npr--2020-11-08--Indian-Americans Celebrate Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris

After Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris paid tribute to her mother , Shyamala Gopalan Harris , an Indian immigrant , in her victory speech Saturday night , Twitter erupted in celebration of Indian moms .
One Twitter user posted a video of his own mother , dancing to Indian music .
`` Thinking about Shyamala and all the Indian moms out there feeling the emotions my mom is feeling right now ; to vote for , and elect , someone who was raised around the same food , the same discipline , the same culture , '' read the tweet from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the first Black , and first female , vice president .
She 's also the first Indian American and the first Asian American elected to the office .
Her late mother was born in India and immigrated as a teenager to California , where Harris was born .
Some Indian-Americans are calling Harris ' election an early Diwali present .
The Indian festival of lights begins this weekend .
Along with Harris ' victory , all four other Indian-American Democrats in Congress were re-elected this past week .
( Though another Indian-American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Texas . )
Together with Harris , who served in the U.S. Senate , they have been dubbed by some Indian media as the `` Samosa Caucus '' — after the popular Indian snack .
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi , an Indian-born Democrat from Illinois , called Harris ' election `` a transformative , meaningful moment for our country . ''
`` I 'm very grateful that my children will see Kamala Harris , along with Joe Biden , as a role model when she enters office , '' Krishnamoorthi said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters , the U.S.-India Business Council congratulated Harris and President-Elect Biden , calling their victory `` truly a barrier breaking moment , and one that celebrates the diversity of America . ''
The U.S. India Political Action Committee on Sunday called Harris ' election `` one of the most inspirational days for young girls everywhere , especially Black and Indian girls .
A victory for decency , class , truth , maturity and unity . ''
The Washington-based Hindu American Foundation also issued a statement noting Harris ' South Asian background , congratulating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work with their administration .
Despite President Trump 's friendship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi , surveys done before the election showed Indian-Americans overwhelmingly planned to vote for Biden and Harris .

Indian Americans Celebrate Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
After Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris paid tribute to her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, an Indian immigrant, in her victory speech Saturday night, Twitter erupted in celebration of Indian moms.
One Twitter user posted a video of his own mother, dancing to Indian music.
"Thinking about Shyamala and all the Indian moms out there feeling the emotions my mom is feeling right now; to vote for, and elect, someone who was raised around the same food, the same discipline, the same culture," read the tweet from Vibhor Mathur.
Harris will not only be the first Black, and first female, vice president. She's also the first Indian American and the first Asian American elected to the office. Her late mother was born in India and immigrated as a teenager to California, where Harris was born.
Some Indian Americans are calling Harris' election an early Diwali present. The Indian festival of lights begins this weekend.
Along with Harris' victory, all four other Indian American Democrats in Congress were re-elected this past week. (Though another Indian American lost his bid for a House seat in Texas.) Together with Harris, who served in the U.S. Senate, they have been dubbed by some Indian media as the "Samosa Caucus" — after the popular Indian snack.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Indian-born Democrat from Illinois, called Harris' election "a transformative, meaningful moment for our country."
"I'm very grateful that my children will see Kamala Harris, along with Joe Biden, as a role model when she enters office," Krishnamoorthi said in a statement.
In a statement emailed to reporters, the U.S.-India Business Council congratulated Harris and President-Elect Biden, calling their victory "truly a barrier breaking moment, and one that celebrates the diversity of America."
The U.S. India Political Action Committee on Sunday called Harris' election "one of the most inspirational days for young girls everywhere, especially Black and Indian girls. A victory for decency, class, truth, maturity and unity."
The Washington-based Hindu American Foundation also issued a statement noting Harris' South Asian background, congratulating her and Biden, and pledging to work with their administration.
Despite President Trump's friendship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, surveys done before the election showed Indian Americans overwhelmingly planned to vote for Biden and Harris.


npr--2020-11-08--HHS Released More Coronavirus Vaccine Contracts As Election Results Unfolded

While the country was focused on the outcome of the election Saturday , the Department of Health and Human Services released a trove of new Operation Warp Speed documents .
The newly released contracts include the crash program 's $ 1 billion agreement with Johnson & Johnson , which was issued through a third-party firm and lacks some customary protections against potential future price-gouging .
Operation Warp Speed , the Trump administration 's expensive push to make a coronavirus vaccine widely available in record time , has been slow to reveal details of its deals with vaccine manufacturers worth billions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , reveal weakened taxpayer protections .
`` HHS ' drip drip release strategy fails to meet the needs of the moment , '' says Zain Rizvi , a law and policy researcher at Public Citizen focused on pharmaceuticals .
`` Taxpayers have handed over billions of dollars in the dark . ''
An HHS spokesman issued the following statement to NPR : The newly released contracts were issued through a third party , Advanced Technology International , a fact NPR brought to light in September .
This arrangement concerned members of Congress and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would omit taxpayer protections that allow the government to `` march in '' if the manufacturer receiving federal funding fails to make its product or sets an unreasonable price .
They also feared the contracts to vaccine manufacturers would n't be subject to public records requests because they were issued by a third party , and the agency had so far not released them .
At least two nonprofits , including Public Citizen , have sued after their requests for the documents went unanswered for months .
Johnson & Johnson 's Aug. 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine does n't include the march-in rights that are typical planks in contracts for federally funded inventions .
Instead , the contract allows a much narrower window for the government to step in , excluding when COVID-19 stops being a public health emergency and becomes endemic , as is expected .
`` We all want a safe and effective vaccine as quickly as possible , '' says attorney Kathryn Ardizzone of Knowledge Ecology International , a nonprofit public interest group focused on intellectual property .
`` To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to compromise access and affordability . ''
But that 's what it seems to be doing , she says .
The data rights in the contract , which typically govern disclosure and sharing of key studies , cell lines and the know-how for making a product , are especially weak .
In the Johnson & Johnson contract , `` data '' explicitly excludes `` production/manufacturing know-how , trade secrets , clinical data . ''
`` That is a big issue limiting the government 's ability to enable another qualified company to manufacture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Ardizzone says .
This is the second contract issued through a third party to be made public .
Regeneron released its contract with Advanced Technology International on Nov. 5 , revealing similar terms .
HHS has n't yet released the Regeneron contract .
Advanced Technology International uses a nontraditional contracting mechanism known as an `` other transaction agreement '' to facilitate government work with several groups of academics and companies .
On Saturday , HHS released the government 's base agreement with the consortium it manages that has been doing work for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Medical CBRN Defense Consortium , which is tasked with developing medical countermeasures to threats against the military .
The base agreement dates back to April 2016 , and has been modified for new projects over the years .
To add Operation Warp Speed , the government modified the agreement , adding more money and contract terms .
HHS also released a new , more transparent version of its $ 1.5 billion contract with vaccine frontrunner Moderna .
The agency first posted the Moderna contract on Oct. 25 .
However , that version @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect trade secrets .
But the redactions included information that had previously been made public , such as the contract 's value .
Moderna released its own version of the contract on Oct. 30 in a quarterly financial filing , revealing much of the information the federal government concealed .
HHS took its redacted document down for about a day before replacing it with the more transparent version .
`` The fact that pharmaceutical corporations continue to provide more details about the deals to investors than HHS provides to the public is unacceptable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still working to obtain the remaining contracts .
You can contact NPR pharmaceuticals correspondent Sydney Lupkin at slupkin @ npr.org .

