npr--2020-09-24--Nearly 500 National Security Experts Endorse Biden For President

Nearly 500 national security experts – both civilians and former senior uniformed officers — have endorsed Joe Biden for president , saying the `` current president '' is not up to `` the enormous responsibilities of his office . ''
Addressed to `` Our Fellow Citizens , '' the 489 national security experts include 22 four-star officers .
The letter never mentions President Trump by name .
Among those signing the letter is retired Air Force Gen. Paul Selva , who stepped down last year as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs , the Pentagon 's No .
2 officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for comment .
Another is former Vice Admiral Michael Franken , who retired in 2017 and ran unsuccessfully this year for the Democratic Senate nomination in Iowa .
There 's also Gen. Peter Chiarelli , who served as the Army 's No .
2 officer before retiring in 2012 .
Chiarelli , in an interview with NPR , said he was never involved in politics until now .
`` I believe the current administration is a real threat to the republic , '' he said , citing the president 's `` attacks on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead , '' especially on a coronavirus response .
Chiarelli said it `` makes me ill '' that the wearing of masks to prevent the spread of the virus has been politicized by the president .
`` I believed I had to stand up and be counted , '' he added .
Others who signed on to the letter include former State Department Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage , who served under George W. Bush , as well as Democratic stalwarts like former national security advisor Susan Rice , former secretary of state Madeleine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Michele Flournoy .
The pro-Biden letter comes on the heels of an endorsement of Trump last week by 235 senior military leaders , saying the president has rebuilt the military and is a `` strong advocate '' for military personnel and veterans .
`` Joe Biden 's record on the military and veterans is one of failure : debilitating budget cuts , failed foreign policy decisions , and an inability to provide our nation 's heroes with the quality health care they deserve , '' the letter read .
Among those signing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as the Navy 's top officer until 1982 and retired Admiral Leighton Smith , who commanded US Naval forces in Europe in the 1990s .
Peter Feaver , a civilian military expert at Duke University , says the pro-Biden letter was likely once the Trump campaign released its own letter .
What is striking about the letter endorsing Biden , he adds , is that `` some of the people on the lists served in high positions under President Trump and so presumably are reacting to what they witnessed first hand and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance . ''
And Feaver says this all could lead to a continued politicization of a military that by tradition is nonpartisan .
`` When a senior military leader comes out against his or her former commander-in—chief in this way – as Admiral [ William ] Crowe did back in 1992 against President George H.W .
Bush – it has an inevitable politicizing effect on the senior military appointment process . ''
Besides former senior civilian officials , generals and admirals , the pro-Biden letter is also signed by a number of retired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Maj. Sean Baker and Marine Sgt .
Major John Estrada .
It begins by saying the COVID-19 pandemic `` has proven America needs principled , wise and responsible leadership .
America needs a president who understands , as President Harry S Truman said , that 'the buck stops here . '
`` Echoing Trump 's comments on the coronavirus , the letter says , `` It is unthinkable that ( Biden ) would ever utter the phrase ' I do n't take responsibility at all . '
'' The letter says Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' and `` a good man with a strong sense of right and wrong . ''
Besides the coronavirus response by the Trump White House , the letter says as a result of the president 's `` disdainful attitude and failures , '' climate change continues `` unabated , '' as does North Korea 's nuclear program .
And it says the president has `` ceded influence to a Russian adversary who puts bounties on the heads of American military personnel . ''
That 's a reference to intelligence reports that Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members in Afghanistan although Pentagon officials say they are still reviewing those reports .
The letter also takes on the White House for its lack of support to NATO , for Kurdish allies in the fight against ISIS , and for Japan and South Korea as well .
The president pulled hundreds of U.S. troops out of Syria , allowing Turkey to move in and target Kurds , angering American forces on the ground who were working with the Kurds to beat back ISIS .
`` Joe Biden would never sell out our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dislikes an allied leader , '' the letter states .

Nearly 500 National Security Experts Endorse Biden For President
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Nearly 500 national security experts – both civilians and former senior uniformed officers — have endorsed Joe Biden for president, saying the "current president" is not up to "the enormous responsibilities of his office."
Addressed to "Our Fellow Citizens," the 489 national security experts include 22 four-star officers. The letter never mentions President Trump by name.
Among those signing the letter is retired Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, who stepped down last year as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Pentagon's No. 2 officer. Selva could not be immediately reached for comment.
Another is former Vice Adm. Michael Franken, who retired in 2017 and ran unsuccessfully this year for the Democratic Senate nomination in Iowa.
There's also Gen. Peter Chiarelli, who served as the Army's No. 2 officer before retiring in 2012.
Chiarelli, in an interview with NPR, said he was never involved in politics until now.
"I believe the current administration is a real threat to the republic," he said, citing the president's "attacks on institutions" and his "failure to lead," especially on a coronavirus response. Chiarelli said it "makes me ill" that the wearing of masks to prevent the spread of the virus has been politicized by the president.
"I believed I had to stand up and be counted," he added.
Others who signed on to the letter include former State Department Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage, who served under George W. Bush, as well as Democratic stalwarts like former national security adviser Susan Rice, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and former senior Pentagon official, Michele Flournoy.
The pro-Biden letter comes on the heels of an endorsement of Trump last week by 235 senior military leaders, saying the president has rebuilt the military and is a "strong advocate" for military personnel and veterans.
"Joe Biden's record on the military and veterans is one of failure: debilitating budget cuts, failed foreign policy decisions, and an inability to provide our nation's heroes with the quality health care they deserve," the letter read.
Among those signing: Adm. Thomas B. Hayward, who served as the Navy's top officer until 1982, and retired Adm. Leighton Smith, who commanded U.S. Naval forces in Europe in the 1990s.
Peter Feaver, a civilian military expert at Duke University, says the pro-Biden letter was likely to come once the Trump campaign released its own letter.
What is striking about the letter endorsing Biden, he adds, is that "some of the people on the lists served in high positions under President Trump and so presumably are reacting to what they witnessed firsthand and not merely what they observed at a distance."
And Feaver says this all could lead to a continued politicization of a military that by tradition is nonpartisan.
"When a senior military leader comes out against his or her former commander-in-chief in this way — as Admiral [William] Crowe did back in 1992 against President George H.W. Bush — it has an inevitable politicizing effect on the senior military appointment process."
Besides former senior civilian officials, generals and admirals, the pro-Biden letter is also signed by a number of retired senior enlisted personnel including, Army Sgt. Maj. Sean Baker and Marine Sgt. Maj. John Estrada.
It begins by saying the COVID-19 pandemic "has proven America needs principled, wise and responsible leadership. America needs a president who understands, as President Harry S Truman said, that 'the buck stops here.' "
Echoing Trump's comments on the coronavirus, the letter says, "It is unthinkable that (Biden) would ever utter the phrase 'I don't take responsibility at all.' "
The letter says Biden is "the leader our nation needs" and "a good man with a strong sense of right and wrong."
Besides the coronavirus response by the Trump White House, the letter says that as a result of the president's "disdainful attitude and failures," climate change continues "unabated," as does North Korea's nuclear program.
And it says the president has "ceded influence to a Russian adversary who puts bounties on the heads of American military personnel." That's a reference to intelligence reports that Russian paid the Taliban to target American service members in Afghanistan although Pentagon officials say they are still reviewing those reports.
The letter also takes on the White House for its lack of support to NATO, for Kurdish allies in the fight against ISIS, and for Japan and South Korea.
The president pulled hundreds of U.S. troops out of Syria, allowing Turkey to move in and target Kurds, angering American forces on the ground who were working with the Kurds to beat back ISIS.
"Joe Biden would never sell out our allies to placate despots of because he dislikes an allied leader," the letter states.


npr--2020-09-24--System Stacked Against Condemned Inmate, Other Black Defendants, Lawyers Say

