npr--2020-11-30--Newsmax Rises On Wave Of Resentment Toward Media — Especially Fox News

Newsmax Rises On Wave Of Resentment Toward Media — Especially Fox News Right now , Newsmax TV is trying to outfox Fox News .
No media outlet has done more to bolster President Trump over the past four years than Fox News .
Yet the acknowledgment by Fox 's reporters , anchors and even many opinion hosts that Democratic nominee Joe Biden won the election has provided an opening for the network 's much smaller rival to peel off Trump 's fans .
`` It was an organic thing across social media and elsewhere , '' Newsmax founder and CEO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said the message was : `` Take a look at Newsmax .
Their coverage is more fair . ''
`` More fair '' meaning more willing to deny political reality .
Trump is touting Newsmax on social media .
He has ladled his Twitter feed with healthy servings of resentment toward Fox News .
Fox was the first network to project that Biden had won the key state of Arizona , signaling Trump would likely lose ; his anger was further stoked by its recognition of Biden as the president-elect .
Contrast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Election Day , it has not formally designated Biden as the winner of the national race despite multiple recounts and decisive outcomes in numerous courtrooms .
On Saturday , Trump tweeted that Fox News was `` virtually unwatchable . ''
Earlier , he retweeted the Hollywood-actor-turned-conspiracy-theorist Randy Quaid reading aloud the president 's tweets claiming Fox 's daytime ratings had collapsed and blaming it for Trump 's reversal of fortunes in the 2020 elections .
There has been a lot of talk about Trump TV and whether the soon-to-be-former president might join @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other far-right platforms .
Ruddy says that 's unlikely , but he 's happy that the president is shining light on his upstart network .
As the campaign season crested into election night and beyond , and Trump refused to concede , more than 1 million people tuned into Greg Kelly 's Newsmax show .
That 's 10 times the audience the former Fox host drew earlier in the year , though it has declined somewhat .
Other Newsmax hosts have seen similarly steep ascents .
Fox News declined comment for this story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , still dwarfing Newsmax .
Yet Fox has been hurt by the Trump blasts and the Newsmax surge .
And officials there have certainly noticed .
According to CNN , Fox has told its producers to warn guests they should not appear on Newsmax if they want airtime on Fox as well .
A Fox spokesperson said there was no directive about guest bookings .
Trump appeared Sunday morning on Maria Bartiromo 's Fox News program ; she has evolved from a financial journalist to a muscular source of support and consolation for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeps promoting Newsmax and its even smaller right-wing rival OANN , the One America News Network , a home for conspiracy theorists and conspiracy theories .
( OANN 's president , Charles Herring , did not respond to questions he asked NPR to pose in writing ; its White House correspondent , Chanel Rion , did not reply to a request for comment . )
Newsmax is missing few opportunities to siphon alienated Trump fans away from Fox .
On the air , its personalities include former Trump White House spokesman Sean Spicer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grant Stinchfield and former BuzzFeed and Independent Journal Review wunderkind , serial plagiarist and conspiracy theorist Benny Johnson , who has all but lifted his on-air persona from Fox 's Tucker Carlson , the current ratings king of cable news .
Kelly has ramped up the rhetoric in his current incarnation as a Newsmax star , bashing Biden , bolstering Trump and mocking his former employer , too .
`` Fox does seem to be going through something of an identity crisis , '' he told viewers recently .
`` They 're not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — they seem to be bending over backward to hurt him . ''
And if you thought Fox gave a lot of airtime to Trump advocates making unfounded claims , at least its hosts and journalists sometimes push back .
Fox News reporter Eric Shawn , who hosts on weekends , unraveled many of Trump 's claims in the Bartiromo interview a few hours after it aired Sunday .
Newsmax has doubled down on conspiracy theories and unsubstantiated assertions , with appearances from the president 's repeatedly defeated attorney Rudy Giuliani , rogue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Diamond and Silk .
The duo are former stars of Fox Nation , Fox News ' streaming service for those who want their opinions even more purely conservative .
And they have made the false and outrageous claim that COVID-19 was unleashed to hurt Trump at the polls .
`` Really , it is just an audio-visual extension of Trump Twitter , '' said Kurt Bardella , a former Republican congressional staffer and spokesman for Breitbart News turned anti-Trump activist .
He says Newsmax believes cynicism sells .
`` There 's no question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Bardella said in an interview .
`` I do n't believe that the majority of people who are part of Newsmax actually believe what they 're saying .
They just see it as an opportunity to get an audience so that they can make more money . ''
Newsmax 's Ruddy — a longtime friend of Trump 's — says he 's sympathetic to the president 's repeatedly disproved claims of widespread election fraud but does n't actually endorse them .
Rather , he said , he wants to encourage a free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found elsewhere .
`` I do n't want to start censoring opinions of people on Newsmax , like I would n't expect NBC to start censoring people that come on MSNBC , '' Ruddy said .
Newsmax has become the fourth-highest-rated cable news channel , at least for now , well behind Fox , MSNBC and CNN but above the two major business networks , Fox Business and CNBC .
And Fox 's own ratings — while still high — have fallen from stratospheric heights .
For all that , Bardella had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You 're not preparing for a world after Trump .
`` [ Ruddy ] is acting purely as a capitalist at this point , '' Bardella said .
`` And I do think that it 's a shortsighted approach , because there is a limitation to how many people are going to be willing to change their behavior , if only because Donald Trump says so . ''

Newsmax Rises On Wave Of Resentment Toward Media — Especially Fox News
Enlarge this image toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP Evan Vucci/AP
Updated at 3:03 p.m.
Right now, Newsmax TV is trying to outfox Fox News.
No media outlet has done more to bolster President Trump over the past four years than Fox News. Yet the acknowledgment by Fox's reporters, anchors and even many opinion hosts that Democratic nominee Joe Biden won the election has provided an opening for the network's much smaller rival to peel off Trump's fans.
"It was an organic thing across social media and elsewhere," Newsmax founder and CEO Christopher Ruddy said in an interview. He said the message was: "Take a look at Newsmax. Their coverage is more fair."
"More fair" meaning more willing to deny political reality.
Trump is touting Newsmax on social media. He has ladled his Twitter feed with healthy servings of resentment toward Fox News. Fox was the first network to project that Biden had won the key state of Arizona, signaling Trump would likely lose; his anger was further stoked by its recognition of Biden as the president-elect. Contrast that with Newsmax: Nearly a month after Election Day, it has not formally designated Biden as the winner of the national race despite multiple recounts and decisive outcomes in numerous courtrooms.
On Saturday, Trump tweeted that Fox News was "virtually unwatchable." Earlier, he retweeted the Hollywood-actor-turned-conspiracy-theorist Randy Quaid reading aloud the president's tweets claiming Fox's daytime ratings had collapsed and blaming it for Trump's reversal of fortunes in the 2020 elections.
There has been a lot of talk about Trump TV and whether the soon-to-be-former president might join forces with Newsmax or some combination of other far-right platforms. Ruddy says that's unlikely, but he's happy that the president is shining light on his upstart network.
As the campaign season crested into election night and beyond, and Trump refused to concede, more than 1 million people tuned into Greg Kelly's Newsmax show. That's 10 times the audience the former Fox host drew earlier in the year, though it has declined somewhat. Other Newsmax hosts have seen similarly steep ascents. Fox News declined comment for this story. And its ratings remain far larger, still dwarfing Newsmax.
Yet Fox has been hurt by the Trump blasts and the Newsmax surge. And officials there have certainly noticed. According to CNN, Fox has told its producers to warn guests they should not appear on Newsmax if they want airtime on Fox as well. A Fox spokesperson said there was no directive about guest bookings.
Trump appeared Sunday morning on Maria Bartiromo's Fox News program; she has evolved from a financial journalist to a muscular source of support and consolation for the president. Nonetheless, online he keeps promoting Newsmax and its even smaller right-wing rival OANN, the One America News Network, a home for conspiracy theorists and conspiracy theories. (OANN's president, Charles Herring, did not respond to questions he asked NPR to pose in writing; its White House correspondent, Chanel Rion, did not reply to a request for comment.)
Newsmax is missing few opportunities to siphon alienated Trump fans away from Fox. On the air, its personalities include former Trump White House spokesman Sean Spicer, former National Rifle Association TV host Grant Stinchfield and former BuzzFeed and Independent Journal Review wunderkind, serial plagiarist and conspiracy theorist Benny Johnson, who has all but lifted his on-air persona from Fox's Tucker Carlson, the current ratings king of cable news.
Kelly has ramped up the rhetoric in his current incarnation as a Newsmax star, bashing Biden, bolstering Trump and mocking his former employer, too.
"Fox does seem to be going through something of an identity crisis," he told viewers recently. "They're not very supportive of the president these days — they seem to be bending over backward to hurt him."
And if you thought Fox gave a lot of airtime to Trump advocates making unfounded claims, at least its hosts and journalists sometimes push back. Fox News reporter Eric Shawn, who hosts on weekends, unraveled many of Trump's claims in the Bartiromo interview a few hours after it aired Sunday. Newsmax has doubled down on conspiracy theories and unsubstantiated assertions, with appearances from the president's repeatedly defeated attorney Rudy Giuliani, rogue Trump lawyer Sidney Powell and pro-Trump personalities Diamond and Silk. The duo are former stars of Fox Nation, Fox News' streaming service for those who want their opinions even more purely conservative. And they have made the false and outrageous claim that COVID-19 was unleashed to hurt Trump at the polls.
"Really, it is just an audio-visual extension of Trump Twitter," said Kurt Bardella, a former Republican congressional staffer and spokesman for Breitbart News turned anti-Trump activist. He says Newsmax believes cynicism sells.
"There's no question that this is 100% opportunistic," Bardella said in an interview. "I don't believe that the majority of people who are part of Newsmax actually believe what they're saying. They just see it as an opportunity to get an audience so that they can make more money."
Newsmax's Ruddy — a longtime friend of Trump's — says he's sympathetic to the president's repeatedly disproved claims of widespread election fraud but doesn't actually endorse them. Rather, he said, he wants to encourage a free flow of ideas that can't be found elsewhere.
"I don't want to start censoring opinions of people on Newsmax, like I wouldn't expect NBC to start censoring people that come on MSNBC," Ruddy said.
Newsmax has become the fourth-highest-rated cable news channel, at least for now, well behind Fox, MSNBC and CNN but above the two major business networks, Fox Business and CNBC. And Fox's own ratings — while still high — have fallen from stratospheric heights.
For all that, Bardella had a warning for Ruddy: Enjoy your moment. You're not preparing for a world after Trump.
"[Ruddy] is acting purely as a capitalist at this point," Bardella said. "And I do think that it's a shortsighted approach, because there is a limitation to how many people are going to be willing to change their behavior, if only because Donald Trump says so."


