npr--2020-12-03--With No Options, Displaced Iraqi Yazidis Return To Homes Destroyed In ISIS Fight

With No Options , Displaced Iraqi Yazidis Return To Homes Destroyed In ISIS Fight In the Yazidi village of Tel Qasab , Iraq , delighted neighbors welcome Nofa Khudeda as she walks into the house she fled six years ago when ISIS invaded the region .
Khudeda , wearing a beige print dress with a white scarf tied loosely around her dark hair , hands out colorfully wrapped chocolates in celebration .
`` It 's a beautiful feeling to be home , '' she says , surrounded by beaming neighbors and relatives who returned a few weeks ago from camps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the summer of 2014 , ISIS embarked on a campaign of genocide in northern Iraq 's Sinjar region , intent on killing , capturing and forcibly converting members of the ancient religion they considered infidels .
Thousands of women were taken into sexual slavery .
Six years later , almost 200,000 Yazidis — nearly half of Sinjar 's population before the genocide — are still living in displacement camps in Iraq 's Kurdistan Region , either too traumatized or too poor to return .
Since June though , with coronavirus lockdowns making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more than 7,000 families have come back to try to rebuild their lives in Sinjar .
Most houses in the region were either damaged in fighting or , like the home of Khudeda and her husband , Ali Edo , were looted by ISIS or the militias that followed .
In a region where the norm is chronic poverty , Edo 's salary as an Iraqi Health Ministry employee has allowed him to repair the house and replace the stolen copper wiring .
Edo 's neighbors pitch in to help unload a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pieces of furniture and foam mattresses wrapped in plastic .
The women gather in what will be the kitchen once they have appliances and furniture .
One of the neighbors , Qute Murad , came back in September from the camp in the Kurdistan Region to a house so damaged that her family has been living out of two rooms they repaired .
There 's no electricity or running water .
She says earlier that morning , the family killed snakes and scorpions in their yard .
`` This is our homeland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they took care of us and respected us , '' she says , referring to help from the region 's authorities and aid groups , `` but we would rather live on bread and water here than eat meat and rice as displaced people . ''
Edo is one of the relatively lucky ones .
He did n't have children captured by ISIS and he has a job .
But even here there is tragedy .
Their 80-year-old mother could n't walk and when they fled to Sinjar mountain to escape ISIS , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house .
She is believed to be buried in a mass grave .
At the security checkpoint to Sinjar , the drivers of small trucks piled with mattresses and other household goods wait for soldiers and police to check they have the proper documents .
There are a few covered trucks hired by relatively well-off families but most are small flat-bed vehicles piled high with the belongings of lives lived in extreme poverty .
Hassan Murad 's truck carries sticks he used to prop up a tent in the camps , the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the camp and a worn , handmade cradle for his infant son , the youngest of his five children .
There are no welcoming neighbors to help as the truck pulls up to the village of Wardiya , driving past a USAID sign touting projects in the village .
The village , about 12 miles east of the Syrian border , is still largely deserted .
A few sheep wander through dried-up patches of grass between the mud and straw houses .
The camps are less than a four-hour drive from here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ISIS invaded Sinjar , this is the first time Murad has seen his house .
The straw and mud roof has collapsed , and the concrete house he had started to build before ISIS is still just three walls and a roof .
Like other Yazidis , he says he has received no help from the Iraqi government or aid agencies for moving back .
There is no running water and no electricity .
A project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development has restored main power lines but it does n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This ruined house is all I have , '' says Murad , 52 .
But he still says he 's happy to be back .
`` If we stayed in the camp until the end of time , we would n't gain anything , '' he says .
Murad used to farm but now there is no water for crops or transportation to his field .
He says if he can get enough money , he 'll put down concrete on top of the sand that is now the floor of their house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ married while they were living in the camps and this is the first time Ammo , 28 , has seen the place .
`` What can I say ?
...
It 's a destroyed house , '' she says , searching the rock-strewn yard for a place where the children , disoriented and exhausted , can sit .
`` Life was good in the camp but we had to come back at some point , '' she says .
One of her 2-year-old twins cries as after losing a plastic shoe in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small to climb over a concrete wall to reach his mother .
The 3-year-old sings tunelessly to herself as she rocks the cradle with the baby .
They named their eldest son , born in the camp four years ago , Bewar — wanderer — `` because we were without a home or land , '' Murad says .
Their Yazidi truck driver , Baker Haji Ali , calls a passing teenager to round up people to help unload .
`` No one is here to come and help , '' the boy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved 17 families back so far , charging families like Murad 's less than his normal rate of about $ 125 .
He says the families he brings back will eventually clear out the rubble and install windows and doors .
But the bigger problem is the fear that ISIS fighters who came from neighboring villages to kill and enslave them will come back .
`` If I went to the city of Sinjar tomorrow , I 'd be afraid of seeing the same ISIS men who took our Yazidi women ... and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or he would kill me , '' Haji Ali says .
`` It 's painful for us .
That is the disaster of Sinjar . ''
Parts of Sinjar city are still in ruins .
In five years since ISIS was driven out , the area has changed hands between Kurdish and Iraqi government forces and neither they nor the United Nations or aid groups have done much to help residents rebuild .
Government and aid officials cite a mix of reasons : security concerns , including remnants of explosives and the presence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis , local leadership struggles — and then the coronavirus .
`` Due to limited government presence and the proliferation of armed groups , basic service delivery has yet to return to many parts of Sinjar , '' says Clara McLinden , communications officer for the USAID mission to Iraq .
She says the lack of services , including schools , has prevented more Yazidis from returning to Sinjar .
A few Yazidi shop owners have come back .
Ziyad Qirany returned three weeks ago after scraping up the rent to open a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neatly in a blue polo-shirt that shows the tattoos on his arms — his name and the date in August that the ISIS genocide started and Yazidis tried to escape to Sinjar mountain .
`` It 's a terrible feeling when you come back and you remember your friends who were captured and you still do n't know what happened to them , '' says Qirany .
His teenage cousin , Najim Abdullah , who works in the shop , says they returned because the camps became unbearable under the coronavirus lockdowns .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison .
After the pandemic [ began ] we were n't allowed to leave the camp , '' he says .
His family is still searching for his sister Sa'ada , who was 10 when she was captured by ISIS .
From a stereo system inside the shop , Lebanese singer Fairuz croons loves songs to an empty street dotted with collapsed buildings .
Plastic mannequins lined up on the sidewalk model Turkish-made suits with boutonnieres , waiting for the pandemic to be over and wedding parties , a main source of business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the old part of town and it 's mostly destroyed so business is not that good , '' Qirany says .
`` But step by step we hope it will improve . ''
Sangar Khaleel contributed to this report in Sinjar .

