npr--2020-07-08--Family Autopsy Finds Andres Guardado Was Shot 5 Times In The Back

Family Autopsy Finds Andres Guardado Was Shot 5 Times In The Back Andres Guardado was killed on June 18 after multiple shots were fired by a Los Angeles County sheriff 's deputy .
An independent autopsy , performed at the request of his family , has found that the 18-year-old Guardado was shot five times in the back , and died as a result of these gunshot wounds .
Andres ' parents , Cristobal and Elisa Guardado , said the autopsy confirms `` what we have known all along , which is that Andres was unjustifiably killed by a Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The preliminary forensic toxicology results also found that Guardado had no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the incident .
The Los Angeles County Sheriff 's Department has put a hold on the official autopsy report from the LA County medical examiner while the department 's homicide division investigates .
Days of demonstrations followed Guardado 's killing , with protesters demanding justice .
`` Andres was a good boy , he was our son and he had so much life ahead of him , '' his parents said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not deserve to die this way .
We understand that there is still a long way to go , but we are going to continue to keep fighting for justice for Andres .
We want to ensure that other families do not have to suffer as we have .
We ask that the Los Angeles County Sheriff 's Department release their security hold on the autopsy report and all other evidence they have .
We want answers . ''
Commander Chris Marks of the LA County Sheriff 's Department said Wednesday that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while investigators conduct witness interviews , so that the investigation is not tainted .
`` We do understand the desire of the Guardado family to have answers sooner rather than later , '' Marks said in a media briefing Wednesday afternoon .
`` We also accept and understand our obligation to be transparent .
Simultaneously , we are conducting a homicide investigation .
All officer-involved shootings that result in a death are just in fact that – a homicide investigation .
We take our obligation to gather all facts and protect the integrity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Marks says that two officers , whom he declined to name , were involved in the incident : one who fired six shots , and another who did not fire his weapon .
The officer who did not fire any shots has been interviewed by investigators , but the officer who fired the shots has not yet done so .
Marks offered few details of the incident , citing the ongoing investigation .
The shooting took place in Gardena , Calif. , in southwestern LA County .
`` What 's been reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observed Guardado with a firearm .
And the firearm was recovered at the scene , '' he said , adding that there is no indication that Guardado fired any shots .
The officers were in a marked patrol car and wore full uniforms , he said .
The sheriff 's department says it may release the official autopsy report once it completes the interviews for its investigation .
But the Guardado family does n't want to wait any longer .
`` It has been 20 days since Andres was tragically gunned down by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' attorney Nicholas Yoka said in a statement .
`` We are once again imploring the Sheriff 's Department to step forward , release the Medical Examiner 's autopsy report and do the right thing by this family . ''

Family Autopsy Finds Andres Guardado Was Shot 5 Times In The Back
Enlarge this image toggle caption David McNew/AFP via Getty Images David McNew/AFP via Getty Images
Andres Guardado was killed on June 18 after multiple shots were fired by a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy. An independent autopsy, performed at the request of his family, has found that the 18-year-old Guardado was shot five times in the back, and died as a result of these gunshot wounds.
Andres' parents, Cristobal and Elisa Guardado, said the autopsy confirms "what we have known all along, which is that Andres was unjustifiably killed by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy."
The preliminary forensic toxicology results also found that Guardado had no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the incident.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has put a hold on the official autopsy report from the LA County medical examiner while the department's homicide division investigates.
Days of demonstrations followed Guardado's killing, with protesters demanding justice.
"Andres was a good boy, he was our son and he had so much life ahead of him," his parents said in a statement. "Our son did not deserve to die this way. We understand that there is still a long way to go, but we are going to continue to keep fighting for justice for Andres. We want to ensure that other families do not have to suffer as we have. We ask that the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department release their security hold on the autopsy report and all other evidence they have. We want answers."
Commander Chris Marks of the LA County Sheriff's Department said Wednesday that the hold on the official autopsy was necessary while investigators conduct witness interviews, so that the investigation is not tainted.
"We do understand the desire of the Guardado family to have answers sooner rather than later," Marks said in a media briefing Wednesday afternoon. "We also accept and understand our obligation to be transparent. Simultaneously, we are conducting a homicide investigation. All officer-involved shootings that result in a death are just in fact that – a homicide investigation. We take our obligation to gather all facts and protect the integrity of a homicide investigation very seriously."
Marks says that two officers, whom he declined to name, were involved in the incident: one who fired six shots, and another who did not fire his weapon. The officer who did not fire any shots has been interviewed by investigators, but the officer who fired the shots has not yet done so.
Marks offered few details of the incident, citing the ongoing investigation. The shooting took place in Gardena, Calif., in southwestern LA County.
"What's been reported to us preliminarily is that the deputies observed Guardado with a firearm. And the firearm was recovered at the scene," he said, adding that there is no indication that Guardado fired any shots. The officers were in a marked patrol car and wore full uniforms, he said.
The sheriff's department says it may release the official autopsy report once it completes the interviews for its investigation.
But the Guardado family doesn't want to wait any longer.
"It has been 20 days since Andres was tragically gunned down by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy," attorney Nicholas Yoka said in a statement. "We are once again imploring the Sheriff's Department to step forward, release the Medical Examiner's autopsy report and do the right thing by this family."


npr--2020-07-08--United Airlines Tells 36,000 Employees They Might Lose Their Jobs

United Airlines Tells 36,000 Employees They Might Lose Their Jobs The devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the air travel industry is becoming clearer , as United Airlines announced on Wednesday that it may need to cut its U.S.-based workforce nearly in half when federal payroll funding runs out in October .
On Wednesday , the Chicago-based airline notified 36,000 employees , about 45 % of the company 's domestic employees , that they may lose their jobs on or after Oct. 1 , the earliest date that airlines that received government-funded payroll grants can eliminate jobs under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for air travel continues to be weak , as the number of airline passengers is down about 75 % compared with what it was last year at this time .
And a recent uptick in demand leading into and through the July Fourth holiday weekend appears short-lived , as rising numbers of new coronavirus infections in many states have led to another sharp drop in airline bookings and an increase in passenger cancellations .
United executives call the pandemic the worst crisis in the airline 's history , and in a message sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they said that they 've taken aggressive steps to cut costs and raise capital but that the airline is still losing about $ 40 million a day .
So United is warning about 15,000 flight attendants , 11,000 gate agents and airport customer service representatives , 5,500 mechanics and airplane maintenance workers and 2,250 pilots , among other employees , that they may be involuntarily furloughed on Oct. 1 .
That 's when the $ 5 billion in federal payroll grants that United received as part of the CARES Act runs out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with announcements of their own mass layoffs or furloughs , as the industry projects a long and slow recovery .
Sara Nelson , president of the Association of Flight Attendants , calls the projected furlough numbers at United `` a gut punch , but they are also the most honest assessment we 've seen on the state of the industry . ''
`` This crisis dwarfs all others in aviation history , and there 's no end in sight , '' Nelson said .
Congress allocated $ 25 billion in direct payroll grants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 billion available to them in loans .
United is one of 10 airlines that on Tuesday announced they had signed a letter of intent to secure the loans .
The airlines and their employee unions are lobbying Congress for another $ 25 billion in federal aid in hopes of preventing mass layoffs .
`` In the past few weeks , thousands of pilots and crew members have received furlough notices , and absent congressional action , it is likely that there will be more to come , '' said Capt .
Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pilots Association .
He calls the initial federal funding provided to the airlines in the CARES Act `` a major financial lifeline for our industry , '' but he added , `` Clearly more needs to be done . ''
United says that the actual number of employees losing their jobs could be lower if more workers take voluntary separation packages , including voluntary furloughs and early retirement incentives .
Even employees with little seniority could keep travel benefits for a couple of years if they were to leave voluntarily .
So far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have taken advantage of such incentives .

