npr--2020-09-11--'The Thing I Dread The Most Is Not Knowing': Western Wildfires Rage Amid Race To Flee

'The Thing I Dread The Most Is Not Knowing ' : Western Wildfires Rage Amid Race To Flee At least 24 people have died as a result of fires consuming large swaths of the West Coast , with hundreds of thousands under evacuation orders to get to safety .
One hundred large fires are burning in 12 states across the West — but just five of them have been contained , according to the National Interagency Fire Center .
The unprecedented fire season has prompted federal fire officials to call in the U.S. military for help .
Residents near 42 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to flee their homes .
Forecasters in the Pacific Northwest are hoping that dry winds have died down , and are optimistic that rain could help turn the tide next week .
California also has reported that improved weather conditions have helped firefighters gain ground .
More than 40,000 Oregonians have evacuated and about 500,000 are in evacuation zones , Oregon 's governor said Friday .
Firefighters are battling more than 3o fires there that have burned more than 850,000 acres .
The fires are most widespread in the northwest part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NPR member station Oregon Public Broadcasting reported , they 're getting closer to the suburbs of Portland .
Some of the evacuees from Clackamas County , south of Portland , said they do n't know what they 're going back to or even if their homes are still standing , as Levinson reported .
Nancy Price told him that she and her husband had to leave so quickly they did n't have time even to pack medication .
`` The thing that 's bothering me the most is , we do n't know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can get back in to see , just to know if we have a home , '' the 69-year-old from Molalla told Oregon Public Broadcasting .
`` We do n't know .
The thing I dread the most is not knowing . ''
Earlier this week , the Almeda Fire devastated communities in the towns of Phoenix and Talent in southern Oregon .
Hundreds of homes and businesses are believed to be burned , Jefferson Public Radio reported .
Fire potential in Oregon and Washington is expected to tick down slowly over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` normal '' to `` very low '' risk throughout the region by Tuesday .
`` The dry east winds are over , and with that the worst fire weather conditions are done , '' the National Weather Service in Portland said Friday .
`` Marine air [ is ] gradually working inland [ the ] next few days , pushing the worst of the smoke out . ''
The weather forecaster said the best news is there 's a chance of showers early next week .
Multnomah County , where Portland is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order .
But on Thursday , Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler issued an order closing parks to the public to prevent more fires from starting .
He also called for evacuation sites to be readied in the area .
The Oregon Convention Center in Portland said it is preparing to host wildfire evacuees .
7 new fatalities in California as state breaks record for largest blaze In California on Friday , nearly 15,000 firefighters were battling 28 major wildfires in the state .
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top 20 largest wildfires in the state 's history have happened in 2020 .
The amount that has burned so far this year is 26 times more than the same period last year – and would cover an area larger than Connecticut , fire officials said .
`` As weather conditions improve , firefighters continue to gain ground on the many wildfires that began three weeks ago , '' Cal Fire reported Friday .
California has reported 19 fatalities this fire season – including seven additional deaths confirmed Thursday in Butte County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fire .
That blaze has killed at least 10 people and forced more than 20,000 to flee after rapidly expanding earlier this week , according to Capital Public Radio .
Twenty-six are still missing .
`` The fire exploded to six times its previous size between Tuesday and Wednesday thanks to gusting winds , '' Capital Public Radio reported .
`` Authorities say the fire is advancing more slowly Friday after the winds eased and smoke from the blaze shaded the area and lowered the temperature , allowing firefighters to make progress .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bear Fire , is 23 % contained as of Friday afternoon .
Despite progress in other areas of California , the August Complex in Tehama County became the largest fire in the state 's history on Thursday , at 746,607 acres .
It was originally 37 separate fires caused by lightning in mid-August .
Fire officials said `` a large-scale wind event '' on Tuesday and Wednesday caused the fire to push through the fire lines and expand .
The massive fire is just 25 % contained .
Washington is also seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
Earlier this week , a fire consumed nearly every structure in the small town of Malden .
Satellite images show much of western Washington blanketed in a thick cloud of smoke .
NPR member station KUOW posted photos of Seattle covered in a massive plume of smoke Friday .
Seattle air quality had reached `` very unhealthy '' levels by late morning , according to The Seattle Times .
As blazes rage in all of the West Coast states , Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown said that people should expect more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate change .
`` I wish the 2020 wildfires were an anomaly – but this will not be a one-time event .
Unfortunately , it is a bellwether of the future , '' Brown tweeted on Thursday .
`` We are seeing the devastating effects of climate change in Oregon , on the entire West Coast , and throughout the world . ''

'The Thing I Dread The Most Is Not Knowing': Western Wildfires Rage Amid Race To Flee
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Locher/AP John Locher/AP
At least 24 people have died as a result of fires consuming large swaths of the West Coast, with hundreds of thousands under evacuation orders to get to safety.
One hundred large fires are burning in 12 states across the West — but just five of them have been contained, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
The unprecedented fire season has prompted federal fire officials to call in the U.S. military for help. Residents near 42 large fires are currently under evacuation orders to flee their homes.
Forecasters in the Pacific Northwest are hoping that dry winds have died down, and are optimistic that rain could help turn the tide next week. California also has reported that improved weather conditions have helped firefighters gain ground.
Fires inch closer to Portland suburbs
More than 40,000 Oregonians have evacuated and about 500,000 are in evacuation zones, Oregon's governor said Friday. Firefighters are battling more than 3o fires there that have burned more than 850,000 acres.
The fires are most widespread in the northwest part of the state, and as Jonathan Levinson of NPR member station Oregon Public Broadcasting reported, they're getting closer to the suburbs of Portland.
Some of the evacuees from Clackamas County, south of Portland, said they don't know what they're going back to or even if their homes are still standing, as Levinson reported. Nancy Price told him that she and her husband had to leave so quickly they didn't have time even to pack medication.
"The thing that's bothering me the most is, we don't know what's going on, how soon we can get back in to see, just to know if we have a home," the 69-year-old from Molalla told Oregon Public Broadcasting. "We don't know. The thing I dread the most is not knowing."
Earlier this week, the Almeda Fire devastated communities in the towns of Phoenix and Talent in southern Oregon. Hundreds of homes and businesses are believed to be burned, Jefferson Public Radio reported.
Fire potential in Oregon and Washington is expected to tick down slowly over the next few days, reaching a "normal" to "very low" risk throughout the region by Tuesday.
"The dry east winds are over, and with that the worst fire weather conditions are done," the National Weather Service in Portland said Friday. "Marine air [is] gradually working inland [the] next few days, pushing the worst of the smoke out." The weather forecaster said the best news is there's a chance of showers early next week.
Multnomah County, where Portland is located, hasn't issued an evacuation order. But on Thursday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler issued an order closing parks to the public to prevent more fires from starting. He also called for evacuation sites to be readied in the area.
The Oregon Convention Center in Portland said it is preparing to host wildfire evacuees.
toggle caption John Locher/AP
7 new fatalities in California as state breaks record for largest blaze
In California on Friday, nearly 15,000 firefighters were battling 28 major wildfires in the state. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, five of the top 20 largest wildfires in the state's history have happened in 2020. The amount that has burned so far this year is 26 times more than the same period last year – and would cover an area larger than Connecticut, fire officials said.
"As weather conditions improve, firefighters continue to gain ground on the many wildfires that began three weeks ago," Cal Fire reported Friday.
California has reported 19 fatalities this fire season – including seven additional deaths confirmed Thursday in Butte County, north of Sacramento, from the Bear Fire.
That blaze has killed at least 10 people and forced more than 20,000 to flee after rapidly expanding earlier this week, according to Capital Public Radio. Twenty-six are still missing.
"The fire exploded to six times its previous size between Tuesday and Wednesday thanks to gusting winds," Capital Public Radio reported. "Authorities say the fire is advancing more slowly Friday after the winds eased and smoke from the blaze shaded the area and lowered the temperature, allowing firefighters to make progress." The North Complex, which includes the Bear Fire, is 23% contained as of Friday afternoon.
Despite progress in other areas of California, the August Complex in Tehama County became the largest fire in the state's history on Thursday, at 746,607 acres. It was originally 37 separate fires caused by lightning in mid-August. Fire officials said "a large-scale wind event" on Tuesday and Wednesday caused the fire to push through the fire lines and expand.
The massive fire is just 25% contained.
Washington air quality plunges
Washington is also seeing large fires, concentrated inland in the state. Earlier this week, a fire consumed nearly every structure in the small town of Malden.
Satellite images show much of western Washington blanketed in a thick cloud of smoke.
NPR member station KUOW posted photos of Seattle covered in a massive plume of smoke Friday. Seattle air quality had reached "very unhealthy" levels by late morning, according to The Seattle Times.
As blazes rage in all of the West Coast states, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said that people should expect more fire seasons such as this due to climate change.
"I wish the 2020 wildfires were an anomaly – but this will not be a one-time event. Unfortunately, it is a bellwether of the future," Brown tweeted on Thursday. "We are seeing the devastating effects of climate change in Oregon, on the entire West Coast, and throughout the world."


npr--2020-09-11--Protesters Were Supposed To Hear Warnings Before Federal Police Moved In. They Didn't

