msnbc--2020-10-11--Trump Supreme Court nominee Barrett's confirmation hearings begin Monday under Covid cloud

The confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett 's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court are scheduled to begin on Monday , and the coronavirus outbreak from her introduction at the White House will loom over the proceedings .
President Donald Trump 's Sept. 26th Rose Garden announcement of Barrett as his choice to succeed the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a `` superspreader event , '' according to Dr. Anthony Fauci .
An NBC News tally shows at least 13 attendees tested positive for the coronavirus after the outdoor ceremony and indoor VIP celebration .
Among those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tillis of North Carolina and Mike Lee of Utah — members of the Judiciary Committee that will be conducting the hearings on Barrett 's nomination .
Lee also interacted with Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , after the Rose Garden event .
Graham said he tested negative for the virus last week , but he refused demands from Democratic Senate challenger Jaime Harrison to take another test before their debate in South Carolina on Friday .
Democrats on the 22-member Judiciary Committee , including vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris , say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another superspreader .
Three of them asked Graham in a letter last week to delay the hearing to `` ensure that we do n't risk the health and safety of fellow Senators , Senate staff , other Senate employees , as well as Judge Barrett and her family . ''
Harris , who grilled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 , will be watched for how aggressively she questions Barrett given that the hearings come with about three weeks left in the presidential campaign .
Graham and the Republicans , who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly as possible for fear they 'll lose control of the Senate and the White House in the November election , have refused to budge .
There will be some coronavirus safety measures in place for the hearings , which are set begin at 9 a.m .
ET on Monday and continue through Thursday .
The senators ' seats will be 6-feet apart , as has been standard for Senate hearings during the pandemic , and each senator has wipes , napkins and hand sanitizer at their sear .
Senators also can attend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not be allowed into the hearing room .
Monday 's proceedings include opening statements by committee members and Barrett , with the nominee answering questions from the committee on Tuesday .
That will be followed by testimony from friends of Barrett and legal experts .
The stakes are high for both sides .
Barrett 's confirmation would cement conservative control of the nation 's highest court , giving them a 6-3 advantage .
At 48-years-old , Barrett would become the youngest member of the court and would potentially be able to serve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago , has been on the bench since 2017 , after she was nominated for the job by Trump .
Prior to that , the Louisiana native worked briefly in private practice and taught for 15 years at Notre Dame law school , where she earned her law degree .
She was also a law clerk to a federal appeals court judge in Washington and to the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia , whom she 's called her mentor and an `` incalculable influence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has the backing of evangelicals who consider her a likely vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade abortion decision .
Democrats have said she 's also likely to side against the Affordable Care Act .
The high court is scheduled to hear that case on Nov. 10th .
Questions also have been raised about Barrett 's possible association with the People of Praise religious group .
Only three Democrats voted in favor of her nomination in 2017 , and none are expected to do so now .
They 've accused the Republicans of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the final weeks of the election after GOP senators refused to even consider then-President Barack Obama 's nominee Merrick Garland in early 2016 because , they argued , it was an election year .
At the hearings , Democrats — who have acknowledged there 's little they can do to derail the nomination — are expected to focus on items that Barrett initially omitted from answers in her Senate questionnaire , including her failure to disclose her participation in a 2006 newspaper ad calling for Roe v. Wade to be overturned and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , has accused the Democrats of exhibiting anti-Catholic bias with their opposition .
During Barrett 's 2017 confirmation hearing , Sen. Dianne Feinstein , D-Calif. , questioned whether her beliefs would color her legal judgment and told her , `` The dogma lives loudly within you , and that 's a concern . ''
Barrett responded , `` It 's never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge 's personal convictions , whether they arise from faith or anywhere else , on the law .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with their language since Barrett 's nomination , McConnell said they 've been using `` euphemisms '' to suggest she would put her beliefs first .
`` The ongoing attacks by Senate Democrats and the media on Judge Barrett ’ s faith are a disgrace .
They demean the confirmation process , disrespect the Constitution and insult millions of American believers , '' McConnell said in a statement .
Republicans do n't have much margin for error .
Two Republican senators , Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine have said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given the proximity to the presidential election .
That leaves Republicans with 51 votes — just enough to confirm Barrett , barring defections or illness .
If there 's a 50-50 tie , Vice President Mike Pence could break it .

Judge Amy Coney Barrett will tell the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday that serving on the U.S. Supreme Court "was not a position I had sought out, and I thought carefully before accepting," according to a copy of her opening statement obtained by NBC News.
The confirmation hearings for Barrett's nomination to the high court are scheduled to begin on Monday at 9 a.m. ET and last through Thursday.
Barrett does not mention her conservatism or her religious views in the four-page statement, and will instead tell senators that courts are "not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life."
"Courts have a vital responsibility to enforce the rule of law, which is critical to a free society," Barrett will say, after discussing her experience clerking for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
Barrett will say that she chose to accept the nomination because she believes "Americans of all backgrounds deserve an independent Supreme Court that interprets our Constitution and laws as they are written."
Barrett acknowledges the women on the court who came before her should she be confirmed, and pays tribute to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Barrett will say, "I have been nominated to fill Justice Ginsburg’s seat, but no one will ever take her place. I will be forever grateful for the path she marked and the life she led.”
Barrett will be virtually introduced by Indiana Senators Mike Braun and Todd Young, as well as former Notre Dame School of Law Dean and Professor Patty O’Hara.
The coronavirus outbreak from her introduction at the White House will loom over the proceedings.
President Donald Trump's Sept. 26th Rose Garden announcement of Barrett as his choice to succeed Ginsburg was a "superspreader event," according to Dr. Anthony Fauci. An NBC News tally shows at least 13 attendees tested positive for the coronavirus after the outdoor ceremony and indoor VIP celebration.
Among those who tested positive were Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Mike Lee of Utah — members of the Judiciary Committee that will be conducting the hearings on Barrett's nomination.
Lee also interacted with Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., after the Rose Garden event. Graham said he tested negative for the virus last week, but he refused demands from Democratic Senate challenger Jaime Harrison to take another test before their debate in South Carolina on Friday.
Democrats on the 22-member Judiciary Committee, including vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, say they're concerned the hearings could be another superspreader. Three of them asked Graham in a letter last week to delay the hearing to "ensure that we don't risk the health and safety of fellow Senators, Senate staff, other Senate employees, as well as Judge Barrett and her family."
A spokesman for Harris said Sunday that she plans to participate remotely from her Senate office.
Due to Judiciary Committee Republicans’ refusal to take commonsense steps to protect members, aides, Capitol complex workers, and members of the media, @SenKamalaHarris plans to participate in this week’s hearings remotely from her office. https://t.co/8WYDyRYZg7 — Chris Harris (@chris_p_harris) October 11, 2020
The vice presidential nominee, who grilled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, will be watched for how aggressively she questions Barrett given that the hearings come with about three weeks left in the presidential campaign.
Graham and the Republicans, who are eager to speed the nomination through as quickly as possible for fear they'll lose control of the Senate and the White House in the November election, have refused to budge.
There will be some coronavirus safety measures in place for the hearings.
The senators' seats will be 6-feet apart, as has been standard for Senate hearings during the pandemic, and each senator has wipes, napkins and hand sanitizer at their sear. Senators also can attend remotely, and members of the public will not be allowed into the hearing room.
Monday's proceedings include opening statements by committee members and Barrett, with the nominee answering questions from the committee on Tuesday. That will be followed by testimony from friends of Barrett and legal experts.
The stakes are high for both sides.
Barrett's confirmation would cement conservative control of the nation's highest court, giving them a 6-3 advantage. At 48-years-old, Barrett would become the youngest member of the court and would potentially be able to serve for decades.
Barrett, who serves on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago, has been on the bench since 2017, after she was nominated for the job by Trump. Prior to that, the Louisiana native worked briefly in private practice and taught for 15 years at Notre Dame law school, where she earned her law degree.
She was also a law clerk to a federal appeals court judge in Washington and to Scalia, whom she's called her mentor and an "incalculable influence."
A devout Catholic, Barrett has the backing of evangelicals who consider her a likely vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade abortion decision. Democrats have said she's also likely to side against the Affordable Care Act. The high court is scheduled to hear that case on Nov. 10th.
Questions also have been raised about Barrett's possible association with the People of Praise religious group.