npr--2020-11-30--Biden Is Good News For Europe, But China Challenges Await

Biden Is Good News For Europe , But China Challenges Await President-elect Joe Biden has chosen a national security team that backs traditional U.S. alliances , which has been met with relief in much of Europe after nearly four years of hostility from President Trump .
Take Antony Blinken , Biden 's nominee for secretary of state .
He spent part of his childhood in Paris , speaks impeccable French and is an avowed supporter of the trans-Atlantic relationship .
`` We would , under Joe Biden , return to our seat at NATO 's table , not threaten to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection racket , '' Blinken said this month , speaking to the U.S .
Global Leadership Coalition , an organization that supports American diplomacy .
`` We would engage the European Union , instead of actually encouraging countries to leave it or treating it like it 's some kind of an enemy . ''
Relations will no doubt be far more cordial under Biden .
But Europe and the U.S. have genuine differences that transcend the Trump administration .
They include a wide range of issues , such as the long-running trade dispute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are illegal government subsidies to Airbus and the failure of some NATO member states to meet defense spending targets .
Biden will be looking for help on pressing American priorities , including checking an increasingly assertive China .
Anthony Gardner , an adviser to the Biden campaign on Europe , said the EU and the U.S. need to work together to fight unfair trade practices by China that disadvantage businesses from San Francisco to Sofia .
`` Strength matters , '' says Gardner , who served as U.S. ambassador to the EU from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get it .
They fear , I believe , that the United States and the EU will actually align our positions on trade , because the EU is not a minnow on trade .
It 's a superpower . ''
Indeed , the EU 's gross domestic product is only second to the United States ' , according to the International Monetary Fund .
The EU seems to agree , at least in principle .
It plans to call on the U.S. to seize `` a once-in-a-generation '' opportunity to look past ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address China 's `` strategic challenge , '' according to a draft of EU policy proposals cited by the Financial Times .
But Gardner , the author of Stars With Stripes : The Essential Partnership between the European Union and the United States , acknowledges that getting all 27 EU member states to confront China is n't easy .
Some countries rely on China as an important market for their exports .
Beijing has also implemented a divide-and-conquer strategy .
Chinese state-owned banks and state-owned enterprises invest in member states to gain leverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical joint statements on sensitive topics , such as China 's human rights record or the country 's island-building campaign in the South China Sea .
The Biden administration will also look for European nations to do more to defend their interests at home as the U.S. focuses more militarily on China .
`` We 're at an inflection point , '' Biden said last year at Chatham House , the London think tank .
`` We 're navigating new relationships with a rising China and a declining but increasingly aggressive Russia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ militaries can actually help with China .
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was built to defend Europe , not Asia .
Tomas Valasek , who chairs the European Affairs Committee in the Slovak parliament , says that most NATO nations do n't have the capacity to project force into , say , the South China Sea .
Moreover , expanding NATO 's reach amid the economic wreckage and domestic challenges of the pandemic probably is n't realistic right now .
`` There are going to be bills to pay , '' says retired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commanded U.S .
Naval Forces Europe-Africa and also headed NATO Joint Force Command in Naples , Italy .
`` There 's got to be a balance of ambition and appetite for out-of-area deployments , '' adds Foggo , now a distinguished fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis , a Washington think tank .
NATO was forged from the ashes of World War II by like-minded democracies , including the U.S. , the United Kingdom , the Netherlands and Belgium , to deter Soviet aggression .
Since the end of the Cold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crises .
As the U.S. focuses more on China in the coming years , analysts say that NATO 's value to America is likely to decline .
`` There 's no doubt that the Europeans will , because of the rise of China , become less central in the way the United States regards the world , '' says Valasek , who served as Slovakia 's ambassador to NATO from 2013 to 2017 .
`` The only question is how do we lose as little relevance as possible ? ''
Theresa Fallon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asia Studies , a Brussels think tank , says one solution is for European NATO members to rely less on America and more on themselves to address the region 's increasingly complex security challenges .
Fallon says those include a wide range , from Russia 's attempts to destabilize the Western Balkans to the standoff between NATO allies Turkey and Greece over energy reserves in disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean .
Judy Dempsey , editor of Strategic Europe , a blog at the Brussels think tank Carnegie Europe , agrees .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trans-Atlantic relationship that hinges on America guaranteeing members ' safety .
`` Europe can defend itself under the umbrella of NATO , '' Dempsey says .
`` They must break out of this emotional , intellectual , physical and political dependence on the United States to be always there .
The United States has enough on its plate . ''
Dempsey says working out a new , more balanced relationship is crucial .
`` There are a lot of countries who actually would do their best to undermine Europe , '' she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this comfort zone , it 'll be too late .
What 's at stake for Europe and the United States are values , human rights and democracy . ''