System Stacked Against Condemned Inmate , Other Black Defendants , Lawyers Say In 1999 , Christopher Vialva hitched a ride with a married couple visiting West Texas for a church revival meeting .
Authorities later found the bodies of Todd and Stacie Bagley in the trunk of their car .
Todd Bagley died of a gunshot wound .
Stacie Bagley died of smoke inhalation after the car was set on fire .
On Thursday , 20 years after he was convicted of that brutal crime , Vialva is scheduled to face lethal injection .
His case stands out only because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death row : a Black man who murdered white people , when he was very young .
`` He 's Black ; he committed his crime before his brain was fully developed , '' said his lawyer , Susan Otto , the federal public defender for the Western District of Oklahoma .
`` He 's now 40 years old .
He 's been on death row for longer than he was alive in the free world . ''
Vialva is not claiming he 's innocent .
In a recent video , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make bad decisions in life , but they are still people , '' Vialva said .
`` In fact , making bad decisions is a universally human trait . ''
Like Vialva , who was 19 when he killed the Bagleys , one in four of the men on federal death row committed their crimes before they reached the age of 21 .
And , of the 57 people on death row , more than half are people of color , according to a new study by the Death Penalty Information Center .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NAACP Legal Defense Fund , said racism infects every stage of the capital punishment process .
`` There have been over 500 cases between 1988 and now where the attorney general of the United States authorized federal prosecutors to seek death and in over two-thirds of those cases , the defendant was either Black or Latinx and in only about a quarter of the cases was the defendant white , '' Spital said .
Spital said the race of the victim also matters a lot : defendants who kill white people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` This is a prime example of how the federal death penalty is replicating all the same unconstitutional and discriminatory flaws in the state system , '' he said .
Otto said she once believed the federal system , which guarantees multiple lawyers for the accused , represented a gold standard .
Then , she took on the Vialva case .
When Otto got his case file , in 2003 , she remembered her reaction .
`` I was absolutely stunned , when I started reviewing the records , and the things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were shocking to me , '' she said .
Otto said the problems began with Vialva 's lawyers back at the time of the trial .
The rules are set up to ensure that people who are charged with federal capital crimes receive highly qualified counsel .
One of them has to be what 's called `` learned in the law . ''
The `` learned '' counsel in Vialva 's case was applying for a job at the time — in the same office as the people trying to put Vialva to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to win the job as a federal prosecutor in Texas .
Vialva 's new lawyers call that a clear conflict of interest .
When they protested , years later , to the trial judge , he rejected their appeal and limited the legal arguments they could make to higher courts .
Eventually , the new legal team discovered that the trial judge had suffered acute symptoms of alcoholism and had made `` inappropriate and unwanted '' sexual advances to a court employee , resulting in his suspension from hearing new cases for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't convinced that the judge 's problems played any role in the Vialva case .
That left Vialva with no options and on track for execution .
`` I tell you that this case has shaken my faith in some of the principles I have believed in and practiced , '' Otto said .
NPR reached out to friends and relatives of the Bagleys but did not get a response in time for publication .
Families of murder victims are divided on the issue of capital punishment , even among themselves , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Organization of Victims of Juvenile Murderers .
Former prosecutor Charles `` Cully '' Stimson says his sympathy goes out to the victims of these crimes and their families .
`` It 's justice delayed , but it 's about time , '' said Stimson , a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation who has written books about crime and punishment .
Stimson pointed out that federal prosecutors who seek capital punishment undergo multiple layers of review inside the Justice Department , and that most defendants get access to ethical and competent lawyers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Until Congress eliminates the death penalty for select crimes and states abolish it , we 're going to have it for a small number of cases where the punishment is deserved in the eyes of many juries , '' he said .

System Stacked Against Condemned Inmate, Other Black Defendants, Lawyers Say
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Conroy/AP Michael Conroy/AP
In 1999, Christopher Vialva hitched a ride with a married couple visiting West Texas for a church revival meeting.
Authorities later found the bodies of Todd and Stacie Bagley in the trunk of their car. Todd Bagley died of a gunshot wound. Stacie Bagley died of smoke inhalation after the car was set on fire.
On Thursday, 20 years after he was convicted of that brutal crime, Vialva is scheduled to face lethal injection. His case stands out only because he's like most inmates on federal death row: a Black man who murdered white people, when he was very young.
"He's Black; he committed his crime before his brain was fully developed," said his lawyer, Susan Otto, the federal public defender for the Western District of Oklahoma. "He's now 40 years old. He's been on death row for longer than he was alive in the free world."
Vialva is not claiming he's innocent. In a recent video, he said he regretted his actions.
"People make bad decisions in life, but they are still people," Vialva said. "In fact, making bad decisions is a universally human trait."
Like Vialva, who was 19 when he killed the Bagleys, one in four of the men on federal death row committed their crimes before they reached the age of 21. And, of the 57 people on death row, more than half are people of color, according to a new study by the Death Penalty Information Center.
Sam Spital, director of litigation at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said racism infects every stage of the capital punishment process.
"There have been over 500 cases between 1988 and now where the attorney general of the United States authorized federal prosecutors to seek death and in over two-thirds of those cases, the defendant was either Black or Latinx and in only about a quarter of the cases was the defendant white," Spital said.
Spital said the race of the victim also matters a lot: defendants who kill white people are 17 times more likely to be executed.
"This is a prime example of how the federal death penalty is replicating all the same unconstitutional and discriminatory flaws in the state system," he said.
Otto said she once believed the federal system, which guarantees multiple lawyers for the accused, represented a gold standard. Then, she took on the Vialva case.
When Otto got his case file, in 2003, she remembered her reaction.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Conroy/AP Michael Conroy/AP
"I was absolutely stunned, when I started reviewing the records, and the things that I saw that had gone wrong were shocking to me," she said.
Otto said the problems began with Vialva's lawyers back at the time of the trial.
The rules are set up to ensure that people who are charged with federal capital crimes receive highly qualified counsel. One of them has to be what's called "learned in the law."
The "learned" counsel in Vialva's case was applying for a job at the time — in the same office as the people trying to put Vialva to death. Later, that man went on to win the job as a federal prosecutor in Texas.
Vialva's new lawyers call that a clear conflict of interest.
When they protested, years later, to the trial judge, he rejected their appeal and limited the legal arguments they could make to higher courts. Eventually, the new legal team discovered that the trial judge had suffered acute symptoms of alcoholism and had made "inappropriate and unwanted" sexual advances to a court employee, resulting in his suspension from hearing new cases for a year.
But appeals courts weren't convinced that the judge's problems played any role in the Vialva case. That left Vialva with no options and on track for execution.
"I tell you that this case has shaken my faith in some of the principles I have believed in and practiced," Otto said.
NPR reached out to friends and relatives of the Bagleys but did not get a response in time for publication. Families of murder victims are divided on the issue of capital punishment, even among themselves, said Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins, president of the National Organization of Victims of Juvenile Murderers.
Former prosecutor Charles "Cully" Stimson says his sympathy goes out to the victims of these crimes and their families.
"It's justice delayed, but it's about time," said Stimson, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation who has written books about crime and punishment.
Stimson pointed out that federal prosecutors who seek capital punishment undergo multiple layers of review inside the Justice Department, and that most defendants get access to ethical and competent lawyers once they reach the courts.
"Until Congress eliminates the death penalty for select crimes and states abolish it, we're going to have it for a small number of cases where the punishment is deserved in the eyes of many juries," he said.


npr--2020-09-24--With Warnings Of Socialism, Trump Seeks To Boost Support Among Young Florida Latinos

With Warnings Of Socialism , Trump Seeks To Boost Support Among Young Florida Latinos Miguel Arango had just turned 18 when he voted for Barack Obama in 2012 .
Four years later , he was a passionate supporter of Bernie Sanders , but opted for a third-party candidate in the 2016 general election .
`` I was not going to vote for Trump either , '' he said .
`` I thought all these things about him — that he was this , he was that .
And slowly it started transitioning . ''
Arango says that transition involved patriotic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federico , play together .
The Colombian Americans lead a group called Voices of Freedom .
They sing at veterans events , and they 've even submitted a song for consideration to be the anthem of the newly formed U.S. Space Force .
Federico Arango , who is 30 , voted twice for Obama .
Like a lot of young people of color , he says the Democratic Party 's message of change appealed to them .
But he says they 've since been exposed to new perspectives .
And growing up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ socialism and communism from family and friends .
`` We see the parallels between things that are happening in those other countries , in those places with the left , and the Democratic Party , '' Federico Arango said .
`` And we see the Trump administration standing up for and implementing policies that would fight against those things . ''
The state of play in Florida President Trump 's reelection campaign is pushing a socialism message as a strategy in Florida .
In the process , the campaign is testing the narrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are likely less affected by the scars of Latin American autocrats than older generations , lean toward Democrats .
Jessica Fernandez , the chairwoman of the Florida Young Republicans , pokes fun at those who argue younger Latinos have upended South Florida 's electorate .
`` Because you have one or two college students who are woke saying that they support leftist policies does n't mean that 's a reflection of the greater Latino community , '' she said .
`` It 's just not accurate . ''
Trump 's challenger , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in most major polls of Florida Latinos .
But many surveys show Trump gaining ground among Latinos , compared with results against Hillary Clinton four years ago .
Trump lost Miami-Dade County by almost 30 points in 2016 , but a recent poll by Bendixen & Amandi International found he 's currently down only 17 points there .
The president does n't need to win the Latino vote , of course .
Reducing the margins may be enough to again prevail in a state he won by 1.2 % four years ago .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote is not monolithic .
`` There 's clearly an opportunity here to make inroads to the Latino community , '' said Mercedes Schlapp , a Trump campaign senior adviser who is Cuban American and from Miami .
`` We really do feel that the Democrats have taken the Latino community for granted . ''
The pollster Fernand Amandi says Republicans never removed their campaign operation from South Florida .
In a way , he said , they replicated former President Barack Obama 's successful strategy of maintaining a presence in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats missed an opportunity .
`` It 's a mystery because for whatever reason , they have not utilized that best practice that was established by Obama who , incidentally , is the only Democratic candidate for president to have won Florida in the last 20 years , '' Amandi said .
The Biden campaign is reacting .
It hired more staff in Florida and increased spending on Spanish-language advertising .
Soon after the Bendixen poll was released earlier this month , Biden 's running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris of California , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She included a surprise visit to a Venezuelan restaurant in Doral .
A week later , Biden visited Kissimmee near Orlando , where thousands of Puerto Ricans — often Democratic leaning — have relocated since Hurricane Maria .
Christian Ulvert , a campaign adviser for Biden in Florida , downplayed the Republican advances , citing advantages Democrats hold with mail-in voting and note they outnumber Republicans in Miami-Dade by more than 200,000 .
`` And so as ballots get ready to go out in some counties on [ Sept. 24 ] and by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more Democrats receiving ballots than ever before , '' he said .
Claudia Guerra , who was born in Cuba but grew up in Miami , does n't need to see polls to understand what 's at stake .
She 's worried about the amount of misinformation and conspiracy theories that inflate the fears of socialism in the community .
Sitting in her grandparents ' backyard , the 22-year-old says members of her own family members believe — incorrectly — that Biden is a socialist .
She 's alarmed by a cousin who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now a vocal Trump supporter .
`` I 've had conversations with him , we 've argued and he has told me , he was like , 'Oh , I 've never voted in this country because politics do n't interest me , ' `` she said .
`` But he buys into certain conspiracy theories .
And now I saw him make a post in favor of Trump .
That alarms me . ''
As for the patriotic band , Voices of Freedom , it is not a conservative group .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daniela Vargas , 21 , whose family is from Mexico , plans to vote for Biden .
She says it 's important for people to know that the band is n't political , and that people with different political perspectives can work together .
Sophia Martinez , 18 , plays the guitar for the band .
The Cuban American realizes some members are concerned about Democrats and socialism , but she sees those fears as misguided .
She says the real problem is the president himself .
`` I feel like Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she said .
`` I do n't like the way he 's handling it .
I do n't like how his presidency is going .
I 'm just super against it . ''
Miguel and Federico Arango are still registered Democrats .
They do n't count out the possibility of supporting Democrats again , but they do feel like they now have more in common with Republicans .
They also appreciate the support the party and the administration have given for their music — especially the encouragement in submitting the Space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big push , '' Federico Arango said , `` a big rocket launch to convince us to give Trump a chance and to listen to the administration more and to align ourselves more personally with the Trump administration . ''