Only three Democrats voted in favor of her nomination in 2017, and none are expected to do so now. They've accused the Republicans of being hypocrites for rushing through the nomination in the final weeks of the election after GOP senators refused to even consider then-President Barack Obama's nominee Merrick Garland in early 2016 because, they argued, it was an election year.
At the hearings, Democrats — who have acknowledged there's little they can do to derail the nomination — are expected to focus on items that Barrett initially omitted from answers in her Senate questionnaire, including her failure to disclose her participation in a 2006 newspaper ad calling for Roe v. Wade to be overturned and ending its "barbaric legacy."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has accused the Democrats of exhibiting anti-Catholic bias with their opposition.
During Barrett's 2017 confirmation hearing, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., questioned whether her beliefs would color her legal judgment and told her, "The dogma lives loudly within you, and that's a concern."
Barrett responded, "It's never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge's personal convictions, whether they arise from faith or anywhere else, on the law."
While Democrats have been more restrained with their language since Barrett's nomination, McConnell said they've been using "euphemisms" to suggest she would put her beliefs first.
"The ongoing attacks by Senate Democrats and the media on Judge Barrett’s faith are a disgrace. They demean the confirmation process, disrespect the Constitution and insult millions of American believers," McConnell said in a statement.
Republicans don't have much margin for error. Two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine have said they wouldn't vote for any nominee given the proximity to the presidential election.
That leaves Republicans with 51 votes — just enough to confirm Barrett, barring defections or illness. If there's a 50-50 tie, Vice President Mike Pence could break it.


msnbc--2020-10-11--'The Big Burn' of 1910 transformed wildland firefighting. Will 2020 do the same?

ALAMEDA , Calif. — As California 's record wildfires approached 4 million acres earlier this month , the state 's top fire official compared the serial conflagrations to a pivotal event in American history — `` The Big Burn '' of 1910 .
The century-old blaze , which tore through millions of acres in the West , transformed American wildland firefighting into the profession it is today : a force that responds to blazes with mass mobilizations of air tankers , bulldozers and `` troops , '' as the firefighters are often called .
The official , Thom Porter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Fire Protection , or Cal Fire , suggested that 2020 could mark another turning point .
`` The science that was developed to do all those things at that point in time and carried forward 100 years — it did n't do the right thing , '' he said .
`` It did n't do the thing we needed it to do right now . ''
`` Every acre of California can and will burn someday , '' he added .
`` We need to embrace that and become resilient to it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushing California to change some of those practices for years , but in interviews , they were skeptical that the massive fires and the smoke-choked skies of 2020 will prove to be as pivotal as 1910 .
`` Maybe this historic event along the whole West Coast will make us hit the reset button , '' said Timothy Ingalsbee , a former wildland firefighter-turned-fire ecologist who is executive director of Firefighters United for Safety , Ethics and Ecology .
`` Instead of throwing more blood and treasure at this endless , escalating and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the paradigm and stake out a new relationship with fire on the land . ''
`` Coming from Cal Fire , '' he added , `` I 'll believe it when I see it . ''
The series of fires that exploded across parts of British Columbia , eastern Washington , Idaho and Montana in August 1910 scorched 3.25 million acres over two days .
Eighty-five people died , 78 of them firefighters .
Before 1910 , wildfires were treated as a community issue .
Most of the time , they were ignored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land for farming and herding , said Stephen Pyne , a professor emeritus of environmental history at Arizona State University and author of `` Year of the Fires : The Story of the Great Fires of 1910 . ''
When a wildfire did tear through a community — some of them killed hundreds of people — the response was almost entirely community-driven , Pyne said .
They `` had to fend for themselves , '' he said .
The fire of 1910 changed that .
It was n't the biggest or the deadliest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point .
But a young federal agency , the U.S. Forest Service , had seen its political fortunes rise just five years before when it took control of the country 's vast forestlands , Pyne said , and the fire traumatized the agency .
It responded with a set of practices that reflected the progressive , conservation-minded politics of the day , he said .
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and alerts The new philosophy was crystallized in an essay written by the Harvard University philosopher and psychologist William James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. 's escalating militarism .
`` He wanted to redirect that enthusiasm '' toward `` a common foe — the forces of nature , '' Pyne said .
What followed was the large-scale hiring of firefighters , emergency funding to pay for them and state and federal cooperation to build out the infrastructure to fight fires .
Even the symbol of wildland firefighting — a combination ax and hoe known as the Pulaski Tool — was invented by a 1910 veteran , Edward Pulaski , Pyne said .
Another consequential practice of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' — also came from a 1910 veteran .
The policy , which lasted for a few dozen fires , according to Pyne , required Forest Service firefighters to extinguish a blaze by 10 o'clock the morning after it ignited .
The policies amounted to an `` imperial model , '' Ingalsbee said .
Instead of using fire as generations of indigenous Californians before them had — and targeting vegetation that most rapidly spread it , like dead needles and tree limbs — newly emboldened forestry officials sought `` state-denominated control over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a memo published in August by the Forest Service and the state of California , the results of that strategy of `` wholesale fire suppression '' are described as having deprived California 's wildlands of a `` preferred management tool '' — low-intensity fire .
That helped create the overly dense landscape that dominates the state today , one that gave rise to powerful , seemingly unstoppable `` megafires , '' which burn over 100,000 acres .
This year , the state has recorded its first million-acre wildfire in modern history , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across seven counties in Northern California since mid-August .
`` Compounding risks have made it nearly impossible for nature to self-correct , '' the memo says .
`` A cycle of catastrophic wildfires , longer fire seasons , severe drought , intense wind , tree mortality , invasive species , and human population pressure threaten to convert conifer forests to shrublands and shrublands to invasive grasses . ''
Gov .
Gavin Newsom has described the memo — which includes a joint agreement on catastrophic wildfire prevention — as a `` significant milestone '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : It calls for a million acres a year in vegetation `` treatments , '' like controlled , low-intensity burns , forest thinning and timber harvesting , beginning in 2025 .
He has also pointed to a separate initiative completed this year that would help protect 200 vulnerable communities from out-of-control fires .
The initiative , prompted by an emergency proclamation after a series of lethal blazes — including the deadliest in state history , the 2018 Camp Fire — totaled 90,000 acres .
Even though that is three times the acreage Cal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ingalsbee called it `` hobby burning . ''
He pointed out that a couple of hundred years ago , before white settlers killed most of the state 's indigenous population and miners transformed the landscape , at least 4 million acres would burn annually .
Ingalsbee said Porter 's comments and the language in the joint agreement were steps in the right direction .
But he was skeptical that Cal Fire was n't still a `` 20th century fire suppression machine in the face of a 21st century climate crisis . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities , Ingalsbee said the agency seems to attack every fire , regardless of where it is .
He said that in one section of the August Complex fire , for instance , Cal Fire deployed nearly two dozen bulldozers and 10 masticators , or machines that chew through brush and small trees .
The blaze would have burned into unpopulated wildlands , and `` it would have done a lot of good , '' he said .
`` It would have been a fuel treatment , '' he said .
`` But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop the fire from going into the wilderness , which is mind-blowing . ''
In an interview , Porter acknowledged that suppression has long been one of Cal Fire 's primary missions .
So has protecting the private landowners who own 40 percent of California 's forestland .
( The state owns 3 percent ; the rest is owned by the federal government . )
`` When wildfires start , there are landowners that are going to be affected by that fire , '' Porter said .
`` We do n't have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
Do they want it put out ?
The mission is put it out . ''
That was the case with the nearly two dozen bulldozers used in the August Complex , he said .
The agency dispatched all that heavy machinery because the land the fire would have burned through before it reached the wilderness was owned by a timber company .
And the timber company 's owner believed the fire would have destroyed much of his business .
`` We were working on behalf of our constituents , a citizen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his forest , '' Porter said .
In general , that is what happens , Porter said : Private landowners do n't want fire on their land .
For those who do , Cal Fire will work with them to ignite `` good , healthy fire '' — a practice that will expand next year with a new program to train and certify `` burn bosses , '' as private wildfire practitioners are known .
Still , that most of the state 's private landowners do n't want fire on their land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a problem that will likely determine whether 2020 is like 1910 : How do you convince a large segment of a state in which all-out suppression has been the norm for decades that it 's at an inflection point ?
Pyne , the environmental historian , was n't convinced that anything will change .
The pandemic , the political scene , hurricanes — there are too many distractions , he said .
Besides , many thought something significant would happen after 2017 , when the deadly Tubbs Fire scorched wine country , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Camp Fire exploded across Butte County .
