spaced out in its warehouses.
Pai from Zyter says industrial plants where work from home isn't possible are some of his company's biggest customers.
"For example, we are deploying the entire contact tracing, the service and the cameras-based solution for a large manufacturing customer out of Malaysia as we speak," he says.
Some companies are adopting the bare minimum, doing just enough so the health department allows them to operate. Others like the manufacturing plant in Malaysia are monitoring every interaction at their workplace.
Kristin Baker Spohn, a partner with the tech venture capital firm CRV, says employers need to be very clear about the purpose of the new technologies they're using.
"If that purpose is the collective health of your company population, I think that's something that we'll see a lot of people be excited and eager to adapt to," she says. "But how you frame and how you protect that information is paramount to making sure that there is adoption and success."
And until there's a vaccine, the successful monitoring and suppression of the virus will be key to whether businesses can stay open.


npr--2020-10-13--Despite Outbreak, Congress Takes Its Chances Without Widespread COVID-19 Testing

Despite Outbreak , Congress Takes Its Chances Without Widespread COVID-19 Testing The Republican-controlled Senate returns this month in a high-stakes gamble : Three members tested positive for coronavirus as it 's moving full-steam ahead to confirm a new justice to the Supreme Court .
Sen. Ron Johnson , R-Wis. , one of the GOP senators to test positive , recently underscored his party 's determination to wrap up the confirmation process for Judge Amy Coney Barrett , President Trump 's nominee for the Supreme Court .
Johnson says he 's ready to vote on the Senate floor for Barrett — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already told leadership , I 'll go in a moon suit , '' Johnson told a radio talk show on Denver-based 630 KHOW .
The latest outbreak highlights the absence of a widespread testing program for Congress more than seven months after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic .
In a rare point of agreement , both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have fended off calls to regularly screen the Capitol community for the illness .
`` I think we 've shown that we can function @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate 's precautions , despite the lack of testing .
Despite growing , bipartisan calls for the expanded screening plans , including from top members of her own party , Pelosi is n't convinced yet , either .
She says such a plan has to meet the needs of more than 500 lawmakers and 20,000 workers at the Capitol complex .
And that would mark a large undertaking for the Capitol 's small office of the attending physician .
`` My confidence in this — respectful of those views — is with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it is necessary , '' Pelosi recently told CBS ' Face The Nation .
The House is slated to be on recess this month .
However , the Senate , which was due to return Monday , has now delayed its next session by two weeks to Oct. 19 .
Meanwhile , the Senate Judiciary Committee proceeded with Barrett 's nomination hearings on Monday .
Mike Lee of Utah , one of its GOP members who tested positive this month , returned to the hearing room on the first day .
Lee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke without a mask for several minutes .
He also shared a note from the attending physician clearing him to return 10 days after his positive test without a screening .
Democratic Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse delivered an immediate rebuke after Lee 's remarks .
Whitehouse took aim at the panel 's chair , Sen. Lindsey Graham , who had tried to reassure members it was safe to meet in person .
`` I do n't know who has been tested , who should be tested , who is a danger , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected and exposed senators and staff .
Nothing , '' Whitehouse said .
Regardless , McConnell and other Republicans say they can wrap up the confirmation process this month despite the outbreak .
The Senate majority leader recently said the Senate has done better fending off the illness than the White House , where several people including Trump tested positive .
But the larger Capitol community still does n't have one White House option : widespread , regular testing .
This , as lawmakers fly back and forth between hotspots and other locations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 20 lawmakers and more than 120 workers , and dozens more have been forced to quarantine .
Currently , the office of the attending physician , Dr. Brian Monahan , offers same-day results of polymerase chain reaction , or PCR , tests in limited cases .
`` The testing is available in medically indicated cases of Members who have symptoms suggestive of coronavirus or who are concerned they may have been exposed to a known positive Covid 19 patient , '' the office recently said in a statement to the Capitol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the U.S. Congress has been less than 1 % , the office said .
In the face of the latest outbreak , bipartisan calls have grown to install a broader screening system for the illness .
`` The U.S. Senate has become a COVID-19 hotspot and we need to take immediate action , '' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a recent statement .
`` Senate Republicans must join us here in reality and acknowledge that through their inaction , they are creating a truly dangerous situation . ''
Last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Amy Klobuchar to call for more testing , mask wearing and contact tracing .
Schumer and Klobuchar filed a resolution calling for the changes .
`` We do n't think that 's been occurring like it should , '' Klobuchar , who is the ranking member of the Rules Committee that oversees such efforts , told reporters .
The month began with Lee and GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina testing positive for coronavirus .
Both had attended Trump 's White House event to announce Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have triggered an outbreak , forcing Trump to be hospitalized and infecting first lady Melania Trump and and a wave of top administration officials .
It left Washington , D.C. , officials , led by Mayor Muriel Bowser , looking for answers .
The district has seen a growing number of positive cases , and there 's still no clear sign of contact tracing from the White House event .
At least nine Republican members of Congress attended the Barrett event , most of whom are on the Senate Judiciary Committee .
Aside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven members said they tested negative in the days that followed .
Some entered quarantines .
It 's a reminder of the risks still facing the Capitol , says Illinois Republican Rep. Rodney Davis , the ranking member of the House Administration Committee who has called for the screening plan for several months .
`` It 's a travesty that we do n't have a testing modality system in place , '' Davis , who himself tested positive several weeks ago , recently told reporters .
This past week , two new House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California Democratic Rep. Salud Carbajal and Illinois Republican Rep. Mike Bost .
Davis says the screening is one of many tools needed to help fend off the virus .
`` The best testing regime in the world still does n't stop people from getting the virus , including the president and the first lady , '' he said .
Sen. Johnson sought his test after hearing Lee was infected .
Johnson did n't attend the White House event , but those who had were on Capitol Hill for several days before Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson says the Barrett confirmation process will get done .
`` Where there 's a will , there 's a way , '' he said .
`` We can do these things . ''

Despite Outbreak, Congress Takes Its Chances Without Widespread Coronavirus Testing
Enlarge this image toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/AP
The Republican-controlled Senate returns this month in a high-stakes gamble: Three members tested positive for the coronavirus as the Senate is moving full steam ahead to confirm a new justice to the Supreme Court.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., one of the GOP senators to test positive, recently underscored his party's determination to wrap up the confirmation process for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court. Johnson says he's ready to vote on the Senate floor for Barrett — infected or not.
"I've already told leadership, I'll go in a moon suit," Johnson told a radio talk show on Denver-based 630 KHOW.
The latest outbreak highlights the absence of a widespread testing program for Congress more than seven months after the World Health Organization declared a COVID-19 pandemic.
In a rare point of agreement, both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have fended off calls to regularly screen the Capitol community for the illness.
"I think we've shown that we can function safely," McConnell said of the Senate's precautions, despite the lack of testing.
Despite growing bipartisan calls for expanded screening plans, including from top members of her own party, Pelosi isn't convinced yet, either.
She says such a plan has to meet the needs of more than 500 lawmakers and 20,000 workers at the Capitol complex. And that would mark a large undertaking for the Capitol's small office of the attending physician.
"My confidence in this — respectful of those views — is with the House attending physician, who will determine when it is necessary," Pelosi recently told CBS' Face The Nation.
Senate delays its return
The House is slated to be in recess this month. However, the Senate, which was due to return last Monday, has now delayed its next session by two weeks to Oct. 19.
Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee proceeded with Barrett's nomination hearings on Monday. Mike Lee of Utah, one of its GOP members who tested positive this month, returned to the hearing room on the first day.
Lee, who tested positive Oct. 2, spoke without a mask for several minutes. He also shared a note from the attending physician clearing him to return 10 days after his positive test without a screening.
Democratic Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse delivered an immediate rebuke after Lee's remarks. Whitehouse took aim at the panel's chair, Sen. Lindsey Graham, who had tried to reassure members it was safe to meet in person.
"I don't know who has been tested, who should be tested, who is a danger, what contact tracing has been done on infected and exposed senators and staff. Nothing," Whitehouse said.
Regardless, McConnell and other Republicans say they can wrap up the confirmation process this month despite the outbreak. The Senate majority leader recently said the Senate has done better fending off the illness than the White House, where several people including Trump have tested positive.
But the larger Capitol community still doesn't have one White House option: widespread, regular testing. This, as lawmakers fly back and forth between hot spots and other locations.
So far, the coronavirus has infected more than 20 lawmakers and more than 120 workers, and dozens more have been forced to quarantine.
Currently, the office of the attending physician, Dr. Brian Monahan, offers same-day results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in limited cases.
"The testing is available in medically indicated cases of Members who have symptoms suggestive of coronavirus or who are concerned they may have been exposed to a known positive Covid 19 patient," the office recently said in a statement to the Capitol complex.
The overall test positivity rate for the U.S. Congress has been less than 1%, the office said.
Demands for more testing grow
In the face of the latest outbreak, bipartisan calls have grown to install a broader screening system for the illness.
"The U.S. Senate has become a COVID-19 hotspot and we need to take immediate action," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a recent statement. "Senate Republicans must join us here in reality and acknowledge that through their inaction, they are creating a truly dangerous situation."
Last week, Schumer joined forces with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., to call for more testing, mask wearing and contact tracing. Schumer and Klobuchar filed a resolution calling for the changes.
"We don't think that's been occurring like it should," Klobuchar, who is the ranking member of the Rules Committee that oversees such efforts, told reporters.
The month began with Lee and GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina testing positive for the coronavirus. Both had attended Trump's White House event to announce Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee.
The Sept. 26 affair appears to have triggered an outbreak, forcing Trump to be hospitalized and infecting first lady Melania Trump and a wave of top administration officials.
It left Washington, D.C., officials, led by Mayor Muriel Bowser, looking for answers. The district has seen a growing number of positive cases, and there's still no clear sign of contact tracing from the White House event.
At least nine Republican members of Congress attended the Barrett event, most of whom are on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Aside from Lee and Tillis, the remaining seven members said they tested negative in the days that followed. Some entered quarantines.
It's a reminder of the risks still facing the Capitol, says Illinois Republican Rep. Rodney Davis, the ranking member of the House Administration Committee who has called for the screening plan for several months.
"It's a travesty that we don't have a testing modality system in place," Davis, who himself tested positive several weeks ago, recently told reporters.
This past week, two new House members tested positive for the illness: California Democratic Rep. Salud Carbajal and Illinois Republican Rep. Mike Bost.
Davis says screening is one of many tools needed to help fend off the virus.
"The best testing regime in the world still doesn't stop people from getting the virus, including the president and the first lady," he said.
Johnson sought his test after hearing Lee was infected. Johnson didn't attend the White House event, but those who had were on Capitol Hill for several days before Trump's diagnosis was made public.
Regardless, Johnson says the Barrett confirmation process will get done.
"Where there's a will, there's a way," he said. "We can do these things."