With Warnings Of Socialism, Trump Seeks To Boost Support Among Young Florida Latinos
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Miguel Arango had just turned 18 when he voted for Barack Obama in 2012.
Four years later, he was a passionate supporter of Bernie Sanders, but opted for a third-party candidate in the 2016 general election.
"I was not going to vote for Trump either," he said. "I thought all these things about him — that he was this, he was that. And slowly it started transitioning."
Arango says that transition involved patriotic music that he and his brother, Federico, play together. The Colombian Americans lead a group called Voices of Freedom. They sing at veterans events, and they've even submitted a song for consideration to be the anthem of the newly formed U.S. Space Force.
Federico Arango, who is 30, voted twice for Obama. Like a lot of young people of color, he says the Democratic Party's message of change appealed to them.
But he says they've since been exposed to new perspectives. And growing up in Miami, they see the effects of socialism and communism from family and friends.
toggle caption Franco Ordoñez/NPR
"We see the parallels between things that are happening in those other countries, in those places with the left, and the Democratic Party," Federico Arango said. "And we see the Trump administration standing up for and implementing policies that would fight against those things."
The state of play in Florida
President Trump's reelection campaign is pushing a socialism message as a strategy in Florida.
In the process, the campaign is testing the narrative that younger Latinos in South Florida, who are likely less affected by the scars of Latin American autocrats than older generations, lean toward Democrats.
Jessica Fernandez, the chairwoman of the Florida Young Republicans, pokes fun at those who argue younger Latinos have upended South Florida's electorate.
"Because you have one or two college students who are woke saying that they support leftist policies doesn't mean that's a reflection of the greater Latino community," she said. "It's just not accurate."
Trump's challenger, Democratic nominee Joe Biden, is ahead in most major polls of Florida Latinos. But many surveys show Trump gaining ground among Latinos, compared with results against Hillary Clinton four years ago.
Trump lost Miami-Dade County by almost 30 points in 2016, but a recent poll by Bendixen & Amandi International found he's currently down only 17 points there.
The president doesn't need to win the Latino vote, of course. Reducing the margins may be enough to again prevail in a state he won by 1.2% four years ago. And his support illustrates that the Latino vote is not monolithic.
"There's clearly an opportunity here to make inroads to the Latino community," said Mercedes Schlapp, a Trump campaign senior adviser who is Cuban American and from Miami. "We really do feel that the Democrats have taken the Latino community for granted."
The pollster Fernand Amandi says Republicans never removed their campaign operation from South Florida. In a way, he said, they replicated former President Barack Obama's successful strategy of maintaining a presence in the state between the two elections. He says Democrats missed an opportunity.
"It's a mystery because for whatever reason, they have not utilized that best practice that was established by Obama who, incidentally, is the only Democratic candidate for president to have won Florida in the last 20 years," Amandi said.
toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
The Biden campaign is reacting. It hired more staff in Florida and increased spending on Spanish-language advertising.
Soon after the Bendixen poll was released earlier this month, Biden's running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, made a campaign trip to Miami. She included a surprise visit to a Venezuelan restaurant in Doral. A week later, Biden visited Kissimmee near Orlando, where thousands of Puerto Ricans — often Democratic leaning — have relocated since Hurricane Maria.
Christian Ulvert, a campaign adviser for Biden in Florida, downplayed the Republican advances, citing advantages Democrats hold with mail-in voting and note they outnumber Republicans in Miami-Dade by more than 200,000.
"And so as ballots get ready to go out in some counties on [Sept. 24] and by Oct. 1, you're going have more Democrats receiving ballots than ever before," he said.
Political divides
toggle caption Franco Ordoñez /NPR
Claudia Guerra, who was born in Cuba but grew up in Miami, doesn't need to see polls to understand what's at stake.
She's worried about the amount of misinformation and conspiracy theories that inflate the fears of socialism in the community.
Sitting in her grandparents' backyard, the 22-year-old says members of her own family members believe — incorrectly — that Biden is a socialist.
She's alarmed by a cousin who has shunned politics for decades, but is now a vocal Trump supporter.
"I've had conversations with him, we've argued and he has told me, he was like, 'Oh, I've never voted in this country because politics don't interest me,' " she said. "But he buys into certain conspiracy theories. And now I saw him make a post in favor of Trump. That alarms me."
As for the patriotic band, Voices of Freedom, it is not a conservative group. Members have all different political affiliations.
Daniela Vargas, 21, whose family is from Mexico, plans to vote for Biden. She says it's important for people to know that the band isn't political, and that people with different political perspectives can work together.
Sophia Martinez, 18, plays the guitar for the band.
The Cuban American realizes some members are concerned about Democrats and socialism, but she sees those fears as misguided.
She says the real problem is the president himself.
"I feel like Trump is mishandling the pandemic and this world horribly," she said. "I don't like the way he's handling it. I don't like how his presidency is going. I'm just super against it."
Miguel and Federico Arango are still registered Democrats. They don't count out the possibility of supporting Democrats again, but they do feel like they now have more in common with Republicans.
They also appreciate the support the party and the administration have given for their music — especially the encouragement in submitting the Space Force anthem.
"That was a big push," Federico Arango said, "a big rocket launch to convince us to give Trump a chance and to listen to the administration more and to align ourselves more personally with the Trump administration."


npr--2020-09-24--'Desperation And Fear' For Millions With Congress Deadlocked Over Pandemic Assistance

'Desperation And Fear ' For Millions With Congress Deadlocked Over Pandemic Assistance When the coronavirus pandemic hit , Jesus Gonzalez was about a year into starting a Cuban food catering and `` pop-up '' business in Lexington , Ky .
It 's like `` a food truck , but without a truck , '' he says .
His steadiest gig was setting up tables with a spread of Cuban food at local breweries so people could eat while quaffing pints .
But then all that shut down .
And he says things are n't back to normal enough yet for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gonzalez is a single dad with a 13-year-old daughter , and he says that extra $ 600 a week in federal unemployment money that Congress approved in its last relief package really helped .
`` That was everything that made it so that I can focus on my daughter , '' he says .
`` That 600 a week made it so that I could , like , keep my head above water . ''
He says his car broke down and he was able to fix it , and he could keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped coming at the end of July — nearly two months ago .
Gonzalez managed to save some of it .
But now that has run out .
He 's getting only $ 150 a week in state benefits .
And he could n't afford to pay his rent on time this month .
Many other Americans are in the same situation .
An NPR poll finds 19 % of Americans say they are having `` serious problems '' paying their rent or mortgage , and 11 % have fallen behind .
Latino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to be behind as white families .
Similarly , an ongoing Census Bureau pulse survey aimed at assessing the effects of the pandemic finds that about a quarter of renters have low confidence in meeting their next rent payment .
And in some parts of the U.S. , evictions are on the rise despite an order to limit them from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
But even with the growing signs of financial stress and desperation , Congress has not worked out a deal to send more help , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they support another pandemic relief package and as economists warn that the lack of additional assistance could make the pandemic recession much worse .
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell last week said that without more relief , more and more Americans may start running out of money and options .
Powell said if that happens , `` that will start to show up in economic activity and it will also show up in things like evictions and foreclosures and things that will scar and damage the economy , so that 's a downside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economics professor at the University of Chicago who has been studying this pandemic-sparked recession , says it 's hard to know exactly how much stimulus the economy needs .
But he says , `` There is huge risk that if you do n't get something together and provide some additional stimulus , that the economy could fall off a cliff . ''
Meanwhile , if food banks are any indication , a lot of people need more help .
`` We 're still seeing extremely high demand , '' says Robin Safley , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a large system of food pantries across the state .
`` We 're operating at , in some instances , 100 % above capacity .
Probably on average across the state , 40 % . ''
Safley says her network is serving upward of 1 million more people than normal and has n't seen any drop-off in demand .
Florida 's state unemployment benefits are among the lowest in the country .
`` I talk to the families , and now that they 're only receiving the Florida unemployment benefit , it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' says Paco Velez , the president of the Feeding South Florida food bank .
`` There 's just a sense of desperation and fear in a lot of these families . ''
For his part , Jesus Gonzalez in Kentucky has been asking friends for money on Facebook .
He says many have been helping , but he 's not sure how long he can continue asking .
And he says his family does n't like it .
`` Since I started reaching out on Facebook , some of them have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for money from people and , like , been mean to me about it , you know , '' he says .
Gonzalez has some good news in all this .
Since we first spoke to him , he says in recent days an additional $ 300 a week in unemployment money has started flowing to him .
He says that will help him pay his rent .
But he 's not sure how long it will last .
The White House implemented a stopgap measure to give people that $ 300 a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , by one count , about half the states have n't managed to distribute any of that and at best people receive just six weeks of the extra money .
That could be a bridge to help at least some people get by until another pandemic relief package can get through Congress .
But there 's no sign that lawmakers in the Senate are going to be able to work out a deal .
Basically , Republicans want to spend less money , Democrats want to spend more and they 've been stuck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has n't approved more help yet .
`` I was n't surprised that the government was n't there for us when we needed it , '' he says .
`` But what the difference was is that it 's so big and it affects so many people that it 's to a point where when people ca n't spend money , it 's affecting the economy .
And so I was really surprised that they did n't act because of that . ''
And now the fight over a Supreme Court nominee to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even harder .