United Airlines Tells 36,000 Employees They Might Lose Their Jobs
Enlarge this image toggle caption Seth Wenig/AP Seth Wenig/AP
The devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the air travel industry is becoming clearer, as United Airlines announced on Wednesday that it may need to cut its U.S.-based workforce nearly in half when federal payroll funding runs out in October.
On Wednesday, the Chicago-based airline notified 36,000 employees, about 45% of the company's domestic employees, that they may lose their jobs on or after Oct. 1, the earliest date that airlines that received government-funded payroll grants can eliminate jobs under the terms of the CARES Act.
Demand for air travel continues to be weak, as the number of airline passengers is down about 75% compared with what it was last year at this time. And a recent uptick in demand leading into and through the July Fourth holiday weekend appears short-lived, as rising numbers of new coronavirus infections in many states have led to another sharp drop in airline bookings and an increase in passenger cancellations.
United executives call the pandemic the worst crisis in the airline's history, and in a message sent out to all employees on Wednesday morning, they said that they've taken aggressive steps to cut costs and raise capital but that the airline is still losing about $40 million a day.
So United is warning about 15,000 flight attendants, 11,000 gate agents and airport customer service representatives, 5,500 mechanics and airplane maintenance workers and 2,250 pilots, among other employees, that they may be involuntarily furloughed on Oct. 1. That's when the $5 billion in federal payroll grants that United received as part of the CARES Act runs out.
And other airlines will likely follow with announcements of their own mass layoffs or furloughs, as the industry projects a long and slow recovery.
Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, calls the projected furlough numbers at United "a gut punch, but they are also the most honest assessment we've seen on the state of the industry."
"This crisis dwarfs all others in aviation history, and there's no end in sight," Nelson said.
Congress allocated $25 billion in direct payroll grants to the airlines and made another $25 billion available to them in loans. United is one of 10 airlines that on Tuesday announced they had signed a letter of intent to secure the loans.
The airlines and their employee unions are lobbying Congress for another $25 billion in federal aid in hopes of preventing mass layoffs.
"In the past few weeks, thousands of pilots and crew members have received furlough notices, and absent congressional action, it is likely that there will be more to come," said Capt. Joe DePete, president of the Air Line Pilots Association. He calls the initial federal funding provided to the airlines in the CARES Act "a major financial lifeline for our industry," but he added, "Clearly more needs to be done."
United says that the actual number of employees losing their jobs could be lower if more workers take voluntary separation packages, including voluntary furloughs and early retirement incentives. Even employees with little seniority could keep travel benefits for a couple of years if they were to leave voluntarily. So far, the company says about 3,700 employees have taken advantage of such incentives.


npr--2020-07-08--In Alabama, A City Debates How To Depict Its Past In The Present

In Alabama , A City Debates How To Depict Its Past In The Present Confederate Adm. Raphael Semmes , in green-patinaed bronze , sword at his hip , long stood sentry on Mobile 's Government Street , the main corridor through Alabama 's historic port city .
Now all that remains is the 120-year-old statue 's massive granite pedestal and a commemorative plaque .
`` Adm. Raphael Semmes , CSA , commander of the most successful sea raider in history , the CSS Alabama , '' reads David Toifel , a member of the Adm. Raphael Semmes Camp # 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mobile .
Before Semmes fought for the Confederacy , he had been commended for service in the U.S. Navy in the Mexican-American war .
The residents of Mobile wanted to honor his memory when the statue was first installed in 1900 .
`` Those statues are n't meant to offend anyone , '' Toifel says .
`` They 're there to memorialize people . ''
Toifel is angry the city has moved the Semmes statue , and considers it a `` cleansing '' of American heritage .
`` You ca n't say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Toifel says .
`` Absolutely it does . ''
That 's not the way Mayor Sandy Stimpson sees it .
`` We 're not trying to erase the heritage , '' Stimpson says .
He had the statue taken down in the dark of night last month after it was vandalized during racial justice protests .
`` It had become a very divisive issue , '' Stimpson says .
`` If I 'm really , truly trying to unify the community , I 've got to figure out a way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
So Stimpson , a white Republican mayor in a majority Black city , had the 8 and half foot statue of Semmes put in storage at the History Museum of Mobile .
There , he says the Semmes statue can be redisplayed with historical context .
The move will cost the city $ 25,000 , which is the fine for violating a 2017 state law designed to protect Confederate monuments .
Confederate symbols are a flashpoint , one that President Trump sought to exploit this week when he bashed NASCAR for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect monuments .
Even so , elected leaders in the former Dixie states are opting to remove Confederate memorials from the public square .
Just today , the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors statue came down in Richmond .
Thirty Confederate symbols have been removed or relocated since George Floyd 's death at the end of May , according to the Southern Poverty Law Center .
The last time the country saw a purge of relics of the Old South was in the aftermath of the Emanuel AME Church massacre in Charleston in 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street in downtown Mobile , DAntjuan Miller , a 24-year-old Black man , looks up at the empty pedestal and sees a future for his generation in the city .
`` Now that it 's gone it makes me feel like we have hope , '' Miller says .
He helped organize the protests that had targeted the Semmes statue .
`` That 's just oppression .
That 's like having a weight on our backs , '' he says .
`` But it 's like a weight lifted off now that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new South is rising with his generation , one that wo n't stand for racial bias .
The day after the Semmes statue came down , 21-year-old Jacob Lyons stood by the empty pedestal with a sign that read `` Black Lives Matter ; Not All Cops Are Bad ; and Removing a 120-year-old Statue Just Does n't Solve Racism . ''
Lyons says he agrees there 's a problem with police brutality but does n't see how targeting historic monuments helps .
`` I think it causes more problems because Southern whites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
`` They feel like white America is trying to be erased . ''
`` You may feel that it 's your history and I will agree with you that it is , '' says local attorney Karlos Finley .
`` But we 've got to tell all of your history . ''
Finley is a municipal court judge who is president of the Dora Franklin Finley African-American Heritage Trail in Mobile .
He says for too long the city has glorified one part of its story , but given short shrift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to think about , you know , the beautiful antebellum South and the charm of the oak trees and the southern gentleman and things of that nature , '' Finley says .
`` But we 've got to take with that the fact that people were murdered and raped and held in bondage . ''
He 's been active in trying to elevate the history of Africatown , a community in Mobile founded by the last enslaved people brought to U.S. shores in the slave ship the Clotilda .
Mobile History Museum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ archives from the recently discovered shipwreck , and is now charged with interpreting the Raphael Semmes statue as well .
`` Both the story of the Clotilda and the story of what we do with our monuments is about this moment of reckoning , '' Fowler says .
`` About understanding our past , putting proper context around our historical stories so that we can live into a future that is more just . ''
Members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Mobile are skeptical .
`` History is not there for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Toifel says .
They want the city to give them the statue to display on private property .
But that 's unlikely .
The city has put no timetable on reerecting Adm. Semmes in the museum , but intends to develop the future exhibition with input from the public .
Already , the debate has brought out the best and worst of Mobile , says local artist Soynita Edwards-Bush .
She was part of a collaborative public art project to inscribe a temporary Black Lives Matter Mural on a downtown sidewalk in chalk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that love won , '' Edwards-Bush says .
But she says soon , the social media pushback was fierce .
`` One man said he was gon na piss on it , and one lady said she was going to raise hell , '' Edwards-Bush says .
`` All we put down was Black Lives Matter .
If that notion , if those words alone bother you , you have some hate that you need to take care of . ''
Black Lives Matter is not a battle cry , she says , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want you to simply understand that I 'm black .
I 'm here . ''

