npr--2020-12-19--In Georgia Runoffs, Dems Are Running Hard On Health Care. Republicans? Not So Much

In Georgia Runoffs , Dems Are Running Hard On Health Care .
Republicans ?
Not So Much There was still an hour to go before Vice President Pence took the stage to stump for Georgia 's two incumbent U.S. senators , Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue .
Both Republicans are fighting to hold onto their seats against Democratic challengers , with a runoff election set for Jan. 5 .
But Pence was clearly the celebrity draw at this Nov. 20 campaign event in Canton , an Atlanta suburb .
People were so eager to see him that parking spots were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snaked through the parking lot of a community college .
Some drivers jumped the curb and parked in the grass .
Hundreds of people , many unmasked , had to undergo temperature checks before boarding large coach buses for a short ride down the road to the rally site .
It took place in a large open space outside of a conference center , but people stood close together , with little physical distancing .
Next month 's runoff in Georgia was triggered after no candidate in either Senate race won more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nov. 3 general election .
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and with the fate of the Affordable Care Act in question , Republicans are hoping the two incumbents can hang on to their seats , and thus preserve their party 's control of the Senate , by a 50-48 margin .
But if the two Democratic challengers , the Rev .
Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff , both win their runoffs , it will allow Democrats to take narrow control of the Senate , with the help of Vice President-elect Kamala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moraes had come to the rally from another Atlanta suburb , Buford .
She 's uninsured , and , after a recent hospital stay , had been thinking a lot about how expensive medical care can be .
`` We would like our health care costs lowered , so it could be more affordable , '' she said , with a rueful laugh .
`` So you do n't get another heart attack while you 're getting a bill ! ''
De Moraes added she 'd also like to see better price controls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from `` robbing American people . ''
Other voters said they were just looking for any kind of change , ideally one that involves less government involvement in health care .
Barry Brown had made the 40-mile drive from his home in Atlanta for the rally .
He 's retired but too young to qualify for Medicare , so he has Obamacare insurance , which he affords with the help of a federal subsidy .
`` It sort of works .
It 's better than nothing , '' Brown said .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care situation .
I do n't know what that will be , so maybe they 'll mention that today .
I 'm hoping so . ''
But Brown did n't get the answers he was looking for .
At the rally , Loeffler made only brief mention of her health care plan , which focuses on reducing drug prices and giving people access to insurance options that cost less but offer fewer benefits .
When it was his turn to speak , Perdue did n't talk much about health care either , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which he 's voted multiple times to overturn .
`` Remember a little thing called the Affordable Care Act ?
You think that was done bipartisan ? ''
Perdue asked the crowd .
`` No !
It was done with a supermajority !
Can you imagine what they 're gon na do if they get control of the Senate ? ''
This has been typical for how the two Republicans handled health care as they campaigned throughout the state .
It 's common to hear them stoke fears about what Democrats could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's not common to hear them talk about health care despite their potential voters ' interest in the issue .
Their Democrat challengers , however , have been all over health care in their own speeches .
Warnock opened his runoff campaign to unseat Loeffler with a modestly attended Nov. 12 event that focused entirely on health care .
So did Ossoff in his bid to win Perdue 's seat .
`` This is why these Senate runoffs are so vital , '' Ossoff said at a small , physically distanced event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia Capitol in Atlanta .
Ossoff and Warnock support adding a public insurance option to the Affordable Care Act .
They also have emphasized the role Democrats will play in resurrecting key parts of the law if the U.S. Supreme Court decides to overturn it .
The justices are set to make a ruling next year .
`` If the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act , it will be up to Congress to decide how to legislate such that preexisting conditions remain covered , '' Ossoff said .
Democratic voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message .
She 's from the nearby suburb of Decatur and is fighting breast cancer — for the second time .
Green is worried that if the protections in the Affordable Care Act disappear , her private health insurance might try to deny her coverage .
`` I have to worry about whether or not next year in open enrollment that I wo n't be discriminated against , that I wo n't have limits that would then potentially end my life , '' she said .
More than one-quarter of Georgians have preexisting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get coverage if the Affordable Care Act is struck down , according to an analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation .
That possibility is also driving Atlanta resident Herschel Jones to get involved in the runoff .
On a recent weekday morning he dropped by an Ossoff campaign office to pick up a yard sign .
Jones , who has diabetes , is insured through the Department of Veterans Affairs .
He said everyone deserves access to health care .
`` It 's a main issue , because the Affordable Care Act benefits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions , '' Jones said .
One reason why Ossoff and Warnock are running so much harder on health care than Perdue and Loeffler is because that strategy paid off for Democrats in the general election , said Ken Thorpe , a health policy professor at Emory University .
President-elect Joe Biden can thank independent voters for his win in Georgia , Thorpe said , and they were drawn to him because of his promise to uphold Obamacare .
`` The threat of potentially losing health insurance in the midst of this pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defining issue in the election , '' he said .
Polling in the days leading up to the Nov. 3 election showed Democrats were motivated on the issues of health care and the coronavirus pandemic .
If Democrats want to win these Senate runoffs in Georgia , Thorpe said , they 'll need to continue to stay focused on those issues .
That emphasis could help them attract additional moderate voters as well as provide the motivation to entice those in the party base to come out again and cast ballots for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue is the probably main motivating factor that 's gon na get Democrats and independents to the polls , '' he continued .
But in a state that 's traditionally favored Republicans in runoff races , even with a strong health care message , it 'll be tough for Ossoff and Warnock to break that trend and unseat the Republicans , Thorpe said .
This story comes from NPR 's reporting partnership with WABE and Kaiser Health News .

In Georgia Runoffs, Dems Are Running Hard On Health Care. Republicans? Not So Much
Enlarge this image toggle caption Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There was still an hour to go before Vice President Pence took the stage to stump for Georgia's two incumbent U.S. senators, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. Both Republicans are fighting to hold onto their seats against Democratic challengers, with a runoff election set for Jan. 5.
But Pence was clearly the celebrity draw at this Nov. 20 campaign event in Canton, an Atlanta suburb. People were so eager to see him that parking spots were scarce and a long line of cars snaked through the parking lot of a community college. Some drivers jumped the curb and parked in the grass.
Hundreds of people, many unmasked, had to undergo temperature checks before boarding large coach buses for a short ride down the road to the rally site. It took place in a large open space outside of a conference center, but people stood close together, with little physical distancing.
Next month's runoff in Georgia was triggered after no candidate in either Senate race won more than 50% of the vote in the Nov. 3 general election.
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and with the fate of the Affordable Care Act in question, Republicans are hoping the two incumbents can hang on to their seats, and thus preserve their party's control of the Senate, by a 50-48 margin.
But if the two Democratic challengers, the Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, both win their runoffs, it will allow Democrats to take narrow control of the Senate, with the help of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as a tiebreaker.
Yana De Moraes had come to the rally from another Atlanta suburb, Buford. She's uninsured, and, after a recent hospital stay, had been thinking a lot about how expensive medical care can be.
"We would like our health care costs lowered, so it could be more affordable," she said, with a rueful laugh. "So you don't get another heart attack while you're getting a bill!"
De Moraes added she'd also like to see better price controls on prescription drugs to stop pharmaceutical companies from "robbing American people."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jason Armond /Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Jason Armond /Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Other voters said they were just looking for any kind of change, ideally one that involves less government involvement in health care.
Barry Brown had made the 40-mile drive from his home in Atlanta for the rally. He's retired but too young to qualify for Medicare, so he has Obamacare insurance, which he affords with the help of a federal subsidy.
"It sort of works. It's better than nothing," Brown said. "I would like to see an improved health care situation. I don't know what that will be, so maybe they'll mention that today. I'm hoping so."
But Brown didn't get the answers he was looking for.
At the rally, Loeffler made only brief mention of her health care plan, which focuses on reducing drug prices and giving people access to insurance options that cost less but offer fewer benefits.
When it was his turn to speak, Perdue didn't talk much about health care either, though he did take a shot at Obamacare, which he's voted multiple times to overturn.
"Remember a little thing called the Affordable Care Act? You think that was done bipartisan?" Perdue asked the crowd. "No! It was done with a supermajority! Can you imagine what they're gonna do if they get control of the Senate?"
This has been typical for how the two Republicans handled health care as they campaigned throughout the state.
It's common to hear them stoke fears about what Democrats could do if they win the Senate. It's not common to hear them talk about health care despite their potential voters' interest in the issue.
Their Democrat challengers, however, have been all over health care in their own speeches.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sam Whitehead/WABE Sam Whitehead/WABE
Warnock opened his runoff campaign to unseat Loeffler with a modestly attended Nov. 12 event that focused entirely on health care. So did Ossoff in his bid to win Perdue's seat.
"This is why these Senate runoffs are so vital," Ossoff said at a small, physically distanced event Nov. 10 in the shadow of the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta.
Ossoff and Warnock support adding a public insurance option to the Affordable Care Act. They also have emphasized the role Democrats will play in resurrecting key parts of the law if the U.S. Supreme Court decides to overturn it. The justices are set to make a ruling next year.
"If the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act, it will be up to Congress to decide how to legislate such that preexisting conditions remain covered," Ossoff said.
Democratic voters such as Janel Green connect with that message. She's from the nearby suburb of Decatur and is fighting breast cancer — for the second time. Green is worried that if the protections in the Affordable Care Act disappear, her private health insurance might try to deny her coverage.
"I have to worry about whether or not next year in open enrollment that I won't be discriminated against, that I won't have limits that would then potentially end my life," she said.
More than one-quarter of Georgians have preexisting conditions that could make it hard to get coverage if the Affordable Care Act is struck down, according to an analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
That possibility is also driving Atlanta resident Herschel Jones to get involved in the runoff. On a recent weekday morning he dropped by an Ossoff campaign office to pick up a yard sign.
Jones, who has diabetes, is insured through the Department of Veterans Affairs. He said everyone deserves access to health care.
"It's a main issue, because the Affordable Care Act benefits all those individuals who might have preexisting conditions," Jones said.
One reason why Ossoff and Warnock are running so much harder on health care than Perdue and Loeffler is because that strategy paid off for Democrats in the general election, said Ken Thorpe, a health policy professor at Emory University.
President-elect Joe Biden can thank independent voters for his win in Georgia, Thorpe said, and they were drawn to him because of his promise to uphold Obamacare.
"The threat of potentially losing health insurance in the midst of this pandemic turned out to be probably the major defining issue in the election," he said.
Polling in the days leading up to the Nov. 3 election showed Democrats were motivated on the issues of health care and the coronavirus pandemic.
If Democrats want to win these Senate runoffs in Georgia, Thorpe said, they'll need to continue to stay focused on those issues. That emphasis could help them attract additional moderate voters as well as provide the motivation to entice those in the party base to come out again and cast ballots for a second time.
"The health care issue is the probably main motivating factor that's gonna get Democrats and independents to the polls," he continued.
But in a state that's traditionally favored Republicans in runoff races, even with a strong health care message, it'll be tough for Ossoff and Warnock to break that trend and unseat the Republicans, Thorpe said.
This story comes from NPR's reporting partnership with WABE and Kaiser Health News.