Biden Is Good News For Europe, But China Challenges Await
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matthias Schrader/AP Matthias Schrader/AP
President-elect Joe Biden has chosen a national security team that backs traditional U.S. alliances, which has been met with relief in much of Europe after nearly four years of hostility from President Trump.
Take Antony Blinken, Biden's nominee for secretary of state. He spent part of his childhood in Paris, speaks impeccable French and is an avowed supporter of the trans-Atlantic relationship.
"We would, under Joe Biden, return to our seat at NATO's table, not threaten to leave NATO or treat it like a protection racket," Blinken said this month, speaking to the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, an organization that supports American diplomacy. "We would engage the European Union, instead of actually encouraging countries to leave it or treating it like it's some kind of an enemy."
Europe Can Biden's Appreciation Of NATO Turn Back The Clock To Pre-Trump Era? Can Biden's Appreciation Of NATO Turn Back The Clock To Pre-Trump Era? Listen · 5:23 5:23
Relations will no doubt be far more cordial under Biden. But Europe and the U.S. have genuine differences that transcend the Trump administration. They include a wide range of issues, such as the long-running trade dispute over what the World Trade Organization says are illegal government subsidies to Airbus and the failure of some NATO member states to meet defense spending targets.
Biden will be looking for help on pressing American priorities, including checking an increasingly assertive China. Anthony Gardner, an adviser to the Biden campaign on Europe, said the EU and the U.S. need to work together to fight unfair trade practices by China that disadvantage businesses from San Francisco to Sofia.
"Strength matters," says Gardner, who served as U.S. ambassador to the EU from 2014 to 2017. "The Chinese get it. They fear, I believe, that the United States and the EU will actually align our positions on trade, because the EU is not a minnow on trade. It's a superpower." Indeed, the EU's gross domestic product is only second to the United States', according to the International Monetary Fund.
The EU seems to agree, at least in principle. It plans to call on the U.S. to seize "a once-in-a-generation" opportunity to look past ongoing tensions and forge a global alliance to address China's "strategic challenge," according to a draft of EU policy proposals cited by the Financial Times.
But Gardner, the author of Stars With Stripes: The Essential Partnership between the European Union and the United States, acknowledges that getting all 27 EU member states to confront China isn't easy.
Some countries rely on China as an important market for their exports. Beijing has also implemented a divide-and-conquer strategy. Chinese state-owned banks and state-owned enterprises invest in member states to gain leverage. Then Beijing pressures them to block critical joint statements on sensitive topics, such as China's human rights record or the country's island-building campaign in the South China Sea.
The Biden administration will also look for European nations to do more to defend their interests at home as the U.S. focuses more militarily on China.
"We're at an inflection point," Biden said last year at Chatham House, the London think tank. "We're navigating new relationships with a rising China and a declining but increasingly aggressive Russia."
Many Europeans question how much NATO militaries can actually help with China. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was built to defend Europe, not Asia.
Tomas Valasek, who chairs the European Affairs Committee in the Slovak parliament, says that most NATO nations don't have the capacity to project force into, say, the South China Sea. Moreover, expanding NATO's reach amid the economic wreckage and domestic challenges of the pandemic probably isn't realistic right now.
"There are going to be bills to pay," says retired U.S. Adm. James G. Foggo, who commanded U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and also headed NATO Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy.
"There's got to be a balance of ambition and appetite for out-of-area deployments," adds Foggo, now a distinguished fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington think tank.
NATO was forged from the ashes of World War II by like-minded democracies, including the U.S., the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium, to deter Soviet aggression. Since the end of the Cold War, it has faced periodic identity crises. As the U.S. focuses more on China in the coming years, analysts say that NATO's value to America is likely to decline.
"There's no doubt that the Europeans will, because of the rise of China, become less central in the way the United States regards the world," says Valasek, who served as Slovakia's ambassador to NATO from 2013 to 2017. "The only question is how do we lose as little relevance as possible?"
Theresa Fallon, who runs the Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies, a Brussels think tank, says one solution is for European NATO members to rely less on America and more on themselves to address the region's increasingly complex security challenges. Fallon says those include a wide range, from Russia's attempts to destabilize the Western Balkans to the standoff between NATO allies Turkey and Greece over energy reserves in disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean.
Judy Dempsey, editor of Strategic Europe, a blog at the Brussels think tank Carnegie Europe, agrees. She says Europe has to move on from a trans-Atlantic relationship that hinges on America guaranteeing members' safety.
"Europe can defend itself under the umbrella of NATO," Dempsey says. "They must break out of this emotional, intellectual, physical and political dependence on the United States to be always there. The United States has enough on its plate."
Dempsey says working out a new, more balanced relationship is crucial.
"There are a lot of countries who actually would do their best to undermine Europe," she says. "If we remain in this comfort zone, it'll be too late. What's at stake for Europe and the United States are values, human rights and democracy."
NPR London producer Jessica Beck contributed to this story.


npr--2020-11-30--President-Elect Biden Names Core Members Of His Economic Team

Updated at 12:45 a.m .
ET With the American economy on uneven footing as coronavirus cases surge nationwide , President-elect Joe Biden formally announced top members of his incoming economic team on Monday .
The nominees and appointees include former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen .
NPR reported last week that Biden would seek to make Yellen the nation 's first female treasury secretary .
Like previous staff announcements , the economic team tapped by the Biden-Harris transition features people who 've worked in earlier Democratic administrations .
Cecilia Rouse was nominated as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first Black woman , and just the fourth woman overall , to lead the CEA since it was established nearly 75 years ago .
Rouse currently serves as dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs .
She was a member of the CEA during the Obama administration and worked on the National Economic Council serving as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton .
`` I am focused on the task ahead , '' Rouse wrote on Twitter after her nomination was made public .
`` This job is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebuild and revive our economy .
The planning for a fairer economy , grounded in facts and evidence , begins now . ''
Additionally , Biden named two members of the CEA to work under Rouse : Jared Bernstein and Heather Boushey .
Bernstein served as Biden 's chief economist in the early years of the Obama-Biden administration .
And he previously served as executive director for President Barack Obama 's White House task force on the middle class and was an adviser to Obama .
Boushey has been a longtime adviser to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has focused on the areas of economic inequality and public policy .
She co-founded the nonprofit Washington Center for Equitable Growth in 2013 .
`` We have an opportunity to rethink how we invest in people , and we need to seize it as we rebuild our economy , '' Boushey tweeted Monday .
The announcement comes a day after the Biden-Harris transition team named seven women to top communications roles in the incoming White House .
The transition team said it was a historic first that all the positions will be filled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also formally announced Neera Tanden as his nominee to be the director of Office of Management and Budget .
Tanden is president and CEO of the Center for American Progress , a left-leaning public policy organization founded by John Podesta , who served as White House chief of staff to Clinton and counselor to Obama .
If confirmed , Tanden would be the first woman of color to head OMB .
The incoming administration also tapped Wally Adeyemo as deputy treasury secretary .
If confirmed , he would be the department 's first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is about offering hope through the dark times and making sure that our economy works not just for the wealthy , but for the hard-working people who make it run , '' Adeyemo said in a tweet Monday .
Among his previous roles , Adeyemo was director of the National Economic Council and deputy national security adviser during the Obama-Biden administration .
He currently serves as the president of the Obama Foundation , a nonprofit established by Obama and his wife , former first lady Michelle Obama .

President-Elect Biden Names Core Members Of His Economic Team
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mel Evans/AP Mel Evans/AP
Updated at 12:45 a.m. ET
With the American economy on uneven footing as coronavirus cases surge nationwide, President-elect Joe Biden formally announced top members of his incoming economic team on Monday.
The nominees and appointees include former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. NPR reported last week that Biden would seek to make Yellen the nation's first female treasury secretary.
Like previous staff announcements, the economic team tapped by the Biden-Harris transition features people who've worked in earlier Democratic administrations.
Cecilia Rouse was nominated as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers. If confirmed, she'll be the first Black woman, and just the fourth woman overall, to lead the CEA since it was established nearly 75 years ago.
Rouse currently serves as dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. She was a member of the CEA during the Obama administration and worked on the National Economic Council serving as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton.
"I am focused on the task ahead," Rouse wrote on Twitter after her nomination was made public. "This job is about advising the President on how to rebuild and revive our economy. The planning for a fairer economy, grounded in facts and evidence, begins now."
Additionally, Biden named two members of the CEA to work under Rouse: Jared Bernstein and Heather Boushey.
Bernstein served as Biden's chief economist in the early years of the Obama-Biden administration. And he previously served as executive director for President Barack Obama's White House task force on the middle class and was an adviser to Obama.
Boushey has been a longtime adviser to Biden. Her work as an economist has focused on the areas of economic inequality and public policy. She co-founded the nonprofit Washington Center for Equitable Growth in 2013.
"We have an opportunity to rethink how we invest in people, and we need to seize it as we rebuild our economy," Boushey tweeted Monday.
The announcement comes a day after the Biden-Harris transition team named seven women to top communications roles in the incoming White House. The transition team said it was a historic first that all the positions will be filled by women.
The president-elect on Monday also formally announced Neera Tanden as his nominee to be the director of Office of Management and Budget. Tanden is president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning public policy organization founded by John Podesta, who served as White House chief of staff to Clinton and counselor to Obama.
If confirmed, Tanden would be the first woman of color to head OMB.
The incoming administration also tapped Wally Adeyemo as deputy treasury secretary. If confirmed, he would be the department's first Black deputy secretary.
"Public service is about offering hope through the dark times and making sure that our economy works not just for the wealthy, but for the hard-working people who make it run," Adeyemo said in a tweet Monday.
Among his previous roles, Adeyemo was director of the National Economic Council and deputy national security adviser during the Obama-Biden administration. He currently serves as the president of the Obama Foundation, a nonprofit established by Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama.