Protesters Were Supposed To Hear Warnings Before Federal Police Moved In .
They Didn't Federal police officers who cleared a crowded park near the White House with smoke and tear gas in June violated court-ordered regulations that spell out how demonstrators are to be warned before aggressive tactics are used against them , attorneys who helped write the agreed-upon rules say .
In particular , the 2015 guidelines require warning large crowds multiple times they need to disperse , and doing so loudly enough that the orders can be heard for blocks .
But a National Guard official who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become a whistleblower in the case , has told Congress that U.S. Park Police used a simple megaphone that few could hear .
Protesters in Lafayette Square near the White House on June 1 said police advanced through the crowd with little warning , firing tear gas and smoke canisters shortly before President Trump appeared outside for a photograph in front of St. John 's Episcopal Church .
`` The reason that we wrote this agreement the way that we did was to ensure that there were specific practices that the Park Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could n't mass arrest people , so they could n't suddenly attack a large group of demonstrators , '' said constitutional rights attorney Mara Verheyden-Hilliard , who filed a lawsuit that led to the 2015 guidelines .
She said her organization , the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund , is preparing litigation against the federal Park and Washington , D.C. , police for violating constitutional rights .
`` They have an obligation to notify that group that they are in violation of the law and to give them the opportunity to comply with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Verheyden-Hilliard represented demonstrators , tourists and passersby who were arrested during a demonstration against the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington in 2002 .
In that earlier episode , police trapped a crowd in Pershing Park , near the White House , and began mass arrests .
`` People were rounded up , they were put on buses , they were held for 27 hours or more , hogtied in stress and duress positions wrist to ankle , '' Verheyden-Hilliard said .
`` Through this litigation , which was hard-fought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this would never happen again to someone in Washington , D.C. '' Then , 13 years later , U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan awarded $ 2.2 million in damages and approved the settlement agreement in 2015 .
He called it `` historic '' and said it could help set the standard for how police departments handle protesters nationwide .
Under that settlement agreement , police who intend to clear an area in Washington are required to warn protesters audibly three times that they are violating the law and need to disperse to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` give those who choose not to be arrested time to leave the immediate closed area . ''
Each warning is supposed to be two minutes apart and clearly audible .
And to ensure demonstrators are hearing them , the agreement reads `` officers positioned in the rear of the crowd should give a verbal and/or physical indication to the official giving the warnings , confirming that they are audible . ''
Evidence suggests that did n't happen on June 1 .
Eyewitnesses , including the senior most National Guardsman at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could n't be heard .
Gregory Monahan , acting chief of U.S. Park Police , told lawmakers in July that his officers had abided by the rules in the agreement .
`` The protocol was followed , '' he said during sworn testimony before the House Committee on Natural Resources .
`` There were three warnings given and they were given utilizing a Long Range Acoustic Device ; it 's called an LRAD , that 's what it stands for , that was the device used . ''
The LRAD is a kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noise and then can broadcast a voice or a recording at a deafening level .
The idea is to allow people at the back of a crowd to hear instructions .
But recordings made by bystanders June 1 , journalists who were there , and from other eyewitnesses offer no evidence that the sound cannon was used .
`` There is zero evidence that there were any officers who can testify that they were in the farthest reaches of the crowd , '' Verheyden-Hilliard said .
`` There has to be documentation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and there are supposed to be recordings made that the notice was given .
We wrote all these in specifically for this reason .
In fact , unfortunately , it would appear in anticipation of what happened in Lafayette Park . ''
A U.S. Park Police spokesman told NPR that Monahan `` stands by his testimony to the committee . ''
The official said because of ongoing litigation the U.S. Park Police could n't comment further .
Maj. Adam DeMarco of the D.C. National Guard was the senior-most member of the National Guard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a briefing that afternoon , he said he was told the National Guard 's job would be to support a Park Police operation to clear demonstrators around Lafayette Square after a D.C. curfew went into effect at 7 p.m .
He testified about his experience before the House Committee on Natural Resources on July 28 .
`` At around 6:20 p.m. , Park Police issued the first of three warning announcements to the demonstrators , directing them to disperse , '' DeMarco told lawmakers .
`` I did not expect the announcement so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go into effect until 7 p.m. that evening . ''
DeMarco told the House committee that he was 30 yards away from the officer giving the warnings to disperse and he could barely hear him , and that it was clear to him the protesters could n't either .
`` The announcements were barely audible , '' DeMarco testified .
`` I saw no indications that the demonstrators were cognizant of the warnings to disperse . ''
DeMarco is now a military whistleblower recounting what he saw that day , and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ client was uniquely positioned to see the events unfold .
`` From my client 's position , he was 30 yards away from the officer giving the warnings and about 20 yards away from the front line of demonstrators , '' Laufman said .
`` He could both observe and hear the warnings being given and he could observe the reaction of the demonstrators at the same time .
He observed a Park Police officer giving the warnings , using a handheld mic attached to an ordinary megaphone sitting on a bench in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What happened after those announcements is n't in dispute .
Officers began to clear the square at 6:30 p.m. , a half-hour before the citywide curfew went into effect .
Horse-mounted Park Police officers , Civil Disturbance Units , Secret Service , all started to push the crowd back .
There were explosions and smoke .
DeMarco said they shot tear gas into the crowd .
His eyes began to sting , and he said he found tear gas canisters lying in the street after it was all over .
The smoke was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SUVs pulled up to the intersection of 16th and H streets and set up a cordon around St. John 's Episcopal Church right by the square .
The president appeared minutes later .
`` The President 's arrival , '' DeMarco testified , `` was a complete surprise as we had not been briefed that he would enter our sector . ''

Protesters Were Supposed To Hear Warnings Before Federal Police Moved In. They Didn't
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jose Luis Magana/AFP via Getty Images Jose Luis Magana/AFP via Getty Images
Federal police officers who cleared a crowded park near the White House with smoke and tear gas in June violated court-ordered regulations that spell out how demonstrators are to be warned before aggressive tactics are used against them, attorneys who helped write the agreed-upon rules say.
In particular, the 2015 guidelines require warning large crowds multiple times they need to disperse, and doing so loudly enough that the orders can be heard for blocks. But a National Guard official who was there that night, and who has become a whistleblower in the case, has told Congress that U.S. Park Police used a simple megaphone that few could hear.
Protesters in Lafayette Square near the White House on June 1 said police advanced through the crowd with little warning, firing tear gas and smoke canisters shortly before President Trump appeared outside for a photograph in front of St. John's Episcopal Church.
"The reason that we wrote this agreement the way that we did was to ensure that there were specific practices that the Park Police had to carry out so that they couldn't mass arrest people, so they couldn't suddenly attack a large group of demonstrators," said constitutional rights attorney Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, who filed a lawsuit that led to the 2015 guidelines. She said her organization, the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, is preparing litigation against the federal Park and Washington, D.C., police for violating constitutional rights.
"They have an obligation to notify that group that they are in violation of the law and to give them the opportunity to comply with a lawful order," Verheyden-Hilliard said.
Verheyden-Hilliard represented demonstrators, tourists and passersby who were arrested during a demonstration against the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington in 2002.
In that earlier episode, police trapped a crowd in Pershing Park, near the White House, and began mass arrests. "People were rounded up, they were put on buses, they were held for 27 hours or more, hogtied in stress and duress positions wrist to ankle," Verheyden-Hilliard said. "Through this litigation, which was hard-fought litigation, we wanted to ensure that this would never happen again to someone in Washington, D.C."
Then, 13 years later, U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan awarded $2.2 million in damages and approved the settlement agreement in 2015. He called it "historic" and said it could help set the standard for how police departments handle protesters nationwide.
Under that settlement agreement, police who intend to clear an area in Washington are required to warn protesters audibly three times that they are violating the law and need to disperse to, in the words of the agreement, "give those who choose not to be arrested time to leave the immediate closed area."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Each warning is supposed to be two minutes apart and clearly audible. And to ensure demonstrators are hearing them, the agreement reads "officers positioned in the rear of the crowd should give a verbal and/or physical indication to the official giving the warnings, confirming that they are audible."
Evidence suggests that didn't happen on June 1. Eyewitnesses, including the senior most National Guardsman at the scene, said those warnings to disperse couldn't be heard.
Sound cannon or megaphone?
Gregory Monahan, acting chief of U.S. Park Police, told lawmakers in July that his officers had abided by the rules in the agreement. "The protocol was followed," he said during sworn testimony before the House Committee on Natural Resources. "There were three warnings given and they were given utilizing a Long Range Acoustic Device; it's called an LRAD, that's what it stands for, that was the device used."
The LRAD is a kind of sound cannon that emits a piercing noise and then can broadcast a voice or a recording at a deafening level. The idea is to allow people at the back of a crowd to hear instructions.
But recordings made by bystanders June 1, journalists who were there, and from other eyewitnesses offer no evidence that the sound cannon was used.
"There is zero evidence that there were any officers who can testify that they were in the farthest reaches of the crowd," Verheyden-Hilliard said. "There has to be documentation that the notice was given multiple times, and there are supposed to be recordings made that the notice was given. We wrote all these in specifically for this reason. In fact, unfortunately, it would appear in anticipation of what happened in Lafayette Park."
A U.S. Park Police spokesman told NPR that Monahan "stands by his testimony to the committee." The official said because of ongoing litigation the U.S. Park Police couldn't comment further.
A different version of events
Maj. Adam DeMarco of the D.C. National Guard was the senior-most member of the National Guard in Lafayette Square that day. At a briefing that afternoon, he said he was told the National Guard's job would be to support a Park Police operation to clear demonstrators around Lafayette Square after a D.C. curfew went into effect at 7 p.m.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bill Clark/Pool/Getty Images Bill Clark/Pool/Getty Images
He testified about his experience before the House Committee on Natural Resources on July 28. "At around 6:20 p.m., Park Police issued the first of three warning announcements to the demonstrators, directing them to disperse," DeMarco told lawmakers. "I did not expect the announcement so early as the D.C. curfew was not to go into effect until 7 p.m. that evening."
DeMarco told the House committee that he was 30 yards away from the officer giving the warnings to disperse and he could barely hear him, and that it was clear to him the protesters couldn't either. "The announcements were barely audible," DeMarco testified. "I saw no indications that the demonstrators were cognizant of the warnings to disperse."
DeMarco is now a military whistleblower recounting what he saw that day, and his attorney, David Laufman, said his client was uniquely positioned to see the events unfold. "From my client's position, he was 30 yards away from the officer giving the warnings and about 20 yards away from the front line of demonstrators," Laufman said. "He could both observe and hear the warnings being given and he could observe the reaction of the demonstrators at the same time. He observed a Park Police officer giving the warnings, using a handheld mic attached to an ordinary megaphone sitting on a bench in the middle of the square."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
What happened after those announcements isn't in dispute.
Officers began to clear the square at 6:30 p.m., a half-hour before the citywide curfew went into effect. Horse-mounted Park Police officers, Civil Disturbance Units, Secret Service, all started to push the crowd back. There were explosions and smoke. DeMarco said they shot tear gas into the crowd. His eyes began to sting, and he said he found tear gas canisters lying in the street after it was all over.
The smoke was still in the air when several black SUVs pulled up to the intersection of 16th and H streets and set up a cordon around St. John's Episcopal Church right by the square. The president appeared minutes later.
"The President's arrival," DeMarco testified, "was a complete surprise as we had not been briefed that he would enter our sector."