npr--2020-10-13--Man Escapes Cougar: 'Dude, I Don't Feel Like Dying Today'

Twenty-six-year-old Kyle Burgess was on a 10-mile run on Saturday up Slate Canyon in Provo , Utah .
He told the Deseret News that when he saw four cougar cubs on the trail , he took out his phone and started filming .
But when Burgess saw the young animals ' mother come along , he knew he was in trouble .
For the next six minutes , he recorded their encounter .
The mother cougar stalked him — hissing , growling and threatening — as Burgess backed away , keeping his eyes locked on her .
Mostly , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the mother mountain lion and calling the animal `` dude . ''
`` Dude , you 're scary ! ''
Burgess tells the animal at one point , adding : `` You 're a ( bleep ) scary kitty cat . ''
A few minutes later , after she repeatedly lunges in Burgess ' direction , he says , `` Come on , dude , I do n't feel like dying today . ''
Amazingly , Burgess came away totally unharmed after he picked up a rock and hurled it at her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a local official with Utah 's Division of Wildlife Resources , Scott Root , told Burgess : `` You did awesome . ''
But , Root added , people should consider not running alone on trails .

Man Escapes Cougar: 'Dude, I Don't Feel Like Dying Today'
YouTube
Twenty-six-year-old Kyle Burgess was on a 10-mile run on Saturday up Slate Canyon in Provo, Utah. He told the Deseret News that when he saw four cougar cubs on the trail, he took out his phone and started filming.
But when Burgess saw the young animals' mother come along, he knew he was in trouble. For the next six minutes, he recorded their encounter.
The mother cougar followed him — hissing, growling and threatening — as Burgess backed away, keeping his eyes locked on her. Mostly, he alternated between yelling a stream of profanities at the mother mountain lion and calling the animal "dude."
"Dude, you're scary!" Burgess tells the animal at one point, adding: "You're a (bleep) scary kitty cat." A few minutes later, after she repeatedly lunges in Burgess' direction, he says, "Come on, dude, I don't feel like dying today."
Amazingly, Burgess came away totally unharmed after he picked up a rock and hurled it at her. According to the Deseret News, a local official with Utah's Division of Wildlife Resources, Scott Root, told Burgess: "You did awesome." But, Root added, people should consider not running alone on trails.


npr--2020-10-12--Protesters Flock To Supreme Court, Capitol Hill For Amy Coney Barrett Hearings

Demonstrators supporting and opposing Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett gathered on Capitol Hill Monday as her confirmation hearings began , with health — from the coronavirus , to the Affordable Care Act and abortion — as a major focus .
Opponents blasted the Senate Judiciary Committee for going forward with the hearings , pointing in particular to two Republican members of the panel who recently tested positive for the virus — one of whom , Sen. Mike Lee of Utah , attended in person .
The full Senate is not in session , but Chairman Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He and Republicans , who control the majority in the chamber , argue they 're upholding their duty to fill the vacancy left by the death last month of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Critics argue that not only inverts Republicans ' onetime logic about an election year opening on the high court , but flouts common sense in view of the ongoing pandemic .
Protesters wore white coveralls and masks , some with signs that read , `` No COVID test , no hearing . ''
In addition to criticizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members and Capitol Hill staff , Democrats tied Barrett 's confirmation to health care more broadly , citing an upcoming Supreme Court case on the Affordable Care Act .
They argued Barrett would support dismantling the law and put the health care of millions at risk during the pandemic .
Barrett 's supporters welcomed her expected conservative approach , particularly on abortion .
Anti-abortion demonstrators also made their presence known on Capitol Hill Monday .
At one point in the morning , the groups had dueling chants of `` Women for Amy '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' U.S. Capitol Police say 21 people were arrested and charged with `` crowding , obstructing , or incommoding , '' and one person was arrested and charged with unlawful conduct .
Although Republicans held up then-President Barack Obama 's Supreme Court nominee in 2016 , citing that year 's election , they now argue that with Republican majorities in the Senate and the White House , the American people have endorsed their effort to fill a record number of judicial seats , including this one on the Supreme Court .
Democrats — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is also on the Judiciary Committee — say whoever wins the election should fill the seat left vacant by Ginsburg 's death .
Republicans ' majority in the Senate likely means they have the votes to install Barrett on the high court after the conclusion of her nomination process .

Protesters Flock To Supreme Court, Capitol Hill For Amy Coney Barrett Hearings
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tyrone Turner/WAMU Tyrone Turner/WAMU
Updated at 4:40 p.m. ET
Demonstrators supporting and opposing Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett gathered on Capitol Hill Monday as her confirmation hearings began, with health — from the coronavirus, to the Affordable Care Act and abortion — as a major focus.
Opponents blasted the Senate Judiciary Committee for going forward with the hearings, pointing in particular to two Republican members of the panel who recently tested positive for the virus — one of whom, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, attended in person.
toggle caption Tyrone Turner/WAMU
The full Senate is not in session, but Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., went ahead with the hearing. He and Republicans, who control the majority in the chamber, argue they're upholding their duty to fill the vacancy left by the death last month of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Critics argue that not only inverts Republicans' onetime logic about an election year opening on the high court, but flouts common sense in view of the ongoing pandemic. Protesters wore white coveralls and masks, some with signs that read, "No COVID test, no hearing."
In addition to criticizing what they called unnecessary risk to committee members and Capitol Hill staff, Democrats tied Barrett's confirmation to health care more broadly, citing an upcoming Supreme Court case on the Affordable Care Act. They argued Barrett would support dismantling the law and put the health care of millions at risk during the pandemic.
toggle caption Tyrone Turner/WAMU
Barrett's supporters welcomed her expected conservative approach, particularly on abortion. Anti-abortion demonstrators also made their presence known on Capitol Hill Monday.
At one point in the morning, the groups had dueling chants of "Women for Amy" and "Let the people decide."
U.S. Capitol Police say 21 people were arrested and charged with "crowding, obstructing, or incommoding," and one person was arrested and charged with unlawful conduct.
toggle caption Tyrone Turner/WAMU
Although Republicans held up then-President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee in 2016, citing that year's election, they now argue that with Republican majorities in the Senate and the White House, the American people have endorsed their effort to fill a record number of judicial seats, including this one on the Supreme Court.
Democrats — including Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, who is also on the Judiciary Committee — say whoever wins the election should fill the seat left vacant by Ginsburg's death.
Republicans' majority in the Senate likely means they have the votes to install Barrett on the high court after the conclusion of her nomination process.
Barrett's confirmation hearing continues on Tuesday. Follow updates here.


npr--2020-10-12--Harris: Republicans 'Defying Will Of The People' By Pushing Barrett Nomination