npr--2020-11-30--New Zealand Charges 13 Parties Over Deaths At White Island Volcano

New Zealand Charges 13 Parties Over Deaths At White Island Volcano New Zealand 's government has filed charges over the volcano eruption that killed 22 people on White Island last year , saying operators that brought tourists to see the country 's most active volcano failed to follow health and safety rules .
Officials say 47 people were on the island when the volcano erupted in the early afternoon of Dec. 9 , sending a plume of ash , toxic gas and rocks some 12,000 feet into the sky .
Rescue crews rushed to find survivors , and recovery teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims .
The eruption was unexpected , but it was n't unforeseeable , according to WorkSafe New Zealand , the country 's workplace safety agency .
`` Those who went to the island , did so with the reasonable expectation that there were appropriate systems in place to ensure they made it home healthy and safe , '' WorkSafe Chief Executive Phil Parkes said in a statement issued Monday .
The eruption was a `` hydrothermal explosion , '' the U.S. Geological Survey determined .
`` The volcano had been showing signs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9 , 2019 , explosion , '' the USGS said .
`` In October , seismic tremors and sulfur dioxide ( SO ) gas emission rates were at their highest levels since 2016 , indicating an increased likelihood of an eruption . ''
Everyone who was on White Island that day suffered `` serious injuries and trauma , '' WorkSafe said .
Survivors endured major burns to their skin and lungs .
WorkSafe charged 13 parties in Auckland District Court — 10 organizations and three people .
Nine of the groups are charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety of workers and others , while the other is charged with failing to control a workplace .
Each of those charges carries a maximum fine of more than $ 1 million .
The three individuals face smaller fines , charged under a provision that requires people `` with significant influence over a company to exercise due diligence '' in meeting health and safety obligations .
WorkSafe has not named any of the parties , noting that they have a right to ask for their names to be suppressed at their first court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also known by its Maori name , Whakaari , is the peak of a huge submarine volcano rising more than 1,000 feet out of waters of the Bay of Plenty .
The island is roughly 30 miles off New Zealand 's north-northeast coast .
Those who were on the island at the time of the eruption included nine Americans and 24 Australians .
Other visitors ' home countries included China , Malaysia , Germany , the United Kingdom and New Zealand .
The work safety charges are not related to the response that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescue and recovery operations .
WorkSafe says it did n't investigate that part of the incident .
`` Those actions may be the subject of other proceedings , such as a coronial inquest , '' the agency says .

New Zealand Charges 13 Parties Over Deaths At White Island Volcano
Enlarge this image toggle caption New Zealand Defence Force/ via Getty Images New Zealand Defence Force/ via Getty Images
New Zealand's government has filed charges over the volcano eruption that killed 22 people on White Island last year, saying operators that brought tourists to see the country's most active volcano failed to follow health and safety rules.
Officials say 47 people were on the island when the volcano erupted in the early afternoon of Dec. 9, sending a plume of ash, toxic gas and rocks some 12,000 feet into the sky. Rescue crews rushed to find survivors, and recovery teams spent roughly two weeks trying to find victims.
The eruption was unexpected, but it wasn't unforeseeable, according to WorkSafe New Zealand, the country's workplace safety agency.
"Those who went to the island, did so with the reasonable expectation that there were appropriate systems in place to ensure they made it home healthy and safe," WorkSafe Chief Executive Phil Parkes said in a statement issued Monday.
The eruption was a "hydrothermal explosion," the U.S. Geological Survey determined.
"The volcano had been showing signs of unrest for several weeks before the December 9, 2019, explosion," the USGS said. "In October, seismic tremors and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) gas emission rates were at their highest levels since 2016, indicating an increased likelihood of an eruption."
Everyone who was on White Island that day suffered "serious injuries and trauma," WorkSafe said. Survivors endured major burns to their skin and lungs.
WorkSafe charged 13 parties in Auckland District Court — 10 organizations and three people. Nine of the groups are charged with failing to ensure the health and safety of workers and others, while the other is charged with failing to control a workplace. Each of those charges carries a maximum fine of more than $1 million.
The three individuals face smaller fines, charged under a provision that requires people "with significant influence over a company to exercise due diligence" in meeting health and safety obligations.
WorkSafe has not named any of the parties, noting that they have a right to ask for their names to be suppressed at their first court appearance.
White Island, which is also known by its Maori name, Whakaari, is the peak of a huge submarine volcano rising more than 1,000 feet out of waters of the Bay of Plenty. The island is roughly 30 miles off New Zealand's north-northeast coast.
Those who were on the island at the time of the eruption included nine Americans and 24 Australians. Other visitors' home countries included China, Malaysia, Germany, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
The work safety charges are not related to the response that ensued after the eruption, such as rescue and recovery operations. WorkSafe says it didn't investigate that part of the incident.
"Those actions may be the subject of other proceedings, such as a coronial inquest," the agency says.


npr--2020-12-01--Another Mysterious Monolith Suddenly Appears — This Time In Romania

Cue the X-Files theme , folks .
The monolith mystery has deepened .
Less than two weeks after authorities stumbled across a mysterious metal object standing freely in the Utah desert — and just days after it disappeared — a similar monolith has been reported nearly halfway around the world .
Residents in the Romanian city of Piatra Neamț say they have found another odd item that could have been ripped from the set of 2001 : A Space Odyssey .
The local newspaper reports that the monolith , like the one discovered in Utah , is about 10 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a dimly reflective metal .
It was reportedly found standing on the Bâtca Doamnei plateau , near an archaeological site overlooking the city .
Jurnal FM , a local radio station , recorded video of the purported object , revealing an eye-aching sheen and looped markings along its surface .
Andrei Carabelea , mayor of Piatra Neamț , appears to be taking the news in stride .
`` There is no reason to panic for those who think there is still life in the universe , '' Carabelea quipped , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement was posted to Facebook after the discovery surfaced Friday .
`` My guess is that some alien , cheeky and terrible teenagers left home with their parents ' UFO and started planting metal monoliths around the world .
First in Utah and then at Piatra Neamt , '' he added .
`` I am honored that they chose our city . ''
The monolith in Utah disappeared less than 10 days after officers from the state 's Department of Public Safety first spotted it .
Authorities professed their utter confusion at its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They were no less confused by its sudden disappearance overnight Friday .
An adventure photographer said that he spotted four men dismantling the structure , according to The New York Times .
All that was left of the structure Saturday morning was `` a triangular metal piece that used to be on top and a hole where the base of the tower stood , '' according to The Salt Lake Tribune .
The Bureau of Land Management denied moving the structure .
As for the monolith in Romania , Carabelea said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he would not be upset if the newfound mystery happened to attract tourists to his city .
`` Beyond the conspiracy theories that can be tempting , '' he added , `` I 'd like to see this randomness as further proof that our city is special .
For the earthlings and ( maybe ) not only . ''

Another Mysterious Monolith Suddenly Appears — This Time In Romania
Cue the X-Files theme, folks. The monolith mystery has deepened.
Less than two weeks after authorities stumbled across a mysterious metal object standing freely in the Utah desert — and just days after it disappeared — a similar monolith has been reported nearly halfway around the world. Residents in the Romanian city of Piatra Neamt say they have found another odd item that could have been ripped from the set of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The local newspaper reports that the monolith, like the one discovered in Utah, is about 10 to 12 feet tall and apparently composed entirely of a dimly reflective metal. It was reportedly found standing on the Bâtca Doamnei plateau, near an archaeological site overlooking the city. Jurnal FM, a local radio station, recorded video of the purported object, revealing an eye-aching sheen and looped markings along its surface.
Andrei Carabelea, mayor of Piatra Neamt, appears to be taking the news in stride.
"There is no reason to panic for those who think there is still life in the universe," Carabelea quipped, according to a translation by The Independent. The statement was posted to Facebook after the discovery surfaced Friday.
"My guess is that some alien, cheeky and terrible teenagers left home with their parents' UFO and started planting metal monoliths around the world. First in Utah and then at Piatra Neamt," he added. "I am honored that they chose our city."
The monolith in Utah disappeared less than 10 days after officers from the state's Department of Public Safety first spotted it. Authorities professed their utter confusion at its presence in Utah's Red Rock Country.
They were no less confused by its sudden disappearance overnight Friday. An adventure photographer said that he spotted four men dismantling the structure, according to The New York Times.
All that was left of the structure Saturday morning was "a triangular metal piece that used to be on top and a hole where the base of the tower stood," according to The Salt Lake Tribune. The Bureau of Land Management denied moving the structure.
As for the monolith in Romania, Carabelea said that while he had no answers himself, he would not be upset if the newfound mystery happened to attract tourists to his city.
"Beyond the conspiracy theories that can be tempting," he added, "I'd like to see this randomness as further proof that our city is special. For the earthlings and (maybe) not only."