npr--2020-09-11--DeVos Loses Latest Fight Over Rerouting Aid To Private School Students

A controversial rule backed by U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos , and meant to reroute millions of dollars in coronavirus aid to K-12 private school students , has been shut down , at least temporarily .
The U.S. Education Department announced Wednesday that the rule is no longer in effect after a federal judge determined that the department had not only `` acted beyond its authority '' but misinterpreted the will of Congress .
At the center of this months-long fight between DeVos and public school advocates is the CARES Act , passed in March .
The law set aside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid to help schools cover their budget-crushing pandemic costs .
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit , led by the NAACP , argued that the money was meant to be distributed to public school districts based on how many low-income students they serve .
For private schools , lawmakers required districts to set aside a small portion of that money to pay for `` equitable services '' such as tutoring or transportation , though only for those schools ' low-income students .
DeVos and her Education Department read the law differently , arguing throughout the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on how many students they serve overall , rather than just their share of low-income students .
This could mean , in places with large private school populations , districts serving low-income students could be required to spend relief money on their more affluent , private school neighbors .
In a Sept. 4 decision vacating the rule , U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich in Washington , D.C. , wrote that `` it is difficult to imagine how Congress could have been clearer '' about its intention that these equitable services be reserved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department 's arguments to the contrary do not change this straightforward conclusion . ''
According to one analysis by the Learning Policy Institute , the department 's reading of the CARES Act would have increased private schools ' share of CARES Act dollars from $ 127 million to $ 1.5 billion .
The department first issued its controversial interpretation of the law in late April in the form of guidance .
While that guidance was nonbinding , the interim final rule announced in June was enforceable by law .
`` The CARES Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit all American students , teachers , and families impacted by coronavirus , '' DeVos said in June .
`` There is nothing in the law Congress passed that would allow districts to discriminate against children and teachers based on private school attendance and employment . ''
In a June statement , Daniel A. Domenech , executive director of AASA , the School Superintendents Association , called the rule `` an opportunistic money grab , using the pandemic environment to advance the privatization agenda . ''
In announcing the rule , the Education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serving low- and middle-income communities are under great financial strain due to COVID-19 '' and that `` more than 100 private schools have already announced they will not be able to reopen following the pandemic , and hundreds more are facing a similar fate . ''
Public school advocates argue this fight over how federal aid dollars should be used has forced districts to delay spending , even as their costs related to COVID-19 mount .
In an August statement , Rep. Bobby Scott , the Democratic chairman of the House Education and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once again implore the Department to abandon its unlawful equitable services rule and finally provide schools the clarity and resources they need to cope with this unprecedented crisis . ''
As a result of the court 's decision , the rule is no longer in effect , but the Education Department told NPR that it has not officially rescinded the rule and could still decide to appeal .

DeVos Loses Latest Fight Over Rerouting Aid To Private School Students
Enlarge this image toggle caption Yuri Gripas/Abaca Press/Bloomberg via Getty Images Yuri Gripas/Abaca Press/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A controversial rule backed by U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and meant to reroute millions of dollars in coronavirus aid to K-12 private school students, has been shut down, at least temporarily.
The U.S. Education Department announced Wednesday that the rule is no longer in effect after a federal judge determined that the department had not only "acted beyond its authority" but misinterpreted the will of Congress.
At the center of this months-long fight between DeVos and public school advocates is the CARES Act, passed in March. The law set aside more than $13 billion in federal aid to help schools cover their budget-crushing pandemic costs.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit, led by the NAACP, argued that the money was meant to be distributed to public school districts based on how many low-income students they serve. For private schools, lawmakers required districts to set aside a small portion of that money to pay for "equitable services" such as tutoring or transportation, though only for those schools' low-income students.
DeVos and her Education Department read the law differently, arguing throughout the summer that private schools should receive help based on how many students they serve overall, rather than just their share of low-income students. This could mean, in places with large private school populations, districts serving low-income students could be required to spend relief money on their more affluent, private school neighbors.
In a Sept. 4 decision vacating the rule, U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich in Washington, D.C., wrote that "it is difficult to imagine how Congress could have been clearer" about its intention that these equitable services be reserved for low-income students only. "The Department's arguments to the contrary do not change this straightforward conclusion."
According to one analysis by the Learning Policy Institute, the department's reading of the CARES Act would have increased private schools' share of CARES Act dollars from $127 million to $1.5 billion. The department first issued its controversial interpretation of the law in late April in the form of guidance. While that guidance was nonbinding, the interim final rule announced in June was enforceable by law.
"The CARES Act is a special, pandemic-related appropriation to benefit all American students, teachers, and families impacted by coronavirus," DeVos said in June. "There is nothing in the law Congress passed that would allow districts to discriminate against children and teachers based on private school attendance and employment."
In a June statement, Daniel A. Domenech, executive director of AASA, the School Superintendents Association, called the rule "an opportunistic money grab, using the pandemic environment to advance the privatization agenda."
In announcing the rule, the Education Department lamented that "most private schools serving low- and middle-income communities are under great financial strain due to COVID-19" and that "more than 100 private schools have already announced they will not be able to reopen following the pandemic, and hundreds more are facing a similar fate."
Public school advocates argue this fight over how federal aid dollars should be used has forced districts to delay spending, even as their costs related to COVID-19 mount. In an August statement, Rep. Bobby Scott, the Democratic chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, wrote, "I once again implore the Department to abandon its unlawful equitable services rule and finally provide schools the clarity and resources they need to cope with this unprecedented crisis."
As a result of the court's decision, the rule is no longer in effect, but the Education Department told NPR that it has not officially rescinded the rule and could still decide to appeal.


npr--2020-09-11--As COVID-19 Vaccine Trials Move At Warp Speed, Recruiting Black Volunteers Takes Time