Pyne said that almost immediately after the fire of 1910 , the event had been crystallized with a dramatic name — `` the Big Blowup or the Big Burn . ''
`` We do n't even have a name for these yet , '' he said .
`` We do n't have the engagement we need yet . ''
Max Moritz , a cooperative extension wildfire specialist at the University of California , Santa Barbara 's Bren School of Environmental Science and Management , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deadly bushfire that raged across Australia in 2009 , a yearlong inquiry yielded sweeping changes in everything from land use to evacuations and urban planning .
`` They went through an enlightenment , '' he said .
`` We could hope something like that happens here , where we go beyond talking about fire as a problem of fuels and management . ''
Porter , meanwhile , is convinced that 2020 will turn out to be a watershed moment .
He is n't sure how exactly it will play out , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his firefighters are just trying to get through a season that could drag on for several more weeks .
But looking decades out , he said , he hopes to see a California that can live with wildfire — a state where wind-driven flames do n't destroy communities and tear through office tower-size trees .
`` It 's a fire that can pass through like the rising and falling of the tide , and everything is left on the landscape unscathed , '' he said .

ALAMEDA, Calif. — As California's record wildfires approached 4 million acres earlier this month, the state's top fire official compared the serial conflagrations to a pivotal event in American history — "The Big Burn" of 1910.
The century-old blaze, which tore through millions of acres in the West, transformed American wildland firefighting into the profession it is today: a force that responds to blazes with mass mobilizations of air tankers, bulldozers and "troops," as the firefighters are often called.
The official, Thom Porter, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, suggested that 2020 could mark another turning point.
"The science that was developed to do all those things at that point in time and carried forward 100 years — it didn't do the right thing," he said. "It didn't do the thing we needed it to do right now."
"Every acre of California can and will burn someday," he added. "We need to embrace that and become resilient to it."
Wildland fire experts have been pushing California to change some of those practices for years, but in interviews, they were skeptical that the massive fires and the smoke-choked skies of 2020 will prove to be as pivotal as 1910.
"Maybe this historic event along the whole West Coast will make us hit the reset button," said Timothy Ingalsbee, a former wildland firefighter-turned-fire ecologist who is executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology. "Instead of throwing more blood and treasure at this endless, escalating and unwinnable war on wildfire, we shift the paradigm and stake out a new relationship with fire on the land."
"Coming from Cal Fire," he added, "I'll believe it when I see it."
A view of the area where men lost died in fires in 1910 in Coeur d'Alene National Forest in Idaho. R.H. McKay / U.S. Forest Service file
The Big Burn
The series of fires that exploded across parts of British Columbia, eastern Washington, Idaho and Montana in August 1910 scorched 3.25 million acres over two days. Eighty-five people died, 78 of them firefighters.
Before 1910, wildfires were treated as a community issue. Most of the time, they were ignored or welcomed as a way to clear land for farming and herding, said Stephen Pyne, a professor emeritus of environmental history at Arizona State University and author of "Year of the Fires: The Story of the Great Fires of 1910."
When a wildfire did tear through a community — some of them killed hundreds of people — the response was almost entirely community-driven, Pyne said. They "had to fend for themselves," he said.
The fire of 1910 changed that. It wasn't the biggest or the deadliest wildfire in the United States at that point. But a young federal agency, the U.S. Forest Service, had seen its political fortunes rise just five years before when it took control of the country's vast forestlands, Pyne said, and the fire traumatized the agency. It responded with a set of practices that reflected the progressive, conservation-minded politics of the day, he said.
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and alerts
The new philosophy was crystallized in an essay written by the Harvard University philosopher and psychologist William James, who had become alarmed at the U.S.'s escalating militarism.
"He wanted to redirect that enthusiasm" toward "a common foe — the forces of nature," Pyne said.
What followed was the large-scale hiring of firefighters, emergency funding to pay for them and state and federal cooperation to build out the infrastructure to fight fires. Even the symbol of wildland firefighting — a combination ax and hoe known as the Pulaski Tool — was invented by a 1910 veteran, Edward Pulaski, Pyne said.
Another consequential practice of the era — the "10 a.m. rule" — also came from a 1910 veteran. The policy, which lasted for a few dozen fires, according to Pyne, required Forest Service firefighters to extinguish a blaze by 10 o'clock the morning after it ignited.
An 'imperial model'
The policies amounted to an "imperial model," Ingalsbee said. Instead of using fire as generations of indigenous Californians before them had — and targeting vegetation that most rapidly spread it, like dead needles and tree limbs — newly emboldened forestry officials sought "state-dominated control over the environment," he said.
In a memo published in August by the Forest Service and the state of California, the results of that strategy of "wholesale fire suppression" are described as having deprived California's wildlands of a "preferred management tool" — low-intensity fire.
That helped create the overly dense landscape that dominates the state today, one that gave rise to powerful, seemingly unstoppable "megafires," which burn over 100,000 acres. This year, the state has recorded its first million-acre wildfire in modern history, the August Complex, which has been burning across seven counties in Northern California since mid-August.
"Compounding risks have made it nearly impossible for nature to self-correct," the memo says. "A cycle of catastrophic wildfires, longer fire seasons, severe drought, intense wind, tree mortality, invasive species, and human population pressure threaten to convert conifer forests to shrublands and shrublands to invasive grasses."
Gov. Gavin Newsom has described the memo — which includes a joint agreement on catastrophic wildfire prevention — as a "significant milestone" in the effort to prevent such fires: It calls for a million acres a year in vegetation "treatments," like controlled, low-intensity burns, forest thinning and timber harvesting, beginning in 2025. He has also pointed to a separate initiative completed this year that would help protect 200 vulnerable communities from out-of-control fires.
The initiative, prompted by an emergency proclamation after a series of lethal blazes — including the deadliest in state history, the 2018 Camp Fire — totaled 90,000 acres.
Even though that is three times the acreage Cal Fire typically averages in annual controlled fires, Ingalsbee called it "hobby burning." He pointed out that a couple of hundred years ago, before white settlers killed most of the state's indigenous population and miners transformed the landscape, at least 4 million acres would burn annually.
Ingalsbee said Porter's comments and the language in the joint agreement were steps in the right direction. But he was skeptical that Cal Fire wasn't still a "20th century fire suppression machine in the face of a 21st century climate crisis."
Smoke billows from the August Complex Fire near Big Signal Peak in California on Sept. 14. DigitalGlobe / ScapeWare3d/Maxar Technologies/Getty Images file
Instead of focusing on fires that threaten communities, Ingalsbee said the agency seems to attack every fire, regardless of where it is. He said that in one section of the August Complex fire, for instance, Cal Fire deployed nearly two dozen bulldozers and 10 masticators, or machines that chew through brush and small trees. The blaze would have burned into unpopulated wildlands, and "it would have done a lot of good," he said.
"It would have been a fuel treatment," he said. "But they just threw everything at it to stop the fire from going into the wilderness, which is mind-blowing."
He 'didn't want fire in his forest'
In an interview, Porter acknowledged that suppression has long been one of Cal Fire's primary missions. So has protecting the private landowners who own 40 percent of California's forestland. (The state owns 3 percent; the rest is owned by the federal government.)
"When wildfires start, there are landowners that are going to be affected by that fire," Porter said. "We don't have the luxury of contacting them and negotiating with them. Do they want it put out? The mission is put it out."
That was the case with the nearly two dozen bulldozers used in the August Complex, he said. The agency dispatched all that heavy machinery because the land the fire would have burned through before it reached the wilderness was owned by a timber company. And the timber company's owner believed the fire would have destroyed much of his business.
"We were working on behalf of our constituents, a citizen of California who didn't want fire in his forest," Porter said.
In general, that is what happens, Porter said: Private landowners don't want fire on their land. For those who do, Cal Fire will work with them to ignite "good, healthy fire" — a practice that will expand next year with a new program to train and certify "burn bosses," as private wildfire practitioners are known.
Still, that most of the state's private landowners don't want fire on their land points to a deeper philosophical problem — a problem that will likely determine whether 2020 is like 1910: How do you convince a large segment of a state in which all-out suppression has been the norm for decades that it's at an inflection point?
Pyne, the environmental historian, wasn't convinced that anything will change. The pandemic, the political scene, hurricanes — there are too many distractions, he said. Besides, many thought something significant would happen after 2017, when the deadly Tubbs Fire scorched wine country, he said. The year after that, the Camp Fire exploded across Butte County.
