State lawmakers are considering a one percent pay raise Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey has officially kicked off his reelection campaign Joe Hernandez of member station. Reports Menendez is running for a 3rd term just months after a federal corruption case against him was thrown out Senator Menendez says he'll push for policies like universal health care and stricter gun laws of Fodor's give him a 3rd term in the Senate but in remarks to supporters the Democrat made no direct mention of his 11 week federal corruption trial last year the case ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury and the blame to the Justice Department for what he saw as an overzealous prosecution there's a reason we call ourselves Jersey strong when the going gets tough we get tougher his leading Republican challenger is Bob Huguenot a wealthy former pharmaceutical executive Hugh Grant is vowing to dump millions of his own dollars into the campaign and so far he's not shy about using it to attack him and then does for n.p.r. News I'm Joe Hernandez Wiki Leaks founder Julian Assange who's holed up in Ecuador's embassy in London has lost his internet connection for now at least Ecuador says it suspended the systems that allow us to communicate with the outside world because he violated an agreement not to send messages that could interfere with ketones international relations. N.p.r. News support for n.p.r. Comes from n.p.r. Stations other contributors include entertainment studios presenting Chappaquiddick a film by John Kuranda starring Jason Clarke Kate Mara Ed Helms and Bruce Dern based on a true story Chappaquiddick is in theaters April 6th. 90 seconds natural right. Hi there I'm thinking Maynard deep in the Amazon rain forest butterflies flock to land on the heads of yellow spotted turtles to get this drink their tears the butterflies are attracted to the turtles tears because the liquid drops contains salt specifically sodium an important mineral that is scant in the Western Amazon unlike butterflies turtles get plenty of sodium through their largely carnivorous diet but herbivores sometimes struggle to get enough sodium and other minerals turtle tears are not the only source of such salts for butterflies the insects also readily get the salt from animal urine muddy river banks puddles and sweaty people this region is lower in sodium than many places on Earth because it is more than 1600 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean a prime source of salt and is cut off from wind blown mineral particles to the west by the Andes Mountains the tear drinking phenomenon doesn't appear to take place often outside this region scientists have been studying turtles in the wild from the northern u.s. Mexico in Amazonia for over 50 years and have never seen butterflies drinking tears of turtles anywhere else the 92nd natural list is a production of Cincinnati Public Radio and the Cincinnati Zoo and is supported by the Gehring Center for Family and business which is Morning Edition from n.p.r. News I'm David Greene in Culver City California and I'm Noel King in Washington d.c. President Trump has fired Veterans Affairs Secretary David shell can sulk and was one of the president's more moderate cabinet picks he served as an undersecretary at the v.a. In the Obama administration before he joined the Trump cabinet but Jochen did have some adversaries in the v.a. And in the White House and he was dismissed from his position last night President Trump wants him replaced with Navy rear admiral right. Annie Jackson who is currently serving as the president's position David Tolkien is with us now good morning doctor Good morning and we're also joined by N.P.R.'s veterans correspondent Quil Lawrence a quote. Good morning Dr Shelton good morning Quil So Dr Shelton can scuse me there have been rumors for weeks that you might be fired when and how did you find out that you'd been dismissed Well I think is your reported last night I found out sorry tell us how you how you found out who told you you know this issue of this intrigue about how people find out things like that really doesn't have any interest to me this is part of all this Washington nonsense but frankly gets in the way what I'm really concerned about is making sure that the progress that we have to do as a country for veterans continues and that we're we're doing the right things for our veterans Dr I wonder were you given a reason for why you were like oh. When you're a cabinet member you serve at the pleasure of the president and you know when the president makes a decision that's the way that goes we all understand that taking these jobs so Dr Szell can the big point of friction within the administration within the v.a. Is about privatization just how to what degree the v.a. Should rely on private care or should it privatized outright and political appointees in the administration were discussing removing you over this issue so was that coming directly from the president is that what he wants to do with the v.a. . As you said there are many political point he's in the v.a. That believe that we are moving in the wrong direction or weren't moving fast enough towards privatizing the v.a. As I've always said I think that. It's essential for national security and for the country that we honor our commitment by having a strong v.a. I was not against. Reforming v.a. But I was against privatization and I think that it was really the political point t's that were trying to undermine our