Black patients are some of the most reluctant to participate in clinical trials , according to FDA statistics .
And their inclusion in the coronavirus vaccine trials has been a stated priority for the pharmaceutical companies involved , since African American communities , along with Latinos , have suffered disproportionately from the pandemic .
But the trials are moving at a pace that is unprecedented for medical research , with the Trump administration 's vaccine acceleration effort dubbed `` Operation Warp Speed . ''
Yet recruiting minority participants into these ongoing trials requires sensitivity to a legacy of mistrust based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that trust-building can not be rushed .
So far at least , participation by minority volunteers in coronavirus trials has increased only slightly , compared to usual low levels — and targeted outreach efforts to recruit more have been slow to launch .
Some of that outreach is taking place at historically black colleges and universities , which are trusted institutions for many Black Americans .
At Meharry Medical College in Nashville , researchers have started by setting up in-person meetings with patients they already know .
Last Wednesday , half-a-dozen patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campus .
They snacked on turkey sandwiches and potato chips and listened to the pitch from their physician , Dr. Vladimir Berthaud .
`` What 's the best hope to get rid of this virus ? ''
he asks them .
Then Berthaud follows up : `` So raise your hand if you would like to take the vaccine ? ''
Some hands shoot up , but not all .
`` I ai n't going to be the first one , now , '' says Lanette Hayes .
Katrina Thompson says she does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection against the coronavirus .
She explains that she 's especially worried about all the residents of her apartment building who do n't seem to be doing the basics of covering their coughs .
`` The word 'vaccination ' do n't scare me , '' she says .
`` The word 'trial ' do . ''
Black Americans have reason to be suspicious — beyond the well-known Tuskegee experiments where Black men with syphilis were deceived and mistreated as part of an experiment that went on for decades .
Even today , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ providers .
Dr. Berthaud is recruiting patients for a clinical trial site he will oversee here in Nashville , and he would like more than 300 people of color to enroll .
Berthaud , who is Black and from Haiti , appeals to a sense of duty .
`` If you do n't have enough people like you in those vaccine trials , you will not know if it works for you , '' he tells them .
`` You will not know . ''
For most of the current coronavirus vaccine trials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which often results in mostly white people enrolling .
That 's why Meharry researchers are wooing Black patients with a personal invitation to take part .
The problem is , they 're not recruiting for the phase three trials currently underway .
Meharry 's first trial , for a vaccine candidate by Novavax , does n't launch until October .
Meanwhile , other pharmaceutical companies are nearly done recruiting .
Moderna says it chose nearly 100 trial sites for their `` representative demography . ''
The company did not respond to requests for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the clinical volunteers every week .
They 're somewhat better than the typical clinical trial but still not a good representation of the diversity of the U.S. For the coronavirus vaccine in particular , the National Institutes of Health has suggested minorities should be over-represented in testing — perhaps at rates that are double their percentage of the U.S. population .
`` We say we want to have everybody included , but really the effort for the vaccinations — in a sense — are starting the same way they 've always been , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School of Medicine in Atlanta .
He 's working with the NIH to make sure people of color are included in COVID-19 research .
Mack says there are no shortcuts if medical research is going to reflect the diversity of the U.S .
It takes time to build trust and meaningful relationships with people who have endured a history of abuse or neglect by medical providers , and exclusion from biomedical research and decision making .
`` Now , that being said , the only thing we can do is what we 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he means respectful , not rushed , outreach and dialogue .
The primary effort , called the COVID-19 Prevention Network , taps into four existing clinical trial networks that were designed to advance HIV research .
Those networks are based in Seattle , Atlanta , Los Angeles and Durham , N.C. One project announced this week will be led by Rev .
Edwin Sanders II of the Metropolitan Interdenominational Church in Nashville .
It will involve seven `` faith ambassadors '' and 30 `` clergy consultants '' in the African American community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myths and increase trust in the clinical trial process .
But Sanders cautions this is not about a hard sell .
He says it 's not his job to preach trial participation from a pulpit .
`` We are not out beating the drum , '' he says , acknowledging that congregants may have legitimate concerns .
`` I am not going to do anything more than make sure people are able to make an informed choice . ''
There is a danger that lunging for big diversity goals could even spark a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less willing to participate , says professor Rachel Hardeman who studies health equity at the University of Minnesota .
It 's important that the doctors doing the asking look like the people they 're appealing to , she says .
`` It 's racial concordance , '' she explains .
`` It offers this feeling of , 'you know who I am , you know where I come from , you have my best interests at heart . '
`` Historically Black medical institutions in the U.S. are uniquely positioned to do this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the leading edge of the vaccine trial recruitment , they intend to play an important part .
The president of Nashville 's Meharry Medical College , Dr. James Hildreth , is , himself , an infectious disease researcher .
But instead of overseeing the trial site being hosted on his campus , Hildreth has a more modest goal in mind : He plans to participate as a patient , and urge others to join him .
`` I think my role is more important in advocating for people to be involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leaders of the study , '' he says .
So at Meharry , Dr. Berthaud is the principal investigator .
As lunch wraps up in the crowded conference room , he 's managed to win over even the holdouts .
`` Where is the line ? ''
asks Robert Smith .
`` Where do we sign ? ''
Smith , with his young grandson in tow , did n't raise his hand at first when asked if he 'd take the vaccine .
But after listening to Dr. Berthaud , Smith agrees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for no other reason than the trust he has in Berthaud , his long-time physician .
`` He 's not only my doctor ; he 's proven that he cares about me , '' Smith says .
Convincing hundreds or thousands of Black Americans to sign up will be difficult .
But even for those who do n't participate , researchers hope their outreach efforts will at least result in more minorities ultimately agreeing to take the approved vaccine when it 's available .
This story was produced in a partnership between NPR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Radio .

As COVID-19 Vaccine Trials Move At Warp Speed, Recruiting Black Volunteers Takes Time
Enlarge this image Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Getty Images Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Getty Images
Black patients are some of the most reluctant to participate in clinical trials, according to FDA statistics. And their inclusion in the coronavirus vaccine trials has been a stated priority for the pharmaceutical companies involved, since African American communities, along with Latinos, have suffered disproportionately from the pandemic.
But the trials are moving at a pace that is unprecedented for medical research, with the Trump administration's vaccine acceleration effort dubbed "Operation Warp Speed." Yet recruiting minority participants into these ongoing trials requires sensitivity to a legacy of mistrust based on past and current medical mistreatment, and that trust-building cannot be rushed.
So far at least, participation by minority volunteers in coronavirus trials has increased only slightly, compared to usual low levels — and targeted outreach efforts to recruit more have been slow to launch.
toggle caption Blake Farmer/ WPLN
Some of that outreach is taking place at historically black colleges and universities, which are trusted institutions for many Black Americans. At Meharry Medical College in Nashville, researchers have started by setting up in-person meetings with patients they already know. Last Wednesday, half-a-dozen patients gathered in a cramped conference room on campus. They snacked on turkey sandwiches and potato chips and listened to the pitch from their physician, Dr. Vladimir Berthaud.
"What's the best hope to get rid of this virus?" he asks them.
"Vaccination," they reply.
Then Berthaud follows up: "So raise your hand if you would like to take the vaccine?"
Some hands shoot up, but not all.
"I ain't going to be the first one, now," says Lanette Hayes.
Katrina Thompson says she does eventually want to get a shot for protection against the coronavirus. She explains that she's especially worried about all the residents of her apartment building who don't seem to be doing the basics of covering their coughs.
"The word 'vaccination' don't scare me," she says. "The word 'trial' do."
Black Americans have reason to be suspicious — beyond the well-known Tuskegee experiments where Black men with syphilis were deceived and mistreated as part of an experiment that went on for decades. Even today, many Black Americans report ongoing mistreatment by medical providers.
Dr. Berthaud is recruiting patients for a clinical trial site he will oversee here in Nashville, and he would like more than 300 people of color to enroll. Berthaud, who is Black and from Haiti, appeals to a sense of duty.
"If you don't have enough people like you in those vaccine trials, you will not know if it works for you," he tells them. "You will not know."
toggle caption Blake Farmer/ WPLN
For most of the current coronavirus vaccine trials, recruitment mainly takes place online — which often results in mostly white people enrolling.
That's why Meharry researchers are wooing Black patients with a personal invitation to take part. The problem is, they're not recruiting for the phase three trials currently underway. Meharry's first trial, for a vaccine candidate by Novavax, doesn't launch until October.
Meanwhile, other pharmaceutical companies are nearly done recruiting. Moderna says it chose nearly 100 trial sites for their "representative demography."
The company did not respond to requests for comment but is publicizing demographic statistics about the clinical volunteers every week. They're somewhat better than the typical clinical trial but still not a good representation of the diversity of the U.S.
For the coronavirus vaccine in particular, the National Institutes of Health has suggested minorities should be over-represented in testing — perhaps at rates that are double their percentage of the U.S. population.
"We say we want to have everybody included, but really the effort for the vaccinations — in a sense — are starting the same way they've always been," says Dr. Dominic Mack of Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. He's working with the NIH to make sure people of color are included in COVID-19 research.
Mack says there are no shortcuts if medical research is going to reflect the diversity of the U.S. It takes time to build trust and meaningful relationships with people who have endured a history of abuse or neglect by medical providers, and exclusion from biomedical research and decision making.
"Now, that being said, the only thing we can do is what we're doing," he says — by which he means respectful, not rushed, outreach and dialogue.
The primary effort, called the COVID-19 Prevention Network, taps into four existing clinical trial networks that were designed to advance HIV research. Those networks are based in Seattle, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Durham, N.C.
One project announced this week will be led by Rev. Edwin Sanders II of the Metropolitan Interdenominational Church in Nashville. It will involve seven "faith ambassadors" and 30 "clergy consultants" in the African American community, who will work to help dispel myths and increase trust in the clinical trial process.
But Sanders cautions this is not about a hard sell. He says it's not his job to preach trial participation from a pulpit.
"We are not out beating the drum," he says, acknowledging that congregants may have legitimate concerns. "I am not going to do anything more than make sure people are able to make an informed choice."
There is a danger that lunging for big diversity goals could even spark a backlash, meaning minorities might be even less willing to participate, says professor Rachel Hardeman who studies health equity at the University of Minnesota.
It's important that the doctors doing the asking look like the people they're appealing to, she says.
"It's racial concordance," she explains. "It offers this feeling of, 'you know who I am, you know where I come from, you have my best interests at heart.' "
toggle caption Blake Farmer/ WPLN
Historically Black medical institutions in the U.S. are uniquely positioned to do this work. While they haven't been on the leading edge of the vaccine trial recruitment, they intend to play an important part.
The president of Nashville's Meharry Medical College, Dr. James Hildreth, is, himself, an infectious disease researcher. But instead of overseeing the trial site being hosted on his campus, Hildreth has a more modest goal in mind: He plans to participate as a patient, and urge others to join him.
"I think my role is more important in advocating for people to be involved in vaccine studies than to be one of the leaders of the study," he says.
So at Meharry, Dr. Berthaud is the principal investigator. As lunch wraps up in the crowded conference room, he's managed to win over even the holdouts.
"Where is the line?" asks Robert Smith. "Where do we sign?"
Smith, with his young grandson in tow, didn't raise his hand at first when asked if he'd take the vaccine. But after listening to Dr. Berthaud, Smith agrees to participate in the clinical trial — for no other reason than the trust he has in Berthaud, his long-time physician.
"He's not only my doctor; he's proven that he cares about me," Smith says.
Convincing hundreds or thousands of Black Americans to sign up will be difficult. But even for those who don't participate, researchers hope their outreach efforts will at least result in more minorities ultimately agreeing to take the approved vaccine when it's available.
This story was produced in a partnership between NPR, Kaiser Health News and Nashville Public Radio.