npr--2020-12-18--U.S. State Department Closing Two Consulates In Russia

U.S. State Department Closing Two Consulates In Russia The U.S. State Department is shutting down its consulate in Vladivostok , Russia , and suspending operations at one in Yekaterinburg , officials confirmed on Friday .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo consulted with Ambassador John Sullivan before deciding to implement the changes which the department says will `` optimize the work of the U.S. mission in Russia , '' a spokesperson said in an emailed statement .
The move is part of U.S. `` ongoing efforts to ensure the safe and secure operation of the U.S. diplomatic mission in the Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They added : `` The resulting realignment of personnel at U.S. Embassy Moscow will allow us to advance our foreign policy interests in Russia in the most effective and safe manner possible . ''
The closures mean the U.S. Embassy in Moscow will be the only remaining U.S. diplomatic outpost in Russia .
The announcement follows the revelation this week of a massive cyberattack against numerous government departments and agencies as well as a number of private companies .
The sophisticated computer breach lasted months — indeed seems to be ongoing — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out by Russia 's foreign intelligence service , the SVR .
The State Department temporarily suspended operations in Vladivostok and reduced services in Yekaterinburg in March in response to the global coronavirus pandemic .
Russian consulates in the United States are not affected by the decision .

U.S. State Department Closing Two Consulates In Russia
Enlarge this image toggle caption Pavel Golovkin/AP Pavel Golovkin/AP
The U.S. State Department is shutting down its consulate in Vladivostok, Russia, and suspending operations at one in Yekaterinburg, officials confirmed on Friday.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo consulted with Ambassador John Sullivan before deciding to implement the changes which the department says will "optimize the work of the U.S. mission in Russia," a spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
The move is part of U.S. "ongoing efforts to ensure the safe and secure operation of the U.S. diplomatic mission in the Russian Federation," the official wrote.
They added: "The resulting realignment of personnel at U.S. Embassy Moscow will allow us to advance our foreign policy interests in Russia in the most effective and safe manner possible."
The closures mean the U.S. Embassy in Moscow will be the only remaining U.S. diplomatic outpost in Russia.
The announcement follows the revelation this week of a massive cyberattack against numerous government departments and agencies as well as a number of private companies. The sophisticated computer breach lasted months — indeed seems to be ongoing — and is widely believed to have been carried out by Russia's foreign intelligence service, the SVR.
Russia has denied involvement.
The State Department temporarily suspended operations in Vladivostok and reduced services in Yekaterinburg in March in response to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Russian consulates in the United States are not affected by the decision.


npr--2020-12-18--COVID-19 Relief Deal Stalled As Trump Signs 2-Day Stopgap Bill To Avoid Shutdown

Agreement on a bipartisan coronavirus relief package remains elusive as top congressional leaders continue to negotiate and their efforts spilled into the weekend .
While they 've had a framework for days , they are struggling to close out several details , and a new issue emerged as a key sticking point .
Lawmakers from both parties insist they will not leave Washington for the holidays until they get a deal that wraps together an aid package and a broader spending deal .
As the midnight Friday deadline grew closer for federal agencies to run out of money , President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to avoid a shutdown .
The House of Representatives and Senate approved the bill earlier Friday evening .
Negotiations will continue over the weekend .
But some outside the small group of the top leaders finalizing the roughly $ 900 billion package — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — are frustrated the details of the emerging deal have n't been shared more widely .
`` I think this is reaching a point — it 's beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ...
It 's time for leadership to put on the table what they 've got .
It 's time for them to brief members what they got , '' GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri told reporters .
Hawley has been pushing for another round of direct payments in the legislation , along with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont .
The bill is expected to include this type of assistance , but it 's unclear how large the checks will be .
Sanders agreed to the short-term funding bill but reiterated he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't include more direct assistance .
He continued to press for $ 1,200 payments — the same amount as the last major relief bill — but it 's unclear if he would accept less .
Separately , Democrats are objecting to efforts by Sen. Pat Toomey , R-Pa. , to add a provision to the bill that they say will make it more difficult for the incoming Biden administration to access emergency powers for additional lending authority .
GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas admitted to reporters it was a difficult issue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aiming to do is to ensure the lending authority is n't used by the Federal Reserve for `` unauthorized purposes . ''
`` It could potentially be used as a backdoor to do state local aid , which I think is the idea , without Congress ' approval , and particularly when we negotiated these other items , '' Cornyn said .
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer blamed the top Senate Republican for the holdup on the COVID-19 package .
`` I think McConnell is the principal culprit .
But I do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame , '' he said .
Hoyer noted that Democrats set aside their demands for more money for state and local governments .
`` But right now what I think the Republicans are doing are trying to get an advantage against Biden in the next administration .
That 's what this Toomey amendment is about . ''
President-elect Joe Biden 's camp is also pushing back at including the provision .
`` While we are encouraged by the bipartisan effort underway to provide critical relief to millions of Americans , the package should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve 's ability to fight economic crises , '' Brian Deese , Biden 's top economic adviser , said in a written statement .
The main elements of the bipartisan legislation include more money for the Paycheck Protection Program to help struggling small businesses , help for unemployed Americans and resources for vaccine distribution .
Lawmakers from both parties also largely agreed on an annual spending bill that would fund federal departments through September 2021 .
Pressed earlier on whether it was possible to get a final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thune of South Dakota said `` that would be a triumph of hope over experience . ''
He told reporters he thought the `` best-case scenario '' was getting something in place for a Sunday vote but admitted the vote could come later than that .
Leaving the Capitol on Friday , McConnell , asked about whether he thought an agreement could come together this weekend , replied , `` Sure hope so . ''