Pyne said that almost immediately after the fire of 1910, the event had been crystallized with a dramatic name — "the Big Blowup or the Big Burn."
"We don't even have a name for these yet," he said. "We don't have the engagement we need yet."
Max Moritz, a cooperative extension wildfire specialist at the University of California, Santa Barbara's Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, said that following "Black Saturday," a deadly bushfire that raged across Australia in 2009, a yearlong inquiry yielded sweeping changes in everything from land use to evacuations and urban planning.
"They went through an enlightenment," he said. "We could hope something like that happens here, where we go beyond talking about fire as a problem of fuels and management."
Porter, meanwhile, is convinced that 2020 will turn out to be a watershed moment. He isn't sure how exactly it will play out, he said, because at the moment he and his firefighters are just trying to get through a season that could drag on for several more weeks.
But looking decades out, he said, he hopes to see a California that can live with wildfire — a state where wind-driven flames don't destroy communities and tear through office tower-size trees.
"It's a fire that can pass through like the rising and falling of the tide, and everything is left on the landscape unscathed," he said.


msnbc--2020-10-11--'Live PD' was canceled. But in one Texas county, its twisted legacy lives on

“ The level of transparency 'Live PD ' offers is unlike any other police series on television , ” Cesareo , head of Big Fish Entertainment , the production company that created `` Live PD , '' said in a 2017 interview .
“ When an officer from a participating police department gets a call , we act as a natural extension of body-cams and dash-cams that officers are already using , and never know what will transpire.
” Chody ’ s efforts to get on TV didn ’ t go to waste .
The county eventually approved a contract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County made its prime-time debut in November 2018 .
Fans of `` Live PD , '' better known as # LivePDNation on Twitter , loved Williamson County .
The sheriff interacted with fans online , tweeting back and forth , promoting trading cards , collectable poker chips , T-shirts and giveaway contests .
A local theater hosted “ watch parties ” where fans could gather to watch their neighbors get busted .
But for some deputies who weren ’ t on camera , it became clear , even in those early days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was trumping not only their responsibility to the law , but to the citizens they served .
“ The badge isn ’ t just a symbol of authority over the public , ” said a former deputy who now works at a different agency and was granted anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media .
“ It ’ s a symbol of the trust the public has in us.
” “ But when 'Live PD ' came on the scene , it was the glitz , the glamour , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
“ Law enforcement went right out the window.
” When nearly a dozen deputies armed with long guns descended on the home of Sarah Fairchild in January 2019 , `` Live PD '' cameras followed closely behind .
The clip that appeared on the show opened with Lt. Mark Luera riding in the back of a tactical vehicle .
Dressed in military-style gear , he states the suspect , Fairchild ’ s 27-year-old son Blake , is wanted on an arrest warrant for the manufacture and delivery of methamphetamine .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is that deputies had been observing the house for hours in preparation to make the arrest , according to a deputy with knowledge of the incident .
Blake , who was visiting the house , had appeared several times in the driveway in full view of the deputies conducting surveillance , according to the deputy .
But moments before deputies moved to arrest him , supervisors called them off .
`` Live PD '' was on its way .
Arresting officers , the deputy said , went from “ being able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driveway , with minimal force , to utilizing a SWAT team that has 'Live PD ' on the scene.
” Blake and his girlfriend were eating freshly delivered pizza when they glanced at the video feed of the security camera on the front porch .
“ We just see a big tank pull up , ” said Blake ’ s girlfriend , Brandy Laib .
As Blake ran to open the front door , one deputy smashed it open with a battering ram .
Another tossed a flash-bang grenade into the living room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laib threw herself over the family ’ s dog .
Blake dropped to the floor and put his hands on his head .
“ If they would have just knocked , Blake would have come to the door , ” Laib said .
“ They did not have to go that extreme.
” In the back of the house , deputies hurled a second flash-bang grenade through a window , into the bedroom where Blake ’ s 6-year-old son slept .
Fairchild cried when she saw the shattered glass on her grandson ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the carpet .
It was only by some kind of grace , she said , that he hadn ’ t been home that afternoon .
`` He would have died had he been here , ” she said .
“ This was uncalled for .
It was unbelievable.
” The explanation for Blake ’ s arrest on `` Live PD '' was also misleading , according to court records and Blake 's attorney .
The arrest warrant stemmed not from a new drug manufacturing case , but from a judge revoking his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and alcohol while on pretrial supervision .
“ This was done , ” Fairchild said , “ totally , without a doubt , to make TV.
” Patricia Gutierrez , a spokesperson for the sheriff ’ s office , said in a statement that the deputy ’ s account that an opportunity to make a peaceful arrest was abandoned in order to make TV is untrue .
Planned search and arrest warrants , Gutierrez said , are “ executed using the safest timing and resources.
” She did not elaborate .
A spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never pressured law enforcement to produce material .
`` Live PD '' turned policing on its head in Williamson County in other ways , too , according to interviews with nearly a dozen former and current deputies .
Once , detectives couldn ’ t use a license plate reading tool they needed to investigate a string of residential burglaries because it was being used on patrol with `` Live PD , '' the former deputy said .
In one case , the former deputy said , detectives were told to postpone filing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with filming , causing them to lose access to critical DNA evidence .
In addition to serving warrants for the cameras , deputies increasingly initiated dangerous , high-speed pursuits — like the one that led to Ambler ’ s death — according to reporting by The Austin American Statesmen and ABC affiliate KVUE , which have extensively covered the fallout over `` Live PD '' and the sheriff ’ s office .
“ 'Live PD ' was a distraction allowing complete and utter destruction of standardized best practices in law enforcement , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told not to assign calls to deputies riding with `` Live PD , '' said one former Williamson County dispatcher , who spoke on anonymity because the dispatcher still works in the field .
Those deputies were marked by a special call sign for emergency dispatchers , according to an internal memo seen by NBC News .
“ This will let communications know that you are not to be assigned calls but can chose to respond to any that you would like to , ” a former patrol commander , Steve Deaton , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the dispatcher accidentally sent a `` Live PD '' deputy to check on a burglar alarm that had gone off .
Chody , furious , called the dispatcher ’ s supervisor .
“ He was upset that I had tried to dispatch one of his units to one of those calls , ” the dispatcher remembered .
The show “ added unnecessary stress to an already stressful environment , ” the dispatcher said .
“ Most of us are there because we want to save lives .
It became more or less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and do our jobs around the show.
” '' Live PD '' had “ little to no impact on routine operations of patrol deputies beyond what we normally see with other enforcement activities like DWI enforcement , ” Gutierrez said in a statement .
The show was also at the center of a growing morale crisis .
On one side were the “ rock stars ” of `` Live PD , '' some of whom had been hired or promoted despite troubling pasts .
On the other side were many of the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they risked unceremonious demotions or firings if they did anything that seemed even mildly critical of `` Live PD '' or the sheriff .
It began to feel , Waldon said , like he and his fellow deputies had to “ choose every day whether you ’ re going to follow your moral compass or stay employed.
” ( Waldon was fired in 2019 for allegedly falsifying time sheets , according to the Sheriff ’ s Office .
He fought the charge and a judge reinstated his peace officer license . )
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that the officers featured on `` Live PD '' had wide latitude in how they conducted their law enforcement duties — and even received preferential treatment .
An internal investigation cleared both deputies involved in Ambler ’ s death — Johnson and Zach Camden— of wrongdoing .
And then they were allowed to go right back on `` Live PD . ''
“ The guys that were on 'Live PD ' could do no wrong , ” said the former deputy .
“ They knew they could do no wrong .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months after the Ambler incident , Johnson and Camden were involved in another controversial use of force encounter .
This one , once again , took place in front of `` Live PD '' cameras .
In June 2019 , a local man named Ramsey Mitchell attempted to flee after deputies pulled him over for a minor traffic violation .
Mitchell , who had a bottle of MDMA pills in his pocket and was facing an outstanding warrant linked to a drug possession charge , didn ’ t get far .
Johnson and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tased , restrained and struck Mitchell until he lost consciousness and bled out onto the asphalt .
“ I remember being held up and punched and the police saying , ‘ He won ’ t go down , ’ ” Mitchell said .
“ I just kept thinking , ‘ If you would put me down , I ’ m not resisting.
’ I remember being balled up and they were still kicking and stunning me.
” The incident became one of Williamson County ’ s most dramatic turns on `` Live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitchell said he overheard deputies talking as they followed his gurney on the way to get a CT scan .