npr--2020-12-01--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--2020-12-01--Coronavirus Is Surging: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Is Surging : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 13 million people in the U.S. have had confirmed coronavirus infections and more than 250,000 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--2020-12-01--Assailants Attack City In Southern Brazil In Series Of Brazen Early Morning Heists

Assailants Attack City In Southern Brazil In Series Of Brazen Early Morning Heists An armed gang launched an early morning attack on a southern Brazilian city Tuesday .
The group methodically set up road blocks before going on a bank robbing and hostage-taking spree that ended in a gunfight with police .
The men attacked the Southern Brazilian city of Criciúma , located more than 800 miles south of Rio de Janeiro , and robbed several banks early Tuesday morning .
Two people , one a police officer , were injured during the siege .
Several people , identified as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hostage by the robbers and forced to act as human shields between the assailants and police .
They were later released unharmed , according to Criciúma Mayor Clésio Salvaro , who spoke to Brazil 's Globo News .
Salvaro posted on Twitter just after 2:30 a.m. local time saying , `` Criciúma is the target of a major assault . ''
He urged residents to stay home .
The skirmish in the normally tranquil city started around midnight local time .
The assailants armed with guns and explosives cruised into Criciúma in several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streets .
They also reportedly set fire to vehicles along the tunnel into the city from the main highway to prevent law enforcement from bringing in assistance from nearby towns .
Over the course of two hours , they attacked four banks , blowing up the cash machines in each one , according to news reports .
Videos shared on social media showed deserted city streets with the sound of gunfire going off in the distance .
In one video , what appears to be the six municipal workers can be seen sitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gunfire continues to go off around them .
Other videos showed what looked like cash littering the city streets with locals collecting the bills .
Globo News reports that at least four people were caught grabbing money from the streets were detained by police .
Roughly $ 150,000 was reportedly recovered .
The robbers appear to have evaded capture .
Salvaro told reporters it 's the city 's policy not to shoot back at attackers out of concern for the safety of the general public .
Criciúma , a city of around 133,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ceramic and tile industries .
Bank robberies are not a rare occurrence in Brazil , a country that has among the highest crime rates in the world .
A similar , coordinated attack to Tuesday 's Criciúma incident took place in Sao Paulo last year .
Two dozen robbers in that case attempted to blow up several ATM machines .
Eleven assailants were subsequently killed by police , according to Reuters .
NPR 's Philip Reeves in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report .

Assailants Attack City In Southern Brazil In Series Of Brazen Early Morning Heists
An armed gang launched an early morning attack on a southern Brazilian city Tuesday. The group methodically set up road blocks before going on a bank robbing and hostage-taking spree that ended in a gunfight with police.
The men attacked the Southern Brazilian city of Criciúma, located more than 800 miles south of Rio de Janeiro, and robbed several banks early Tuesday morning. Two people, one a police officer, were injured during the siege.
Several people, identified as municipal workers painting crosswalks, were taken hostage by the robbers and forced to act as human shields between the assailants and police. They were later released unharmed, according to Criciúma Mayor Clésio Salvaro, who spoke to Brazil's Globo News.
Salvaro posted on Twitter just after 2:30 a.m. local time saying, "Criciúma is the target of a major assault." He urged residents to stay home.
The skirmish in the normally tranquil city started around midnight local time. The assailants armed with guns and explosives cruised into Criciúma in several vehicles and preceded to blockade several streets. They also reportedly set fire to vehicles along the tunnel into the city from the main highway to prevent law enforcement from bringing in assistance from nearby towns. Over the course of two hours, they attacked four banks, blowing up the cash machines in each one, according to news reports.
Videos shared on social media showed deserted city streets with the sound of gunfire going off in the distance. In one video, what appears to be the six municipal workers can be seen sitting side by side on the city's crosswalk as gunfire goes off around them. Other videos showed what looked like cash littering the city streets with locals collecting the bills.
Globo News reports that at least four people were caught grabbing money from the streets were detained by police. Roughly $150,000 was reportedly recovered.
The robbers appear to have evaded capture. Salvaro told reporters it's the city's policy not to shoot back at attackers out of concern for the safety of the general public.
Criciúma, a city of around 133,000, is best known for its coal and ceramic and tile industries.
Bank robberies are not a rare occurrence in Brazil, a country that has among the highest crime rates in the world. A similar, coordinated attack to Tuesday's Criciúma incident took place in Sao Paulo last year. Two dozen robbers in that case attempted to blow up several ATMs. Eleven assailants were subsequently killed by police, according to Reuters.
NPR's Philip Reeves in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report.


npr--2020-12-01--What Joe Biden's Election Means For Abortion Rights

Like many abortion rights opponents , Tom McClusky is feeling good about battles won under President Trump during his four years in office .
`` He has probably done more pro-life things than many Republicans who have had two terms , '' McClusky said .
McClusky , vice president of government affairs at the March for Life , points to Trump 's reinstatement and expansion of the Mexico City policy , which forbids foreign aid groups who provide or refer patients for abortion from receiving U.S. funds , and similar rules for domestic family planning providers who receive funds through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same Trump administration policies are a top target for abortion rights supporters , who want President-elect Joe Biden to immediately reverse what they call `` gag rules . ''
`` The harm that has been done by the Trump administration — the harm that has impacted a lot of low-income and rural communities around access to basic family planning services — has been horrific , '' said Alexis McGill Johnson , the President of Planned Parenthood .
Trump 's policies have prompted many providers to leave the federal Title X program , reducing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half , according to an analysis by the Guttmacher Institute , which supports abortion rights .
Gretchen Borchelt , of the National Women 's Law Center , said Biden will take office at a `` crisis moment '' for abortion access to abortion .
Borchelt said that 's not solely attributable to Trump ; it 's the culmination of decades of effort by groups who 've worked to restrict the procedure at the state level .
`` And so we need this [ Biden ] administration to recognize that crisis and take steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration did , which was add more and more restrictions , but actually to move us forward and get us to a better place than we have been , '' Borchelt said .
Borchelt said she also hopes to see Biden support robust funding for reproductive health and agencies that support those services .
She 'd also like Biden to work to reverse the Hyde Amendment , which prohibits federal funding for most abortions - a goal that would require help from Congress .
Meanwhile , Carol Tobias of the National Right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fearful of what Biden 's inauguration will mean .
`` I think it will be a dark day in history for unborn children , '' Tobias said .
Tobias said activists will continue working at all levels of government to pass abortion restrictions , including laws aimed directly at challenging Roe v. Wade , the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide .
`` We 've had it for almost 50 years .
There are legislators who want to be the sponsor of the bill that goes before the Supreme Court that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
McClusky , with the March for Life , said abortion rights opponents are feeling optimistic , with three of Trump 's conservative nominees now sitting on the high court – most recently , Justice Amy Coney Barrett , whose nomination was quickly pushed through by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell just before the election .
`` It 's not just the Supreme Court justices , '' McClusky said .
`` They 've put in some fantastic – a couple of hundred circuit court judges as well all . ''
Polls indicate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision , which guaranteed the right to an abortion but allowed states to increasingly limit the procedure as a pregnancy progresses .
Later rulings , like Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992 , gave states more room to regulate abortion under certain conditions .
Given the uncertainty around abortion rights in the courts , Biden campaigned on a proposal to codify Roe in federal law .
Mary Ziegler , a law professor at Florida State University , said it 's unclear what exactly such legislation would do .
`` We do n't really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other than the common denominator that there 's a right to abortion and you ca n't ban abortion .
But beyond that , who knows what he 's talking about , '' Ziegler said .
Biden also would need cooperation from Congress — unlikely if Republicans maintain control of the Senate .
And with an increasingly conservative judiciary , there may be little Biden can do as president to stave off a wave of abortion restrictions in red states .