npr--2020-09-11--Google Will Block Its Autocomplete Suggestions For Some Election-Related Searches

Google Will Block Its Autocomplete Suggestions For Some Election-Related Searches Google says it is making changes to its autocomplete feature ahead of the November presidential election .
Autocomplete suggests possible search terms based on what a user starts typing .
In a blog post , Google said it was removing suggestions that could be viewed as being for or against a particular candidate or party .
The search engine also is blocking suggestions that could be viewed as claims about `` the integrity or legitimacy of electoral processes . ''
`` What this means in practice is that predictions like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as 'you ca n't vote by phone , ' or a prediction that says 'donate to ' any party or candidate , should not appear in Autocomplete , '' Google wrote on Thursday .
`` Whether or not a prediction appears , you can still search for whatever you 'd like and find results . ''
During an online press event , the company 's senior director of global policy and standards acknowledged that some otherwise benign search predictions might get blocked by the policy .
But David Graff told reporters that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` bad information '' from appearing by way of a suggested search .
`` We want to be very careful about the type of information that we highlight in the search feature given its prominence .
Given the concern around elections and elections information , we want to be particularly conservative here , '' Graff said .
Google and social media counterparts Twitter and Facebook have been under increasing pressure to stop the spread of misinformation on their platforms .
In the runup to the Nov. 3 election , all three companies have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information that be misleading or flat-out untrue .
On the same day as Google 's announcement , Twitter said it was introducing restrictions on elected-related posts , including to tweets claiming victory for a candidate ahead of official results or attempts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power .
Facebook also recently announced stricter policies around election-related posts as well as on new political ads in the week before Election Day .
In that announcement , the company said it would label posts attempting to `` delegitimize '' the outcome of the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 .
Facebook and Twitter changed their policies not long after both tech giants announced that they had deleted Russia-linked accounts , which researchers say were trying to steer left-leaning voters away from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and running mate Kamala Harris .
The tech giants have also been contending with false , and disproven , information about the COVID-19 pandemic .
This included removing a Breitbart News video published to both social media sites and YouTube that featured a group of doctors arguing debunked claims about a controversial treatment for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is owned by Google , all removed the video in July .
Twitter also temporarily restricted the account of Donald Trump Jr. , who had shared the video .
Editor 's note : Google and Facebook are among NPR 's financial supporters .

Google Will Block Its Autocomplete Suggestions For Some Election-Related Searches
Enlarge this image toggle caption Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
Google says it is making changes to its autocomplete feature ahead of the November presidential election.
Autocomplete suggests possible search terms based on what a user starts typing. In a blog post, Google said it was removing suggestions that could be viewed as being for or against a particular candidate or party.
The search engine also is blocking suggestions that could be viewed as claims about "the integrity or legitimacy of electoral processes."
"What this means in practice is that predictions like 'you can vote by phone' as well as 'you can't vote by phone,' or a prediction that says 'donate to' any party or candidate, should not appear in Autocomplete," Google wrote on Thursday. "Whether or not a prediction appears, you can still search for whatever you'd like and find results."
During an online press event, the company's senior director of global policy and standards acknowledged that some otherwise benign search predictions might get blocked by the policy. But David Graff told reporters that Google is practicing extra caution to keep "bad information" from appearing by way of a suggested search.
"We want to be very careful about the type of information that we highlight in the search feature given its prominence. Given the concern around elections and elections information, we want to be particularly conservative here," Graff said.
Google and social media counterparts Twitter and Facebook have been under increasing pressure to stop the spread of misinformation on their platforms. In the runup to the Nov. 3 election, all three companies have instituted policies intended to curb and fact-check information that be misleading or flat-out untrue.
On the same day as Google's announcement, Twitter said it was introducing restrictions on elected-related posts, including to tweets claiming victory for a candidate ahead of official results or attempts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.
Facebook also recently announced stricter policies around election-related posts as well as on new political ads in the week before Election Day. In that announcement, the company said it would label posts attempting to "delegitimize" the outcome of the election and delete claims that voters would get COVID-19.
Facebook and Twitter changed their policies not long after both tech giants announced that they had deleted Russia-linked accounts, which researchers say were trying to steer left-leaning voters away from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and running mate Kamala Harris.
The tech giants have also been contending with false, and disproven, information about the COVID-19 pandemic. This included removing a Breitbart News video published to both social media sites and YouTube that featured a group of doctors arguing debunked claims about a controversial treatment for the coronavirus.
Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, which is owned by Google, all removed the video in July. Twitter also temporarily restricted the account of Donald Trump Jr., who had shared the video.
Editor's note: Google and Facebook are among NPR's financial supporters.


npr--2020-09-11--Woodward Book Casts New Light On Trump's Fight With WHO

Woodward Book Casts New Light On Trump 's Fight With WHO President Trump has publicly blamed the World Health Organization for being slow to sound alarm bells about the coronavirus .
`` On March 3 , 2020 , the World Health Organization cited official Chinese data to downplay the very serious risk of asymptomatic spread , telling the world that 'COVID- 19 does not transmit as efficiently as influenza , ' `` Trump wrote in a May 18 letter addressed to WHO leadership .
`` It is now clear that China 's assertions , repeated to the world by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
`` Many lives could have been saved '' had WHO warned the world earlier , Trump wrote .
Later that month , he announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the global health agency .
Now , taped conversations between the president and journalist Bob Woodward , as reported in the forthcoming book Rage , indicate that in early February , Trump was well aware of the dangers of the coronavirus and chose to downplay the public health threat to Americans .
`` This is deadly stuff , '' Trump told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` You just breathe the air and that 's how it 's passed .
And so that 's a very tricky one .
That 's a very delicate one .
It 's also more deadly than even your strenuous flu . ''
For public health expert Jeremy Konyndyk , the conversations clearly demonstrate that the president has been scapegoating WHO for failures of his administration .
`` These tapes make clear that the very things that the president was accusing WHO of failing to share , specifically the lethality and the transmissibility of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already well aware of , '' said Konyndyk , a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development who led the U.S. response to international disasters in the Obama administration .
`` To blame it on the WHO and then pull out technical and financial support is absurd , '' said Nancy Cox , who retired in 2014 as director of the Influenza Division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , where she also headed up a WHO collaborating center on flu control .
The Woodward interviews underscore the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame , the U.S. did not rely on information from WHO or official Chinese sources to make decisions around its pandemic response , said Jimmy Kolker , a former U.S. ambassador who served as assistant secretary for global affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services .
`` We had our own people on the ground in China , who were observing the situation in Wuhan and throughout [ China ] , '' he said , `` We had plenty of information which should have given us grounds to take more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Trump told Woodward in a subsequent interview in March that he was downplaying the virus 's severity to avoid panic — a point he reiterated at a news conference Thursday .
`` I do n't want to jump up and down and start screaming , 'Death !
Death ! '
`` the president said .
But public health experts said the president 's attempts to reassure the public have had the opposite effect .
`` If you want the public to remain reasonably calm , if you want them not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them the truth , '' said Lawrence Gostin , head of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University and director of a WHO collaborating center on global health law .
Gostin believes that public trust is gained when `` you level with the American population '' and tell what 's known about a situation , what 's still unclear and when and how the uncertainties will be resolved .
Instead , when `` the World Health Organization said it was serious and Trump downplayed it — that 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
The president 's strategy of misrepresenting the threat set the tone for administration officials further down the chain of command , Konyndyk said .
`` There were a lot of people within the administration who recognized the true nature of this risk , who were advising the president on it , but did not mirror that publicly , '' he said .
`` Had the president set a different tone at the top , I think we would be in a very different place today . ''
Konyndyk theorizes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration officials could have publicly acknowledged the severity of the situation and effectively promoted science-based measures to prevent disease spread .
The president blamed WHO for the way the pandemic has unfolded because it 's a `` soft target , '' Konyndyk said .
`` It 's easier to attack [ WHO ] than to attack China [ directly ] — they ca n't really push back .
They make for a convenient scapegoat for the president . ''
As for the president 's decision to end the U.S. relationship with the global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for this story said it 's a dangerous move that risks prolonging the pandemic .
`` The rest of the world is at a disadvantage if [ the U.S. and WHO , ] two main sources of public health information and expertise , are not working together , '' which could delay work on vaccines , treatments and potential cures for COVID-19 , Kolker said .
Gostin said that turning WHO into a political football in the geopolitical struggle between China and the United States has been `` hugely distracting '' to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has ] made them less effective than they otherwise would be . ''
At a press conference Thursday , WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declined to comment on the revelations from Woodward 's book .
Beyond this pandemic , withdrawing U.S. expertise and funding from WHO has `` so many real-world consequences '' to both WHO and the U.S. , Cox said .
It interrupts years of work on suppressing infectious diseases such as polio and measles , she said : `` If these diseases are n't eradicated , if they continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re ] introduction of these diseases into the U.S .
population . ''
What 's more , if the U.S. stops participating in WHO 's global disease surveillance networks , `` we 're behind the curve in terms of being prepared for the next influenza pandemic or pandemic of whatever disease emerges next , '' Cox said .
November 's presidential election could have major consequences for the future of U.S. engagement in global health , Gostin said .
Democratic nominee Joe Biden has pledged to `` immediately restore [ the U.S. ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' A second-term Trump is expected to stick to his plan to withdraw the U.S. from WHO .
Because of a mandatory one-year waiting period , the exit would be effective in July .
The Trump administration said it will redirect the resources withdrawn from WHO to other global health partners but has not specified which ones .