Harris : Republicans 'Defying Will Of The People ' By Pushing Barrett Nomination Sen. Kamala Harris , D-Calif. , called on the Senate to hold off on confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court `` until after Americans decide who they want in the White House . ''
Harris , the Democratic vice presidential nominee , is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee , and the Barrett nomination hearing this week gives her a few moments in the spotlight in the midst of the presidential campaign .
In her opening statement , she blasted the nominating process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` More than 9 million Americans have already voted and millions more will vote , while this illegitimate committee process is underway , '' Harris said , adding that `` a clear majority of Americans want whomever wins this election to fill the seat . ''
Harris attended the hearing virtually from her Senate office .
She said the hearing brought more than 50 people together `` inside of a closed-door room for hours . ''
`` The decision to hold this hearing now is reckless , and places facilities , workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Capitol police at risk , '' she said .
Capitol officials said ahead of the hearing that the room was set up to comply with coronavirus protocols .
Like her Democratic colleagues on the panel , Harris focused most of her remarks on GOP attempts to roll back the Affordable Care Act , and said Republicans `` are trying to bypass the will of the voters and have the Supreme Court do their dirty work . ''
A case related to the Affordable Care Act is scheduled to go before the high court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court `` is often the last refuge for equal justice when our constitutional rights are being violated . ''
`` Every American must understand that with this nomination , equal justice under law is at stake , our voting rights are at stake , workers rights are at stake , consumer rights are at stake , '' she said .
`` The right to a safe and legal abortion is at stake .
And holding corporations accountable is at stake . ''
Harris added , `` We must listen to our constituents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wait to confirm a new Supreme Court justice '' until after the election .

Harris: Republicans 'Defying Will Of The People' By Pushing Barrett Nomination
Enlarge this image toggle caption Greg Nash/Pool/Getty Images Greg Nash/Pool/Getty Images
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., called on the Senate to hold off on confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court "until after Americans decide who they want in the White House."
Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the Barrett nomination hearing this week gives her a few moments in the spotlight in the midst of the presidential campaign.
In her opening statement, she blasted the nominating process, as well as the hearing itself.
"More than 9 million Americans have already voted and millions more will vote, while this illegitimate committee process is underway," Harris said, adding that "a clear majority of Americans want whomever wins this election to fill the seat."
Harris attended the hearing virtually from her Senate office. She said the hearing brought more than 50 people together "inside of a closed-door room for hours."
"The decision to hold this hearing now is reckless, and places facilities, workers, janitorial staff and congressional aides and Capitol police at risk," she said.
Capitol officials said ahead of the hearing that the room was set up to comply with coronavirus protocols.
Like her Democratic colleagues on the panel, Harris focused most of her remarks on GOP attempts to roll back the Affordable Care Act, and said Republicans "are trying to bypass the will of the voters and have the Supreme Court do their dirty work."
A case related to the Affordable Care Act is scheduled to go before the high court on Nov. 10.
Harris said the Supreme Court "is often the last refuge for equal justice when our constitutional rights are being violated."
"Every American must understand that with this nomination, equal justice under law is at stake, our voting rights are at stake, workers rights are at stake, consumer rights are at stake," she said. "The right to a safe and legal abortion is at stake. And holding corporations accountable is at stake."
Harris added, "We must listen to our constituents and protect their access to health care and wait to confirm a new Supreme Court justice" until after the election.


npr--2020-10-12--Republicans Blast 'Hypocrisy' Of Democrats Calling Barrett Hearings Political

Republicans already have all but won the battle to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court thanks to their control of the Senate , but used Monday 's confirmation hearing to stress the importance of a judiciary free from political interference and to defend Barrett against attacks on her religion , even as Democrats avoided the topic .
So , freed from the need to make a case for the nominee — although several senators are — Republicans are using the opportunity for broader comments about what they call the strength of the judicial system at which Barrett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` This idea of place in our system of government is critical .
Ours is a government of separated powers .
The power to make , enforce , and interpret the law is n't centralized in one person or one branch of government , '' said Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa , a top member of the panel .
`` But this system only succeeds if each branch respects its role .
A good judge understands it 's not the court 's place to rewrite the law as it sees fit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to let policy , personal or moral principles dictate an outcome . ''
Several Republicans have reacted with wry or sarcastic disappointment at the complaints and objections of minority Democrats , whom they argue would be acting exactly in the same way as they are if they held the majority and Republicans were in their place .
The objections about the Affordable Care Act have nothing to do with Barrett or the Supreme Court , Republicans argue — and it 's impossible to accept the premise that a judge must be impartial but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a certain position before she is confirmed , they said .
`` The hypocrisy is incredible , '' said Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina .
Democrats have been pointing to a case related to the ACA that is set to go before the Supreme Court on Nov. 10 , which a newly appointed justice could weigh in on .
In a 2017 article in the Notre Dame law journal , Barrett pushed back against the court 's ruling on Obamacare .
Some of the fiercest counterattacks on Barrett 's behalf came from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ben Sasse of Nebraska , who each , in their turn , faulted what they called the attempt by critics to impose a `` religious test '' for the Supreme Court .
Hawley cited what he called inappropriate questioning about Barrett 's Catholic beliefs and affiliation and said it was nothing less than `` bigotry , '' a bid by opponents to bar Barrett from public office based on her religious identity — which is protected under the Constitution .
Sasse agreed and lamented what he called the absorption of `` civics '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said has brought Washington to the point where parties ' need to win has subsumed a prior consensus about the rules and expectations of governance .
While Barrett 's faith came up in her confirmation hearing for her federal judgeship , Democrats steered clear of the topic on Monday .
Sasse said he hopes Washington and Americans more broadly can recover what he called the importance of `` civics , '' which would lower the temperature on disputes like that over Barrett 's nomination .
`` Politics is like if I look at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] Chris Coons and I say , 'Listen up , jackwagon , what you want to do on this particular Finance Committee bill is going to be way too expensive and might bankrupt our kids . '
Or if Chris looks back at me and says , 'Listen up , jackwagon , you 're too much of a cheapskate and you 're underinvesting in the next generation . '
That 's a really important debate .
That 's a political debate .
That 's not civics .
Civics is more important than that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months because the electoral winds change and because polling changes . ''

Republicans Blast 'Hypocrisy' Of Democrats Calling Barrett Hearings Political
Enlarge this image toggle caption Win McNamee/Getty Images Win McNamee/Getty Images
Republicans already have all but won the battle to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court thanks to their control of the Senate, but used Monday's confirmation hearing to stress the importance of a judiciary free from political interference and to defend Barrett against attacks on her religion, even as Democrats avoided the topic.
So, freed from the need to make a case for the nominee — although several senators are — Republicans are using the opportunity for broader comments about what they call the strength of the judicial system at which Barrett is poised to sit at the apogee.
"This idea of place in our system of government is critical. Ours is a government of separated powers. The power to make, enforce, and interpret the law isn't centralized in one person or one branch of government," said Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, a top member of the panel.
"But this system only succeeds if each branch respects its role. A good judge understands it's not the court's place to rewrite the law as it sees fit. It's not his or her place to let policy, personal or moral principles dictate an outcome."
Several Republicans have reacted with wry or sarcastic disappointment at the complaints and objections of minority Democrats, whom they argue would be acting exactly in the same way as they are if they held the majority and Republicans were in their place.
The objections about the Affordable Care Act have nothing to do with Barrett or the Supreme Court, Republicans argue — and it's impossible to accept the premise that a judge must be impartial but also ask her to agree to take a certain position before she is confirmed, they said.
"The hypocrisy is incredible," said Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
Democrats have been pointing to a case related to the ACA that is set to go before the Supreme Court on Nov. 10, which a newly appointed justice could weigh in on. In a 2017 article in the Notre Dame law journal, Barrett pushed back against the court's ruling on Obamacare.
Some of the fiercest counterattacks on Barrett's behalf came from Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who each, in their turn, faulted what they called the attempt by critics to impose a "religious test" for the Supreme Court.
Hawley cited what he called inappropriate questioning about Barrett's Catholic beliefs and affiliation and said it was nothing less than "bigotry," a bid by opponents to bar Barrett from public office based on her religious identity — which is protected under the Constitution.
Sasse agreed and lamented what he called the absorption of "civics" by "politics," which he said has brought Washington to the point where parties' need to win has subsumed a prior consensus about the rules and expectations of governance.
While Barrett's faith came up in her confirmation hearing for her federal judgeship, Democrats steered clear of the topic on Monday.
Sasse said he hopes Washington and Americans more broadly can recover what he called the importance of "civics," which would lower the temperature on disputes like that over Barrett's nomination.
"Politics is like if I look at my friend [Delaware's Democratic Sen.] Chris Coons and I say, 'Listen up, jackwagon, what you want to do on this particular Finance Committee bill is going to be way too expensive and might bankrupt our kids.' Or if Chris looks back at me and says, 'Listen up, jackwagon, you're too much of a cheapskate and you're underinvesting in the next generation.' That's a really important debate. That's a political debate. That's not civics. Civics is more important than that. Civics doesn't change every 18-24 months because the electoral winds change and because polling changes."