HHS Released More Coronavirus Vaccine Contracts As Election Results Unfolded
toggle caption Mark Wilson/Getty Images
While the country was focused on the outcome of the election Saturday, the Department of Health and Human Services released a trove of new Operation Warp Speed documents.
The newly released contracts include the crash program's $1 billion agreement with Johnson & Johnson, which was issued through a third-party firm and lacks some customary protections against potential future price-gouging.
Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration's expensive push to make a coronavirus vaccine widely available in record time, has been slow to reveal details of its deals with vaccine manufacturers worth billions of dollars. Those that have emerged, reveal weakened taxpayer protections.
"HHS' drip drip release strategy fails to meet the needs of the moment," says Zain Rizvi, a law and policy researcher at Public Citizen focused on pharmaceuticals. "Taxpayers have handed over billions of dollars in the dark."
An HHS spokesman issued the following statement to NPR:
"Operation Warp Speed has long publicly stated its commitment to being as transparent as possible. These contracts are being posted after the appropriate review and are proof of that commitment to transparency, as is the additional review and re-posting of the Moderna contract with fewer redactions. As we have said before, the government will continue to monitor what is releasable over time as part of this commitment to transparency."
The newly released contracts were issued through a third party, Advanced Technology International, a fact NPR brought to light in September. This arrangement concerned members of Congress and advocacy groups who feared the nontraditional agreements would omit taxpayer protections that allow the government to "march in" if the manufacturer receiving federal funding fails to make its product or sets an unreasonable price.
They also feared the contracts to vaccine manufacturers wouldn't be subject to public records requests because they were issued by a third party, and the agency had so far not released them. At least two nonprofits, including Public Citizen, have sued after their requests for the documents went unanswered for months.
Johnson & Johnson's Aug. 5 contract for the government's purchase of 100 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine doesn't include the march-in rights that are typical planks in contracts for federally funded inventions. Instead, the contract allows a much narrower window for the government to step in, excluding when COVID-19 stops being a public health emergency and becomes endemic, as is expected.
"We all want a safe and effective vaccine as quickly as possible," says attorney Kathryn Ardizzone of Knowledge Ecology International, a nonprofit public interest group focused on intellectual property. "To get that, the government doesn't have to compromise access and affordability."
But that's what it seems to be doing, she says. The data rights in the contract, which typically govern disclosure and sharing of key studies, cell lines and the know-how for making a product, are especially weak. In the Johnson & Johnson contract, "data" explicitly excludes "production/manufacturing know-how, trade secrets, clinical data."
"That is a big issue limiting the government's ability to enable another qualified company to manufacture the vaccine if there are shortages," Ardizzone says.
This is the second contract issued through a third party to be made public. Regeneron released its contract with Advanced Technology International on Nov. 5, revealing similar terms. HHS hasn't yet released the Regeneron contract.
Advanced Technology International uses a nontraditional contracting mechanism known as an "other transaction agreement" to facilitate government work with several groups of academics and companies. On Saturday, HHS released the government's base agreement with the consortium it manages that has been doing work for Operation Warp Speed. It's called the Medical CBRN Defense Consortium, which is tasked with developing medical countermeasures to threats against the military.
The base agreement dates back to April 2016, and has been modified for new projects over the years. To add Operation Warp Speed, the government modified the agreement, adding more money and contract terms.
HHS also released a new, more transparent version of its $1.5 billion contract with vaccine frontrunner Moderna.
The agency first posted the Moderna contract on Oct. 25. However, that version of the document was heavily redacted to protect trade secrets. But the redactions included information that had previously been made public, such as the contract's value.
Moderna released its own version of the contract on Oct. 30 in a quarterly financial filing, revealing much of the information the federal government concealed. HHS took its redacted document down for about a day before replacing it with the more transparent version.
"The fact that pharmaceutical corporations continue to provide more details about the deals to investors than HHS provides to the public is unacceptable," Rizvi says.
NPR is still working to obtain the remaining contracts.
You can contact NPR pharmaceuticals correspondent Sydney Lupkin at slupkin@npr.org.


npr--2020-11-08--Republicans Toggle Between Congratulating Biden And Saying Election Isn't Over Yet

Republicans Toggle Between Congratulating Biden And Saying Election Is n't Over Yet Some top Republicans on Sunday defended President Trump 's continued protestations that the election is not over and his false claims that Democrats are trying to `` steal '' the election , while others said he should exit gracefully .
In a statement Sunday , former President George W. Bush congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their win .
`` President Trump has the right to request recounts and pursue legal challenges , and any unresolved issues will be properly adjudicated , '' Bush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have confidence that this election was fundamentally fair , its integrity will be upheld , and its outcome is clear . ''
Neither Sen. Mitch McConnell , the top Republican in the Senate , nor Rep. Kevin McCarthy , the House minority leader , had issued statements about Biden 's victory as of Sunday afternoon .
Meanwhile , one of Trump 's top allies in the House struck a more combative tone once the race was called .
`` There are still serious legal challenges that have been made , and until that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not final , '' House Minority Whip Steve Scalise , R-La.
, tweeted on Saturday .
Scalise wrote the `` election is n't over until all legal votes are counted and certified , '' language that echoes Trump 's repeated comments of counting only `` legal '' votes .
There has been no evidence of any widespread voter fraud or illegal election activity .
And while Scalise and Trump both said the election is n't over because the votes have n't been certified , it 's worth noting that certifying results will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney , a former Republican presidential nominee , said that while he would prefer the world to witness a `` more graceful departure '' of Trump from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. , he ultimately believes the president will accept that he lost his reelection bid .
`` You 're not going to change the nature of President Trump in these last days , apparently , of his presidency , '' Romney told CNN 's Jake Tapper on Sunday .
`` He is who he is and he has a relatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so he 's going to keep on fighting until the very end .
But I 'm convinced that once all remedies have been exhausted , if those are exhausted in a way that 's not favorable to him , he will accept the inevitable . ''
He added : `` But do n't expect him to go quietly in the night — that 's not how he operates . ''
Romney has long been critical of Trump , calling him a `` phony '' and a `` fraud '' during Trump 's presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broke with his party in voting to convict Trump on the impeachment charge of abuse of power .
Romney 's colleague , Sen. Roy Blunt , R-Mo.
, pointedly did not acknowledge a Biden victory , instead saying the media should n't project a victory .
`` The media can project , but the media does n't get to decide who the winner is .
There is a canvassing process .
That needs to happen , '' Blunt said on ABC 's This Week .
`` I said on Friday , I thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn this discussion over to his lawyers , time for the lawyers to make the case that they have , both in court and to the American people , and then we 're going to have to deal with those facts as they 're presented .
That has to happen , and then we move forward , '' Blunt said .
Sen. Pat Toomey , R-Pa. , said that although he believes the projection of Biden 's victory is `` probably correct , '' he wants to let the process continue as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Seventy million Americans voted for Donald Trump , and they and the president deserve to have this process play out , '' Toomey , who is retiring from the Senate in 2022 , told CBS ' Face the Nation .
Meanwhile , Gov .
Larry Hogan , R-Md.
, put his stance on the matter bluntly : `` It 's time to get behind the winner of the race . ''
`` We want to make sure every single vote is counted fairly , and I think there are legal processes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he told CNN 's State of the Union .
`` But I do n't think we 're going to see anything that 's going to overturn this election , and I have n't seen any evidence of widespread [ fraud ] .
This is the way our system works , whether you like it or not . ''
`` More and more people in my party are accepting the results , and a number of people also did congratulate the president-elect , '' Hogan said .
`` Hopefully , the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the end . ''
Still , other Republicans appear to be walking the line between supporting a candidate taking legal actions , like pursuing recounts in various states , and not endorsing the core of Trump 's argument that he should retain power because of conspiracies and illegal election activity by Democrats .
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio , who unsuccessfully ran in 2016 for the Republican presidential nomination , reminded the public the day after Election Day that `` taking days to count legally cast votes is NOT fraud '' and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legal voting deadline is NOT suppression . ''

Republicans Toggle Between Congratulating Biden And Saying Election Isn't Over Yet
Enlarge this image toggle caption David McNew/AFP via Getty Images David McNew/AFP via Getty Images
Some top Republicans on Sunday defended President Trump's continued protestations that the election is not over and his false claims that Democrats are trying to "steal" the election, while others said he should exit gracefully.
In a statement Sunday, former President George W. Bush congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their win.
"President Trump has the right to request recounts and pursue legal challenges, and any unresolved issues will be properly adjudicated," Bush wrote. "The American people can have confidence that this election was fundamentally fair, its integrity will be upheld, and its outcome is clear."
Neither Sen. Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, nor Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, had issued statements about Biden's victory as of Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, one of Trump's top allies in the House struck a more combative tone once the race was called.
"There are still serious legal challenges that have been made, and until that process is resolved, the election is not final," House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., tweeted on Saturday.
Scalise wrote the "election isn't over until all legal votes are counted and certified," language that echoes Trump's repeated comments of counting only "legal" votes.
There has been no evidence of any widespread voter fraud or illegal election activity. And while Scalise and Trump both said the election isn't over because the votes haven't been certified, it's worth noting that certifying results will not change the overall outcome of the election.
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, a former Republican presidential nominee, said that while he would prefer the world to witness a "more graceful departure" of Trump from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., he ultimately believes the president will accept that he lost his reelection bid.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
"You're not going to change the nature of President Trump in these last days, apparently, of his presidency," Romney told CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday. "He is who he is and he has a relatively relaxed relationship with the truth, and so he's going to keep on fighting until the very end. But I'm convinced that once all remedies have been exhausted, if those are exhausted in a way that's not favorable to him, he will accept the inevitable."
He added: "But don't expect him to go quietly in the night — that's not how he operates."
Romney has long been critical of Trump, calling him a "phony" and a "fraud" during Trump's presidential campaign in 2016. He also famously broke with his party in voting to convict Trump on the impeachment charge of abuse of power.
Romney's colleague, Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., pointedly did not acknowledge a Biden victory, instead saying the media shouldn't project a victory.
"The media can project, but the media doesn't get to decide who the winner is. There is a canvassing process. That needs to happen," Blunt said on ABC's This Week.
"I said on Friday, I thought it was time for the president to turn this discussion over to his lawyers, time for the lawyers to make the case that they have, both in court and to the American people, and then we're going to have to deal with those facts as they're presented. That has to happen, and then we move forward," Blunt said.
Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said that although he believes the projection of Biden's victory is "probably correct," he wants to let the process continue as the Trump campaign attempts to litigate the results.
"Seventy million Americans voted for Donald Trump, and they and the president deserve to have this process play out," Toomey, who is retiring from the Senate in 2022, told CBS' Face the Nation.
Meanwhile, Gov. Larry Hogan, R-Md., put his stance on the matter bluntly: "It's time to get behind the winner of the race."
"We want to make sure every single vote is counted fairly, and I think there are legal processes, if you think there are mistakes," he told CNN's State of the Union. "But I don't think we're going to see anything that's going to overturn this election, and I haven't seen any evidence of widespread [fraud]. This is the way our system works, whether you like it or not."
"More and more people in my party are accepting the results, and a number of people also did congratulate the president-elect," Hogan said. "Hopefully, the president's team will do the right thing in the end."
Still, other Republicans appear to be walking the line between supporting a candidate taking legal actions, like pursuing recounts in various states, and not endorsing the core of Trump's argument that he should retain power because of conspiracies and illegal election activity by Democrats.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who unsuccessfully ran in 2016 for the Republican presidential nomination, reminded the public the day after Election Day that "taking days to count legally cast votes is NOT fraud" and that "court challenges to votes cast after the legal voting deadline is NOT suppression."