Mitchell ’ s “ ass whooping , ” he heard one of the deputies say , was the “ most exciting episode of the season.
” Mitchell lost two teeth , sustained a fractured jaw , and had surgery to reconstruct his eye socket .
He was charged with possession of a controlled substance and assault on a public servant , a charge later dropped by prosecutors .
Mitchell pleaded guilty to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years in prison .
An internal investigation determined the use of force was justified .
But the Williamson County district attorney saw it another way .
It was a “ brutal takedown , ” Dick said .
Mitchell ’ s case is one of several excessive force incidents involving Williamson County deputies investigated by the Texas Rangers over the past year .
Attorneys representing Camden and Johnson said in a joint statement that “ we have reason to believe the Texas Rangers looked into this use of force and did not identify any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety declined to comment on the investigations .
When Ramsey Mitchell ’ s mother , Sandi Price , learned of Ambler ’ s death , she wondered why the same deputies had been put back in front of TV cameras , why `` Live PD '' was still in the county at all .
“ Everybody that they stop and everybody they arrest and everybody they throw down in the street , those people aren ’ t actors , ” Price said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A man died and they were allowed to go back on patrol , like it was business as usual , ” she added .
“ And ya ’ ll continued to film .
It ’ s mind-blowing to me as a human.
” Scott Lewis ’ s experience with `` Live PD '' and Williamson County deputies left lasting damage , too , after the show broadcast one of the worst moments of his life in January 2019 .
Lewis , then 29 , was a trading specialist and club lacrosse coach in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dependent on alcohol to cope with anxiety , one of the many aftereffects of a traumatic brain injury he sustained in a hit-and-run-accident .
Weeks before he appeared on `` Live PD , '' he attended an inpatient rehabilitation program , a major step toward sobriety .
But that night , he relapsed and was arrested for driving while intoxicated .
`` Live PD '' opened on Lewis as he performed a field sobriety test , broadcasting his face — and his sweatshirt , emblazoned with the name of the lacrosse team he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lt. Grayson Kennedy cuffed him and twice pointed out that Lewis had urinated on himself .
When Lewis asked for Kennedy ’ s full name , he grew angry and pinned Lewis against a patrol car .
In the show ’ s oeuvre of humiliation-as-entertainment , it was a classic segment , and pretty much the last of Lewis that fans saw that night .
For him , though , it wasn ’ t the end of the story .

“The level of transparency 'Live PD' offers is unlike any other police series on television,” Cesareo, head of Big Fish Entertainment, the production company that created "Live PD," said in a 2017 interview. “When an officer from a participating police department gets a call, we act as a natural extension of body-cams and dash-cams that officers are already using, and never know what will transpire.”
Chody’s efforts to get on TV didn’t go to waste . The county eventually approved a contract with Big Fish Entertainment, and Williamson County made its prime-time debut in November 2018.
Fans of "Live PD," better known as #LivePDNation on Twitter, loved Williamson County. The sheriff interacted with fans online, tweeting back and forth, promoting trading cards, collectable poker chips, T-shirts and giveaway contests. A local theater hosted “watch parties” where fans could gather to watch their neighbors get busted.
But for some deputies who weren’t on camera, it became clear, even in those early days, that the pressure to make good TV was trumping not only their responsibility to the law, but to the citizens they served.
“The badge isn’t just a symbol of authority over the public,” said a former deputy who now works at a different agency and was granted anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media. “It’s a symbol of the trust the public has in us.”
“But when 'Live PD' came on the scene, it was the glitz, the glamour, the lights,” the former deputy added. “Law enforcement went right out the window.”
‘Complete and utter destruction’
When nearly a dozen deputies armed with long guns descended on the home of Sarah Fairchild in January 2019, "Live PD" cameras followed closely behind.
The clip that appeared on the show opened with Lt. Mark Luera riding in the back of a tactical vehicle. Dressed in military-style gear, he states the suspect, Fairchild’s 27-year-old son Blake, is wanted on an arrest warrant for the manufacture and delivery of methamphetamine.
What Luera didn’t say, however, is that deputies had been observing the house for hours in preparation to make the arrest, according to a deputy with knowledge of the incident.
Blake, who was visiting the house, had appeared several times in the driveway in full view of the deputies conducting surveillance, according to the deputy. But moments before deputies moved to arrest him, supervisors called them off. "Live PD" was on its way.
Arresting officers, the deputy said, went from “being able to take an isolated suspect outside in the driveway, with minimal force, to utilizing a SWAT team that has 'Live PD' on the scene.”
Blake and his girlfriend were eating freshly delivered pizza when they glanced at the video feed of the security camera on the front porch.
“We just see a big tank pull up,” said Blake’s girlfriend, Brandy Laib.
As Blake ran to open the front door, one deputy smashed it open with a battering ram. Another tossed a flash-bang grenade into the living room, filling the house with smoke. Laib threw herself over the family’s dog. Blake dropped to the floor and put his hands on his head.
“If they would have just knocked, Blake would have come to the door,” Laib said. “They did not have to go that extreme.”
In the back of the house, deputies hurled a second flash-bang grenade through a window, into the bedroom where Blake’s 6-year-old son slept.
Fairchild cried when she saw the shattered glass on her grandson’s bed and the black scorch marks on the carpet. It was only by some kind of grace, she said, that he hadn’t been home that afternoon.
"He would have died had he been here,” she said. “This was uncalled for. It was unbelievable.”
The explanation for Blake’s arrest on "Live PD" was also misleading, according to court records and Blake's attorney. The arrest warrant stemmed not from a new drug manufacturing case, but from a judge revoking his bond after Blake admitted to using drugs and alcohol while on pretrial supervision.
“This was done,” Fairchild said, “totally, without a doubt, to make TV.”
Patricia Gutierrez, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, said in a statement that the deputy’s account that an opportunity to make a peaceful arrest was abandoned in order to make TV is untrue.
Planned search and arrest warrants, Gutierrez said, are “executed using the safest timing and resources.” She did not elaborate.
A spokesperson for Big Fish Entertainment said that producers never pressured law enforcement to produce material.
"Live PD" turned policing on its head in Williamson County in other ways, too, according to interviews with nearly a dozen former and current deputies.
Once, detectives couldn’t use a license plate reading tool they needed to investigate a string of residential burglaries because it was being used on patrol with "Live PD," the former deputy said. In one case, the former deputy said, detectives were told to postpone filing a search warrant for a week to coincide with filming, causing them to lose access to critical DNA evidence.
In addition to serving warrants for the cameras, deputies increasingly initiated dangerous, high-speed pursuits — like the one that led to Ambler’s death — according to reporting by The Austin American Statesmen and ABC affiliate KVUE, which have extensively covered the fallout over "Live PD" and the sheriff’s office.
“'Live PD' was a distraction allowing complete and utter destruction of standardized best practices in law enforcement,” the former deputy said.
Dispatchers were told not to assign calls to deputies riding with "Live PD," said one former Williamson County dispatcher, who spoke on anonymity because the dispatcher still works in the field. Those deputies were marked by a special call sign for emergency dispatchers, according to an internal memo seen by NBC News.
“This will let communications know that you are not to be assigned calls but can chose to respond to any that you would like to,” a former patrol commander, Steve Deaton, wrote in the memo.
One night, the dispatcher accidentally sent a "Live PD" deputy to check on a burglar alarm that had gone off. Chody, furious, called the dispatcher’s supervisor.
“He was upset that I had tried to dispatch one of his units to one of those calls,” the dispatcher remembered.
The interaction left the dispatcher troubled.
The show “added unnecessary stress to an already stressful environment,” the dispatcher said. “Most of us are there because we want to save lives. It became more or less that we were having to cater to and do our jobs around the show.”
"Live PD" had “little to no impact on routine operations of patrol deputies beyond what we normally see with other enforcement activities like DWI enforcement,” Gutierrez said in a statement.
The show was also at the center of a growing morale crisis. On one side were the “rock stars” of "Live PD," some of whom had been hired or promoted despite troubling pasts.
On the other side were many of the county’s rank-and-file, who worried that they risked unceremonious demotions or firings if they did anything that seemed even mildly critical of "Live PD" or the sheriff.
It began to feel, Waldon said, like he and his fellow deputies had to “choose every day whether you’re going to follow your moral compass or stay employed.” (Waldon was fired in 2019 for allegedly falsifying time sheets, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He fought the charge and a judge reinstated his peace officer license.)