'Desperation And Fear' For Millions With Congress Deadlocked Over Pandemic Assistance
Enlarge this image toggle caption Stacy Kranitz for NPR Stacy Kranitz for NPR
When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Jesus Gonzalez was about a year into starting a Cuban food catering and "pop-up" business in Lexington, Ky. It's like "a food truck, but without a truck," he says.
His steadiest gig was setting up tables with a spread of Cuban food at local breweries so people could eat while quaffing pints. But then all that shut down. And he says things aren't back to normal enough yet for the breweries to bring him back.
Gonzalez is a single dad with a 13-year-old daughter, and he says that extra $600 a week in federal unemployment money that Congress approved in its last relief package really helped.
"That was everything that made it so that I can focus on my daughter," he says. "That 600 a week made it so that I could, like, keep my head above water." He says his car broke down and he was able to fix it, and he could keep paying rent.
But that extra money stopped coming at the end of July — nearly two months ago. Gonzalez managed to save some of it. But now that has run out. He's getting only $150 a week in state benefits. And he couldn't afford to pay his rent on time this month.
Many other Americans are in the same situation. An NPR poll finds 19% of Americans say they are having "serious problems" paying their rent or mortgage, and 11% have fallen behind. Latino and African American households are twice as likely to be behind as white families.
Similarly, an ongoing Census Bureau pulse survey aimed at assessing the effects of the pandemic finds that about a quarter of renters have low confidence in meeting their next rent payment. And in some parts of the U.S., evictions are on the rise despite an order to limit them from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But even with the growing signs of financial stress and desperation, Congress has not worked out a deal to send more help, even as 9 in 10 Americans say they support another pandemic relief package and as economists warn that the lack of additional assistance could make the pandemic recession much worse.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell last week said that without more relief, more and more Americans may start running out of money and options.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Stacy Kranitz for NPR Stacy Kranitz for NPR
Powell said if that happens, "that will start to show up in economic activity and it will also show up in things like evictions and foreclosures and things that will scar and damage the economy, so that's a downside risk."
Joseph Vavra, an economics professor at the University of Chicago who has been studying this pandemic-sparked recession, says it's hard to know exactly how much stimulus the economy needs. But he says, "There is huge risk that if you don't get something together and provide some additional stimulus, that the economy could fall off a cliff."
Meanwhile, if food banks are any indication, a lot of people need more help.
"We're still seeing extremely high demand," says Robin Safley, the executive director of Feeding Florida, a large system of food pantries across the state. "We're operating at, in some instances, 100% above capacity. Probably on average across the state, 40%."
Safley says her network is serving upward of 1 million more people than normal and hasn't seen any drop-off in demand. Florida's state unemployment benefits are among the lowest in the country.
"I talk to the families, and now that they're only receiving the Florida unemployment benefit, it's really not enough to make ends meet," says Paco Velez, the president of the Feeding South Florida food bank. "There's just a sense of desperation and fear in a lot of these families."
For his part, Jesus Gonzalez in Kentucky has been asking friends for money on Facebook. He says many have been helping, but he's not sure how long he can continue asking. And he says his family doesn't like it.
"Since I started reaching out on Facebook, some of them have even told me that I'm begging for money from people and, like, been mean to me about it, you know," he says.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Stacy Kranitz for NPR Stacy Kranitz for NPR
Gonzalez has some good news in all this. Since we first spoke to him, he says in recent days an additional $300 a week in unemployment money has started flowing to him. He says that will help him pay his rent. But he's not sure how long it will last.
The White House implemented a stopgap measure to give people that $300 a week in federal unemployment money — but, by one count, about half the states haven't managed to distribute any of that and at best people receive just six weeks of the extra money.
That could be a bridge to help at least some people get by until another pandemic relief package can get through Congress. But there's no sign that lawmakers in the Senate are going to be able to work out a deal. Basically, Republicans want to spend less money, Democrats want to spend more and they've been stuck.
Gonzalez doesn't understand why Congress hasn't approved more help yet. "I wasn't surprised that the government wasn't there for us when we needed it," he says. "But what the difference was is that it's so big and it affects so many people that it's to a point where when people can't spend money, it's affecting the economy. And so I was really surprised that they didn't act because of that."
And now the fight over a Supreme Court nominee to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg could make that even harder.


npr--2020-09-24--Trump Administration Plans Crackdown On Hospitals Failing To Report COVID-19 Data

The federal government is preparing to aggressively crack down on hospitals for not reporting complete COVID-19 data daily into a federal data system , according to internal documents obtained by NPR .
The draft guidance , expected to be sent to hospitals this week , also adds new reporting requirements , asking hospitals to provide daily information on influenza cases , along with COVID-19 .
It 's the latest twist in what hospitals describe as a maddening flurry of changing requirements , as they deal with the strain of caring for patients during a pandemic .
The reporting system drew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Health and Human Services told hospitals to stop reporting information — such as the number of COVID-19 patients and the availability of intensive care beds — to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , and instead report it into a new system managed directly by HHS , the CDC 's parent agency .
The switch raised concerns from politicians and public health experts about the sidelining of CDC , the nation 's public health agency , in the midst of a pandemic .
Hospitals have been waiting for the details on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new data reporting process .
Last month , the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ( also part of HHS ) abruptly issued a rule indicating that failure to comply could cause hospitals to lose their federal Medicare funding .
Now , the agency appears to be preparing to follow through on that threat .
A draft letter from CMS , obtained by NPR , requires hospitals to report data such as the number of COVID-19 patients and their inventory of the drug remdesivir `` for all seven days , including weekends , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run by HHS .
Failure to comply after multiple warnings `` will result in a termination of the Medicare provider agreement . ''
Threatening Medicare funding is `` the nuclear option '' for the federal health agency , says Dave Dillon of the Missouri Hospital Association .
`` If what [ CMS is ] proposing were to go into to effect and if , in fact , they were to do that kind of enforcement , that would shut down the health care system in the country . ''
`` The idea of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for not submitting this data every single day seems just very disproportionate , '' says Erin Fuse Brown , a health law professor at Georgia State University .
`` Terminating hospitals ' Medicare participation is like a death sentence , financially , for a hospital . ''
The CMS rule enforcement is a blunt tool that could be intended to fulfill HHS 's determination to get each and every hospital to report .
As part of the justification for the switch to the new system , then-HHS chief spokesperson Michael Caputo complained that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from only 85 % of hospitals .
`` [ T ] he President 's COVID response requires 100 percent to report , '' he wrote in a statement to NPR in mid-July .
If the draft enforcement guidance went into effect today , around three-quarters of hospitals could be subject to receiving a warning .
Just 24 % of America 's hospitals met the HHS reporting requirements for the week of September 14 , according to an internal CDC presentation given at a daily pandemic response meeting on September 23 , obtained by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compliance .
The July change to data reporting created a large and costly administrative burden for hospitals , without providing funding to help them fulfill it .
The new draft guidance would further expand the scope .
The data hospitals were asked to provide as of July is complicated and time-consuming to gather , says Carrie Kroll of the Texas Hospital Association .
`` This required multiple people in different parts of the hospital — we were talking about bedside nursing-type statistics in terms of COVID patients versus adult versus child .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's going to come from the pharmacy . ''
Hospitals have also been asked to provide information on supplies , such as how many single exam gloves they have in the building .
According to the internal presentation , data on the supplies of ventilators , gloves and gowns , currently required to be reported three times a week , was frequently missing .
The pending update to the reporting guidelines will only require the supply data once a week .
However , draft documents show the newest guidelines would add several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of patients admitted to the hospital with flu , the number of flu patients in ICU beds , and the number of patients confirmed to have both flu and COVID-19 .
This information may be required to be reported daily from late October , according to a draft document .
Carrie Williams , also of the Texas Hospital Association , was surprised that flu questions were potentially going to be added .
`` The constantly changing goalposts are going to be a real challenge for hospitals , '' she says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we want to make sure that we 're providing the federal government with whatever they need for planning and resources .
It 's just — another change is a challenge in the middle of a pandemic . ''
Data scientists have raised concerns about the consequences of the new reporting requirements and the impending enforcement of them .
The added burden and stress could incentivize hospital staff to report inaccurate information , so as not to lose funding , says Lisa M. Lee , former chief science officer for public health surveillance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia Tech .
`` I am afraid this will make the data much less accurate and reliable , and that is only going to hurt the American public , '' Lee says .