npr--2020-11-08--What Is The End Of An Era? 'Jeopardy!' Host Alex Trebek Dies At 80

What Is The End Of An Era ?
'Jeopardy ! '
Host Alex Trebek Dies At 80 In the category of `` Beloved Trivia Game Show Hosts , '' there is one very clear answer : Who is Alex Trebek ?
For 36 years , Trebek quizzed Jeopardy !
contestants on history , geography , hip-hop lyrics , `` Potent Potables '' and `` Potpourri . ''
Trebek died in Los Angeles on Sunday morning at age 80 .
His death was confirmed by the Jeopardy !
Twitter account : `` Jeopardy !
is saddened to share that Alex Trebek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning , surrounded by family and friends .
Thank you , Alex . ''
Trebek enjoyed the intelligence of Jeopardy !
contestants .
`` I love spending time with bright people ... and Jeopardy !
puts me in touch with bright folks all the time , '' he told NPR in 2016 .
Trebek was born in Ontario , Canada — his father was a chef who 'd immigrated to Canada from Ukraine .
In the early 1960s , while studying philosophy at the University of Ottawa , Trebek worked as a news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corp. Trebek hosted programs about music , skating and horse racing , as well as a high school quiz show called Reach for the Top .
In 1973 , he moved to LA to host NBC 's new game show , The Wizard of Odds .
Trebek went on to host a string of shows in the 1970s , '80s , '90s and beyond , including The $ 128,000 Question , Double Dare , Battlestars , To Tell the Truth and High Rollers .
Jeopardy !
was a hybrid trivia quiz and IQ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Merv Griffin and his wife , Julann .
It was designed to restore credibility to the TV game show genre , which had fallen into disrepute following the cheating scandals of the 1950s .
Twenty years after it began , Trebek became the host of Jeopardy !
when it was syndicated .
For his first three seasons , Trebek was also the show 's producer .
`` Most of the time , our contestants are not there for the money on Jeopardy !
, '' he told NPR 's Fresh Air in 1987 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off their intellectual skills .
They are there to have their moment in the sun and be television stars for that half-hour . ''
In 2016 , he told NPR that he liked chatting with contestants to get a sense of their personalities .
`` Some of them — for want of a better term — are nerds , but most of them are just bright people , '' Trebek said on Weekend Edition .
`` What I 'm trying to do is get across to the viewers that these are ordinary folks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Jeopardy !
champ James Holzhauer once compared Trebek 's credibility to newsman Walter Cronkite 's .
But the host also sometimes poked fun at himself and wore goofy costumes .
Trebek voiced himself in the animated series The Simpsons , and comic actor Will Ferrell parodied him on Saturday Night Live .
When asked why Jeopardy !
survived while countless other game shows had come and gone , Trebek credited the `` the gimmick '' of the question-and-answer format .
But it was more than that : `` Americans are very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home just to test themselves , '' he said .
Trebek knew those fans playing along at home often got all the answers .
They 'd say , `` 'Gosh , I sit at home in my living room and I get everything right , ' `` Trebek said — and he acknowledged it was true .
`` Most people do a lot better in their living rooms than they will ever do on the program . ''
In March 2019 , Trebek delivered some bad news directly to fans .
`` Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States each year , this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer , '' he announced in an online video .
`` Normally the prognosis for this is not very encouraging , but I 'm going to fight this .
...
Truth told , I have to , because under the terms of my contract , I have to host Jeopardy !
for three more years . ''
Trebek vowed to continue working , and he did , through bouts of chemotherapy .
In November 2019 , one contestant expressed what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For his `` Final Jeopardy ! ''
answer , Dhruv Gaur wagered $ 1,995 on his answer : `` What is We ❤ you , Alex ! ''
Ted Robbins edited this story .
Beth Novey contributed to the Web version .

What Is The End Of An Era? 'Jeopardy!' Host Alex Trebek Dies At 80
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alan Greth/AP Alan Greth/AP
In the category of "Beloved Trivia Game Show Hosts," there is one very clear answer: Who is Alex Trebek? For 36 years, Trebek quizzed Jeopardy! contestants on history, geography, hip-hop lyrics, "Potent Potables" and "Potpourri."
Trebek died in Los Angeles on Sunday morning at age 80. His death was confirmed by the Jeopardy! Twitter account: "Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends. Thank you, Alex."
Trebek enjoyed the intelligence of Jeopardy! contestants. "I love spending time with bright people ... and Jeopardy! puts me in touch with bright folks all the time," he told NPR in 2016.
Trebek was born in Ontario, Canada — his father was a chef who'd immigrated to Canada from Ukraine. In the early 1960s, while studying philosophy at the University of Ottawa, Trebek worked as a news and sports announcer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
Trebek hosted programs about music, skating and horse racing, as well as a high school quiz show called Reach for the Top. In 1973, he moved to LA to host NBC's new game show, The Wizard of Odds. Trebek went on to host a string of shows in the 1970s, '80s, '90s and beyond, including The $128,000 Question, Double Dare, Battlestars, To Tell the Truth and High Rollers.
Jeopardy! was a hybrid trivia quiz and IQ test created in 1964 by TV host Merv Griffin and his wife, Julann. It was designed to restore credibility to the TV game show genre, which had fallen into disrepute following the cheating scandals of the 1950s. Twenty years after it began, Trebek became the host of Jeopardy! when it was syndicated. For his first three seasons, Trebek was also the show's producer.
"Most of the time, our contestants are not there for the money on Jeopardy!," he told NPR's Fresh Air in 1987. "They are there to show off their intellectual skills. They are there to have their moment in the sun and be television stars for that half-hour."
In 2016, he told NPR that he liked chatting with contestants to get a sense of their personalities. "Some of them — for want of a better term — are nerds, but most of them are just bright people," Trebek said on Weekend Edition. "What I'm trying to do is get across to the viewers that these are ordinary folks — you're going to like them."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amanda Edwards/Getty Images Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
Jeopardy! champ James Holzhauer once compared Trebek's credibility to newsman Walter Cronkite's. But the host also sometimes poked fun at himself and wore goofy costumes. Trebek voiced himself in the animated series The Simpsons, and comic actor Will Ferrell parodied him on Saturday Night Live.
When asked why Jeopardy! survived while countless other game shows had come and gone, Trebek credited the "the gimmick" of the question-and-answer format. But it was more than that: "Americans are very competitive, and people play along at home just to test themselves," he said.
Trebek knew those fans playing along at home often got all the answers. They'd say, " 'Gosh, I sit at home in my living room and I get everything right,' " Trebek said — and he acknowledged it was true. "Most people do a lot better in their living rooms than they will ever do on the program."
In March 2019, Trebek delivered some bad news directly to fans. "Just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer," he announced in an online video. "Normally the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I'm going to fight this. ... Truth told, I have to, because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years."
Trebek vowed to continue working, and he did, through bouts of chemotherapy.
In November 2019, one contestant expressed what many Jeopardy! fans were feeling: For his "Final Jeopardy!" answer, Dhruv Gaur wagered $1,995 on his answer: "What is We ❤ you, Alex!"
Ted Robbins edited this story. Beth Novey contributed to the Web version.