efforts at v.a. I mean you've already increased privatization private care use at the v.a. Up above 30 percent or so how much more does President Trump want to privatized v.a. Care Well as I've said I think that the right answer for veterans to meet their needs is a very strong v.a. But also to work with the private sector and to do it in the integrated way where veterans can get the very best that this country can offer and that includes a strong v.a. I think that these debates about how to reform v.a. Continue the transformation are going to be very active in the months to come and are going to be important for people to watch to make sure that we are fulfilling our commitment to our veterans I just add one more time do you know where the president stands on privatization I know the president feels strongly about making sure that we're doing better for veterans I don't you know as secretary he gave me a lot of authority in making sure that we were making that type of progress I think that there's probably going to be a lot of open discussion about the best way forward and I certainly want to make sure that we're making good informed choices as we do move forward Dr Shelton what were your final months in the administration like was this debate over privatization or how much to private ties was this happening out in the open. Well you know I I've had a very good experience as secretary for most of my tenure it's been one that I would characterize as strong bipartisan support we have great committees in Congress with Chairman Isaacson and Ranking Member tester and chairman Roane ranking member Walls who are doing great things for veterans and we've gotten so much done but as you mention in the last few months it really has changed not from Congress but from these internal political appointees that were trying to politicize v.a. And trying to make sure that our progress stopped and it's been a very difficult environment it's been one where we've been distracted from our mission and hopefully we have a chance now to get back on target to make sure that we are making the types of continued transformations for veterans that they deserve to have a v.a. That works for them do you expect that to happen. Well I have a lot of confidence in our congressional leadership I have a lot of confidence in our veteran service organizations and I have a lot of confidence in the men and women who serve in the v.a. Or some of the best professionals in the industry and I do believe that the country wants to see this happen so I am optimistic for the future you Dr still can sorry so if you had your support of all the leadership on veterans committees in the Senate and the House Republicans and Democrats support of all of the major veteran service organizations and yet you were let go does that mean that President Trump was more interested in a different agenda than the one they were pushing which is again anti privatization Well you know I don't think the best person to speak for the president and I think we all see the president. Feels strongly about certain issues and make sure that he's putting his policies in place and he should have the people that he wants in place but I do think that the way that you work effectively towards transforming the v.a. Is to work closely with our members of Congress particularly because we have such great leadership there and our veterans service organizations and the people who serve in the v.a. And when you try to make a transformation as large as this without having alignment of of interest without having a consensus about where we're going it just makes the job a lot tougher Well doctor let me ask you about the job I mean you said you go in understanding that any cabinet secretary could lose their job at any time you obviously care about that are in is this turnover doing veteran any good I mean don't they deserve some stability and some clarity I think when you look back over the history of v.a. And I think everyone has to recognize this is a system that has struggled for decades across multiple ministrations one of the issue. News that has kept it from making the type of progress that he needs to make is the turnover of leadership and I do think in any organization where you're making such big change continuity of leadership is important so I do think that this is going to be a challenge going forward but I believe that we will find the right leadership and and hopefully will all support the new secretary so that they can make the type of progress and have the type of continuity that you need to see this transformation happen Dr shook in your your relationship with the White House seemed to change when this ethics probe was a report was released by the inspector general of the v.a. Saying that you had improperly spent v.a. Funds several $1000.00 on an official trip to Europe where you improperly brought your wife along accepted gifts of tickets to Wimbledon you had just released a memo to all the staff about unnecessary spending what were you thinking Well really glad to talk about that you know no one's ever mentioned what the purpose of this trip was this was the 5 allies conference a trip that the v.a. Secretary has participated in for 43 years with her major allies we had over 40 hours of direct meetings I gave 3 separate lectures we this is our one form where we share how the care for our veterans among all of our allies this was being characterized as a European vacation it was far from that this was official business on nights