In Alabama, A City Debates How To Depict Its Past In The Present
Enlarge this image toggle caption Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images
Confederate Adm. Raphael Semmes, in green-patinaed bronze, sword at his hip, long stood sentry on Mobile's Government Street, the main corridor through Alabama's historic port city.
Now all that remains is the 120-year-old statue's massive granite pedestal and a commemorative plaque.
"Adm. Raphael Semmes, CSA, commander of the most successful sea raider in history, the CSS Alabama," reads David Toifel, a member of the Adm. Raphael Semmes Camp #11 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Mobile.
Before Semmes fought for the Confederacy, he had been commended for service in the U.S. Navy in the Mexican-American war. The residents of Mobile wanted to honor his memory when the statue was first installed in 1900.
"Those statues aren't meant to offend anyone," Toifel says. "They're there to memorialize people."
Toifel is angry the city has moved the Semmes statue, and considers it a "cleansing" of American heritage.
"You can't say that taking these down doesn't erase history," Toifel says. "Absolutely it does."
That's not the way Mayor Sandy Stimpson sees it.
"We're not trying to erase the heritage," Stimpson says. He had the statue taken down in the dark of night last month after it was vandalized during racial justice protests.
"It had become a very divisive issue," Stimpson says. "If I'm really, truly trying to unify the community, I've got to figure out a way to either overcome it or do something differently."
So Stimpson, a white Republican mayor in a majority Black city, had the 8 and half foot statue of Semmes put in storage at the History Museum of Mobile. There, he says the Semmes statue can be redisplayed with historical context.
The move will cost the city $25,000, which is the fine for violating a 2017 state law designed to protect Confederate monuments.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Debbie Elliott/NPR Debbie Elliott/NPR
Confederate symbols are a flashpoint, one that President Trump sought to exploit this week when he bashed NASCAR for banning Confederate flags, and vowed to protect monuments. Even so, elected leaders in the former Dixie states are opting to remove Confederate memorials from the public square. Just today, the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors statue came down in Richmond.
Thirty Confederate symbols have been removed or relocated since George Floyd's death at the end of May, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The last time the country saw a purge of relics of the Old South was in the aftermath of the Emanuel AME Church massacre in Charleston in 2015.
Back at the foot of Government Street in downtown Mobile, DAntjuan Miller, a 24-year-old Black man, looks up at the empty pedestal and sees a future for his generation in the city.
"Now that it's gone it makes me feel like we have hope," Miller says.
He helped organize the protests that had targeted the Semmes statue.
"That's just oppression. That's like having a weight on our backs," he says. "But it's like a weight lifted off now that it's gone."
Miller says a new South is rising with his generation, one that won't stand for racial bias.
The day after the Semmes statue came down, 21-year-old Jacob Lyons stood by the empty pedestal with a sign that read "Black Lives Matter; Not All Cops Are Bad; and Removing a 120-year-old Statue Just Doesn't Solve Racism."
Lyons says he agrees there's a problem with police brutality but doesn't see how targeting historic monuments helps.
"I think it causes more problems because Southern whites feel attacked and victimized," Lyons says. "They feel like white America is trying to be erased."
"You may feel that it's your history and I will agree with you that it is," says local attorney Karlos Finley. "But we've got to tell all of your history."
Finley is a municipal court judge who is president of the Dora Franklin Finley African-American Heritage Trail in Mobile. He says for too long the city has glorified one part of its story, but given short shrift to the rest.
"Many people want to think about, you know, the beautiful antebellum South and the charm of the oak trees and the southern gentleman and things of that nature," Finley says. "But we've got to take with that the fact that people were murdered and raped and held in bondage."
He's been active in trying to elevate the history of Africatown, a community in Mobile founded by the last enslaved people brought to U.S. shores in the slave ship the Clotilda.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Debbie Elliott/NPR Debbie Elliott/NPR
Mobile History Museum Director Meg Fowler has been helping curate archives from the recently discovered shipwreck, and is now charged with interpreting the Raphael Semmes statue as well.
"Both the story of the Clotilda and the story of what we do with our monuments is about this moment of reckoning," Fowler says. "About understanding our past, putting proper context around our historical stories so that we can live into a future that is more just."
Members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Mobile are skeptical.
"History is not there for you to approve of," David Toifel says.
They want the city to give them the statue to display on private property. But that's unlikely. The city has put no timetable on reerecting Adm. Semmes in the museum, but intends to develop the future exhibition with input from the public.
Already, the debate has brought out the best and worst of Mobile, says local artist Soynita Edwards-Bush. She was part of a collaborative public art project to inscribe a temporary Black Lives Matter Mural on a downtown sidewalk in chalk.
"That day was a day that love won," Edwards-Bush says.
But she says soon, the social media pushback was fierce.
"One man said he was gonna piss on it, and one lady said she was going to raise hell," Edwards-Bush says. "All we put down was Black Lives Matter. If that notion, if those words alone bother you, you have some hate that you need to take care of."
Black Lives Matter is not a battle cry, she says, but an acknowledgement: "I just want you to simply understand that I'm Black. I'm here."


npr--2020-07-08--International Golf Events Ryder Cup And Presidents Cup Postponed Due To The Pandemic

International Golf Events Ryder Cup And Presidents Cup Postponed Due To The Pandemic Two major international golf competitions , the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup , have announced that they are postponing their event dates by a year because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Organizers say they rescheduled the Ryder Cup because it was not clear fans would be able to attend safely this year .
The Ryder Cup , a biennial competition that pits top U.S. golfers against some of the best from Europe , was initially left unchanged as golf 's four major tournaments were canceled or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday that the Ryder Cup will be held in September 2021 instead of the initially scheduled 2020 date .
It is the first such rescheduling of the event since Sept. 11 .
Before that , it had n't been rescheduled or canceled since World War II .
The event will still be held at Whistling Straits Golf Course in Sheboygan County , Wis. '' It became clear that as of today , our medical experts and the public authorities in Wisconsin could not give us certainty that conducting an event responsibly with thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said in the statement .
`` Given that uncertainty , we knew rescheduling was the right call . ''
That shift led to the rescheduling of the Presidents Cup , a tournament that features a U.S. team competing against a non-European international team .
The Presidents Cup has traditionally taken place in between years when the Ryder Cup occurs .
It was initially slated for the fall 2021 in Charlotte , N.C. , but will be pushed to 2022 .
As of now , three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Open , the Masters , and the PGA Championship — have been rescheduled for later this year .
The 2020 British Open was canceled .
Organizers said that people who bought tickets for the 2020 Ryder Cup will be able to obtain tickets for the new date or will be eligible for a refund .

International Golf Events Ryder Cup And Presidents Cup Postponed Due To The Pandemic
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tom Jenkins/Getty Images Tom Jenkins/Getty Images
Two major international golf competitions, the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup, have announced that they are postponing their event dates by a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Organizers say they rescheduled the Ryder Cup because it was not clear fans would be able to attend safely this year.
The Ryder Cup, a biennial competition that pits top U.S. golfers against some of the best from Europe, was initially left unchanged as golf's four major tournaments were canceled or postponed.
However, organizers announced on Wednesday that the Ryder Cup will be held in September 2021 instead of the initially scheduled 2020 date. It is the first such rescheduling of the event since Sept. 11. Before that, it hadn't been rescheduled or canceled since World War II.
The event will still be held at Whistling Straits Golf Course in Sheboygan County, Wis.
"It became clear that as of today, our medical experts and the public authorities in Wisconsin could not give us certainty that conducting an event responsibly with thousands of spectators in September would be possible," PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said in the statement. "Given that uncertainty, we knew rescheduling was the right call."
That shift led to the rescheduling of the Presidents Cup, a tournament that features a U.S. team competing against a non-European international team.
The Presidents Cup has traditionally taken place in between years when the Ryder Cup occurs. It was initially slated for the fall 2021 in Charlotte, N.C., but will be pushed to 2022.
As of now, three of the four major tournaments — the U.S. Open, the Masters, and the PGA Championship — have been rescheduled for later this year. The 2020 British Open was canceled.
Organizers said that people who bought tickets for the 2020 Ryder Cup will be able to obtain tickets for the new date or will be eligible for a refund.


npr--2020-07-08--Trump Acknowledges GOP Convention May Adapt As Florida Coronavirus Tally Rises

President Trump is acknowledging that he may have to temper his expectations , adamant at times , that his acceptance speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention should be a big event in front of thousands of people .
`` We 're very flexible , '' Trump said when asked during an interview Tuesday with Gray Television whether he may not have as big a gathering next month as he 's planned on to celebrate his renomination to lead the GOP presidential ticket .
The president and his campaign have planned all along on a sports arena packed to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ red , white and blue confetti filled the airspace .
Not even the deadly arrival of the coronavirus could derail those aspirations .
Or maybe it could .
The Republican National Committee had already gone so far as to move the scheduled Aug. 24-27 convention from the original host city of Charlotte , N.C. , after Gov .
Roy Cooper , a Democrat , would n't guarantee approval for big gatherings .
Instead , the RNC decided a month ago to hold major , in-person convention events in Jacksonville , Fla. , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such reservations , while some formal business meetings would still be conducted in Charlotte .
Jacksonville is now in the midst of preparing for a convention and dealing with a massive spike in coronavirus cases .
But Trump 's admission Tuesday night was his first acknowledgement that the pandemic might still have a say in what the 2020 GOP convention looks like .
In recent days , several GOP senators have said they wo n't be attending this year 's convention .
Florida was one of the earliest states to relax public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is now seeing its highest number of infections since the pandemic started .
Journalist Greta Van Susteren asked Trump , `` Would you consider not having as big a convention ? ''
Trump responded , `` We 're always looking at different things . ''
It was a small acknowledgment that events may indeed be beyond his control .
On the earlier decision to move convention events to Florida , Trump said , `` When we signed a few weeks ago , it looked good . ''
With the number of cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Now all the sudden it 's spiking up a little bit , '' before adding optimistically , `` That 's gon na go down . ''
Finally , he said , `` It really depends on the timing .
Look we 're very flexible .
We can do a lot of things , but we 're very flexible . ''
What exactly the president means by `` very flexible '' is not clear , and he offered no details on what alternatives may be considered .
Democrats have already announced that their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Milwaukee — will be held primarily online with no big , in-person events .
More broadly on the rising number of coronavirus nationally , Trump told Van Susteren , `` I think we are in a good place . ''
He said he disagrees with Dr. Anthony Fauci , a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force , who has repeatedly warned that the surge in the number of cases across the country shows that the U.S. has n't done enough to combat COVID-19 .