Woodward Book Casts New Light On Trump's Fight With WHO
Enlarge this image toggle caption Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images; Doug Mills/The New York Times via Getty Images Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images; Doug Mills/The New York Times via Getty Images
President Trump has publicly blamed the World Health Organization for being slow to sound alarm bells about the coronavirus.
"On March 3, 2020, the World Health Organization cited official Chinese data to downplay the very serious risk of asymptomatic spread, telling the world that 'COVID- 19 does not transmit as efficiently as influenza,' " Trump wrote in a May 18 letter addressed to WHO leadership. "It is now clear that China's assertions, repeated to the world by the World Health Organization, were wildly inaccurate."
"Many lives could have been saved" had WHO warned the world earlier, Trump wrote. Later that month, he announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the global health agency.
Now, taped conversations between the president and journalist Bob Woodward, as reported in the forthcoming book Rage, indicate that in early February, Trump was well aware of the dangers of the coronavirus and chose to downplay the public health threat to Americans.
"This is deadly stuff," Trump told Woodward in a Feb. 7 conversation. "You just breathe the air and that's how it's passed. And so that's a very tricky one. That's a very delicate one. It's also more deadly than even your strenuous flu."
For public health expert Jeremy Konyndyk, the conversations clearly demonstrate that the president has been scapegoating WHO for failures of his administration. "These tapes make clear that the very things that the president was accusing WHO of failing to share, specifically the lethality and the transmissibility of this virus, were things he was already well aware of," said Konyndyk, a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development who led the U.S. response to international disasters in the Obama administration.
"To blame it on the WHO and then pull out technical and financial support is absurd," said Nancy Cox, who retired in 2014 as director of the Influenza Division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she also headed up a WHO collaborating center on flu control.
The Woodward interviews underscore the fact that, despite Trump's assignment of blame, the U.S. did not rely on information from WHO or official Chinese sources to make decisions around its pandemic response, said Jimmy Kolker, a former U.S. ambassador who served as assistant secretary for global affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
"We had our own people on the ground in China, who were observing the situation in Wuhan and throughout [China]," he said, "We had plenty of information which should have given us grounds to take more dramatic action in the U.S. earlier."
Trump told Woodward in a subsequent interview in March that he was downplaying the virus's severity to avoid panic — a point he reiterated at a news conference Thursday. "I don't want to jump up and down and start screaming, 'Death! Death!' " the president said.
But public health experts said the president's attempts to reassure the public have had the opposite effect. "If you want the public to remain reasonably calm, if you want them not to be confused and uncertain, you tell them the truth," said Lawrence Gostin, head of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University and director of a WHO collaborating center on global health law.
Gostin believes that public trust is gained when "you level with the American population" and tell what's known about a situation, what's still unclear and when and how the uncertainties will be resolved. Instead, when "the World Health Organization said it was serious and Trump downplayed it — that's a recipe for fear and panic," he said.
The president's strategy of misrepresenting the threat set the tone for administration officials further down the chain of command, Konyndyk said. "There were a lot of people within the administration who recognized the true nature of this risk, who were advising the president on it, but did not mirror that publicly," he said. "Had the president set a different tone at the top, I think we would be in a very different place today."
Konyndyk theorizes that if Trump had been forthright, administration officials could have publicly acknowledged the severity of the situation and effectively promoted science-based measures to prevent disease spread.
The president blamed WHO for the way the pandemic has unfolded because it's a "soft target," Konyndyk said. "It's easier to attack [WHO] than to attack China [directly] — they can't really push back. They make for a convenient scapegoat for the president."
As for the president's decision to end the U.S. relationship with the global health agency, public health specialists interviewed for this story said it's a dangerous move that risks prolonging the pandemic.
"The rest of the world is at a disadvantage if [the U.S. and WHO,] two main sources of public health information and expertise, are not working together," which could delay work on vaccines, treatments and potential cures for COVID-19, Kolker said.
Gostin said that turning WHO into a political football in the geopolitical struggle between China and the United States has been "hugely distracting" to the agency: "I think, [it has] made them less effective than they otherwise would be."
At a press conference Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declined to comment on the revelations from Woodward's book.
Beyond this pandemic, withdrawing U.S. expertise and funding from WHO has "so many real-world consequences" to both WHO and the U.S., Cox said. It interrupts years of work on suppressing infectious diseases such as polio and measles, she said: "If these diseases aren't eradicated, if they continue to spread, there will be [re]introduction of these diseases into the U.S. population."
What's more, if the U.S. stops participating in WHO's global disease surveillance networks, "we're behind the curve in terms of being prepared for the next influenza pandemic or pandemic of whatever disease emerges next," Cox said.
November's presidential election could have major consequences for the future of U.S. engagement in global health, Gostin said. Democratic nominee Joe Biden has pledged to "immediately restore [the U.S.] relationship with the World Health Organization." A second-term Trump is expected to stick to his plan to withdraw the U.S. from WHO. Because of a mandatory one-year waiting period, the exit would be effective in July.
The Trump administration said it will redirect the resources withdrawn from WHO to other global health partners but has not specified which ones.


npr--2020-09-11--4 Houston Police Officers Fired Over Fatal Shooting Of Nicolas Chavez

Four Houston police officers have been terminated for their involvement in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Nicolas Chavez in April .
The Houston Police Department announced the firings Thursday and released body camera footage of the encounter .
Multiple officers were on the scene the night Chavez was shot to death .
They fired a total of 24 shots at Chavez — only three of which were deemed `` objectively reasonable , '' Police Chief Art Acevedo said at a news conference .
`` The discharge of those 21 shots for those four members of the Houston Police Department are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I believe that anyone that watches this tape , that sees this , would see that they had a lot of opportunities and a lot of other options readily available to them . ''
The department has said that officers were responding to a `` suicide in progress call '' and used a combination of lethal and nonlethal rounds to try to subdue Chavez .
Police said he had a blunt metal object that was initially thought to be a knife but later found to be a piece of metal rebar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of bean bags and three shots at Chavez , who went down on the ground and later picked up a dropped Taser .
Then 21 more shots were fired .
`` You do n't get to shoot somebody 21 times , because at that time , when we discharged those 21 rounds , Mr. Chavez was at his greatest level of incapacitation , '' Acevedo said .
`` I can not defend that . ''
The police chief said that Sgt .
Benjamin Leblanc fired two shots , officer Omar Tapia fired six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shots and Patrick Rubio fired six shots .
The medical examiner identified a total of 29 wounds , including entry and exit wounds , according to Acevedo .
Some of these included `` skip rounds , '' which indicate bullets hit the ground first then entered Chavez 's body as fragments .
A full ballistics report is expected to be completed and turned over to the Harris County District Attorney 's Office at the end of the month , Acevedo said .
`` Today is a difficult day for all of us , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the four police officers and their families and our city , '' said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner , who fought back tears at Thursday 's news conference .
`` The video is difficult to watch without questioning why the shooting happened and wishing the encounter could have ended differently and knowing that it should have had a different outcome . ''
Joe Gamaldi , head of the Houston Police Officers ' Union , called the firings an `` unjust and deplorable decision , '' Houston Public Media reports .
`` This truly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the member station .
`` But the chief is now spreading that tragedy to four other families by unjustly firing these officers and using them as political fodder . ''
According to a statement released by HPD on April 22 , officers were responding to a `` suicide in progress call near Lockwood Drive and the East Freeway ( East Interstate Highway 10 ) . ''
`` As the officers engaged the suspect , he charged at them with a pointed object in his hand , '' the statement reads , adding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` which also had no effect . ''
`` The suspect continued to charge at the officers with the pointed weapon in his hand .
Fearing for his life , one officer discharged his duty weapon and struck the suspect , who fell to the ground , '' according to police .
The statement says that the suspect then crawled to a Taser , that had been dropped by one of the officers , picked it up and then pointed it in the officers ' direction .
`` Fearing for their lives , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suspect , '' it reads .
`` Houston Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene and pronounced him deceased . ''

