Once A Symbol Of Freedom, Sudan’s Pop Radio Station Has Fallen Almost Silent
“I’m trying to keep hope, because everyone is leaving, bro,” says Ahmad Hikmat, Content Director of Capital FM in Khartoum. “I am losing my team one by one.”
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When Omar al-Bashir was ousted from the Sudanese presidency in April of 2019, there was an explosion of new culture in Sudan. In a country under strict Islamic law, suddenly, graffiti appeared on walls. Music of all kinds blasted from speakers. Men and women commingled openly at a protest camp in front of military headquarters.
Standing as a stark example of these post-military crackdown changes is Capital FM — a popular music radio station that was at the center of the spring’s cultural revolution.
“It was just so beautiful, and we were just so proud that we’re soulful,” Ahmad Hikmat, Capital FM’s content director, says as he recalls the creativity that Capital exuded. “You’d wake up in the morning, and you’d hear a song on Capital Radio was D’Angelo. Who would play D’Angelo in the morning, you know? It’s just 91.6 FM that would do that.”
But the surge of cultural awakening ended when the military junta running the country violently broke up the protests in the capital city of Khartoum. Now, Capital FM, is fighting for survival.
Now, as Hikmat walks through the empty station, the walls are bare. The sound panels have been taken down. You can still see the dabs of glue that held up vinyl records of Keith Sweat, Kenny Burke, Ray Charles and The Roots that decorated the studio.
Pushing the envelop in a Islamist country, Capital FM had become a symbol for a modern Sudan. It started as a house music station and then became a cultural hub. They had even begun hosting parties with DJs and bands where young Sudanese could quite literally let their hair down. But since the militarization of Khartoum, government censors have been taking the station off the air for hours at a time. To Hikmat, this is a clear warning sign that soon, security forces will break down Capital FM’s doors and confiscate everything — so he has started taking the place apart.
“It’s a bit dark now at the moment, because we painted the walls black because of everything that is happening,” Hikmat says.
Pushing the envelop in a Islamist country, Capital FM had become a symbol for a modern Sudan. Now, the station’s airwaves have gone almost silent.
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Hikmat says that one of his main jobs at Capital is to keep what it represents — a utopia of progressiveness — intact. Recently, that has been a particularly difficult task. One Capital FM staffer was killed at the protest camp, and many others question whether an enterprise like Capital is even possible in Sudan at this point. “I’m trying to keep hope because everyone is leaving,” he says. “I am losing my team one by one.”
To express what he feels in respect to the situation at Capital FM and in Khartoum, Hikmat says Marvin Gaye‘s “Make Me Wanna Holler” never leaves his mind.
“For me, this is the song that plays in my mind when I am driving in the streets, just looking at the leftovers,” Hikmat says. “I see those guys, you know, sitting there, chilling with their big-a** guns, and this song just plays in my head.”
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USWNT Fans And Players Hope World Cup Win Will Help National Women’s League Succeed
NPR’s Audie Cornish talks with Rachel Bachman, senior sports reporter for The Wall Street Journal, about how this year’s World Cup title might help the National Women’s Soccer League thrive.
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
This year’s ticker-tape parade is over for the women’s national soccer team. Now back to work. How can women’s soccer take advantage of a monthlong commercial for the sport? When the women won their second World Cup in 1999, they had a lot of momentum. But since then, two different pro leagues have launched and folded. Fans and players hope the current league, the National Women’s Soccer League, will be different.
Joining me to talk about this is Rachel Bachman. She’s a senior sports writer for The Wall Street Journal. Welcome to the program.
RACHEL BACHMAN: Great to be here, Audie. Thanks for having me.
CORNISH: So this is the women’s fourth World Cup title. What do you think will be different this time around?
BACHMAN: One of the things that’s changed most dramatically is the backdrop of their victory. The Women’s World Cup is just so much more popular than it was back in ’91 when it started when hardly anyone even knew it was happening. FIFA, the world governing body of soccer, estimates that 1 billion people watched this Women’s World Cup, and that’s simply unprecedented.