Trump, Long Adamant About Convention Despite Coronavirus, Admits It May Adapt
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump is acknowledging that he may have to temper his expectations, adamant at times, that his acceptance speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention should be a big event in front of thousands of people.
"We're very flexible," Trump said when asked during an interview Tuesday with Gray Television whether he may not have as big a gathering next month as he's planned on to celebrate his renomination to lead the GOP presidential ticket.
The president and his campaign have planned all along on a sports arena packed to the rafters as the balloons dropped, and red, white and blue confetti filled the airspace.
Not even the deadly arrival of the coronavirus could derail those aspirations.
Or maybe it could.
The Republican National Committee had already gone so far as to move the scheduled Aug. 24-27 convention from the original host city of Charlotte, N.C., after Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, wouldn't guarantee approval for big gatherings.
Instead, the RNC decided a month ago to hold major, in-person convention events in Jacksonville, Fla., where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis held no such reservations, while some formal business meetings would still be conducted in Charlotte.
Jacksonville is now in the midst of preparing for a convention and dealing with a massive spike in coronavirus cases. But Trump's admission Tuesday night was his first acknowledgement that the pandemic might still have a say in what the 2020 GOP convention looks like.
In recent days, several GOP senators have said they won't be attending this year's convention.
Florida was one of the earliest states to relax public health restrictions imposed after the coronavirus outbreak began and is now seeing its highest number of infections since the pandemic started.
Journalist Greta Van Susteren asked Trump, "Would you consider not having as big a convention?" Trump responded, "We're always looking at different things."
It was a small acknowledgment that events may indeed be beyond his control.
On the earlier decision to move convention events to Florida, Trump said, "When we signed a few weeks ago, it looked good." With the number of cases on the rise, Trump said, "Now all the sudden it's spiking up a little bit," before adding optimistically, "That's gonna go down." Finally, he said, "It really depends on the timing. Look we're very flexible. We can do a lot of things, but we're very flexible."
What exactly the president means by "very flexible" is not clear, and he offered no details on what alternatives may be considered.
Democrats have already announced that their 2020 convention — planned for host city Milwaukee — will be held primarily online with no big, in-person events.
More broadly on the rising number of coronavirus nationally, Trump told Van Susteren, "I think we are in a good place." He said he disagrees with Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, who has repeatedly warned that the surge in the number of cases across the country shows that the U.S. hasn't done enough to combat COVID-19.


npr--2020-07-08--Serbia Seems To Relent On Coronavirus Curfew After Violence Erupts In Belgrade

Serbia Seems To Relent On Coronavirus Curfew After Violence Erupts In Belgrade The curfew in Serbia appears to have ended before it could even begin .
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić suggested Wednesday that the country would `` probably '' not reinstate a curfew this weekend , less than a day after its announcement led to bloodshed in the capital .
The country 's health ministry clarified that officials have yet to make a final decision , even as new cases have surged .
Demonstrators gathered overnight in Belgrade to protest the coronavirus-prevention measure , some clashing with police outside parliament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dozens of people were injured in the violence , which Vučić blamed primarily on `` right-wing and pro-fascist demonstrators . ''
He also said the Serbian government has evidence — without presenting any — that foreign intelligence officials were goading on the violence in an effort to destabilize Serbia .
Video on local media shows law enforcement resorting to the use of tear gas and a show of force that many observers criticized as excessive .
Social media were awash with images of officers clubbing and roughly arresting protesters — though Vučić @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brutally attacked members of the police force , insulted them , stoned them , beat them , '' he told a news conference Wednesday , referring to the protesters .
He added : `` The police behaved with dignity , suffered incredible pressure and responded only when people occupied the assembly hall and damaged doors and other objects . ''
Meanwhile , Serbia is grappling with a resurgence of the coronavirus .
The Balkan country reported its highest single-day death toll on Tuesday , with 13 deaths linked to the virus .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 17,000 confirmed cases — many of which came weeks after the country began to ease its shutdown measures in May .
Indeed , Vučić cited the surge as reason to reinstate some of the measures — including the curfew — that the government had implemented as part of a strict lockdown earlier this year .
`` Belgrade is in a critical situation , '' he said in his initial announcement Tuesday .
Trust has been tough to come by , though , particularly with critics leveling accusations of increasingly authoritarian behavior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections late last week despite concerns that his government was tailoring its coronavirus response to suit him better politically .
Ultimately , after a boycott from many of the opposition parties , the president 's party won handily , giving his allies a commanding position in the legislature .
Now , with the spike in coronavirus cases , Vučić is grappling with a situation he has called `` alarming '' — though it is not unique within the region .
Several of Serbia 's Balkan neighbors , including Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Serbia Seems To Relent On Coronavirus Curfew After Violence Erupts In Belgrade
Enlarge this image toggle caption Oliver Bunic/AFP via Getty Images Oliver Bunic/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 3:45 p.m. ET
The curfew in Serbia appears to have ended before it could even begin.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić suggested Wednesday that the country would "probably" not reinstate a curfew this weekend, less than a day after its announcement led to bloodshed in the capital. The country's health ministry clarified that officials have yet to make a final decision, even as new cases have surged.
Demonstrators gathered overnight in Belgrade to protest the coronavirus-prevention measure, some clashing with police outside parliament and even trying to storm the building.
Dozens of people were injured in the violence, which Vučić blamed primarily on "right-wing and pro-fascist demonstrators." He also said the Serbian government has evidence — without presenting any — that foreign intelligence officials were goading on the violence in an effort to destabilize Serbia.
Video on local media shows law enforcement resorting to the use of tear gas and a show of force that many observers criticized as excessive. Social media were awash with images of officers clubbing and roughly arresting protesters — though Vučić defended the police actions.
"They brutally attacked members of the police force, insulted them, stoned them, beat them," he told a news conference Wednesday, referring to the protesters. He added: "The police behaved with dignity, suffered incredible pressure and responded only when people occupied the assembly hall and damaged doors and other objects."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Oliver Bunic/AFP via Getty Images Oliver Bunic/AFP via Getty Images
Meanwhile, Serbia is grappling with a resurgence of the coronavirus. The Balkan country reported its highest single-day death toll on Tuesday, with 13 deaths linked to the virus. The country of some 7 million has reported more than 17,000 confirmed cases — many of which came weeks after the country began to ease its shutdown measures in May.
Indeed, Vučić cited the surge as reason to reinstate some of the measures — including the curfew — that the government had implemented as part of a strict lockdown earlier this year.
"Belgrade is in a critical situation," he said in his initial announcement Tuesday.
Trust has been tough to come by, though, particularly with critics leveling accusations of increasingly authoritarian behavior. The president moved ahead with parliamentary elections late last week despite concerns that his government was tailoring its coronavirus response to suit him better politically.
Ultimately, after a boycott from many of the opposition parties, the president's party won handily, giving his allies a commanding position in the legislature.
Now, with the spike in coronavirus cases, Vučić is grappling with a situation he has called "alarming" — though it is not unique within the region. Several of Serbia's Balkan neighbors, including Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina, have been grappling with resurgences of their own.


npr--2020-07-08--To Come To The Rescue Or Not? Rats, Like People, Take Cues From Bystanders