npr--2020-10-13--Delta Loses $5 Billion In 3rd Quarter, May Soon Furlough 1,700 Pilots

Delta Loses $ 5 Billion In 3rd Quarter , May Soon Furlough 1,700 Pilots With summer vacation travel weaker than expected and business travel a fraction of what it used to be , the losses continue to mount at Delta Air Lines .
Delta , the nation 's second largest airline by the number of passengers flown last year , reports losing $ 5.4 billion in the third quarter of this year , as the travel industry continues to suffer from low demand due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Add that to the $ 5.7 billion loss reported in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the pandemic rise to more than $ 11 billion .
Despite assurances from Delta and other airlines that transmission of COVID-19 is relatively rare on planes , most would be travelers steered clear of flying .
After implementing deep airplane cleaning protocols and requiring passengers and crew to wear face masks , the industry had hoped for a boost in air travel over the normally busy summer months .
But after a brief uptick around the July 4 holiday , sharp increases in COVID-19 cases in many cities and states and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chilling effect on air travel demand , and the number of people flying in July , August and September was around 70 % lower than a year ago .
Delta CEO Ed Bastian suggests it may take a lot longer than initially thought for air travel demand to return .
`` We do believe it could still be two years or more until we achieve a normalized revenue environment , '' Bastian said on a conference call with reporters and analysts Tuesday .
`` Until then , we will be smaller in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agile and more efficient . ''
Bastian acknowledged that more profitable business travel , which is down about 85 % from a year ago , may take even longer to fully bounce back , with many business trips likely being replaced by meetings and conferences on Zoom , GoToMeeting , and other video conferencing platforms .
`` We could be looking at anywhere from 10 % to 20 % reduction in the in the next couple of years when we get to that new normal of business travel , '' he added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a concerning sign .
`` Business travel was 50 % of their revenue at one point , '' Peter McNally , an analyst at Third Bridge Group in New York , told the AP .
`` It 's a market that Delta has made the core of their business , so they will be forced to compete harder on the leisure side of the market to make up for that loss . ''
Delta executives say they are beginning to see an uptick in bookings by leisure travelers for the November and December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it 's steady — week by week , they are coming back , '' Bastian said of passengers .
With so few people flying , Delta has parked scores of planes and has plans to retire many of its older jets , about 400 of them , by 2025 .
Delta has reduced its cash burn rate from a peak of close $ 100 million a day in April and $ 27 million a day over the summer , but the airline is still losing a little more than $ 18 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , August and September was down 76 percent from the same three months last year .
Near record air travel demand in the third quarter last year helped Delta record a profit of $ 1.5 billion .
About 18,000 Delta employees , close to 20 % of the airline 's work force , have taken early retirement or other incentive packages to leave the company voluntarily .
In addition , close to 40,000 employees have taken voluntary unpaid leaves of absence .
Those voluntary actions save the airline $ 1.9 billion , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been able to avoid employee layoffs and furloughs , thus far .
But that could change Nov. 1 .
Delta is asking its pilots to accept steep pay cuts , and if negotiations with the pilots union fail to produce an agreement , the airline could begin to furlough 1,700 pilots next month .
Delta received $ 5.5 billion in federal grants to cover payroll costs from April through September — which is its share of the $ 25 billion given to the industry as part of the CARES act .
Delta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that aid left that it can continue to use to keep employees on the payroll .
`` We 've stretched those dollars out , '' Bastian said , adding that he supports industry efforts to secure additional airline aid from Congress .
There is bipartisan support in Washington for an extension for the payroll support program , but a deadlock over a broader coronavirus relief package has stalled action on assistance for airlines .

Delta Loses $5 Billion In 3rd Quarter, May Soon Furlough 1,700 Pilots
toggle caption Russell Lewis/NPR
With summer vacation travel weaker than expected and business travel a fraction of what it used to be, the losses continue to mount at Delta Air Lines.
Delta, the nation's second largest airline by the number of passengers flown last year, reports losing $5.4 billion in the third quarter of this year, as the travel industry continues to suffer from low demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. Add that to the $5.7 billion loss reported in the second quarter, Delta's total losses due to the pandemic rise to more than $11 billion.
Despite assurances from Delta and other airlines that transmission of COVID-19 is relatively rare on planes, most would be travelers steered clear of flying.
After implementing deep airplane cleaning protocols and requiring passengers and crew to wear face masks, the industry had hoped for a boost in air travel over the normally busy summer months. But after a brief uptick around the July 4 holiday, sharp increases in COVID-19 cases in many cities and states and quarantine mandates for Americans traveling abroad had a chilling effect on air travel demand, and the number of people flying in July, August and September was around 70% lower than a year ago.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian suggests it may take a lot longer than initially thought for air travel demand to return.
"We do believe it could still be two years or more until we achieve a normalized revenue environment," Bastian said on a conference call with reporters and analysts Tuesday. "Until then, we will be smaller in the short term, but also more agile and more efficient."
Bastian acknowledged that more profitable business travel, which is down about 85% from a year ago, may take even longer to fully bounce back, with many business trips likely being replaced by meetings and conferences on Zoom, GoToMeeting, and other video conferencing platforms.
"We could be looking at anywhere from 10% to 20% reduction in the in the next couple of years when we get to that new normal of business travel," he added.
Some aviation industry analysts find that revelation a concerning sign.
"Business travel was 50% of their revenue at one point," Peter McNally, an analyst at Third Bridge Group in New York, told the AP. "It's a market that Delta has made the core of their business, so they will be forced to compete harder on the leisure side of the market to make up for that loss."
Delta executives say they are beginning to see an uptick in bookings by leisure travelers for the November and December holidays.
"It's slow, but it's steady — week by week, they are coming back," Bastian said of passengers.
With so few people flying, Delta has parked scores of planes and has plans to retire many of its older jets, about 400 of them, by 2025.
Delta has reduced its cash burn rate from a peak of close $100 million a day in April and $27 million a day over the summer, but the airline is still losing a little more than $18 million a day, as revenue in July, August and September was down 76 percent from the same three months last year. Near record air travel demand in the third quarter last year helped Delta record a profit of $1.5 billion.
About 18,000 Delta employees, close to 20% of the airline's work force, have taken early retirement or other incentive packages to leave the company voluntarily. In addition, close to 40,000 employees have taken voluntary unpaid leaves of absence. Those voluntary actions save the airline $1.9 billion, and unlike competitors American and United, Delta has been able to avoid employee layoffs and furloughs, thus far.
But that could change Nov. 1. Delta is asking its pilots to accept steep pay cuts, and if negotiations with the pilots union fail to produce an agreement, the airline could begin to furlough 1,700 pilots next month.
Delta received $5.5 billion in federal grants to cover payroll costs from April through September — which is its share of the $25 billion given to the industry as part of the CARES act. Delta still has about $1.3 billion of that aid left that it can continue to use to keep employees on the payroll.
"We've stretched those dollars out," Bastian said, adding that he supports industry efforts to secure additional airline aid from Congress. There is bipartisan support in Washington for an extension for the payroll support program, but a deadlock over a broader coronavirus relief package has stalled action on assistance for airlines.


npr--2020-10-13--Americans Are Dying In The Pandemic At Rates Far Higher Than In Other Countries