CORNISH: In March, the women’s team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against U.S. Soccer alleging that the federation pays them less than men. People have been talking about this a lot. How does this affect their argument?
BACHMAN: Well, if I were the U.S. women’s soccer team, I would take the audio from the World Cup final in which the crowd was chanting equal pay and submit it as evidence because what they have now, in addition to a World Cup title, is they have the public unequivocally on their side. And I would think that can only help them in their lawsuit.
CORNISH: In the meantime, it looks like the private market is starting to step up. Can you talk about how this win has basically kind of brought more attention to the team from the business world?
BACHMAN: Well, two significant things happened during the World Cup itself. One, ESPN announced that it will broadcast 14 games in the NWSL. Another thing that has happened is Budweiser announced a four-year sponsorship agreement with the NWSL as well. And this is a league that really has largely run on a shoestring budget. If it’s going to succeed long-term, it needs deep-pocketed investors, owners and, certainly, sponsors. And Budweiser is a very significant first step on the way of what could be increased investment in the league.
CORNISH: Does it make a difference that the team has this charismatic international star in Megan Rapinoe? I mean, is that something that can really be a defining moment for a sport and a league that is trying to push itself forward?
BACHMAN: Absolutely. It’s just been remarkable to see the rise of her star. You know, let’s not forget she certainly was a very good player for the team going into the World Cup, but certainly not what we would say the unequivocally best player. She scored all four goals in two of the U.S.’ knockout round games. She, of course, very famously struck this outstretched arms pose during the France game. And, of course, her sparkling, very effervescent personality.
CORNISH: Yeah, she’s good for a soundbite.
BACHMAN: Exactly. And I think that can only help the league. Certainly, in every city she goes to, she’ll be the LeBron James of the NWSL, and that can only help boost attendance.
CORNISH: Is there anything other women’s pro leagues, like the WNBA, can take from this moment from soccer and apply it?
BACHMAN: Well, I think the most significant contribution the U.S. women’s soccer team has made to other women’s leagues is the pay discrimination suit because what that did was to launch this national conversation about pay for female athletes, highlighting the fact that some of these leagues are struggling, including the WNBA. So now I think fans understand that the onus is on them, in part, to make sure these leagues survive.
CORNISH: But have we seen this movie before? I mean, we talked about, in the introduction, the idea of leagues coming and going – right? – folding off the momentum of a moment. What makes you think this moment will last?
BACHMAN: Well, one thing that’s different is the NWSL is already twice as long as either of the two leagues that preceded it. It’s got a little bit thicker of a foundation. It’s working off of a larger platform. The Women’s World Cup is simply a much bigger deal now than it was when those two previous leagues folded.
In addition, you know, it is becoming international. I mean, Marta, the great Brazilian star, plays for the Orlando Pride of the NWSL. Samantha Kerr played for the Australian national team in the World Cup, plays for the Chicago Red Stars. So you know, these are also stars that the NWSL can market to try to sort of broaden the base of the league.
CORNISH: Rachel Bachman is senior sports reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Thanks so much.
BACHMAN: Thanks so much, Audie.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
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Home Depot Responds To Calls For Boycott Over Co-Founder’s Support For Trump
President Trump defended Home Depot’s co-founder after Bernie Marcus said he would support Trump’s reelection campaign, sparking a company boycott.
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Facing a backlash, Home Depot sought to distance itself from billionaire co-founder Bernie Marcus after he pledged to back President Trump’s bid for re-election in 2020.
Calls to boycott the retailer took off this week on social media as news spread that Marcus told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution late last month that he plans to support Trump’s bid for another term.
“If you plan on buying a hammer, wood, or ANY home improvement items from Home Depot, you may as well send donations DIRECTLY to trump’s 2020 campaign,” read one tweet under the hashtag #BoycottHomeDepot.
Home Depot spokeswoman Margaret Smith said in a statement to NPR that Marcus retired more than a decade ago and is not speaking on behalf of the company. “In fact, as a standard practice, the company does not endorse Presidential candidates,” she said.