To Come To The Rescue Or Not ?
Rats , Like People , Take Cues From Bystanders Rats will enthusiastically work to free a rat caught in a trap — and it turns out that they are especially eager to be a good Samaritan when they 're in the company of other willing helpers .
But that urge to come to the rescue quickly disappears if a potential hero is surrounded by indifferent rat pals that make no move to assist the unfortunate , trapped rodent .
These findings , reported Wednesday in the journal Science Advances , suggest that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 're usually eager to help , but bystanders can affect whether or not they 'll take action in an emergency .
`` We are constantly looking at others to see their reactions .
And this is not a human thing .
This is a mammalian thing , '' says Peggy Mason , a neurobiologist at the University of Chicago , adding that it 's something she watches play out in the daily news .
`` Police are standing by as their co-workers are kneeling on a man and killing him and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Social psychologists have been studying the effect of bystanders on helping behavior since the New York City murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964 .
Back then , The New York Times published a dramatic story saying that 38 people saw or heard the horrific attack but did nothing to stop it .
The newspaper later conceded that the account had `` grossly exaggerated the number of witnesses and what they had perceived . ''
Nonetheless , the account inspired decades of research on what came to be called the bystander effect — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act in a crisis when they are in the presence of others than when they are alone .
Generally , Mason says , experimenters have tested out this idea by putting people into contrived , fake emergencies .
That lets researchers see what people do when they are on their own versus what they do when they 're with people who are secretly actors , playing the part of passive bystanders .
`` With the addition of more and more bystanders , the likelihood of helping goes progressively lower , '' Mason explains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's a pillar of modern psychology . ''
Until recently , though , the bystander effect had only been tested in humans .
And Mason studies rats .
Her lab 's latest experiments got their start a few years ago when Mason happened to read a book called The Unresponsive Bystander : Why Does n't He Help ?
by Bibb Latané and John Darley , who did the first studies on the bystander effect in the 1960s .
Mason talked about this book with her lab colleagues , and one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they try to repeat these experiments , using rats .
`` I said , 'It wo n't work out . '
And he basically would n't take no for an answer , '' says Mason , who explains that Havlik just went ahead and did some studies anyway .
She and her colleagues had previously shown that rats are normally enthusiastic helpers .
If a rat encounters another rat that is trapped in a holder made from a clear acrylic tube , the free rat will explore the tube and figure out how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will do this over and over again , even for rat strangers ( as long as the trapped rat belongs to a strain that they have lived with previously ) .
`` They do n't have to know the individual rat , but they have to know the type of rat , '' Mason says .
These rat rescuers seem to be motivated by the internal distress they feel at another 's plight — because when researchers gave the free rats a `` chill pill , '' an anti-anxiety drug — the animals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trapped companion .
( The researchers know it 's not that the drug made the animals sluggish , Mason says , because the drugged rats would still happily work to open up a tube full of chocolate they wanted to eat . )
So , to test out the bystander effect in rats , the researchers trapped one rat in the acrylic tube , as they usually did .
Then they added to the enclosure not just one free rat but two or three .
When all but one of the free rats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passivity in the face of another 's need , the researcher saw a definite effect on the non-drugged rat 's willingness to help .
`` He 'd help once .
He would not help again , '' says Mason , who says the rat would not help the next day or the day afterward as a rat normally would .
`` It is essentially as though this rat says , 'Well , you know what , I helped yesterday .
No one cared — not doing that again . '
And that 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notes that when none of the rats was drugged into passivity , rats that had other free companions started to help much more quickly than they did when alone , suggesting the companions ' positive reactions may have spurred on the helpful rats .
`` That 's not something that derives from culture or from teaching or from Sunday school or from learning , '' Mason says .
`` It derives from our biological inheritance as mammals . ''
Mark Levine , a social psychologist at Lancaster University , says it 's interesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rats are quite helpful .
`` That 's pretty much the same as humans .
That 's what our research shows , that actually , despite what people think , humans are incredibly helpful in real-life situations , '' Levine says .
`` The bystander effect shows that under some circumstances , the presence of others reduces the likelihood of helping somewhat .
It does n't mean that humans do n't help . ''
He and his colleagues recently used video from surveillance cameras to show that in nine out of 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , at least one bystander — but typically several — did something to help .
And research shows that in violent or dangerous emergencies , the presence of others can enhance the willingness to step in .
Levine notes that in the rats , the bystander effect was produced by introducing something unnatural into the situation — the drug — which is a bit like how the bystander effect in people is produced in contrived experiments using passive actors .
`` Helping only begins to fall away when something almost artificial is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propensity of rats and humans to take care of each other if they possibly can , '' Levine says .
`` It seems that helping is actually natural amongst rats , just like it 's natural amongst humans , which I thought was a really interesting thing to see . ''
He says that in the rat study , behavior seems to have been influenced only by rats that belong to familiar strains , and not unfamiliar kinds of rats .
In that , too , he says , rats appear to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in situations where we are uncertain about the nature of what 's happening in front of us , we tend to look to other people for information , '' Levine says .
`` But we do n't just take any information .
We only take information from others we believe to be like us . ''

To Come To The Rescue Or Not? Rats, Like People, Take Cues From Bystanders
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Christopher/University of Chicago David Christopher/University of Chicago
Rats will enthusiastically work to free a rat caught in a trap — and it turns out that they are especially eager to be a good Samaritan when they're in the company of other willing helpers.
But that urge to come to the rescue quickly disappears if a potential hero is surrounded by indifferent rat pals that make no move to assist the unfortunate, trapped rodent.
These findings, reported Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, suggest that rats are similar to people in that they're usually eager to help, but bystanders can affect whether or not they'll take action in an emergency.
"We are constantly looking at others to see their reactions. And this is not a human thing. This is a mammalian thing," says Peggy Mason, a neurobiologist at the University of Chicago, adding that it's something she watches play out in the daily news.
"Police are standing by as their co-workers are kneeling on a man and killing him and not doing anything," she says.
Social psychologists have been studying the effect of bystanders on helping behavior since the New York City murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964. Back then, The New York Times published a dramatic story saying that 38 people saw or heard the horrific attack but did nothing to stop it. The newspaper later conceded that the account had "grossly exaggerated the number of witnesses and what they had perceived."
Nonetheless, the account inspired decades of research on what came to be called the bystander effect — the idea that people are less likely to act in a crisis when they are in the presence of others than when they are alone.
Generally, Mason says, experimenters have tested out this idea by putting people into contrived, fake emergencies. That lets researchers see what people do when they are on their own versus what they do when they're with people who are secretly actors, playing the part of passive bystanders.
"With the addition of more and more bystanders, the likelihood of helping goes progressively lower," Mason explains. "It's in every textbook. It's a pillar of modern psychology."
Until recently, though, the bystander effect had only been tested in humans. And Mason studies rats.
Her lab's latest experiments got their start a few years ago when Mason happened to read a book called The Unresponsive Bystander: Why Doesn't He Help? by Bibb Latané and John Darley, who did the first studies on the bystander effect in the 1960s.
Mason talked about this book with her lab colleagues, and one of her students, John Havlik, suggested they try to repeat these experiments, using rats.
"I said, 'It won't work out.' And he basically wouldn't take no for an answer," says Mason, who explains that Havlik just went ahead and did some studies anyway.
She and her colleagues had previously shown that rats are normally enthusiastic helpers. If a rat encounters another rat that is trapped in a holder made from a clear acrylic tube, the free rat will explore the tube and figure out how to release the trapped one. It will do this over and over again, even for rat strangers (as long as the trapped rat belongs to a strain that they have lived with previously). "They don't have to know the individual rat, but they have to know the type of rat," Mason says.
These rat rescuers seem to be motivated by the internal distress they feel at another's plight — because when researchers gave the free rats a "chill pill," an anti-anxiety drug — the animals would no longer work to release their trapped companion. (The researchers know it's not that the drug made the animals sluggish, Mason says, because the drugged rats would still happily work to open up a tube full of chocolate they wanted to eat.)
So, to test out the bystander effect in rats, the researchers trapped one rat in the acrylic tube, as they usually did. Then they added to the enclosure not just one free rat but two or three.
When all but one of the free rats was given the anti-anxiety drugs that caused passivity in the face of another's need, the researcher saw a definite effect on the non-drugged rat's willingness to help.
"He'd help once. He would not help again," says Mason, who says the rat would not help the next day or the day afterward as a rat normally would.
"It is essentially as though this rat says, 'Well, you know what, I helped yesterday. No one cared — not doing that again.' And that's amazing," Mason says.
toggle caption David Christopher/University of Chicago
She notes that when none of the rats was drugged into passivity, rats that had other free companions started to help much more quickly than they did when alone, suggesting the companions' positive reactions may have spurred on the helpful rats.
"That's not something that derives from culture or from teaching or from Sunday school or from learning," Mason says. "It derives from our biological inheritance as mammals."
Mark Levine, a social psychologist at Lancaster University, says it's interesting that, left to their own devices, rats are quite helpful.
"That's pretty much the same as humans. That's what our research shows, that actually, despite what people think, humans are incredibly helpful in real-life situations," Levine says. "The bystander effect shows that under some circumstances, the presence of others reduces the likelihood of helping somewhat. It doesn't mean that humans don't help."
He and his colleagues recently used video from surveillance cameras to show that in nine out of 10 public conflicts that happened in the real world, at least one bystander — but typically several — did something to help. And research shows that in violent or dangerous emergencies, the presence of others can enhance the willingness to step in.
Levine notes that in the rats, the bystander effect was produced by introducing something unnatural into the situation — the drug — which is a bit like how the bystander effect in people is produced in contrived experiments using passive actors.
"Helping only begins to fall away when something almost artificial is introduced to try and undermine the natural propensity of rats and humans to take care of each other if they possibly can," Levine says. "It seems that helping is actually natural amongst rats, just like it's natural amongst humans, which I thought was a really interesting thing to see."
He says that in the rat study, behavior seems to have been influenced only by rats that belong to familiar strains, and not unfamiliar kinds of rats. In that, too, he says, rats appear to be similar to people.
"When we are in situations where we are uncertain about the nature of what's happening in front of us, we tend to look to other people for information," Levine says. "But we don't just take any information. We only take information from others we believe to be like us."