What Joe Biden's Election Means For Abortion Rights
Enlarge this image toggle caption Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images
Like many abortion rights opponents, Tom McClusky is feeling good about battles won under President Trump during his four years in office.
"He has probably done more pro-life things than many Republicans who have had two terms," McClusky said.
McClusky, vice president of government affairs at the March for Life, points to Trump's reinstatement and expansion of the Mexico City policy, which forbids foreign aid groups who provide or refer patients for abortion from receiving U.S. funds, and similar rules for domestic family planning providers who receive funds through the federal Title X program.
A push to reverse Trump's executive actions
Those same Trump administration policies are a top target for abortion rights supporters, who want President-elect Joe Biden to immediately reverse what they call "gag rules."
"The harm that has been done by the Trump administration — the harm that has impacted a lot of low-income and rural communities around access to basic family planning services — has been horrific," said Alexis McGill Johnson, the president of Planned Parenthood.
Trump's policies have prompted many providers to leave the federal Title X program, reducing the availability of services provided almost by half, according to an analysis by the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights.
A history that long predates Trump
Gretchen Borchelt, of the National Women's Law Center, said Biden will take office at a "crisis moment" for abortion access. Borchelt said that's not solely attributable to Trump; it's the culmination of decades of effort by groups who've worked to restrict the procedure at the state level.
"And so we need this [Biden] administration to recognize that crisis and take steps not only to undo what the Trump administration did, which was add more and more restrictions, but actually to move us forward and get us to a better place than we have been," Borchelt said.
Borchelt said she also hopes to see Biden support robust funding for reproductive health and agencies that support those services. She'd also like Biden to work to reverse the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding for most abortions — a goal that would require help from Congress.
Meanwhile, Carol Tobias of the National Right to Life Committee said anti-abortion rights groups are fearful of what Biden's inauguration will mean.
"I think it will be a dark day in history for unborn children," Tobias said.
Battles in the courts, legislatures
Tobias said activists will continue working at all levels of government to pass abortion restrictions, including laws aimed directly at challenging Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
"We've had it for almost 50 years. There are legislators who want to be the sponsor of the bill that goes before the Supreme Court that overturns Roe v. Wade," Tobias said.
McClusky, with the March for Life, said abortion rights opponents are feeling optimistic, with three of Trump's conservative nominees now sitting on the high court — most recently, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, whose nomination was quickly pushed through by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell just before the election.
"It's not just the Supreme Court justices," McClusky said. "They've put in some fantastic — a couple of hundred circuit court judges as well all."
Polls indicate a majority of Americans support the Roe decision, which guaranteed the right to an abortion but allowed states to increasingly limit the procedure as a pregnancy progresses. Later rulings, like Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992, gave states more room to regulate abortion under certain conditions.
Codify Roe?
Given the uncertainty around abortion rights in the courts, Biden campaigned on a proposal to codify Roe in federal law.
Mary Ziegler, a law professor at Florida State University, said it's unclear what exactly such legislation would do.
"We don't really know what he means by that, other than the common denominator that there's a right to abortion and you can't ban abortion. But beyond that, who knows what he's talking about," Ziegler said.
Biden also would need cooperation from Congress — unlikely if Republicans maintain control of the Senate. And with an increasingly conservative judiciary, there may be little Biden can do as president to stave off a wave of abortion restrictions in red states.


npr--2020-12-01--Some Health Care Workers Are Wary Of Getting COVID-19 Vaccines

Some Health Care Workers Are Wary Of Getting COVID-19 Vaccines Health care workers are expected to be first in line to be offered a COVID-19 vaccine when one is available .
It makes sense : Getting a safe , effective vaccine would help keep them and their patients healthy .
Seeing doctors , nurses and medical aides getting COVID-19 vaccines would also set an example for the community .
But the speed of COVID-19 vaccine development , along with concerns about political interference with the process , has left some health care workers on the fence about COVID-19 vaccines .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns and anxiety about getting COVID-19 vaccines that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says addressing hesitancy in this group is a top priority .
A CDC survey , shared at a public meeting of its vaccine advisory committee on Nov. 23 , found that 63 % of health care workers polled in recent months said they would get a COVID-19 vaccine .
`` I 'm really hesitant about it , '' says Kida Thompson , a family physician in El Paso , Texas .
Her city is in the middle of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believes that the broad adoption of a safe , effective COVID-19 vaccine will be key to ending the pandemic .
But she 's not 100 % ready to get one herself .
`` For the ones of us who are asking questions , there 's just a lot of questions , '' she says .
Thompson is a big fan of vaccines in general .
`` The flu vaccine has been around for a while , its efficacy has been proven , the side effects have been proven , and they are usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 vaccine is entirely new .
Previous vaccines have taken years to develop ; this one came together in months .
And the government 's messaging around the vaccine — that it 's the instant solution to the plague of 2020 , and that it will be free for everyone — just sounds a little too good to be true , Thompson says .
`` Fast and free just does n't equate , '' she says .
`` This whole thing has been politicized from Day 1 , and there 's a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her skeptical .
It 's not a population that public health experts initially thought would need much convincing , says Anuj Mehta , a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health in Denver and chair of Colorado 's COVID-19 vaccine allocation committee .
But reports of the Trump administration exerting political pressure on science agencies , along with claims that a COVID-19 vaccine could be available before the Nov. 3 election ( it did n't happen ) , contributed to concerns that harmful shortcuts might have been taken with COVID-19 vaccines .
Mehta says the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on its own , cause for concern .
`` The speed is not because people were cutting corners , but because of the urgency and the number of people working together on it , '' he says .
Vaccine development processes such as running clinical trials , evaluating data and building manufacturing plants , which typically happen one after another , were instead overlapped .
And now that the election has passed , concerns over political interference in the vaccine will likely subside , Mehta says .
Giving COVID-19 vaccines to health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We want to be sure our health care workers are safe so they can protect their patients from disease , and that they can be protected and do their work , '' says Yvonne Maldonado , a pediatrician at Stanford 's Lucile Packard Children 's Hospital and a vaccine hesitancy researcher .
However , policies pushed earlier in the pandemic seeded doubts among health care workers about whether their health and safety were consistently prioritized .
`` This is the same population that was told earlier this year that they should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or a scarf , '' says Michelle Mahon , a registered nurse who represents National Nurses United , a union with more than 150,000 members across the country .
Some health care workers have voiced concerns about safety and potential side effects from COVID-19 vaccines .
They want to see clear data on safety and efficacy before they sign on to get a new vaccine , Mahon says .
`` It 's a minority of people that are saying absolutely no way [ to getting a COVID-19 vaccine ] , '' says Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a liaison to the CDC 's federal vaccine advisory committee .
`` I think the majority of people really just want to know more . ''
Thompson reads medical journals and follows vaccine news closely , and she says a lot of facts just are n't available yet .
`` I would legitimately still need convincing , '' she says .
But she says she can be swayed .
There have been calls by health care experts for the drug companies to release vaccine trial data publicly , and if they do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to judge for herself whether a vaccine is safe .
If her friends who are doctors choose to get the vaccine , that could convince her , too .
And , even though Thompson has grown wary of government officials , she does believe in the integrity of at least one top infectious disease expert : Dr. Anthony Fauci , a career scientist who has become known for resisting President Trump 's rosy takes on the pandemic response .
`` I trust what [ Fauci ] says , '' she says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to actually stand on his own 2 feet during this whole thing without being swayed . ''
That 's what Thompson is trying to do , too .
She 's going to look at the facts and make up her own mind .
Once she 's convinced , she 'll be able to make the case to her patients .
She 's already been telling them to wear masks nonstop .