With No Options, Displaced Iraqi Yazidis Return To Homes Destroyed In ISIS Fight
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jane Arraf/NPR Jane Arraf/NPR
In the Yazidi village of Tel Qasab, Iraq, delighted neighbors welcome Nofa Khudeda as she walks into the house she fled six years ago when ISIS invaded the region. Khudeda, wearing a beige print dress with a white scarf tied loosely around her dark hair, hands out colorfully wrapped chocolates in celebration.
"It's a beautiful feeling to be home," she says, surrounded by beaming neighbors and relatives who returned a few weeks ago from camps for displaced Yazidis in northern Iraq.
In the summer of 2014, ISIS embarked on a campaign of genocide in northern Iraq's Sinjar region, intent on killing, capturing and forcibly converting members of the ancient religion they considered infidels. Thousands of women were taken into sexual slavery.
Six years later, almost 200,000 Yazidis — nearly half of Sinjar's population before the genocide — are still living in displacement camps in Iraq's Kurdistan Region, either too traumatized or too poor to return.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrea DiCenzo for NPR Andrea DiCenzo for NPR
Since June though, with coronavirus lockdowns making life increasingly difficult in the crowded camps, more than 7,000 families have come back to try to rebuild their lives in Sinjar.
Most houses in the region were either damaged in fighting or, like the home of Khudeda and her husband, Ali Edo, were looted by ISIS or the militias that followed.
In a region where the norm is chronic poverty, Edo's salary as an Iraqi Health Ministry employee has allowed him to repair the house and replace the stolen copper wiring.
Edo's neighbors pitch in to help unload a small flat-bed truck piled with a few pieces of furniture and foam mattresses wrapped in plastic. The women gather in what will be the kitchen once they have appliances and furniture.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jane Arraf/NPR Jane Arraf/NPR
One of the neighbors, Qute Murad, came back in September from the camp in the Kurdistan Region to a house so damaged that her family has been living out of two rooms they repaired. There's no electricity or running water. She says earlier that morning, the family killed snakes and scorpions in their yard.
"This is our homeland," she says. "In Kurdistan they took care of us and respected us," she says, referring to help from the region's authorities and aid groups, "but we would rather live on bread and water here than eat meat and rice as displaced people."
Edo is one of the relatively lucky ones. He didn't have children captured by ISIS and he has a job. But even here there is tragedy. Their 80-year-old mother couldn't walk and when they fled to Sinjar mountain to escape ISIS, the family left her behind in the house. She is believed to be buried in a mass grave.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrea DiCenzo for NPR Andrea DiCenzo for NPR
At the security checkpoint to Sinjar, the drivers of small trucks piled with mattresses and other household goods wait for soldiers and police to check they have the proper documents.
There are a few covered trucks hired by relatively well-off families but most are small flat-bed vehicles piled high with the belongings of lives lived in extreme poverty.
Hassan Murad's truck carries sticks he used to prop up a tent in the camps, the last box of food rations his family received at the camp and a worn, handmade cradle for his infant son, the youngest of his five children.
There are no welcoming neighbors to help as the truck pulls up to the village of Wardiya, driving past a USAID sign touting projects in the village. The village, about 12 miles east of the Syrian border, is still largely deserted. A few sheep wander through dried-up patches of grass between the mud and straw houses.
The camps are less than a four-hour drive from here, but in the six years since ISIS invaded Sinjar, this is the first time Murad has seen his house.
The straw and mud roof has collapsed, and the concrete house he had started to build before ISIS is still just three walls and a roof. Like other Yazidis, he says he has received no help from the Iraqi government or aid agencies for moving back. There is no running water and no electricity. A project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development has restored main power lines but it doesn't extend to people's homes.
"This ruined house is all I have," says Murad, 52. But he still says he's happy to be back.
"If we stayed in the camp until the end of time, we wouldn't gain anything," he says. Murad used to farm but now there is no water for crops or transportation to his field. He says if he can get enough money, he'll put down concrete on top of the sand that is now the floor of their house.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jane Arraf/NPR Jane Arraf/NPR
He and his wife Wadha Ammo married while they were living in the camps and this is the first time Ammo, 28, has seen the place.
"What can I say? ... It's a destroyed house," she says, searching the rock-strewn yard for a place where the children, disoriented and exhausted, can sit.
"Life was good in the camp but we had to come back at some point," she says.
One of her 2-year-old twins cries as after losing a plastic shoe in the spiky dried grass; he's too small to climb over a concrete wall to reach his mother. The 3-year-old sings tunelessly to herself as she rocks the cradle with the baby.
They named their eldest son, born in the camp four years ago, Bewar — wanderer — "because we were without a home or land," Murad says.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jane Arraf/NPR Jane Arraf/NPR
Their Yazidi truck driver, Baker Haji Ali, calls a passing teenager to round up people to help unload.
"No one is here to come and help," the boy says.
Haji Ali says he has moved 17 families back so far, charging families like Murad's less than his normal rate of about $125.
He says the families he brings back will eventually clear out the rubble and install windows and doors. But the bigger problem is the fear that ISIS fighters who came from neighboring villages to kill and enslave them will come back.
"If I went to the city of Sinjar tomorrow, I'd be afraid of seeing the same ISIS men who took our Yazidi women ... and either I would have to kill him or he would kill me," Haji Ali says. "It's painful for us. That is the disaster of Sinjar."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrea DiCenzo for NPR Andrea DiCenzo for NPR
Parts of Sinjar city are still in ruins. In five years since ISIS was driven out, the area has changed hands between Kurdish and Iraqi government forces and neither they nor the United Nations or aid groups have done much to help residents rebuild. Government and aid officials cite a mix of reasons: security concerns, including remnants of explosives and the presence of armed militias, an Iraqi cash crisis, local leadership struggles — and then the coronavirus.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrea DiCenzo for NPR Andrea DiCenzo for NPR
"Due to limited government presence and the proliferation of armed groups, basic service delivery has yet to return to many parts of Sinjar," says Clara McLinden, communications officer for the USAID mission to Iraq. She says the lack of services, including schools, has prevented more Yazidis from returning to Sinjar.
A few Yazidi shop owners have come back. Ziyad Qirany returned three weeks ago after scraping up the rent to open a small clothing store. He is dressed neatly in a blue polo-shirt that shows the tattoos on his arms — his name and the date in August that the ISIS genocide started and Yazidis tried to escape to Sinjar mountain.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jane Arraf/NPR Jane Arraf/NPR
"It's a terrible feeling when you come back and you remember your friends who were captured and you still don't know what happened to them," says Qirany.
His teenage cousin, Najim Abdullah, who works in the shop, says they returned because the camps became unbearable under the coronavirus lockdowns. "We felt like we were in prison. After the pandemic [began] we weren't allowed to leave the camp," he says. His family is still searching for his sister Sa'ada, who was 10 when she was captured by ISIS.
From a stereo system inside the shop, Lebanese singer Fairuz croons loves songs to an empty street dotted with collapsed buildings.
Plastic mannequins lined up on the sidewalk model Turkish-made suits with boutonnieres, waiting for the pandemic to be over and wedding parties, a main source of business, to resume.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrea DiCenzo for NPR Andrea DiCenzo for NPR
"This is the old part of town and it's mostly destroyed so business is not that good," Qirany says. "But step by step we hope it will improve."
Sangar Khaleel contributed to this report in Sinjar.


npr--2020-12-03--In His Final Weeks, Trump Could Dole Out Many Pardons To Friends, Allies

In His Final Weeks , Trump Could Dole Out Many Pardons To Friends , Allies On more than one occasion , President Trump has demonstrated his willingness to use his pardon power to pluck a political ally or associate out of legal trouble .
In July , he commuted the sentence of his longtime friend and informal adviser Roger Stone , who was convicted of lying to Congress .
Last week , he pardoned his first national security adviser , Michael Flynn , who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run on pardons in the closing weeks of the Trump administration .
The list of Trump associates who are facing or could face federal charges is long .
It is not unusual for a president to issue pardons in the waning days of an administration .
Historically , at least some of those decisions have been controversial .
President George H.W .
Bush pardoned people ensnared in the Iran-Contra scandal on Christmas Eve 1992 , not long before he was set to leave office .
That move was supported by once and future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his last day in office , President Bill Clinton pardoned the fugitive financier Marc Rich .
The move immediately sparked questions , particularly since Rich 's former wife , Denise Rich , had made a large donation to the Democratic Party and the Clinton Library .
Federal investigators looked into the matter , but ultimately no charges were brought .
Trump largely stands apart from his predecessors , however , in his willingness to grant pardons to political allies and people he knows .
Earlier in his term , Trump pardoned former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arpaio , conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza and former New York Police Department Commissioner Bernard Kerik — who is a friend of the president 's attorney , Rudy Giuliani .
Those all generated headlines and a degree of controversy , but nothing like Trump 's decision to grant clemency to Stone and Flynn , two friends and advisers whose legal troubles tied back to the president himself .
Stone and Flynn were charged as part of special counsel Robert Mueller 's investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia .
Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it a `` hoax '' and a `` witch hunt , '' which has fueled speculation he could pardon others who were caught up in the investigation .
The first person on that list would likely be Paul Manafort , Trump 's onetime campaign chairman .
A jury convicted Manafort of tax and bank fraud , and he later pleaded guilty to two conspiracy counts in a separate but related case also brought by Mueller 's team .
As part of his plea deal , Manafort agreed to cooperate , but the special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to them .
Trump has already publicly mulled pardoning Manafort , although he has not taken action .
An attorney for Manafort , Todd Blanche , declined to comment on questions about a possible pardon .
Manafort 's former deputy , Rick Gates , also was convicted as part of the Russia probe .
Gates said neither he nor his lawyers have been in touch with the White House about a pardon , but he said he 'd happily accept one .
`` I absolutely believe the pardons would be warranted , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president 's decision , ultimately , but I 'm hopeful and would certainly be grateful if he were to issue one .
And nobody knows better than him the suffering that we all kind of went through as a result of that investigation . ''
Gates was charged alongside Manafort but ultimately pleaded guilty and became a key witness for investigators .
He said he does n't think his cooperation with Mueller should rule him out from Trump 's consideration .
`` I do n't believe that the idea of my cooperation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Gates said .
`` And I hope that anybody that is reviewing it does certainly understand that this was not a cooperation in the sense that it , quote , flipped on anyone . ''
Another person caught up in the Russia probe was George Papadopoulos , a young foreign policy adviser to the 2016 campaign who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI .
He served a brief prison term .
Critics — including one of the attorneys who took part in the Russia investigation , Andrew Weissmann — say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his pardon power has kept authorities from finding out all they can about what took place .
With the incentive to hold out because of the prospect of clemency from Trump , witnesses such as Manafort also had an incentive not to tell all they know , Weissmann said .
The list of Trump associates potentially angling for a pardon does not end there .
Steve Bannon , who helped run Trump 's 2016 campaign and then became his chief strategist at the White House , is under federal indictment in New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are accused of defrauding people who donated to an online campaign to raise money for a southern border wall .
Bannon has pleaded not guilty .
Trump has tried to distance himself from the fundraising campaign , but he also could pardon the other men involved in the case , who are n't as close to Trump but who support the politics of the border wall .
Giuliani , the president 's personal attorney and the man spearheading Trump 's baseless claims of widespread election fraud , was also under the scrutiny of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denies he 's done anything wrong , and the current status of the federal investigation is unclear .
But investigators were looking at Giuliani 's business dealings and his activities in Ukraine , according to an individual familiar with the matter .
The New York Times has reported that Giuliani has discussed a possible pardon for himself with the president .
Giuliani told NPR in a text message the report was `` completely false . ''
The family and the president There 's also the possibility that Trump could preemptively pardon members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump nor his children have been charged with a federal crime , but they have faced scrutiny .
The president 's pardon power is broad , and it is rooted in the Constitution .
The president can issue a preemptive pardon .
On its website , the Justice Department 's Office of the Pardon Attorney says that `` it would be highly unusual , but there have been a few cases where people who had not been charged with a crime were pardoned . ''
The classic example is President Gerald Ford 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resigned from office but had not been charged with any crimes .
As specialist attorneys told NPR 's Brian Naylor , what Trump could do is pardon his children or others for activities that took place during a certain span of time , even if authorities did n't learn until later that potential crimes had been committed .
The pardon would mean that the recipients could n't be prosecuted afterward if any crimes were discovered that took place then .
But the preemptive pardon would n't protect its recipients from prosecution by state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't inoculate them against prosecutions involving wrongdoing that took place after the span of time covered in the pardon .
The issue of a president pardoning himself is trickier .
Trump has claimed he has the power to do so , but no president has ever tried that , and experts say it 's an unsettled legal question .