Trump Administration Plans Crackdown On Hospitals Failing To Report COVID-19 Data
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Lamparski/NurPhoto via Getty Images John Lamparski/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Updated Friday 2:15 p.m. ET to include a comment from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The federal government is preparing to crack down aggressively on hospitals for not reporting complete COVID-19 data daily into a federal data system, according to internal documents obtained by NPR.
The draft guidance, expected to be sent to hospitals this week, also adds new reporting requirements, asking hospitals to provide daily information on influenza cases, along with COVID-19. It's the latest twist in what hospitals describe as a maddening flurry of changing requirements as they deal with the strain of caring for patients during a pandemic.
The reporting system drew national attention in July when the Department of Health and Human Services told hospitals to stop reporting information — such as the number of COVID-19 patients and the availability of intensive care beds — to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and instead report it into a new system managed directly by HHS, the CDC's parent agency. The switch raised concerns from politicians and public health experts about the sidelining of the CDC, the nation's public health agency, in the midst of a pandemic.
Hospitals have been waiting for the details on how the federal government would enforce the new data reporting process. Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (also part of HHS) abruptly issued a rule indicating that failure to comply could cause hospitals to lose their federal Medicare funding.
Now the agency appears to be preparing to follow through on that threat. A draft letter from the agency, obtained by NPR, requires hospitals to report data such as the number of COVID-19 patients and their inventory of the drug remdesivir "for all seven days, including weekends" into the federal data collection system run by HHS. Failure to comply after multiple warnings "will result in a termination of the Medicare provider agreement."
Threatening Medicare funding is "the nuclear option" for the federal health agency, says Dave Dillon of the Missouri Hospital Association. "If what [the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is] proposing were to go into to effect and if, in fact, they were to do that kind of enforcement, that would shut down the health care system in the country."
"The idea of threatening to terminate a hospital from Medicare for not submitting this data every single day seems just very disproportionate," says Erin Fuse Brown, a health law professor at Georgia State University. "Terminating hospitals' Medicare participation is like a death sentence, financially, for a hospital."
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rule enforcement is a blunt tool that could be intended to fulfill HHS' determination to get each and every hospital to report. As part of the justification for the switch to the new system, then-HHS chief spokesperson Michael Caputo complained that the CDC's voluntary reporting system provided data from only 85% of hospitals. "[T]he President's COVID response requires 100 percent to report," he wrote in a statement to NPR in mid-July.
If the draft enforcement guidance went into effect today, around three-quarters of hospitals could be subject to receiving a warning. Just 24% of America's hospitals met the HHS reporting requirements for the week of Sept. 14, according to an internal CDC presentation given at a daily pandemic response meeting on Wednesday, obtained by NPR. No state was in full compliance.
The July change to data reporting created a large and costly administrative burden for hospitals without providing funding to help them fulfill it. The new draft guidance would further expand the scope.
The data hospitals were asked to provide as of July is complicated and time-consuming to gather, says Carrie Kroll of the Texas Hospital Association. "This required multiple people in different parts of the hospital — we were talking about bedside nursing-type statistics in terms of COVID patients versus adult versus child. Then you're talking about pharmaceuticals, so that's going to come from the pharmacy."
Hospitals have also been asked to provide information on supplies, such as how many single exam gloves they have in the building. According to the internal presentation, data on the supplies of ventilators, gloves and gowns, currently required to be reported three times a week, were frequently missing.
The pending update to the reporting guidelines will only require the supply data once a week. However, draft documents show the newest guidelines would add several questions about influenza patients such as the number admitted to the hospital with flu, the number of flu patients in intensive care unit beds and the number of patients confirmed to have both flu and COVID-19. This information may be required to be reported daily from late October, according to a draft document.
Carrie Williams, also of the Texas Hospital Association, was surprised that flu questions were potentially going to be added. "The constantly changing goal posts are going to be a real challenge for hospitals," she says. "We want to be in compliance, we want to make sure that we're providing the federal government with whatever they need for planning and resources. It's just — another change is a challenge in the middle of a pandemic."
In a statement to NPR, CMS said the data they're requiring from hospitals are "essential for planning, monitoring, and resource allocation during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency." A CMS spokesperson wrote in an e-mail, "While many hospitals are voluntarily reporting this information now, not all are and not all are doing so consistently," adding that, hospitals will receive "several notifications regarding their non-compliance, with multiple opportunities to correct" before final enforcement actions.
Data scientists have raised concerns about the consequences of the new reporting requirements and the impending enforcement of them.
The added burden and stress could incentivize hospital staff to report inaccurate information, so as not to lose funding, says Lisa M. Lee, former chief science officer for public health surveillance at the CDC, who now works at Virginia Tech.
"I am afraid this will make the data much less accurate and reliable, and that is only going to hurt the American public," Lee says.


npr--2020-09-24--Outside The Focus Of Major Parties, Black Pittsburghers Vow To Get Out The Vote

Outside The Focus Of Major Parties , Black Pittsburghers Vow To Get Out The Vote Tanisha Long expects to be busy in the run up to the 2020 election .
For the next six weeks , Long , who founded an unofficial Black Lives Matter chapter for Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania , plans to make get-out-the vote videos , host mail-in voting webinars and work to enfranchise eligible incarcerated people in order to turn out voters she says `` no one 's talking to anymore . ''
Long 's concern is this : she sees the campaign for Democratic nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania that Hillary Clinton made in 2016 .
Long believes the Biden campaign is failing to do enough to engage traditional Democratic constituencies .
`` I just ca n't have that happen again , it 's really stressing me out , '' she says .
Donald Trump famously lost the popular vote in 2016 by over 2.8 million votes but secured a victory in the electoral college by winning razor thin margins in key swing states , including Wisconsin , Michigan , Florida and Pennsylvania .
Both the Trump and Biden campaigns are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get support from voters who either sat out 2016 or might be persuaded to vote for the other side .
In Pennsylvania , that has meant a disproportionate interest in white suburban voters .
Trump won them over by larger margins than expected in 2016 , including just outside Pittsburgh in Washington County .
But a tightly contested 2020 election in Pennsylvania could be decided at least in part by people outside those suburbs .
This includes Pittsburgh 's Black residents , 22 percent of the city 's population , who are usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet , Democrats could have their work cut out for them .
Despite receiving the consistent support of Black communities , some voters here say Democratic leaders have largely failed to effectively address enduring problems like police violence , discrimination and income inequality that have disproportionately hurt Black residents in Pittsburgh .
Writer Damon Young , 41 , is a life-long Pittsburgher who founded the website Very Smart Brothas and wrote the memoir What Does n't Kill You Makes You Blacker .
He says he was alarmed — but not surprised — by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city of Pittsburgh 's Gender Equity Commission last year that found that while white Pittsburgh residents have better health outcomes and quality of life than the national average , the city is one of the worst in the country for Black people , and particularly for Black women .
Black residents deal with higher infant mortality rates , lower wages , worse educational outcomes , and higher incidences of cardiovascular disease and cancer .
All this in a city that often ranks on the list of the country 's most livable cities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Young says .
For Young , this kind of long-term inequality can make it hard to persuade Black residents to turn out .
`` It can be a hard sell .
If someone says 'We 've had nothing but Democratic mayors in Pittsburgh my entire life , and well , it does n't affect me .
There 's still this violence happening , there 's still no jobs , the schools are better in the white communities , that has n't changed with Barack Obama being president or Bill Peduto being mayor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` he says .
Young 's friend Jasiri X , the 37 year-old hip hop artist who runs the community organization 1Hood , says he used to vote as an independent .
Then he realized that Pittsburgh 's strong Democratic party history means that the primaries are where the important politics happen , so he had to become a Democrat to vote in the local elections that mattered .
Though he 's now a Democrat , he sees the party 's establishment as detrimental to Black Pittsburghers .
`` We 're comfortable doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's harmful to me as a Black person .
It 's been harmful to my community for years .
So I 'm somebody looking for bold , innovative change , '' he says .
To help push the party in a more progressive direction , Jasiri X is working to help people vote with a new nonprofit he helped create called 1Hood Power .
`` What I did n't see in 2016 was an investment in Black-led organizations to actually speak to Black people , to have those important conversations , to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says .
`` For voting , it takes a personal touch . ''
Young and Jasiri X both plan to vote for Biden , though they are n't enthusiastic about him or his running mate , Kamala Harris .
Simply put , Young believes his life depends on Biden defeating Trump in November .
And it 's up to white voters to get it done .
`` We talk about how Black women , Black voters , Latino voters will decide it .
No .
White people will decide the election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wins again , it 's not because we were n't engaged .
It 's not because we did n't come out .
It 's because white people came out and ignored the four years of evidence of Donald Trump being an unrepentant racist and a misogynist and a terrible businessman . ''
Lisa Cunningham , 58 , has lived in the Hill District , one of Pittsburgh 's historically Black neighborhoods , for about 45 years .
She 's worried about a lot of the things Young and Jasiri X identified as issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote for Democrats , or to vote at all .
`` Jobs , fairness , economic disparities , racism .
You have people sitting on top of us up there and they 're looking down on us down here , '' Cunningham says , gesturing to the sky scrapers downtown .
But her enthusiasm for Biden — and for voting — remains strong .
`` I adore him , '' she says about Biden , `` I know he will give us equality and he will give us a fighting chance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ catching the coronavirus to be able to cast her ballot in person than trust mail-in voting , even though her daughter had COVID-19 .
`` There 's nothing that can keep me from it .
I 'm going in there , COVID and all , to cast my vote , '' she says . '
I ca n't lead folks to a place that I 'm not willing to go myself' Summer Lee , 32 , decided to run for office in 2018 .
She ran in Braddock , Pa. , a town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the few that still has an active steel mill .
`` We do n't get a lot of Black women running for office .
We do n't get a lot of progressive folks running for office in western Pennsylvania , '' she says , `` I ca n't lead folks to a place that I 'm not willing to go myself . ''
Lee , a lawyer , unseated Democratic incumbent Paul Costa who had been in office for 20 years .
She became the first Black woman elected to represent Southwestern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaigned against a fracking proposal in Braddock and went door to door speaking with people about environmental racism , cyclical poverty and racial and economic justice .
But when she was running as an incumbent in the Democratic Party primary in early 2020 , the Allegheny County Democrats endorsed her opponent , a white man .
Lee won the primary handily anyway , with 77 percent of the vote , all but assuring a second term .
Lee 's differences with the Democratic party establishment are profound .
She was a delegate at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and voted against the party 's official platform .
`` I do n't believe it 's a platform that meets the moment , '' she says .
Though she differs with Biden on many issues — from fracking to Medicare For All — she fully intends to vote for him .
`` If we 're fighting for a healthier environment , if we 're fighting for more equitable funding for schools , for police accountability and criminal justice reform , whatever it may be , we have an obligation to move us closer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' she says .
Looking for unity , diversity and strength Lenny McCallister , 48 , grew up in the Penn Hills area of Pittsburgh , where he still lives .
His father was raised in East Liberty .
He says his anti-abortion and pro-school choice beliefs are cornerstones of his politics .
He ran for Congress in 2016 as a Republican in Pennsylvania 's 14th district ( he lost ) after securing the nomination in a write-in campaign , but says he could not bring himself to vote for Trump because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the election `` when Mr. Trump said in 2015 that he never felt that he had to ask God for forgiveness , just figured he would fix it himself . ''
As a Christian , he says , he understands that `` you ca n't fix everything yourself . ''
`` When I heard that , '' he says , `` that was enough for me to take a step away . ''
But McCallister also ca n't imagine ever voting for Biden , in part because a crime bill he shepherded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His 1994 crime bill disproportionately impacted communities such as Homewood , where literally generations of fathers and mothers spent disproportionate amounts of time in jail , '' he says .
As one of few active Black Republicans in Pittsburgh , Lenny admits that the party has a problem embracing diversity .
`` There 's not a lot of Republicans that try to connect to different and diverse portions of the nation .
I think that when we say 'we love America , ' we love America in the sense that we love what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't love Damon Young or Summer Lee when they disagree with us , '' he says .
And McCallister is troubled by many of the same problems facing his city , his community and his nation as Young and Lee : racial health disparities , discrimination and police violence .
`` Damon Young is never going to be my enemy .
Summer Lee , as a hardcore , left-leaning Democrat is never going to be my enemy , '' he says .
Ariel Worthy , government and accountability reporter at WESA , contributed @ @ @ @