npr--2020-11-08--The Tradition Of A Candidate Concession Is Far More Than Mere Courtesy

The Tradition Of A Candidate Concession Is Far More Than Mere Courtesy For weeks , the world wondered whether President Trump would win a second term .
Now that election officials and observers have declared his opponent `` President-elect Joe Biden , '' the world wonders whether Trump will concede .
So far , the president has not .
Instead , he has said that he won the election `` if you count the legal votes '' and that he will pursue numerous challenges to the vote-counting process in court .
Earlier in the fall , he had said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power unless the election was `` rigged . ''
It seems increasingly inevitable that Trump will need to either give a concession speech or explain why he is refusing to do so .
There is no legal requirement for it , and a refusal would not lengthen his lease on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. or extend his powers beyond noon on Jan. 20 .
But concessions have become all-but-official touch points in the process of American elections .
And they have been of special value as part of that process when one party cedes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the clearest signal of commitment to the peaceful transfer of power .
Such a situation arose in 2000 , when the Democratic nominee was the sitting vice president , Al Gore .
He wound up conceding twice , first on election night and then again five weeks later .
His first concession , in a phone call to Republican George W. Bush , was retracted a few hours later as more results came in and pivotal Florida , called once for each candidate that night , seemed to still be in play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counting and recounting and countless legal maneuvers , the federal case of Bush v. Gore reached the U.S. Supreme Court , which ruled 5-4 that the Florida fracas should stop .
Gore could have carried his case further , to the House and Senate and the public at large .
But he decided that while his prospects of success were uncertain , the costs and dangers were too high .
`` Just moments ago , I spoke with George W. Bush and congratulated him on becoming the 43rd president of the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would n't call him back this time , '' Gore said .
Gore also quoted Stephen Douglas , who lost to Abraham Lincoln in the fateful election of 1860 : `` Partisan feeling must yield to patriotism , '' Douglas wrote then .
`` I 'm with you Mr. President , and God bless you . ''
Douglas was as good as his word .
He not only conceded but embarked on a speaking tour of the South to urge his fellow Democrats to accept the election outcome and `` preserve the Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eleven states seceded , and the Civil War ensued .
But his effort was more than a beau geste — it was a statement of the importance of abiding by the popular will in a democracy .
This has been at the essence of the concession all along .
It is not just one 19th-century gentleman bowing to another ; it is the affirmation of what the Founders had in mind when they rebelled against the crown of England in the name of `` the people . ''
Gore 's decision and concession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of healing to begin .
It illustrated and amplified the value of the concession tradition , which has deep roots in U.S. history and has provided ineffable benefits at fraught moments in the past .
`` When it comes down to it , it 's not the Army or the Navy that keeps the United States together , '' John R. Vile , a professor of history at Middle Tennessee State University who is a student of the concession , told National Geographic magazine .
`` It 's the notion that we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that our similarities are more binding than our differences are . ''
Another recent example frequently saluted for its class and eloquence was Republican Sen. John McCain 's in 2008 .
McCain , too , was handing off the White House to the opposing party .
Moreover , his own long and frustrating pursuit of the presidency had been ended that night by a junior fellow senator , Barack Obama .
The 2008 election was often bitter and ended in the midst of an economic crisis , but McCain chose to be gracious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The American people have spoken , and they have spoken clearly , '' said McCain .
`` A little while ago , I had the honor of calling Sen. Barack Obama to congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love . ''
McCain also took note of a salient fact of the moment — Obama 's achievement as the first African American to reach the Oval Office .
`` This is a historic election , and I recognize the special significance it has for African Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be theirs tonight , '' he said .
`` Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for this country .
I applaud him for it . ''
Some believe that speech was the finest achievement in conceding ever witnessed .
But that is not a distinction likely to be much prized by candidates going forward .
In 2012 , Mitt Romney gave a concession speech that sounded a lot like a victory speech .
That may have been because his campaign by some reports had been so sure of winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All the way back John Adams , the first president to be relieved by the voters after one term , is said to have congratulated Thomas Jefferson , the new president , in private .
Thereafter , the tradition was satisfied in like manner for generations .
With the coming of faster and more public means of communication , the more modern notion of a concession statement took form .
Historians often cite a telegram sent by Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan to his Republican rival , William McKinley , as soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He offered his congratulations and added : `` We have submitted the issue to the American people and their will is law . ''
Conceding has a special sting , of course , when it is incumbent upon an incumbent .
Some have found it best to get it over quickly .
President George H.W .
Bush was in touch with Bill Clinton soon after the polls closed on election night in 1992 , and President Jimmy Carter went further than that .
When he conceded to Ronald Reagan in 1980 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls had closed on the West Coast .
A quick surrender may not be any less painful , but at least it does not prolong the agonizing wait .
Perhaps the first of these quick surrenders was that of Republican President William Howard Taft , whose one term in office ended when he finished third in his reelection bid in 1912 .
Second place went to Theodore Roosevelt , who had been president between McKinley and Taft and was attempting a comeback as the nominee of the Progressive Party ( sometimes called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the congratulatory message Taft sent right away on election night went to Woodrow Wilson , the Democrat , who came out on top .
Conversely , one of the slowest concessions came four years later when Wilson was winning his second term .
It was 1916 , and the three most populous states at the time ( New York , Pennsylvania and Illinois ) all voted for the Republican challenger , Charles Evans Hughes .
Some news reports initially declared Hughes the winner , and it took days for all the tallies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Hughes did not , declaring `` in the absence of absolute proof of fraud , no such cry should be raised to becloud the title of the next president of the United States . ''
When after two weeks Wilson 's narrow win was assured , Hughes sent a gracious telegram .
The telegram was a favored method in the first half of the 20th century .
Herbert Hoover sent one to Franklin D. Roosevelt the day after FDR 's 1932 landslide , promising to `` make every possible helpful effort '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ success in office .
Hoover would subsequently try to involve FDR in his efforts to deal with the banking crisis of that winter , but FDR held out for a chance to begin with a clean slate after Inauguration Day — a sore point for Hoover and his defenders for many years thereafter .
Meanwhile , however , technology was moving ahead .
Democratic nominee Al Smith had already made the first broadcast concession speech on radio in 1928 ( ceding to Hoover ) , and Adlai Stevenson introduced television to the tradition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have come to expect to see even incumbent presidents do the deed on the tube .
Which brings us to the present moment .
Will Trump do it on Twitter ?
Will he make a speech and stick to the teleprompter version ?
Or will he just say no ?
The concession is not , after all , for the sake of its maker .
It does nothing for the losing candidate but get it over with .
The concession is , rather , for the sake of everyone who needs closure .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , staff , campaign workers and party rank and file .
In other words , concession speeches are for everyone else but the candidate .
But it is the candidate who must finally decide who and what he cares most about .