COVID-19 Relief Deal Stalled As Trump Signs 2-Day Stopgap Bill To Avoid Shutdown
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 10:27 p.m. ET
Agreement on a bipartisan coronavirus relief package remains elusive as top congressional leaders continue to negotiate and their efforts spilled into the weekend. While they've had a framework for days, they are struggling to close out several details, and a new issue emerged as a key sticking point.
Lawmakers from both parties insist they will not leave Washington for the holidays until they get a deal that wraps together an aid package and a broader spending deal.
As the midnight Friday deadline grew closer for federal agencies to run out of money, President Trump signed a two-day stopgap funding bill to avoid a shutdown. The House of Representatives and Senate approved the bill earlier Friday evening. Negotiations will continue over the weekend.
But some outside the small group of the top leaders finalizing the roughly $900 billion package — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — are frustrated the details of the emerging deal haven't been shared more widely.
"I think this is reaching a point — it's beginning to reach a point of absurdity. ... It's time for leadership to put on the table what they've got. It's time for them to brief members what they got," GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri told reporters.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Susan Walsh/AP Susan Walsh/AP
Hawley has been pushing for another round of direct payments in the legislation, along with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. The bill is expected to include this type of assistance, but it's unclear how large the checks will be.
Sanders agreed to the short-term funding bill but reiterated he would not accept any COVID-19 bill that didn't include more direct assistance. He continued to press for $1,200 payments — the same amount as the last major relief bill — but it's unclear if he would accept less.
Separately, Democrats are objecting to efforts by Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., to add a provision to the bill that they say will make it more difficult for the incoming Biden administration to access emergency powers for additional lending authority.
GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas admitted to reporters it was a difficult issue to resolve. He said what Toomey is aiming to do is to ensure the lending authority isn't used by the Federal Reserve for "unauthorized purposes."
"It could potentially be used as a backdoor to do state local aid, which I think is the idea, without Congress' approval, and particularly when we negotiated these other items," Cornyn said.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer blamed the top Senate Republican for the holdup on the COVID-19 package. "I think McConnell is the principal culprit. But I don't think the rest of us are without blame," he said.
Hoyer noted that Democrats set aside their demands for more money for state and local governments. "But right now what I think the Republicans are doing are trying to get an advantage against Biden in the next administration. That's what this Toomey amendment is about."
President-elect Joe Biden's camp is also pushing back at including the provision.
"While we are encouraged by the bipartisan effort underway to provide critical relief to millions of Americans, the package should not include unnecessary provisions that would hamper the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve's ability to fight economic crises," Brian Deese, Biden's top economic adviser, said in a written statement.
The main elements of the bipartisan legislation include more money for the Paycheck Protection Program to help struggling small businesses, help for unemployed Americans and resources for vaccine distribution. Lawmakers from both parties also largely agreed on an annual spending bill that would fund federal departments through September 2021.
Pressed earlier on whether it was possible to get a final deal on Friday, Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota said "that would be a triumph of hope over experience." He told reporters he thought the "best-case scenario" was getting something in place for a Sunday vote but admitted the vote could come later than that.
Leaving the Capitol on Friday, McConnell, asked about whether he thought an agreement could come together this weekend, replied, "Sure hope so."


npr--2020-12-19--'I Vaccinated Santa Claus,' Fauci Tells Kids

Kids want to know : Is it safe for Santa to stop by this year ?
`` Will Santa still be able to visit me in coronavirus 's season ? ''
asked 6-year-old Paxton from Geneva , Ill. , during a CNN-Sesame Street town hall Saturday .
`` What if he ca n't go to anyone 's house , or near his reindeer ? ''
Luckily for children everywhere , the nation 's top infectious disease specialist is on the case .
`` I took care of that for you , because I was worried that you 'd all be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` So what I did a little while ago : I took a trip up there to the North Pole , I went there and I vaccinated Santa Claus myself .
`` I measured his level of immunity , and he is good to go , '' Fauci added .
`` He can come down the chimney , he can leave the presents , he can leave , and you have nothing to worry about . ''
During the town hall , Fauci responded to other concerns from children , including when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families again ( right now , if it 's someone who lives with you ) , and whether the vaccine hurts ( it 's just a pinch ) .
Kids might still want to see Santa in person at the mall this year .
But it 's probably not a good idea this time , health experts told NPR .
Many Santas have instead set up virtual or drive-by options .
The pandemic has been tough for kids .
There 's evidence that depression and anxiety have increased as kids have been spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
To celebrate Christmas , experts are encouraging some variations from the normal celebrations this year : cookie drop-offs instead of in-home group baking , looking at Christmas lights from the car to avoid crowds , outdoor family caroling instead of singing inside .
And it 's probably safe to do outdoor activities — sledding , ice skating , playing in the snow — provided you wear a mask .

'I Vaccinated Santa Claus,' Fauci Tells Kids
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Locher/AP John Locher/AP
Kids want to know: Is it safe for Santa to stop by this year?
"Will Santa still be able to visit me in coronavirus's season?" asked 6-year-old Paxton from Geneva, Ill., during a CNN-Sesame Street town hall Saturday. "What if he can't go to anyone's house, or near his reindeer?"
Luckily for children everywhere, the nation's top infectious disease specialist is on the case. "I took care of that for you, because I was worried that you'd all be upset," Dr. Anthony Fauci responded. "So what I did a little while ago: I took a trip up there to the North Pole, I went there and I vaccinated Santa Claus myself.
"I measured his level of immunity, and he is good to go," Fauci added. "He can come down the chimney, he can leave the presents, he can leave, and you have nothing to worry about."
During the town hall, Fauci responded to other concerns from children, including when they'll be able to hug their families again (right now, if it's someone who lives with you), and whether the vaccine hurts (it's just a pinch).
Kids might still want to see Santa in person at the mall this year. But it's probably not a good idea this time, health experts told NPR.
Many Santas have instead set up virtual or drive-by options.
The pandemic has been tough for kids. There's evidence that depression and anxiety have increased as kids have been spending time at home, away from friends.
To celebrate Christmas, experts are encouraging some variations from the normal celebrations this year: cookie drop-offs instead of in-home group baking, looking at Christmas lights from the car to avoid crowds, outdoor family caroling instead of singing inside.
And it's probably safe to do outdoor activities — sledding, ice skating, playing in the snow — provided you wear a mask.


npr--2020-12-19--Congress Stuck, Again, In Quest To Pass COVID Relief

Congress Stuck , Again , In Quest To Pass COVID Relief Congressional leaders returned to familiar ground Saturday , digging in on opposite sides of a stalemate over a coronavirus relief package they all say is badly needed to help millions of Americans struggling this holiday season .
This time , they 're fighting over a GOP-backed provision that would require the Federal Reserve to seek congressional approval for certain lending authorities .
Leaders say they have resolved nearly every other issue , from ironing out issues with food stamps and disaster funds to dropping months-long fights over state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nobody in the Capitol seems happy to be spending the weekend this way .
`` I do n't think this is going to be resolved anytime soon , '' Sen. John Kennedy , R-La.
, told reporters .
`` Oh I could see us here until New Year 's , or Christmas Eve , maybe New Year 's Eve . ''
The fight over the Federal Reserve started as a demand from Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey , one of the most vocal fiscal hawks in Congress .
He is pushing for three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility , a main street lending program and a municipal lending program , to end .
`` They do n't need to continue , '' Toomey said on the Senate floor .
`` They were funded by the CARES Act , they were set up at the time of the CARES Act for this narrow , specific purpose and now they 've achieved their purpose . ''
Democrats argue the provision would also prevent future Treasury secretaries from restarting the programs .
They accuse Republicans of holding up roughly $ 900 billion in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they say cropped up in the final hours of the talks .
Sen. Angus King , I-Maine , told reporters that the Fed issue is n't related to COVID relief and would `` cripple the next administration . ''
`` Why are we even having this discussion ? ''
King asked .
`` If Mitch McConnell wants to leave Americans suffering for a totally irrelevant provision to try to cripple our ability to deal with an upcoming election ... that 's his choice and he 's going to have to live with it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Majority Leader McConnell did not respond to questions Saturday about whether the issue is a red line in the negotiations .
Toomey told reporters that he thinks it is possible to get a deal done .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , told reporters that the argument over Toomey 's request is the big remaining issue preventing a final deal .
`` That has to be resolved and then everything will fall into place , '' Pelosi told reporters .
`` It 's not a detail , it 's a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending bill Congress approved Friday to allow them time to finish their talks is set to expire at the end of the day on Sunday .