In His Final Weeks, Trump Could Dole Out Many Pardons To Friends, Allies
Enlarge this image toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP Evan Vucci/AP
On more than one occasion, President Trump has demonstrated his willingness to use his pardon power to pluck a political ally or associate out of legal trouble.
In July, he commuted the sentence of his longtime friend and informal adviser Roger Stone, who was convicted of lying to Congress. Last week, he pardoned his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador.
That has set the stage for a possible run on pardons in the closing weeks of the Trump administration. The list of Trump associates who are facing or could face federal charges is long.
It is not unusual for a president to issue pardons in the waning days of an administration. Historically, at least some of those decisions have been controversial.
President George H.W. Bush pardoned people ensnared in the Iran-Contra scandal on Christmas Eve 1992, not long before he was set to leave office. That move was supported by once and future Attorney General William Barr.
Then, on his last day in office, President Bill Clinton pardoned the fugitive financier Marc Rich. The move immediately sparked questions, particularly since Rich's former wife, Denise Rich, had made a large donation to the Democratic Party and the Clinton Library.
Federal investigators looked into the matter, but ultimately no charges were brought.
Trump largely stands apart from his predecessors, however, in his willingness to grant pardons to political allies and people he knows.
Earlier in his term, Trump pardoned former Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio, conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza and former New York Police Department Commissioner Bernard Kerik — who is a friend of the president's attorney, Rudy Giuliani.
Those all generated headlines and a degree of controversy, but nothing like Trump's decision to grant clemency to Stone and Flynn, two friends and advisers whose legal troubles tied back to the president himself.
Stone and Flynn were charged as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Trump has long railed against the probe, calling it a "hoax" and a "witch hunt," which has fueled speculation he could pardon others who were caught up in the investigation.
The pardons tied to Mueller probe
The first person on that list would likely be Paul Manafort, Trump's onetime campaign chairman. A jury convicted Manafort of tax and bank fraud, and he later pleaded guilty to two conspiracy counts in a separate but related case also brought by Mueller's team.
As part of his plea deal, Manafort agreed to cooperate, but the special counsel's team said he repeatedly lied to them.
Trump has already publicly mulled pardoning Manafort, although he has not taken action. An attorney for Manafort, Todd Blanche, declined to comment on questions about a possible pardon.
Manafort's former deputy, Rick Gates, also was convicted as part of the Russia probe. Gates said neither he nor his lawyers have been in touch with the White House about a pardon, but he said he'd happily accept one.
"I absolutely believe the pardons would be warranted," Gates told NPR. "It's the president's decision, ultimately, but I'm hopeful and would certainly be grateful if he were to issue one. And nobody knows better than him the suffering that we all kind of went through as a result of that investigation."
Gates was charged alongside Manafort but ultimately pleaded guilty and became a key witness for investigators. He said he doesn't think his cooperation with Mueller should rule him out from Trump's consideration.
"I don't believe that the idea of my cooperation would hinder any opportunity for a pardon," Gates said. "And I hope that anybody that is reviewing it does certainly understand that this was not a cooperation in the sense that it, quote, flipped on anyone."
Another person caught up in the Russia probe was George Papadopoulos, a young foreign policy adviser to the 2016 campaign who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. He served a brief prison term.
Critics — including one of the attorneys who took part in the Russia investigation, Andrew Weissmann — say that what they call Trump's abuse of his pardon power has kept authorities from finding out all they can about what took place. With the incentive to hold out because of the prospect of clemency from Trump, witnesses such as Manafort also had an incentive not to tell all they know, Weissmann said.
The close aides
The list of Trump associates potentially angling for a pardon does not end there.
Steve Bannon, who helped run Trump's 2016 campaign and then became his chief strategist at the White House, is under federal indictment in New York. He and three other men are accused of defrauding people who donated to an online campaign to raise money for a southern border wall. Bannon has pleaded not guilty.
Trump has tried to distance himself from the fundraising campaign, but he also could pardon the other men involved in the case, who aren't as close to Trump but who support the politics of the border wall.
Giuliani, the president's personal attorney and the man spearheading Trump's baseless claims of widespread election fraud, was also under the scrutiny of federal prosecutors in New York.
Giuliani denies he's done anything wrong, and the current status of the federal investigation is unclear. But investigators were looking at Giuliani's business dealings and his activities in Ukraine, according to an individual familiar with the matter.
The New York Times has reported that Giuliani has discussed a possible pardon for himself with the president. Giuliani told NPR in a text message the report was "completely false."
The family and the president
There's also the possibility that Trump could preemptively pardon members of his family or even himself.
Neither Trump nor his children have been charged with a federal crime, but they have faced scrutiny.
The president's pardon power is broad, and it is rooted in the Constitution. The president can issue a preemptive pardon.
On its website, the Justice Department's Office of the Pardon Attorney says that "it would be highly unusual, but there have been a few cases where people who had not been charged with a crime were pardoned."
The classic example is President Gerald Ford's pardoning of Richard Nixon, who had resigned from office but had not been charged with any crimes.
As specialist attorneys told NPR's Brian Naylor, what Trump could do is pardon his children or others for activities that took place during a certain span of time, even if authorities didn't learn until later that potential crimes had been committed.
The pardon would mean that the recipients couldn't be prosecuted afterward if any crimes were discovered that took place then. But the preemptive pardon wouldn't protect its recipients from prosecution by state or local authorities, and it wouldn't inoculate them against prosecutions involving wrongdoing that took place after the span of time covered in the pardon.
The issue of a president pardoning himself is trickier. Trump has claimed he has the power to do so, but no president has ever tried that, and experts say it's an unsettled legal question.


npr--2020-12-03--'We're All Just In A Mess': Job Growth Expected To Slow Sharply Amid Pandemic Hit