4 Houston Police Officers Fired Over Fatal Shooting Of Nicolas Chavez
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jose Luis Magana/AP Jose Luis Magana/AP
Four Houston police officers have been terminated for their involvement in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Nicolas Chavez in April.
The Houston Police Department announced the firings Thursday and released body camera footage of the encounter.
Multiple officers were on the scene the night Chavez was shot to death. They fired a total of 24 shots at Chavez — only three of which were deemed "objectively reasonable," Police Chief Art Acevedo said at a news conference.
"The discharge of those 21 shots for those four members of the Houston Police Department are not objectively reasonable," Acevedo said. "I believe that anyone that watches this tape, that sees this, would see that they had a lot of opportunities and a lot of other options readily available to them."
The department has said that officers were responding to a "suicide in progress call" and used a combination of lethal and nonlethal rounds to try to subdue Chavez. Police said he had a blunt metal object that was initially thought to be a knife but later found to be a piece of metal rebar.
Officers fired Tasers, several rounds of bean bags and three shots at Chavez, who went down on the ground and later picked up a dropped Taser. Then 21 more shots were fired.
"You don't get to shoot somebody 21 times, because at that time, when we discharged those 21 rounds, Mr. Chavez was at his greatest level of incapacitation," Acevedo said. "I cannot defend that."
The police chief said that Sgt. Benjamin Leblanc fired two shots, officer Omar Tapia fired six shots, officer Luis Alvarado fired seven shots and Patrick Rubio fired six shots.
The medical examiner identified a total of 29 wounds, including entry and exit wounds, according to Acevedo. Some of these included "skip rounds," which indicate bullets hit the ground first then entered Chavez's body as fragments.
A full ballistics report is expected to be completed and turned over to the Harris County District Attorney's Office at the end of the month, Acevedo said.
"Today is a difficult day for all of us, especially the Nicolas Chavez family, HPD, the four police officers and their families and our city," said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who fought back tears at Thursday's news conference.
"The video is difficult to watch without questioning why the shooting happened and wishing the encounter could have ended differently and knowing that it should have had a different outcome."
Joe Gamaldi, head of the Houston Police Officers' Union, called the firings an "unjust and deplorable decision," Houston Public Media reports.
"This truly was a tragedy," Gamaldi told the member station. "But the chief is now spreading that tragedy to four other families by unjustly firing these officers and using them as political fodder."
According to a statement released by HPD on April 22, officers were responding to a "suicide in progress call near Lockwood Drive and the East Freeway (East Interstate Highway 10)."
"As the officers engaged the suspect, he charged at them with a pointed object in his hand," the statement reads, adding that officers discharged nonlethal rounds at the suspect "which also had no effect."
"The suspect continued to charge at the officers with the pointed weapon in his hand. Fearing for his life, one officer discharged his duty weapon and struck the suspect, who fell to the ground," according to police.
The statement says that the suspect then crawled to a Taser, that had been dropped by one of the officers, picked it up and then pointed it in the officers' direction.
"Fearing for their lives, officers discharged their duty weapons and struck the suspect," it reads. "Houston Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene and pronounced him deceased."


npr--2020-09-11--Trump's Candidate Is Poised To Become Inter-American Development Bank's 1st U.S. Head

Trump 's Candidate Is Poised To Become Inter-American Development Bank 's 1st U.S. Head In yet another Trump-era break with longstanding tradition , it now seems all but certain that the Inter-American Development Bank will be led by a non-Latin American citizen .
Mauricio Claver-Carone , a Cuban-American who is President Trump 's top adviser on Latin America at the National Security Council and his nominee to head the bank , is the sole candidate for the job .
Bank governors are scheduled to vote this weekend .
Claver-Carone is the first U.S. citizen to be nominated to lead the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provides about $ 12 billion a year in financing for projects throughout Latin America and the Caribbean .
Projects range from climate change mitigation to improving the welfare of women and children .
The region is in critical need of financial help to dig out of its pandemic-related recession , its worst economic slump in decades .
Since its creation 61 years ago , all members have followed an unwritten agreement that only Latin Americans will run the bank .
U.S. citizens have been second in charge .
The bank 's current president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is due to step down next month .
The United States , the bank 's biggest donor , has never before even nominated a candidate to lead it .
More than 15 of the bank 's 48 member countries , including Japan , Brazil and Colombia , back Claver-Carone 's candidacy .
However , a small but vocal group — led by Argentina and Chile — opposes it .
Claver-Carone , 45 , launched an all-out campaign for the job — and as of Friday , after other countries ' nominees withdrew , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said it is time to shake up the institution .
Claver-Carone declined an interview request from NPR , but on a call with reporters last month , he described his candidacy as a `` unique and magical opportunity '' to unite the region .
He said he wants to lure companies that have outsourced to China and elsewhere in Asia back to the Americas , and to strengthen the U.S. relationship with other countries in the hemisphere .
A lawyer and a longtime political operative in Washington , D.C. , Claver-Carone served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ International Monetary Fund .
He has focused on bringing down Cuba 's Communist regime through his work with the influential U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC , which supports political candidates who favor the U.S. trade embargo and regime change on the island .
Claver-Carone also penned a blog , which no longer exists , called Capitol Hill Cubans , and spent most of the Obama administration attacking its warming relations with Havana .
Since his appointment to the NSC two years ago , he has pushed from the White House for regime change in Cuba @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade embargo , which had been relaxed under President Barack Obama .
And he 's led the charge for tougher U.S. sanctions against the regime of President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela .
Nearly two dozen former leaders of the bank 's member countries signed a statement urging it to postpone the vote until March .
Citing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , the statement said , `` The conditions are far from favorable for the deep and thoughtful debate that such an important decision demands . ''
Other Latin Americans have not minced words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and polarizing policies toward Cuba and Venezuela .
`` It 's not just that it 's an American and breaking with tradition .
It 's this particular American , which I think rubs a lot of people the wrong way , '' Jorge Castañeda , a former Mexican foreign minister , told NPR .
Mexico , Argentina , Costa Rica and Chile favored postponing this weekend 's vote , and some countries supported a boycott , which would deny the Inter-American Development Bank the quorum needed for the election .
It 's unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. pressure to show up .
Last week , Laura Chinchilla , Costa Rica 's candidate for the bank presidency , withdrew her name .
Argentina withdrew its candidate on Friday .
Bloomberg News has reported that Mexico will participate in the vote .
A spokeswoman at Mexico 's Treasury Department declined comment in response to an NPR request .
Claver-Carone has U.S. critics as well .
Mark Feierstein , who was Obama 's adviser on Latin America , calls Claver-Carone unqualified for the job , saying he lacks a background in finance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bank .
`` He 's a political operator focusing on one country .
That 's the way he 's operated at the NSC .
He views Latin America through the prism of Cuba and the 'Troika of Tyranny , ' `` says Feierstein , using a phrase coined by Trump 's former national security adviser John Bolton to describe Cuba , Nicaragua and Venezuela .
Bolton brought Claver-Carone into the Trump White House .
`` If you view the region that way , '' Feierstein says , `` you miss a lot .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ administrations , former Secretary of State George Shultz and former U.S. Trade Representative Carla Hills , have also stepped forward to oppose Claver-Carone 's nomination , arguing that the top job should continue to go to a Latin American .
Kevin Munoz , campaign spokesperson for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden , told NPR that Claver-Carone is `` overly ideological and unqualified '' for the job .
Claver-Carone rejects allegations that he is divisive and has pledged to unite the region into a Pan-American economic bloc .
He has told news outlets that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recapitalize the bank , whose resources are being depleted due to the coronavirus pandemic .
But to achieve these goals , Claver-Carone would have to work with Democrats , including Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont , the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a vocal critic of his candidacy .
If Biden wins the presidency , it 's not clear how Claver-Carone would navigate his relationship with the incoming Democratic administration .