Outside The Focus Of Major Parties, Black Pittsburghers Vow To Get Out The Vote
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nate Smallwood for NPR Nate Smallwood for NPR
Tanisha Long expects to be busy in the run up to the 2020 election.
For the next six weeks, Long, who founded an unofficial Black Lives Matter chapter for Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania, plans to make get-out-the vote videos, host mail-in voting webinars and work to enfranchise eligible incarcerated people in order to turn out voters she says "no one's talking to anymore."
Long's concern is this: she sees the campaign for Democratic nominee Joe Biden making the same mistakes in Pennsylvania that Hillary Clinton made in 2016. Long believes the Biden campaign is failing to do enough to engage traditional Democratic constituencies.
"I just can't have that happen again, it's really stressing me out," she says.
Donald Trump famously lost the popular vote in 2016 by over 2.8 million votes but secured a victory in the electoral college by winning razor thin margins in key swing states, including Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida and Pennsylvania. Both the Trump and Biden campaigns are focused on these states, looking to get support from voters who either sat out 2016 or might be persuaded to vote for the other side. In Pennsylvania, that has meant a disproportionate interest in white suburban voters. Trump won them over by larger margins than expected in 2016, including just outside Pittsburgh in Washington County.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nate Smallwood for NPR Nate Smallwood for NPR
But a tightly contested 2020 election in Pennsylvania could be decided at least in part by people outside those suburbs. This includes Pittsburgh's Black residents, 22 percent of the city's population, who are usually considered a reliable Democratic constituency.
And yet, Democrats could have their work cut out for them.
Despite receiving the consistent support of Black communities, some voters here say Democratic leaders have largely failed to effectively address enduring problems like police violence, discrimination and income inequality that have disproportionately hurt Black residents in Pittsburgh.
'For voting, it takes a personal touch'
Writer Damon Young, 41, is a life-long Pittsburgher who founded the website Very Smart Brothas and wrote the memoir What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker. He says he was alarmed — but not surprised — by a widely publicized report out of the city of Pittsburgh's Gender Equity Commission last year that found that while white Pittsburgh residents have better health outcomes and quality of life than the national average, the city is one of the worst in the country for Black people, and particularly for Black women. Black residents deal with higher infant mortality rates, lower wages, worse educational outcomes, and higher incidences of cardiovascular disease and cancer. All this in a city that often ranks on the list of the country's most livable cities.
"That's the thing," Young says.
For Young, this kind of long-term inequality can make it hard to persuade Black residents to turn out.
"It can be a hard sell. If someone says 'We've had nothing but Democratic mayors in Pittsburgh my entire life, and well, it doesn't affect me. There's still this violence happening, there's still no jobs, the schools are better in the white communities, that hasn't changed with Barack Obama being president or Bill Peduto being mayor. So why should I care?' " he says.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Steve Inskeep/NPR Steve Inskeep/NPR
Young's friend Jasiri X, the 37 year-old hip hop artist who runs the community organization 1Hood, says he used to vote as an independent. Then he realized that Pittsburgh's strong Democratic party history means that the primaries are where the important politics happen, so he had to become a Democrat to vote in the local elections that mattered.
Though he's now a Democrat, he sees the party's establishment as detrimental to Black Pittsburghers.
"We're comfortable doing things the way they are but that's harmful to me as a Black person. It's been harmful to my community for years. So I'm somebody looking for bold, innovative change," he says.
To help push the party in a more progressive direction, Jasiri X is working to help people vote with a new nonprofit he helped create called 1Hood Power.
"What I didn't see in 2016 was an investment in Black-led organizations to actually speak to Black people, to have those important conversations, to get Black people to the polls," he says. "For voting, it takes a personal touch."
Young and Jasiri X both plan to vote for Biden, though they aren't enthusiastic about him or his running mate, Kamala Harris.
Simply put, Young believes his life depends on Biden defeating Trump in November. And it's up to white voters to get it done.
"We talk about how Black women, Black voters, Latino voters will decide it. No. White people will decide the election," he says. "If he wins again, it's not because we weren't engaged. It's not because we didn't come out. It's because white people came out and ignored the four years of evidence of Donald Trump being an unrepentant racist and a misogynist and a terrible businessman."
'A fighting chance'
Lisa Cunningham, 58, has lived in the Hill District, one of Pittsburgh's historically Black neighborhoods, for about 45 years. She's worried about a lot of the things Young and Jasiri X identified as issues that might lead people to be reluctant to vote for Democrats, or to vote at all.
"Jobs, fairness, economic disparities, racism. You have people sitting on top of us up there and they're looking down on us down here," Cunningham says, gesturing to the skyscrapers downtown. But her enthusiasm for Biden — and for voting — remains strong.
"I adore him," she says about Biden, "I know he will give us equality and he will give us a fighting chance."
Cunningham says she'd rather risk catching the coronavirus to be able to cast her ballot in person than trust mail-in voting, even though her daughter had COVID-19.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images
"There's nothing that can keep me from it. I'm going in there, COVID and all, to cast my vote," she says.
'I can't lead folks to a place that I'm not willing to go myself'
Summer Lee, 32, decided to run for office in 2018. She ran in Braddock, Pa., a town in the greater Pittsburgh area and one of the few that still has an active steel mill.
"We don't get a lot of Black women running for office. We don't get a lot of progressive folks running for office in western Pennsylvania," she says, "I can't lead folks to a place that I'm not willing to go myself."
Lee, a lawyer, unseated Democratic incumbent Paul Costa who had been in office for 20 years. She became the first Black woman elected to represent Southwestern Pennsylvania in the state house. She campaigned against a fracking proposal in Braddock and went door to door speaking with people about environmental racism, cyclical poverty and racial and economic justice.
But when she was running as an incumbent in the Democratic Party primary in early 2020, the Allegheny County Democrats endorsed her opponent, a white man. Lee won the primary handily anyway, with 77 percent of the vote, all but assuring a second term.
Lee's differences with the Democratic party establishment are profound. She was a delegate at this summer's virtual Democratic National Convention and voted against the party's official platform.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Justin Merriman/Bloomberg via Getty Images Justin Merriman/Bloomberg via Getty Images
"I don't believe it's a platform that meets the moment," she says. Though she differs with Biden on many issues — from fracking to Medicare For All — she fully intends to vote for him.
"If we're fighting for a healthier environment, if we're fighting for more equitable funding for schools, for police accountability and criminal justice reform, whatever it may be, we have an obligation to move us closer to that, not farther away," she says.
Looking for unity, diversity and strength
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nate Smallwood for NPR Nate Smallwood for NPR
Lenny McAllister, 48, grew up in the Penn Hills area of Pittsburgh, where he still lives. His father was raised in East Liberty. His mother was from the nearby Homewood neighborhood, which was once middle class and later declined, and where McAllister spent a lot of his childhood.
He says his anti-abortion and pro-school choice beliefs are cornerstones of his politics. He ran for Congress in 2016 as a Republican in Pennsylvania's 14th district (he lost) after securing the nomination in a write-in campaign, but says he could not bring himself to vote for Trump because of his faith. He made that decision before the election "when Mr. Trump said in 2015 that he never felt that he had to ask God for forgiveness, just figured he would fix it himself."
As a Christian, he says, he understands that "you can't fix everything yourself."
"When I heard that," he says, "that was enough for me to take a step away."
But McAllister also can't imagine ever voting for Biden, in part because a crime bill he shepherded through the Senate in 1994.
"His 1994 crime bill disproportionately impacted communities such as Homewood, where literally generations of fathers and mothers spent disproportionate amounts of time in jail," he says.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nate Smallwood for NPR Nate Smallwood for NPR
As one of few active Black Republicans in Pittsburgh, McAllister admits that the party has a problem embracing diversity.
"There's not a lot of Republicans that try to connect to different and diverse portions of the nation. I think that when we say 'we love America,' we love America in the sense that we love what we're familiar with. We don't love Damon Young or Summer Lee when they disagree with us," he says.
And McAllister is troubled by many of the same problems facing his city, his community and his nation as Young and Lee: racial health disparities, discrimination and police violence.
"Damon Young is never going to be my enemy. Summer Lee, as a hardcore, left-leaning Democrat is never going to be my enemy," he says.
Ariel Worthy, government and accountability reporter at WESA, contributed to this story.