If you plan on buying a hammer, wood, or ANY home improvement items from Home Depot, you may as well send donations DIRECTLY to trump’s 2020 campaign.
No more, @HomeDepot.#BoycottHomeDepot
https://t.co/KCsOg5LELQ— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) July 9, 2019
It was unclear Wednesday whether the calls for a boycott had gained traction.
But the threat was enough that Trump took to Twitter to express support for Marcus, whom he called a “patriotic & charitable man,” and to rail against the boycott, which he said was led by people who are “vicious and totally crazed.”
“More and more the Radical Left is using Commerce to hurt their ‘Enemy.’ They put out the name of a store, brand or company, and ask their so-called followers not to do business there,” Trump tweeted Tuesday. “They don’t care who gets hurt, but also don’t understand that two can play that game!”
More and more the Radical Left is using Commerce to hurt their “Enemy.” They put out the name of a store, brand or company, and ask their so-called followers not to do business there. They don’t care who gets hurt, but also don’t understand that two can play that game!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2019
Indeed, Trump himself has often used boycotts as a means of leverage. Just last month, he urged his more than 60 million Twitter followers to boycott AT&T, apparently in retribution for the coverage of him by its subsidiary CNN.
“I believe that if people stoped using or subscribing to @ATT, they would be forced to make big changes at @CNN, which is dying in the ratings anyway,” the president tweeted on June 3. “It is so unfair with such bad, Fake News! Why wouldn’t they act.”
I believe that if people stoped using or subscribing to @ATT, they would be forced to make big changes at @CNN, which is dying in the ratings anyway. It is so unfair with such bad, Fake News! Why wouldn’t they act. When the World watches @CNN, it gets a false picture of USA. Sad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2019
Over the years, Trump has asked consumers to shun several U.S. entities.
Among the boycotts Trump has endorsed: Macy’s after the retailer cut ties with the then-presidential candidate over controversial remarks about immigrants from Mexico, Harley-Davidson over a plan to move some of its production overseas and NFL games over player protests during the national anthem.
Many people on social media were quick to express their support of Trump and Home Depot.
“Ridiculous,” was how one person characterized the boycott calls in a tweet. “I’m heading out tomorrow to shop my heart out at their store. Thank you Home Depot for supporting President Trump.”
In his interview with the Journal-Constitution, Marcus said that while Trump “sucks” at communication, the president has “got a businessman’s common sense approach to most things.”
Marcus’s support of Trump is not new. The 90-year-old donated more than $7 million to Trump’s 2016 presidential run, according to OpenSecrets, a project of the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.
Forbes estimates Marcus’s net worth at $5.9 billion. He told the Journal-Constitution that he has given away some $2 billion to philanthropic causes worldwide and plans to donate the bulk of his wealth after his death.
Trump Administration Announces Plans To Shake Up The Kidney Care Industry
President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday proposing to change how kidney disease is treated in the United States. It encourages in-home dialysis and more kidney donations.
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Updated 6:30 p.m.
The Trump administration has announced an ambitious plan to change treatment for kidney disease in the United States.
President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday directing the Department of Health and Human Services to develop policies addressing three goals: reducing the number of patients developing kidney failure, reducing how many Americans get dialysis treatment at dialysis centers and making more kidneys available for transplant.
“With today’s action, we’re making crucial progress on another core national priority: the fight against kidney disease,” Trump said at a speech prior to signing the order.
Kidney disease is the ninth-leading cause of death in the U.S. and a major expense for the federal government. Medicare pays for end-stage renal disease treatment, including dialysis and kidney transplant.
“Taxpayers spend more on kidney disease — over $110 billion — than we do on the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Homeland Security and NASA combined,” Joe Grogan, head of the White House’s Domestic Policy Council told reporters.
The executive order pushes for changes in three areas: prevention, dialysis care and kidney donation. To implement parts of the order, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Wednesday five proposed payment models intended to increase innovation in the delivery of kidney care.