Americans Are Dying In The Pandemic At Rates Far Higher Than In Other Countries During this pandemic , people in the United States are currently dying at rates unparalleled elsewhere in the world .
A new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that over the last 5 months per capita deaths in the U.S. , both from COVID-19 and other causes have been far greater than in 18 other high-income countries .
`` It 's shocking .
It 's horrible , '' says Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel , a professor of health policy and medical ethics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the authors of the study .
`` The United States really has done remarkably badly compared to other countries , '' he says and then adds , `` I mean , remarkably badly . ''
The study looks at per capita death rates in 2020 in 18 countries with populations larger than 5 million people and per capita gross domestic product levels above $ 25,000 per year .
It breaks out deaths attributed to COVID-19 , but also examines how total deaths in the U.S. are higher than normal this year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in to account fatalities that may have been due to the coronavirus but were never confirmed or were due to other factors such as people not seeking medical care during the crisis .
Overall deaths in the United States this year are more than 85 % higher than in places such as Germany , Israel and Denmark after adjusting for population size .
Deaths in the U.S. are 29 % higher than even in Sweden , `` which ignored everything for so long , '' Emanuel says .
Sweden made a point of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never went in to a full lockdown .
`` We have 29 % more mortality than we should have if we 'd followed Sweden 's path and Sweden virtually did nothing . ''
Even looking just at confirmed COVID-19 deaths , the number of people dying since May 10th — again after adjusting for population size — is on average 50 % higher than every other country in the study .
In addition the rate people are dying in the U.S. has stayed far above everywhere else .
Emanuel says the current elevated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chaotic early months of the pandemic when testing , treatment and reporting varied dramatically around the globe .
The rate of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. since June 7th is 27.2 per 100,000 people .
In contrast in Italy the death rate is down to 3.1 per 100,000 .
`` It 's not like Italy has some secret medicine that we do n't , '' Emmanuel says .
`` They 've got the same public health measures we 've got .
They just implemented them effectively and we implemented them poorly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep its per capita death rate at the level of Italy 's , 79,120 fewer Americans would have died .
This study is important for illustrating just how bad the death rate from COVID-19 has been in the U.S. compared to other countries , says Theo Vos , a professor of health metrics and evaluation at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle .
`` The U.S. is in the company of a few other countries with very high rates of deaths assigned to COVID , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the study .
`` Only Belgium looks worse . ''
But he points out that once you look past the initial phase of the outbreak , the U.S. ends up looking worse than Belgium .
`` Early on in the epidemic , many countries had a lack of testing possibilities .
And a lot of deaths occurred early on where there was no formal diagnosis , '' he says .
`` So Belgium decided we 're going to count all of them .
While in other countries like the Netherlands or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths have not been recognized as COVID . ''
He says this is why looking at overall deaths since the start of the pandemic , not just official COVID-19 deaths is important .
On that measure the U.S. is now consistently reporting roughly 25 % more deaths than these other wealthy nations .
Vos is from the Netherlands and even though he works for the University of Washington , he recently moved back to Holland .
He says looking at how death rates are changing over time is important because this pandemic is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live in a country that 's seeing the biggest increase in the number of cases of almost any place in the world currently , '' he says .
Second waves of infections are hitting many places in Europe right now including France , Spain , Belgium and the U.K. Vos expects this to get even worse as more people spend more time indoors in the colder months .
He says there 's also been a lot of complacency in Europe .
`` Here in the Netherlands , there is an appalling low acceptance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Only in the last week I 've started seeing other people in the supermarket wearing a mask .
I used to be the only one . ''
So while the U.S. death rates so far have been much higher than most other wealthy countries , Vos says , that could change as this pandemic continues to ebb and surge in various parts of the world .

Americans Are Dying In The Pandemic At Rates Far Higher Than In Other Countries
Enlarge this image toggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images Spencer Platt/Getty Images
During this pandemic, people in the United States are dying at rates unparalleled elsewhere in the world.
A new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that in the past five months, per capita deaths in the U.S., both from COVID-19 and other causes, have been far greater than in 18 other high-income countries.
"It's shocking. It's horrible," says Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, a professor of health policy and medical ethics at the University of Pennsylvania and one of the authors of the study.
"The United States really has done remarkably badly compared to other countries," he says. "I mean, remarkably badly."
The study looks at per capita death rates in 2020 in 18 countries with populations larger than 5 million people and per capita gross domestic product levels above $25,000 per year. It breaks out deaths attributed to COVID-19 and examines how total deaths in the U.S. are higher than normal this year. This so-called "all-cause" mortality takes into account fatalities that may have been due to the coronavirus but were never confirmed or were due to other factors such as people not seeking medical care during the crisis.
Overall deaths in the United States this year are more than 85% higher than in places such as Germany, Israel and Denmark after adjusting for population size. Deaths in the U.S. are 29% higher than even in Sweden, "which ignored everything for so long," Emanuel says. Sweden made a point of refusing to order strict social restrictions and never went in to a full lockdown. "We have 29% more mortality than we should have if we'd followed Sweden's path and Sweden virtually did nothing."
Even looking just at confirmed COVID-19 deaths, the number of people dying since May 10 — again after adjusting for population size — is on average 50% higher than every other country in the study. In addition, the rate people are dying in the U.S. has stayed far above everywhere else. Emanuel says the current elevated mortality rates are important because they eliminate the chaotic early months of the pandemic when testing, treatment and reporting varied dramatically around the globe.
The rate of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. since June 7 is 27.2 per 100,000 people. In contrast, in Italy, the death rate is down to 3.1 per 100,000.
"It's not like Italy has some secret medicine that we don't," Emmanuel says. "They've got the same public health measures we've got. They just implemented them effectively and we implemented them poorly." If the U.S. had managed to keep its per capita death rate at the level of Italy's, 79,120 fewer Americans would have died.
This study is important for illustrating just how bad the death rate from COVID-19 has been in the U.S. compared with in other countries, says Theo Vos, a professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle.
"The U.S. is in the company of a few other countries with very high rates of deaths assigned to COVID," says Vos who was not involved in the study. "Only Belgium looks worse." But he points out that once you look past the initial phase of the outbreak, the U.S. ends up looking worse than Belgium.
"Early on in the epidemic, many countries had a lack of testing possibilities. And a lot of deaths occurred early on where there was no formal diagnosis," he says. "So Belgium decided 'we're going to count all of them.' While in other countries like the Netherlands or the U.K. and the U.S. quite a few deaths have not been recognized as COVID."
He says this is why looking at overall deaths since the start of the pandemic, not just official COVID-19 deaths, is important. On that measure, the U.S. is now consistently reporting roughly 25% more deaths than these other wealthy nations.
Vos is from the Netherlands, and even though he works for the University of Washington, he recently moved back. He says looking at how death rates are changing over time is important because this pandemic is far from over.
"I now live in a country that's seeing the biggest increase in the number of cases of almost any place in the world currently," he says. Second waves of infections are hitting many places in Europe right now including France, Spain, Belgium and the U.K. Vos expects this to get even worse as more people spend more time indoors in the colder months.
He says there has also been a lot of complacency in Europe. "Here in the Netherlands, there is an appalling low acceptance of masks," he says. "Only in the last week, I've started seeing other people in the supermarket wearing a mask. I used to be the only one."
So while the U.S. death rates so far have been much higher than most other wealthy countries, Vos says, that could change as this pandemic continues to ebb and surge in various parts of the world.


npr--2020-10-13--Presidential Campaign TV Ad Spending Crosses $1 Billion Mark In Key States