npr--2020-07-08--Michael Drake Will Be The First Black President In U.C. System's 152-Year History

Michael Drake Will Be The First Black President In U.C .
System 's 152-Year History The University of California Board of Regents has made by history naming Dr. Michael Drake as the 21st president of the UC system .
He was unanimously approved by the board and will be the first person of color to hold the position in the system 's 152-year history .
He recently stepped down as president of The Ohio State University , a position he 's held since 2014 .
Drake will replace outgoing UC President Janet Napolitano .
Drake , a physician , received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a medical degree in ophthalmology from UC San Francisco before his career in academia .
`` Stepping down as president of the University of California is bittersweet , especially after seven wonderful , dynamic years , but I depart knowing Dr. Michael Drake will lead with experience and integrity , with the critical support and guidance of the UC Board of Regents , '' Napolitano said in a statement .
Drake also served as chancellor of the University of California , Irvine from 2005 to 2014 .
Before that , he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health affairs for five years .
He returns to California to run a sprawling university system that has 10 campuses , five medical centers , more than 280,000 students and nearly as many faculty and staff .
`` Much has changed in the 15 years since I was given the privilege of becoming chancellor at UC Irvine , but not my absolute belief in this great University and its time-honored mission , '' Drake said in a statement .
`` I look forward to working with the regents , chancellors , students , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our broader community as we , together , guide the University through the challenging times ahead . ''
As the Los Angeles Times pointed out , Drake comes to the job with decades more experience in higher education compared to his predecessor .
`` Unlike Napolitano , a former Homeland Security secretary and Arizona governor who came to the job with no UC or academic leadership experience , Drake has spent nearly four decades in the California university system , '' the Times reported .
The impact of the coronavirus is putting financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also noted , including `` $ 1.2 billion in increased costs and lost revenues from March to the end of April . ''
The system also faces the possibility of state budget cuts .
`` I 'm excited and ready to go , '' Drake told the board , according to The Associated Press .
He acknowledged the challenges of the pandemic , the threat of climate change , and `` the yawning wounds of social injustice that we see in so many ways that really tears at the fabric of our lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sees his appointment as an opportunity to bring about change .
`` It 's an awful time , '' he said in an interview with The New York Times .
`` The awfulness is also compelling , '' he added .
`` I just believe it 's a time to be engaged , and if there 's a way to help , to lean in and try to help . ''
The board said in its announcement that Drake will receive an annual salary of $ 890,000 and will be appointed to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salary is significantly larger than Napolitano 's reported salary of $ 570,000 .
It is less than the $ 1.2 million he was reportedly making at OSU .

Michael Drake Will Be The 1st Black President In U.C. System's 152-Year History
Enlarge this image toggle caption Susan Walsh/AP Susan Walsh/AP
The University of California Board of Regents has made by history naming Dr. Michael Drake as the 21st president of the UC system. He was unanimously approved by the board and will be the first person of color to hold the position in the system's 152-year history.
He recently stepped down as president of The Ohio State University, a position he's held since 2014.
Drake will replace outgoing UC President Janet Napolitano. Drake, a physician, received a bachelor's degree from Stanford University and a medical degree in ophthalmology from UC San Francisco before his career in academia.
"Stepping down as president of the University of California is bittersweet, especially after seven wonderful, dynamic years, but I depart knowing Dr. Michael Drake will lead with experience and integrity, with the critical support and guidance of the UC Board of Regents," Napolitano said in a statement.
Drake also served as chancellor of the University of California, Irvine from 2005 to 2014. Before that, he was the UC system's vice president for health affairs for five years.
He returns to California to run a sprawling university system that has 10 campuses, five medical centers, more than 280,000 students and nearly as many faculty and staff.
"Much has changed in the 15 years since I was given the privilege of becoming chancellor at UC Irvine, but not my absolute belief in this great University and its time-honored mission," Drake said in a statement.
"I look forward to working with the regents, chancellors, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and our broader community as we, together, guide the University through the challenging times ahead."
As the Los Angeles Times pointed out, Drake comes to the job with decades more experience in higher education compared to his predecessor.
"Unlike Napolitano, a former Homeland Security secretary and Arizona governor who came to the job with no UC or academic leadership experience, Drake has spent nearly four decades in the California university system," the Times reported.
The impact of the coronavirus is putting financial strain on the system, the newspaper also noted, including "$1.2 billion in increased costs and lost revenues from March to the end of April." The system also faces the possibility of state budget cuts.
"I'm excited and ready to go," Drake told the board, according to The Associated Press. He acknowledged the challenges of the pandemic, the threat of climate change, and "the yawning wounds of social injustice that we see in so many ways that really tears at the fabric of our lives."
Drake has said that he sees his appointment as an opportunity to bring about change. "It's an awful time," he said in an interview with The New York Times.
"The awfulness is also compelling," he added. "I just believe it's a time to be engaged, and if there's a way to help, to lean in and try to help."
The board said in its announcement that Drake will receive an annual salary of $890,000 and will be appointed to a tenured professor position at UCSF.
That salary is significantly larger than Napolitano's reported salary of $570,000. It is less than the $1.2 million he was reportedly making at OSU.


npr--2020-07-09--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak Since the new coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan , China , in December , the infectious respiratory disease COVID-19 has spread rapidly within China and to neighboring countries and beyond .
The first confirmed coronavirus cases outside China occurred on Jan. 20 , in Japan , Thailand and South Korea .
On Jan. 21 , the first case in the U.S. was identified in Washington state .
On Jan. 24 , the first two European cases were confirmed in France .
By Feb. 1 , eight European nations had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month later that count had risen to 24 countries with at least 2,200 cases , most of them in Italy .
On March 11 , Italy eclipsed 10,000 cases and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic — the first since H1N1 in 2009 .
That 's also when China , the original epicenter , began seeing drops in daily counts of new cases .
March also saw exponential spread of the virus throughout the U.S. , with all 50 states reporting cases by March 17 .
This particular virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third strain of coronavirus known to frequently cause severe symptoms in humans .
The other two strains cause Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on March 30 , 2020 .

Coronavirus world map: We've now passed the 600 million mark for infections
Editor's note: This page is no longer being updated. The last update was Sept. 5, 2022. For current data about COVID-19 cases and deaths around the world, Johns Hopkins University and Our World in Data are useful resources.
In late January 2020 only a few dozen COVID-19 infections had been identified outside of China. A year later, the world tallied its first 100 million cases. It took the globe just 7 more months to pass the 200 million mark— then another 5 months to hit 300 million, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Now the virus has spread to every corner of the globe and has been blamed for more than 6 million deaths.
The United States, India and Brazil in that order have had the most COVID cases and the three nations collectively account for almost half of all recorded infections so far in the pandemic.
Explore the chart below to find a country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January 2020.
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Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time. The first chart compares each continent to each other, while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region.
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This story was originally published on March 30, 2020.


npr--2020-07-09--Tracking The Pandemic: Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State?