Congress Stuck, Again, In Quest To Pass COVID Relief
Enlarge this image toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Congressional leaders returned to familiar ground Saturday, digging in on opposite sides of a stalemate over a coronavirus relief package they all say is badly needed to help millions of Americans struggling this holiday season.
This time, they're fighting over a GOP-backed provision that would require the Federal Reserve to seek congressional approval for certain lending authorities. Leaders say they have resolved nearly every other issue, from ironing out issues with food stamps and disaster funds to dropping months-long fights over state and local funding and liability reform.
And nobody in the Capitol seems happy to be spending the weekend this way.
"I don't think this is going to be resolved anytime soon," Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told reporters. "Oh I could see us here until New Year's, or Christmas Eve, maybe New Year's Eve."
The fight over the Federal Reserve started as a demand from Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, one of the most vocal fiscal hawks in Congress. He is pushing for three pandemic-related programs, a corporate bond credit facility, a main street lending program and a municipal lending program, to end.
"They don't need to continue," Toomey said on the Senate floor. "They were funded by the CARES Act, they were set up at the time of the CARES Act for this narrow, specific purpose and now they've achieved their purpose."
Democrats argue the provision would also prevent future Treasury secretaries from restarting the programs. They accuse Republicans of holding up roughly $900 billion in funds and programs over one proposal that they say cropped up in the final hours of the talks.
Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, told reporters that the Fed issue isn't related to COVID relief and would "cripple the next administration."
"Why are we even having this discussion?" King asked. "If Mitch McConnell wants to leave Americans suffering for a totally irrelevant provision to try to cripple our ability to deal with an upcoming election ... that's his choice and he's going to have to live with it."
Republicans adopted Toomey's fight but Majority Leader McConnell did not respond to questions Saturday about whether the issue is a red line in the negotiations. Toomey told reporters that he thinks it is possible to get a deal done.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters that the argument over Toomey's request is the big remaining issue preventing a final deal.
"That has to be resolved and then everything will fall into place," Pelosi told reporters. "It's not a detail, it's a very significant difference."
The two-day stop-gap spending bill Congress approved Friday to allow them time to finish their talks is set to expire at the end of the day on Sunday.


npr--2020-12-19--Space Force Members Will Be Called 'Guardians'

The Army has soldiers .
The Navy has sailors .
Now , one year after its creation , it 's official : The Space Force has `` guardians . ''
Vice President Mike Pence revealed the moniker during remarks celebrating the first anniversary of the military branch on Friday .
`` It is my honor , on behalf of the president of the United States , to announce that , henceforth , the men and women of the United States Space Force will be known as 'guardians , ' `` Pence told a room of military and other government officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nodded and smiled .
`` Soldiers , sailors , airmen , Marines , and guardians will be defending our nation for generations to come . ''
In a statement , the Space Force explained that the name was the product of a yearlong process that drew hundreds of submissions .
`` The opportunity to name a force is a momentous responsibility , '' Space Force said .
`` Guardians is a name with a long history in space operations , tracing back to the original command motto of Air Force Space command in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . '
`` The Space Force announced in February that it was seeking ideas on what its members should be called .
`` Proposals must be gender-neutral , distinctive and should emphasize a future-oriented military force , '' the military branch said at the time , adding that submissions could n't violate copyrights or infringe on others ' intellectual property .
And yet , while the name seemed well received by those in attendance at the anniversary speech , others noticed it seemed cribbed from the Marvel franchise Guardians of the Galaxy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ James Gunn tweeted : `` Can we sue this dork ? ''
It 's not the first time the Space Force drew attention for seeming to borrow from popular culture .
When the branch announced its logo in January , sci-fi fans immediately noticed the similarities to the Starfleet insignia from Star Trek .
In fairness , though , the logo had more in common with the existing logo for the Air Force Space Command , America 's precursor to the modern Space Force .
In the year since the force was created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grown to about 4,000 members — or guardians .
Two Air Force stations in Florida were officially redesignated as Space Force facilities earlier this month .

Space Force Members Will Be Called 'Guardians'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP
The Army has soldiers. The Navy has sailors. Now, one year after its creation, it's official: The Space Force has "guardians."
Vice President Mike Pence revealed the moniker during remarks celebrating the first anniversary of the military branch on Friday.
"It is my honor, on behalf of the president of the United States, to announce that, henceforth, the men and women of the United States Space Force will be known as 'guardians,' " Pence told a room of military and other government officials, who broke into applause as Pence nodded and smiled. "Soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and guardians will be defending our nation for generations to come."
In a statement, the Space Force explained that the name was the product of a yearlong process that drew hundreds of submissions.
"The opportunity to name a force is a momentous responsibility," Space Force said. "Guardians is a name with a long history in space operations, tracing back to the original command motto of Air Force Space command in 1983, 'Guardians of the High Frontier.' "
The Space Force announced in February that it was seeking ideas on what its members should be called.
"Proposals must be gender-neutral, distinctive and should emphasize a future-oriented military force," the military branch said at the time, adding that submissions couldn't violate copyrights or infringe on others' intellectual property.
And yet, while the name seemed well received by those in attendance at the anniversary speech, others noticed it seemed cribbed from the Marvel franchise Guardians of the Galaxy. After Pence's announcement, Guardians director James Gunn tweeted: "Can we sue this dork?"
It's not the first time the Space Force drew attention for seeming to borrow from popular culture. When the branch announced its logo in January, sci-fi fans immediately noticed the similarities to the Starfleet insignia from Star Trek. In fairness, though, the logo had more in common with the existing logo for the Air Force Space Command, America's precursor to the modern Space Force.
In the year since the force was created, the Space Force's ranks have grown to about 4,000 members — or guardians. Two Air Force stations in Florida were officially redesignated as Space Force facilities earlier this month.


npr--2020-12-19--Warp Speed Official: 7.9 Million Doses Of Vaccine Ready For Distribution Next Week

Warp Speed Official : 7.9 Million Doses Of Vaccine Ready For Distribution Next Week With a second COVID-19 vaccine now authorized for emergency use , the top military official with Operation Warp Speed says a combined 7.9 million doses of vaccine are ready to be distributed next week .
U.S. Army General Gustave Perna , the chief operating officer of the federal vaccine effort , briefed reporters on Saturday , less than a day after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the vaccine developed by the biotech company Moderna .
Perna said efforts to distribute the Moderna vaccine were already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to arrive at sites across the U.S. on Monday .
Perna said the Moderna vaccine will be delivered alongside of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine — which was authorized on Dec. 11 — and continue throughout the week .
`` Just as we did last week with Pfizer , we are prepared , '' Perna said , noting that Moderna had already moved its vaccine to distribution centers and that shipments would begin rolling out as early as Sunday .
`` Jurisdictions have already ordered the vaccine and we know it is going to 3,700-plus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day based on allocations , '' Perna said .
Pfizer said it had sent 2.9 million doses of its vaccine throughout the country last week .
In total , Perna said , Operation Warp Speed is on track to ship 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine by year 's end .
Perna also responded to complaints from several states that their allocations of the Pfizer vaccine for next week were being cut — in some cases by as much as 40 % or more .
The general issued an apology and said there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came to make a final tally of what could be sent to states , he said , fewer doses were releasable than originally thought .
`` When we had to decide what was going to eventually be shipped out , I had to lower the allocations to meet the releasable doses that were presented to me , '' Perna said .
The general said he hoped the process for distributing COVID vaccines would become more predictable as shipments continued .
The FDA 's authorization on Friday of Moderna 's vaccine was expected .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ leg-up to efforts to curb the pandemic that has killed more than 300,000 in the U.S. alone .
An FDA analysis this week found Moderna 's vaccine to be 94 % effective , similar to Pfizer 's vaccine .
The Pfizer vaccine is already being administered to health care workers and long-term care facility residents across the country , who are the priority groups included in the first phase of distribution .
Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called an emergency meeting this weekend to vote on whether to recommend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off on the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 12 .
On Saturday , the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to recommend the use of the vaccine for persons aged 18 and older .
That vote , with 11 for and three recusals , paves the way for the CDC to issue official guidance on the Moderna vaccine .
The committee meets again on Sunday to vote on which priority groups should have access to coronavirus vaccines in the next phase of distribution .