By contrast, several current and former deputies said that the officers featured on "Live PD" had wide latitude in how they conducted their law enforcement duties — and even received preferential treatment.
An internal investigation cleared both deputies involved in Ambler’s death — Johnson and Zach Camden— of wrongdoing. And then they were allowed to go right back on "Live PD."
“The guys that were on 'Live PD' could do no wrong,” said the former deputy. “They knew they could do no wrong. That meant they could do anything.”
Three months after the Ambler incident, Johnson and Camden were involved in another controversial use of force encounter.
This one, once again, took place in front of "Live PD" cameras.
‘Most exciting episode of the season’
In June 2019, a local man named Ramsey Mitchell attempted to flee after deputies pulled him over for a minor traffic violation. Mitchell, who had a bottle of MDMA pills in his pocket and was facing an outstanding warrant linked to a drug possession charge, didn’t get far.
Johnson and Camden, along with three other deputies, tased, restrained and struck Mitchell until he lost consciousness and bled out onto the asphalt.
“I remember being held up and punched and the police saying, ‘He won’t go down,’” Mitchell said. “I just kept thinking, ‘If you would put me down, I’m not resisting.’ I remember being balled up and they were still kicking and stunning me.”
Injuries sustained by Ramsey Mitchell after his encounter with Williamson County Sheriff's Deputies in June 2019. Williamson County Sheriff's Office
The incident became one of Williamson County’s most dramatic turns on "Live PD." At the hospital, Mitchell said he overheard deputies talking as they followed his gurney on the way to get a CT scan.
Mitchell’s “ass whooping,” he heard one of the deputies say, was the “most exciting episode of the season.”
Mitchell lost two teeth, sustained a fractured jaw, and had surgery to reconstruct his eye socket.
He was charged with possession of a controlled substance and assault on a public servant, a charge later dropped by prosecutors. Mitchell pleaded guilty to the drug charge and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
An internal investigation determined the use of force was justified. But the Williamson County district attorney saw it another way.
It was a “brutal takedown,” Dick said.
Mitchell’s case is one of several excessive force incidents involving Williamson County deputies investigated by the Texas Rangers over the past year.
Attorneys representing Camden and Johnson said in a joint statement that “we have reason to believe the Texas Rangers looked into this use of force and did not identify any potential crimes committed by Johnson and Camden.”
A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety declined to comment on the investigations.
When Ramsey Mitchell’s mother, Sandi Price, learned of Ambler’s death, she wondered why the same deputies had been put back in front of TV cameras, why "Live PD" was still in the county at all.
Ramsey Mitchell and his mother, Sandi Price, in 2013. Price said she doesn't understand why Live PD continued to film in Williamson County after Javier Ambler died in March 2019. Courtesy of Sandi Price
“Everybody that they stop and everybody they arrest and everybody they throw down in the street, those people aren’t actors,” Price said. “Those people belong to people.”
“A man died and they were allowed to go back on patrol, like it was business as usual,” she added. “And ya’ll continued to film. It’s mind-blowing to me as a human.”
Scott Lewis’s experience with "Live PD" and Williamson County deputies left lasting damage, too, after the show broadcast one of the worst moments of his life in January 2019.
Lewis, then 29, was a trading specialist and club lacrosse coach in Austin. He’d grown increasingly dependent on alcohol to cope with anxiety, one of the many aftereffects of a traumatic brain injury he sustained in a hit-and-run-accident. Weeks before he appeared on "Live PD," he attended an inpatient rehabilitation program, a major step toward sobriety.
But that night, he relapsed and was arrested for driving while intoxicated.
"Live PD" opened on Lewis as he performed a field sobriety test, broadcasting his face — and his sweatshirt, emblazoned with the name of the lacrosse team he coached — into millions of American homes.
Lt. Grayson Kennedy cuffed him and twice pointed out that Lewis had urinated on himself. When Lewis asked for Kennedy’s full name, he grew angry and pinned Lewis against a patrol car.
In the show’s oeuvre of humiliation-as-entertainment, it was a classic segment, and pretty much the last of Lewis that fans saw that night. For him, though, it wasn’t the end of the story.


msnbc--2020-10-11--Why Black women face high rates of breast cancer

The day before she turned 30 and had planned to leave for a celebratory vacation , Sharonda Vincent felt a lump on her left breast while in the shower .
She scheduled a last-minute appointment with a doctor at Planned Parenthood , who told her to enjoy her trip because she doubted it was cancerous .
After Vincent returned home to Philadelphia , the mother of one decided to see her primary care provider , just in case .
This led to a series of tests , including a mammogram , ultrasound and biopsy .
In the summer of 2005 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breast cancer .
`` I was numb , hurt , confused , upset , questioning God , '' she told TODAY .
`` It was a complete shock . ''
Vincent , now 45 , has been cancer-free for 15 years , thanks to the surgery , chemo and radiation she underwent that summer .
She 's among the millions of Black women who 've survived breast cancer , even though the odds are unjustly stacked against them .
Black women are 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to be diagnosed at a later stage or at a younger age .
Death rates for white women with breast cancer are improving more rapidly than for Black women , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Research into the reason for these disparities is ongoing , but it 's likely `` multifactorial , '' Dr. Vivian Bea , chief of breast surgical oncology at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital , told TODAY .
What 's more , Bea expects breast cancer outcomes for Black women to only get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survey , conducted by the cancer information platform SurvivorNet , found that 1 in 3 women has delayed getting a mammogram because of the coronavirus .
As a physician and Black woman , Bea believes that a main inhibitor for the Black community to seeking health care is the absence of doctors who can relate to their life experiences .
Only 5 percent of U.S. doctors are Black , and even fewer are Black women , per 2018 data .
`` When I take care of my Black patients ...
I ca n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' I trust you because you look like me , '' she said .
`` I hear stories of , ' I talked to this doctor , and I told them I had a mass , and they told me it was nothing , ' or ' I had a pain , and they said it was in my head . '
Unfortunately ( Black ) women are sometimes not taken seriously . ''
While Vincent does n't feel her care team approached her differently because of her race , she said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professional she encountered during her treatment .
In Vincent 's initial appointments , she recalled , staff struggled to draw her blood , and she had to be pricked by multiple techs each time , especially uncomfortable given her fear of needles .
So the Black medical assistant planned her future visits so the one tech who could draw Vincent 's blood on the first try was always available .
`` She made it a point to really get close to me , '' Vincent said .
`` It was almost like she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to make sure I felt comfortable in the office .
...
It made a big difference . ''
Shortly after Vincent was diagnosed , she found out her grandmother was going through radiation , the last leg of her own breast cancer treatment , but had never told anyone before .
`` As close as we are , my grandmother did n't want to make it too known , so when she learned of my diagnosis , she felt she needed to be that shoulder for me , '' Vincent recalled .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually used her surgeon . ''
Vincent suspects that her grandmother 's approach is common among Black women .
`` People in Black families probably feel like , 'We have so much other stuff to worry about , let 's not bog the family down with this news , ' '' she said .
Bea pointed out that she often hears Black women say , `` I never had cancer in my family , so I 'll never get breast cancer , '' but that 's `` totally not true , '' she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage 3A breast cancer in January , told TODAY that hearing from other Black women in her Brooklyn neighborhood that they had breast cancer was a revelation of sorts .
`` We never know what other people are gong through until we sometimes are going through things ourselves , '' Tomer , 53 , said .
`` In my community , I do n't know if women talk to one another ... but when you start confiding in people , you find out what 's going on with others .
...
I never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with breast cancer .
You start to think , well , what 's going on in the community ? ''
Asked what aspects of the health care system she 'd want to improve to better support Black breast cancer patients , Bea called out the lower quality of care that Black women often receive .
`` The first step is making sure all providers who see any woman understand the standard of care that they deserve , '' she said .
`` What 's the age that they should get a mammogram ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The answer is a specialist where they 're treated in a multidisciplinary fashion , not your buddy down the street . ''
As Dr. Elizabeth Comen , a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and advisor to the cancer information platform SurvivorNet , explained it , `` It 's not just how quickly you get to a doctor , but are you getting to a doctor that knows how to treat your disease correctly ? ''
Comen also pointed out that medical professionals do n't adequately seek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which limits the quality of their care .
In 2019 , Black people comprised only 4 percent of clinical trial subjects for oncology drugs that were later approved .
`` A Black women might come to me and say , 'If you want to give me the new drugs , in a clinical trial how many Black women were treated by it ? '
'' Comen explained .