and weekends I went out never used government money for that the single expenditure spent was on a coach airfare for my wife who was officially invited everything was pre-approved by our ethics committee when the inspector general didn't like the way that my staff had handled the approval I wrote a check back to the government so this was completely mischaracterized there was nothing improper about. This trip and I was not allowed to put up in the official statement or to even respond to this by by the White House who told me that they didn't want me responding so I think that this was really just being used in a political context to try to make sure that that I wasn't as effective as a leader moving forward and quite frankly this is really always been about the issue of the future of v.a. And the direction of v.a. Let's talk about the future your replacement White House physician Ronnie Jackson The Man The President wants to replace you doesn't have much background heading an agency at how long do you think it's going to take to get him up to speed and what do you think of his appointment Well I know Dr Jackson very well I would consider him a good friend he has a very honorable man. You know served the country cares a great deal about veterans and you know I think that he wants to do the right thing and we'll work hard to do that and I will personally help him in any way possible the No one I think is naturally prepared to take on a task like this this is a very decent way and we're going to have to leave it there Dr for time we've been speaking with former Veterans Affairs secretary Dr David silken Thank you sir thank you and N.P.R.'s Quil Lawrence thank you. This is Fred Freedman and I'm here every Thursday evening at 10 o'clock to host jazz liner notes please join me for 2 hours of great music and a lot of fun right here on k.c. Vx Public Radio on the Central Coast. From n.p.r. News and Washington I'm Windsor Johnston North and South Korea have agreed to hold a leader summit next month the decision comes just days after North Korean leader Kim Jong un made his international debut with a surprise trip to China there are signs that Ecuador is losing its patience with Wiki Leaks founder Julian Assange hunch it's been nearly 6 years since a songe took refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London Larry Miller reports the embassy has pulled the plug on his Internet connection Ecuador says a sauce can no longer communicate with the outside world after he failed to honor a promise not to send messages that interfere with other states this week he tweeted a British cabinet minister was a snake and he's used the Internet to support Catalonian independence Assad fears that if you leave the embassy he'll be extradited to the u.s. For publishing thousands of classified documents Larry Miller reporting from London Ober has raged as settlement with the family of a woman killed by one of the company's tribalist vehicles in Arizona Jimmy Jenkins from member station. WFIU of the accident shows a lane Hertzberg emerging from the darkness and split seconds before she was struck and killed by the autonomous s.u.v. An attorney for the victim's family confirmed a settlement has been reached but did not disclose the details local and federal investigations into the accident continue listening to n.p.r. News in Washington. Every Saturday afternoon from 2 until 5 The Broken Spoke folks Shelby choose the best in new folk music pleasure tried and true favorite and gentle younger busy on Saturday afternoons no problem you can listen to the broken spoken all the other great music programs on demand online anytime you like just go to k.c. V.x. Dad or click listen now then on the title of the show you'd like to listen to the Broken Spoke Saturdays from 2 to 5 are online any time at k.c. V.x. Data org. Support for n.p.r. Comes from this station and from c 3 i.o.t. Providing a software platform that enables organizations to deploy artificial intelligence predictive analytics and i.o.t. Solutions at industrial scale learn more at c 3 i.o.t. Dot com. From Jones Day and integrated partnership collaboratively providing legal services for more than a century 43 offices 5 continents serving clients as one firm worldwide learn more it Jones Day dot com. And from Farmers Insurance committed to helping people understand the ins and outs of insurance so they can prepare for life's ups and downs coverage options and more information can be found at Farmer's dot com. It's Morning Edition from n.p.r. News I'm Noel King and I'm David Greene Facebook is trying to contain the damage caused by news that millions of users data was shared without their knowledge or consent yesterday the social media giant announced it would make it easier for users to control privacy settings and that it would prevent advertisers from using brokers to access user data all of this is on the heels of news that c.e.o. Mark Zuckerberg will testify in Congress next month I want to bring in Congressman Mike Quigley of Illinois he's a Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee and he joins us some Congressman good morning good morning thanks resident self thanks for coming on do you like the moves Facebook has made the past few days are they addressing your concerns with the company well it's a start let's remember that the 1st time they appeared before Congress on this issue was last November where Facebook Twitter and Google they argue knowledge that far more extensive forensic