npr--2020-09-24--Fewer Students Are Going To Community College, Despite High Unemployment

Fewer Students Are Going To Community College , Despite High Unemployment Enrollment at U.S. community colleges has dropped nearly 8 percent this fall , newly released figures show , part of an overall decline in undergraduate enrollment as students face a global pandemic and the worst economic recession in decades .
Often , enrollment in higher education spikes in times of high unemployment and recession , as students seek additional job skills and postpone entering the workforce .
But the pandemic has overturned those traditional calculations , according to preliminary data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community colleges , which traditionally serve lower-income students and those seeking additional career skills .
The enrollment drop comes as many of those schools face a host of new financial pressures .
`` Those are institutions that were already operating in many cases on very thin margins even before the pandemic , '' says Doug Shapiro , who leads the research center at the Clearinghouse .
He says the community college numbers are `` most worrisome , '' because of the students they tend to serve .
`` It 's a matter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traditional on-ramps to higher education for low income students are becoming inaccessible , '' Shapiro adds .
Throughout the summer , community college presidents told me they did n't know what to expect when it came to fall enrollment , though several were optimistic .
In past recessions , community colleges in particular saw a boost , from students either priced out of other institutions or seeking job training to pivot to another career .
`` As time drags on and we 're still seeing millions of unemployed , '' Shapiro says , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever going to get to the point where many [ potential students ] are in a position , or confident enough about the future , to say this is a good time to go back to school . ''
Many community colleges are holding courses primarily online this fall , which may also be a big part of why enrollment has dropped , he explains .
`` Many of the students do n't have good Internet access to begin with , much less a good place in which to study and not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to community colleges , other types of institutions are also enrolling fewer students .
Attendance in private , nonprofit four-year schools is down 3.8 % from last year .
Overall , public , four-year colleges are doing much better , with an enrollment drop of just 0.4 % , but that flatline also depends on where a university is located : At rural , 4-year publics , enrollment fell 4 % .
There is some good news : overall , enrollment in graduate programs is up about 4 % from last year — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to short-term programs like post-baccalaureates and certificates , a sign that perhaps recent college graduates wanted to stave off the job market just a bit longer .
The preliminary data from the Clearinghouse represents about 3.6 million students at 629 colleges — that 's nearly 22 % of all the schools that typically report .
The organization will release numbers again in October , as more colleges provide their fall data .

Fewer Students Are Going To Community College, Despite High Unemployment
Enlarge this image toggle caption Elissa Nadworny/NPR Elissa Nadworny/NPR
Enrollment at U.S. community colleges has dropped nearly 8% this fall, newly released figures show, part of an overall decline in undergraduate enrollment as students face a global pandemic and the worst economic recession in decades.
Often, enrollment in higher education spikes in times of high unemployment and recession as students seek additional job skills and postpone entering the workforce. But the pandemic has overturned those traditional calculations, according to preliminary data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, which tracks college enrollment.
Hardest hit were community colleges, which traditionally serve lower-income students and those seeking additional career skills. The enrollment drop comes as many of those schools face a host of new financial pressures.
"Those are institutions that were already operating in many cases on very thin margins even before the pandemic," says Doug Shapiro, who leads the research center at the Clearinghouse. He says the community college numbers are "most worrisome" because of the students they tend to serve.
"It's a matter of critical concern if even these kinds of traditional on-ramps to higher education for low income students are becoming inaccessible," Shapiro adds.
Throughout the summer, community college presidents told me they didn't know what to expect when it came to fall enrollment, though several were optimistic. In past recessions, community colleges in particular saw a boost, from students either priced out of other institutions or seeking job training to pivot to another career.
"As time drags on and we're still seeing millions of unemployed," Shapiro says, "I just don't think that we're going to ever get to the point where many of them [potential students] are in a position, or confident enough about the future, to say this is a good time to go back to school."
Many community colleges are holding courses primarily online this fall, which may also be a big part of why enrollment has dropped, he explains. "Many of the students don't have good Internet access to begin with, much less a good place in which to study and not be interrupted at home."
In addition to community colleges, other types of institutions are also enrolling fewer students. Attendance in private, nonprofit four-year schools is down 3.8% from last year. Overall, public, four-year colleges are doing much better, with an enrollment drop of just 0.4%, but that flat line also depends on where a university is located: At rural, four-year publics, enrollment fell 4%.
There is some good news: Overall, enrollment in graduate programs is up about 4% from last year — most of that increase can be attributed to short-term programs like post-baccalaureates and certificates, a sign that perhaps recent college graduates wanted to stave off the job market just a bit longer.
The preliminary data from the Clearinghouse represents about 3.6 million students at 629 colleges — that's nearly 22% of all the schools that typically report. The organization will release numbers again in October as more colleges provide their fall data.


npr--2020-09-24--'It's Still Breonna Taylor For Me': Taylor Family Plans Friday Press Conference

'It 's Still Breonna Taylor For Me ' : Taylor Family Plans Friday Press Conference Outraged and angry and , at times , wailing protesters renewed their cries for justice for Breonna Taylor on Wednesday , following the Kentucky grand jury 's decision to not charge the police officers for killing her .
Meanwhile , the Taylor family have been much more restrained with their anguish over the killing of the 26-year-old by Louisville Metropolitan Police officers during a botched drug raid , since the decision was announced .
For the most part they 've remained out of the spotlight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on social media .
On their behalf , lawyer Ben Crump called the decision to charge only Brett Hankinson with wanton endangerment , but not with causing her death , is `` outrageous '' and `` offensive . ''
Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove , the other two officers involved , who sprayed a hail of bullets into Taylor 's apartment , will not face any charges .
But on Thursday , Tamika Palmer , Taylor 's mother , broke her silence in an Instagram post .
`` It 's still Breonna Taylor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a portrait of her daughter 's cherubic face .
The six-word sentence was followed by a red broken-heart emoji and the hashtag , # ThesystemfailedBreonna .
Taylor 's younger sister , Juniyah Palmer conveyed her disappointment on Twitter , speaking directly to Taylor .
`` They failed you , they failed me .
Breonna I am so sorry ...
I do n't know what do do , '' Palmer wrote .
Taylor 's cousin , Tawanna Gordon , on Wednesday told The Courier Journal that she was `` mad as hell because nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to hold a news conference Friday morning in Louisville , alongside Crump and other attorneys .
`` The family of Breonna Taylor will respond to Wednesday 's grand jury indictment at a news conference on September 25 at 10:30 am E.T .
at Louisville 's Jefferson Square Park , '' Crump said in a statement .

'It's Still Breonna Taylor For Me': Taylor Family Plans Friday Press Conference
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Minchillo/AP John Minchillo/AP
Outraged and angry and, at times, wailing protesters renewed their cries for justice for Breonna Taylor on Wednesday, following the Kentucky grand jury's decision to not charge the police officers for killing her.
Meanwhile, the Taylor family have been much more restrained with their anguish over the killing of the 26-year-old by Louisville Metropolitan Police officers during a botched drug raid, since the decision was announced. For the most part they've remained out of the spotlight, issuing a series of brief statements on social media.
On their behalf, lawyer Ben Crump called the decision to charge only Brett Hankinson with wanton endangerment, but not with causing her death, is "outrageous" and "offensive."
Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, the other two officers involved, who sprayed a hail of bullets into Taylor's apartment, will not face any charges.
But on Thursday, Tamika Palmer, Taylor's mother, broke her silence in an Instagram post.
"It's still Breonna Taylor for me," Palmer wrote beside a portrait of her daughter's cherubic face.
The six-word sentence was followed by a red broken-heart emoji and the hashtag, #ThesystemfailedBreonna.
Taylor's younger sister, Juniyah Palmer conveyed her disappointment on Twitter, speaking directly to Taylor.
"They failed you, they failed me. Breonna I am so sorry ... I don't know what do do," Palmer wrote.
Taylor's cousin, Tawanna Gordon, on Wednesday told The Courier Journal that she was "mad as hell because nothing's changing."
The family announced plans to hold a news conference Friday morning in Louisville, alongside Crump and other attorneys.
"The family of Breonna Taylor will respond to Wednesday's grand jury indictment at a news conference on September 25 at 10:30 am E.T. at Louisville's Jefferson Square Park," Crump said in a statement.