`` In some instances , different ethnicities can have different side effects . ''
Vincent , Bea and Tomer all said that Black women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above their own — and that 's why Vincent and Tomer hope talking about their diagnoses will encourage fellow Black women to prioritize their own health .
`` We have a tendency ( to think ) , 'Oh , it went away so I 'm not going to worry about it , ' '' Tomer said , recalling the stinging sensation she felt in her breast two months before seeing a doctor .
`` I was like , ' I 'll take care of everybody else .
I 'll be alright . '
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's lives matter .
They need to know that , and oftentimes they do n't feel that way .
... Black breasts matter . ''
She went on to stress the importance of Black women conducting monthly breast exams and seeing their provider if they notice any changes , such as masses , nipple discharge , skin changes or swelling .
`` Do n't take no for an answer if you feel within your soul that something is wrong , '' she said .

This story originally ran on Today.com.
The day before she turned 30 and had planned to leave for a celebratory vacation, Sharonda Vincent felt a lump on her left breast while in the shower. She scheduled a last-minute appointment with a doctor at Planned Parenthood, who told her to enjoy her trip because she doubted it was cancerous.
After Vincent returned home to Philadelphia, the mother of one decided to see her primary care provider, just in case. This led to a series of tests, including a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. In the summer of 2005, she was diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer.
"I was numb, hurt, confused, upset, questioning God," she told TODAY. "It was a complete shock."
Vincent, now 45, has been cancer-free for 15 years, thanks to the surgery, chemo and radiation she underwent that summer. She's among the millions of Black women who've survived breast cancer, even though the odds are unjustly stacked against them.
Black women are 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than white women. Black women are also more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage or at a younger age. Death rates for white women with breast cancer are improving more rapidly than for Black women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Research into the reason for these disparities is ongoing, but it's likely "multifactorial," Dr. Vivian Bea, chief of breast surgical oncology at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, told TODAY.
What's more, Bea expects breast cancer outcomes for Black women to only get worse due to COVID-19. A recent survey, conducted by the cancer information platform SurvivorNet, found that 1 in 3 women has delayed getting a mammogram because of the coronavirus.
A doctor who looks like you
As a physician and Black woman, Bea believes that a main inhibitor for the Black community to seeking health care is the absence of doctors who can relate to their life experiences. Only 5 percent of U.S. doctors are Black, and even fewer are Black women, per 2018 data.
"When I take care of my Black patients ... I can't tell you how often I hear, 'I trust you because you look like me," she said. "I hear stories of, 'I talked to this doctor, and I told them I had a mass, and they told me it was nothing,' or 'I had a pain, and they said it was in my head.' Unfortunately (Black) women are sometimes not taken seriously."
While Vincent doesn't feel her care team approached her differently because of her race, she said she leaned heavily on the only Black medical professional she encountered during her treatment.
In Vincent's initial appointments, she recalled, staff struggled to draw her blood, and she had to be pricked by multiple techs each time, especially uncomfortable given her fear of needles. So the Black medical assistant planned her future visits so the one tech who could draw Vincent's blood on the first try was always available.
"She made it a point to really get close to me," Vincent said. "It was almost like she rode this journey with me. She wanted to make sure I felt comfortable in the office. ... It made a big difference."
Suffering in silence
Shortly after Vincent was diagnosed, she found out her grandmother was going through radiation, the last leg of her own breast cancer treatment, but had never told anyone before.
"As close as we are, my grandmother didn't want to make it too known, so when she learned of my diagnosis, she felt she needed to be that shoulder for me," Vincent recalled. "We shared stories, and I actually used her surgeon."
Vincent suspects that her grandmother's approach is common among Black women. "People in Black families probably feel like, 'We have so much other stuff to worry about, let's not bog the family down with this news,'" she said.
Bea pointed out that she often hears Black women say, "I never had cancer in my family, so I'll never get breast cancer," but that's "totally not true," she stressed.
Tracy Tomer, diagnosed with stage 3A breast cancer in January, told TODAY that hearing from other Black women in her Brooklyn neighborhood that they had breast cancer was a revelation of sorts.
"We never know what other people are gong through until we sometimes are going through things ourselves," Tomer, 53, said. "In my community, I don't know if women talk to one another ... but when you start confiding in people, you find out what's going on with others. ... I never knew so many Black women were dealing with breast cancer. You start to think, well, what's going on in the community?"
Accessing quality care
Asked what aspects of the health care system she'd want to improve to better support Black breast cancer patients, Bea called out the lower quality of care that Black women often receive.
"The first step is making sure all providers who see any woman understand the standard of care that they deserve," she said. "What's the age that they should get a mammogram? Who should they be sent to? The answer is a specialist where they're treated in a multidisciplinary fashion, not your buddy down the street."
As Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and adviser to the cancer information platform SurvivorNet, explained it, "It's not just how quickly you get to a doctor, but are you getting to a doctor that knows how to treat your disease correctly?"
Comen also pointed out that Black people aren’t adequately represented in breast cancer research, which limits the quality of their care. In 2019, Black participants comprised only 4 percent of clinical trial subjects for oncology drugs that were later approved. She added that "physicians need to be sensitive to historical racism" in the medical profession, in particular experimentation on Black bodies, and "how that plays into fears about clinical trials."
"A Black women might come to me and say, 'If you want to give me the new drugs, in a clinical trial how many Black women were treated by it?'" Comen explained. "In some instances, different ethnicities can have different side effects."
'Black breasts matter'
Vincent, Bea and Tomer all said that Black women tend to put other people's problems above their own — and that's why Vincent and Tomer hope talking about their diagnoses will encourage fellow Black women to prioritize their own health.
"We have a tendency (to think), 'Oh, it went away so I'm not going to worry about it,'" Tomer said, recalling the stinging sensation she felt in her breast two months before seeing a doctor. "I was like, 'I'll take care of everybody else. I'll be alright.'"
Bea added: "Black women's lives matter. They need to know that, and oftentimes they don't feel that way. ... Black breasts matter."
She went on to stress the importance of Black women conducting monthly breast exams and seeing their provider if they notice any changes, such as masses, nipple discharge, skin changes or swelling.
"Don't take no for an answer if you feel within your soul that something is wrong," she said.


msnbc--2020-10-11--Covid testing for the stars: As cameras roll again, a new cottage industry emerges

NASHVILLE , Tennessee — As a trauma nurse in an emergency room , Kirstin Broc-Reyes had seen her share of chaotic scenes in hospitals , but nothing prepared her for being on the set of a music video for the first time .
As CEO of Live Better Solutions , which provides on-site private Covid-19 testing , Broc-Reyes administers Covid-19 tests to production employees , crews and talent .
She also serves as a Covid-19 compliance officer , which involves maintaining safety protocols , like mask wearing and social distancing , on set .
It ’ s a collision of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be an ace in the ER , Broc-Reyes doesn ’ t have to worry about stepping into camera lines there .
“ The crew was constantly telling me to move , ” she said .
“ Now I ’ ve learned to ask where the ‘ no-go ’ zones are.
” Thanks to agreements signed among unions and the industry within the last few months and strict new Covid-19 compliant guidelines , cameras on movie and television productions are starting to roll again .
That has meant a growing need for immediate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Small private companies like Broc-Reyes ’ are stepping in , creating a new and growing cottage industry .
In Tennessee , Bob Raines , executive director of the Tennessee Entertainment Commission , estimates they ’ ve seen a 40 percent increase in film permits and projects since May .
Colleen Bell , executive director of the California Film Commission , said a comprehensive mandatory testing regime is the cornerstone of a safe set in a pre-vaccine environment .
“ Without testing , the entire cast and crew would be working in environments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This summer ’ s Video Music Awards was one of the first live shows under the new Covid-19 testing protocols , and for Jackie Barba , Viacom/CBS senior vice president of production , it was daunting to oversee it all .
“ We had no footprint , we had no playbook , ” Barba said .
“ VMA ’ s were the first tentpole out of the gate.
” Now two months later , Barba is taking lessons learned from the VMAs and using them for the CMT Music Awards taking place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says production changes are based on an updated knowledge of health and science .
The show is pivoting away from indoor production and shooting at outdoor locations — which Barba says are safer and more efficient .
The Covid-19 testing timelines for production crews look like a football coach ’ s playbook .
Teams are divided into zones based on their proximity to country stars on site .
Before going on set , high-profile crews take two Covid-19 tests within a six day period and another test within 72 hours of production .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the health and safety of our workers , “ Barba says .