'We 're All Just In A Mess ' : Job Growth Expected To Slow Sharply Amid Pandemic Hit Get ready for one of the most unpredictable monthly jobs reports in a while .
The pandemic has come roaring back , filling hospitals with coronavirus patients , while restaurants and retail shops empty out .
That is expected to put a squeeze on job gains : Forecasters expect a report Friday from the Labor Department will show that U.S. employers added fewer workers in November than the 638,000 created a month earlier .
How much less is uncertain as the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Economists at Wells Fargo expect the United States added just 425,000 jobs in November , while other forecasts point to just under half a million .
What is more certain is the pain being felt by many restaurants and retailers .
Only 54 % of the 22 million jobs lost during March and April had come back through October , and relief aid passed by Congress earlier this year is set to expire the day after Christmas .
Cameron Mitchell , whose company operates dozens of restaurants in 13 states , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We furloughed 700 of our 3,500 employees the week before Thanksgiving , '' he said .
`` We just ca n't sustain this for much longer . ''
Mitchell said traffic at his restaurants rebounded during the late summer and early fall , thanks in part to outdoor dining .
But as temperatures fell and new infections soared , business has dropped off sharply .
Sales in the middle of this week were barely a third of what they were a year ago .
`` A server [ who ] maybe worked five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three now , or two .
A cook who worked 40 hours is now only able to get 20 or 25 , '' Mitchell said .
`` People are making only a fraction of what they used to make , and they have bills to pay , too . ''
Government restrictions on indoor dining have forced 10 of Mitchell 's restaurants to close altogether .
Even in cities with no such restrictions , customers are increasingly wary of going out and spending money .
`` It 's not just the restaurant business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hospitality , leisure , hotels .
We 're all just in a mess right here . ''
Job gains have declined each month since June , though some parts of the economy have performed better than others during the pandemic .
Homebuilders have been busy , thanks to strong demand for housing and historically low interest rates .
Manufacturing has also held up relatively well , although factory managers report growing challenges with workers who 've gotten sick or had to quarantine .
The job search website Glassdoor has also observed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's weighted toward warehouses and delivery drivers , rather than brick-and-mortar retail stores .
`` Even though there 's a pandemic going on , the holidays are n't canceled , '' Glassdoor senior economist Daniel Zhao said .
`` Just like Americans might be video chatting with family this year instead of going in person , they 're shifting their shopping for gifts online .
So we do expect to see retail spending over the holidays to be fairly strong .
It 's just going to look different than it has in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been declining in recent months .
Friday 's report is expected to show another drop in temporary census workers as the decennial headcount continues to wind down .
The unemployment rate in October was 6.9 % — less than half what it was during the depths of the downturn in April .
But the recovery is still far from complete .
President-elect Joe Biden has been urging Congress to clinch a new deal on coronavirus relief before the end of the year , with talks by lawmakers proceeding amid disagreements about how much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned lawmakers Wednesday that many families and businesses will need additional help to get through the winter , even as new COVID-19 vaccines announced by drugmakers offer hope for a more complete economic recovery in the spring or summer .
`` Sometime in the middle of next year , it really does look like that may be the light at the end of the tunnel , '' Powell said .
`` The problem is people who lose their homes now and businesses that go out of business ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't just be re-created . ''

'We're All Just In A Mess': Job Growth Expected To Slow Sharply Amid Pandemic Hit
Enlarge this image toggle caption Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
Get ready for one of the most unpredictable monthly jobs reports in a while.
The pandemic has come roaring back, filling hospitals with coronavirus patients, while restaurants and retail shops empty out.
That is expected to put a squeeze on job gains: Forecasters expect a report Friday from the Labor Department will show that U.S. employers added fewer workers in November than the 638,000 created a month earlier.
How much less is uncertain as the pandemic makes it hard to forecast economic indicators.
Economists at Wells Fargo expect the United States added just 425,000 jobs in November, while other forecasts point to just under half a million.
What is more certain is the pain being felt by many restaurants and retailers. Only 54% of the 22 million jobs lost during March and April had come back through October, and relief aid passed by Congress earlier this year is set to expire the day after Christmas.
Cameron Mitchell, whose company operates dozens of restaurants in 13 states, said he worries about the future.
"We furloughed 700 of our 3,500 employees the week before Thanksgiving," he said. "We just can't sustain this for much longer."
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Mitchell said traffic at his restaurants rebounded during the late summer and early fall, thanks in part to outdoor dining. But as temperatures fell and new infections soared, business has dropped off sharply.
Sales in the middle of this week were barely a third of what they were a year ago.
"A server [who] maybe worked five shifts normally is only able to get three now, or two. A cook who worked 40 hours is now only able to get 20 or 25," Mitchell said. "People are making only a fraction of what they used to make, and they have bills to pay, too."
Government restrictions on indoor dining have forced 10 of Mitchell's restaurants to close altogether. Even in cities with no such restrictions, customers are increasingly wary of going out and spending money.
"It's not just the restaurant business," Mitchell said. "Travel, hospitality, leisure, hotels. We're all just in a mess right here."
Job gains have declined each month since June, though some parts of the economy have performed better than others during the pandemic.
Homebuilders have been busy, thanks to strong demand for housing and historically low interest rates. Manufacturing has also held up relatively well, although factory managers report growing challenges with workers who've gotten sick or had to quarantine.
The job search website Glassdoor has also observed a late surge in holiday hiring, although it's weighted toward warehouses and delivery drivers, rather than brick-and-mortar retail stores.
"Even though there's a pandemic going on, the holidays aren't canceled," Glassdoor senior economist Daniel Zhao said. "Just like Americans might be video chatting with family this year instead of going in person, they're shifting their shopping for gifts online. So we do expect to see retail spending over the holidays to be fairly strong. It's just going to look different than it has in past years."
Government jobs have been declining in recent months. Friday's report is expected to show another drop in temporary census workers as the decennial headcount continues to wind down.
The unemployment rate in October was 6.9% — less than half what it was during the depths of the downturn in April. But the recovery is still far from complete.
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President-elect Joe Biden has been urging Congress to clinch a new deal on coronavirus relief before the end of the year, with talks by lawmakers proceeding amid disagreements about how much in aid is needed.
Meanwhile, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned lawmakers Wednesday that many families and businesses will need additional help to get through the winter, even as new COVID-19 vaccines announced by drugmakers offer hope for a more complete economic recovery in the spring or summer.
"Sometime in the middle of next year, it really does look like that may be the light at the end of the tunnel," Powell said. "The problem is people who lose their homes now and businesses that go out of business; once they're gone, they can't just be re-created."


npr--2020-12-03--The Monolith Mystery Deepens, As A 3rd Oddity Pops Up In California

The Monolith Mystery Deepens , As A 3rd Oddity Pops Up In California Maybe it was once rare to stumble upon a 10-foot-tall monolith plopped in the middle of nowhere , towering in silent , vaguely alien mystery over a scenic landscape — but the curious find certainly seems to be getting rather common lately .
On Wednesday , dozens of hikers flocked to a new monolith found atop Pine Mountain in Central California .
Apparently crafted from metal , the new oddity strongly recalls two other structures that suddenly appeared — and disappeared , nearly as quickly — in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plateau in the past three weeks .
There 's at least one major difference about this new one , which now stands in thus far impenetrable mystery on one of the highest points in Atascadero , Calif. '' Unlike its Utah sibling , the Atascadero obelisk was not attached to the ground , and could be knocked over with a firm push , '' the local Atascadero News reports , estimating that , all told , the object must weigh around 200 pounds .
So that 's perhaps one clue to its origins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the broader mystery of the monoliths remains elusive .
Since Utah state officials found the first structure in the state 's remote Red Rock Country last month , authorities in the U.S. and Romania — where the second monolith briefly appeared — have professed amused puzzlement at their origins and whether any link exists between them .
The monoliths have each stood around 10 to 12 feet tall , with three sides and metal polished enough to reflect the sun 's glare , though minor differences appear to distinguish each one from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unmistakable resemblance to the monolith famously featured in the film 2001 : A Space Odyssey -- one reason , perhaps , why authorities have been so quick to blame aliens in their tongue-in-cheek responses .
( The monolith in Stanley Kubrick 's film had four sides . )
Andy Lewis , an adventure sportsman who lives near the site of the first monolith in Moab , Utah , says that he and a team dismantled and removed the object after dark on Nov. 27 .
He posted a series of images on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their work in progress .
A person claiming to be a witness said the monolith was removed to prevent environmental damage to the remote site from crowds of spectators .
The claim may complicate the efforts of Ripley 's Believe It or Not !
— which offered a $ 10,000 reward earlier this week for exclusive tips on tracking down the Utah monolith — and it does n't get to the bottom of who put it there in the first place .
Nor have answers been forthcoming yet in Romania , where a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four days outside the city of Piatra Neamt .
The local police told Reuters that officers are investigating the provenance of the structure , which had been illegally placed in a protected archaeological area before its unexplained removal .
In California , meanwhile , the puzzlement has spread .
In an email to the San Luis Obispo Tribune , Atascadero Land Preservation Society President Mike Orvis said he has no information to offer about the object .
`` 2020 continues to be an interesting year , '' he deadpanned .