The Tradition Of A Candidate Concession Is Far More Than Mere Courtesy
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chris Carlson/AP Chris Carlson/AP
For weeks, the world wondered whether President Trump would win a second term. Now that election officials and observers have declared his opponent "President-elect Joe Biden," the world wonders whether Trump will concede.
So far, the president has not. Instead, he has said that he won the election "if you count the legal votes" and that he will pursue numerous challenges to the vote-counting process in court. Earlier in the fall, he had said he would agree to a peaceful transfer of power unless the election was "rigged."
It seems increasingly inevitable that Trump will need to either give a concession speech or explain why he is refusing to do so. There is no legal requirement for it, and a refusal would not lengthen his lease on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. or extend his powers beyond noon on Jan. 20.
But concessions have become all-but-official touch points in the process of American elections. And they have been of special value as part of that process when one party cedes the presidency to another, because that is the clearest signal of commitment to the peaceful transfer of power.
Such a situation arose in 2000, when the Democratic nominee was the sitting vice president, Al Gore. He wound up conceding twice, first on election night and then again five weeks later. His first concession, in a phone call to Republican George W. Bush, was retracted a few hours later as more results came in and pivotal Florida, called once for each candidate that night, seemed to still be in play.
After five weeks of messy vote counting and recounting and countless legal maneuvers, the federal case of Bush v. Gore reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled 5-4 that the Florida fracas should stop. Gore could have carried his case further, to the House and Senate and the public at large. But he decided that while his prospects of success were uncertain, the costs and dangers were too high.
"Just moments ago, I spoke with George W. Bush and congratulated him on becoming the 43rd president of the United States, and I promised him that I wouldn't call him back this time," Gore said.
Gore also quoted Stephen Douglas, who lost to Abraham Lincoln in the fateful election of 1860: "Partisan feeling must yield to patriotism," Douglas wrote then. "I'm with you Mr. President, and God bless you."
Douglas was as good as his word. He not only conceded but embarked on a speaking tour of the South to urge his fellow Democrats to accept the election outcome and "preserve the Union."
Douglas was not successful. Eleven states seceded, and the Civil War ensued. But his effort was more than a beau geste — it was a statement of the importance of abiding by the popular will in a democracy.
This has been at the essence of the concession all along. It is not just one 19th-century gentleman bowing to another; it is the affirmation of what the Founders had in mind when they rebelled against the crown of England in the name of "the people."
Gore's decision and concession ended the standoff and allowed a measure of healing to begin. It illustrated and amplified the value of the concession tradition, which has deep roots in U.S. history and has provided ineffable benefits at fraught moments in the past.
"When it comes down to it, it's not the Army or the Navy that keeps the United States together," John R. Vile, a professor of history at Middle Tennessee State University who is a student of the concession, told National Geographic magazine. "It's the notion that we are bound together by certain great principles and that our similarities are more binding than our differences are."
McCain 2008 as a model
Another recent example frequently saluted for its class and eloquence was Republican Sen. John McCain's in 2008. McCain, too, was handing off the White House to the opposing party. Moreover, his own long and frustrating pursuit of the presidency had been ended that night by a junior fellow senator, Barack Obama.
The 2008 election was often bitter and ended in the midst of an economic crisis, but McCain chose to be gracious and patriotic in his remarks.
"The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly," said McCain. "A little while ago, I had the honor of calling Sen. Barack Obama to congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love."
McCain also took note of a salient fact of the moment — Obama's achievement as the first African American to reach the Oval Office.
"This is a historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight," he said. "Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for this country. I applaud him for it."
Some believe that speech was the finest achievement in conceding ever witnessed. But that is not a distinction likely to be much prized by candidates going forward. In 2012, Mitt Romney gave a concession speech that sounded a lot like a victory speech. That may have been because his campaign by some reports had been so sure of winning that no concession speech had been contemplated.
All the way back
John Adams, the first president to be relieved by the voters after one term, is said to have congratulated Thomas Jefferson, the new president, in private. Thereafter, the tradition was satisfied in like manner for generations.
With the coming of faster and more public means of communication, the more modern notion of a concession statement took form.
Historians often cite a telegram sent by Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan to his Republican rival, William McKinley, as soon as the voters' verdict was clear. He offered his congratulations and added: "We have submitted the issue to the American people and their will is law."
Conceding has a special sting, of course, when it is incumbent upon an incumbent. Some have found it best to get it over quickly. President George H.W. Bush was in touch with Bill Clinton soon after the polls closed on election night in 1992, and President Jimmy Carter went further than that. When he conceded to Ronald Reagan in 1980, his public concession went out before the polls had closed on the West Coast.
A quick surrender may not be any less painful, but at least it does not prolong the agonizing wait. Perhaps the first of these quick surrenders was that of Republican President William Howard Taft, whose one term in office ended when he finished third in his reelection bid in 1912. Second place went to Theodore Roosevelt, who had been president between McKinley and Taft and was attempting a comeback as the nominee of the Progressive Party (sometimes called the "Bull Moosers"). But the congratulatory message Taft sent right away on election night went to Woodrow Wilson, the Democrat, who came out on top.
Conversely, one of the slowest concessions came four years later when Wilson was winning his second term. It was 1916, and the three most populous states at the time (New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois) all voted for the Republican challenger, Charles Evans Hughes. Some news reports initially declared Hughes the winner, and it took days for all the tallies to arrive.
Some Republicans cried foul, but Hughes did not, declaring "in the absence of absolute proof of fraud, no such cry should be raised to becloud the title of the next president of the United States." When after two weeks Wilson's narrow win was assured, Hughes sent a gracious telegram.
Tech changes tradition
The telegram was a favored method in the first half of the 20th century. Herbert Hoover sent one to Franklin D. Roosevelt the day after FDR's 1932 landslide, promising to "make every possible helpful effort" to aid his rival's transition and success in office. Hoover would subsequently try to involve FDR in his efforts to deal with the banking crisis of that winter, but FDR held out for a chance to begin with a clean slate after Inauguration Day — a sore point for Hoover and his defenders for many years thereafter.
Meanwhile, however, technology was moving ahead. Democratic nominee Al Smith had already made the first broadcast concession speech on radio in 1928 (ceding to Hoover), and Adlai Stevenson introduced television to the tradition in 1952. Since then, we have come to expect to see even incumbent presidents do the deed on the tube.
Which brings us to the present moment. Will Trump do it on Twitter? Will he make a speech and stick to the teleprompter version?
Or will he just say no?
The concession is not, after all, for the sake of its maker. It does nothing for the losing candidate but get it over with. The concession is, rather, for the sake of everyone who needs closure. That includes the losing candidate's family, staff, campaign workers and party rank and file.
In other words, concession speeches are for everyone else but the candidate. But it is the candidate who must finally decide who and what he cares most about.
Stay tuned.


npr--2020-11-08--Extremism Experts Warn Of Dangers In Baseless Claims Of 'Stolen' Election

Extremism Experts Warn Of Dangers In Baseless Claims Of 'Stolen ' Election Right-wing activists pushing baseless claims that the presidential election was `` stolen '' mobilized in several cities over the weekend , drawing people to the streets through networks forged during summertime protests against lockdowns .
The protests in Arizona , Nevada , Ohio , Oregon , Pennsylvania , Washington and other states typically involved no more than a few hundred people — some of them armed , chanting and praying for President Trump .
The crowds represented the blend of fringe movements and ideologies that have flourished in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white nationalists , armed `` boogaloo boys '' and QAnon conspiracy theorists .
Right-wing organizers are setting up Facebook groups that use disinformation and fearmongering as recruiting tools .
Social media platforms , in turn , have shut down some pages or have added warning labels to posts .
There were scuffles and clashes with police but no major violence at the gatherings , according to local reporters and video footage that was shared via social media .
Some clips showed particular vitriol aimed at journalists , part of a conspiratorial backlash at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winner of the election .
The pro-Trump street presence was minuscule compared with the thousands of Biden supporters who spilled into the streets in celebration .
Still , domestic terrorism analysts warn , a prolonged fight and Trump 's reckless statements about the vote only fuel the `` us vs. them '' polarization that has now reached dangerous levels .
They say the far-right threat will linger — and perhaps even grow — under a Biden presidency .
`` Extremism is a carnival-mirror reflection of conflicts and divisions in the mainstream , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at California State University , San Bernardino .

Extremism Experts Warn Of Dangers In Baseless Claims Of 'Stolen' Election
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mario Tama/Getty Images Mario Tama/Getty Images
Right-wing activists pushing baseless claims that the presidential election was "stolen" mobilized in several cities over the weekend, drawing people to the streets through networks forged during summertime protests against lockdowns.
The protests in Arizona, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington and other states typically involved no more than a few hundred people — some of them armed, chanting and praying for President Trump.
The crowds represented the blend of fringe movements and ideologies that have flourished in the Trump era: self-styled militias, white nationalists, armed "boogaloo boys" and QAnon conspiracy theorists. Right-wing organizers are setting up Facebook groups that use disinformation and fearmongering as recruiting tools. Social media platforms, in turn, have shut down some pages or have added warning labels to posts.
There were scuffles and clashes with police but no major violence at the gatherings, according to local reporters and video footage that was shared via social media. Some clips showed particular vitriol aimed at journalists, part of a conspiratorial backlash at news outlets for naming Joe Biden the winner of the election.
The pro-Trump street presence was minuscule compared with the thousands of Biden supporters who spilled into the streets in celebration. Still, domestic terrorism analysts warn, a prolonged fight and Trump's reckless statements about the vote only fuel the "us vs. them" polarization that has now reached dangerous levels. They say the far-right threat will linger — and perhaps even grow — under a Biden presidency.
"Extremism is a carnival-mirror reflection of conflicts and divisions in the mainstream," said Brian Levin, a hate-crime researcher at California State University, San Bernardino.