Trump's Candidate Is Poised To Become Inter-American Development Bank's 1st U.S. Head
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gabriel Aponte/Getty Images for Concordia Summit Gabriel Aponte/Getty Images for Concordia Summit
In yet another Trump-era break with longstanding tradition, it now seems all but certain that the Inter-American Development Bank will be led by a non-Latin American citizen. Mauricio Claver-Carone, a Cuban-American who is President Trump's top adviser on Latin America at the National Security Council and his nominee to head the bank, is the sole candidate for the job.
Bank governors are scheduled to vote this weekend. Claver-Carone is the first U.S. citizen to be nominated to lead the region's premier development funder, which provides about $12 billion a year in financing for projects throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Projects range from climate change mitigation to improving the welfare of women and children.
The region is in critical need of financial help to dig out of its pandemic-related recession, its worst economic slump in decades.
Since its creation 61 years ago, all members have followed an unwritten agreement that only Latin Americans will run the bank. U.S. citizens have been second in charge. The bank's current president, Luis Alberto Moreno of Colombia, is due to step down next month. The United States, the bank's biggest donor, has never before even nominated a candidate to lead it.
More than 15 of the bank's 48 member countries, including Japan, Brazil and Colombia, back Claver-Carone's candidacy. However, a small but vocal group — led by Argentina and Chile — opposes it.
Claver-Carone, 45, launched an all-out campaign for the job — and as of Friday, after other countries' nominees withdrew, was the only candidate left. He has said it is time to shake up the institution.
Claver-Carone declined an interview request from NPR, but on a call with reporters last month, he described his candidacy as a "unique and magical opportunity" to unite the region. He said he wants to lure companies that have outsourced to China and elsewhere in Asia back to the Americas, and to strengthen the U.S. relationship with other countries in the hemisphere.
A lawyer and a longtime political operative in Washington, D.C., Claver-Carone served previously at the U.S. Treasury and the International Monetary Fund. He has focused on bringing down Cuba's Communist regime through his work with the influential U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC, which supports political candidates who favor the U.S. trade embargo and regime change on the island.
Claver-Carone also penned a blog, which no longer exists, called Capitol Hill Cubans, and spent most of the Obama administration attacking its warming relations with Havana.
Since his appointment to the NSC two years ago, he has pushed from the White House for regime change in Cuba as the Trump administration tightened the U.S. trade embargo, which had been relaxed under President Barack Obama. And he's led the charge for tougher U.S. sanctions against the regime of President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.
Nearly two dozen former leaders of the bank's member countries signed a statement urging it to postpone the vote until March. Citing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the statement said, "The conditions are far from favorable for the deep and thoughtful debate that such an important decision demands."
Other Latin Americans have not minced words about their objections to Claver-Carone's hard-line and polarizing policies toward Cuba and Venezuela.
"It's not just that it's an American and breaking with tradition. It's this particular American, which I think rubs a lot of people the wrong way," Jorge Castañeda, a former Mexican foreign minister, told NPR.
Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica and Chile favored postponing this weekend's vote, and some countries supported a boycott, which would deny the Inter-American Development Bank the quorum needed for the election. It's unclear, however, if countries can withstand U.S. pressure to show up.
Last week, Laura Chinchilla, Costa Rica's candidate for the bank presidency, withdrew her name. Argentina withdrew its candidate on Friday. Bloomberg News has reported that Mexico will participate in the vote. A spokeswoman at Mexico's Treasury Department declined comment in response to an NPR request.
Claver-Carone has U.S. critics as well. Mark Feierstein, who was Obama's adviser on Latin America, calls Claver-Carone unqualified for the job, saying he lacks a background in finance and the right temperament to lead the bank.
"He's a political operator focusing on one country. That's the way he's operated at the NSC. He views Latin America through the prism of Cuba and the 'Troika of Tyranny,' " says Feierstein, using a phrase coined by Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton to describe Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Bolton brought Claver-Carone into the Trump White House.
"If you view the region that way," Feierstein says, "you miss a lot."
Two prominent figures from past Republican administrations, former Secretary of State George Shultz and former U.S. Trade Representative Carla Hills, have also stepped forward to oppose Claver-Carone's nomination, arguing that the top job should continue to go to a Latin American.
Kevin Munoz, campaign spokesperson for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, told NPR that Claver-Carone is "overly ideological and unqualified" for the job.
Claver-Carone rejects allegations that he is divisive and has pledged to unite the region into a Pan-American economic bloc. He has told news outlets that he has the Washington contacts to help recapitalize the bank, whose resources are being depleted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But to achieve these goals, Claver-Carone would have to work with Democrats, including Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a vocal critic of his candidacy. If Biden wins the presidency, it's not clear how Claver-Carone would navigate his relationship with the incoming Democratic administration.


npr--2020-09-11--More Groceries, Less Gas: The Pandemic Is Shaking Up The Cost Of Living

More Groceries , Less Gas : The Pandemic Is Shaking Up The Cost Of Living Gwen Mickens was startled by the prices in the butcher case during her last trip to the supermarket .
`` Short ribs are like twice as much as they used to be .
And of course the bacon is more expensive as well , '' said Mickens , a Florida data analyst who was shopping for her husband and adult son .
`` You kind of close your eyes and just pick it up and throw it in the grocery cart . ''
Mickens ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economists .
These analysts said that official inflation measures understate the toll that price hikes are taking on people 's pocketbooks , because the pandemic has altered both what and how we buy Grocery prices rose sharply during the spring , and while they 've come down somewhat in recent months , the price of food eaten at home is still 4.6 % higher than this time last year .
And that 's especially tough for low-income families who tend to spend more of their limited budgets on food .
`` During the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more food , particularly at home , and a lot less transportation and recreation goods , '' Harvard University economist Alberto Cavallo said .
`` When you take into account these changes in consumption patterns , it turns out inflation levels are significantly higher . ''
Data out on Friday showed consumer prices rose 0.4 % in August compared with the previous month after a sharp drop early in the pandemic .
But according to the Labor Department , overall inflation remains tepid , with prices up just 1.3 % from a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by comparing prices on a big basket of goods and services that consumers regularly buy .
Prices go up or down each month , but the basket is updated only about once a year .
Ordinarily , that 's a good system , Cavallo said , because consumer shopping habits do n't change that much .
But during the pandemic , it can be misleading .
Higher grocery prices have an outsize impact on people 's wallets , because they 're buying more groceries right now , while a drop in the price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unnoticed because almost no one is buying those .
The pandemic has also made it harder for people to hunt for bargains .
`` I used to go to two and sometimes three different stores in the course of a week , '' said Nancy Gaston , a semiretired resident of Vancouver , Wash .
Her grocery shopping is much more focused now .
`` I just want to limit social contacts and so I go to one store a week , usually on Sunday morning because nobody else is there , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gaston is paying more for groceries .
But she is spending less on other things , including haircuts , manicures and gasoline .
`` I went 2 1/2 months between fill-ups with the gas tank on my car because we 're simply not going anywhere , '' Gaston said .
It hardly matters then that gasoline prices have fallen nearly 17 % from a year ago .
Cavallo has constructed a special COVID-19 inflation measure that tries to account for such changes .
He uses the Labor Department 's prices but weights the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buying , using records from credit and debit cards .
In May , Cavallo 's yardstick said prices had risen 0.95 % over the last year , while the official government measure of inflation was 0.13 % .
The gap has since narrowed , but Cavallo 's yardstick still shows higher inflation .
It is an experience familiar to many families in this economy .
Michelle Ellerhoff , a kitchen and bath designer in Iowa , said feeding her 10- and 12-year-old kids is costing her more .
`` They eat so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just to trying to keep up with them and not having school lunches did increase my budget . ''
Making it worse , Ellerhoff lost a freezer full of food last month when a windstorm ripped through eastern Iowa and knocked out power for a week .
She 's still trying to restock .
`` I 'm going slowly with that , '' she said .
`` It 's just too overwhelming to do it all at once . ''

More Groceries, Less Gas: The Pandemic Is Shaking Up The Cost Of Living
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eva Hambach/AFP via Getty Images Eva Hambach/AFP via Getty Images
Gwen Mickens was startled by the prices in the butcher case during her last trip to the supermarket.
"Short ribs are like twice as much as they used to be. And of course the bacon is more expensive as well," said Mickens, a Florida data analyst who was shopping for her husband and adult son. "You kind of close your eyes and just pick it up and throw it in the grocery cart."
Her checkout receipt topped $250.
Mickens' experience comes as no surprise to some economists. These analysts said that official inflation measures understate the toll that price hikes are taking on people's pocketbooks, because the pandemic has altered both what and how we buy
Grocery prices rose sharply during the spring, and while they've come down somewhat in recent months, the price of food eaten at home is still 4.6% higher than this time last year. And that's especially tough for low-income families who tend to spend more of their limited budgets on food.
"During the pandemic, people are consuming a lot more food, particularly at home, and a lot less transportation and recreation goods," Harvard University economist Alberto Cavallo said. "When you take into account these changes in consumption patterns, it turns out inflation levels are significantly higher."
Data out on Friday showed consumer prices rose 0.4% in August compared with the previous month after a sharp drop early in the pandemic. But according to the Labor Department, overall inflation remains tepid, with prices up just 1.3% from a year ago.
The Labor Department tracks inflation by comparing prices on a big basket of goods and services that consumers regularly buy. Prices go up or down each month, but the basket is updated only about once a year.
Ordinarily, that's a good system, Cavallo said, because consumer shopping habits don't change that much. But during the pandemic, it can be misleading. Higher grocery prices have an outsize impact on people's wallets, because they're buying more groceries right now, while a drop in the price of air travel or movie tickets goes unnoticed because almost no one is buying those.
The pandemic has also made it harder for people to hunt for bargains.
"I used to go to two and sometimes three different stores in the course of a week," said Nancy Gaston, a semiretired resident of Vancouver, Wash.
Her grocery shopping is much more focused now.
"I just want to limit social contacts and so I go to one store a week, usually on Sunday morning because nobody else is there," she said.
As a result, Gaston is paying more for groceries. But she is spending less on other things, including haircuts, manicures and gasoline.
"I went 2 1/2 months between fill-ups with the gas tank on my car because we're simply not going anywhere," Gaston said.
It hardly matters then that gasoline prices have fallen nearly 17% from a year ago.
Cavallo has constructed a special COVID-19 inflation measure that tries to account for such changes. He uses the Labor Department's prices but weights the basket according to what people are actually buying, using records from credit and debit cards.
In May, Cavallo's yardstick said prices had risen 0.95% over the last year, while the official government measure of inflation was 0.13%. The gap has since narrowed, but Cavallo's yardstick still shows higher inflation.
It is an experience familiar to many families in this economy.
Michelle Ellerhoff, a kitchen and bath designer in Iowa, said feeding her 10- and 12-year-old kids is costing her more.
"They eat so much," Ellerhoff said. "So just to trying to keep up with them and not having school lunches did increase my budget."
Making it worse, Ellerhoff lost a freezer full of food last month when a windstorm ripped through eastern Iowa and knocked out power for a week. She's still trying to restock.
"I'm going slowly with that," she said. "It's just too overwhelming to do it all at once."