“ We want them to feel that way on and off site.
” Country stars and crew can also request concierge Covid-19 testing at home .
Broc-Reyes says the tests are a big human equalizer .
She recalled the time an A-list country star drove up to her testing site on one hot and humid Tennessee afternoon : “ She pulls right up beside me , opens the door , gets the test , and does n't even flinch .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Solutions in March with two intensive care unit nurses and a doctor from Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville and has seen a fast growth in testing .
She said having a medical doctor with prescriptive authority on their team enables Live Better Solutions to obtain the tests they need .
Their first week in operation , they administered four tests .
A week later , they did 100 .
The company now averages 500 tests a week and is booked through October .
Broc-Reyes said they ’ re a six figure company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ becoming a seven-figure organization .
Broc-Reyes ’ team , which now consists of six nurses and their medical director , administer Covid-19 tests for both video production and corporate clients .
They ’ ve worked on shoots starring Taylor Swift , Keith Urban , Darius Rucker and Carrie Underwood .
They ’ ve administered tests at truck stop parking lots for clients who don ’ t have time to drive to the company ’ s offices , and they have done house calls in patients ’ garages .
Matt Blair , a director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bedhead Films , are following their trade association ’ s guidance and won ’ t shoot without a Covid-19 compliance officer on the set .
They ’ ve hired Live Better Solutions several times .
“ Having her on set allows everyone to do their job .
She makes everyone feel safe , ” Blair said .
Whether at a drive-through site or in a tent , Broc-Reyes and team follow safety parameters set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration .
She and her team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drink properly without uncovering their noses and have escorted people off the sets when they don ’ t comply with safety measures .
“ The worst that ’ s happened is we ’ ve been spit on as we escorted the violators out .
But it ’ s all in a day ’ s work , ” Broc-Reyes said .
They administer Polymerase Chain Reaction nasal swab tests , which are required by most unions .
Results arrive in six to 24 hours from a lab outside Nashville and are normally 99.9 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Live Better Solutions also performs saliva sample tests and the rapid antibody blood tests .
Since the company has certification to act as a lab , they can get those results back within 10 minutes because the blood tests are done on site .
Before Covid-19 shut down film and TV production in Tennessee , the state was on track for another banner year : In 2019 , film and video shoots brought in more than $ 100 million to the state ’ s economy , according to Raines .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and then you woke up and it was gone .
It just went dark , ” he said .
California , which according to a 2018 study led the nation in film production , suffered devastating economic impacts from the pandemic .
“ This wasn ’ t a fade to black , it was a snap to black , ” Bell said .
In New York , film and TV production are resuming based on rigorous N.Y. Department of Health guidance , which includes everything from physical distancing on the set and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kurland , a union agent representing movie and television workers in Tennessee and Mississippi , said testing is the anchor to these agreements .
“ Everybody has to adapt because everybody wants to be safe , ” he said .
Barba agrees .
“ You either embrace it and move on and grow , or you find another line of work .
It ’ s the world we live in today .
”

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — As a trauma nurse in an emergency room, Kirstin Broc-Reyes had seen her share of chaotic scenes in hospitals, but nothing prepared her for being on the set of a music video for the first time.
As CEO of Live Better Solutions, which provides on-site private Covid-19 testing, Broc-Reyes administers Covid-19 tests to production employees, crews and talent. She also serves as a Covid-19 compliance officer, which involves maintaining safety protocols, like mask wearing and social distancing, on set.
It’s a collision of two different worlds: While she might be an ace in the ER, Broc-Reyes doesn’t have to worry about stepping into camera lines there.
“The crew was constantly telling me to move,” she said. “Now I’ve learned to ask where the ‘no-go’ zones are.”
Thanks to agreements signed among unions and the industry within the last few months and strict new Covid-19 compliant guidelines, cameras on movie and television productions are starting to roll again. That has meant a growing need for immediate, on-site Covid-19 testing all over the country. Small private companies like Broc-Reyes’ are stepping in, creating a new and growing cottage industry.
In Tennessee, Bob Raines, executive director of the Tennessee Entertainment Commission, estimates they’ve seen a 40 percent increase in film permits and projects since May.
Colleen Bell, executive director of the California Film Commission, said a comprehensive mandatory testing regime is the cornerstone of a safe set in a pre-vaccine environment. “Without testing, the entire cast and crew would be working in environments with unknown risk,“ she said.
This summer’s MTV Video Music Awards was one of the first live shows under the new Covid-19 testing protocols, and for Jackie Barba, ViacomCBS senior vice president of production, it was daunting to oversee it all.
“We had no footprint, we had no playbook,” Barba said. “VMA’s were the first tentpole out of the gate.”
Now two months later, Barba is taking lessons learned from the VMAs and using them for the CMT Music Awards taking place on Oct. 21 in Nashville. She says production changes are based on an updated knowledge of health and science.
The show is pivoting away from indoor production and shooting at outdoor locations — which Barba says are safer and more efficient.
Live Better Solutions have administered tests at truck stop parking lots for clients who don’t have time to drive to the company’s offices, and they have done house calls in patients’ garages. Live Better Solutions
The Covid-19 testing timelines for production crews look like a football coach’s playbook. Teams are divided into zones based on their proximity to country stars on site. Before going on set, high-profile crews take two Covid-19 tests within a six day period and another test within 72 hours of production.
“Our No. 1 priority is the health and safety of our workers,“ Barba says. “We want them to feel that way on and off site.”
Country stars and crew can also request concierge Covid-19 testing at home. Broc-Reyes says the tests are a big human equalizer.
She recalled the time an A-list country star drove up to her testing site on one hot and humid Tennessee afternoon: “She pulls right up beside me, opens the door, gets the test, and doesn't even flinch. I was shocked.”
Broc-Reyes launched Live Better Solutions in March with two intensive care unit nurses and a doctor from Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville and has seen a fast growth in testing.
She said having a medical doctor with prescriptive authority on their team enables Live Better Solutions to obtain the tests they need.
Their first week in operation, they administered four tests. A week later, they did 100. The company now averages 500 tests a week and is booked through October. Broc-Reyes said they’re a six figure company now and are on their way to becoming a seven-figure organization.
Broc-Reyes’ team, which now consists of six nurses and their medical director, administer Covid-19 tests for both video production and corporate clients. They’ve worked on shoots starring Keith Urban, Darius Rucker and Carrie Underwood. They’ve administered tests at truck stop parking lots for clients who don’t have time to drive to the company’s offices, and they have done house calls in patients’ garages.
Allison Gale and Matt Blair of BedHead Films regularly hire Covid-19 compliance officers for their productions. BedHead Films
Matt Blair, a director in Nashville and partner Allison Gale of Bedhead Films, are following their trade association’s guidance and won’t shoot without a Covid-19 compliance officer on the set. They’ve hired Live Better Solutions several times. “Having her on set allows everyone to do their job. She makes everyone feel safe,” Blair said.
Whether at a drive-through site or in a tent, Broc-Reyes and team follow safety parameters set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. She and her team teach cast and crew members how to drink properly without uncovering their noses and have escorted people off the sets when they don’t comply with safety measures.
“The worst that’s happened is we’ve been spit on as we escorted the violators out. But it’s all in a day’s work,” Broc-Reyes said.
They administer Polymerase Chain Reaction nasal swab tests, which are required by most unions. Results arrive in six to 24 hours from a lab outside Nashville and are normally 99.9 percent accurate if correctly collected, she said. Live Better Solutions also performs saliva sample tests and the rapid antibody blood tests. Since the company has certification to act as a lab, they can get those results back within 10 minutes because the blood tests are done on site.
Before Covid-19 shut down film and TV production in Tennessee, the state was on track for another banner year: In 2019, film and video shoots brought in more than $100 million to the state’s economy, according to Raines. “I mean literally it was there one day, and then you woke up and it was gone. It just went dark,” he said.
California, which according to a 2018 study led the nation in film production, suffered devastating economic impacts from the pandemic. “This wasn’t a fade to black, it was a snap to black,” Bell said.
In New York, film and TV production are resuming based on rigorous N.Y. Department of Health guidance, which includes everything from physical distancing on the set and at locations to mask wearing.
Peter Kurland, a union agent representing movie and television workers in Tennessee and Mississippi, said testing is the anchor to these agreements. “Everybody has to adapt because everybody wants to be safe,” he said.
Barba agrees. “You either embrace it and move on and grow, or you find another line of work. It’s the world we live in today.”