npr--2020-11-08--Biden Will Face Major Limits To His Ambitious Climate Plans

Biden Will Face Major Limits To His Ambitious Climate Plans In his campaign for president , Joe Biden proposed the most aggressive plan to tackle climate change of any major party nominee and made climate justice part of his closing argument .
But his goal of making the U.S. carbon neutral by 2050 relies on major action from a Democrat-controlled Congress , which does not appear likely — or is at least not certain , pending the outcome of two runoff Senate races in Georgia in January .
`` It wo n't be as ambitious , no two ways about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president of the League of Conservation Voters .
Still , he and others think Biden will be able to take meaningful executive action and possibly forge some compromise even if the Senate continues to be controlled by coal-friendly Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell .
The change at the top could not be more dramatic given that President Trump has repeatedly questioned climate science and has rolled back dozens of Obama-era climate rules aimed at boosting fossil fuel production .
A Biden administration could move to reverse much of that .
Among many other things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leasing any new oil and gas rights on federal land and water .
He could also direct agencies to tighten emissions standards for the electricity sector , to push it toward his goal of net zero emissions by 2035 .
And he could raise fuel economy standards for cars and trucks to speed up a transition to electric vehicles .
Of course — just as Obama and then Trump have seen — executive action is subject to legal challenge , and Biden will face a judiciary stacked with more conservative appointees who may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survive that , they could again be reversed by a future president .
Biden may have more immediate sway using foreign policy to push for climate action .
He has already vowed to rejoin the landmark Paris climate agreement as soon as he takes office .
Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the agreement in 2017 ; that took effect the day after the U.S. presidential election , after a mandatory waiting period .
Biden could also have the U.S. rejoin the World Health Organization , which can help address public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could use trade deals and other international agreements to pressure countries to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions , drive clean energy technology or limit deforestation , for example .
Climate legislation would be more enduring than executive action but may prove far more difficult .
Still , many expect Biden to try mightily , given that he has focused much of his political career on reaching across the aisle .
`` I am bullish on the prospects for actually achieving something in the Congress on climate change in the next couple years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner at the energy law and lobbying firm Bracewell , whose clients include fossil fuel companies .
For one thing , Segal points out that industry is moving toward a clean energy economy anyway .
Pressured in part by consumer demand , a number of utilities have set their own zero-carbon goals , and some oil companies vow to invest more in renewables .
A growing list of major companies , along with cities and states , are also setting aggressive targets for carbon neutrality .
`` It 's not like the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an economic perspective , as might have been the case if we were discussing this 15 or 20 years ago , '' he says .
Segal suggests there could be bipartisan agreement on things like batteries and energy storage , carbon capture and clean energy standards for motor vehicles .
Biden 's climate plan calls for investing $ 2 trillion over four years on a wide range of environmental projects .
Allies hope he can chip away at some of that in various spending bills and say some things should be an easy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy efficiency generates more than twice as many jobs as investing in fossil fuels , '' says Andrew Steer , president and CEO of the World Resources Institute .
Meanwhile , there 's something else that might continue to shift the political dynamic .
`` Climate change will continue to get worse , '' says Michael Brune , executive director of the Sierra Club .
`` The impacts of climate change will become even more severe , even more clear , even more damaging . ''
2020 is on track to be one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that heat has helped fuel unprecedented wildfires and an unrelenting hurricane season .
Climate scientists say a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is needed soon to avoid even more catastrophic impacts .
Two-thirds of Americans — including a majority of Republicans — say they want the government to do more on climate change .
The question is whether Biden can coax a divided Congress to heed that and finally take significant action .

Biden Will Face Major Limits To His Ambitious Climate Plans
Enlarge this image toggle caption Robert F. Bukaty/AP Robert F. Bukaty/AP
In his campaign for president, Joe Biden proposed the most aggressive plan to tackle climate change of any major party nominee and made climate justice part of his closing argument. But his goal of making the U.S. carbon neutral by 2050 relies on major action from a Democrat-controlled Congress, which does not appear likely — or is at least not certain, pending the outcome of two runoff Senate races in Georgia in January.
"It won't be as ambitious, no two ways about it," says Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters.
Still, he and others think Biden will be able to take meaningful executive action and possibly forge some compromise even if the Senate continues to be controlled by coal-friendly Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell.
Reversing Trump rollbacks
The change at the top could not be more dramatic given that President Trump has repeatedly questioned climate science and rolled back dozens of Obama-era climate rules as he aimed to boost fossil fuel production. A Biden administration could move to reverse much of that.
Among many other things, Biden has said he would stop leasing any new oil and gas rights on federal land and water. He could also direct agencies to tighten emissions standards for the electricity sector, to push it toward his goal of net zero emissions by 2035. And he could raise fuel economy standards for cars and trucks to speed up a transition to electric vehicles.
Of course — just as Obama and then Trump have seen — executive action is subject to legal challenge, and Biden will face a judiciary stacked with more conservative appointees who may favor deregulation. Even if his policies survive that, they could again be reversed by a future president.
Reasserting U.S. global leadership
Biden may have more immediate sway using foreign policy to push for climate action. He has already vowed to rejoin the landmark Paris climate agreement as soon as he takes office. Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the agreement in 2017; that took effect the day after the U.S. presidential election, after a mandatory waiting period.
Biden could also have the U.S. rejoin the World Health Organization, which can help address public health risks from global warming. And he could use trade deals and other international agreements to pressure countries to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions, drive clean energy technology or limit deforestation, for example.
Reaching across the aisle
Climate legislation would be more enduring than executive action but may prove far more difficult. Still, many expect Biden to try mightily, given that he has focused much of his political career on reaching across the aisle.
"I am bullish on the prospects for actually achieving something in the Congress on climate change in the next couple years," says Scott Segal, a partner at the energy law and lobbying firm Bracewell, whose clients include fossil fuel companies.
For one thing, Segal points out that industry is moving toward a clean energy economy anyway. Pressured in part by consumer demand, a number of utilities have set their own zero-carbon goals, and some oil companies vow to invest more in renewables. A growing list of major companies, along with cities and states, are also setting aggressive targets for carbon neutrality.
"It's not like the same level of blowback would occur, from an economic perspective, as might have been the case if we were discussing this 15 or 20 years ago," he says.
Segal suggests there could be bipartisan agreement on things like batteries and energy storage, carbon capture and clean energy standards for motor vehicles.
Biden's climate plan calls for investing $2 trillion over four years on a wide range of environmental projects. Allies hope he can chip away at some of that in various spending bills and say some things should be an easy sell.
"Investing in renewables and energy efficiency generates more than twice as many jobs as investing in fossil fuels," says Andrew Steer, president and CEO of the World Resources Institute.
Meanwhile, there's something else that might continue to shift the political dynamic.
"Climate change will continue to get worse," says Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club. "The impacts of climate change will become even more severe, even more clear, even more damaging."
2020 is on track to be one of the hottest years on record, and that heat has helped fuel unprecedented wildfires and an unrelenting hurricane season. Climate scientists say a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is needed soon to avoid even more catastrophic impacts.
Two-thirds of Americans — including a majority of Republicans — say they want the government to do more on climate change. The question is whether Biden can coax a divided Congress to heed that and finally take significant action.


npr--2020-11-08--Church And Golf: Biden And Trump Return To Routine After Election Is Called

Church And Golf : Biden And Trump Return To Routine After Election Is Called Updated at 11:50 a.m .
ET The day after the presidential election was called saw both President Trump and President-elect Joe Biden going through their typical Sunday routines .
Online , the Biden team updated its transition website , while Trump continued to amplify false claims of voter fraud via Twitter .
Biden began his day by attending Mass with his family at St. Joseph on the Brandywine church in Greenville , Del .
After Mass , Biden visited the cemetery across the street where his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and son Beau are buried .
According to reporters traveling with Biden , he briefly knelt down at one of the graves .
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have also launched an updated website as they prepare for the transition process .
The site includes four priorities of their upcoming administration : COVID-19 , economic recovery , racial equity and climate change .
Meanwhile , Trump visited his golf club in Sterling , Va .
He was greeted by supporters as well as by demonstrators lining the sidewalks near the club 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' and `` Trumpty Dumpty had a great fall . ''
In a series of tweets Sunday morning , Trump quoted conservative surrogates like Newt Gingrich who have falsely claimed that there was rampant voter fraud in the election .
Twitter flagged his remarks , affixing to each of his tweets a label reading : `` This claim about election fraud is disputed . ''

Church And Golf: Biden And Trump Return To Routine After Election Is Called
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 11:50 a.m. ET
The day after the presidential election was called saw both President Trump and President-elect Joe Biden going through their typical Sunday routines. Online, the Biden team updated its transition website, while Trump continued to amplify false claims of voter fraud via Twitter.
Biden began his day by attending Mass with his family at St. Joseph on the Brandywine church in Greenville, Del.
After Mass, Biden visited the cemetery across the street where his parents, first wife, young daughter and son Beau are buried. According to reporters traveling with Biden, he briefly knelt down at one of the graves.
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have also launched an updated website as they prepare for the transition process.
The site includes four priorities of their upcoming administration: COVID-19, economic recovery, racial equity and climate change.
Meanwhile, Trump visited his golf club in Sterling, Va. He was greeted by supporters as well as by demonstrators lining the sidewalks near the club's entrance with signs reading "Orange Crushed" and "Trumpty Dumpty had a great fall."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
In a series of tweets Sunday morning, Trump quoted conservative surrogates like Newt Gingrich who have falsely claimed that there was rampant voter fraud in the election.
Twitter flagged his remarks, affixing to each of his tweets a label reading: "This claim about election fraud is disputed."