Warp Speed Official: 7.9 Million Doses Of Vaccine Ready For Distribution Next Week
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nam Y. Huh/AP Nam Y. Huh/AP
Updated at 5:06 p.m. ET
With a second COVID-19 vaccine now authorized for emergency use, the top military official with Operation Warp Speed says a combined 7.9 million doses of vaccine are ready to be distributed next week.
U.S. Army General Gustave Perna, the chief operating officer of the federal vaccine effort, briefed reporters on Saturday, less than a day after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the vaccine developed by the biotech company Moderna. Perna said efforts to distribute the Moderna vaccine were already underway, with the first doses scheduled to arrive at sites across the U.S. on Monday.
Perna said the Moderna vaccine will be delivered alongside of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine — which was authorized on Dec. 11 — and continue throughout the week.
"Just as we did last week with Pfizer, we are prepared," Perna said, noting that Moderna had already moved its vaccine to distribution centers and that shipments would begin rolling out as early as Sunday.
"Jurisdictions have already ordered the vaccine and we know it is going to
3,700-plus locations with more requests coming in every day based on
allocations," Perna said.
Pfizer said it had sent 2.9 million doses of its vaccine throughout the country last week. In total, Perna said, Operation Warp Speed is on track to ship 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine by year's end.
Perna also responded to complaints from several states that their allocations of the Pfizer vaccine for next week were being cut — in some cases by as much as 40% or more. The general issued an apology and said there had been a miscommunication. When it came to make a final tally of what could be sent to states, he said, fewer doses were releasable than originally thought.
"When we had to decide what was going to eventually be shipped out, I had to
lower the allocations to meet the releasable doses that were presented to me," Perna said.
The general said he hoped the process for distributing COVID vaccines would become more predictable as shipments continued.
The FDA's authorization on Friday of Moderna's vaccine was expected. The addition of another vaccine gives a leg-up to efforts to curb the pandemic that has killed more than 300,000 in the U.S. alone.
An FDA analysis this week found Moderna's vaccine to be 94% effective, similar to Pfizer's vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine is already being administered to health care workers and long-term care facility residents across the country, who are the priority groups included in the first phase of distribution.
Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called an emergency meeting this weekend to vote on whether to recommend the Moderna vaccine. The group signed off on the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 12.
On Saturday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to recommend the use of the vaccine for persons aged 18 and older. That vote, with 11 for and three recusals, paves the way for the CDC to issue official guidance on the Moderna vaccine.
The committee meets again on Sunday to vote on which priority groups should have access to coronavirus vaccines in the next phase of distribution.


npr--2020-12-19--Biden Unveils His Climate Team, Promising To Fight 'With The Urgency It Demands'

Biden Unveils His Climate Team , Promising To Fight 'With The Urgency It Demands' President-elect Joe Biden formally introduced his climate team on Saturday , saying that the people he has selected will lead his administration 's `` ambitious plan to address the existential threat of our time , climate change . ''
Biden announced his intention to nominate Rep. Deb Haaland to serve as secretary of the interior ; former Michigan Gov .
Jennifer Granholm to head the Department of Energy ; Michael Regan as EPA Administrator ; Brenda Mallory as chair of the Council on Environmental Quality ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Ali Zaidi as deputy national climate advisor .
All told , the members of the team that Biden announced on Saturday illustrate an agenda markedly different from that of the Trump presidency .
The Trump administration has gutted a number of environmental protections and the president himself has questioned climate science .
The president-elect and his incoming team have made clear that they plan to try to undo or block many of the Trump administration 's initiatives , as well as to prioritize communities of color and low-income communities , which have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pollution .
During his remarks , Biden compared the climate threat to that of the coronavirus pandemic , and promised to take action .
`` Just like we need a unified national response to COVID-19 , we need a unified national response to climate change .
We need to meet the moment with the urgency it demands as we would during any national emergency . ''
Biden also stressed the diversity of his emerging cabinet , describing it as `` a cabinet that looks like America , that taps into the best of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the full range of talents that we have in this nation . ''
If confirmed by the Senate , Haaland , a member of the Laguna Pueblo , would be the first Native American to lead the Interior Department .
The agency has responsibility for not only managing the nation 's public lands , but also honoring the United States ' treaties with the indigenous peoples from whom those lands were taken .
`` This moment is profound when we consider the fact that a former secretary of the interior once proclaimed his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ' '' Haaland said in her remarks .
`` I 'm a living testament to the failure of that horrific ideology . ''
Haaland is not the only member of the climate team that would break barriers .
Michael Regan , Biden 's pick to run the Environmental Protection Agency , would be the first Black man to hold that role .
And Brenda Mallory , who Biden will nominate to head up the Council on Environmental Quality , will be the first Black person to hold that position if she is @ @ @ @ @

Biden Unveils His Climate Team, Promising To Fight 'With The Urgency It Demands'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 3:30 p.m. ET
President-elect Joe Biden formally introduced his climate team on Saturday, saying that the people he has selected will lead his administration's "ambitious plan to address the existential threat of our time, climate change."
Biden announced his intention to nominate Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., to serve as secretary of the interior; former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm to head the Department of Energy; Michael Regan as EPA administrator; Brenda Mallory as chair of the Council on Environmental Quality; Gina McCarthy as national climate adviser; and Ali Zaidi as deputy national climate adviser.
All told, the members of the team that Biden announced on Saturday illustrate an agenda markedly different from that of the Trump presidency.
The Trump administration has gutted a number of environmental protections and the president himself has questioned climate science. The president-elect and his incoming team have made clear that they plan to try to undo or block many of the Trump administration's initiatives, as well as to prioritize communities of color and low-income communities, which have been disproportionately impacted by climate change and pollution.
During his remarks, Biden compared the climate threat to that of the coronavirus pandemic, and promised to take action.
"Just like we need a unified national response to COVID-19, we need a unified national response to climate change," he said. "We need to meet the moment with the urgency it demands as we would during any national emergency."
Biden also stressed the diversity of his emerging Cabinet, describing it as "a Cabinet that looks like America, that taps into the best of America, that opens doors and includes the full range of talents that we have in this nation."
If confirmed by the Senate, Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, would be the first Native American to lead the Interior Department. The agency has responsibility for not only managing the nation's public lands, but also honoring the United States' treaties with the Indigenous peoples from whom those lands were taken.
"This moment is profound when we consider the fact that a former secretary of the interior once proclaimed his goal to 'civilize or exterminate us,' " Haaland said in her remarks. "I'm a living testament to the failure of that horrific ideology."
Haaland is not the only member of the climate team that would break barriers. Regan, Biden's pick to run the Environmental Protection Agency, would be the first Black man to hold that role. And Mallory, whom Biden will nominate to head up the Council on Environmental Quality, will be the first Black person to hold that position, if she is confirmed by the Senate.


npr--2020-12-19--Senate Report Faults FAA And Boeing For Failures In Review Of 737 Max

Senate Report Faults FAA And Boeing For Failures In Review Of 737 Max Senate investigators have heaped criticism on both Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration , finding a series of failures and improprieties during the review process that put the troubled Boeing 737 Max jetliner in the sky .
The Senate Committee on Commerce , Science and Transportation laid out the fatal missteps in a scathing report issued Friday .
`` Our findings are troubling , '' the committee chairman , Sen. Roger Wicker , R-Miss.
, said in a statement accompanying the report .
He said the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a pair of crashes involving the plane killed hundreds of people in Indonesia and Ethiopia -- analyzed comments from dozens of whistleblowers and FAA staff , as well as thousands of pages of documents .
`` The report details a number of significant examples of lapses in aviation safety oversight and failed leadership in the FAA , '' Wicker said .
`` It is clear that the agency requires consistent oversight to ensure their work to protect the flying public is executed fully and correctly . ''
Among those `` lapses '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to improperly influence the outcome of tests of the aircraft 's faulty flight control system , known as MCAS .
The system software , while intended to keep the plane from stalling , has been blamed for forcing the plane into nosedives that pilots have struggled — and in the case of the two crashes , failed — to recover from .
After the plane was grounded worldwide in March 2019 , it underwent a review for recertification in the U.S. Last month the FAA cleared the Boeing 737 Max to resume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a series of significant design changes and observes new requirements for pilot training and maintenance .
But the Senate committee found fault with the tests that ultimately resulted in the plane 's recertification in the U.S. , including the claim that FAA officials and representatives from Boeing together `` established a pre-determined outcome '' to those tests .
`` Boeing officials inappropriately coached test pilots in the MCAS simulator testing contrary to testing protocol .
This test took place over a year after the second 737 MAX crash and during recertification efforts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears , in this instance , FAA and Boeing were attempting to cover up important information that may have contributed to the 737 MAX tragedies . ''
The Senate report also detailed a number of other problems at the FAA and its parent agency , the Department of Transportation , including : • Retaliations against whistleblowers and failures to hold FAA senior managers accountable for inadequate training protocols • The Transportation Department 's failure to `` produce relevant documents '' requested by the committee • Possible obstruction by `` FAA senior leaders '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crashes by a Transportation Department inspector general .
`` This dysfunction , '' the report concluded , `` inserts an unnecessary risk to the flying public . ''
In a statement emailed to NPR on Saturday , the FAA pushed back on what it described as the report 's `` unsubstantiated allegations . ''
`` Working closely with other international regulators , the FAA conducted a thorough and deliberate review of the 737 MAX , '' the agency said .
`` We are confident that the safety issues that played a role in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 have been addressed through the design changes required and independently approved by the FAA and its partners . ''
Boeing , too , said in a statement that the company `` learned many hard lessons '' from the pair of disasters — though Boeing did not address the report 's allegations specifically .
For both Boeing and the FAA , the Senate committee 's findings represent the second damning congressional report in roughly three months .
The House Transportation Committee in September found that Boeing had displayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and troubling management misjudgments , '' while the FAA suffered from `` numerous oversight lapses and accountability gaps . ''
Still , those findings have not dissuaded several airlines from resuming flights with the troubled aircraft .
Brazil 's Gol Airlines resumed commercial service with the jetliner earlier this month , a week after Ireland 's Ryanair placed an order estimated to cost more than $ 7 billion .