Tracking The Pandemic : Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State ?
More than 2.5 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 125,000 have died .
Though growth in new cases slowed in late spring , by mid-June new cases began to trend upward nationally .
In the graphics below , explore the trend in new cases in your state to see whether cases are rising , falling or staying level .
You can view the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , a curve chart and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case trends over the last three weeks .
Or to see states ' total cases and deaths on a map , click here .
The following chart displays states ' trends in new daily case counts , total cases , and per capita totals .
To compare state outbreaks , the trend lines for average new daily cases are graphed against each state 's total case count to date .
This highlights a state 's daily growth relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case counts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As cases slow , the curve levels or bends down .
In New York , site of the country 's largest outbreak , the state 's curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to fewer than 700 per day in late June .
Some states , such as Hawaii , have declined to just a dozen new cases per day , while others are growing .
Arizona , which had leveled off at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw a sudden sharp spike in new cases in June .
The coronavirus has hit some states much harder than others .
For much of the pandemic , a large share of U.S. cases have been centered around New York City .
As of early June , New York state , Connecticut and New Jersey accounted for about 30 % of total cases in the nation and 42 % of deaths , although new cases have been dropping in these three states .
Across the country , other large , populous states such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high totals as well .
Some smaller states have had a heavy burden of disease relative to their population size , such as Nebraska and Iowa , which have high case counts per capita , and Louisiana and Michigan which have a high death count per capita .
Explore the map below to see totals and per capita figures around the country .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
For more detail on your state , the table below shows the change in average new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over week .
States marked in shades of red are showing growth , those in shades of green , are showing declines .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
In early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's daily numbers until the JHU team was able to reconcile the historical data .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn contributed to and Carmel Wroth edited this story .

Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
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Note: This page was last updated on Feb. 1, 2023. It will no longer be updated. For current data on COVID cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Feb. 1, there have been more than 101 million confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. and more than 1 million people have died of COVID-19. In the graphics below, explore the trends in your state.
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The above charts show average new cases per 100,000 people for each state over the last 12 months.
Note: Actual cases may be substantially higher, since many who test positive with at-home tests don't report their cases.
For additional data about COVID-19 in the U.S, including cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
To show trends, the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state, week over week for the last 28 days. States marked in shades of red have growing outbreaks; those in shades of green, are declining.
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Methodology
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the World Health Organization; national, state and local government health departments; 1point3acres; and local media reports.
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies. This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds. There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department's website. Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships.
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases, process testing backlogs or update their methodologies. The JHU team maintains a list of such changes.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2020. Elena Renken was a co-author on that version. Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story. Carmel Wroth edited this story.


npr--2020-07-09--Planning For End-Of-Life Care Is More Crucial Than Ever. Here's How

Planning For End-Of-Life Care Is More Crucial Than Ever .
Here 's How The coronavirus pandemic has been a stark reminder `` that things can change in a minute — and so you 've got to be prepared , '' says Sunita Puri , medical director for palliative care at the Keck Medical Center at USC .
One of the ways to do this is to decide what sorts of treatments you would want ( or not want ) in the case you became critically ill — and then document those wishes and share them with loved ones .
COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. 's entire population – and sent an even higher proportion to the hospital for intensive treatment .
But many – some 63 % of adults in the U.S. – have not made formal plans for what they would want their critical care and , if it comes to it , their deaths , to look like .
Puri says , working in palliative care , she 's seen numerous examples when careful end-of-life planning , done in advance of a crisis , can make a big difference .
For example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already discussed these issues with her mother — before the mother became critically ill — and that helped the daughter and the medical team make decisions and removed some of the strain around deciding whether to continue invasive care .
As a doctor , `` you always want your recommendations to be in alignment with what the patient would want , what their values are , what their preferences are , '' says Trevor Bibler , a faculty member at Baylor College of Medicine 's Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical professionals need to make difficult decisions in a time of strain `` can be an additional area of distress , '' he says .
So preparing some simple paperwork – and having a few important conversations – is more crucial than ever , say experts in palliative medicine and bioethics .
Here 's what you need to know .
A first step to take is to complete an advance directive .
This is a form that allows you to essentially check boxes about what kind of life-sustaining interventions you want – or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resuscitated or having a feeding tube .
These are legally recognized documents and typically require witnesses ( and sometimes a notary ) .
These forms and their questions vary for each state ; a comprehensive list of state forms created by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is available for anyone for free from AARP .
When filling out your advance directive , take some time for introspection .
Remember this form might have to speak for you in a moment when you can not speak for yourself .
Also be aware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an entirely clear path for care , Bibler notes .
`` People think that , 'Well , if I fill this out , then it 's going to be completely unambiguous as to what 's going to happen to me at the end of my life , ' '' he says .
`` But oftentimes the advanced care planning documents are hard to interpret , or the clinical situation might not be exactly what people think . ''
That is in part because the forms try to capture your wishes in the simplest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
But life — and particularly critical care and death — is complicated and incredibly varied .
What you might have seen a relative endure ( perhaps a slow decline through advanced dementia ) could be very different from a situation you might face ( such as a rapid and severe coronavirus infection ) .
One way to help others understand your wishes is to think about what your idea of good and bad critical care would look like for you , Bibler says .
`` Do n't just rely on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form , he says .
`` Add additional narrative elements '' that illustrate your goals .
It could be as simple as noting that , `` If I can never interact with my grandchildren again , I would rather be made comfortable , ' '' he says .
`` That 's a very helpful narrative element that gives a lot more insight into what the person valued . ''
Thinking about clinical decisions , like whether we would want mechanical ventilation and in what situation , can be hard `` because we 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sudore , a palliative medicine physician and professor at the University of California , San Francisco , School of Medicine .
`` But what we are experts on is ourselves and our lives .
We 're experts about what brings us meaning and quality of life . ''
To help people in thinking and talking about these issues , she and her colleagues created a research-based online resource called PREPARE , which is available in English and Spanish and includes state-specific advance directive forms in multiple languages .
It might also help to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for you .
`` It 's really all about helping your family and friends , '' Sudore says .
Even if you have filled out advance directives in the past , now might be a good time to review them to make sure they reflect your current wishes , Bibler notes .
Some people might change their minds about whether they would want to go on a ventilator if they got COVID-19 , how long they would want to stay on ventilation without signs of improvement , or if they would feel good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had better odds of surviving should there be an equipment shortage .
COVID-19 has made the ventilator question particularly urgent .
Ventilators are machines that can help you breathe if you ca n't do so on your own , which can happen in severe COVID-19 cases .
Mechanical ventilation can sometimes be life-saving but is also highly invasive : a tube is inserted in your throat to force air into your lungs .
Anytime you go on a ventilator , there 's a risk you wo n't improve and will spend your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and heavily sedated .
Early in the pandemic , it looked like going on a ventilator was a longshot in terms of survival .
Studies showed a minority came off the machines alive .
But more recent evidence has been somewhat more promising .
For example , a study in The Lancet showed that of 203 critically ill COVID-19 patients who were put on ventilators in New York hospitals , less than half ( about 41 % ) had died a month after follow up .
A study conducted in several ICUs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 165 ventilated patients , 35.7 % died , with fewer than 5 % still on ventilation at the end of the study .
And as more information comes out about COVID-19 treatment , you might decide to opt for different treatment preferences .
Advance directives can also be revised again after the pandemic .
`` People change their mind about what they want at different times , '' Bibler says .
Another important element of critical care planning is naming at least one health care agent ( also called a proxy or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named in your advance directive ) who you designate to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are incapacitated and can not make them yourself .
And they will be designated in a particular order so only one person acts as the official agent at any one time .
Bilber recommends naming as many backups as possible , especially during the pandemic .
For example , entire families are getting sick , so having additional individuals who can fill that role should a first or even second agent become ill is particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clarify that although appointed health care agents are allowed to speak on your behalf , completed advance directives usually take precedence over their words , Bibler says .
In fact , even if an agent insists that their loved one would have wanted a different approach than is outlined in a directive , doctors can face liability if they go against the legal document .
This is another reason to review advance directives regularly and ensure they still align with your wishes — and to let others know if you have changed anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know why there has been a change , '' which can help everyone make more nuanced decisions later if necessary .
It might also be worth considering if there are people you would not like to have contributing to decisions on your behalf .
`` There 's always going to be that person that just shows up '' when critical decisions need to be made , says Puri who is also author of That Good Night .
`` There 's not a specific box for this , so I suggest people just write @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tell your appointed health care agents that you 've named them , and talk through your decisions , says Sudore .
`` I ca n't tell you how many conferences I 've had with family and friends who basically did n't even know their name was written on an advance directive so they ca n't even prepare themselves , '' she says .
`` And giving these people even just an inkling of what 's important [ to you ] can really help . ''
Experts say that conversations with your most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are incredibly helpful .
( And the more people you loop in , the better , says Bibler . )
The conversation does n't have to be gruesome , says Sudore .
If it 's easier to steer clear of resuscitation or ventilation details , some other topics might actually prove to be more useful , ultimately , for making care decisions , she notes .
For example , she says , you can tell people : `` These are the things that make my life worth living and give me quality of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if I did n't have it would be really hard on me . ''
These planning conversations might not be easy , but they are key to giving us more say in care decisions .
`` We have a semblance of control if we can plan a bit , '' Puri says .
`` There 's a lot more suffering when nobody has planned for anything . ''
Katherine Harmon Courage is a freelance science and health journalist and editor , contributor for Scientific American and Vox , and author .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ KHCourage .