npr--2020-11-09--President-Elect Biden Names 13 Experts To COVID-19 Transition Advisory Board

President-elect Joe Biden named 13 health experts to his Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board on Monday , advancing his plans despite uncertainty over how much the Trump administration will cooperate amid its ongoing legal challenge to the election results .
The coronavirus has spread at alarming rates in the U.S. in recent weeks .
The panel will be co-chaired by three people : former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. David Kessler of the University of California San Francisco , former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith , an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Yale .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach to managing the surge in reported infections ; ensuring vaccines are safe , effective , and distributed efficiently , equitably , and free ; and protecting at-risk populations , '' Biden said in a statement issued early Monday morning .
Biden made COVID-19 a central part of his campaign , calling for a stronger and more coordinated federal response to the pandemic even as President Trump downplayed the virus and criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation 's leading infectious disease expert .
Nearly 10 million Americans have been diagnosed with coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new records , topping 100,000 per day .
Nearly 238,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 since January .
`` Dealing with the coronavirus pandemic is one of the most important battles our administration will face , and I will be informed by science and by experts , '' Biden said in the statement .
`` The advisory board will help shape my approach to managing the surge in reported infections ; ensuring vaccines are safe , effective , and distributed efficiently , equitably , and free ; and protecting at-risk populations . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ create a plan to bring the pandemic under control — a process Biden says will begin immediately after his Jan. 20 inauguration .
The team includes several people who have served in senior public health positions in the federal government .
The rosters includes Dr. Rick Bright , who was ousted as head of the government 's leading-edge research agency , Biomedical Advanced Research and Development , or BARDA , earlier this year , after he criticized the federal government 's pandemic response .
Also on the advisory board are Luciana Borio , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked for the National Security Council , and Eric Goosby , who was President Obama 's global AIDS coordinator .
On Friday night , Biden said , `` I want everyone — everyone — to know on Day 1 , we 're going to put our plan to control this virus into action . ''

Biden Names 13 Health Experts To COVID-19 Transition Advisory Board
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Menendez/AP Images for Lake Nona Impact Forum Alex Menendez/AP Images for Lake Nona Impact Forum
Updated at 10:20 a.m. ET
President-elect Joe Biden named 13 health experts to his Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board on Monday, advancing his plans despite uncertainty over how much the Trump administration will cooperate amid its ongoing legal challenge to the election results. The coronavirus has spread at alarming rates in the U.S. in recent weeks.
The panel will be co-chaired by three people: former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. David Kessler of the University of California, San Francisco; former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy; and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Yale.
"The advisory board will help shape my approach to managing the surge in reported infections; ensuring vaccines are safe, effective, and distributed efficiently, equitably, and free; and protecting at-risk populations," Biden said in a statement issued early Monday morning.
Biden made COVID-19 a central part of his campaign, calling for a stronger and more coordinated federal response to the pandemic even as President Trump downplayed the virus and criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert. Trump has called Fauci an "idiot" and a "disaster" and suggested that he might fire him after the election.
Nearly 10 million Americans have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, and infections in recent days have set new records, topping 100,000 per day. Nearly 238,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 since January.
"Dealing with the coronavirus pandemic is one of the most important battles our administration will face, and I will be informed by science and by experts," Biden said in the statement.
The advisory board will work to create a plan to bring the pandemic under control — a process Biden says will begin immediately after his Jan. 20 inauguration.
The team includes several people who have served in senior public health positions in the federal government. The roster includes Dr. Rick Bright. Bright was ousted as head of the government's leading-edge research agency, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development, earlier this year after he criticized the federal government's pandemic response.
Also on the advisory board are Luciana Borio, a biodefense and disease specialist who has worked for the National Security Council, and Eric Goosby, who was President Barack Obama's global AIDS coordinator.
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced Monday that an experimental vaccine it has been working on has been shown to be 90% effective at preventing COVID-19. Biden, in a statement on Monday separate from the one announcing the advisory board, expressed cautious optimism over the development.
"Americans will have to rely on masking, distancing, contact tracing, hand washing, and other measures to keep themselves safe well into next year," he said. "Today's news is great news, but it doesn't change that fact."
"That is the reality for now, and for the next few months," the president-elect said. "Today's announcement promises the chance to change that next year, but the tasks before us now remain the same."
Although the vaccine still requires FDA approval and faces other regulatory hurdles, Pfizer said it expects to have 50 million doses of the new vaccine by the end of 2020, enough for 25 million people. In 2021, the company expects to produce 1.3 billion doses.
Murthy, a key adviser to the Biden campaign, recently told NPR that a Biden administration would have "a laser focus on ensuring that people get ... adequate testing and clear information."
"We have to function as one nation. That means having a national plan," Murthy, said.
On Friday night, Biden said, "I want everyone — everyone — to know on Day 1, we're going to put our plan to control this virus into action."
I am so proud of America!
It’s time to heal America. Time to stop the virus. It’s time to show Americans and the world what we can do. America needs to be back at the table. Now we WILL!
Never give up! Roll up your sleeves & prepare to work together to heal & unite America. https://t.co/I8pzKS1DId — Rick Bright (@RickABright) November 7, 2020
In a tweet on Saturday, Bright said: "It's time to heal America. Time to stop the virus."


npr--2020-11-09--Pfizer Says Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine Is More Than 90% Effective

Pfizer Says Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine Is More Than 90 % Effective Pfizer 's experimental COVID-19 vaccine appears to be working .
The vaccine was found to be more than 90 % effecting , according to clinical results released by the company Monday .
That news comes from an interim analysis of a study involving 43,538 volunteers , 42 percent of whom had `` diverse backgrounds . ''
Each participant got two injections spaced 21 days apart .
The analysis compared the number of cases of COVID-19 among the volunteers getting the vaccine , with an approximately equal sized group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liquid that did n't contain the vaccine .
In a news release from Pfizer and its partner BioNTech , the company said results from 94 evaluable cases of COVID-19 among study participants indicated the more than 90 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 .
The Food and Drug Administration set a minimum effectiveness bar at 50 % .
This is the first COVID-19 vaccine in development to have data showing that it exceeded that mark .
While promising , this analysis alone does not provide enough information about the vaccine for Pfizer to ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine .
The agency has informed manufacturers that it wants a minimum of two months of follow-up data from at least half of the volunteers .
FDA says the reason for that requirement is that most dangerous side effects from a vaccine occur within two months of getting the final injection .
Pfizer says those data wo n't be available until the third week in November .
The company did n't say how serious the COVID-19 cases were that occurred in the study , or whether any of them required hospitalization .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an event-driven study .
It does not last for a specified period of time .
Instead , the study will be considered complete when it has recorded a total of 164 cases of COVID-19 among all the volunteers .
As described in its publicly released protocol , the company had planned to conduct four interim analyses , when a proscribed number of COVID-19 cases had occurred .
The results released today are from the second one , the company having agreed with the FDA to forego the first analysis .

Pfizer Says Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine Is More Than 90% Effective
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Lennihan/AP Mark Lennihan/AP
Updated at 3:15 p.m. ET
Pfizer's experimental COVID-19 vaccine appears to be working. The vaccine was found to be more than 90% effective, according to clinical results released by the company Monday.
That news comes from an interim analysis of a study involving 43,538 volunteers, 42% of whom had "diverse backgrounds."
Each participant got two injections spaced 21 days apart. The analysis compared the number of cases of COVID-19 among the volunteers getting the vaccine with an approximately equal sized group of volunteers who got an injection of a liquid that didn't contain the vaccine.
In a news release from Pfizer and its partner BioNTech, the company said results from 94 evaluable cases of COVID-19 among study participants indicated the vaccine is more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19. The Food and Drug Administration set a minimum effectiveness bar at 50%.
This is the first COVID-19 vaccine in development to have data showing that it exceeded that mark.
"I tend to be an optimist. I've been in vaccine development for over 35 years," said Dr. William Gruber, senior vice president of vaccine clinical research and development at Pfizer. "But this is extraordinary, and I think it speaks well not only for the potential of this vaccine but potentially other vaccines that are out there in development for COVID-19."
"This result is towards the high end of expectations," said an emailed comment from Shane Crotty, professor at the Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology. "Greater than 90% efficacy at preventing disease, with 94 COVID-19 cases to evaluate, is an excellent outcome! It would be good to see more of the data, but those are very convincing numbers."
While promising, this analysis alone does not provide enough information about the vaccine for Pfizer to ask the FDA for permission to distribute it.
The agency has informed manufacturers that it wants a minimum of two months of follow-up data from at least half of the volunteers. The FDA says the reason for that requirement is that most dangerous side effects from a vaccine occur within two months of getting the final injection. Pfizer says that data won't be available until the third week in November.
The company didn't say how serious the COVID-19 cases were that occurred in the study, or whether any of them required hospitalization.
Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at University of Florida, says she's cautiously optimistic but waiting for more data.
"There remain many open questions, such as how well the vaccine is working across different age groups, how well it is preventing infection and severe disease," Dean wrote in an email to NPR. "But for the pre-specified primary endpoint of laboratory-confirmed symptomatic disease across the trial population, the numbers look very good."
The Pfizer vaccine trial is what's known as an event-driven study. It does not last for a specified period of time. Instead, the study will continue and won't be considered complete until it has recorded a total of 164 cases of COVID-19 among all the volunteers.
As described in its publicly released protocol, the company had planned to conduct four interim analyses, when a proscribed number of COVID-19 cases had occurred. The results released Monday are from the second one, the company having agreed with the FDA to forgo the first analysis.


npr--2020-11-09--Japan And South Korea Congratulate Biden, Hope For Steadier Relationship With U.S.