investigation is needed to determine the full extent of Russia's weaponization of social media we haven't heard back to them yet that and that is potentially even more important and so I get damage control because it's important to their bottom line but there are a lot of questions to answer about what happened in 2016 and frankly the years preceding leading up to this oh so you're not just interested in Cambridge analytical you want to bring Mark Zuckerberg in and ask him about Russia belts I mean everything well sure and look we had we had our vendor next we have audio and video hookup and still having him in and he was not candid at all from cameras not according That's right he was asked has Cambridge analytical acquired book data through Facebook. Mr Nix No it is not question the Cambridge analytically used any of the 3rd party data that was not purchase as far as I'm aware it did not it's another example of why we need to continue the investigation at the House and Senate level and in addition to the mall investigation Well can I just as I think what aspect to hear from Mark Zuckerberg I mean himself is there something specific that he's going to provide or is is a lot of this is there value in just having the c.e.o. There and demonstrating you know the role that you lawmakers plan accountability saying you know if there are questions you need to be here yourself the c.e.o. To answer to answer something that's right because he wasn't there November 1st of 2017 neither was the commensurate heads of Twitter and Google as we went forward but there's a lot of questions they need to ask they need to answer how did this happen why did you take so long to communicate this how do we know if all this data has truly been destroyed how do you prevent this in the future who else was involved and oh by the way why did you in bed Facebook workers in a San Antonio social media campaign for President Trump What did you know when that took place and did you still in bed workers with Cambridge analytic as they did this multimedia 1000000 dollar operation I just wonder Have have you closed your own Facebook account and in the midst of all this well used Facebook through my official role and we have not. It continues to be an important platform and I'm sure millions of Americans will continue to use it. I think casebook is on the front page because there's such a direct connection. But to a lesser extent all the social media platforms have to understand what's taken place the weaponization of social media is going to take their concerted effort on an ongoing basis as well respected and sadly there are so much more to talk about where we're out of time this morning I'm comes from my quickly Illinois Democrat talking to us about Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg testifying probably next month Thanks a lot Congressman thank you take care. Today marks exactly one year until the United Kingdom officially leaves the European Union it is called Breck's it and as the countdown to this divorce from the e.u. Begins there's still a lot that needs to be figured out much of that work will fall on the shoulders of British prime minister Theresa May N.P.R.'s joining Kiss' is in London for us hey Joanna Hey good morning so what's the mood in the u.k. Is breaks it approaches so the mood is not great there's a new poll that's out that shows that just a 3rd of voters think the government is actually handling brags that well now and there's also concern that the Bragg's that vote may have been improperly influenced and that's what data scientist Christopher Wiley told parliamentary committee earlier this week now Christopher Wiley is the whistleblower in the huge data mining scandal involving the London based from Cambridge analytical which we just heard about and there was also a partner from in Canada and Christopher Wiley says these these firms work together micro targeted British voters with ads that influenced that influence these voters to decide to leave the e.u. So like Teresa Mayes trying to pry Mr treasonist trying to tune this all out whistle stop tour of the u.k. Today travelling through England Wales Northern Ireland Scotland and this is what she said this morning in Scotland I believe that we can negotiate a good agreement which is terrorists reign as fiction is trying just possible so we maintain those markets in the but also that we open up markets around the rest of the BRICs it provides us with opportunities as you can hear she's. Trying to sound as optimistic as possible yet about a path that's not really clear I mean prick's it is enormous logistical challenge what's actually been done so far so there is this preliminary deal on rights for citizens in the u.k. And British citizens in the e.u. And the 2 sides have also agreed on a transition period which will help the u.k. a Lot it's supposed to last 2 years or nearly 2 years 21 months and during this period it will feel like the u.k. Is in the e.u. Even though Britain won't actually have a seat at the decisionmaking table in Brussels its leaders will be able to work out like trade deals as well as partnerships on security defense and foreign policy and give us a couple of the big things that are still left to work out so the really big issue right now is how to manage the border between Ireland in Northern Ireland Ireland of course is in the e.u. And Northern Ireland is part of Britain and there's no border there you can just you know walk across or drive across it with no problem and you know that's