More than $ 1 billion has now been spent on TV ads for the 2020 presidential election in just 13 states , an NPR analysis of the latest ad spending data from the tracking firm Advertising Analytics finds .
Most of that money has been spent by Democrat Joe Biden 's campaign and groups supporting him .
Biden and allies have spent more than $ 600 million , while President Trump 's campaign and groups supporting him have spent a little over $ 400 million .
The money is concentrated in just six states .
Almost $ 9 out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presidential race — $ 882 million — is being invested in Florida , Pennsylvania , Michigan , North Carolina , Wisconsin and Arizona .
In total , Biden and allies are far outspending Trump and pro-Trump groups in those six key states by an astounding $ 240 million .
Biden has whopping advantages in five of those six states , the exception being North Carolina , where Trump and allies are leading in the money race .
But Trump 's campaign has been stretched , having to spend a lot of money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three states that Trump won in 2016 that were thought to lean in Trump 's direction this year .
TV ad spending has always played a big role in presidential campaigns , but it may be playing an outsize one in 2020 with so many Americans home and watching television amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Here 's a state-by-state breakdown of where the campaigns and outside groups are on the airwaves : Florida : $ 257.5 million Biden and allies : $ 154.1 million ( $ 82.3 million from campaign ) Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 67.7 million from campaign ) Pennsylvania : $ 195.7 million Biden and allies : $ 121.5 million ( $ 59.2 million from campaign ) Trump and allies : $ 74.2 million ( $ 26.6 million from campaign ) Michigan : $ 120.1 million Biden and allies : $ 98.6 million ( $ 33.8 million from campaign ) Trump and allies : $ 21.5 million ( $ 15 million from campaign ) North Carolina : $ 110.8 million Trump and allies : $ 65.4 million ( $ 32.3 million from campaign ) Biden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 42.5 million from campaign ) Wisconsin : $ 101.5 million Biden and allies : $ 62.7 million ( $ 30.1 million from campaign ) Trump and allies : $ 38.8 million ( $ 10.1 million from campaign ) Arizona : $ 97.4 million Biden and allies : $ 59 million ( $ 40.1 million from campaign ) Trump and allies : $ 38.4 million ( $ 20.1 million from campaign ) Georgia : $ 28.6 million Trump and allies : $ 24.5 million ( $ 14.2 million from campaign ) Biden and allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million from campaign ) Nevada : $ 27.5 million Biden and allies : $ 20.7 million ( $ 9.7 million from campaign ) Trump and allies : $ 6.8 million ( $ 5.8 million from campaign ) Minnesota : $ 27.1 million Biden and allies : $ 16.3 million ( $ 9.6 million from campaign ) Trump and allies : $ 10.8 million ( $ 9.3 from campaign ) Ohio : $ 18.9 million Trump and allies : $ 10.5 million ( $ 9 million from campaign ) Biden and allies : $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign ) Iowa : $ 15.6 million Trump and allies : $ 12.3 million ( $ 3.8 million from campaign ) Biden and allies : $ 3.3 million ( $ 3.2 million from campaign ) Texas : $ 7.3 million Biden and allies : $ 7.1 million ( $ 6.1 million from campaign ) Trump and allies : $ 156,000 ( $ 34,000 from campaign ) New Hampshire : $ 4.9 million Biden and allies : $ 3.1 million ( $ 3 million from campaign ) Trump and allies : $ 1.8 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Presidential Campaign TV Ad Spending Crosses $1 Billion Mark In Key States
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
More than $1 billion has now been spent on TV ads for the 2020 presidential election in just 13 states, an NPR analysis of the latest ad spending data from the tracking firm Advertising Analytics finds.
Most of that money has been spent by Democrat Joe Biden's campaign and groups supporting him. Biden and allies have spent more than $600 million, while President Trump's campaign and groups supporting him have spent a little over $400 million.
The money is concentrated in just six states. Almost $9 out of every $10 spent on TV in the presidential race — $882 million — is being invested in Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Arizona.
In total, Biden and allies are far outspending Trump and pro-Trump groups in those six key states by an astounding $240 million.
Biden has whopping advantages in five of those six states, the exception being North Carolina, where Trump and allies are leading in the money race. But Trump's campaign has been stretched, having to spend a lot of money in Georgia, Ohio and Iowa, three states that Trump won in 2016 that were thought to lean in Trump's direction this year.
TV ad spending has always played a big role in presidential campaigns, but it may be playing an outsize one in 2020 with so many Americans home and watching television amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Here's a state-by-state breakdown of where the campaigns and outside groups are on the airwaves:
Florida: $257.5 million
Biden and allies: $154.1 million ($82.3 million from campaign)
Trump and allies: $103.4 million ($67.7 million from campaign)
Pennsylvania: $195.7 million
Biden and allies: $121.5 million ($59.2 million from campaign)
Trump and allies: $74.2 million ($26.6 million from campaign)
Michigan: $120.1 million
Biden and allies: $98.6 million ($33.8 million from campaign)
Trump and allies: $21.5 million ($15 million from campaign)
North Carolina: $110.8 million
Trump and allies: $65.4 million ($32.3 million from campaign)
Biden and allies: $45.4 million ($42.5 million from campaign)
Wisconsin: $101.5 million
Biden and allies: $62.7 million ($30.1 million from campaign)
Trump and allies: $38.8 million ($10.1 million from campaign)
Arizona: $97.4 million
Biden and allies: $59 million ($40.1 million from campaign)
Trump and allies: $38.4 million ($20.1 million from campaign)
Georgia: $28.6 million
Trump and allies: $24.5 million ($14.2 million from campaign)
Biden and allies: $4 million ($4 million from campaign)
Nevada: $27.5 million
Biden and allies: $20.7 million ($9.7 million from campaign)
Trump and allies: $6.8 million ($5.8 million from campaign)
Minnesota: $27.1 million
Biden and allies: $16.3 million ($9.6 million from campaign)
Trump and allies: $10.8 million ($9.3 from campaign)
Ohio: $18.9 million
Trump and allies: $10.5 million ($9 million from campaign)
Biden and allies: $8.4 million ($6.9 million from campaign)
Iowa: $15.6 million
Trump and allies: $12.3 million ($3.8 million from campaign)
Biden and allies: $3.3 million ($3.2 million from campaign)
Texas: $7.3 million
Biden and allies: $7.1 million ($6.1 million from campaign)
Trump and allies: $156,000 ($34,000 from campaign)
New Hampshire: $4.9 million
Biden and allies: $3.1 million ($3 million from campaign)
Trump and allies: $1.8 million ($1.8 million from campaign)


npr--2020-10-13--Biden And Trump Key In On Seniors In Campaign's Final Weeks

Biden And Trump Key In On Seniors In Campaign 's Final Weeks With just three weeks left in the presidential race , Democratic nominee Joe Biden and President Trump are heavily courting senior citizens , a crucial voting bloc that has been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic .
`` [ Trump 's ] never been focused on you .
His handling of this pandemic has been erratic , just like his presidency has been .
And it has prevented Florida seniors and people all across the country from getting the relief that they need , '' Biden said Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , in Pembroke Pines , Fla .
Seniors make up a sizeable share of voters in the all-important toss-up state .
Biden , who 's 77 , slammed Trump , 74 , for minimizing the severity of the pandemic , which has now claimed the lives of more than 215,000 Americans , calling his continued downplaying of the virus `` reckless . ''
`` How many empty chairs are around the dining room table tonight because of his negligence ?
How many people 's hearts are broken ? ''
Biden asked .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ super-spreader parties at the White House , where Republicans hug each other without concern of the consequences , how many of you have been unable to hug your grandkids in the last seven months ? ''
The former vice president also said Trump 's policy goals would undercut the funding for Medicare and Social Security .
In a statement , Tim Murtaugh , the Trump campaign communications director , said Biden is `` lying '' and `` trying to mislead and scare seniors for political reasons . ''
Speaking at his own event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanford , the president accused Biden of plans to cut Social Security and Medicare himself .
It was Trump 's first campaign trip outside of Washington , D.C. , since his hospitalization for COVID-19 .
Last week , the president released a video about his bout with the illness that he addressed to seniors , `` MY FAVORITE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD ! ''
The Trump campaign has also launched a series of ads targeting older voters in key states , including one that asks bluntly : `` Who 's better for seniors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration `` protect [ ed ] our seniors '' throughout the pandemic and features a clip of Dr. Anthony Fauci , the government 's top infectious disease expert , appearing to laud the president , saying , `` I ca n't imagine that anybody could be doing more . ''
In fact , those words were taken from a Fox News interview in which Fauci praised the work being done on the coronavirus task force .
Fauci recently told CNN he did n't consent to being featured in the new ad and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ context .
The Trump campaign has pushed back , saying Fauci 's words were accurate .
The dueling appeals to older voters come as Trump lags behind Biden in polls — and notably among seniors .
A recent Fox News national survey found Biden leading narrowly among likely voters ages 65 and older .
Some polls have shown bigger margins .
A CNN survey of likely voters had Biden up big among those 65 years and older , with 60 % for Biden and 39 % for Trump .
The poll also showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listed the coronavirus outbreak as an `` extremely important factor '' in determining who they 'll vote for .
If Biden 's leads with seniors hold up , it would be a reversal from 2016 .
According to the Pew Research Center , Trump enjoyed a 9-point advantage over Democrat Hillary Clinton among voters 65+ ( 53 % to 44 % ) .
Voters 60 and older consistently turn out to vote at higher levels than other age groups .

Biden And Trump Key In On Seniors In Campaign's Final Weeks
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
With just three weeks left in the presidential race, Democratic nominee Joe Biden and President Trump are heavily courting senior citizens, a crucial voting bloc that has been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
"[Trump's] never been focused on you. His handling of this pandemic has been erratic, just like his presidency has been. And it has prevented Florida seniors and people all across the country from getting the relief that they need," Biden said Tuesday in remarks, delivered with a mask on, in Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Seniors make up a sizeable share of voters in the all-important toss-up state.
Biden, who's 77, slammed Trump, 74, for minimizing the severity of the pandemic, which has now claimed the lives of more than 215,000 Americans, calling his continued downplaying of the virus "reckless."
"How many empty chairs are around the dining room table tonight because of his negligence? How many people's hearts are broken?" Biden asked.
He added: "While he throws super-spreader parties at the White House, where Republicans hug each other without concern of the consequences, how many of you have been unable to hug your grandkids in the last seven months?"
The former vice president also said Trump's policy goals would undercut the funding for Medicare and Social Security.
In a statement, Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign communications director, said Biden is "lying" and "trying to mislead and scare seniors for political reasons."
Speaking at his own event in Florida, on Monday night in Sanford, the president accused Biden of plans to cut Social Security and Medicare himself.
It was Trump's first campaign trip outside of Washington, D.C., since his hospitalization for COVID-19.
Last week, the president released a video about his bout with the illness that he addressed to seniors, "MY FAVORITE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD!"
The Trump campaign has also launched a series of ads targeting older voters in key states, including one that asks bluntly: "Who's better for seniors?"
Another ad proclaims that the Trump administration "protect[ed] our seniors" throughout the pandemic and features a clip of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert, appearing to laud the president, saying, "I can't imagine that anybody could be doing more."
In fact, those words were taken from a Fox News interview in which Fauci praised the work being done on the coronavirus task force. Fauci recently told CNN he didn't consent to being featured in the new ad and that his words were taken out of context. The Trump campaign has pushed back, saying Fauci's words were accurate.
Trump won seniors in 2016
The dueling appeals to older voters come as Trump lags behind Biden in polls — and notably among seniors.
A recent Fox News national survey found Biden leading narrowly among likely voters ages 65 and older.
Some polls have shown bigger margins. A CNN survey of likely voters had Biden up big among those 65 years and older, with 60% for Biden and 39% for Trump.
The poll also showed 78% of respondents 65 and older listed the coronavirus outbreak as an "extremely important factor" in determining who they'll vote for.
If Biden's leads with seniors hold up, it would be a reversal from 2016.
According to the Pew Research Center, Trump enjoyed a 9-point advantage over Democrat Hillary Clinton among voters 65+ (53% to 44%).
Voters 60 and older consistently turn out to vote at higher levels than other age groups.