Japan And South Korea Congratulate Biden , Hope For Steadier Relationship With U.S .
The United States ' chief allies in East Asia , South Korea and Japan , welcomed Joe Biden 's electoral victory over the weekend , expecting that the former vice president will rebuild their decades-old alliances , which have been challenged during four years of unprecedented strain under the Trump administration .
After extending congratulations on Twitter , Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters Monday he hopes to work with Biden to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance and `` secure the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jae-in also posted a congratulatory weekend tweet before telling reporters Monday that he will work to `` make sure that there wo n't be any vacuum in the strengthening of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and progress in the Korea peace process . ''
President Trump has been criticized for seeing little value in alliances , except as a way to squeeze revenue from wealthy allies who he believes are perfectly capable of defending themselves .
Trump has even suggested they develop their own nuclear arsenals .
Both Seoul and Tokyo have come under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cost of stationing troops in their countries , or face the possibility that the U.S. could reduce its military presence .
He also pressured both countries to join the U.S. in confronting China , with which South Korea and Japan both have strong trade ties .
Biden has pledged to strengthen the U.S.-South Korean alliance `` rather than extorting Seoul with reckless threats to remove our troops , '' Biden wrote in a contribution to the Yonhap News Agency , referring to Trump 's policies .
While there may be less pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pick sides , strategic competition between the U.S. and China is sure to continue because `` the Chinese are challenging [ the U.S. ] position in this part of the world , as we did in the 1930s , '' says Kunihiko Miyake , research director at the Canon Institute for Global Studies in Tokyo .
Another strain on the network of U.S. alliances in Asia comes from the historic animosity between Seoul and Tokyo , particularly stemming from World War II , when Japan brutally colonized the Korean peninsula .
Critics have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feud to simmer unchecked .
But Miyake argues that if he were a U.S. diplomat dealing with Seoul and Tokyo , `` I would n't mediate , because you get scorched . ''
`` If this was a purely diplomatic issue or a purely national security issue , it would be easier to intervene , '' but Miyake says it 's not , and both nations ' leaders , he argues , manipulate the historical issue for domestic political gain , regardless of external pressures .
Biden has also promised `` principled diplomacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Korea .
Many take that to mean that Biden will work more closely with Seoul and Tokyo and not enter into high-stakes negotiations directly with the North 's leader Kim Jong Un until the content of a possible deal has been hashed out in working-level talks .
North Korea prefers the top-down approach , and Kim gives his negotiators minimal leeway to negotiate .
This contributed to the collapse of a second Trump-Kim summit in Vietnam in 2019 , leaving Kim bitter and skeptical about the prospect for a deal with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustrated by Hanoi , he 's never going to believe what America says , diplomatically , after that experience , '' says Ahn Byongjin , a professor of American studies at Kyung Hee University in Seoul .
Many observers are skeptical of any breakthrough in denuclearization on the Korean peninsula , or improving frosty ties between the North and South .
A survey conducted Friday by South Korean pollster Realmeter found 48.8 % of respondents expected `` little difference '' in inter-Korean ties under Biden , 16.4 % expect ties to improve and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Korean state media have made no mention of Biden 's electoral win as of Monday .
South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa , in Washington on Monday to meet with her counterpart Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , predicted that Biden is unlikely to exercise `` strategic patience '' and wait Kim Jong Un out , as President Barack Obama hoped to do , although she cautioned it 's `` too early to make predictions . ''
Biden will need to focus initially on healing deep divisions within the United States .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this too will help restore U.S. credibility and international political capital in the eyes of its allies .
He notes that during the 1960s , President Lyndon Johnson pushed hard on civil rights legislation `` partly because he was thinking about competition with the Soviet Union '' and was concerned that segregation in the U.S. damaged its image abroad .
NPR 's Se Eun Gong in Seoul contributed to this report .

Japan And South Korea Congratulate Biden, Hope For Steadier Relationship With U.S.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Lee Jin-man/AP Lee Jin-man/AP
The United States' chief allies in East Asia, South Korea and Japan, welcomed Joe Biden's electoral victory over the weekend, expecting that the former vice president will rebuild their decades-old alliances, which have been challenged during four years of unprecedented strain under the Trump administration.
After extending congratulations on Twitter, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters Monday he hopes to work with Biden to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance and "secure the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region."
South Korean President Moon Jae-in also posted a congratulatory weekend tweet before telling reporters Monday that he will work to "make sure that there won't be any vacuum in the strengthening of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and progress in the Korea peace process."
President Trump has been criticized for seeing little value in alliances, except as a way to squeeze revenue from wealthy allies who he believes are perfectly capable of defending themselves. Trump has even suggested they develop their own nuclear arsenals.
Both Seoul and Tokyo have come under pressure from Trump to pay more for the cost of stationing troops in their countries, or face the possibility that the U.S. could reduce its military presence. He also pressured both countries to join the U.S. in confronting China, with which South Korea and Japan both have strong trade ties.
Biden has pledged to strengthen the U.S.-South Korean alliance "rather than extorting Seoul with reckless threats to remove our troops," Biden wrote in a contribution to the Yonhap News Agency, referring to Trump's policies.
While there may be less pressure from Biden on Seoul and Tokyo to pick sides, strategic competition between the U.S. and China is sure to continue because "the Chinese are challenging [the U.S.] position in this part of the world, as we did in the 1930s," says Kunihiko Miyake, research director at the Canon Institute for Global Studies in Tokyo.
Another strain on the network of U.S. alliances in Asia comes from the historic animosity between Seoul and Tokyo, particularly stemming from World War II, when Japan brutally colonized the Korean peninsula.
Critics have accused the Trump administration of allowing this feud to simmer unchecked. But Miyake argues that if he were a U.S. diplomat dealing with Seoul and Tokyo, "I wouldn't mediate, because you get scorched."
"If this was a purely diplomatic issue or a purely national security issue, it would be easier to intervene," but Miyake says it's not, and both nations' leaders, he argues, manipulate the historical issue for domestic political gain, regardless of external pressures.
Biden has also promised "principled diplomacy" in working toward the denuclearization of North Korea. Many take that to mean that Biden will work more closely with Seoul and Tokyo and not enter into high-stakes negotiations directly with the North's leader Kim Jong Un until the content of a possible deal has been hashed out in working-level talks.
North Korea prefers the top-down approach, and Kim gives his negotiators minimal leeway to negotiate. This contributed to the collapse of a second Trump-Kim summit in Vietnam in 2019, leaving Kim bitter and skeptical about the prospect for a deal with the U.S.
"Kim Jong Un was so frustrated by Hanoi, he's never going to believe what America says, diplomatically, after that experience," says Ahn Byongjin, a professor of American studies at Kyung Hee University in Seoul.
Many observers are skeptical of any breakthrough in denuclearization on the Korean peninsula, or improving frosty ties between the North and South.
A survey conducted Friday by South Korean pollster Realmeter found 48.8% of respondents expected "little difference" in inter-Korean ties under Biden, 16.4% expect ties to improve and 26.5% think they will worsen.
North Korean state media have made no mention of Biden's electoral win as of Monday. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa, in Washington on Monday to meet with her counterpart Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, predicted that Biden is unlikely to exercise "strategic patience" and wait Kim Jong Un out, as President Barack Obama hoped to do, although she cautioned it's "too early to make predictions."
Biden will need to focus initially on healing deep divisions within the United States. Kyung Hee University's Ahn Byongjin argues that this too will help restore U.S. credibility and international political capital in the eyes of its allies.
He notes that during the 1960s, President Lyndon Johnson pushed hard on civil rights legislation "partly because he was thinking about competition with the Soviet Union" and was concerned that segregation in the U.S. damaged its image abroad.
NPR's Se Eun Gong in Seoul contributed to this report.