Senate Report Faults FAA And Boeing For Failures In Review Of 737 Max
Enlarge this image toggle caption Silvio Avila/AFP via Getty Images Silvio Avila/AFP via Getty Images
Senate investigators have heaped criticism on both Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration, finding a series of failures and improprieties during the review process that put the troubled Boeing 737 Max jetliner in the sky.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation laid out the fatal missteps in a scathing report issued Friday.
"Our findings are troubling," the committee chairman, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said in a statement accompanying the report.
He said the Senate probe — launched in April 2019, after a pair of crashes involving the plane killed hundreds of people in Indonesia and Ethiopia -- analyzed comments from dozens of whistleblowers and FAA staff, as well as thousands of pages of documents.
"The report details a number of significant examples of lapses in aviation safety oversight and failed leadership in the FAA," Wicker said. "It is clear that the agency requires consistent oversight to ensure their work to protect the flying public is executed fully and correctly."
Among those "lapses" is the claim that Boeing officials were allowed to improperly influence the outcome of tests of the aircraft's faulty flight control system, known as MCAS. The system software, while intended to keep the plane from stalling, has been blamed for forcing the plane into nosedives that pilots have struggled — and in the case of the two crashes, failed — to recover from.
After the plane was grounded worldwide in March 2019, it underwent a review for recertification in the U.S. Last month the FAA cleared the Boeing 737 Max to resume passenger flights, provided that it undergoes a series of significant design changes and observes new requirements for pilot training and maintenance.
But the Senate committee found fault with the tests that ultimately resulted in the plane's recertification in the U.S., including the claim that FAA officials and representatives from Boeing together "established a pre-determined outcome" to those tests.
"Boeing officials inappropriately coached test pilots in the MCAS simulator testing contrary to testing protocol. This test took place over a year after the second 737 MAX crash and during recertification efforts," the report alleges. "It appears, in this instance, FAA and Boeing were attempting to cover up important information that may have contributed to the 737 MAX tragedies."
The Senate report also detailed a number of other problems at the FAA and its parent agency, the Department of Transportation, including:
Retaliations against whistleblowers and failures to hold FAA senior managers accountable for inadequate training protocols
The Transportation Department's failure to "produce relevant documents" requested by the committee
Possible obstruction by "FAA senior leaders" of a review of the 737 MAX crashes by a Transportation Department inspector general.
"This dysfunction," the report concluded, "inserts an unnecessary risk to the flying public."
In a statement emailed to NPR on Saturday, the FAA pushed back on what it described as the report's "unsubstantiated allegations."
"Working closely with other international regulators, the FAA conducted a thorough and deliberate review of the 737 MAX," the agency said. "We are confident that the safety issues that played a role in the tragic accidents involving Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 have been addressed through the design changes required and independently approved by the FAA and its partners."
Boeing, too, said in a statement that the company "learned many hard lessons" from the pair of disasters — though Boeing did not address the report's allegations specifically.
For both Boeing and the FAA, the Senate committee's findings represent the second damning congressional report in roughly three months. The House Transportation Committee in September found that Boeing had displayed "a disturbing pattern of technical miscalculations and troubling management misjudgments," while the FAA suffered from "numerous oversight lapses and accountability gaps."
Still, those findings have not dissuaded several airlines from resuming flights with the troubled aircraft. Brazil's Gol Airlines resumed commercial service with the jetliner earlier this month, a week after Ireland's Ryanair placed an order estimated to cost more than $7 billion.


npr--2020-12-19--Pompeo Says Russia 'Pretty Clearly' Behind Cyberattack, Prompting Pushback From Trump

Pompeo Says Russia 'Pretty Clearly ' Behind Cyberattack , Prompting Pushback From Trump Since news of the SolarWinds hack surfaced nearly a week ago , high-ranking Trump administration officials had remained largely silent about the cyberattack that involved at least half a dozen federal agencies .
On Friday , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo broke that silence , becoming the most prominent administration official to blame Russia for the attack .
`` This was a very significant effort , '' Pompeo told the The Mark Levin Show , `` and I think it 's the case that now we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russians that engaged in this activity . ''
`` We 're still unpacking precisely what it is , and I 'm sure some of it will remain classified , '' Pompeo said .
`` But suffice it to say , there was a significant effort to use a piece of third-party software to essentially embed code inside of U.S. government systems and , it now appears , the systems of private companies and governments across the world , as well . ''
Pompeo 's comments represented the farthest the Trump administration has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attributing the hack to Russia .
President Trump , who went nearly a week without mentioning the suspected attack , appeared to suggest Saturday that Russia may not be the culprit .
He tweeted that the attack is `` far greater in the Fake News Media than in actuality . ''
`` I have been fully briefed and everything is well under control .
Russia , Russia , Russia is the priority chant when anything happens because Lamestream is , for mostly financial reasons , petrified of ... discussing the possibility that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , '' Trump said .
And he repeated his baseless assertion that electoral fraud cost him the presidential election — a claim that he has not backed up with evidence , and that multiple members of his own administration have outright dismissed .
SolarWinds , the IT company whose product was targeted in the hack , said that nearly 18,000 of its customers received a software update tainted with malware , beginning in March .
The malicious code operated as a kind of Trojan horse , enabling hackers to stealthily access the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The cyberattack operated undetected for months and reportedly hit multiple government agencies , including the State Department , the Pentagon , the Treasury Department and the Department of Homeland Security .
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Thursday acknowledged that the hack `` poses a grave risk '' to federal , state and local governments across the country — but refrained from directly attributing blame .
Unlike Trump , lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have made it clear that they believe the Kremlin is behind what they are calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing cybersecurity intrusion . ''
Russia , for its part , has denied playing a role in the operation .
In a joint statement on Thursday , the two highest-ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Committee said the attack `` has the hallmarks of a Russian intelligence operation . ''
In their statement , Sens .
Jim Inhofe , R-Okla. , and Jack Reed , D-R.I. , called upon the U.S. government to `` do everything possible to counter it '' — something several other lawmakers have criticized the Trump administration for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this magnitude and lasting impact requires an engaged and public response by the U.S. government , led by a President who understands the significance of this intrusion and who is actively marshaling a domestic remediation strategy and an international response , '' Sen. Mark Warner , D-Va. , vice-chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence , said in a statement released Friday .
`` It is extremely troubling that the President does not appear to be acknowledging , much less acting upon , the gravity of this situation , '' he added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats , but from members of Trump 's own party , as well .
One day before Warner 's statement , Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah also called out what he called `` inexcusable silence and inaction from the White House . ''
`` The cyber hack , '' he said , `` is like Russian bombers have been repeatedly flying undetected over our entire country . ''
Asked about the criticism , Pompeo suggested that Trump had maintained his silence so as not to interfere with investigations into the incident .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world 's premier espionage service at the CIA .
There are many things that you you 'd very much love to say , 'Well , I 'm going to call that out , ' `` the secretary of state said .
`` But a wiser course of action to protect the American people is to calmly go about your business and defend freedom . ''