npr--2020-10-13--Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration To End Census Early

The Trump administration can end counting for the 2020 census after the Supreme Court approved a request to suspend a lower court order that extended the count 's schedule .
The high court 's order on Tuesday , following an emergency request the Justice Department made last week , helps clear the way for President Trump to try to alter the count while in office by excluding unauthorized immigrants from the numbers used to reallocate congressional seats and Electoral College votes for the next 10 years .
Justice Sonia Sotomayor was the lone dissenter from the unsigned court order .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lawyers ' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law , one of the attorneys who helped bring the lawsuit to extend the census schedule , noted that the order `` will result in irreversible damage '' despite the challengers ' efforts to `` secure more time on the clock to achieve a fair and accurate count . ''
Governor Stephen Roe Lewis of the Gila River Indian Community — one of the lawsuit 's plaintiffs — called the ruling `` a bitter pill for us to swallow here on the Reservation '' in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rationale , a majority simply decided that our people do not deserve to be counted , thus continuing a long history of leaving Indian peoples at the margins of the U.S. society at large and economy , '' Lewis said in a statement .
The Census Bureau 's public information office did not immediately respond to NPR 's questions about when it plans to conclude door-knocking efforts at unresponsive households .
It is also not clear when it will stop accepting responses online at My2020Census.gov , over the phone or through the mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney with the law firm Latham & Watkins , said in a statement that the challengers `` remain focused on ensuring that the Bureau 's data collections , and whatever data processing timelines the Bureau may implement , are consistent with the Constitution and the [ Administrative Procedure Act ] 's standards for reasoned decision making . ''
The court 's ruling is the latest turn in a roller coaster of a legal fight over the timeline for the count .
Last-minute changes by the Census Bureau and its skirting of an earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local communities and the bureau 's workers across the U.S. unsure of how much longer they can take part in a national head count already upended by the coronavirus pandemic .
Lower courts previously ordered the administration to keep counting through Oct. 31 , reverting to an extended schedule that Trump officials had first proposed in April in response to delays caused by the pandemic and then abruptly decided to abandon in July .
More time , judges have ruled , would give the bureau a better chance of getting an accurate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is used to determine how political representation and federal funding are distributed among the states over the next decade .
Justice Department attorneys say the Census Bureau is under pressure to meet a legal deadline of Dec. 31 for reporting to the president the first set of census results — the latest state population counts that determine each state 's share of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives .
The numbers , in turn , also determine how many Electoral College votes each state has to determine who becomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since May , however , career officials at the bureau have warned that the agency can no longer meet the Dec. 31 reporting deadline because of the pandemic .
Judges in lower courts have also noted that the national counts from the years 1810 through 1840 were delivered late and Congress later stepped in to approve deadline extensions .
In her dissenting opinion , Sotomayor wrote that `` meeting the deadline at the expense of the accuracy of the census is not a cost worth paying , especially when the Government has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bear the lesser cost of expending more resources to meet the deadline or continuing its prior efforts to seek an extension from Congress . ''
Still , if the commerce secretary , who oversees the bureau , were to present the new state counts to the White House by Dec. 31 , that would ensure that even if Trump did not win reelection , he could attempt to carry out the unprecedented change he wants to make to who is counted when determining the reallocation of House seats .
Despite the Constitution 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of persons in each state '' and the president 's limited authority over the census , Trump wants to try to exclude unauthorized immigrants from those numbers .
That effort has sparked another legal fight that is also before the Supreme Court .
On Friday , the court is set to discuss whether to hear oral arguments for that case in December .

Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration To End Census Counting On Oct. 15
Enlarge this image toggle caption Aurora Samperio/NurPhoto via Getty Images Aurora Samperio/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Updated at 10:40 p.m. ET
The Trump administration can end counting for the 2020 census early after the Supreme Court approved a request to suspend a lower court order that extended the count's schedule.
The high court's order on Tuesday, following an emergency request the Justice Department made last week, helps clear the way for President Trump to try to alter the count while in office by excluding unauthorized immigrants from the numbers used to reallocate congressional seats and Electoral College votes for the next 10 years.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor was the lone dissenter from the unsigned court order.
Hours after the ruling was released, the U.S. Census Bureau announced it will keep accepting responses online at My2020Census.gov through Oct. 15 until 11:59 p.m. Hawaii time. The bureau has also set Oct. 15 as the postmark deadline for paper forms as well as the end date for collecting phone responses and door knocking at unresponsive households.
In a statement, Kristen Clarke of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, one of the attorneys who helped bring the lawsuit to extend the census schedule, noted that the order "will result in irreversible damage" despite the challengers' efforts to "secure more time on the clock to achieve a fair and accurate count."
Stephen Roe Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community — one of the lawsuit's plaintiffs — called the ruling "a bitter pill for us to swallow here on the Reservation" in Arizona.
"With no explanation or rationale, a majority simply decided that our people do not deserve to be counted, thus continuing a long history of leaving Indian peoples at the margins of the U.S. society at large and economy," Lewis said in a statement.
Sadik Huseny, a plaintiffs' attorney with the law firm Latham & Watkins, said in a statement that the challengers "remain focused on ensuring that the Bureau's data collections, and whatever data processing timelines the Bureau may implement, are consistent with the Constitution and the [Administrative Procedure Act]'s standards for reasoned decision making."
The court's ruling is the latest turn in a roller coaster of a legal fight over the timeline for the count. Last-minute changes by the Census Bureau and its skirting of an earlier court order for the count have left local communities and the bureau's workers across the U.S. unsure of how much longer they can take part in a national head count already upended by the coronavirus pandemic.
Lower courts previously ordered the administration to keep counting through Oct. 31, reverting to an extended schedule that Trump officials had first proposed in April in response to delays caused by the pandemic and then abruptly decided to abandon in July.
More time, judges have ruled, would give the bureau a better chance of getting an accurate and complete count of the country's residents, which is used to determine how political representation and federal funding are distributed among the states over the next decade.
Justice Department attorneys say the Census Bureau is under pressure to meet a legal deadline of Dec. 31 for reporting to the president the first set of census results — the latest state population counts that determine each state's share of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives. The numbers, in turn, also determine how many Electoral College votes each state has to determine who becomes the U.S. president in 2024 and 2028.
Since May, however, career officials at the bureau have warned that the agency can no longer meet the Dec. 31 reporting deadline because of the pandemic. Judges in lower courts have also noted that the national counts from the years 1810 through 1840 were delivered late and Congress later stepped in to approve deadline extensions.
In her dissenting opinion, Sotomayor wrote that "meeting the deadline at the expense of the accuracy of the census is not a cost worth paying, especially when the Government has failed to show why it could not bear the lesser cost of expending more resources to meet the deadline or continuing its prior efforts to seek an extension from Congress."
Still, if the commerce secretary, who oversees the bureau, were to present the new state counts to the White House by Dec. 31, that would ensure that even if Trump did not win reelection, he could attempt to carry out the unprecedented change he wants to make to who is counted when determining the reallocation of House seats.
Despite the Constitution's requirement to include the "whole number of persons in each state" and the president's limited authority over the census, Trump wants to try to exclude unauthorized immigrants from those numbers.
That effort has sparked another legal fight that is also before the Supreme Court. On Friday, the court is set to discuss whether to hear oral arguments for that case in December.


npr--2020-10-13--Apple Unveils iPhone 12 With 5G, But Most Won't Feel Faster Speeds Anytime Soon