The Monolith Mystery Deepens, As A 3rd Oddity Pops Up In California
Maybe it was once rare to stumble upon a 10-foot-tall monolith plopped in the middle of nowhere, towering in silent, vaguely alien mystery over a scenic landscape — but the curious find certainly seems to be getting rather common lately.
On Wednesday, dozens of hikers flocked to a new monolith found atop Pine Mountain in Central California. Apparently crafted from metal, the new oddity strongly recalls two other structures that suddenly appeared — and disappeared, nearly as quickly — in the Utah desert and on a Romanian plateau in the past three weeks.
There's at least one major difference about this new one, which now stands in thus far impenetrable mystery on one of the highest points in Atascadero, Calif.
"Unlike its Utah sibling, the Atascadero obelisk was not attached to the ground, and could be knocked over with a firm push," the local Atascadero News reports, estimating that, all told, the object must weigh around 200 pounds.
So that's perhaps one clue to its origins.
But for now, a solution to the broader mystery of the monoliths remains elusive. Since Utah state officials found the first structure in the state's remote Red Rock Country last month, authorities in the U.S. and Romania — where the second monolith briefly appeared — have professed amused puzzlement at their origins and whether any link exists between them.
The monoliths have each stood around 10 to 12 feet tall, with three sides and metal polished enough to reflect the sun's glare, though minor differences appear to distinguish each one from the others.
All three bear an unmistakable resemblance to the monolith famously featured in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey -- one reason, perhaps, why authorities have been so quick to blame aliens in their tongue-in-cheek responses. (The monolith in Stanley Kubrick's film had four sides.)
Andy Lewis, an adventure sportsman who lives near the site of the first monolith in Moab, Utah, says that he and a team dismantled and removed the object after dark on Nov. 27. He posted a series of images on social media earlier this week purporting to show their work in progress. A person claiming to be a witness said the monolith was removed to prevent environmental damage to the remote site from crowds of spectators.
The claim may complicate the efforts of Ripley's Believe It or Not! — which offered a $10,000 reward earlier this week for exclusive tips on tracking down the Utah monolith — and it doesn't get to the bottom of who put it there in the first place.
Nor have answers been forthcoming yet in Romania, where a reportedly shoddily crafted monolith stood for about four days outside the city of Piatra Neamt. The local police told Reuters that officers are investigating the provenance of the structure, which had been illegally placed in a protected archaeological area before its unexplained removal.
In California, meanwhile, the puzzlement has spread. In an email to the San Luis Obispo Tribune, Atascadero Land Preservation Society President Mike Orvis said he has no information to offer about the object.
"2020 continues to be an interesting year," he deadpanned.


npr--2020-12-03--Facebook Bans Debunked Claims About COVID-19 Vaccines

Facebook is banning claims about COVID-19 vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts , as governments prepare to roll out the first vaccinations against the virus .
That includes posts that make false claims about how safe and effective the vaccines are , and about their ingredients and side effects .
`` For example , we will remove false claims that COVID-19 vaccines contain microchips , or anything else that is n't on the official vaccine ingredient list , '' Facebook 's head of health , Kang-Xing Jin , said in a blog post .
`` We will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we know today are false : like specific populations are being used without their consent to test the vaccine 's safety . ''
The new ban is an expansion of Facebook 's rules against misinformation about the coronavirus that could lead to imminent physical harm .
The company said it removed 12 million such posts from Facebook and Instagram between March and October .
The approach to COVID-19 vaccines is a departure from Facebook 's general approach to vaccine misinformation .
The company has made false claims about other vaccines less visible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removing them .
In October , it banned anti-vaccination ads .
Facebook said it was extending the policy because COVID-19 vaccines will soon be rolled out around the world .
The U.K. became the first country to approve a vaccine this week , with the first doses expected to be available next week .
Regulators in the U.S. are expected to approve vaccines before the end of the year .
On Monday , Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company would show users `` authoritative information '' about vaccines .
It 's adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — a section of its site that promotes credible sources — with details about how vaccines are tested and approved .
YouTube , owned by Google , and TikTok also have said they will remove false claims about COVID-19 vaccines .
Despite efforts by Facebook and other platforms to curb the spread of hoaxes and conspiracy theories , misinformation about the pandemic has spread widely on social media this year .
Editor 's note : Facebook , Google and TikTok are among NPR 's financial supporters .

Facebook Bans Debunked Claims About COVID-19 Vaccines
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ashley Landis/AP Ashley Landis/AP
Facebook is banning claims about COVID-19 vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts, as governments prepare to roll out the first vaccinations against the virus.
That includes posts that make false claims about how safe and effective the vaccines are, and about their ingredients and side effects.
"For example, we will remove false claims that COVID-19 vaccines contain microchips, or anything else that isn't on the official vaccine ingredient list," Facebook's head of health, Kang-Xing Jin, said in a blog post. "We will also remove conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines that we know today are false: like specific populations are being used without their consent to test the vaccine's safety."
The new ban is an expansion of Facebook's rules against misinformation about the coronavirus that could lead to imminent physical harm. The company said it removed 12 million such posts from Facebook and Instagram between March and October.
The approach to COVID-19 vaccines is a departure from Facebook's general approach to vaccine misinformation. The company has made false claims about other vaccines less visible on its platform but stopped short of removing them. In October, it banned anti-vaccination ads.
Facebook said it was extending the policy because COVID-19 vaccines will soon be rolled out around the world. The U.K. became the first country to approve a vaccine this week, with the first doses expected to be available next week. Regulators in the U.S. are expected to approve vaccines before the end of the year.
On Monday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company would show users "authoritative information" about vaccines. It's adding a section to its coronavirus information center — a section of its site that promotes credible sources — with details about how vaccines are tested and approved.
YouTube, owned by Google, and TikTok also have said they will remove false claims about COVID-19 vaccines.
Despite efforts by Facebook and other platforms to curb the spread of hoaxes and conspiracy theories, misinformation about the pandemic has spread widely on social media this year.
Editor's note: Facebook, Google and TikTok are among NPR's financial supporters.


npr--2020-12-04--Job Growth Slows Sharply As Pandemic Takes Toll On Economy

Job Growth Slows Sharply As Pandemic Takes Toll On Economy U.S. employers sharply scaled back their hiring last month , as the coronavirus pandemic put new pressure on restaurants , retailers and other businesses .
The Labor Department said Friday employers added just 245,000 jobs in November , down from a revised 610,000 in October .
The unemployment rate dipped to 6.7 % , from 6.9 % the month before .
So far the U.S. has recovered 56 % of the jobs that were lost in March and April , and payroll employment is still 9.8 million below its pre-pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes as new infections are surging , and as Congress wrestles with whether to extend relief measures currently set to expire the day after Christmas .
This week , the United States set a record with more than 100,000 people hospitalized with the coronavirus .
More than 200,000 new infections were diagnosed on Thursday , and nearly 3,000 people died that day from COVID-19 .
Government restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus forced Cameron Mitchell to shutter nearly 20 % of his restaurants last month and to furlough 700 workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , Mitchell 's remaining restaurants have suffered a steep drop in sales .
`` Our managers are working for reduced pay .
Our hourly people are not getting the hours they want or they 're laid off , '' said Mitchell , who operates 55 restaurants in 13 states .
`` Our company is losing a million to two million dollars a month .
And we ca n't sustain for much longer at that pace . ''
The pandemic has taken a toll on other industries as well .
Job listings at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October and November .
That was the first such decline since May , and the drop was widespread among different parts of the country and different sectors of the economy .
`` That does n't mean we 've gone over the cliff yet , '' said Glassdoor 's senior economist Daniel Zhao .
`` But there are definitely some warning signs flashing . ''
The Census Bureau cut another 93,000 temporary workers in November as it wound down its once-a-decade headcount .
Local governments cut 21,000 jobs in education .
Federal Reserve Chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without federal help , state and local governments are likely to see additional job cuts in the months to come .
`` State and local governments are one of the very largest employers in the country and they provide those critical services , '' Powell said .
`` That was a big part of the story in the slow recovery from the global financial crisis a decade ago . ''
The slowdown in hiring is especially worrisome for millions of Americans who are out of work and at risk of losing their financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment benefits are set to expire .
Congress has been discussing a possible extension of those benefits , but no agreement has been reached yet .
The holiday shopping season typically creates job opportunities in retail .
Zhao said this year , many of those jobs are in warehouses or as delivery drivers , as customers increasingly shift their gift-buying online .
While there are some openings in traditional brick-and-mortar stores , they may not be easily filled .
`` Even in a time of high unemployment , workers are hesitant to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be higher , '' Zhao said .
New vaccines offer hope that the pandemic could be tamed sometime next year , but widespread distribution of the shots is still months away .
`` The good news is , we know recovery is on the way with the vaccines , '' said Mitchell , the restaurant operator .
`` We just need to get from here to there , and Congress needs to help provide that bridge . ''

'Warning Signs Flashing': Job Growth Slows Sharply As Pandemic Takes Toll On Economy
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rich Pedroncelli/AP Rich Pedroncelli/AP
Updated at 9:24 a.m. ET
U.S. employers sharply scaled back their hiring last month as the coronavirus pandemic put new pressure on restaurants, retailers and other businesses.
The Labor Department said Friday that employers added just 245,000 jobs in November, down from a revised 610,000 in October.
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The job growth figure was well below expectations. Economists at Wells Fargo had expected the United States to add just 425,000 jobs in November, while other forecasts pointed to just under half a million.
The unemployment rate dipped to 6.7%, from 6.9% the month before, largely because 400,000 people dropped out of the workforce.
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So far the U.S. has recovered 56% of the jobs that were lost in March and April, and payroll employment is still 9.8 million below its pre-pandemic levels.
The slowdown in job growth comes as new infections are surging and as Congress wrestles with whether to extend relief measures currently set to expire the day after Christmas.
This week, the United States set a record with more than 100,000 people hospitalized with the coronavirus. More than 200,000 new infections were diagnosed on Thursday, and nearly 3,000 people died that day from COVID-19.
Government restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus forced Cameron Mitchell to shutter nearly 20% of his restaurants last month and to furlough 700 workers. With customers increasingly nervous about eating out, Mitchell's remaining restaurants have suffered a steep drop in sales.
"Our managers are working for reduced pay. Our hourly people are not getting the hours they want or they're laid off," said Mitchell, who operates 55 restaurants in 13 states. "Our company is losing a million to $2 million a month. And we can't sustain for much longer at that pace."
Nationwide, bars and restaurants cut 17,000 jobs last month. The pandemic has taken a toll on other industries as well.
Job listings at the website Glassdoor fell 2.5% between October and November. That was the first such decline since May, and the drop was widespread among different parts of the country and different sectors of the economy.
"That doesn't mean we've gone over the cliff yet," said Glassdoor's senior economist Daniel Zhao. "But there are definitely some warning signs flashing."
The Census Bureau cut another 93,000 temporary workers in November as it wound down its once-a-decade head count. Local governments cut 21,000 jobs in education.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned lawmakers this week that without federal help, state and local governments are likely to see additional job cuts in the months to come.
"State and local governments are one of the very largest employers in the country and they provide those critical services," Powell said. "That was a big part of the story in the slow recovery from the global financial crisis a decade ago."
The slowdown in hiring is especially worrisome for millions of Americans who are out of work and at risk of losing their financial lifeline later this month, when emergency unemployment benefits are set to expire.
Congress has been discussing a possible extension of those benefits, but no agreement has been reached yet.
The holiday shopping season typically creates job opportunities in retail. Zhao said this year, many of those jobs are in warehouses or as delivery drivers, as customers increasingly shift their gift-buying online.
The Labor Department report, which is adjusted for seasonal hiring patterns, shows a net loss of 35,000 retail jobs, but an increase of 145,000 jobs in transportation and warehousing.
While there are some openings in traditional brick-and-mortar stores, they may not be easily filled.
"Even in a time of high unemployment, workers are hesitant to return to in-person roles where the health risks might be higher," Zhao said.
New vaccines offer hope that the pandemic could be tamed sometime next year, but widespread distribution of the shots is still months away.
"The good news is, we know recovery is on the way with the vaccines," said Mitchell, the restaurant operator. "We just need to get from here to there, and Congress needs to help provide that bridge."


npr--2020-12-04--Money Tracker: How Much Trump And Biden Have Raised In The 2020 Election

Money Tracker : How Much Trump And Biden Have Raised In The 2020 Election Updated on December 4 at 8:35 a.m .
ET Which presidential candidate has the fundraising advantage ?
Here 's how much money the campaigns of President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have raised so far , according to their Federal Election Commission filings .
( Keep in mind that Trump 's reelection campaign had a fundraising head start . )
This tracker will be updated with each monthly report , prior to the general election .
Of course , the universe of campaign finance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raises alone .
Each party has its own committee to help elect a president , which can work in concert with the official campaign and further contributes to the war chest .
And campaigns often announce those joint fundraising totals before filing their FEC paperwork , so what this tracker has and what the campaign says can differ .
Also , groups like super PACs , which can raise and spend unlimited amounts , can help or hurt the fortunes of a presidential nominee .
On both Biden 's and Trump 's sides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of millions of dollars on their own .
Do n't see the graphics in this story ?
Click here .
This story was originally published on May 20 , 2020 .

Money Tracker: How Much Trump And Biden Have Raised In The 2020 Election
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Updated on December 4 at 8:35 a.m. ET
Which presidential candidate has the fundraising advantage?
Here's how much money the campaigns of President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden raised, according to their Federal Election Commission filings. (Keep in mind that Trump's reelection campaign had a fundraising head start.)
This is the final update, reflecting contributions through November 23.
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Of course, the universe of campaign finance is far bigger than what one candidate raises alone. Each party has its own committee to help elect a president, which can work in concert with the official campaign and further contributes to the war chest.
And campaigns often announce those joint fundraising totals before filing their FEC paperwork, so what this tracker has and what the campaign says can differ.
Also, groups like super PACs, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts, can help or hurt the fortunes of a presidential nominee. On both Biden's and Trump's sides, these independent groups have raised tens of millions of dollars on their own.
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Don't see the graphics in this story? Click here.
This story was originally published on May 20, 2020.
Photos: Gage Skidmore/Flickr


npr--2020-12-04--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak On Sept. 28 , the world marked a tragic milestone : 1 million deaths from COVID-19 .
That 's according to a tally maintained by Johns Hopkins University .
And public health experts believe the actual toll – the recorded deaths plus the unrecorded deaths – is much higher .
While the number of cases has slowed in many countries that were hit hard early on by coronavirus , the number of new cases continues to increase .
Since early July , new daily cases averaged over 200,000 worldwide .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January .
At over 13 million cases , the United States leads the world 's COVID-19 crisis .
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 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , daily case counts have risen swiftly since June , without signs of slowing down .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 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 @ @ @ @ @

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--2020-12-04--Coronavirus Is Surging: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Is Surging : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 14 million people in the U.S. have had confirmed coronavirus infections and more than 270,000 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--2020-12-04--S. Korea Considers Tighter Coronavirus Restrictions As Cases Spike

South Korea 's capital recorded its highest-ever number of new coronavirus cases , 291 , on Thursday , while nationwide there were 629 cases — the largest total in nine months .
Amid criticism of the government 's recent handling of the pandemic , it is considering tightening public health restrictions .
That criticism — that the government has been too timid in tacking the current third-wave of infections — follows international praise for South Korea 's aggressive response to the initial outbreak in February .
`` We have no room left for retreat .
We will stop Seoul after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seoul 's Acting Mayor Seo Jeong-hyup told reporters .
For the next two weeks , the capital 's public transportation will be reduced by 30 % after 9 p.m .
Restaurants , cafes and gyms are already required to close after 9 p.m. , and starting from Saturday , supermarkets , department stores and hair salons will be , too .
Middle and school classes will move online .
Officials appear to be conceding that two recent increases in the country 's virus alert level have been insufficient .
`` We cautiously predict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easily suppressed , '' Yoon Tae-ho , the Health Ministry 's public health policy director , told a briefing Friday .
`` It is not centered on a certain occasion or group but is rather emerging at various everyday locations . ''
Last week , government officials insisted that tightening restrictions too hastily could have damaging economic effects on citizens , and that public compliance was more important than social distancing measures themselves .
Now , it is mulling whether to raise restrictions over the weekend to the second highest level in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korea 's response has been preemptive , fast decisions for strong measures , '' Eom Joong Sik , an infectious diseases expert at Gachon University in Incheon , said in a phone interview on Monday .
`` If we forsake this principle for economic reasons , we wo n't be able to control infections and may face an economic collapse as well .
Eom points out that , based on current new case levels , restrictions should already be at the second-highest level , but the government , he argues , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` If the government does n't stick to standards and principles , how can it persuade the citizens to follow guidelines and restrictions , '' he asks .
South Korea has garnered international praise partly because of the perception that the government has deferred to health experts , in formulating the country 's response to the pandemic .
The government may now be giving more weight to economic considerations .
But Eom Joong Sik says he doubts that acting decisively to stop the virus 's spread costs more than acting cautiously .

South Korea Considers Tighter Coronavirus Restrictions As Cases Spike
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
South Korea's capital recorded its highest-ever number of new coronavirus cases, 291, on Thursday, while nationwide there were 629 cases — the largest total in nine months. Amid criticism of the government's recent handling of the pandemic, it is considering tightening public health restrictions.
That criticism — that the government has been too timid in tacking the current third-wave of infections — follows international praise for South Korea's aggressive response to the initial outbreak in February.
"We have no room left for retreat. We will stop Seoul after 9 p.m., starting tomorrow," Seoul's acting Mayor Seo Jeong-hyup told reporters.
For the next two weeks, the capital's public transportation will be reduced by 30% after 9 p.m. Restaurants, cafes and gyms are already required to close after 9 p.m., and starting from Saturday, supermarkets, department stores and hair salons will be, too. Middle and high school classes will move online.
Officials appear to be conceding that two recent increases in the country's virus alert level have been insufficient.
"We cautiously predict that the current outbreak will not be easily suppressed," Yoon Tae-ho, the Health Ministry's public health policy director, told a briefing Friday. "It is not centered on a certain occasion or group but is rather emerging at various everyday locations."
Last week, government officials insisted that tightening restrictions too hastily could have damaging economic effects on citizens and that public compliance was more important than social distancing measures themselves.
Now, it is mulling whether to raise restrictions over the weekend to the second highest level in a five-tier system.
"The basis of South Korea's response has been preemptive, fast decisions for strong measures," Eom Joong Sik, an infectious diseases expert at Gachon University in Incheon, said in a phone interview on Monday. "If we forsake this principle for economic reasons, we won't be able to control infections and may face an economic collapse as well.
Eom points out that, based on current new case levels, restrictions should already be at the second-highest level, but the government, he argues, has balked at following its own rules.
"If the government doesn't stick to standards and principles, how can it persuade the citizens to follow guidelines and restrictions?" he asks.
South Korea has garnered international praise partly because of the perception that the government has deferred to health experts in formulating the country's response to the pandemic.
The government may now be giving more weight to economic considerations. But Eom Joong Sik says he doubts that acting decisively to stop the virus's spread costs more than acting cautiously.


npr--2020-12-04--Houston Police Rescue 26 From Alleged Human Smuggling Operation

Houston police said they rescued 26 people from a human smuggling operation Thursday after discovering them in a home located less than a five minute 's walk from an elementary school .
Police said they were alerted to the scene after they received a report of a man running down a street yelling that he had been kidnapped .
When officers arrived , the man said nearly 30 others were being held hostage in a nearby house .
Police entered the boarded-up home and found 25 men and one woman .
When questioned , many said they were being held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for up to a week .
It 's unclear if any had injuries at the time of their discovery .
Investigators told Houston 's ABC13 that the victims were first picked up in Brownsville , Texas , a city along the border with Mexico and more than 300 miles south of Houston .
The men and the woman originated from Mexico , Honduras , El Salvador , and Cuba , police said .
They were taken to the nearby school for shelter , where neighbors provided clothes .
Representatives from the Houston Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the local FBI branch did not immediately respond to NPR 's request for comment .

Houston Police Rescue 26 From Alleged Human Smuggling Operation
Houston police said they rescued 26 people from a human smuggling operation Thursday after discovering them in a home located less than a five minute's walk from an elementary school.
Police said they were alerted to the scene after they received a report of a man running down a street yelling that he had been kidnapped.
When officers arrived, the man said nearly 30 others were being held hostage in a nearby house.
Police entered the boarded-up home and found 25 men and one woman. When questioned, many said they were being held against their will and had been there for up to a week. It's unclear if any had injuries at the time of their discovery.
Investigators told Houston's ABC13 that the victims were first picked up in Brownsville, Texas, a city along the border with Mexico and more than 300 miles south of Houston. The men and the woman originated from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Cuba, police said.
They were taken to the nearby school for shelter, where neighbors provided clothes.
Representatives from the Houston Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the local FBI branch did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment.


npr--2020-12-04--Bangladesh Begins Moving Displaced Rohingya Muslims To Island

Authorities in Bangladesh are pushing ahead with the relocation of tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal , despite concerns raised by human rights groups and the United Nations .
On Thursday , the first group of about 1,500 Rohingya were placed aboard several navy vessels heading toward to Bhashan Char , located about 120 miles south of the capital , Dhaka .
Bangladeshi officials first proposed the island in 2015 as an option for some of the hundreds of thousands who have been housed for years in camps since fleeing brutal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the idea was put on hold because of potentially unsafe conditions on the cyclone and flood-prone island .
Phil Robertson , the deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch , likens the island to `` a de facto prison island .
It 's like the Rohingya Alcatraz . ''
Robertson says , `` There 's concerns about health , there 's concerns about medical services , there 's concern about adequate amounts of food and other supplies .
I mean , it 's a disaster waiting to happen . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of reports of Bangladeshi authorities starting the relocation process , but said it had not reviewed the operation before hand .
The U.N. said any relocation plan for Bhashan Char should involve a review of the safety , feasibility , and sustainability of the island for refugees to live and should involve the full consent of the Rohingya .
`` The United Nations has not been involved in preparations for this movement or the identification of refugees and has limited information on the overall relocation exercise , '' the U.N. said .
Amnesty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relocation altogether , saying that authorities should `` return those on the island to their families and community in mainland Bangladesh , and follow due process including the full and meaningful participation of refugees in any plan for their relocation . ''
About 1 million Rohingya live in a massive refugee camp in Cox 's Bazar in Bangladesh , unable or unwilling to go back to Myanmar , according to the U.N .
Although many Rohingya came to Bangladesh in the preceding years , most were forced to flee from Myanmar 's western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign by the army against them .
The military is accused of war crimes that include rape , murder , and the destruction of thousands of homes .
Myanmar has denied those allegations .
Bangladeshi officials say Bhashan Char was renovated to safely accommodate 100,000 people—a fraction of the roughly 1 million refugees that could be moved .
At a cost of more than $ 100 million , the Bangladeshi Navy built houses , hospitals , and mosques and retrofitted the island with flood protection .
Rights groups , the U.N. , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visit the island .
Humans Rights Watch and the group Fortify Rights said early evidence shows the Bangladeshi government may be forcing the Rohingya to go to the island or are luring them under false pretenses .
`` The government has provided limited information to refugees about the actual conditions on the island , and there are some allegations that the authorities may have offered misleading information and incentives to move there , '' Human Rights Watch said .
More than 300 Rohingya currently live on the island and say they are denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sustainable jobs or an education , the group said .
A man told Human Rights Watch that he volunteered only after he was told those on the list would be given priority to repatriate to Myanmar and would be paid .
And a 50-year-old woman from the Kutapalong camp told NPR her name was put on the list without her knowledge .
Local elders told her she had no choice .
But she 's refused and has decided to hide to avoid having to go .
She said , `` My son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get sick , who would take care of me ?
I do n't want to die in the middle of the ocean . ''

Bangladesh Begins Moving Displaced Rohingya Muslims To Island
Enlarge this image toggle caption -/AFP via Getty Images -/AFP via Getty Images
Authorities in Bangladesh are pushing ahead with the relocation of tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal, despite concerns raised by human rights groups and the United Nations.
On Thursday, the first group of about 1,500 Rohingya were placed aboard several navy vessels heading toward to Bhashan Char, located about 120 miles south of the capital, Dhaka.
Bangladeshi officials first proposed the island in 2015 as an option for some of the hundreds of thousands who have been housed for years in camps since fleeing brutal crackdowns by the military in neighboring Myanmar. But the idea was put on hold because of potentially unsafe conditions on the cyclone and flood-prone island.
Phil Robertson, the deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, likens the island to "a de facto prison island. It's like the Rohingya Alcatraz."
Robertson says, "There's concerns about health, there's concerns about medical services, there's concern about adequate amounts of food and other supplies. I mean, it's a disaster waiting to happen."
The U.N. said Wednesday that it is aware of reports of Bangladeshi authorities starting the relocation process, but said it had not reviewed the operation before hand.
The U.N. said any relocation plan for Bhashan Char should involve a review of the safety, feasibility, and sustainability of the island for refugees to live and should involve the full consent of the Rohingya.
"The United Nations has not been involved in preparations for this movement or the identification of refugees and has limited information on the overall relocation exercise," the U.N. said.
Amnesty International called on Bangladesh to halt the relocation altogether, saying that authorities should "return those on the island to their families and community in mainland Bangladesh, and follow due process including the full and meaningful participation of refugees in any plan for their relocation."
About 1 million Rohingya live in a massive refugee camp in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, unable or unwilling to go back to Myanmar, according to the U.N.
Although many Rohingya came to Bangladesh in the preceding years, most were forced to flee from Myanmar's western Rakhine state in 2017 during a systematic campaign by the army against them. The military is accused of war crimes that include rape, murder, and the destruction of thousands of homes. Myanmar has denied those allegations.
Bangladeshi officials say Bhashan Char was renovated to safely accommodate 100,000 people—a fraction of the roughly 1 million refugees that could be moved. At a cost of more than $100 million, the Bangladeshi Navy built houses, hospitals, and mosques and retrofitted the island with flood protection.
Rights groups, the U.N., and foreign media have not been allowed to visit the island. Humans Rights Watch and the group Fortify Rights said early evidence shows the Bangladeshi government may be forcing the Rohingya to go to the island or are luring them under false pretenses.
"The government has provided limited information to refugees about the actual conditions on the island, and there are some allegations that the authorities may have offered misleading information and incentives to move there," Human Rights Watch said.
More than 300 Rohingya currently live on the island and say they are denied freedom of movement and have no access to sustainable jobs or an education, the group said.
A man told Human Rights Watch that he volunteered only after he was told those on the list would be given priority to repatriate to Myanmar and would be paid.
And a 50-year-old woman from the Kutapalong camp told NPR her name was put on the list without her knowledge. Local elders told her she had no choice. But she's refused and has decided to hide to avoid having to go.
She said, "My son isn't going, so if I get sick, who would take care of me? I don't want to die in the middle of the ocean."
NPR's Michael Sullivan contributed to this report.


