UN Court Rules on Gaza, Four Years After George Floyd's Death, ADHD Cases Rise

A United Nations court orders Israel to suspend its military campaign in Rafah.

The court can't enforce its rulings, but the move will likely add international pressure on Israel.

I'm Ayesha Roscoe.

And I'm Scott Simon, and this is up first from NPR News.

Senior United Nations officials have consistently underscored the immense risks associated with the military offensive in Rafah.

Israel disputes the ruling and says it is not violating international law.

We'll have more on that story.

Also, four years after the police killing of George Floyd, what's changed in Minneapolis?

And why more and more kids in the U?

So please stay with us, we have the news you need to start your weekend.

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The order by the International Court of Justice comes as Israel is increasingly isolated diplomatically.

And here's Kat Lonsdorf, who's been following all of this from Tel Aviv and joins us now. Kat, thanks so much for being with us.

Thanks, Scott.

Let's begin with what the International Court of Justice is saying.

Yeah, so there were actually four rulings issued yesterday. One that Israel must cease its military offensive in Rafah, two to reopen the Rafah border with Egypt to allow humanitarian aid, in three that Israel needs to allow. U.N.

Court orders, but any particular legal effect?

Well, this doesn't mean that Israeli forces are going to withdraw from Rafah. Not necessarily. Like you said, the ICJ doesn't have the power to enforce its rulings, it can't force Israel to stop. And Israel, for its part, responded by saying that it is already complying with the ruling.

Israel must immediately halt its military offensive and any other action in the Rafah governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza. Conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction, in whole or in part.

So one international law expert we talked to pointed out that the way the court chose to word that order leaves enough ambiguity for Israel to continue its offensive there. Israel says it's in Rafah to defend itself against Hamas, and that they're reducing the damage to the civilian population as much as possible.

Let me ask about Rafah, the city, which nearly a million people were told to flee for safety back in December and is now the center of intense fighting. Do we know what conditions are like there?

Yeah, they're, they're bad. Israeli troops are pushing into the city and people have been told to evacuate yet again. So some 800,000 people have left Rafah this month. But there's not really many options for places to go. You know, our producer there, Anas Baba, says that many have fled to Central Gaza, where fighting is also still happening, and they're living in destroyed buildings. Meanwhile, Rafah is plunging into a deeper humanitarian crisis.

And what about the situation in the rest of Gaza?

They're also really, really bad the conditions. The fighting is now happening throughout Gaza, so there's increasingly a feeling that nowhere is safe. And while there are a few other ways that aid can get into Gaza, including through that new pier that the U..S military built, it's just not nearly enough. There's a real risk of famine for the two million people living there.

NPR's Kat Lonsdorf in Tel Aviv Kat, Thanks so much.

Thanks.

The viral video of George Floyd's death sparked weeks of protests and calls for police reform around the country.

What's changed in Minneapolis, where the killing occurred? Minnesota Public Radio's John Collins joins us. John, thanks for being with us.

Thanks so much for having me.

How have the Minneapolis police, at least so far, been held accountable?

You know, the main thing that's happened is prosecutions. That's the four officers that were involved in George Floyd's killing. They were either convicted or pleaded guilty to both federal and state charges. With, of course, Derek Chauvin, who was the officer who placed his knee on Floyd's neck, now serving more than 20 years. And these prosecutions were very significant because charges against officers for using lethal force are pretty rare in the United States, and then convictions are even rarer.

Minneapolis police were also investigated by the U.

Both of these investigations found glaring issues with the Minneapolis Police Department. On the state side, the city and State Department of Human Rights negotiated a court-enforced agreement that requires all sorts of changes to the policies and practices of the Minneapolis Police. So that's everything from training to crowd control to officer wellness. And I spoke to Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. And she says the city has made progress, setting up the foundation for really systemic change. But there is a long way to go.

There is so much hunger for community members to see really big, substantive changes. And there's this urgency around that. Because we know lives are at stake here, and to get there, it takes a lot of really important small steps.

And the separate federal consent decree with the U.

John, What are some of the other changes that Minneapolis has made?

Minneapolis has totally revamped its public safety structure. They hired a commissioner for the first time. A new chief came in just recently. They also announced plans to create a new early intervention system. So they say they'll use data to track police officers who seem to be in trouble or on a troubled path and intervene before something tragic happens.

And how are the city and the police department still contending with some of the, some of the other consequences of what happened to George Floyd in 2020?

The Minneapolis Police Department lost a ton of officers after Floyd's death. So officials say they want to bring on more young, more diverse candidates who also live in or have roots in the city of Minneapolis. Chief Brian O'Hara said They're turning the corner on staffing, but they're not there yet. And then, finally, there's the question of what happens to the 3rd Precinct building, which was famously set on fire during these protests. It's been closed off.

Reporter John Collins of Minnesota Public Radio Thanks so much, thank you.

ADHD attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common developmental.

Conditions in kids, and it's getting even more common. New report from federal researchers says that one out of every nine children has been diagnosed with ADHD.

Here to tell us more is NPR Health correspondent Maria Godoy. Hi Maria, Hi Aisha, So Maria, how many kids are we talking about here?

A lot of kids.

So, this new report comes from CDC researchers. And they found that just over 7 million children and adolescents have gotten an ADHD diagnosis at some point in their lives. That's a million more kids than were diagnosed eight years ago.

Do we know what's driving this increase, like, do more kids have ADHD, or are we just more aware of it?

Yeah, so better awareness and diagnosis is a big factor here, and you know, this data was gathered in 2022. It was during the pandemic, one researcher I talked to said. One thing that probably happened is that kids were being screened for other issues and then their doctors picked up on their ADHD, too.

Why would that be like, why more girls?

So, ADHD used to be thought of as only a hyperactivity or impulsivity disorder, because that's how it tends to manifest in boys. Here's Melissa Danielson with the C.D.C. She's the study's lead author. Boys often will have a kind of hyperactive or impulsive ADHD. Where they'll run out into the street or jump off things, or do things that might make them more likely to be injured. But ADHD looks different in girls.

Why is that good that more kids are being diagnosed?

Because it's really important to treat ADHD. Dr. Max Wisnitzer is a professor of pediatric neurology at Case Western Reserve University. He says kids who go undiagnosed with ADHD can have a lot of problems, not just at school, but at home.

I had a girl, a teenager, who is clearly symptomatic but never been formally diagnosed and is causing chaos and mayhem within the family unit. Because people believe all her behaviors are deliberate in nature.

You know, when, really? It's just the way her brain works. He said. This particular patient was never ready for school on time, she got sidetracked doing chores. And these are the kinds of issues that medication and behavioral therapy can help address. Because they give kids and their parents strategies to manage ADHD, so kids can function better at home and in school. And the earlier kids get help, the better, because kids who go untreated are at risk of other problems, too.

What sort of problems are they at risk for?

Kids with ADHD are at higher risk of things like depression and anxiety in childhood. And then as adults, they face greater risk of health problems like obesity, diabetes, heart disease. So if ADHD is being spotted in more kids, they can get the help they.

Need Do researchers know what causes ADHD?

You know, they're not really sure, but there's strong evidence that genetics plays a big role. Treatment involves a combination of medication to address symptoms like impulsivity, hyperactivity and attention, and then behavioral therapy. So things like mindful breathing, coping skills to help with time management, establishing routines at home that help keep kids on track. These are skills that are crucial for parents actually, too, that they learn it so they can help their kids.

That's NPR's Maria Godoy. Thank you so much, Maria.

Oh, it's my pleasure.

And that's up first for Saturday, May 25th, 2024.

And I'm Scott Simon.

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