Pompeo Says Russia 'Pretty Clearly' Behind Cyberattack, Prompting Pushback From Trump
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tami Chappell/AFP via Getty Images Tami Chappell/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 12:10 p.m. ET
Since news of the SolarWinds hack surfaced nearly a week ago, high-ranking Trump administration officials had remained largely silent about the cyberattack that involved at least half a dozen federal agencies. On Friday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo broke that silence, becoming the most prominent administration official to blame Russia for the attack.
"This was a very significant effort," Pompeo told the The Mark Levin Show, "and I think it's the case that now we can say pretty clearly that it was the Russians that engaged in this activity."
"We're still unpacking precisely what it is, and I'm sure some of it will remain classified," Pompeo said. "But suffice it to say, there was a significant effort to use a piece of third-party software to essentially embed code inside of U.S. government systems and, it now appears, the systems of private companies and governments across the world, as well."
Pompeo's comments represented the farthest the Trump administration has been willing to go so far in publicly attributing the hack to Russia.
President Trump, who went nearly a week without mentioning the suspected attack, appeared to suggest Saturday that Russia may not be the culprit. He tweeted that the attack is "far greater in the Fake News Media than in actuality."
"I have been fully briefed and everything is well under control. Russia, Russia, Russia is the priority chant when anything happens because Lamestream is, for mostly financial reasons, petrified of ... discussing the possibility that it may be China (it may!)," Trump said.
And he repeated his baseless assertion that electoral fraud cost him the presidential election — a claim that he has not backed up with evidence, and that multiple members of his own administration have outright dismissed.
SolarWinds, the IT company whose product was targeted in the hack, said that nearly 18,000 of its customers received a software update tainted with malware, beginning in March. The malicious code operated as a kind of Trojan horse, enabling hackers to stealthily access the systems of the affected agencies and companies.
The cyberattack operated undetected for months and reportedly hit multiple government agencies, including the State Department, the Pentagon, the Treasury Department and the Department of Homeland Security.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Thursday acknowledged that the hack "poses a grave risk" to federal, state and local governments across the country — but refrained from directly attributing blame.
Unlike Trump, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have made it clear that they believe the Kremlin is behind what they are calling a "significant, sophisticated, and ongoing cybersecurity intrusion."
Russia, for its part, has denied playing a role in the operation.
In a joint statement on Thursday, the two highest-ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Committee said the attack "has the hallmarks of a Russian intelligence operation." In their statement, Sens. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., and Jack Reed, D-R.I., called upon the U.S. government to "do everything possible to counter it" — something several other lawmakers have criticized the Trump administration for not doing.
"An incident of this magnitude and lasting impact requires an engaged and public response by the U.S. government, led by a President who understands the significance of this intrusion and who is actively marshaling a domestic remediation strategy and an international response," Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., vice-chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence, said in a statement released Friday.
"It is extremely troubling that the President does not appear to be acknowledging, much less acting upon, the gravity of this situation," he added.
The criticism has come not just from Democrats, but from members of Trump's own party, as well. One day before Warner's statement, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah also called out what he called "inexcusable silence and inaction from the White House."
"The cyber hack," he said, "is like Russian bombers have been repeatedly flying undetected over our entire country."
Asked about the criticism, Pompeo suggested that Trump had maintained his silence so as not to interfere with investigations into the incident.
"I saw this in my time running the world's premier espionage service at the CIA. There are many things that you you'd very much love to say, 'Well, I'm going to call that out,' " the secretary of state said. "But a wiser course of action to protect the American people is to calmly go about your business and defend freedom."


npr--2020-12-20--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak Explore the chart below to find a country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January .
In late spring and early summer , new COVID-19 cases were largely driven by cases in the Americas .
While the U.S. has consistently had the most new daily cases of coronavirus in the region , Brazil 's new daily cases increased rapidly between May and August .
However , in September , several countries that had previously flattened their curve saw a resurgence in cases , including Spain and France .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swiftly since June .
Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time .
The first chart compares each continent to each other , while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region .
To compare country outbreaks , the chart below graphs trend lines for average new daily cases and deaths against each country 's totals to date .
This type of visualization highlights a state 's daily growth or decline relative to the overall size of its outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In countries like Israel , which is seeing a second wave of case growth after an initial wave in April , the line forms a V-shape , as the initially bent curve spikes upwards again .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on March 30 , 2020 .

Coronavirus world map: We've now passed the 600 million mark for infections
Editor's note: This page is no longer being updated. The last update was Sept. 5, 2022. For current data about COVID-19 cases and deaths around the world, Johns Hopkins University and Our World in Data are useful resources.
In late January 2020 only a few dozen COVID-19 infections had been identified outside of China. A year later, the world tallied its first 100 million cases. It took the globe just 7 more months to pass the 200 million mark— then another 5 months to hit 300 million, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Now the virus has spread to every corner of the globe and has been blamed for more than 6 million deaths.
The United States, India and Brazil in that order have had the most COVID cases and the three nations collectively account for almost half of all recorded infections so far in the pandemic.
Explore the chart below to find a country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January 2020.
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Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time. The first chart compares each continent to each other, while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region.
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This story was originally published on March 30, 2020.


npr--2020-12-20--Coronavirus Is Surging: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Is Surging : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 17 million people in the U.S. have had confirmed coronavirus infections and more than 310,000 have died of COVID-19 .
Tens of thousands of new cases are reported daily nationwide .
In the graphics below , explore the trends in your state .
View the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , curve charts , a table of state-by-state trends over four weeks , or a map of total cases and deaths .
The map above shows the risk of infection in each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capita .
The consortium of researchers and public health experts who developed these risk levels advises states in the red category to issue stay-home orders .
They advise orange states to consider stay-home orders , along with increased testing and contact tracing .
Yellow states need to keep up social distancing and mask usage , and all states should continue testing and contact tracing .
To compare state outbreaks , the chart above graphs trend lines for average new daily cases and deaths against each state 's totals to date .
This type @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growth or decline relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In New York , the curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
New cases fell from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 900 a day most of the summer , before starting to rise in the fall .
Explore the map above to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country for both new confirmed cases and reported deaths from COVID-19 .
New York was the original epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. As of mid October , California , Florida and Texas surpass New York for total cases to date , though New York still has the highest death total .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
To show trends , the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state , week over week for the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of red have growing outbreaks ; those in shades of green , are declining .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases and or update their methodologies .
For example , in early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's daily numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reconcile the historical data .
On June 25 , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
On Sept. 2 , Massachusetts changed its methodology for counting probable cases , which lowered its overall case and death numbers .
The JHU team maintains a list of such changes .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
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Note: This page was last updated on Feb. 1, 2023. It will no longer be updated. For current data on COVID cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Feb. 1, there have been more than 101 million confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. and more than 1 million people have died of COVID-19. In the graphics below, explore the trends in your state.
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The above charts show average new cases per 100,000 people for each state over the last 12 months.
Note: Actual cases may be substantially higher, since many who test positive with at-home tests don't report their cases.
For additional data about COVID-19 in the U.S, including cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
To show trends, the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state, week over week for the last 28 days. States marked in shades of red have growing outbreaks; those in shades of green, are declining.
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Methodology
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the World Health Organization; national, state and local government health departments; 1point3acres; and local media reports.
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies. This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds. There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department's website. Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships.
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases, process testing backlogs or update their methodologies. The JHU team maintains a list of such changes.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2020. Elena Renken was a co-author on that version. Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story. Carmel Wroth edited this story.


npr--2020-12-20--United Kingdom Locks Down As Cases Of New, More-Infectious COVID-19 Strain Skyrocket

United Kingdom Locks Down As Cases Of New , More-Infectious COVID-19 Strain Skyrocket Audio will be available later today .
@ @ @ @ @ UK , strictly limiting the movement of millions during the holidays amid worries of a @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
Infections are climbing dramatically .

United Kingdom Locks Down As Cases Of New, More-Infectious COVID-19 Strain Skyrocket A tighter lockdown in the U.K., strictly limiting the movement of millions during the holidays amid worries of a possible new variant of the coronavirus. Infections are climbing dramatically.


npr--2020-12-20--Politics Chat: Trump Is Preoccupied With Election Results While Relief Bill Stalls

Politics Chat : Trump Is Preoccupied With Election Results While Relief Bill Stalls Audio will be available later today .
@ @ @ @ @ bill , as a lame duck President Trump continues to spread falsehoods about the election @ @ @ @ @ and now an alleged Russian cyberattack .

Politics Chat: Trump Is Preoccupied With Election Results While Relief Bill Stalls Progress on the COVID-19 relief bill, as a lame duck President Trump continues to spread falsehoods about the election amid the continuing COVID-19 crisis and now an alleged Russian cyberattack.


npr--2020-12-20--Biden Announces Climate Team, Including First-Ever National Climate Advisor

Audio will be available later today .
Former EPA chief Gina McCarthy is President-elect Joe Biden 's pick for domestic @ @ @ @ @ have a big role pushing for aggressive climate action across the government .