Better prevention of kidney failure is desperately needed, according to Dr. Holly Mattix-Kramer, a kidney specialist at Loyola University Chicago and the president of the National Kidney Foundation. Mattix-Kramer was among dozens of kidney specialists and patient advocates who attended the announcement Wednesday.
“We’re extremely excited,” she says. “For so long we felt like no one was paying attention to this epidemic of kidney disease.”
One problem, she explains, is that there hasn’t been financial incentive to get doctors to screen for kidney disease or to diagnose and educate patients about it. “Once you get kidney failure then there’s a payment structure for that,” she says. “But there lacked a good payment structure incentive for preventing kidney failure, which seems not intuitive and seems obviously something that we should fix.”
The executive order proposes to change the way Medicare providers are paid to motivate them to focus on patient education and preventing the progression of kidney disease. It also calls for an awareness campaign. “Forty percent of Americans with some stage of kidney disease do not know they have it,” Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar told reporters on a call Wednesday morning.
A key focus of the executive order is effort to encourage in-home dialysis. One of the new, proposed CMS models incentivizes clinicians to offer this option to patients.
Currently, most dialysis is delivered at dialysis centers, a multibillion-dollar industry dominated by two for-profit companies. In-center dialysis can be time-consuming and burdensome for patients.
“Currently only 12% of American dialysis patients receive it at home. That would compare to 56% in Guatemala and 85% in Hong Kong,” said Azar. “We want to get to 80% of those who are under treatment either in-home dialysis or transplanted eventually — so a radical change from where we stand now.”
CMS Administrator Seema Verma explained that the current system prioritizes payment to in-center dialysis, but her agency wants to start to incentivize in-home dialysis and transplants.
“The way we currently pay for chronic kidney disease and kidney failure isn’t working well for patients,” said Verma in a statement.
Mattix-Kramer says the administration’s targets for increasing the proportion of patients getting dialysis at home may be overly ambitious. “It’s great to have big goals like that, but I do think 80% is going to be incredibly difficult,” she says.
For a lot of her patients, it wouldn’t be easy to switch to in-home treatment. “You need social support and you need a clean house and you need someplace to have equipment. Many of our patients live in areas where they don’t even have a grocery store in their neighborhood,” she says. “A lot of those socioeconomic issues would need to be addressed.”
Another focus of the executive order is the organ transplant system. Currently, close to 100,000 people are on a waiting list for kidneys.
“Many, many people are dying while they wait,” Trump said, addressing a room full of kidney doctors, advocates and patients in Washington, D.C., just before signing the executive order. “We’ll do everything we can to increase the supply … of the available kidneys and getting Americans off these waitlists.”
Azar said he believes it’s possible to double the number of kidneys available for transplant by 2030. “There is currently a lack of accountability and wide variability among these organ procurement organizations,” he said. “The executive order will demand a much higher level of accountability.” He also said living donors could receive compensation from the government for lost wages and child care.
Finally, the executive order encourages research and development of an artificial kidney, an innovation that could someday replace the need for transplants.
Administration officials touted Wednesday’s news as the first major action related to kidney disease in decades. Previous administrations, including Barack Obama’s, have suggested similar initiatives, but not much has changed.
Andy Slavitt, who ran the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under President Obama, praised Wednesday’s announcement on Twitter. “Care of kidney patients has been broken in the US for a long time, plagued with a corporate duopoly [and] a lower income minority population losing out,” he wrote.
But he also pointed out that as the Trump administration makes this announcement, it is arguing in court that the Affordable Care Act should be struck down as unconstitutional. “There is one law that makes this new change possible. The same law that requires people with [preexisting] conditions get coverage. The ACA,” he tweeted. “Without it, there is no authority to do this.”
It was unclear how quickly these changes could roll out. Frequently, Trump’s executive orders instruct agencies to develop federal rules, a lengthy bureaucratic process. One more immediate change is in how Medicare providers are reimbursed; CMS announced that its proposed payment models would roll out starting in January 2020.