Planning For End-Of-Life Care Is More Crucial Than Ever. Here's How
Enlarge this image Esther Lui for NPR Esther Lui for NPR
The coronavirus pandemic has been a stark reminder "that things can change in a minute — and so you've got to be prepared," says Sunita Puri, medical director for palliative care at the Keck Medical Center at the University of Southern California. One of the ways to do this is to decide what sorts of treatments you would want (or not want) in the case you became critically ill — and then document those wishes and share them with loved ones.
COVID-19 has now killed nearly .04 percent of the U.S. population – and sent an even higher proportion to the hospital for intensive treatment. But many – some 63% of adults in the U.S. – have not made formal plans for what they would want their critical care and, if it comes to it, their deaths, to look like.
Puri says, working in palliative care, she's seen numerous examples when careful end-of-life planning, done in advance of a crisis, can make a big difference. For example, the daughter of one COVID-19 patient had already discussed these issues with her mother — before the mother became critically ill — and that helped the daughter and the medical team make decisions and removed some of the strain around deciding whether to continue invasive care.
As a doctor, "you always want your recommendations to be in alignment with what the patient would want, what their values are, what their preferences are," says Trevor Bibler, a faculty member at Baylor College of Medicine's Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy. Lacking that information when loved ones and medical professionals need to make difficult decisions in a time of strain "can be an additional area of distress," he says.
So preparing some simple paperwork – and having a few important conversations – is more crucial than ever, say experts in palliative medicine and bioethics. Here's what you need to know.
Find advance directive forms for your state
A first step to take is to complete an advance directive. This is a form that allows you essentially to check boxes about what kind of life-sustaining interventions you want – or do not want – such as being resuscitated or having a feeding tube. These are legally recognized documents and typically require witnesses (and sometimes a notary). These forms and their questions vary for each state; a comprehensive list of state forms created by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is available for anyone for free from AARP.
Contemplate your goals and wishes
When filling out your advance directive, take some time for introspection. Remember this form might have to speak for you in a moment when you cannot speak for yourself.
Also be aware that these forms do not always provide an entirely clear path for care, Bibler notes. "People think that, 'Well, if I fill this out, then it's going to be completely unambiguous as to what's going to happen to me at the end of my life,' " he says. "But oftentimes the advanced care planning documents are hard to interpret, or the clinical situation might not be exactly what people think."
That is in part because the forms try to capture your wishes in the simplest terms (no resuscitation, for example). But life — and particularly critical care and death — is complicated and incredibly varied. What you might have seen a relative endure (perhaps a slow decline through advanced dementia) could be very different from a situation you might face (such as a rapid and severe coronavirus infection).
One way to help others understand your wishes is to think about what your idea of good and bad critical care would look like for you, Bibler says. "Don't just rely on a couple of check boxes" on the form, he says. "Add additional narrative elements" that illustrate your goals. It could be as simple as noting, "If I can never interact with my grandchildren again, I would rather be made comfortable,'" he says. "That's a very helpful narrative element that gives a lot more insight into what the person valued."
Thinking about clinical decisions, such as whether we would want mechanical ventilation and in what situation, can be hard "because we're not medical experts," says Rebecca Sudore, a palliative medicine physician and professor at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. "But what we are experts on is ourselves and our lives. We're experts about what brings us meaning and quality of life."
To help people in thinking and talking about these issues, she and her colleagues created a research-based online resource called PREPARE, which is available in English and Spanish and includes state-specific advance directive forms in multiple languages.
It might also help to remember that this planning is not just for you. "It's really all about helping your family and friends," Sudore says.
Consider the ventilator question
Even if you have filled out advance directives in the past, now might be a good time to review them to make sure they reflect your current wishes, Bibler says. Some people might change their minds about whether they would want to go on a ventilator if they got COVID-19, how long they would want to stay on ventilation without signs of improvement, or if they would feel good about offering their ventilator to another patient who had better odds of surviving should there be an equipment shortage.
COVID-19 has made the ventilator question particularly urgent. Ventilators are machines that can help you breathe if you can't do so on your own, which can happen in severe COVID-19 cases. Mechanical ventilation can sometimes be lifesaving but is also highly invasive: A tube is inserted in your throat to force air into your lungs.
Anytime you go on a ventilator, there's a risk you won't improve and will spend your last days or weeks unable to speak and heavily sedated.
Early in the pandemic, it looked like going on a ventilator was a long shot in terms of survival. Studies showed a minority came off the machines alive. But more recent evidence has been somewhat more promising. For example, a study in The Lancet showed that of 203 critically ill COVID-19 patients who were put on ventilators in New York hospitals, less than half (about 41%) had died a month after follow-up.
A study conducted in several intensive care units in Atlanta found that of 165 ventilated patients, 35.7% died, with fewer than 5% still on ventilation at the end of the study.
And as more information comes out about COVID-19 treatment, you might decide to opt for different treatment preferences. Advance directives can also be revised again after the pandemic. "People change their mind about what they want at different times," Bibler says.
Pick multiple health care agents
Another important element of critical care planning is naming at least one health care agent (also called a proxy or surrogate). These are people (named in your advance directive) who you designate to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are incapacitated and cannot make them yourself. And they will be designated in a particular order so only one person acts as the official agent at any one time.
Bibler recommends naming as many backups as possible, especially during the pandemic. For example, entire families are getting sick, so having additional individuals who can fill that role should a first or even second agent become ill is particularly helpful now.
It is important to clarify that although appointed health care agents are allowed to speak on your behalf, completed advance directives usually take precedence over their words, Bibler says. In fact, even if an agent insists that their loved one would have wanted a different approach than is outlined in a directive, doctors can face liability if they go against the legal document. This is another reason to review advance directives regularly and ensure they still align with your wishes — and to let others know if you have changed anything. Bibler also recommends "letting them know why there has been a change," which can help everyone make more nuanced decisions later if necessary.
It might also be worth considering if there are people you would not like to have contributing to decisions on your behalf. "There's always going to be that person that just shows up" when critical decisions need to be made, says Puri, who is also author of That Good Night. "There's not a specific box for this, so I suggest people just write it in."
Have "the talk"
Set up time to tell your appointed health care agents that you've named them and talk through your decisions, Sudore says.
"I can't tell you how many conferences I've had with family and friends who basically didn't even know their name was written on an advance directive so they can't even prepare themselves," she says. "And giving these people even just an inkling of what's important [to you] can really help."
Experts say that conversations with your most important loved ones about your care wishes are incredibly helpful. (And the more people you loop in, the better, Bibler says.)
The conversation doesn't have to be gruesome, Sudore says. If it's easier to steer clear of resuscitation or ventilation details, some other topics might prove to be more useful, ultimately, for making care decisions, she says.
For example, she says, you can tell people: "These are the things that make my life worth living and give me quality of life – and these are the things that if I didn't have it would be really hard on me."
These planning conversations might not be easy, but they are key to giving us more say in care decisions. "We have a semblance of control if we can plan a bit," Puri says. "There's a lot more suffering when nobody has planned for anything."
Katherine Harmon Courage is a freelance science and health journalist and editor, contributor for Scientific American and Vox, and author. You can find her on Twitter at @KHCourage.