Biden Announces Climate Team, Including 1st-Ever National Climate Adviser Former EPA chief Gina McCarthy is President-elect Joe Biden's pick for domestic climate adviser. She'll have a big role pushing for aggressive climate action across the government.
Politics Biden Announces Climate Team, Including 1st-Ever National Climate Adviser Biden Announces Climate Team, Including 1st-Ever National Climate Adviser Listen · 4:21 4:21 Former EPA chief Gina McCarthy is President-elect Joe Biden's pick for domestic climate adviser. She'll have a big role pushing for aggressive climate action across the government. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor


npr--2020-12-20--Meet Beave, The Internet's Most Famous Beaver

Leave it to a beaver to find new ways to build dams .
That much was revealed by Nancy Coyne , who 's rehabilitating a beaver in her home in New York 's Hudson Valley .
Coyne 's videos of Beave the beaver on TikTok have quickly racked up millions of views .
Beave has taken to building dams out of whatever 's available around the house .
`` Beave started just kind of collecting anything that he could get his little paws on , '' Coyne tells Lulu Garcia-Navarro on Weekend Edition .
`` So anything that was at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the house he would grab .
He does seem to like doorways .
He dams a lot in front of my front door . ''
Coyne started a `` dam pile '' to make life easier for the dam-builder , `` so he does n't have to go around the house and collect everything . ''
Coyne , who is a wildlife rehabilitator with Raising the Wild , makes clear that Beave is not a pet .
She 's raising him for about two years because she suspects he was orphaned .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normally do for a lot of rehabs , and the woman said that she had found a baby beaver on the side of the road , '' Coyne says .
`` So I said , 'Of course you can bring it to me . '
`` When the woman arrived , `` she was carrying this little box .
So I opened up the box .
And sure enough , there was a little baby beaver , no bigger than the size of a russet potato . ''
Coyne 's task now is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to know so he can reenter the wild when he 's ready .
Things like swimming under the ice : '' Beavers live in large colonies , which are their families , '' Coyne says .
`` What those little baby beaver kits do is they whine .
And that whine will encourage their parents and their older siblings to give up their food . ''
And because Beave is without a family , he spends a lot of time indoors with Coyne .
One reason why is because normally beavers need other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winter .
The other reason is that beavers are highly social animals .
`` They seek out the nurturing , the close contact that they need to thrive , '' Coyne says .
`` Without that , they can die from something called isolation stress .
What will happen is they will shut down , they will stop eating and then they will slowly die . ''
With Coyne stepping in , beavers `` will bond with the rehabber .
So Beave is bonded with me much like he would his mom .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his mom would , he has to be close to me . ''
Beave was only about 3 weeks old when he was rescued back in May .
Coyne will gradually give Beave more outdoor experience until he 's ready to go completely solo .
`` Beaver kits typically will leave their colonies at the age of between 2 and 3 years old .
But around the age of 2 , his hormones should start to kick in like they would in the wild .
And he 's going to want to set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coyne will then start `` a very slow , soft release process . ''
Beave will spend time at a nearby pond and then hopefully find a mate and start a family of his own .
Danny Hensel and Hadeel Al-Shalchi produced and edited the audio interview .

Meet Beave, The Internet's Most Famous Beaver
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nancy Coyne Nancy Coyne
Leave it to a beaver to find new ways to build dams.
That much was revealed by Nancy Coyne, who's rehabilitating a beaver in her home in New York's Hudson Valley. Coyne's videos of Beave the beaver on TikTok have quickly racked up millions of views.
Beave has taken to building dams out of whatever's available around the house.
@beaverbabyfurrylove Beaves not damming in his pond yet. He’s to young. He does this in the house because it’s his safe place. Not yet with sticks either. #fyp ♬ original sound - Beave
"Beave started just kind of collecting anything that he could get his little paws on," Coyne tells Lulu Garcia-Navarro on Weekend Edition. "So anything that was at his height, you know, around the house he would grab. He does seem to like doorways. He dams a lot in front of my front door."
Coyne started a "dam pile" to make life easier for the dam-builder, "so he doesn't have to go around the house and collect everything."
Coyne, who is a wildlife rehabilitator with Raising the Wild, makes clear that Beave is not a pet. She's raising him for about two years because she suspects he was orphaned.
"I received a call, as I normally do for a lot of rehabs, and the woman said that she had found a baby beaver on the side of the road," Coyne says. "So I said, 'Of course you can bring it to me.' "
When the woman arrived, "she was carrying this little box. So I opened up the box. And sure enough, there was a little baby beaver, no bigger than the size of a russet potato."
Coyne's task now is to help Beave learn what he needs to know so he can reenter the wild when he's ready.
Things like swimming under the ice:
@beaverbabyfurrylove Beave was doing really good swimming under the ice. He was a little skeptical at first but figured out how to navigate. ##VivaCleanHacks ##fyp ♬ original sound - Beave
Or eating:
@beaverbabyfurrylove Reply to @mangomadness23 The one thing that was so different with Beave is that he wouldn’t eat any solid foods until I showed him it was safe to try. ♬ original sound - Beave
Beave likes kale. He makes whiny noises sometimes:
"Beavers live in large colonies, which are their families," Coyne says. "What those little baby beaver kits do is they whine. And that whine will encourage their parents and their older siblings to give up their food."
And because Beave is without a family, he spends a lot of time indoors with Coyne. One reason why is because normally beavers need other beavers to help stay warm in the winter.
The other reason is that beavers are highly social animals.
"They seek out the nurturing, the close contact that they need to thrive," Coyne says. "Without that, they can die from something called isolation stress. What will happen is they will shut down, they will stop eating and then they will slowly die."
With Coyne stepping in, beavers "will bond with the rehabber. So Beave is bonded with me much like he would his mom. So in order to raise him like his mom would, he has to be close to me."
Beave was only about 3 weeks old when he was rescued back in May. Coyne will gradually give Beave more outdoor experience until he's ready to go completely solo.
"Beaver kits typically will leave their colonies at the age of between 2 and 3 years old. But around the age of 2, his hormones should start to kick in like they would in the wild. And he's going to want to set out to find a mate."
Coyne will then start "a very slow, soft release process." Beave will spend time at a nearby pond and then hopefully find a mate and start a family of his own.
@beaverbabyfurrylove Re Post from the fall for new followers. This is the big pond that Beave will eventually be released in to set off and find a mate. ##fyp ♬ original sound - Beave
Danny Hensel and Hadeel Al-Shalchi produced and edited the audio interview.


npr--2020-12-20--Former COVID-19 Patient Thanks Hospital With 800 Homemade Tamales

Former COVID-19 Patient Thanks Hospital With 800 Homemade Tamales Staff at Cedars-Sinai in LA got a surprise from a former @ @ @ @ @ 800 homemade tamales .
Margarita Montanez spent five days making them as a `` thank @ @ @ @ @ last spring .

Former COVID-19 Patient Thanks Hospital With 800 Homemade Tamales Staff at Cedars-Sinai in LA got a surprise from a former COVID-19 patient last week: 800 homemade tamales. Margarita Montanez spent five days making them as a "thank you" for her care last spring.


npr--2020-12-20--Tennessee Faces COVID-19 Vaccine Delay While Leading In New Case Numbers

Tennessee Faces COVID-19 Vaccine Delay While Leading In New Case Numbers A snafu with Operation Warp Speed leaves at least @ @ @ @ @ vaccine doses they were promised .
NPR 's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with WPLN 's Blake @ @ @ @ @ in Tennessee .

Tennessee Faces COVID-19 Vaccine Delay While Leading In New Case Numbers A snafu with Operation Warp Speed leaves at least 14 states short of the vaccine doses they were promised. Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with WPLN's Blake Farmer about what that means in Tennessee.


npr--2020-12-20--Rift Between Georgia Republicans Grows As Runoff Elections Approach

President Trump 's pressure campaign against officials in Georgia has caused a major rift within the Republican party .
It @ @ @ @ @ the Senate runoffs do n't go the GOP 's way .

Rift Between Georgia Republicans Grows As Runoff Elections Approach President Trump's pressure campaign against officials in Georgia has caused a major rift within the Republican party. It could have major implications if the Senate runoffs don't go the GOP's way.
Elections Rift Between Georgia Republicans Grows As Runoff Elections Approach Rift Between Georgia Republicans Grows As Runoff Elections Approach Listen · 4:32 4:32 President Trump's pressure campaign against officials in Georgia has caused a major rift within the Republican party. It could have major implications if the Senate runoffs don't go the GOP's way. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor


npr--2020-12-20--Jupiter And Saturn To Unite In Night Sky

Jupiter And Saturn To Unite In Night Sky On Monday , Jupiter and Saturn will look as if they are @ @ @ @ @ .
This has n't happened in nearly 400 years .

Jupiter And Saturn To Unite In Night Sky On Monday, Jupiter and Saturn will look as if they are merging in the night sky. This hasn't happened in nearly 400 years.
Space Jupiter And Saturn To Unite In Night Sky Jupiter And Saturn To Unite In Night Sky Listen · 2:05 2:05 On Monday, Jupiter and Saturn will look as if they are merging in the night sky. This hasn't happened in nearly 400 years. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor


npr--2020-12-20--The 'Mega-Hack' Revealed This Week Has Been Raging Since March

The 'Mega-Hack ' Revealed This Week Has Been Raging Since March NPR 's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Thomas Rid of @ @ @ @ @ International Studies about Russia 's alleged hack on the U.S. government and tech companies .

The 'Mega-Hack' Revealed This Week Has Been Raging Since March Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Thomas Rid of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies about Russia's alleged hack on the U.S. government and tech companies.
National Security The 'Mega-Hack' Revealed This Week Has Been Raging Since March The 'Mega-Hack' Revealed This Week Has Been Raging Since March Listen · 4:42 4:42 NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Thomas Rid of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies about Russia's alleged hack on the U.S. government and tech companies. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor