npr--2020-11-10--Subtropical Storm Theta Makes 2020 Busiest Hurricane Season On Record

A history-making storm is gaining momentum over the middle of the Atlantic .
Monday , Subtropical Storm Theta became the 29th named storm of the year , surpassing the 28 storms of 2005 and making the 2020 hurricane season the busiest on record .
The system is not expected to make landfall in the U.S. As of 10 p.m .
ET , the National Weather Service reported Theta is moving east through the Atlantic with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph with higher gusts .
Forecasters say some slight strengthening is possible during the next 12 to 24 hours followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was named after the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet , which forecasters turn to when they run out of regular-season names .
The World Meteorological Organization sets a total of 21 alphabetical names for each hurricane season , with each name used only once every six years .
( The naming convention skips over Q , U , X , Y and Z . )
In 2020 , that meant forecasters had to turn to the Greek alphabet after Tropical Storm Wilfred .
It 's only the second season the WMO has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other being 2005 .

Subtropical Storm Theta Makes 2020 Busiest Hurricane Season On Record
Enlarge this image toggle caption National Hurricane Center National Hurricane Center
A history-making storm is gaining momentum over the middle of the Atlantic.
Monday, Subtropical Storm Theta became the 29th named storm of the year, surpassing the 28 storms of 2005 and making the 2020 hurricane season the busiest on record.
The system is not expected to make landfall in the U.S.
As of 10 p.m. ET , the National Weather Service reported Theta is moving east through the Atlantic with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph with higher gusts.
Forecasters say some slight strengthening is possible during the next 12 to 24 hours followed by little change through Thursday.
Theta was named after the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet, which forecasters turn to when they run out of regular-season names.
The World Meteorological Organization sets a total of 21 alphabetical names for each hurricane season, with each name used only once every six years. (The naming convention skips over Q,U, X, Y and Z.) In 2020, that meant forecasters had to turn to the Greek alphabet after Tropical Storm Wilfred.
It's only the second season the WMO has run out of alphabetic names, the other being 2005.


npr--2020-11-09--Barr Wades Into Trump's False Voting Claims, Allowing Prosecutors To Investigate

William Barr , the nation 's attorney general and a Trump ally , on Monday wrote a memo authorizing federal prosecutors to pursue any `` substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities . ''
He specified that such reviews can be conducted only if there are `` clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that , if true , could potential impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State . ''
Investigations into more minor claims that , if true , would not affect the outcome of a state 's results , Barr wrote , should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is completed in mid-December .
In his memo , Barr cautioned that the authorization should not be taken as an indication that the Justice Department has found any voting irregularities that would impact the outcome of the election , but instead had been put in place to ensure that all Americans could have `` full confidence in the results of our elections . ''
But despite the caveats , the memo marked a step into President Trump 's disinformation campaign about voting .
Former DOJ officials criticized the memo as partisan and as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substantial voter irregularities .
Republican and Democratic election officials agree there has been no evidence of widespread , even low-level , voting irregularities .
Shortly after the memo was released , Richard Pilger , head of the DOJ 's election crimes branch , stepped down from that role in protest over Barr 's memo .
He announced the departure to colleagues this evening : Meanwhile , on Capitol Hill , congressional Republicans have mostly declined to outwardly acknowledge the widely reported election results that show President-elect Joe Biden leading comfortably in both the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as GOP standard-bearer President Trump continues to baselessly attack the integrity of the election , alleging that fraudulent ballots had robbed him of the White House win .
This was no more evident than on Monday , when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took to the Senate floor to urge Americans to `` respect the rule of law and trust our institutions '' as the full election process was conducted .
`` Obviously , no states have yet certified their election results .
We have at least one or two states that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I believe the president may have legal challenges underway in at least five states , '' McConnell said .
Though McConnell is technically correct states have not certified , that process wo n't change the overall result of the election .
And the legal challenges have mostly been dismissed so far .
`` Our institutions are built for this .
We have the system in place to consider concerns .
And President Trump is 100 % within his rights to look into allegations of irregularities and weigh his legal options , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's language alleging outright fraud and a stolen race .
McConnell was far from alone in leaving ambiguous his thoughts on the ultimate outcome of the presidential race .
In fact , several other Senate Republicans echoed McConnell 's remarks , signaling that the caucus will give Trump time to resolve his legal challenges .
`` I think he 's got a right , a constitutional right , if there are legal challenges they want to make , and I think everybody ought to let them play out .
Obviously , we 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for long , '' Senate Majority Whip John Thune of South Dakota , the chamber 's no .
2 Republican , told Capitol Hill pool reporters .
Despite being unable to raise any specific evidence of widespread fraud , Senate Republicans nodded to Trump 's lawyers , saying that it was ultimately up to the president 's legal team to back up his claims .
That includes Sens .
John Cornyn of Texas and Roy Blunt of Missouri , who like McConnell , said it was fair to give Trump an opportunity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was certain on the timeline , saying it could even be weeks before Trump 's challenges are resolved .
`` Well , we do n't swear in a new president until January 20 , '' Cornyn , who recently won re-election to a new term , told NPR .
`` I do n't think that 's anything we have control over , we just have to let the process run its course . ''
He added that if Trump has n't conceded by January 20 , then he 'll begin to worry about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Trump has repeatedly declined to endorse .
Blunt , however , does n't think it will take that long , saying that it was possible that the matter could be resolved in a number of days .
`` There are dates for a reason .
Every state has a canvas date for a reason , and every state has an automatic recount for a reason .
And I think president has the rights to use those dates , '' Blunt said .
He added on how much time that would take , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but we 'll see . ''
As of Monday evening , only four Republican senators had broken party ranks to congratulate Biden on his win .
Those were : Sens .
Susan Collins of Maine , Mitt Romney of Utah , Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Ben Sasse of Nebraska , all of whom have been critical of Trump in the past and have previously publicly broken with the president on legislative matters .
Speaking to NPR on Monday , Collins said she does not think Trump 's pursuit of legal remedies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president has legal options that he wants to pursue , and he has every right to do so .
For my part , I think it 's unlikely to change the outcome and I had congratulated President-elect Biden . ''

Barr Wades Into Trump's False Voting Claims, Allowing Prosecutors To Investigate
Enlarge this image toggle caption Samuel Corum/Getty Images Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Updated at 10:59 p.m. ET
William Barr, the nation's attorney general and a Trump ally, on Monday wrote a memo authorizing federal prosecutors to pursue any "substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities." He specified that such reviews can be conducted only if there are "clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State."
Investigations into more minor claims that, if true, would not affect the outcome of a state's results, Barr wrote, should be deferred until after the election certification process is completed in mid-December.
In his memo, Barr cautioned that the authorization should not be taken as an indication that the Justice Department has found any voting irregularities that would impact the outcome of the election; instead, the authorization had been put in place to ensure that all Americans could have "full confidence in the results of our elections."
But despite the caveats, the memo marked a step into President Trump's disinformation campaign about voting. Former DOJ officials criticized the memo as partisan and as validating Trump's claims that there are substantial voter irregularities. Republican and Democratic election officials agree there has been no evidence of widespread, even low-level, voting irregularities.
Shortly after the memo was released, Richard Pilger, head of the DOJ's election crimes branch, stepped down from that role in protest over Barr's memo. He announced the departure to colleagues Monday evening.
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, congressional Republicans have mostly declined to outwardly acknowledge the widely reported election results that show President-elect Joe Biden leading comfortably in both the popular and electoral vote. This comes as GOP standard-bearer Trump continues to baselessly attack the integrity of the election, alleging that fraudulent ballots had robbed him of the White House win.
This divide was no more evident than on Monday, when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., took to the Senate floor to urge Americans to "respect the rule of law and trust our institutions" as the full election process was conducted.
"Obviously, no states have yet certified their election results. We have at least one or two states that are already on track for a recount. And I believe the president may have legal challenges underway in at least five states," McConnell said.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Samuel Corum/Getty Images Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Though McConnell is technically correct states have not certified, that process won't change the overall result of the election. And the legal challenges have mostly been dismissed so far.
"Our institutions are built for this. We have the system in place to consider concerns. And President Trump is 100% within his rights to look into allegations of irregularities and weigh his legal options," he continued, declining to adopt Trump's language alleging outright fraud and a stolen race.
McConnell was far from alone in leaving ambiguous his thoughts on the ultimate outcome of the presidential race. In fact, several other Senate Republicans echoed McConnell's remarks, signaling that the caucus will give Trump time to resolve his legal challenges.
"I think he's got a right, a constitutional right, if there are legal challenges they want to make, and I think everybody ought to let them play out. Obviously, we're going to have a result, not for long," Senate Majority Whip John Thune of South Dakota, the chamber's No. 2 Republican, told Capitol Hill pool reporters.
Despite being unable to raise any specific evidence of widespread fraud, Senate Republicans nodded to Trump's lawyers, saying that it was ultimately up to the president's legal team to back up his claims.
That includes Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Roy Blunt of Missouri, who like McConnell said it was fair to give Trump an opportunity to exhaust his legal options. But neither was certain on the timeline, saying it could even be weeks before Trump's challenges are resolved.
"Well, we don't swear in a new president until Jan. 20," Cornyn, who just won reelection, told NPR. "I don't think that's anything we have control over, we just have to let the process run its course."
He added that if Trump hasn't conceded by Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, then he'll begin to worry about the lack of a peaceful transition, which Trump has repeatedly declined to endorse.
Blunt, however, doesn't think it will take that long, saying that it was possible that the matter could be resolved within days, not weeks.
"There are dates for a reason. Every state has a canvas date for a reason, and every state has an automatic recount for a reason. And I think president has the rights to use those dates," Blunt said. He added on how much time that would take, "I wouldn't think several weeks, but we'll see."
As of Monday evening, only four Republican senators had broken party ranks to congratulate Biden on his win. Those were: Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Ben Sasse of Nebraska, all of whom have been critical of Trump in the past and have previously publicly broken with the president on legislative matters.
Speaking to NPR on Monday, Collins said she does not think Trump's pursuit of legal remedies will impact Biden's win.
"The president has legal options that he wants to pursue, and he has every right to do so. For my part, I think it's unlikely to change the outcome and I had congratulated President-elect Biden."


npr--2020-11-10--From Steve Bannon To Millennial Millie: Facebook, YouTube Struggle With Live Video

From Steve Bannon To Millennial Millie : Facebook , YouTube Struggle With Live Video Last week , millions of Americans turned to cable news to watch election returns pour in .
Some refreshed their Twitter feeds to get the latest tallies .
And nearly 300,000 others kept an eye on the YouTube channel of 29-year-old Millie Weaver , a former correspondent for the conspiracy theory website Infowars , who offered right-wing analysis to her followers in a live-stream that carried on for almost seven hours the day after the election .
At times , her pro-Trump commentary veered into something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footage of a man pulling a red wagon into a ballot-counting center in Detroit .
That image has been spread widely online by conservatives who contend , without evidence , that it is proof of illegal ballot stuffing .
It was , in fact , a TV cameraman pulling his equipment .
Then Weaver raised questions with a guest about the integrity of the election , stoking the false theme that the election was rife with fraud .
`` What is going on ? ''
asked Weaver , who goes by Millennial Millie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being stolen . ''
As unproven theories and rumors multiplied online during the election , major social media platforms including Facebook , Twitter and Google-owned YouTube took more aggressive action than ever before to limit the reach of unsubstantiated or false claims that could undermine confidence in the democratic process .
But one area that has become increasingly worrisome to misinformation researchers is live-streamed videos , often posted by conservative influencers like Weaver .
`` This is where the content moderation frontier is right now , '' said Renée DiResta , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the months leading up to the election , platforms have taken down violent content , made misleading posts less visible , and added warning labels to false claims .
Those are all tools , DiResta noted , that are nearly impossible to apply in real-time to live video .
`` The 'remove , reduce , inform ' framework that is very effective for static content does not work as well in this situation , '' she said .
Live videos attract a lot of viewers but are hard to scrutinize The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a bid to keep people 's attention longer .
It 's promoted over other types of video .
Users who subscribe to a video channel often get push notifications when someone they follow has launched a live stream .
But experts say the streams often occupy an ambiguous gray zone , where it 's difficult for the platform 's automated detection systems or human moderators to quickly flag this type of content .
`` That 's in part because it 's harder to search video content as opposed to text , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School lecturer who studies the different ways platforms approach content moderation .
`` It 's a lot harder to scrutinize what 's going on , and it 's a lot more time consuming . ''
A feed of mostly opinion , speculation , or coverage of a live event , like a protest , can suddenly take a hard turn into conspiratorial narratives .
And as they unfold , some live videos attract hundreds of thousands , sometimes millions , of viewers .
Bad actors know this .
DiResta said a common tactic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's trending hashtag and introduce footage from another place or time , but falsely tag it as `` live . ''
`` It 's almost impossible to fact-check that in real time , to say , 'no that protest footage that you 're seeing actually happened a year ago , ' or , 'no , that footage that is being represented as Portland is really D.C. ' '' DiResta said .
`` That 's one of the more significant challenges . ''
The perils of live video were on full display on Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election results to huge audiences .
One stream , titled `` LIVE 2020 Presidential Election Results , '' came from a public YouTube channel with more than 650,000 followers and was one of Google 's Top 5 results for vote tallies in swing states on Tuesday night , according to the Election Integrity Partnership , a coalition of independent researchers who monitored social media for election-related misinformation .
The fake results live-streams were ultimately removed by YouTube under its policy prohibiting spam and deceptive practices .
In some cases , when falsehoods , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aired live , the companies do n't take action until long after the videos reach large audiences .
On Thursday , former White House aide Steve Bannon live-streamed a video from his online program `` War Room : Pandemic '' calling for Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray to be beheaded .
After an uproar , Twitter banned one of Bannon 's accounts .
Facebook and YouTube both removed Bannon 's video , but not until hours after it was initially streamed .
By that time , it had already gotten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave the channel a `` strike , '' disabling it from uploading new videos for at least a week .
( YouTube grants accounts three strikes before it terminates them . )
On Monday , Facebook said it had taken down a network of pages linked to Bannon that had been spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories about election fraud .
The social network did not remove Bannon 's own page , but applied penalties , including taking away the ability to post new content and videos .
'People on the Internet are saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researcher DiResta said even as the companies sharpen their rules and boundaries for what users can and can not post , their guidance for live-streaming tends to be far looser and more rarely enforced .
On social media apps like TikTok , where users often `` duet , '' by reposting someone else 's video with a recorded reaction , the groundless rumor snipped from a live feed is often the part that snowballs across the platform .
`` A lot of the narratives are presented in a sort of 'just asking questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Internet are saying ' is a common way that manifests , '' DiResta said .
`` Oftentimes , you 'll see live-streams of people watching other live-streams , so there 's a meta , conversational , pass-the-baton-type dynamic that 's happening there . ''
To Angelo Carusone , president of the liberal nonprofit watchdog group Media Matters , the Bannon incident shows that platforms have a blindspot with live video .
He argues that if live streams received as much moderation as other types of content , that could be more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know there is the likelihood of an enforcement action against them , it 's not that they disappear , but they align with some basic standards , '' Carusone said .
YouTube spokesman Farshad Shadloo said the Bannon video was removed for violating the company 's policy against inciting violence .
On its website , the company says it removes videos that aim `` to mislead people about voting , '' such as by giving the wrong date for Election Day or telling voters they can cast ballots by text message .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interfere with democratic processes , such as obstructing or interrupting voting procedures . ''
Shadloo said YouTube removed livestreams and other videos last week that violated its election-related policies , most of which had not gotten many views .
Many videos with false claims of voter fraud and allegations Democrats are trying to steal the election are still up on YouTube , however .
Shadloo said such baseless allegations do not break the company 's rules .
`` Expressing views on the outcome of a current election or process of counting votes is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Before former Vice President Joe Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election , YouTube posted a note below content that it decided fell short of violating its rules , like Weaver 's live results commentary .
`` Results may not be final , '' the text said , and linked to results from news outlets including the Associated Press .
The label on Weaver 's video has now been updated to say that the AP has called the race for Biden .
A second label says `` Robust safeguards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results '' and links to a U.S. government website that debunks false claims about voting .
More broadly , YouTube says it reduces the spread of content it deems `` borderline '' — videos that come close to , but do not violate its rules — by not recommending or showing them in search results .
Facebook said last week it was limiting the distribution of all live videos related to the election .
Facebook spokeswoman Kristen Morea said the company prioritizes reviewing live broadcasts to make sure they comply with its rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of misinformation by reducing the distribution of election-related content before an official result and tightened our policies to fight content that may be misleading , '' she said .
Meanwhile , Weaver , the conservative YouTuber , defended her election-night coverage .
In a statement to NPR , Weaver framed her approach as an independent journalist just asking questions .
`` I was monitoring Twitter posts relating to claims of election fraud and playing those clips to people on my social media platforms .
I was debunking some that appeared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared to have some validity , '' Weaver said .
`` Anyone with reason could conclude that the election appears to have many irregularities . ''
Federal and state officials from both parties say there are no signs of any significant irregularities with last week 's election .
Videos banned on one platform can jump to another There are limits to how much any single company can restrict a video 's spread across social media .
A YouTube livestream or TikTok video may be reposted on Twitter or Instagram , making policy enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shadloo said that `` vast majority '' of traffic to YouTube videos comes from other sites linking to them — including other social media platforms — rather than its own recommendations .
`` Taking a platform-by-platform view of these things is inherently limited , '' Douek , the Harvard Law School lecturer , said .
`` What one individual platform can do in the whole of the Internet ecosystem will always be somewhat limited . ''
Yet , she said , platforms have the responsibility `` to think about exactly what they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their platform can cause . ''
In search of a 'scalable solution ' for live video Emerson Brooking , a fellow at the Atlantic Council 's Digital Forensic Research Lab , said platforms have known about the dangers of live video for years now .
There have been numerous violent acts committed in front of the camera , including the shooting at a mosque in Christchurch , New Zealand , in 2019 .
The gunman had streamed himself live on Facebook .
Facebook put new rules in place about live streaming after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restricting users who break its `` most serious policies '' from posting live videos for a period of time .
But Brooking and other experts say problems with live videos persist .
`` I do n't think live-stream will ever be quite where we want it to be , '' Brooking said .
`` But the new problem we are seeing are people who see the live-stream and take clips of it and take it to platforms that have no moderation . ''
TikTok , the short-form video app made popular by dance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform for gamers , both have become places where people repost videos originally recorded live from other platforms .
TikTok blocks an account from posting future live-streams if `` harmful content '' is posted live , according to a company spokeswoman .
Other live-stream violations include inciting violence or promoting hateful ideologies , conspiracies or disinformation .
That said , a number of viral misinformation videos on TikTok that were removed by the platform have reappeared after users reposted them .
In many cases they get just a tiny fraction of the audience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illustrates just how daunting it is to staunch the flow of misinformation .
Stanford 's DiResta says it is a good practice to punish users who turn social media live-streams into mini propaganda machines .
`` If a person has n't been a good citizen [ on social media ] , maybe they lose the ability to live stream , maybe they 're removed from recommendations , '' she said .
Alex Stamos , Facebook 's former chief security officer , said tech companies are now developing machine learning tools to better monitor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applied to livestreams .
Access to the transcribed texts of what is said during live video could help platforms take faster action .
Researchers could also track the rise and fall of various misinformation trends .
`` We can hire a bunch of 20-somethings to go look at TikTok all day , '' said Stamos , who is the director of Stanford 's Internet Observatory .
`` But it 's not a scalable solution . ''
Editor 's note : Facebook and Google are among NPR 's financial supporters .
TikTok helps fund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform .

From Steve Bannon To Millennial Millie: Facebook, YouTube Struggle With Live Video
Enlarge this image toggle caption YouTube YouTube
Last week, millions of Americans turned to cable news to watch election returns pour in. Some refreshed their Twitter feeds to get the latest tallies. And nearly 300,000 others kept an eye on the YouTube channel of 29-year-old Millie Weaver, a former correspondent for the conspiracy theory website Infowars, who offered right-wing analysis to her followers in a live-stream that carried on for almost seven hours the day after the election.
At times, her pro-Trump commentary veered into something else: misinformation.
First she aired footage of a man pulling a red wagon into a ballot-counting center in Detroit. That image has been spread widely online by conservatives who contend, without evidence, that it is proof of illegal ballot stuffing.
It was, in fact, a TV cameraman pulling his equipment.
Then Weaver raised questions with a guest about the integrity of the election, stoking the false theme that the election was rife with fraud.
"What is going on?" asked Weaver, who goes by Millennial Millie. "It looks like the election is being stolen."
As unproven theories and rumors multiplied online during the election, major social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Google-owned YouTube took more aggressive action than ever before to limit the reach of unsubstantiated or false claims that could undermine confidence in the democratic process.
But one area that has become increasingly worrisome to misinformation researchers is live-streamed videos, often posted by conservative influencers like Weaver.
"This is where the content moderation frontier is right now," said Renée DiResta, a misinformation researcher at Stanford's Internet Observatory.
In the months leading up to the election, platforms have taken down violent content, made misleading posts less visible, and added warning labels to false claims. Those are all tools, DiResta noted, that are nearly impossible to apply in real-time to live video.
"The 'remove, reduce, inform' framework that is very effective for static content does not work as well in this situation," she said.
Live videos attract a lot of viewers but are hard to scrutinize
The platforms have leaned into live video, in a bid to keep people's attention longer. It's promoted over other types of video. Users who subscribe to a video channel often get push notifications when someone they follow has launched a live stream.
But experts say the streams often occupy an ambiguous gray zone, where it's difficult for the platform's automated detection systems or human moderators to quickly flag this type of content.
"That's in part because it's harder to search video content as opposed to text," said Evelyn Douek, a Harvard Law School lecturer who studies the different ways platforms approach content moderation. "It's a lot harder to scrutinize what's going on, and it's a lot more time consuming."
A feed of mostly opinion, speculation, or coverage of a live event, like a protest, can suddenly take a hard turn into conspiratorial narratives. And as they unfold, some live videos attract hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions, of viewers.
Bad actors know this. DiResta said a common tactic is to piggyback on a high-profile event's trending hashtag and introduce footage from another place or time, but falsely tag it as "live."
"It's almost impossible to fact-check that in real time, to say, 'no that protest footage that you're seeing actually happened a year ago,' or, 'no, that footage that is being represented as Portland is really D.C.'" DiResta said. "That's one of the more significant challenges."
Fake election results, violent threats streamed on YouTube
The perils of live video were on full display on Election Day. Several YouTube accounts live-streamed fake election results to huge audiences. One stream, titled "LIVE 2020 Presidential Election Results," came from a public YouTube channel with more than 650,000 followers and was one of Google's Top 5 results for vote tallies in swing states on Tuesday night, according to the Election Integrity Partnership, a coalition of independent researchers who monitored social media for election-related misinformation. The fake results live-streams were ultimately removed by YouTube under its policy prohibiting spam and deceptive practices.
In some cases, when falsehoods, conspiracy theories and even violent threats are aired live, the companies don't take action until long after the videos reach large audiences.
On Thursday, former White House aide Steve Bannon live-streamed a video from his online program "War Room: Pandemic" calling for Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray to be beheaded.
After an uproar, Twitter banned one of Bannon's accounts. Facebook and YouTube both removed Bannon's video, but not until hours after it was initially streamed. By that time, it had already gotten hundreds of thousands of views. YouTube gave the channel a "strike," disabling it from uploading new videos for at least a week. (YouTube grants accounts three strikes before it terminates them.)
On Monday, Facebook said it had taken down a network of pages linked to Bannon that had been spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories about election fraud. The social network did not remove Bannon's own page, but applied penalties, including taking away the ability to post new content and videos.
'People on the Internet are saying' could be code for misinformation
Stanford researcher DiResta said even as the companies sharpen their rules and boundaries for what users can and cannot post, their guidance for live-streaming tends to be far looser and more rarely enforced.
On social media apps like TikTok, where users often "duet," by reposting someone else's video with a recorded reaction, the groundless rumor snipped from a live feed is often the part that snowballs across the platform.
"A lot of the narratives are presented in a sort of 'just asking questions,' kind of way. 'People on the Internet are saying' is a common way that manifests," DiResta said. "Oftentimes, you'll see live-streams of people watching other live-streams, so there's a meta, conversational, pass-the-baton-type dynamic that's happening there."
To Angelo Carusone, president of the liberal nonprofit watchdog group Media Matters, the Bannon incident shows that platforms have a blindspot with live video. He argues that if live streams received as much moderation as other types of content, that could be more of a deterrent.
"When creators know there is the likelihood of an enforcement action against them, it's not that they disappear, but they align with some basic standards," Carusone said.
YouTube spokesman Farshad Shadloo said the Bannon video was removed for violating the company's policy against inciting violence. On its website, the company says it removes videos that aim "to mislead people about voting," such as by giving the wrong date for Election Day or telling voters they can cast ballots by text message. And it removes content "encouraging others to interfere with democratic processes, such as obstructing or interrupting voting procedures."
Shadloo said YouTube removed livestreams and other videos last week that violated its election-related policies, most of which had not gotten many views.
Many videos with false claims of voter fraud and allegations Democrats are trying to steal the election are still up on YouTube, however. Shadloo said such baseless allegations do not break the company's rules. "Expressing views on the outcome of a current election or process of counting votes is allowed under our policy," he said.
Before former Vice President Joe Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election, YouTube posted a note below content that it decided fell short of violating its rules, like Weaver's live results commentary.
"Results may not be final," the text said, and linked to results from news outlets including the Associated Press. The label on Weaver's video has now been updated to say that the AP has called the race for Biden. A second label says "Robust safeguards help ensure the integrity of elections and results" and links to a U.S. government website that debunks false claims about voting.
More broadly, YouTube says it reduces the spread of content it deems "borderline" — videos that come close to, but do not violate its rules — by not recommending or showing them in search results.
Facebook said last week it was limiting the distribution of all live videos related to the election.
Facebook spokeswoman Kristen Morea said the company prioritizes reviewing live broadcasts to make sure they comply with its rules. "We've made progress limiting the spread of misinformation by reducing the distribution of election-related content before an official result and tightened our policies to fight content that may be misleading," she said.
Meanwhile, Weaver, the conservative YouTuber, defended her election-night coverage. In a statement to NPR, Weaver framed her approach as an independent journalist just asking questions.
"I was monitoring Twitter posts relating to claims of election fraud and playing those clips to people on my social media platforms. I was debunking some that appeared to be hoaxes while presenting other material that appeared to have some validity," Weaver said. "Anyone with reason could conclude that the election appears to have many irregularities."
Federal and state officials from both parties say there are no signs of any significant irregularities with last week's election.
Videos banned on one platform can jump to another
There are limits to how much any single company can restrict a video's spread across social media. A YouTube livestream or TikTok video may be reposted on Twitter or Instagram, making policy enforcement seem like a game of whack-a-mole.
Shadloo said that "vast majority" of traffic to YouTube videos comes from other sites linking to them — including other social media platforms — rather than its own recommendations.
"Taking a platform-by-platform view of these things is inherently limited," Douek, the Harvard Law School lecturer, said. "What one individual platform can do in the whole of the Internet ecosystem will always be somewhat limited."
Yet, she said, platforms have the responsibility "to think about exactly what they can do to help mitigate the harm that their platform can cause."
In search of a 'scalable solution' for live video
Emerson Brooking, a fellow at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, said platforms have known about the dangers of live video for years now. There have been numerous violent acts committed in front of the camera, including the shooting at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019. The gunman had streamed himself live on Facebook.
Facebook put new rules in place about live streaming after the Christchurch incident, including a one-strike policy restricting users who break its "most serious policies" from posting live videos for a period of time. But Brooking and other experts say problems with live videos persist.
"I don't think live-stream will ever be quite where we want it to be," Brooking said. "But the new problem we are seeing are people who see the live-stream and take clips of it and take it to platforms that have no moderation."
TikTok, the short-form video app made popular by dance challenges, and Twitch, the live-streaming platform for gamers, both have become places where people repost videos originally recorded live from other platforms.
TikTok blocks an account from posting future live-streams if "harmful content" is posted live, according to a company spokeswoman. Other live-stream violations include inciting violence or promoting hateful ideologies, conspiracies or disinformation.
That said, a number of viral misinformation videos on TikTok that were removed by the platform have reappeared after users reposted them. In many cases they get just a tiny fraction of the audience of the original, but the proliferation illustrates just how daunting it is to staunch the flow of misinformation.
Stanford's DiResta says it is a good practice to punish users who turn social media live-streams into mini propaganda machines.
"If a person hasn't been a good citizen [on social media], maybe they lose the ability to live stream, maybe they're removed from recommendations," she said.
Alex Stamos, Facebook's former chief security officer, said tech companies are now developing machine learning tools to better monitor video content, which could eventually be applied to livestreams.
Access to the transcribed texts of what is said during live video could help platforms take faster action. Researchers could also track the rise and fall of various misinformation trends.
"We can hire a bunch of 20-somethings to go look at TikTok all day," said Stamos, who is the director of Stanford's Internet Observatory. "But it's not a scalable solution."
Editor's note: Facebook and Google are among NPR's financial supporters. TikTok helps fund NPR content appearing on the social media platform.


npr--2020-11-10--Biden Says Trump's Refusal To Concede Won't Impede Transition

President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday called President Trump 's refusal to concede the election `` an embarrassment '' but said it has n't yet been a hindrance to his team moving forward with the transition process .
`` We 're well underway , '' Biden told reporters following remarks in Wilmington , Del .
`` The ability for the administration in any way by failure to recognize our win does not change the dynamic at all of what we 're able to do . ''
Trump has rejected Biden 's Electoral College victory , which news organizations called Saturday after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania .
The president 's team has tried to challenge the election results with lawsuits , but most have failed .
Biden , who has urged Americans to `` lower the temperature '' on political discourse , spoke softly Tuesday , repeatedly telling reporters the actions of the current White House occupant are n't slowing him down .
`` We 're going to do exactly what we 'd be doing if [ Trump ] had conceded and said we 've won , which we have , '' Biden said .
But Biden can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or receive government funding for the transition , because the General Services Administration has n't formally determined that Biden won the election .
Still , Biden on Monday named experts to his transition COVID-19 advisory board , and right after Tuesday 's news conference , the campaign announced dozens of people who will begin evaluating operations of various federal agencies .
Biden also suggested he would make a couple of Cabinet announcements before Thanksgiving .
Trump is the first president in the modern TV era not to make a concession speech or call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Asked what he would say to Trump , Biden looked directly into the camera and said , `` Mr. President , I look forward to speaking with you . ''
Biden began by delivering remarks about the Affordable Care Act , which is once again before the Supreme Court .
He upbraided the Trump administration , which is backing the case , for its attempt to invalidate the ACA , calling it `` simply cruel . ''
`` This argument will determine whether health care coverage of more than 20 million Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act will be ripped away in the middle of the nation 's worst pandemic , '' Biden said .
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris also spoke , calling the case before the court `` a blatant attempt to overturn the will of the people , '' and noting she and Biden campaigned on protecting the ACA and won the presidential election with the most votes in the history of the United States .
On Tuesday , two of the Supreme Court 's conservative justices — John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh — appeared to suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the ACA , even if the so-called individual mandate is found to be unconstitutional .
Tuesday marked the third time the landmark health care law has been before the high court .

Biden Says Trump's Refusal To Concede Won't Impede Transition
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images
President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday called President Trump's refusal to concede the election "an embarrassment" but said it hasn't yet been a hindrance to his team moving forward with the transition process.
"We're well underway," Biden told reporters following remarks in Wilmington, Del. "The ability for the administration in any way by failure to recognize our win does not change the dynamic at all of what we're able to do."
Trump has rejected Biden's Electoral College victory, which news organizations called Saturday after the Democrat won the critical state of Pennsylvania. The president's team has tried to challenge the election results with lawsuits, but most have failed.
Biden, who has urged Americans to "lower the temperature" on political discourse, spoke softly Tuesday, repeatedly telling reporters the actions of the current White House occupant aren't slowing him down.
"We're going to do exactly what we'd be doing if [Trump] had conceded and said we've won, which we have," Biden said.
But Biden cannot move into any government office space or receive government funding for the transition, because the General Services Administration hasn't formally determined that Biden won the election.
Still, Biden on Monday named experts to his transition COVID-19 advisory board, and right after Tuesday's news conference, the campaign announced dozens of people who will begin evaluating operations of various federal agencies. Biden also suggested he would make a couple of Cabinet announcements before Thanksgiving.
Trump is the first president in the modern TV era not to make a concession speech or call his opponent after the election is called.
Asked what he would say to Trump, Biden looked directly into the camera and said, "Mr. President, I look forward to speaking with you."
Health care remarks
Biden began by delivering remarks about the Affordable Care Act, which is once again before the Supreme Court.
He upbraided the Trump administration, which is backing the case, for its attempt to invalidate the ACA, calling it "simply cruel."
"This argument will determine whether health care coverage of more than 20 million Americans who acquired it under the Affordable Care Act will be ripped away in the middle of the nation's worst pandemic," Biden said.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris also spoke, calling the case before the court "a blatant attempt to overturn the will of the people," and noting she and Biden campaigned on protecting the ACA and won the presidential election with the most votes in the history of the United States.
On Tuesday, two of the Supreme Court's conservative justices — John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh — appeared to suggest they will vote to preserve the bulk of the ACA, even if the so-called individual mandate is found to be unconstitutional.
Tuesday marked the third time the landmark health care law has been before the high court.


npr--2020-11-10--DNC Chair Tom Perez On Democrats' Georgia Runoff Strategy And Defeating Trumpism

Bolstered by President Trump 's unpopularity and the pandemic , polls had showed Democrats possibly taking control of the Senate , expanding their majority in the House of Representatives and Biden winning convincingly in several swing states .
But Democrats did n't gain a majority in the Senate .
They lost a handful of seats in the House .
And though Biden won the popular vote , it was a close contest in several battleground states .
Tom Perez , who chairs the Democratic National Committee , calls the 2020 elections `` a historic , decisive victory '' for Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be compared with late 2017 when 15 states had Democratic governors and Republicans controlled the House .
Democrats are now governors in 24 states , and they took the House in 2019 .
`` We 're always disappointed when we lose seats , '' Perez told Steve Inskeep on NPR 's Morning Edition .
But `` when you look at the six or seven seats that we 've lost , they were all in very red territories . ''
Democrats did make different gains this year in the traditionally red states of Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It presages a fight between the party 's centrists and those on the left over how to win elections : Appeal to moderate independents who might vote Republican , or try to get progressive nonvoters to vote .
Now attention shifts to Georgia , which is holding two Senate runoff elections in January .
Unless there 's an upset , Republicans will keep control of the Senate in 2021 .
Here are excerpts of the interview : On the Republican side , there was something north of 70 million votes .
Is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message here ?
Well , I often said when I was out on the campaign stump , Steve , that our goals are to defeat Trump and to defeat Trumpism .
Defeating Trump required 270 electoral votes or more , and we succeeded in that .
Defeating Trumpism is a longer-term challenge because Trumpism predates Trump .
And I would argue that Trumpism and some of the underlying challenges there in no small measure may date back 400 years .
And we need to understand that .
And I can think of no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president-elect .
He is a uniter .
What is the strategy for Democrats in these upcoming Georgia runoff races , which could decide control of the Senate ?
To expand the electorate .
And Stacey Abrams has led that effort dating back to her race for [ Georgia ] governor in 2018 .
You look at the number of first-time voters in Georgia in 2020 .
It 's a remarkable fusion coalition .
We are organizing all over that state , making sure that people register to vote .
And you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to do that .
The disappointments in the House of Representatives have sparked a lively debate : one lawmaker blaming `` defund the police '' and the socialism label for hurting Democrats ; Jim Clyburn of South Carolina saying people in different districts need to run different campaigns ; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , democratic socialist , pushing back on that .
What do you make of all that ?
Well , we are a Democratic Party that is a big tent , and I welcome that .
And I look at the platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I think , the bold level of inclusion across America .
It 's a platform that stands for the notion that every person matters , that we should trust science over fiction , that we can expand access to health care , that health care should be a right for all , not a privilege for a few .
And this was the platform that won for Joe Biden .
It 's a very ambitious platform .
It 's a bold platform .
It 's a platform that we can all embrace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 're having now , again , the challenges were born out of our success in 2018 .
We won so many seats in areas that were beet-red districts .
And so it was going to be difficult when Donald Trump was on the ballot to sustain some of those victories because you had people coming out in force .
Again , I think it 's really important to look at the broader contexts of where we are now electorally versus where we were at the end of 2016 .
Bo Hamby , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ edited the audio interview .

DNC Chair Tom Perez On Democrats' Georgia Runoff Strategy And Defeating Trumpism
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Despite Joe Biden's victory, congressional Democrats are upset.
Bolstered by President Trump's unpopularity and the pandemic, polls had showed Democrats possibly taking control of the Senate, expanding their majority in the House of Representatives and Biden winning convincingly in several swing states.
But Democrats didn't gain a majority in the Senate. They lost a handful of seats in the House. And though Biden won the popular vote, it was a close contest in several battleground states.
Tom Perez, who chairs the Democratic National Committee, calls the 2020 elections "a historic, decisive victory" for Democrats overall. He argues the situation should be compared with late 2017 when 15 states had Democratic governors and Republicans controlled the House. Democrats are now governors in 24 states, and they took the House in 2019.
"We're always disappointed when we lose seats," Perez told Steve Inskeep on NPR's Morning Edition. But "when you look at the six or seven seats that we've lost, they were all in very red territories."
Democrats did make different gains this year in the traditionally red states of Georgia and Arizona, where Biden leads.
It presages a fight between the party's centrists and those on the left over how to win elections: Appeal to moderate independents who might vote Republican, or try to get progressive nonvoters to vote.
Now attention shifts to Georgia, which is holding two Senate runoff elections in January. Unless there's an upset, Republicans will keep control of the Senate in 2021.
Here are excerpts of the interview:
On the Republican side, there was something north of 70 million votes. Is the country sending you something of a mixed message here?
Well, I often said when I was out on the campaign stump, Steve, that our goals are to defeat Trump and to defeat Trumpism. Defeating Trump required 270 electoral votes or more, and we succeeded in that. Defeating Trumpism is a longer-term challenge because Trumpism predates Trump. And I would argue that Trumpism and some of the underlying challenges there in no small measure may date back 400 years. And we need to understand that. And I can think of no better person to lead that challenge than the president-elect. He is a uniter.
What is the strategy for Democrats in these upcoming Georgia runoff races, which could decide control of the Senate?
To expand the electorate. And Stacey Abrams has led that effort dating back to her race for [Georgia] governor in 2018. You look at the number of first-time voters in Georgia in 2020. It's a remarkable fusion coalition. We are organizing all over that state, making sure that people register to vote. And you can bet your bottom dollar that we will continue to do that.
The disappointments in the House of Representatives have sparked a lively debate: one lawmaker blaming "defund the police" and the socialism label for hurting Democrats; Jim Clyburn of South Carolina saying people in different districts need to run different campaigns; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, democratic socialist, pushing back on that. What do you make of all that?
Well, we are a Democratic Party that is a big tent, and I welcome that. And I look at the platform of the Democratic Party and it reflects, I think, the bold level of inclusion across America. It's a platform that stands for the notion that every person matters, that we should trust science over fiction, that we can expand access to health care, that health care should be a right for all, not a privilege for a few.
And this was the platform that won for Joe Biden. It's a very ambitious platform. It's a bold platform. It's a platform that we can all embrace as Democrats.
And the discussions that we're having now, again, the challenges were born out of our success in 2018. We won so many seats in areas that were beet-red districts. And so it was going to be difficult when Donald Trump was on the ballot to sustain some of those victories because you had people coming out in force. Again, I think it's really important to look at the broader contexts of where we are now electorally versus where we were at the end of 2016.
Bo Hamby, Arezou Rezvani and Phil Harrell produced and edited the audio interview.


npr--2020-11-10--GOP Sen. Thom Tillis Wins Reelection In North Carolina After Democrat Concedes

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis has won reelection in North Carolina as Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham conceded on Tuesday .
Democrats were hoping to oust Tillis and several other GOP incumbents and take control of the Senate next year , but this latest loss is part of what has become a Republican firewall in Southern and Western states that positions the party to retain its majority .
Cunningham said in a statement that he had called Tillis to congratulate him .
`` The voters have spoken and I respect their decision , '' Cunningham said .
The Associated Press has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying it is still too close to call .
Now Senate control is set to be determined by the outcome of two runoff elections in Georgia on Jan 5 .
The Alaska Senate race is not decided yet , but Republicans are confident that GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan will win there .
Money flowed into more than a dozen competitive 2020 Senate contests , but North Carolina was among the top-tier races , as the Democratic and Republican parties broke records in spending more than $ 250 million on this one seat .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state 's large and growing suburban areas near Charlotte and around the Research Triangle near Raleigh , Durham and Chapel Hill .
President Trump 's approval ratings in those areas have fallen in recent years , giving Democrats hope of eventually turning the once reliably Republican state in their favor .
The presidential race in the state has still not been called by The Associated Press either , but the president is ahead in the vote count and it appears unlikely Joe Biden will be able to overtake him .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retired military officer , was tight for months , but the Democrat lost ground when reports surfaced about his marital infidelity involving the wife of a veteran .
He admitted to and apologized for his actions , but then limited campaign appearances .
Tillis , who contracted the coronavirus after attending a White House event for Amy Coney Barrett , the president 's Supreme Court nominee , was briefly sidelined from the campaign trail .
But he returned for Barrett 's confirmation and campaigned as a strong supporter of Trump .

GOP Sen. Thom Tillis Wins Reelection In North Carolina After Democrat Concedes
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chris Carlson/AP Chris Carlson/AP
Updated at 5:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 11
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis has won reelection in North Carolina as Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham conceded on Tuesday. Democrats were hoping to oust Tillis and several other GOP incumbents and take control of the Senate next year, but this latest loss is part of what has become a Republican firewall in Southern and Western states that positions the party to retain its majority.
Cunningham said in a statement that he had called Tillis to congratulate him.
"The voters have spoken and I respect their decision," Cunningham said.
The Associated Press initially said the race was too close to call, but on Wednesday afternoon called the race for Tillis.
Now Senate control is set to be determined by the outcome of two runoff elections in Georgia on Jan 5. The Alaska Senate race is not decided yet, but Republicans are confident that GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan will win there.
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Money flowed into more than a dozen competitive 2020 Senate contests, but North Carolina was among the top-tier races, as the Democratic and Republican parties broke records in spending more than $250 million on this one seat.
Democrats have long hoped to make headway in the state's large and growing suburban areas near Charlotte and around the Research Triangle near Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. President Trump's approval ratings in those areas have fallen in recent years, giving Democrats hope of eventually turning the once reliably Republican state in their favor.
The presidential race in the state has still not been called by The Associated Press either, but the president is ahead in the vote count and it appears unlikely Joe Biden will be able to overtake him.
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The race between Tillis and Cunningham, a retired military officer, was tight for months, but the Democrat lost ground when reports surfaced about his marital infidelity involving the wife of a veteran. He admitted to and apologized for his actions, but then limited campaign appearances.
Tillis, who contracted the coronavirus after attending a White House event for Amy Coney Barrett, the president's Supreme Court nominee, was briefly sidelined from the campaign trail. But he returned for Barrett's confirmation and campaigned as a strong supporter of Trump.


npr--2020-11-10--Biden Should Be Getting Top-Level Intelligence Briefings, But He Isn't

Biden Should Be Getting Top-Level Intelligence Briefings , But He Isn't As president-elect , Joe Biden should start receiving the same daily intelligence briefing as the one prepared for President Trump .
But so far , this has n't happened , and it 's not clear when the daily briefings will begin , according to intelligence officials .
Trump has not accepted the election results , and his administration has not yet authorized Biden and his team to start receiving government resources that range from the mundane — like office space and desks — to the highly sensitive , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the government 's General Services Administration issued a routine authorization letter a day or so after an election .
This paved the way for a presidential transition team to start preparing for Inauguration Day on Jan. 20 .
But without this letter , the Office of the Director of National Intelligence , which oversees the president 's security briefings , says it is not permitted to meet with Biden 's transition team .
ODNI said in a statement that it `` would not have contact with any transition team until notified by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Biden did receive intelligence briefings , but they were limited and occasional during the hectic campaign , intelligence officials said .
As president-elect , Biden should start getting the President 's Daily Briefing , or PDB , said David Priess , a former CIA officer .
`` We 've had the solid tradition since the 1960s , when the President 's Daily Brief was first created , that the sitting president has offered it to the incoming president , '' said Priess , author of a book on presidential briefings , The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the absence of intelligence briefings , Biden told a news conference Tuesday , `` Obviously the PDB would be useful , but it 's not necessary .
I 'm not the sitting president now . ''
But Mike Rogers , a former Republican congressman from Michigan and former head of the House Intelligence Committee , said Biden should start getting the briefings immediately .
A new president needs to be prepared on Day 1 .
The U.S. is negotiating with the Taliban in an attempt to end the war in Afghanistan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria as well .
The agreement that regulates the main U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals , New START , is set to expire in February .
Priess recalled the close 2000 election , when the outcome was in doubt for more than a month after the voting .
In spite of that , President Bill Clinton 's outgoing administration began intelligence briefings for George W. Bush before he was officially declared the winner .
`` The Clinton White House realized we ca n't wait forever , and they brought George W. Bush into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide the President 's Daily Brief , '' Priess said .
Bush 's rival in that election , Al Gore , was already receiving briefings as Clinton 's vice president .
When Trump leaves office , another question could arise : Should he still receive intelligence briefings ?
By tradition , sitting presidents offer occasional briefings to former presidents .
It 's considered good practice for all involved .
For example , when a former president plans to travel abroad , a briefing can make sure he 's up to speed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of line with current administration policy .
Priess said he once delivered such a briefing to George H.W .
Bush before he made a post-presidential trip to the Middle East .
But these briefings are a courtesy , not the law .
Former presidents get `` Secret Service protection for the rest of their lives .
They get money for a staff and an office .
All of that is provided for in legislation , '' said Priess .
`` But that legislation does not say that the former president has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily Brief or other top-secret materials that they received while they were president . ''
Trump , of course , has extensive business interests abroad .
But after leaving office , if he wants classified information on a foreign country , he 'll need approval from his successor in the White House .
Greg Myre is an NPR national security correspondent .
Follow him on Twitter : @ gregmyre1 .

Biden Should Be Getting Top-Level Intelligence Briefings, But He Isn't
Enlarge this image toggle caption Damian Dovarganes/AP Damian Dovarganes/AP
As president-elect, Joe Biden should start receiving the same daily intelligence briefing as the one prepared for President Trump.
But so far, this hasn't happened, and it's not clear when the daily briefings will begin, according to intelligence officials.
Trump has not accepted the election results, and his administration has not yet authorized Biden and his team to start receiving government resources that range from the mundane — like office space and desks — to the highly sensitive, like top-secret intelligence briefings.
In the past, the government's General Services Administration issued a routine authorization letter a day or so after an election. This paved the way for a presidential transition team to start preparing for Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.
But without this letter, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees the president's security briefings, says it is not permitted to meet with Biden's transition team. ODNI said in a statement that it "would not have contact with any transition team until notified by the GSA."
As a candidate, Biden did receive intelligence briefings, but they were limited and occasional during the hectic campaign, intelligence officials said.
A long tradition
As president-elect, Biden should start getting the President's Daily Briefing, or PDB, said David Priess, a former CIA officer.
"We've had the solid tradition since the 1960s, when the President's Daily Brief was first created, that the sitting president has offered it to the incoming president," said Priess, author of a book on presidential briefings, The President's Book Of Secrets.
Asked about the absence of intelligence briefings, Biden told a news conference Tuesday, "Obviously the PDB would be useful, but it's not necessary. I'm not the sitting president now."
But Mike Rogers, a former Republican congressman from Michigan and former head of the House Intelligence Committee, said Biden should start getting the briefings immediately.
A new president needs to be prepared on Day 1. The U.S. is negotiating with the Taliban in an attempt to end the war in Afghanistan. U.S. forces are still in Iraq and Syria as well. The agreement that regulates the main U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals, New START, is set to expire in February.
Priess recalled the close 2000 election, when the outcome was in doubt for more than a month after the voting. In spite of that, President Bill Clinton's outgoing administration began intelligence briefings for George W. Bush before he was officially declared the winner.
"The Clinton White House realized we can't wait forever, and they brought George W. Bush into the circle and started allowing CIA briefers to provide the President's Daily Brief," Priess said.
Bush's rival in that election, Al Gore, was already receiving briefings as Clinton's vice president.
When Trump leaves office, another question could arise: Should he still receive intelligence briefings?
By tradition, sitting presidents offer occasional briefings to former presidents. It's considered good practice for all involved. For example, when a former president plans to travel abroad, a briefing can make sure he's up to speed and doesn't say anything that would be out of line with current administration policy.
Priess said he once delivered such a briefing to George H.W. Bush before he made a post-presidential trip to the Middle East.
But these briefings are a courtesy, not the law.
Former presidents get "Secret Service protection for the rest of their lives. They get money for a staff and an office. All of that is provided for in legislation," said Priess. "But that legislation does not say that the former president has a lifelong right to receive the President's Daily Brief or other top-secret materials that they received while they were president."
Trump, of course, has extensive business interests abroad. But after leaving office, if he wants classified information on a foreign country, he'll need approval from his successor in the White House.
Greg Myre is an NPR national security correspondent. Follow him on Twitter: @gregmyre1.


npr--2020-11-10--Pompeo Promises 'A Smooth Transition To A Second Trump Administration'

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is insisting that the U.S. election has not been decided .
He also predicted that President Trump will prevail , backing Trump 's reluctance to begin the transition to President-elect Joe Biden 's administration .
`` There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration , '' Pompeo said during a briefing Tuesday .
`` All right ?
We 're ready . ''
The secretary was replying to a Fox News reporter 's question about whether the State Department is preparing to work with the Biden transition team – and whether a delay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or hinder a smooth transfer of power .
Pompeo did not respond directly to that question , implying instead that a transition wo n't be needed .
`` The world is watching what 's taking place .
We 're going to count all the votes , '' Pompeo said , a seeming reference to Trump 's baseless claims of widespread voter fraud .
`` When the process is complete , there will be electors selected , '' Pompeo said .
`` There 's a process .
The Constitution lays it out pretty clearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the transition necessary to make sure that the State Department is functional today , successful today , and successful with a president who 's in office on Jan. 20 , a minute after noon , will also be successful . ''
Biden has been declared to have captured enough electoral votes to win the presidency , with significant leads in key states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan .
But Trump is trying to challenge the results with lawsuits , most of which have failed .
When asked about the allegations of election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and legal battle over the 2000 election , stating it did n't prevent a successful transition .
`` I 'm very confident that we will count , and we must count , every legal vote , '' he said .
`` We must make sure that any vote that was n't lawful ought not be counted .
That dilutes your vote , if it 's done improperly .
Got to get that right .
When we get it right , we 'll get it right . ''
`` We 're in good shape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smiled during his initial remarks about the looming transition of power , but his comments prompted more questions .
`` What kind of guidance are you giving to American diplomats on how to characterize the results of the presidential election ? ''
a Reuters reporter asked Pompeo .
She added , `` And also , this department frequently sends out statements encouraging free and fair elections abroad — and for the losers of those elections to accept the results .
Does n't President Trump 's refusal to concede discredit those efforts ? ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ told her .
`` And you know it 's ridiculous .
And you asked it , because it 's ridiculous . ''
Pompeo said , `` This department cares deeply to make sure that elections around the world are safe and secure and free and fair , and my officers risk their lives to ensure that that happens . ''
The secretary of state concluded his reply , and the briefing , by saying : '' We want the law to be imposed in a way that reflects the reality of what took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think we 're engaged in here in the United States , and that 's what we work on every place all across the world . ''

Pompeo Promises 'A Smooth Transition To A Second Trump Administration'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is insisting that the U.S. election has not been decided. He also predicted that President Trump will prevail, backing Trump's reluctance to begin the transition to President-elect Joe Biden's administration.
"There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration," Pompeo said during a briefing Tuesday. "All right? We're ready."
The secretary was replying to a Fox News reporter's question about whether the State Department is preparing to work with the Biden transition team – and whether a delay could raise a potential national security risk or hinder a smooth transfer of power. Pompeo did not respond directly to that question, implying instead that a transition won't be needed.
"The world is watching what's taking place. We're going to count all the votes," Pompeo said, a seeming reference to Trump's baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.
YouTube
"When the process is complete, there will be electors selected," Pompeo said. "There's a process. The Constitution lays it out pretty clearly. The world should have every confidence that the transition necessary to make sure that the State Department is functional today, successful today, and successful with a president who's in office on Jan. 20, a minute after noon, will also be successful."
Biden has been declared to have captured enough electoral votes to win the presidency, with significant leads in key states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan. But Trump is trying to challenge the results with lawsuits, most of which have failed.
When asked about the allegations of election fraud, Pompeo noted the prolonged uncertainty and legal battle over the 2000 election, stating it didn't prevent a successful transition.
"I'm very confident that we will count, and we must count, every legal vote," he said. "We must make sure that any vote that wasn't lawful ought not be counted. That dilutes your vote, if it's done improperly. Got to get that right. When we get it right, we'll get it right."
"We're in good shape," the secretary said.
Pompeo smiled during his initial remarks about the looming transition of power, but his comments prompted more questions.
"What kind of guidance are you giving to American diplomats on how to characterize the results of the presidential election?" a Reuters reporter asked Pompeo. She added, "And also, this department frequently sends out statements encouraging free and fair elections abroad — and for the losers of those elections to accept the results. Doesn't President Trump's refusal to concede discredit those efforts?"
"That's ridiculous," Pompeo told her. "And you know it's ridiculous. And you asked it, because it's ridiculous."
Pompeo said, "This department cares deeply to make sure that elections around the world are safe and secure and free and fair, and my officers risk their lives to ensure that that happens."
The secretary of state concluded his reply, and the briefing, by saying:
"We want the law to be imposed in a way that reflects the reality of what took place. And that's what I think we're engaged in here in the United States, and that's what we work on every place all across the world."


npr--2020-11-10--British Politicians Examine U.S. Election For Clues To Their Own

British Politicians Examine U.S. Election For Clues To Their Own Politicians in the United Kingdom are already studying the results of the U.S. presidential race for clues that could help them in the next parliamentary elections , due to take place in 2024 .
Britain 's main opposition Labour Party , the nearest equivalent to the Democrats , is encouraged to see a centrist such as Joe Biden beat a populist such as Donald Trump .
That 's because Labour is led by Keir Starmer , a center-left politician .
Starmer , a thoughtful , reliable former prosecutor , presents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson , a crowd-pleasing politician who eschews details and is widely seen as having mismanaged the coronavirus pandemic .
The U.K. has the highest death toll in Europe .
Johnson 's approval ratings are down and many do n't expect him to serve out his full term .
`` There 's no doubt that the Labour Party will be very happy with this outcome , '' says Sara Hobolt , a political scientist at the London School of Economics .
`` They will be hoping , perhaps , when looking at this election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of quiet competence of a Biden over the charismatic identity politics of Trump is one that they can emulate . ''
But Biden 's victory was not as overwhelming as many in the United Kingdom expected — and some in Johnson 's Conservative Party may be reassured by Trump 's strong showing with 71 million votes , more than any Republican candidate has ever won .
`` The fact that Trump was not repudiated ...
I think probably there will be some within Britain who will view that as being an election result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find a new formula , '' says Matthew Goodwin , who teaches politics at the University of Kent and is the coauthor of National Populism : The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy .
The Conservative Party will also be watching closely to see who becomes the Republican nominee in 2024 , whether it may be a Trump-like candidate or a more traditional Republican .
`` They will now be watching the internal Republican debate , '' says Goodwin , `` which is obviously going to be fascinating . ''

British Politicians Examine U.S. Election For Clues To Their Own
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Politicians in the United Kingdom are already studying the results of the U.S. presidential race for clues that could help them in the next parliamentary elections, due to take place in 2024.
Britain's main opposition Labour Party, the nearest equivalent to the Democrats, is encouraged to see a centrist such as Joe Biden beat a populist such as Donald Trump. That's because Labour is led by Keir Starmer, a center-left politician.
Starmer, a thoughtful, reliable former prosecutor, presents a sharp contrast with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a crowd-pleasing politician who eschews details and is widely seen as having mismanaged the coronavirus pandemic. The U.K. has the highest death toll in Europe. Johnson's approval ratings are down and many don't expect him to serve out his full term.
"There's no doubt that the Labour Party will be very happy with this outcome," says Sara Hobolt, a political scientist at the London School of Economics. "They will be hoping, perhaps, when looking at this election, that this victory of a sense of quiet competence of a Biden over the charismatic identity politics of Trump is one that they can emulate."
But Biden's victory was not as overwhelming as many in the United Kingdom expected — and some in Johnson's Conservative Party may be reassured by Trump's strong showing with 71 million votes, more than any Republican candidate has ever won.
"The fact that Trump was not repudiated ... I think probably there will be some within Britain who will view that as being an election result that doesn't necessarily require them to find a new formula," says Matthew Goodwin, who teaches politics at the University of Kent and is the coauthor of National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy.
The Conservative Party will also be watching closely to see who becomes the Republican nominee in 2024, whether it may be a Trump-like candidate or a more traditional Republican.
"They will now be watching the internal Republican debate," says Goodwin, "which is obviously going to be fascinating."