Some Health Care Workers Are Wary Of Getting COVID-19 Vaccines
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mario Tama/Getty Images Mario Tama/Getty Images
Health care workers are expected to be first in line to be offered a COVID-19 vaccine when one is available.
It makes sense: Getting a safe, effective vaccine would help keep them and their patients healthy. Seeing doctors, nurses and medical aides getting COVID-19 vaccines would also set an example for the community.
But the speed of COVID-19 vaccine development, along with concerns about political interference with the process, has left some health care workers on the fence about COVID-19 vaccines.
So many health care workers are expressing concerns and anxiety about getting COVID-19 vaccines that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says addressing hesitancy in this group is a top priority. A CDC survey, shared at a public meeting of its vaccine advisory committee on Nov. 23, found that 63% of health care workers polled in recent months said they would get a COVID-19 vaccine.
"I'm really hesitant about it," says Kida Thompson, a family physician in El Paso, Texas. Her city is in the middle of a huge COVID-19 surge, and she believes that the broad adoption of a safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine will be key to ending the pandemic. But she's not 100% ready to get one herself. "For the ones of us who are asking questions, there's just a lot of questions," she says.
Thompson is a big fan of vaccines in general. "The flu vaccine has been around for a while, its efficacy has been proven, the side effects have been proven, and they are usually minimal," she says.
But the COVID-19 vaccine is entirely new. Previous vaccines have taken years to develop; this one came together in months.
And the government's messaging around the vaccine — that it's the instant solution to the plague of 2020, and that it will be free for everyone — just sounds a little too good to be true, Thompson says. "Fast and free just doesn't equate," she says. "This whole thing has been politicized from Day 1, and there's a salesmanship going into it" that makes her skeptical.
It's not a population that public health experts initially thought would need much convincing, says Anuj Mehta, a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health in Denver and chair of Colorado's COVID-19 vaccine allocation committee.
But reports of the Trump administration exerting political pressure on science agencies, along with claims that a COVID-19 vaccine could be available before the Nov. 3 election (it didn't happen), contributed to concerns that harmful shortcuts might have been taken with COVID-19 vaccines.
Mehta says the fast vaccine development timeline is not, on its own, cause for concern. "The speed is not because people were cutting corners, but because of the urgency and the number of people working together on it," he says.
Vaccine development processes such as running clinical trials, evaluating data and building manufacturing plants, which typically happen one after another, were instead overlapped. And now that the election has passed, concerns over political interference in the vaccine will likely subside, Mehta says.
Giving COVID-19 vaccines to health care workers is intended to keep them healthy. "We want to be sure our health care workers are safe so they can protect their patients from disease, and that they can be protected and do their work," says Yvonne Maldonado, a pediatrician at Stanford's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and a vaccine hesitancy researcher.
However, policies pushed earlier in the pandemic seeded doubts among health care workers about whether their health and safety were consistently prioritized. "This is the same population that was told earlier this year that they should just go battle COVID-19 wearing a bandanna or a scarf," says Michelle Mahon, a registered nurse who represents National Nurses United, a union with more than 150,000 members across the country.
Some health care workers have voiced concerns about safety and potential side effects from COVID-19 vaccines. They want to see clear data on safety and efficacy before they sign on to get a new vaccine, Mahon says.
"It's a minority of people that are saying absolutely no way [to getting a COVID-19 vaccine]," says Dr. Marci Drees, hospital epidemiologist for ChristianaCare and a liaison to the CDC's federal vaccine advisory committee. "I think the majority of people really just want to know more."
Thompson reads medical journals and follows vaccine news closely, and she says a lot of facts just aren't available yet. "I would legitimately still need convincing," she says.
But she says she can be swayed. There have been calls by health care experts for the drug companies to release vaccine trial data publicly, and if they do, Thompson says then she'll be able to judge for herself whether a vaccine is safe. If her friends who are doctors choose to get the vaccine, that could convince her, too.
And, even though Thompson has grown wary of government officials, she does believe in the integrity of at least one top infectious disease expert: Dr. Anthony Fauci, a career scientist who has become known for resisting President Trump's rosy takes on the pandemic response.
"I trust what [Fauci] says," she says. "He's shown that he's able to actually stand on his own 2 feet during this whole thing without being swayed."
That's what Thompson is trying to do, too. She's going to look at the facts and make up her own mind. Once she's convinced, she'll be able to make the case to her patients. She's already been telling them to wear masks nonstop.


npr--2020-12-01--Biden's Coalition Was United In Beating Trump. Governing May Reveal Its Cracks

Biden 's Coalition Was United In Beating Trump .
Governing May Reveal Its Cracks Joe Biden won the presidency by stitching together a broad coalition of voters — Black and white , from young progressives to former Republicans , and across cities and suburbs — united by a singular mission to defeat President Trump .
But once Biden takes office , and without Trump as an adversary , a key test for Biden 's presidency will be how he prevents the broad coalition that got him into the White House from splintering once he begins governing .
Progressive activists insist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Arizona or Georgia without their support .
`` Without organizations like LUCHA in Arizona or New Georgia Project in Georgia ... the Democratic Party does not win these states , '' said Ana Maria Archila , the co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy .
`` Because they made a contribution that the party usually does n't make . ''
She said grassroots organizations had been working for years in communities of color that political parties have often overlooked .
But moderate Democrats say it was suburbanites , more than progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key to Biden 's victory .
They point specifically to the president-elect 's margins around Atlanta , Philadelphia , Detroit and Milwaukee .
And while Biden appears to have done better with white voters and seniors than fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton did four years ago , his victory also depended on lopsided support from young voters and voters of color .
In reality , Biden 's victory was multifaceted , and without support from multiple groups he likely would have fallen short .
`` I think every time someone wins , everyone takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior vice president at the center-left think tank Third Way .
`` Based on the vote margins , I think you could say any group was the decisive group in the election . ''
Still , any unity that progressives and moderates had shown in their commitment to defeating Trump quickly dissipated in large measure after election results rolled in showing Democrats had suffered a spate of losses in Congress .
Even though Biden won the presidency , Democrats lost seats in the House , and Republicans held on to key seats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some Democrats starting pointing fingers , blaming what they called socialist rhetoric or slogans like `` Defund the Police . ''
Already , Democrats have begun offering competing diagnoses for their problems and competing solutions for the way Biden ought to govern at the outset of his term .
`` We have worked with the Biden administration to secure commitment on a $ 2 trillion climate plan , '' Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. , told fellow climate activists in November outside Democratic Party headquarters in Washington , D.C. , referring to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the campaign .
`` We 're not gon na stop with a piece of paper — that 's not what 's going to happen .
We 're not gon na forget about that agreement for the sake of an election , are we ?
What we 're going to do is we 're going to organize and demand that this administration ... keep their promise . ''
Likewise , Archila says she expects to see Biden keep his word on immigration , even if that requires efforts exclusively through executive actions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite their lifetime of experience of not having their lives fundamentally improve [ through politics ] , the party needs to be able to demonstrate that they 're willing to fight for them , '' she said .
But other Biden backers think he needs to focus more on tone than policy — to work on bringing both sides of the aisle together and restore civility .
`` I think the president-elect needs to continue governing like he ran his campaign , and that is one of unifying America , '' said John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bush 's administration who supported Biden this year .
But the question remains : How can Biden unify America if his party is divided ?
`` We are in the middle of a struggle for what the Democratic Party should be about , '' Archila said .
Despite the public hand-wringing , Democratic pollster and political strategist Stan Greenberg says one consequence of the erosion of the party 's seats in Congress is that most Democrats on Capitol Hill understand that if they want to accomplish anything legislatively , they 'll have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 're gon na have to be united if they 're gon na have an economic relief package , if they 're going to expand health care , so I 'm just not sure that in the first two years that Democrats will be as divided as we might think , '' he said .
`` Had they had the landslide that we thought they were going to have , it might be different . ''
The strange twist is that by losing seats , Greenberg believes in the short run Democrats are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ squabbles for a few years .
Erickson with Third Way also thinks some of the intra-Democratic debates might be on hold because of the urgency in handling the coronavirus pandemic .
`` Just as Donald Trump was a concentrating factor for Democrats , so is the pandemic , '' she said .
`` Right now if we had no crises on our hands and we were walking into the White House ... there would be a lot of fights about what priority No .
1 , 2 and 3 should be .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 , 2 and 3 for every Democrat is addressing the pandemic . ''
Once the pandemic subsides , though , the voices clamoring for Biden 's attention will likely grow louder , and more fractured .