the case because the e.u. In the e.u. Have no borders between countries but ideally you know both sides want to keep that border open and that's going to be hard to do if the u.k. Sticks to its guns on issues like leaving the Customs Union and the single market and remember Ireland is a sensitive issue because of the violence there in the past known as The Troubles That's correct and. Thank you. This is n.p.r. News. Sacramento is in turmoil over the police killing of Stefan Clark a 22 year old shot 20 times in his back yard Clark's name must live live along with Michael Brown live along with Trayvon Martin live along with our. Hearts funeral is set for today bring you the latest this afternoon on All Things Considered from n.p.r. News. Good morning I'm David Greene the slogan for Dunkin Donuts is America runs on Duncan for next month in Boston people are definitely going to be running on Duncan marathon this icon a brand design special shoes in this year's Design Dunkin Donuts actually a pink frosted donut on the back shades of pink and orange on the sole Massachusetts is the beloved home of Duncan in fact of runners want the real thing there are 18 Dunkin Donuts along the marathon route It's Morning Edition. For. Sure one of the rarest natural habitats in America is found in Florida thousands of years ago rising sea levels isolated much of the Florida peninsula as an island during the long isolation a unique oak scrub ecosystem developed the Florida grub Jay is one among many special animals and plants that evolved with this habitat now protected by the hutch bold Biological Station Eastern toadies and loggerhead shrikes are common in the dense scrub habitat. But unlike the Towhee in the Shrike Florida scrub jays are found nowhere else because they're fascinating birds and quite tame around humans the Jays have been studied for many years they live in family groups the young of the previous year helping to raise the current young this behavior seems surprising until studies with banded birds showed that one of the young would immediately take the place of an adult that could. Because they depend on acorns during winter Florida scrub jays can survive only in Oak scrub populations have declined by 90 percent because the birds have lost much of their special habitat to citrus groves pastures and development now people are working hard to protect what. Bird knows celebrates groups everywhere that are improving bird habitat more bird. Art for n.p.r. Comes from this station and from Charles Schwab when it comes to wealth management believes in asking questions and being engaged so investors can better own their tomorrow learn more at Schwab dot com. From Zoom Zoom offers cloud video conferencing online meetings and a video conference room solution and one platform featuring digital video and audio with screen sharing account registration and more at Zoom dot us and from listeners like you who donate to this n.p.r. Station. This is Morning Edition from n.p.r. News I'm David Greene in Culver City California and I'm Noel King in Washington d.c. It seems like barely a day goes by without a new crisis in Venezuela the economy has collapsed the country is desperately short of food and medicine and now we have news of another tragedy a fire in a police station that officials say killed $68.00 people many details around the fire have not been officially confirmed N.P.R.'s Philip Reeves though has been monitoring the story from Rio de Janeiro Phil good morning good morning so what do we know right now about this fire Well it happened in the prison cells of a big police station in Valencia That's a city about 100 miles west of the capital Caracas reports say that disturbances broke out inside the cells there's a report that a police officer got shot in the leg by one of the prisoners prisoners set fire to mattresses the fire got out of control and became so severe that rescuers had to punch a hole in the wall to try to get people out the chief prosecutor of Venezuela saying on Twitter that nearly all of the $68.00 who died were prisoners but the victims also include 2 women who were visiting as we said details around this are are far from confirmed all the details are far from confirmed but we were reading this morning that there were after the fire there were clashes outside of the prison yes as news of this disaster spread around the local community relatives of the inmates started to show up outside the building desperate for information known was telling them and the thing they got angry clashes broke out with the security forces there who used to gas reportedly to brought to try to bring the situation under control what are the conditions in Venezuela's prisons like and do you think they contributed to to a tragedy like this almost certainly they will have. Human rights groups have for a long time been saying that the penal system in Venezuela is dysfunctional it's overcrowded it's awash with disease and malnutrition not to mention drugs and guns and this tragedy is likely to be cited as another example of how the system is in a terrible condition Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro is facing as we said many many many problems economic problems shortages of food and medicine what will an event mean for like this mean for him will it mean anything or will just be another blip considering how much else is going on it increases the pressure on. The ruling Socialist Party. It's a reminder of how desperate the situation is so desperate that millions of people have left the country as you mentioned is a dire shortage of food medicines and basics he's got no election in May the mainstream opposition is almost all cases boycotting it this but that is one opposition candidate is standing against him however most people on the opposition side say that this is a fraudulent process and that's a view that is also supported by many within the international community at N.P.R.'s Philip Reeves in Rio Thanks Phil You're welcome. There is a frightening new dimension in the opioid crisis people who are using cocaine are overdosing not on cocaine but on fentanyl Fendel makes heroin even more dangerous and now it's showing up in cocaine and it could make the addiction crisis even bigger for member station in Boston Martha beating are reports the only sign of drug use found your Chris Benet's body was a pipe but it looks like the 32 year old from southeastern Massachusetts had stopped breathing and died of an opioid over. Goes Chris Bennett's mother Lisa couldn't understand what happened then she saw the toxicology report he was smoking that was laced that's what he had in the system was cocaine and Bennett says she was stunned she'd heard about functional being added to heroin and had warned Chris my focus was making sure you know that he was going to do the heroin that was laced but she never suspected the crack cocaine Chris mocked occasionally might kill him absolutely not police chief Fred Ryan has seen 4 cocaine functional overdoses recently in Arlington a suburb of Boston that that's the next wave of the addiction crisis is. Ok in Connecticut 220 people overdosed on a mix of cocaine and fentanyl last year a dramatic increase Massachusetts State Police recorded 199 samples of cocaine that included fentanyl last year nearly 3 times what they found the year before Florida had the most seizures of funds in a laced cocaine in a November report from the Drug Enforcement Agency Tennessee Rhode Island and New York City have issued public warnings but just Haley says those warnings are not enough She distributes nor can and say few supplies to drug users in western Massachusetts telly says few cocaine users understand the current danger we don't want to cause widespread panic but without deadly phenol is I believe we really need to get the word out there that it could potentially be an every That's of cocaine just like we tell everyone to approach all their heroin like you could potentially have that means teaching cocaine users to test the drug before snorting smoking or injecting them to start with a small amount to use in pairs and to carry nor can says Tracy Green an epidemiologist at Boston Medical Center the tools that are going to be most effective are the ones we hardly have there's hope and we have. Quite a lot that we can work with here Greene says some data suggest Fentanyl is showing up in bags of cocaine by accident the result of messy packaging not malicious intent but other doctors law enforcement agents and drug users suggest cartel leaders are using cocaine to make more people addicted to opioids Here's Rafael we're only using his 1st name because Rafael buys cocaine and other illegal drugs often several times a day on the streets of Boston evil is usually called an occasion. Because of the. Make believe the brother the market expansion theory baffles some in the drug community who say adding Fentanyl to cocaine will either scare off buyers or kill them either way they call for renewed urgency to slow what might become a deadly new wave in the opioid crisis for n.p.r. News I'm Martha even her in Boston. This is n.p.r. News. If you enjoy music that is out of the ordinary far from the middle of the bell curve on the outskirts of traditional musical realms then join us Tuesday nights at 10 for be on the fringe where electronic classical and world music combine to reveal the latest to contemporary composition take a 3 hour adventure and go Beyond the Fringe Tuesday nights at 10 right after picking up the tempo here at Central Coast public radio k c.b.x. . From n.p.r. News Washington I'm Winsor Johnston President Trump is nominating White House physician Dr Ronnie Jackson to become the next secretary of Veterans Affairs N.P.R.'s Quil Lawrence reports Trump fired v.a. Secretary David Chilton the it Twitter last night an ethics investigation by the inspector general of v.a. Came out saying they're shocked and had taken a Fishel trip to Europe last year but that he improperly brought his wife along spent several days on tourism he ended up paying back several $1000.00 of improperly spent v.a. Funds but what was even more interesting were e-mails exchanged between other political appointees within the trumpet ministration who are actively planning to use this investigation to push out shook an end his top deputies because they didn't think he was moving fast enough to increase the use of private care at the v.a. French President Emanuel will travel to Russia and May. Reports His visit comes despite France expelling Russian diplomats over the poisoning of a former Russian spy in London still plans to it's in the St Petersburg economic forum in May The French Minister of Foreign Affairs said France wants to ask Russia face to face to respect international law he said France still stands with Great Britain and accusing Russia of poisoning and with the Soviet made nerve agent Russia says British secret services. This is n.p.r. News. There's a jukebox revival each Tuesday night on c.b.s. Slide into the corner booth to listen to Patsy Cline the best new Americana bands and the architects of rock n roll join me Monica fiscally me for a jukebox revival a mixing and matching of country Americana and plenty of surprises Tuesday nights at 630 right after all things considered we're going to fill up the jukebox one dime at a time. Support for n.p.r. Comes from this station and from Sony Pictures Classics with the leisure seeker starring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland as a long time married couple who decide to drop everything start up their vintage r.v. And embark on a new adventure to Key West now playing select theaters and from Log Me In makers of Go To Meeting a collaborative meeting platform with over 18000000 monthly users designed to connect to people from anywhere in the world on any device learn more and go to meeting dot com. This is Morning Edition from n.p.r. News I'm Noel King and I'm David Greene There are more funerals today in key mayor of that's the Siberian city where fire consumed a shopping mall this past Sunday taking the lives of more than 64 people 2 thirds of them were children this tragedy has led to an outpouring of grief and anger all over Russia Reuters correspondent Polina Ivan Nova is in Cuba and she's on the line I fling or hi hi David so we're 4 days on now since this tragedy I guess the funerals just keep keep on going there are too many of them but what does it feel like in in the city. I mean the city is clearly absolutely devastated I small it's a small city and there are not I don't think as a single person here who hasn't been affected in some way I mean everyone you meet asks about the funerals will they have relatives involved or friends people at the walk who passed away there were a lot of funerals yesterday there are only 2 today and this is because the process of identifying the bodies has has reached a difficult stage. A lot of bodies are now going to be sent to Moscow for d.n.a. Tests in order to be able to identify them the kind of bodies that easier to identify have now been buried with various Yes it is there any 2 funerals today and I just came back from well on a boy called by the news 10 years old and was a very very moving scene and I think the town is completely devastated. How did they react when the president Vladimir Putin came to visit them on Tuesday said she's a was. Yes cheese it was a difficult day people are cold protests from the very morning and there's a link to preach and survival necessarily people walk it wasn't knowing that he was coming and so and almost until he derived. Yes So about 1500 people gathered around 9 o'clock in the mornings in the center of town and stayed there for basically the entire day and it was. Emotional it was very tense people angry people very angry that according to the resignation of the governor of the mayor who came out to speak and his voice was completely Trant out before the deputy governor and came out and actually went down on his knees and ask the residents of the city that he asked for their forgiveness and that will ban unschooling teachings resignation at where they say I think it was quite a number calling for him to be jailed in fact and it was it was a tense as a tense time it's so interesting because in tragedies like this and in this tragedy Putin seems to make the argument that he's on the side of the people and this is the fault of local and regional officials I mean how much blame is Putin getting in this. It's difficult to say I think people almost are in such a state of grief at the moment they don't really know exactly where Iraq. Has been a lot of disputes about the number of the dead at the moment and that is the main discussion in the city and I think that's a way for people to channel their anger at authority figures at the government and including at's I mean the government the president a whole range of authority figures I think people that know well where it's a direct their anger at the moment. Polina I've been over is there correspond with Reuters and she is on the line from the Siberian city of the matter of where the fire took place days ago thanks so much we appreciate it 'd. This is n.p.r. News. To It's Morning Edition from n.p.r. News I'm David Greene and I'm Noel King photographs taken over the course of 50 years are on view in Los Angeles 3 different photographers captured stunning and shocking and provocative images and then a curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art found connections among the pictures N.P.R.'s special correspondent Susan Stamberg explains we snap a selfie with the tap of a finger we're used to preserving smiling moments the Mochas show goes to darker places with the work of 3 major photographers Braeside a Frenchman who made his reputation revealing secret Paris nights between the wars dn Arbus American who said in the sixty's I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn't photograph them and golden another American who stunned the 1980 s. With her series The Ballad of sexual dependency. All 3 picture takers are revolutionary photographing with profound intimacy the undersides of life. In the night time Paris breast size stopped the underworld brothels street walkers but it a happy night at an afro caribbean club in Momart blacks and whites smoke together superior stronger stuff dance they're having a great time and then there's this one woman on the left hand corner that I just find so striking curator along to Tattersall she's wearing this