npr--2020-12-04--Momentum For Coronavirus Relief Bill Builds, But Time Short As Parties Work On Deal

Momentum For Coronavirus Relief Bill Builds , But Time Short As Parties Work On Deal After months of partisan stand off on Capitol Hill over the size and composition of another round of coronavirus relief , key signs of progress emerged as the House and Senate moved closer to a possible deal .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , spoke by telephone Thursday afternoon — notable because the two top leaders had n't spoken about legislation addressing the pandemic since the election .
Up until Thursday they had been blaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floor speeches for the lack of action .
While the two sides are getting closer in terms of the possible size of a package , key policy differences over liability protections and whether to help state and local governments continue to be the chief hang ups .
The time pressure is also working against members , as pulling together a measure costing hundreds of billions of dollars in a matter of days is colliding with efforts to finalize a massive government funding bill .
The scramble comes as millions of Americans face losing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month and cases and hospitalizations are surging across the country .
Top leaders are aiming to finish business for the year at the end of next week .
McConnell , who rarely comments in the hallways , told reporters that he discussed a broader spending bill and the relief measure with Pelosi , and said , `` well we had a good conversation .
I think we 're both interested in getting an outcome , both on the omnibus and on a coronavirus package . ''
The ramped up negotiations come a day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schumer backed off their demands for a roughly $ 2 trillion COVID-19 response bill and said they were now supporting a bipartisan $ 908 billion framework proposed by a group of House and Senate centrist lawmakers as the basis for talks .
That proposal includes more money for the popular Paycheck Protection Program which provides loans for small businesses , resources for state and local governments , help for unemployed Americans , and money for vaccine distribution .
McConnell , who earlier this week pushed his own , roughly $ 500 billion plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towards each other , saying on the Senate floor , `` compromise is within reach .
We know where we agree .
We can do this . ''
Beyond the direct communication between the two top leaders , rank and file lawmakers from both parties signaled they were willing to compromise on several elements that had become sticking points for months .
McConnell and most Senate Republicans have insisted that any new relief bill include fairly broad legal protections for businesses and schools .
The bipartisan proposal included a provision that temporarily blocks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws .
Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn , who had championed liability language as essential , told reporters he was looking at the proposal from the moderate bill , and said , `` I think there 's almost always more than one way to accomplish the same goal and so that 's what we 're trying to . ''
Many Republicans have also pushed back at providing any money for state and local governments , but Iowa GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley suggested he could stomach some — with a limit .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ billion ] , I wo n't like it . ''
South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham , a key ally of President Trump 's , said he spoke to the president about the bipartisan plan during a visit to the White House on Thursday .
Graham said he told him that McConnell 's plan does n't have bipartisan support .
And Graham noted he 's tired of `` show votes , '' and the bipartisan plan `` will really help people . ''
`` I 've never been more hopeful that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , noting that he 's also on board with the plan .
`` There 's a deal to be had .
The president wants to deal .
So I 'm fairly encouraged . ''
The president has been absent from the discussions and has left talks to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin , but he told reporters Thursday he would support a plan that emerges .
`` I believe they 're getting close to a deal . ''
In an interview with CNN that aired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deal is a `` good start , '' and that he 'll likely come back to ask for more relief aid once he 's in office .
Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney , who was part of the bipartisan group drafting the $ 908 billion plan , joined some other GOP supporters in a meeting with McConnell to go over their proposal and said afterwards , `` we 're getting more and more support from Republicans and Democrats . ''
Grassley admitted the size of what was being discussed was a little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more money , adding , `` more important for me is the things that are in it .
And if there 's things that — if everything in it has some bipartisan support , like we 've been saying for six weeks , the figure might not be the biggest thing . ''
Similarly , North Dakota GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer , whose home state is experiencing a spike in cases , told reporters , `` I like the effort .
It strikes the right balance of compromise and it 's a number @ @ @ @ @

Momentum For Coronavirus Relief Bill Builds, But Time Short As Parties Work On Deal
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AP Brendan Smialowski/AP
Updated at 11:58 a.m. ET
After months of partisan standoff on Capitol Hill over the size and composition of another round of coronavirus relief, key signs of progress emerged as the House and Senate moved closer to a possible deal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., spoke by telephone Thursday afternoon — notable because the two top leaders hadn't spoken about legislation addressing the pandemic since the election.
Up until Thursday they had been blaming each other in press conferences and floor speeches for the lack of action. Then, on Friday, Pelosi told reporters she feels what she called "momentum" and that she believes Democrats and Republicans are moving toward compromise.
An incoming new administration and the promise associated with new coronavirus vaccines are "a total game-changer," the speaker said.
The two sides are getting closer in terms of the possible size of a package, but key policy differences over liability protections and whether to help state and local governments continue to be the chief hang-ups. The time pressure is also working against members, as pulling together a measure costing hundreds of billions of dollars in a matter of days is colliding with efforts to finalize a massive government funding bill.
America struggles
The scramble comes as millions of Americans face losing support programs at the end of the month. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are surging across the country. Top leaders in Congress are aiming to finish business for the year at the end of next week.
McConnell, who rarely comments in the hallways, told reporters that he discussed a broader spending bill and the relief measure with Pelosi, and said, "well we had a good conversation. I think we're both interested in getting an outcome, both on the omnibus and on a coronavirus package."
The ramped-up negotiations come a day after Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer backed off their demands for a roughly $2 trillion COVID-19 response bill and said they were now supporting a bipartisan $908 billion framework proposed by a group of House and Senate centrist lawmakers as the basis for talks.
That proposal includes more money for the popular Paycheck Protection Program, which provides loans for small businesses, resources for state and local governments, help for unemployed Americans, and money for vaccine distribution.
McConnell, who earlier this week pushed his own, roughly $500 billion plan, acknowledged the two sides were moving toward each other, saying on the Senate floor, "compromise is within reach. We know where we agree. We can do this."
Members open to talks
Beyond the direct communication between the two top leaders, rank and file lawmakers from both parties signaled they were willing to compromise on several elements that had become sticking points for months.
McConnell and most Senate Republicans have insisted that any new relief bill include fairly broad legal protections for businesses and schools. The bipartisan proposal included a provision that temporarily blocks lawsuits until states can enact their own laws.
Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn, who had championed liability language as essential, told reporters he was looking at the proposal from the moderate bill and said, "I think there's almost always more than one way to accomplish the same goal and so that's what we're trying to."
Many Republicans have also pushed back at providing any money for state and local governments, but Iowa GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley suggested he could stomach some — with a limit. He said "if the figure's over 150 [billion], I won't like it."
South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a key ally of President Trump's, said he spoke to the president about the bipartisan plan during a visit to the White House on Thursday. Graham said he told him that McConnell's plan doesn't have bipartisan support. And Graham noted he's tired of "show votes," and the bipartisan plan "will really help people."
"I've never been more hopeful that we'll get a bill," Graham said, noting that he's also on board with the plan. "There's a deal to be had. The president wants to deal. So I'm fairly encouraged."
The president has been absent from the discussions and has left talks to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, but he told reporters Thursday he would support a plan that emerges. "I believe they're getting close to a deal."
Biden and Dems want more action ahead
In an interview with CNN that aired Thursday night, President-elect Joe Biden said the deal is a "good start" and that he'll likely come back to ask for more relief aid once he's in office.
Pelosi said on Friday morning that she too considers a relief package now to only set the stage for more next year.
Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, who was part of the bipartisan group drafting the $908 billion plan, joined some other GOP supporters in a meeting with McConnell to go over their proposal and said afterward, "we're getting more and more support from Republicans and Democrats."
Grassley said he thought the size of what was being discussed was a little high but appeared open to backing more money, adding, "more important for me is the things that are in it. And if there's things that — if everything in it has some bipartisan support, like we've been saying for six weeks, the figure might not be the biggest thing."
Similarly, North Dakota GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer, whose home state is experiencing a spike in cases, told reporters: "I like the effort. It strikes the right balance of compromise and it's a number that's doable."