Apple Unveils iPhone 12 With 5G , But Most Wo n't Feel Faster Speeds Anytime Soon Apple on Tuesday announced the iPhone 12 , the first Apple smartphone with 5G-enabled technology that eventually will let data flow at much faster speeds .
`` Today is the beginning of a new era for iPhone , '' Apple CEO Tim Cook said .
`` This is a huge moment for all of us . ''
But not exactly a huge moment for most consumers , at least not yet .
Eventually , smartphones with fifth-generation technology capabilities — expected to be 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — will make a big difference for gamers and people who stream videos on mobile , but industry analysts say 5G infrastructure in the U.S. is years away from being widely available .
`` Now we have an iPhone that is capable of exploiting the benefits of the 5G wireless network , but we have an underdeveloped network , '' said Tom Forte , a D.A .
Davidson research analyst .
`` It could take a couple [ of ] years for that to happen . ''
Verizon Communications CEO Hans Vestberg , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday event , said that 5G is now in 55 cities , 43 sports stadiums and seven airports , but wider nationwide available is happening gradually .
By the end of the year , Verizon plans to launch 5G in more than 60 cities , including Philadelphia , San Francisco and Tucson , Ariz .
Forte said he expects that the suburbs and more rural parts of the country will have a longer wait .
`` There are large parts of the country that may never have it , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google have already introduced phones able to connect to 5G , Forte said the challenge for Apple now is to manage people 's expectations .
`` When people get the new iPhone and ca n't use the high-speed network , there is real potential for high levels of disappointment there , '' he said .
Still , Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said the 5G-enabled technology in the iPhone could , with time , be a `` game changer '' as more infrastructure comes on line and as more apps are built `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming years . ''
The iPhone 12 will also feature a smaller , smoother design and a `` ceramic shield '' to help protect the glass cover from breaks and cracks .
The smallest version starts at $ 699 .
Dan Morgan , a portfolio manager at Synovus Trust and longtime Apple investor , said iPhone sales peaked about five years ago .
Every update since then has been more of a ripple than a wave , he said , noting that he does not expect the iPhone 12 to set any sales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blast the roof off in terms of the number of phones sold for the remainder of this year and early next year ?
Probably not , '' Morgan said .
`` But I 'd say it 'll result in some good , solid growth . ''
With so many working from home and using Wi-Fi as their main connection to the Internet , Morgan said a 5G connection may not be as attractive to those seeking faster speeds .
`` If you really wanted to watch a Netflix movie or play a game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use your Wi-Fi instead right now , '' he said .
Apple , the most valuable company in the world , has seen its stock surge during the pandemic and is now worth $ 2 trillion .

Apple Unveils iPhone 12 With 5G, But Most Won't Feel Faster Speeds Anytime Soon
Enlarge this image toggle caption Apple Apple
Apple on Tuesday announced the iPhone 12, the first Apple smartphone with 5G-enabled technology that eventually will let data flow at much faster speeds.
"Today is the beginning of a new era for iPhone," Apple CEO Tim Cook said. "This is a huge moment for all of us."
But not exactly a huge moment for most consumers, at least not yet.
Eventually, smartphones with fifth-generation technology capabilities — expected to be 10 to 20 times faster than 4G speeds — will make a big difference for gamers and people who stream videos on mobile, but industry analysts say 5G infrastructure in the U.S. is years away from being widely available.
"Now we have an iPhone that is capable of exploiting the benefits of the 5G wireless network, but we have an underdeveloped network," said Tom Forte, a D.A. Davidson research analyst. "It could take a couple [of] years for that to happen."
Verizon Communications CEO Hans Vestberg, who was on hand at Apple's Tuesday event, said that 5G is now in 55 cities, 43 sports stadiums and seven airports, but wider nationwide available is happening gradually.
By the end of the year, Verizon plans to launch 5G in more than 60 cities, including Philadelphia, San Francisco and Tucson, Ariz.
Forte said he expects that the suburbs and more rural parts of the country will have a longer wait.
"There are large parts of the country that may never have it," he said.
While Apple's smartphone rivals Samsung and Google have already introduced phones able to connect to 5G, Forte said the challenge for Apple now is to manage people's expectations.
"When people get the new iPhone and can't use the high-speed network, there is real potential for high levels of disappointment there," he said.
Still, Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said the 5G-enabled technology in the iPhone could, with time, be a "game changer" as more infrastructure comes on line and as more apps are built "around this transformational 5G highway over the coming years."
The iPhone 12 will also feature a smaller, smoother design and a "ceramic shield" to help protect the glass cover from breaks and cracks. The smallest version starts at $699.
Dan Morgan, a portfolio manager at Synovus Trust and longtime Apple investor, said iPhone sales peaked about five years ago. Every update since then has been more of a ripple than a wave, he said, noting that he does not expect the iPhone 12 to set any sales records.
"Is it going to blast the roof off in terms of the number of phones sold for the remainder of this year and early next year? Probably not," Morgan said. "But I'd say it'll result in some good, solid growth."
With so many working from home and using Wi-Fi as their main connection to the Internet, Morgan said a 5G connection may not be as attractive to those seeking faster speeds.
"If you really wanted to watch a Netflix movie or play a game, maybe you can just go and use your Wi-Fi instead right now," he said.
Apple, the most valuable company in the world, has seen its stock surge during the pandemic and is now worth $2 trillion.


npr--2020-10-13--Cristiano Ronaldo Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Cristiano Ronaldo , soccer star and one of the world 's most famous athletes , has tested positive for the coronavirus , Portugal 's soccer federation said Tuesday .
Ronaldo , 35 , will isolate himself from teammates .
Another round of testing revealed he was the only player on the team to test positive .
The federation said he `` is doing well , without symptoms , and in isolation . ''
Ronaldo , a forward for the Italian club Juventus and the Portugal national team , played in a friendly match against Spain last week and in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Neither of the other two teams have reported positive cases .
On Monday , Ronaldo posted a photo of himself on social media dining with his teammates .
`` United on and off the field , '' he wrote .
Two other Portugal players , Jose Fonte and Anthony Lopes , tested positive last week , according to ESPN .
Earlier this year , three Juventus players — Daniele Rugani , Blaise Matuidi and Paulo Dybala — and the team doctor contracted the coronavirus , according to The Associated Press .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contracted the virus , forcing the team to quarantine .
Ronaldo will sit out Portugal 's UEFA Nations League game against Sweden on Wednesday .
The match has not been postponed .
The coach of the Juventus FC under 23 reserve team , Lamberto Zauli , also tested positive for the coronavirus , the club said Tuesday .
The reserve team has entered into isolation as a result .
`` The club is in constant contact with the competent health authorities , '' the statement read .
Ronaldo is n't the only soccer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United midfielder Paul Pogba was found to be positive .
Brazilian star Neymar and two of his Paris Saint-Germain teammates reportedly contracted the virus during a postseason vacation .
On Monday , Peru 's soccer federation said two of its players wo n't play in a qualifier against Brazil on Tuesday night after testing positive .
The Premier League recently reported five new positive cases after testing 1,128 players and club staff .
The United States ' highest level soccer league , Major League Soccer , postponed the next three Colorado Rapids games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team .
The league already rescheduled four previous Rapids matches since Sept. 26 .
Five Rapids players and 12 staff members tested positive between Sept. 24 and Oct. 9 .
The team has not reported any new cases since then .
The league said the decision to postpone games was made `` based on the total number of current cases and in consultation with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment . ''
Reese Oxner is an intern on NPR 's News Desk .

Cristiano Ronaldo Tests Positive For Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images
Cristiano Ronaldo, soccer star and one of the world's most famous athletes, has tested positive for the coronavirus, Portugal's soccer federation said Tuesday.
Ronaldo, 35, will isolate himself from teammates. Another round of testing revealed he was the only player on the team to test positive.
The federation said he "is doing well, without symptoms, and in isolation."
Ronaldo, a forward for the Italian club Juventus and the Portugal national team, played in a friendly match against Spain last week and in the Nations League match against France on Sunday. Neither of the other two teams have reported positive cases.
On Monday, Ronaldo posted a photo of himself on social media dining with his teammates.
"United on and off the field," he wrote.
Two other Portugal players, Jose Fonte and Anthony Lopes, tested positive last week, according to ESPN. Earlier this year, three Juventus players — Daniele Rugani, Blaise Matuidi and Paulo Dybala — and the team doctor contracted the coronavirus, according to The Associated Press.
And earlier this month, two staff members contracted the virus, forcing the team to quarantine.
Ronaldo will sit out Portugal's UEFA Nations League game against Sweden on Wednesday. The match has not been postponed.
The coach of the Juventus FC under 23 reserve team, Lamberto Zauli, also tested positive for the coronavirus, the club said Tuesday. The reserve team has entered into isolation as a result.
"The club is in constant contact with the competent health authorities," the statement read.
Cases on other teams
Ronaldo isn't the only soccer star who recently tested positive.
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was found to be positive. Brazilian star Neymar and two of his Paris Saint-Germain teammates reportedly contracted the virus during a postseason vacation.
On Monday, Peru's soccer federation said two of its players won't play in a qualifier against Brazil on Tuesday night after testing positive.
The Premier League recently reported five new positive cases after testing 1,128 players and club staff.
The United States' highest level soccer league, Major League Soccer, postponed the next three Colorado Rapids games following an outbreak of cases on the team. The league already rescheduled four previous Rapids matches since Sept. 26.
Five Rapids players and 12 staff members tested positive between Sept. 24 and Oct. 9.
The team has not reported any new cases since then.
The league said the decision to postpone games was made "based on the total number of current cases and in consultation with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment."
Reese Oxner is an intern on NPR's News Desk.