npr--2020-09-24--Report: Satellite Images Reveal Suspected Detention Sites In China's Xinjiang Region

A new report by an Australian research group has identified and mapped more than 380 suspected detention facilities in China 's western Xinjiang region .
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute said in its report that these centers have been built and expanded , even as Chinese officials claimed most of the people sent to the facilities had `` returned to society . ''
The researchers say they believe their database and map covers most such facilities that exist .
The institute scoured satellite photos for evidence of such facilities , including nighttime imagery that showed evidence of new construction in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the past .
Their work followed eyewitness accounts , news reports and other research that had documented the construction of such camps .
They found 61 suspected detention sites had seen construction or expansion between July 2019 and July 2020 , including 14 facilities apparently still under construction in the most recent satellite imagery .
`` The findings of this research contradict Chinese officials ' claims that all 'trainees ' from so-called vocational training [ centers ] had 'graduated ' by late 2019 , '' report author Nathan Ruser wrote .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extrajudicial detainees in Xinjiang 's vast 're-education ' network are now being formally charged and locked up in higher security facilities , including newly built or expanded prisons , or sent to walled factory compounds for coerced [ labor ] assignments . ''
At least 70 of the facilities appear to have been `` desecuritized , '' with internal fencing or perimeter walls removed .
Eight camps showed signs of decommissioning .
The Chinese government has been intensifying its crackdown on Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the last few years .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chinese government 's effort to control the Uighur population , James Millward , a professor of inter-societal history at Georgetown University , told The Washington Post .
`` They exist as a threat , '' Millward told the paper .
`` [ The authorities ] can go to people and say : We want you to move 600 miles and work in a factory , or your father better not object to this marriage that 's been set up for you by the party committee , otherwise you 'll be seen as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xinhua News Agency has previously accused the Australian institute of `` churning out anti-China propaganda in Australia . ''
A 2018 U.N. human fights panel estimated that 1 million or more ethnic Uighurs in China were being held in internment camps in Xinjiang .
In July , the United States put visa and asset sanctions on several Chinese officials for what it said was their role in `` gross violations of human rights '' in Xinjiang .

Report: Satellite Images Reveal Suspected Detention Sites In China's Xinjiang Region
A new report by an Australian research group has identified and mapped more than 380 suspected detention facilities in China's western Xinjiang region.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute said in its report that these centers have been built and expanded, even as Chinese officials claimed most of the people sent to the facilities had "returned to society."
The researchers say they believe their database and map covers most such facilities that exist. The institute scoured satellite photos for evidence of such facilities, including nighttime imagery that showed evidence of new construction in places where there hadn't been illumination in the past. Their work followed eyewitness accounts, news reports and other research that had documented the construction of such camps.
They found 61 suspected detention sites had seen construction or expansion between July 2019 and July 2020, including 14 facilities apparently still under construction in the most recent satellite imagery.
"The findings of this research contradict Chinese officials' claims that all 'trainees' from so-called vocational training [centers] had 'graduated' by late 2019," report author Nathan Ruser wrote. "Instead, available evidence suggests that many extrajudicial detainees in Xinjiang's vast 're-education' network are now being formally charged and locked up in higher security facilities, including newly built or expanded prisons, or sent to walled factory compounds for coerced [labor] assignments."
At least 70 of the facilities appear to have been "desecuritized," with internal fencing or perimeter walls removed. Eight camps showed signs of decommissioning.
The Chinese government has been intensifying its crackdown on Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the last few years.
The detention camps are a key aspect of the Chinese government's effort to control the Uighur population, James Millward, a professor of inter-societal history at Georgetown University, told The Washington Post.
"They exist as a threat," Millward told the paper. "[The authorities] can go to people and say: We want you to move 600 miles and work in a factory, or your father better not object to this marriage that's been set up for you by the party committee, otherwise you'll be seen as an extremist."
China's state-run Xinhua News Agency has previously accused the Australian institute of "churning out anti-China propaganda in Australia."
A 2018 U.N. human rights panel estimated that 1 million or more ethnic Uighurs in China were being held in internment camps in Xinjiang.
In July, the United States put visa and asset sanctions on several Chinese officials for what it said was their role in "gross violations of human rights" in Xinjiang.


npr--2020-09-24--Facebook, Twitter Remove More Russian-Backed Fake Accounts Ahead Of Election

Facebook and Twitter said on Thursday they had removed several hundred fake accounts linked to Russian military intelligence and other Kremlin-backed actors involved in previous efforts to interfere in U.S. politics , including the 2016 presidential election .
Nathaniel Gleicher , Facebook 's head of security policy , said in a blog post that the operations did not focus on the U.S. , gained little following and did not directly target the 2020 presidential election .
But he warned that `` they are linked to actors associated with election interference in the U.S. in the past , '' including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Committee and Hillary Clinton 's campaign four years ago .
Such `` hack-and-leak '' operations are `` one of the threats we 're particularly focused on and concerned about ahead of the November elections in the US , '' Gleicher wrote .
U.S. intelligence officials have warned that Russia is seeking to spread disinformation that would undermine former Vice President Joe Biden 's campaign .
Facebook said it took down three separate networks of accounts linked to Russian intelligence and to individuals associated with the Internet Research Agency , the Russian troll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interference .
Much of the networks ' activity focused on creating `` fictitious personas , '' including posing as journalists or editors , and driving traffic to websites they created that purported to be independent media outlets or think tanks , Facebook said .
Earlier this month , both social media companies took down a separate network of accounts tied to the Internet Research Agency , which set up a site posing as an independent news outlet and recruited `` unwitting freelance journalists '' to write stories for it .
The largest network @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 301 groups , pages and accounts , was linked to Russian military intelligence services , Facebook said .
U.S. prosecutors have accused military intelligence of being behind Russia 's 2016 election interference .
This network focused mainly on `` the Far East , Russia 's neighboring countries , and Syria , '' and posted about news and current events , `` including the Syrian civil war , Turkish domestic politics , geopolitical issues in the Asia-Pacific region , NATO , the war in Ukraine , and politics in the Baltics , Georgia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the US . ''
Facebook said the network had `` almost no following '' when it was removed .
A second smaller network was also connected to Russian intelligence and involved 37 accounts and pages , focusing mainly on Belarus and other neighboring countries .
Facebook said the third network , of just 10 accounts , pages and groups , was linked to the Internet Research Agency .
It focused primarily on Turkey , Europe and the U.S. , posting links to articles on an outside website it controlled called United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down two networks of accounts that it attributed to state-linked entities in Russia .
One involved about 345 largely inactive accounts that Twitter said were linked to previous Russian hacking attempts .
A second set of about 10 accounts promoted the same United World International website that Facebook said was connected to the Internet Research Agency .
The FBI tipped the companies off to the Internet Research Agency-linked operation .
Editor 's note : Facebook is among NPR 's financial supporters .

Facebook, Twitter Remove More Russian-Backed Fake Accounts Ahead Of Election
Facebook and Twitter said on Thursday they had removed several hundred fake accounts linked to Russian military intelligence and other Kremlin-backed actors involved in previous efforts to interfere in U.S. politics, including the 2016 presidential election.
Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of security policy, said in a blog post that the operations did not focus on the U.S., gained little following and did not directly target the 2020 presidential election. But he warned that "they are linked to actors associated with election interference in the U.S. in the past," including the leak of hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign four years ago.
Such "hack-and-leak" operations are "one of the threats we're particularly focused on and concerned about ahead of the November elections in the US," Gleicher wrote. U.S. intelligence officials have warned that Russia is seeking to spread disinformation that would undermine former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign.
Facebook said it took down three separate networks of accounts linked to Russian intelligence and to individuals associated with the Internet Research Agency, the Russian troll farm that was indicted over 2016 election interference.
Much of the networks' activity focused on creating "fictitious personas," including posing as journalists or editors, and driving traffic to websites they created that purported to be independent media outlets or think tanks, Facebook said.
Earlier this month, both social media companies took down a separate network of accounts tied to the Internet Research Agency, which set up a site posing as an independent news outlet and recruited "unwitting freelance journalists" to write stories for it.
The largest network in the latest removal, which spanned 301 groups, pages and accounts, was linked to Russian military intelligence services, Facebook said. U.S. prosecutors have accused military intelligence of being behind Russia's 2016 election interference.
National Security What Is The GRU And What Role Does It Play In Russia's Cyber And Military Operations? What Is The GRU And What Role Does It Play In Russia's Cyber And Military Operations? Listen · 3:54 3:54
This network focused mainly on "the Far East, Russia's neighboring countries, and Syria," and posted about news and current events, "including the Syrian civil war, Turkish domestic politics, geopolitical issues in the Asia-Pacific region, NATO, the war in Ukraine, and politics in the Baltics, Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and the US." Facebook said the network had "almost no following" when it was removed.
A second smaller network was also connected to Russian intelligence and involved 37 accounts and pages, focusing mainly on Belarus and other neighboring countries.
Facebook said the third network, of just 10 accounts, pages and groups, was linked to the Internet Research Agency. It focused primarily on Turkey, Europe and the U.S., posting links to articles on an outside website it controlled called United World International.
Twitter said it took down two networks of accounts that it attributed to state-linked entities in Russia. One involved about 345 largely inactive accounts that Twitter said were linked to previous Russian hacking attempts. A second set of about 10 accounts promoted the same United World International website that Facebook said was connected to the Internet Research Agency.
The FBI tipped the companies off to the Internet Research Agency-linked operation.
Editor's note: Facebook is among NPR's financial supporters.