white hat that's just off to the side a kind of kerchief had and she's staring directly at the camera and this is the thing that I find so remarkable in this image it's taken in 1932 she's looking at her side and she's very aware of her image being taken by this photographer it didn't happen that much in those days people roaming around unannounced taking your picture she's probably thinking you know the scene is being preserved I think that's what makes this photograph absolute contemporary is an awareness of what it is to be photographed and to really think about having your image distributed across time and space 30 years later American photographer Dan our best inherited breast size vision we were used to having our pictures taken by the 1960 s. But arpa says focus was new in black and white she documented people on the fringes Giants bearded ladies also people with mental disabilities people who may have been an institution people whose bodies or sexual identity is didn't conform with kind of mainstream narrative of what it was to be an American she was accused of voyeurism going after what were then called freak shows but the mocha curator says Arbus forge relationships with her subjects like a Tattersall's sees empathy in these pictures to me she's photographing these remarkable individuals who want to be photographed there's an amazing 1900 photo Arbus called. Transvestite at her birthday party and it's this person lying alone on a bed. On the wall it might just be a 2 person birthday party. And this one woman they're having a fabulous time transgender people photographer named. 20 years after Golden photographs them and gays lesbians hers are the most provocative pictures in the exhibit she shows people having sex friends who let her photograph them having sex her camera is part of their scene are the pictures invasive I think. She's exploring relationships what happens in love and when love goes very wrong her self portrait after being battered 1984 shows the damage Goldens lover did to her bruises under her eyes the left eye bloody in her swollen face she looks right at us the look is uncompromising see in that face is anger revenge I think there's a chilling way in which saying this is what it looks like to be battered it looks like to take control of. 31 years old in that photo one battered I was nearly blind but and she's painted her lips carefully a bright bright red even if that moment of. Victimization there's a way in which I am taking my own agency back to a lot of rough stuff in this exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary. Images and ideas that linger long after you've left the building they trace how great photographers have used their cameras to. Understand. In the course of half a century in California I'm Susan Stamberg n.p.r. News. I took on a series sling shot n.p.r. Music is on the prowl for buzzed about artists regionally who might make it big nationally and Jared Walker of Oregon Public Broadcasting has the story of Haley Hendrix my. Son just. 2 years ago Haley Hendrix released a promising 4 song collection that was so long guarded it was almost uncomfortable to listen to like the tourists who stumbled upon a wedding on a public beach I found myself wondering am I supposed to be here. Can. Impersonate Hendrix is shy and soft spoken she gets what she calls a sweaty imposter syndrome when asked about her music but in performance the Portland based musician has the confidence to lay herself bare You can hear that on her new album I need to start a garden so it's the. Same leave. Hendrix now in her mid twenty's scenes of universal preoccupations navigating relationships evaluating self-worth on this track she seems to ask a disenchanted loved one is it you or is it me. Thinks it is you. Grew up outside Portland in a Filipino American household learn to sing at church and family karaoke parties and alter guitar chops at local open my ex with this record Hendrix says she's moving towards a full time music career which must have been scary because the sessions didn't go well at 1st she scrapped multiple recordings and suffered a real crisis of confidence before finding her footing and recording this song which would become the heart of the record the moon. Was. All that I have a good night and since then she leaves me a weekend Rick says the song is partly motivational and partly a reminder not to take yourself too seriously installing. The. Old I'm tired of the church Walker of Oregon Public Broadcasting talking about Ellie has drinks and this is Morning Edition from n.p.r. News I'm David Greene and I'm Noel King. it's more 59 on Thursday morning March 29th and this is key c.b.x. H.d. One Sam was a bust though k n b x h d one San r.t.o. And k s b x Santa Barbara good morning it's 5 o'clock. Good morning yet another shake up of the trouble ministration Veterans Affairs secretary Dr David Shogun is our president tweeted about his dismissal last night and we'll hear more in this hour of Morning Edition from n.p.r. News. David Shogun was popular with veterans but he faced questions about misuse of government resources I'm David Greene and I'm Noel King Russia's president Vladimir Putin is facing 2 Price East outrage over the deaths of 64 people in a shopping mall fire and the expulsion of Russian officials from nearly 2 dozen countries in western Mexico 3 young film students were abducted by men dressed as state police it's hard to fear and anger and the Dallas suburbs may be experiencing a political shift.