Biden's Coalition Was United In Beating Trump. Governing May Reveal Its Cracks
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
Joe Biden won the presidency by stitching together a broad coalition of voters — Black and white, from young progressives to former Republicans, and across cities and suburbs — united by a singular mission to defeat President Trump.
But once Biden takes office, and without Trump as an adversary, a key test for Biden's presidency will be how he prevents the broad coalition that got him into the White House from splintering once he begins governing.
Staking a claim to the win
Progressive activists insist Biden would not have won swing states like Arizona or Georgia without their support.
"Without organizations like LUCHA in Arizona or New Georgia Project in Georgia ... the Democratic Party does not win these states," said Ana Maria Archila, the co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy. "Because they made a contribution that the party usually doesn't make."
She said grassroots organizations had been working for years in communities of color that political parties have often overlooked.
But moderate Democrats say it was suburbanites, more than progressive young voters in cities, who were key to Biden's victory. They point specifically to the president-elect's margins around Atlanta, Philadelphia, Detroit and Milwaukee.
And while Biden appears to have done better with white voters and seniors than fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton did four years ago, his victory also depended on lopsided support from young voters and voters of color.
In reality, Biden's victory was multifaceted, and without support from multiple groups he likely would have fallen short.
"I think every time someone wins, everyone takes credit," said Lanae Erickson, a senior vice president at the center-left think tank Third Way. "Based on the vote margins, I think you could say any group was the decisive group in the election."
Divergent goals
Still, any unity that progressives and moderates had shown in their commitment to defeating Trump quickly dissipated in large measure after election results rolled in showing Democrats had suffered a spate of losses in Congress. Even though Biden won the presidency, Democrats lost seats in the House, and Republicans held on to key seats in the Senate. Almost immediately, some Democrats starting pointing fingers, blaming what they called socialist rhetoric or slogans like "Defund the Police."
Already, Democrats have begun offering competing diagnoses for their problems and competing solutions for the way Biden ought to govern at the outset of his term.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images
"We have worked with the Biden administration to secure commitment on a $2 trillion climate plan," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., told fellow climate activists in November outside Democratic Party headquarters in Washington, D.C., referring to a massive green infrastructure plan that Biden announced during the campaign. "We're not gonna stop with a piece of paper — that's not what's going to happen. We're not gonna forget about that agreement for the sake of an election, are we? What we're going to do is we're going to organize and demand that this administration ... keep their promise."
Likewise, Archila says she expects to see Biden keep his word on immigration, even if that requires efforts exclusively through executive actions.
"People who turned out, who despite their lifetime of experience of not having their lives fundamentally improve [through politics], the party needs to be able to demonstrate that they're willing to fight for them," she said.
But other Biden backers think he needs to focus more on tone than policy — to work on bringing both sides of the aisle together and restore civility.
"I think the president-elect needs to continue governing like he ran his campaign, and that is one of unifying America," said John Farner, an alum of George W. Bush's administration who supported Biden this year.
Unity out of necessity
But the question remains: How can Biden unify America if his party is divided?
"We are in the middle of a struggle for what the Democratic Party should be about," Archila said.
Despite the public hand-wringing, Democratic pollster and political strategist Stan Greenberg says one consequence of the erosion of the party's seats in Congress is that most Democrats on Capitol Hill understand that if they want to accomplish anything legislatively, they'll have to stick together.
"They know that they're gonna have to be united if they're gonna have an economic relief package, if they're going to expand health care, so I'm just not sure that in the first two years that Democrats will be as divided as we might think," he said. "Had they had the landslide that we thought they were going to have, it might be different."
The strange twist is that by losing seats, Greenberg believes in the short run Democrats are forced to delay some of their intraparty squabbles for a few years.
Erickson with Third Way also thinks some of the intra-Democratic debates might be on hold because of the urgency in handling the coronavirus pandemic.
"Just as Donald Trump was a concentrating factor for Democrats, so is the pandemic," she said. "Right now if we had no crises on our hands and we were walking into the White House ... there would be a lot of fights about what priority No. 1, 2 and 3 should be. But at this point, priority No. 1, 2 and 3 for every Democrat is addressing the pandemic."
Once the pandemic subsides, though, the voices clamoring for Biden's attention will likely grow louder, and more fractured.


npr--2020-12-01--Fired Official Says Correcting Trump's Fraud Claims The 'Right Thing To Do'

Fired Official Says Correcting Trump 's Fraud Claims The 'Right Thing To Do' Christopher Krebs , who led the federal government 's efforts to secure the 2020 election , was fired by President Trump last month for saying the election went smoothly and with no signs of cheating or interference .
In reflecting on whether that was the right decision , considering how such a statement would contradict Trump 's baseless claims of fraud and hacking , Krebs told NPR he has no regrets .
`` It was the right thing to do in the name of democracy , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep .
Krebs , a self-described `` lifelong Republican , '' has become something of a symbol for government officials who see their work as nonpartisan even as politicians try to paint them otherwise .
As the inaugural head of the Department of Homeland Security 's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , Krebs led an effort to improve communication between state and local election jurisdictions about threat activity and election security best practices .
The 2016 election , and the Russian attack on it , laid bare how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the many thousands of election officials across the country .
Krebs saw the 2020 election as the culmination of 3 1/2 years of hard work to change that .
`` This was a secure election , '' Krebs said .
`` That is a success story .
That is something everyone in the administration should be proud of .
That 's the story I feel we should be telling now . ''
Instead , Krebs ' former agency has spent much of the past few weeks batting down baseless claims by the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the vote .
Earlier this year , CISA launched a website dubbed Rumor Control , aimed at debunking election disinformation spreading on social media .
And while Krebs said the site was not aimed at any one source , he said that after the election , the president 's campaign became a major spreader of bad information .
`` We certainly saw throughout that a number of people associated with the campaign , were pushing certain narratives that we fundamentally knew to be false , '' Krebs said , while listing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has tweeted .
`` We knew that it was important to get this information out there . ''
The totality of that information ultimately led to his firing by Trump , in a tweet on Nov. 17 .
The president pointed to a statement that Krebs ' agency put out , alongside a number of other government organizations , which called 2020 `` the most secure election in American history . ''
Going forward , Krebs said he is most worried about how misinformation about elections has `` seeped into the mainstream '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's confidence in results .
`` We 're in a very dangerous spot right now , '' he said .
`` Continuing to push narratives that call into question , without evidence that I 've seen , about the systems , about the machines , about the public servants involved in elections : That 's not just damaging to the psyche of the American voter , it 's also doing a serious disservice to the many election officials out there who , above all else , are upholding one of our most cherished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easiest ways government can improve people 's opinions of voting , he added , is to invest more resources and money into election administration .
`` We have to restore confidence in democracy , '' he said .
`` To me , one of the best and simplest ways to do that is to invest in democracy . ''

Fired Official Says Correcting Trump's Fraud Claims The 'Right Thing To Do'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Carolyn Kaster/AP Carolyn Kaster/AP
Christopher Krebs, who led the federal government's efforts to secure the 2020 election, was fired by President Trump last month for saying the election went smoothly and with no signs of cheating or interference.
In reflecting on whether that was the right decision, considering how such a statement would contradict Trump's baseless claims of fraud and hacking, Krebs told NPR he has no regrets.
"It was the right thing to do in the name of democracy," Krebs said in an interview with NPR's Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep.
Krebs, a self-described "lifelong Republican," has become something of a symbol for government officials who see their work as nonpartisan even as politicians try to paint them otherwise.
As the inaugural head of the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Krebs led an effort to improve communication between state and local election jurisdictions about threat activity and election security best practices.
The 2016 election, and the Russian attack on it, laid bare how little of that communication was happening between the many thousands of election officials across the country.
Krebs saw the 2020 election as the culmination of 3 1/2 years of hard work to change that.
"This was a secure election," Krebs said. "That is a success story. That is something everyone in the administration should be proud of. That's the story I feel we should be telling now."
Instead, Krebs' former agency has spent much of the past few weeks batting down baseless claims by the president and his legal team about the security of the vote.
Earlier this year, CISA launched a website dubbed Rumor Control, aimed at debunking election disinformation spreading on social media. And while Krebs said the site was not aimed at any one source, he said that after the election, the president's campaign became a major spreader of bad information.
"We certainly saw throughout that a number of people associated with the campaign, were pushing certain narratives that we fundamentally knew to be false," Krebs said, while listing a number of claims about which Trump himself has tweeted. "We knew that it was important to get this information out there."
The totality of that information ultimately led to his firing by Trump, in a tweet on Nov. 17. The president pointed to a statement that Krebs' agency put out, alongside a number of other government organizations, which called 2020 "the most secure election in American history."
Going forward, Krebs said he is most worried about how misinformation about elections has "seeped into the mainstream" and what that will mean for people's confidence in results.
"We're in a very dangerous spot right now," he said. "Continuing to push narratives that call into question, without evidence that I've seen, about the systems, about the machines, about the public servants involved in elections: That's not just damaging to the psyche of the American voter, it's also doing a serious disservice to the many election officials out there who, above all else, are upholding one of our most cherished public institutions."
One of the easiest ways government can improve people's opinions of voting, he added, is to invest more resources and money into election administration.
"We have to restore confidence in democracy," he said. "To me, one of the best and simplest ways to do that is to invest in democracy."